"Spa" Birthday party

I'm having a few technical difficulties with my other site, so I thought I'd post pictures from Marissa's surprise "spa" birthday party here. I wracked my brain for a while trying to think of what kind of party to throw for a 12 year old...and I thought this theme would be something she'd really enjoy. So, I made these invites and sent them to a few of her gal pals..

I really wanted to get the girls spa robes as party favors. But, I knew it'd be pricey...luckily, I found these adorable, pink, polka dot robes for a steal of a deal! I think the girls were excited about being able to take them home!

I made decorations that Marissa could use later in her room. So I painted her name in wood blocks, and this hanging decoration is now hanging in front of her bedroom window.

The fondue table...

To keep with the pink and green theme...I even found these little foot massagers to put in the foot spa.

Little girls have really ticklish feet.

I turned their face towels into cupcakes...The face towels came in handy to wipe off their chocolate masks

Hannah enjoying her pedicure

Miriam letting her fingers and toes dry

cupcakes...no party is complete without them.

This cute puppy is the newest addition to the Mathew family...Murphy was being cuddled while his Momma helped me with the party

Finished product...nails courtesy my cousin, Les

Marissa and her friends....

The Ford Center was piz-acked Friday night....Let's just say that I felt really close to God as I sat in my seat listening to John Mayer. This has more to do with the fact that my seats were way high up...and very little to do with JM having a voice of an angel. ;) I have to admit...my friend NC told me a few weeks ago that she hates going to OKC Thunder games with her hubby because their seats are way high, and she is too scared to walk up there. At the time, I sympathetically said "Really?"..but in my mind, I was thinking..."What a la-hooser." But, I was the lahooser Friday night as I gripped on to the railing, seats, the stranger in front of me to make it up to my seat.

This guy...Michael Franti and the Spearheads were the opening act. They put on a really great show...although I didn't understand a word he was saying. All I could hear from my seat was the booming bass...I didn't know any of the guy's songs, he was too far away to read his lips, and he is a Reggae artist...so they're a lil' hard to understand anyway. But I did thoroughly enjoy his dancing. There's just something about the way people dance to Reggae Music. The movement is so free and fluid...not something I could achieve even if I tried (which I won't). =) Now, for my review of JM. He has a tendency to open his mouth and say the most ridiculous things...but the dude, is an amazing singer. I know women go mad for him, but when he performs, he has the weirdest expressions. And his ears are a little oversized. However, I will admit to swooning just a tad when he sang my favorite song "Gravity" and wore an OKC Thunder jersey. He won some cool points with me at that moment.

Other than that, I spent the weekend planning the coolest party of my party planning career. Yes, I say that every time I plan a party...but this time...I think I mean it. I will post pictures on my other site soon. I did a bit of thinking this weekend...I was about to pull the plug on this blog in order to concentate more on the other one. But, I kept thinking about all the history I have here...and about the useless information I share with the blogosphere...and I realized I'd miss it even though I neglect it. I decided I have to spend more time and energy on my other site if I really want it to fly...the next day, I stumbled upon a book at BN about marketing hand-made products. I thought my friend DM would be proud of me for not just purchasing it but actually reading it...since he's always encouraging me about being pro-active about pursuing my dreams. =) (Thanks DM). I'm learning about branding, marketing, and pricing....off to a good start, I'd say.

TGIF

I'm spending the evening with this guy tonight....

Tickets courtesy my friend and concert buddy the Furball!

I know that I'm a self-proclaimed reality tv addict. I enjoy the drama and disfunction of other people's lives. But, I think I have officially come to a point where I realize the downfall of the creation of reality television shows.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I am pretty sure the first reality show was aired by MTV....it was none other than "Real World-New York" Yes, there were drama and fights, but I think there was more to it as well. I think the whole point of the show was to open people's eyes to other people's reality...It was not just about shock tv. It was a novel idea....until MTV went overboard with it. Now, there's no purpose or meaning to the show..the only theme I see is "the smuttier, the better."

I think I finally came to my senses when I saw the cast reveal for "Dancing with the Stars." Kate Gosselin? Really? I thought this show was called Dancing with the STARS?!?! Back in the day, there were prerequisites for attaining stardom...like TALENT. It's mind boggling how an average joe lands on reality tv and becomes instant celebreality...there's no longer anything average about them or their lives. The paparazzi is stalking them, they're signing book deals, launching fashion lines, making records, and dancing on prime time! It's nuts!! It makes me feel sorry for trained professionals who spend their whole life dreaming and working towards stardom!

