Project Kitchen Reorganization

I need a little break from the serious talk about critical illnesses....so bear with me as I brag about my little kitchen reorganization project! When I go to my mom's house, I tend to snub my nose at how cluttered her kitchen is.  I always told myself I wouldn't collect mugs or tupperware excessively and that my counter space would never be cluttered.  But it was recently pointed out to me that my countertops are indeed cluttered and I have a lot of unnecessary things in my cupboard.  So, immediately we conducted a purge.  We cleared the counter space and reorganized my cupboard and it looked so amazing!  I wish I had a before shot...but I do have an after!

My beautiful, de-cluttered cupboard! (Is it obvious that I love polkadots?!)

I was so inspired by my cupboards, that I decided to tackle my pantry as well.  It was in horrid condition!  I could never see what was in there, so I just kept buying more.  It got to this point where I refused to open it because I was scared of what I might jump out of it.

This is totally embarrassing to even admit that this is what my pantry looked like!

So, I threw away everything that was dated, cleared out the shelves, lined each shelf with paper, bought some storage bins and containers, and...VOILA!

My beautiful pantry!!!  Now I always make people look at it before they leave the house!

I love the kitchen so much...I plan to go through every room in the house and organize each one!  Why wait for spring cleaning when you can have this much fun now?!?!?!

Angels on Earth...

It's weird to be diagnosed with an illness and feel so completely overwhelmed, yet simultaneously feel so blessed.  That's exactly how I felt all day today.  I got a call from Dr. H (my oncologist) first thing this morning.  He was going over when my next two exams would be and was so irritated when he discovered my PET scan would only be next Tuesday.  He immediately said he was going to call the clinic himself and get it changed to TODAY.  And...he did exactly that.  Within minutes, the clinic called me to switch the date and time and my scan was going to be in a the matter of 2 hours.  I was so overwhelmed!!  First, my sugars had to be just right and I had just got done pulverizing Cheerios for breakfast...not exactly the breakfast of a champion diabetic.  Secondly, the lady had told me to prepare for Tuesday by wearing clothes with no metal in them (my slacks had a metal tab), wearing warm fuzzy socks (i had no socks!), and bringing 6 peanut butter crackers for snack time (and I had no crackers!) So, I raced home to make sure I at least dressed warmly and metal-free and decided I'd forgo snack time since I ate cheerios.

The two hours I actually did spend at work were full of phone calls...my Dr, the clinic, and two different hospitals.  I just wanted to press the pause button in life and just take a breather.  But when you're dealing with cancer...there is no pause button. The test was scheduled so last minute, that I didn't think I could find someone to go with me.  But then Htown volunteered to leave work early and take me.  I met Htown four months ago and she may think she moved to Oklahoma to marry her husband.  But, I think God sent her to the 2nd best city in the world to be my little angel during this time of need.  She's gone above and beyond the call of duty in our newly found friendship and has been such a blessing!!  I know she's blushing right now!!  So I'll stop so not to embarrass her in front of the blogosphere.  

Now, I've had scans and X-rays before...and I've never thought the techs were blogworthy individuals. But my CT tech and PET scan tech made scanning for both a really great experience.  They were so compassionate and caring, talked to me as if I was a human being that they wanted to get to know, and made me feel like they cared about my ultimate well-being.  Both of them told me they would pray for me, and I honestly believe that they will. I left both scans with the same feeling...that those were techs sent by God...little angel techs to specifically deal with me....because I need a little extra TLC these days!

After all my testing today, I made a mad dash back Dr. H's office to drop off the CD to him.  His nurse tried to send me away and tell me that I should bring it back with me on my next visit...but as she was shooing me, he walked down the hall, saw me, and held up his finger to tell me to wait.  He then told me he had 2 more patients, and if I could wait, he'd look at the CD with me!!  Needless to say I waited and......drumroll..............there is NO spreading in my lymph nodes!!!  I can't express how grateful I am to have an amazing Dr. who bends over backwards for me, calls me and responds to my messages immediately, and legitimately cares about getting me the best care quickly.  Dr. H is definitely my little indian oncology angel!  (I  hope he never finds this blog...because I'm sure he'd blush too!)

So, although today was so crazy and overwhelming and exhausting, I felt really thankful to God that the cancer has not spread and that I have all these little angels surrounding me everywhere I go!  I went home and spent the rest of the evening on my favorite couch with my favorite girl!  Prayer request...please pray that tomorrow's ultrasound will have good results! 

Tom Yum Soup...it's what's for lunch..and possibly breakfast and dinner!

When I first started having swallowing problems, I googled my symptoms and the first thing I came across was "esophageal cancer."  Everything I read seemed to fit what I was experiencing.  It said that people automatically change what they eat and try to eat softer foods or they take smaller bites and chew more...but that inevitably people would drop weight and the problem wouldn't subside.  This is exactly what was happening to me...And although everyone else I was complaining to assured me that it was acid reflux, the seed was planted in my brain that this could possibly be something worse.  I've noticed that the pain I had swallowing that began 3 months ago is getting increasingly worse. Before it used to be bread or meats that I  had a hard time getting down.  But now, even a banana and water is hard to swallow.  I would work through the pain, but I also feel pretty full after just a few bites for some weird reason.  So, I'll start off famished, take a few bites and then I'm stuffed, but then in ten minutes...I'm starving again.  It's a conundrum....My weight has dropped a bit, which I'd typically be over the moon about...but it's a little concerning.

Today I was able to find something to eat that doesn't hurt going down at all!  Thai Seafood Tom Yum soup!  It may look gross but it's delicious to me...chalked full of seafood like scallops, shrimp, squid, fish and mussels.  I was elated to find something fairly easy to eat!  Looks like I might be living off of it for a while so I sure hope one of my kind friends will master the art of making tom yum soup so I don't have to trek out to Panang on the daily to buy it.

In other news, Sueberry is totaled!!!!!  When the tree collapsed on Saturday, I tried to be calm and not freak out...I tried to see how God might be using the situation for good.  When I thought about it that way, I thought that perhaps God was opening up a door for me to get rid of Sueberry.  I needed to sell her and clearly I don't have time to deal with that right now.  So, now she's totaled and I don't have to worry about trying to get rid of her, and hopefully my insurance company will hand me over a much needed check to put towards cancer care