Will I go cold turkey and stop watching it all together? I'm going to be honest...probably not. But, I'm definitely cutting it down and definitely weeding out the smut. (maybe) =)

I've been compared to a grizzly bear lately, and I'm beginning to see the
similarities myself. With the weather being cold/gray/gloomy for the past
several weeks....I find myself wanting to stay home and hibernate as much as
possible. My favorite past time is taking siestas on my comfy, red, couch.

Hibernation isn't my only similarity with the great grizzly bear. I'm also
very easily agitated these days. It seems that silliest things totally set
me off....like parmesan cheese. I sent Matt out for ingredients to make
spaghetti the other night. I know, I know...I was asking for trouble.
Everyone knows that most guys aren't the best grocery shoppers...They either
bring home the wrong stuff or don't bring home stuff at all. But, I
carefully explained where each item is located in Walmart. Apparently he
forgot, so he asked a woman where parmesan cheese was. She directed him to
powdered parmesan cheese that sits on a shelf...not real, grated parmesan
cheese that sits in the refrigerated section. I know what you're
thinking..."So, what's wrong with powdered parmesan cheese?" It's wrong on
so many levels:

1. Why is it powdery? The bottle says it's 100% percent parmesan. Can
someone please explain to me how that's possible? How can a chunk of solid
cheese turn into fine powder?

2.Parmesan does have a stank. But the powdery kind has a stench. I find that
it's a cross between sweaty feet and stinky butt. (And no, I haven't smelled either, but some things you just know.) Now, I don't know about you guys...but that's not a scent I want garnishing my food.

3.What kind of cheese is not refrigerated?? I'll tell you what kind...FAKE
POWDER PARMESAN!

As you can tell...I'm quite sensitive and picky about my cheese! I feel
myself getting all worked up again...so I will end here...
But before I go, I leave you with my bargain find for the week:
Polka dot wedges-Ross-$12

Warning: Too much cuteness to handle in this post.

The many faces of Miss Maddicakes Two of my favorite cuties together...Tessa and Maddi

Plugged In...

I've been cell phone-less since Monday afternoon. I couldn't find my charger anywhere. I was at this point where I didn't really want to buy a new charger because I knew that as soon as I did...my old one would pop up. So, I decided to give it a day or two to resurface. Most people have one set location where they plug their charger in and that's exactly where they charge it...every day/night. Not sure why...but this is a daunting task for me. I can't seem to muster up enough strength at the end of the night to plug my phone in and go to bed. Therefore, my phone is either dying or dead half of the time....so I typically talk while charging. I find myself moving my charger around all day...I take it to work to charge, to my mom's, plug it in the living room, sometimes my bedroom, and finally...the kitchen....which is exactly where Matt found it last night.

For two and a half days I've been sorta disconnected....I've missed texts and calls...I've had people calling Matt's phone looking for me...people sending me heated emails asking why i'm not responding to texts. It's nice to know I'm needed and somewhat missed. ;) I think the hardest part has been my drive home. I fall asleep in the car...even if I'm driving...so I typically call someone (usually ccl) while I'm driving home...(I know, I know...Oprah says not to talk and text while driving) It's been so hard to stay awake! I've had to turn up the radio...open my windows and let the freezing cold air in, and/or bring something in the car to drink or munch on to keep me awake!!

Thank God my charger is back...It makes me wonder how I ever survived before I a phone!

I've been looking at old high school pictures tonight...the good ol' days when hair was big, problems were trivial, the sky was the limit, and mix tapes were the ultimate expresson of love. It seems like a lifetime ago and just yesterday all at the same time!

When I think of my high school friends, I still imagine these young faces...and silly laughs. Through Facebook and MySpace, I've been able to see how most of them have grown and changed and now have kids of their own...but it will always be these faces that come to mind when I hear their names or think about them.

It's always shocking to hear the news of someone's death, but when it's someone YOUR age that you grew up with...it makes you stop and realize how fragile life really is. Robin is the girl pictured in the middle of the above collage. I chose this picture because that's the way I remember her...fluffy, blonde hair, happy, youthful, laid back. I've exchanged a few emails with her over the years...and it seemed to me that she didn't change much. She was really happy with life and her children. She was 8 months pregnant with her sixth child...and died of a pulmonary embolism. Unforunately I don't know all the details of her sudden death. But, do know that her baby boy, Cooper survived..and is now in the NICU. Please keep her family in your prayers as they try to deal with this sudden and unexpected loss....especially baby Cooper as he fights for his life with out his mother.

The weekend went by in a blur. And now, I'm having a bit of trouble falling asleep...so I turned on my current favorite song, "Gravity" by Sarah Bareillis and thought I'd write a quick post before I force myself to go to sleep. (I know I'll be paying for this in the morning!) The weekend was a lovely one. BF came home on Friday and brought lil' maddicakes with her. I pretty much hung out with them all weekend and look forward to a few more days with them before they head back to sunny, Florida. Madison's grown leaps and bounds! She does the funniest little things and gives the sweetest hugs. Ugh...parting is definitely going to be such sweet sorrow. =/

No 55 words of fiction today...I have a special anonymous guest writer who promised that he'd be posting this week's 55. I think I might be closer to solving the mystery of who this anonymous poster is. (thanks to a few of his hints)

I leave you with a picture of Moussey on Valentine's Day. She's a very festive girl...she loves when I get her holiday scarves! For those of you wondering...she's mellowed out a lot with age. Nowadays...her favorite things to do are sleep, snuggle, and eat...although she does love running outside and playing as well. Her old nicknames like...Moussolini and Moussipher no longer fit her personality. These days...she's just as sweet as chocolate! ;)

Valentine's Eve dinner at the "fancy pants" restarant was really nice. I wanted to take more pictures at the hotel, but apparently security didn't want us to since we weren't staying there. Minor technacality..sheesh! But never fear...I did have a chance to take a few. Here are a few of my favorites...

The MathewsDelish carrot cake...

Me and Matt...since we didn't get a chance to take pics at the hotel...we had to settle fo the CRV....equally gorgeous photo op spot. ;) In other news, I went a little accessory-crazy this weekend. I couldn't help it...I found cute stuff for great prices! I thought I'd share my finds...

Silver Necklace, Forever 21, 4 bucks and change

Earrings, Forever 21, 3 bucks and changeI think purple might be my new favorite color.

This beaded necklace? $1 Jewlery Galore...for a DOLLAR!

a ring to match $2

Last but not least...55 words of fiction:

I'm fully aware that there is an office policy against dating the boss. But, I would gladly give up
my position as Mark's assistant to take on the new role as his significant other. He wasn't much older than me, the owner of an up and coming ad agency, well built, and extremely good looking.

TGIF! It's been a busy work week! I'm especially looking forward to this weekend since it's a 3 day! God bless President's Day! It's Valentine's weekend...and I'm curious as to what (few) readers (I have left) are doing this to celebrate?

I celebrated a little early and made Matt chocolate covered strawberries last night since he's a chocolate fiend. Unlike me, he's not into cards and all that jazz...so I thought I'd do something I knew he'd really enjoy and appreciate.

Tonight...I'm going to see "Valentine's Day" with Furball. I'm thinking the theater will be packed since it's opening night.

Tomorrow...we are going on a double date with the Mathews. They arranged an awesome dinner for us at the finest hotel in the city....I will be sure to take lots of pictures!

Valentine's Day will be spent at church, my first bible study with the new church later in the afternoon, and then....no plans for the evening. Probably just a little maxin' and relaxin'...and enjoying the fact that I have NO WORK Monday!

PS. If you're reading this, Terry....HAPPY BIRTHDAY! ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

55 words of fiction courtesy of anonymous...

I was crazy busy this week and didn't have time to squeeze in my 55 words of fiction. So a big thank you to anonymous who took care of it for me:

Of course I could have stayed in again on a Saturday night and watched re-runs of Project Runway, or even better .. Anthony Bourdain! So maybe going to the party wasn't a bad idea after all. Maybe Mark was interested in me in some way other than the assistant tasked with every menial job possible.

55 words of fiction...

I went to the work party at Mark’s against my better judgment. I was never very good at making small talk or socializing with co-workers outside of work. For some reason, it just felt unnatural to me to see them in casual clothes, talking about non-work-related topics, and sipping alcoholic beverages. I shouldn’t have gone.

55 words of Fiction...Monday edition

So, I decided to give myself a challenge. I like to do that on the occasion to keep myself on my toes. A few years ago, a friend and I started doing "55 words of fiction Fridays." I thought it was high time to bring it back...even though it isn't Friday. Maybe I'll just change it to Mondays instead. I figure it will be a good way to muster up some creativity...and who knows...maybe those 55 words will lead to another 55 words...and another...and by the time I know it...I'll have a short story?!? We shall see...

I saw him tip-toe past my office in stealth mode. Although, my head seemed to be buried in a file, I was very aware of the fact that Mark was trying to avoid me. I’m quite sure that it had to do with the fact that I spilled red wine on his off-white carpet.

Cuppycakes...

I love cupcakes. I love everything about cupcakes...how they taste...how they look...heck, even the word itself is SO cute.

So, I found it quite hard to resist when I saw cupcake hair clips for little girls made out of ribbon! I had to try to make one on my own!

This is the cupcake sample I made. I still need to attach it to a hair clip and a "cherry on top" embellishment...but I think I got the hang of it at least.

I can't wait to make some for all my lil' cupcakes! They know who they are...

I've been out of pocket for a while. Our friends moved into their first home, and we've been helping them prepare for the move. It's amazing what a few coats of paint and a new rug can do to a place!! This weekend, I pretty much felt like we were all on some HGTV show where we had 72 hours to redo a house. It was tiring, but so well worth it when seeing the end result. (If only we had taken some before and after shots!)

And now, we've embarked on our own hunt to find our first home. I always thought that this would be so exciting. But, it's kind of grueling. It's hard to commit to a home that either has someone else's stuff in it...or nothing in it...and try to visualize things like your stuff in the rooms and your dog running around it and cooking in the kitchen. It's a stretch of the imagination...even for me!

We've already seen a couple but roof damage and odd layouts have kept us from totally falling in love with a house yet. Will keep you posted!

It's up and ready to go!

A very special thank you to my friend, Dains for helping me with THIS. This has been a long-time goal, and it's awesome to see it finally up and running. Please click the link and share it with your friends and family as well!!

2010

On New Year's Eve, I realized a few things...
1. I will never live to see another single digit year. Not that I'm particularly sad about this...but it was something weird to consider.

2. I hate football. But, I remember hearing people discuss the University of Oklahoma football team one year...and they talked about it being a "growing year"...which meant, they didn't think the team would go to any of the bowl games, but it was a year for the team to strategize, grow and learn. That's kinda how I felt about my life in 2009.

Now that it's 2010, I have lots of resolutions that I should make...blog more, excercise more, eat less sweets, etc. But, I hate making promises to myself that I know I can't keep. So instead, I've decided to do just one thing....stop fearing the future because of events in the past...but instead, move ahead focused on God.

Mousse hits the snow...

Christmas in OKC

My mom's house...Christmas morning. It looks so pretty when it's snow-capped!Marissa opening presents....she's looking more and more like a teenager. It's painful!

Andrew opening his scooter. It was proclaimed the best Christmas present this year. My head swelled a bit about that.

All Andrew really wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth.

With their granny

The kids and my cuzzies...snowman building 101.

Finished product. Cute, isn't he?

Us with the snowman...he stole my hat. (I love how Moussey sat like a good girl)

Kids and their cuzzies

Hannah...another one who is getting too painfully close to teenagehood

Haley...so sweet and cute...I wish I could stick her in my pocket!

Kaleb...future model for sure. Check out the dimples and his collar! ha!

Christmas Eve in OKC

All I could think about was 12 o'clock. That was the time when I was going to get out of work, make a last minute, mad dash to Target and rush home to get ready for the Christmas Party later that evening. Except...things didn't go as planned. Not. At. All.

When I left work, the wind had picked up. I had a hard time walking to my car let alone driving my car. The snow was coming down hard and my already blurred vision was even blurrier. I made it about two blocks down the street before all the cars around me stopped...as if frozen. And they were...sorta. They were stuck in snow that was accumulating on the roads at a fast pace. Not to mention, the morning's sleet left a layer of sheer ice underneath the snow. People were either stuck or sliding in their mid-size cars, SUV's, and trucks...so I knew the Fit-mobile wouldn't stand a chance.

I pulled into a nearby neighborhood, called Matt, and implored him to come pick me up. But as I watched the main road, from the neighborhood, I knew there was no way he'd make it 10 miles up the street to me...or that I'd make it 10 miles down the street to him. So, I waited...I'm not sure what I was waiting for...the snow to stop? Scottie to beam me up? I called Matt back and told him to turn around and go home. It was too dangerous. Afterall, we spent last winter in the tropics...so he only had the previous year of experience driving in icy conditions. That wasn't enough experience! I'd either wait out the storm or brave it and drive really slowly. After a while, I decided I had to keep moving. My gas was half past half, I had no coat, and waiting it out didn't seem like a good option.

I began moving...slowly but surely. Phew...made it one block down the road to the next light. The car infront of me was stuck. And as he tried to get unstuck...he kept slipping and sliding...just inches away from my front end. I maneuvered my way to make a left turn, drove one more block, and parked my car at the mall. It was warm there atleast...and me and my car would be safe.

Luckily my buddy Shines was getting off work...and offered to slide by and pick me up. An hour later, I get a call from him...asking me to walk to the corner of the mall parking lot and wait for him at the bank. Although I had no coat...I was willing to make the trek through the snow, so it would be easier for him to get me. But as soon as I stepped outside, I realized that the snow was coming down harder. Within 5 seconds, my glasses were covered in snow, and I couldn't see my own hand in front of me, much less the bank on the corner! I called Shines back, and he picked me up at the mall front instead. I had never been so happy to see him...although I couldn't see him until I scraped off the snow from my glasses! "Nice blizzard appropriate outfit you have on there," he said. Even in the middle of a natural disaster...his sarcasm was still on point.

We slowly drove back to his house to retrieve his wife, so we could rescue the rest of their family, who were stranded on highways and byways...what is usually a 15 minute drive took approximately 2 hours. It didn't help that mid-way....the windshield wiper decided it was done for the day. We tried to use a make shift wiper for Shines to use, but it didn't prove to be successful. Driving with caution with your head out of your window while simultaneously wiping your windshield is not as easy as it sounds. We had some near misses and I had a few mild heart attacks...but we made it!...alive and well.

It was about 4 o'clock by then...we collected Merly and were off to go rescue the rest of the family. To make an already long story...a bit shorter...As we were on our rescue mission we got stuck 3 times. Each time, Merly gave the car some gas, and me and Shines pushed the car with our brute strength. It took about 15-20 minutes but we managed to get unstuck every time. This was saying a lot!...since there was so many abandoned vehicles everywhere...on the sides of the street and even in the middle of intersections! We kept saying how it felt like the end of the world...seeing people walk through the blizzard aimlessly and cars abandoned. All I could think of was...OMG...this is the last day of earth and I've been stuck with Shines for the past 7 hours?!? We finally got to my apartment at 8 pm!!...so much for being happy about getting off of work early!! We were drenched with sweat and snow and exhausted. And that, folks...is how we spent Christmas Eve in OKC.

I've got no passion for fashion...

After the recent Oprah episode about fall fashion. I was feeling pretty good about myself. It seemed I wasn't as clueless as I had assumed...I actually wore "in" colors, understood the basics of accessorizing, and made good use of tights! So, since I was "so" fashionable...I was pretty confident in wearing a dress to the last wedding I worked. Wearing Indian outfits are a job hazard. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've tripped on churidar pants as I was running around.

The dress I picked was actually a skirt and shirt. I bought it a few years ago for a Christmas party. I'm not sure what the skirt is made of, but it is charcoal gray with black velvet designs on it. I knew the colors were in this season, so I figured I could pull it off with a pair of my favorite black tights. Of course, Sheryl made fun of my shirt....and come to think of it, so did her mom. It was a 3 quarter length sleeve jacket-shirt in black velvet. Sheryl didn't get how a jacket could be a shirt and her mom didn't get why I buttoned it all the way to the collar. But, I blew them off...I mean, what do THEY know about fashion? So, I went to the wedding and felt pretty good about myself. And I felt pretty good about the outfit after...thinking I should wear it to all weddings that I work.

Until....I was at Walmart over the weekend and saw someone else sporting the exact same outfit. Now, I'm not a fashion snob who thinks I need to be wearing "originals." The problem def'ly wasn't that someone else was wearing something I owned. The problem was.................she was 60. She definitely burst my bubble. If only Stacey London wasn't so rude to her show guests....I'd def'ly sign myself up for "What Not to Wear."

Wii dont' have it...

Pardon me for my lack of posting last week. It was an extremely busy work week. I actually had to spend time at the office after 5 pm, which is very unusal because I'm usually out the door and in my car with my seatbelt strapped by 5 pm.

Let me fill you in on the events of last week. I had been dropping both subtle and obvious hints to Matt that I wanted a Wii for Christmas. Partially because I rock at Wii bowling and I also wanted the Wii Fit to excercise with. Since Walmart was giving away a $50 gift card with their Wiis Matt decided that we could finally get one. So, we woke up at 7 am one Sunday morning to beat the rush. We came home with our new purchase and I was so excited to set it up and start playing...after church, of course. So, imagine my disappointment when we stuck the game cd in and it...DIDN'T WORK!!

I could hardly concentrate in church because I knew that if we took the Wii back to Walmart, we wouldn't be able to exchange it. There were only 3 more in the store when we bought ours. Sure, I could wait until Monday to exchange it...but that totally threw a wrench in my plans of playing the Wii all afternoon long!! Church was finally over and I told M & S (not to be confused with M as in Matt or S as in Sue...) about our dilemma. They were certain it was an easy fix and offered to come by and look at it.

Unfortunately, they couldn't fix it either. We were all set to go get a refund for our purchase when Matt decided to call the 1-800 number help line. I was pretty sure that the call would get him nowhere...it was obviously a problem with the console that couldn't be fixed. Matt told the lady that he tried to put the cd in and it kept giving him the same message over and over "unable to read disc." She very patiently asked him to walk over to the console, and see if there were plastic feet on the top of it.....

And there ya have it....we had the unit upside down the whole time....so it was reading the disc upside down!!

We had to go through all these obstacles and in the end....we didn't keep the Wii afterall. Oh, it worked perfectly fine...but, SOMEONE seems to think that they're going to come out with a new and improved system next year and then by that time ours will be outdated...(blah, blah, blah).
So, there goes that Christmas wish...on to the next....

I recieved a call today on my cell...no number, no info...just said "incoming call." When I picked it up, the person said, (in a very professional voice), "May I speak to Susan?" My automatic response was, "this is Susan." That response literally took one second to come from my mouth...but in that one second of time, my brain worked over time to figure out who the caller might be. Initially, I thought it was from India...but the voice sounded American. Maybe it was a credit card collector...but wait...I have no credit card. Maybe they were going to offer me a credit card...doubtful...A real estate agent that I had contacted weeks ago? Perhaps...orrr was it church that I had recently sent my resume to?? Maybe they were calling me in for an interview. But, just as my hopes soared, they came crashing down when I heard giggling....

It was Sheryl. She was trying to convince me she was Ellen Degeneres, calling live from her show. Needless to say, she needs to brush up on her prank calling skills, and I need to be less imaginitive I guess. =/ People always tell me I have an overactive imagination. I guess they're right...

Hey...that's not an onion...it's my finger!

Last night was cooking marathon night...the one night a week where I make enough food to feed our faces for atleast 7 days. I make Indian curries...which is time consuming and stanks up the entire apartment, but it's cheap and eating leftovers isn't so bad.

So, I made beef, chicken, fish, and fried potatoes and onions. Just as I was cutting the onions, I sliced the tip off my ring finger. It started bleeding profusely. Matt ran for a bandaid, and I ran for the sink. When I finally got my finger cleaned, we inspected the wound and realized a chunk of my ring finger was mia. We walked back to the onions...I certainly didn't want to throw my finger in and fry it up with the potatoes!!! There it was...still on the knife. It looked like a piece of onion...but it was rubbery...so I knew it was my finger. I saved it ...I'm not sure why. It's not like I can super glue it back...but I'm just weird like that, I guess. So now i'm typing with out a tip of my ring finger...and it hurts...so I'm gonna stop here. Until tomorrow, folks...

So, over the weekend...I was discussing my blog...or lack of...with my friend. She asked me why I didn't write as much as I did in the beginning. I explained that I feel like nothing blogworthy or entertaining is going on in my life right now. She advised me to take a closer look at my day to day...and assured me that there's plenty of entertaining things happening that I'm just not aware of.

So, I took her advice....

Last night when I got home, Matt was raving about this pie my mom made. My mom? Made a pie? She's not the baking/pie-making type. Then he explained that the pie had meat in it. Ok, that made more sense. But, why was he raving about it? I make chicken potpie and pizza pie all the time. I never hear him raving. He described the pie as a sweet meat pie, which is why he likde it.... It was sweet. But sweet meat sounded disgusting to me. Later in the evening, I went to my mom's and saw the sweet meat pie on the counter. I helped myself to a bite. I kinda felt like Joey Tribiani on the episode when Rachel made a shepherd's pie. Meat? good. Corn? Good. Cheese? Good. Sweet crust? Good. But all together...it was kind of strange. I couldn't understand why my mom's crust was so sweet. She bought a pre-made crust...and they usually just have a tinge of sweetness. So, I took another bite to figure it out...and sure enough, I realized she used GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST! She got the recipe from my sister...who probably said, "buy a ready made crust"...and then my mom went to the baking aisle and bought the only ready made crust she could find. She was really embarrassed and made me vow not to tell my sister. So, if you're my sister and reading this....Don't tell Mummy I told you. And if you're anyone else who knows my mom...You never read this. Kapeesh?

Later that evening...Matt and I played Scrabble. I hate playing games with him because he's a cheater. But, I thought I'd give it one last try...He spelled out the word "dickory" I tell him it's not a word...and he quickly replies with "hickory dickory dock" I couldn't argue with that. Next he spelled..."heartful" To which I reply,"that's not a word" And he says..."I give you my heartful condolensces." I almost fell for it...and then remembered it's heart-FELT. needless to say, no more scrabble for me and Matt.

Below is a picture taken over the weekend...from a little soiree we attended. When I moved back in March and started helping Shines and Merly plan their wedding. I didn't know that it was going to be the beginning of a new business venture...or the beginning of a very special friendship.

I really don't know what Matt and I did on the weekends before these two became our "couple" friends....now we have partners to go to church, to kill buffets, to house hunt, to laze around on Sunday evenings, and to taste test new recipes.

The Thomas's love the Mathews. ;)

Well, it was an interesting weekend. The wedding was on Saturday, and although overall, it went well. There were a few unforseen glitches I had to deal with. I guess I learned that even if you do something that you absolutely love...you can still have an off day. The entire event was just a learning experience....I learned that not everyone will always appreciate me or see things my way. And, I realized that there is a time to be a silent and a time to speak up....and stand up for myself.

Luckily, I have another event to work on coming up in January. I love that business has been coming in steadily. I guess I officially have a "side gig" now. Saturday someone had actually asked me for my business card.. So last night I sat down and created one for myself. I'm really thankful that I was able to take some small steps and start doing things I really enjoy this year...I just hope that next year I can make even more progress!

It's 2:30 in the morning, and here I am blogging at this ungodly hour! I find that my brain is so full of things that I'm stressing about that I can't make myself relax long enough to fall asleep!!!

Basically, my stress is centered around the wedding I'm working on that is coming up next weekend. With the bride and groom in Dallas, it has made for a complex situation. I usually get nervous before every wedding, but this time it's a bit more than just nerves. It's anxiety.

I'm sure in the end it will be fine...mainly, because I'm begging and pleading to God that it will be. I have also called in a few favors from my pro-bono assistant. Knowing she will be there to calm me down during my potential melt down is comforting.

I hear Matt and Mousse snoring...I think I'm going to try to go join them....

Well, we were off to Dallas for Stan and Sheryl's wedding. I've known Stan since I was ten...

STAN how can I can explain him?

I'll take you frame by frame him...

Actually, my whole Stan description in the tune of OPP won't work because every word I think of to describe him doesn't start with S-T-A-or N.

Stan is the little brother I never wanted but somehow adopted. I know deep down he loves me, but you have to dig pretty deep to get that because whether it's been a month or six years I've seen him, we always pick up where we left off....and where we left off is him dawging me mercilessly. =/

But, Saturday was a monumental day...he was blissfully happy and sweet. I hope Sheryl will only bring out a lil' more of that in him in the future! the happy couple cutting their beautiful cake...

I have shared lots of great times with the Crystal (to the right), so it was great seeing her again after so long! Sonia, me and Sheryl...with Elijah.

My girls...

The other chair was missing someone....Sunu.

My gracious host for the weekend...

Me and Matt totally fell in love with this lil' guy

Overall...it was a great weekend...it was great seeing my friends from way back when and re-connecting!...and it was especially great to see Stan happy in love!

Well, it's official...I've fallen back into "The Hills" trap. Since LC left, I haven't really been following it. Not that I'm a huge LC fan. Towards the end...her "I'm so mature, and you're so not" attitude was working my nerves. (Not to mention, I'm slightly jealous of 3 book deal. Why is it only the rich get richer?!?) But, it's like when she left, it brought the whole facade to light. And suddenly, the Hills seemed so fake! Never mind Matt's been telling me that since the very first time he watched an episode. I refused to believe it and couldn't get enough of the drama...the catfights...the love hate relationships.

This time, I've fallen back into watching the show because I love to hate on it. It's almost embarrassing for Kristen Cavalleri to take up this new roll on the show. Being the replacement for your high school nemesis?? She must be desperate. And, would anyone care to tell me how her and Bartender Stacey became friends? I mean aren't there zillions of people in LA? And of all those zillion, she's BFs with HER?? A bit too coincidental I'd say.

I also don't get the Lo/Audrina/Steph friendship. Where'd Steph and Lo come from, anyway? How in the world did they weasel their ways into this show? And how does Holly and Heidi's mom feel about the show portraying Holly as an alcoholic?? I don't know why I do it...I need reality rehab.

I'm currently listening to the tunes of "way back Wednesdays." 80's music is the one thing that gets me through hump day.

I recently explored a website that I wanted to share with you. I have been attending Life Church in Okc for the past eight months. I really love this church because they are coming up with innovative ways to spread the gospel and reach people.

You Version is one of their innovative ideas. I'm still learning how to use it, but I love what I know so far. Basically, it's the Bible on line. It has suggested daily readings, a place for you to jot notes, a place for you to hilight and save passages....It also has a place where you can read other peoples thoughts on certain passages and you can share your ideas with the community as well. It's a very cool way to get your daily dosage of the word. You don't have to live in Oklahoma or go to the church to use the website, it's for everyone! Even more awesome is that you can access You Version from your phones! Check it out!

Watching yesterday's Oprah was an eye opening experience. On the show, she discussed how shoes, purses, and accessories can actually make you look leaner. The eye opening part was....I already knew that! I guess I'm not the fashion retard that I had assumed myself to be!
Remember when those tiny purses were fashionable? You know, the tiny purses you could barely fit your car key and phone into? I never owned one. I saw 'fluffy' girls carry them and realized they looked 'fluffier' doing so! My purse of choice is a mid-size, square purse...black (to match my sweaters). This is apparently a good choice because the stylist on the show mentioned that round girls should never carry round purses.

Next up is shoes...There was a point in time when I would wear four inch heels. But, that was a time when big, bulk heels were all the rave. Now that thin, sleek, pointy heels are 'in'...I can't seem to make my extra wide feet balance themselves in a pair of heels. I'm more of a wedge heel kind of girl. They give me the height I so desperately need, while giving my foot a bit of support. I also appreciate a nice, comfy pair of ballet flats. But, according to the stylists on Oprah, a shrimp like me should primarily where heels in order to maintain a facade of being tall and slender.

Accessories...my favorite subject. The show didn't really stress the importance of them...but I will. Accessories are my #1 weakness. I typically find a fabulous pair of earrings and then find clothes to match. I know normal people usually shop the other way around. This season's hot accessory is scarves...which happen to be my latest obsession. Per the show, they make your torso look longer. I could def'ly use some torso length. I happen to think a necklace/scarf, a pair of earrings, and a cute bracelet or a fabulous cocktail ring just makes you look more put together. It makes an outfil look well though out...and makes things more interesting. And in case you're reading this and live in the OKC area....check $1 jewelry Galore on 23rd and Penn (my accesories store of choice)...all their earrings, bracelets, and necklaces are ONLY a dollar!...and their cocktail rings are $1.99...a steal of a deal!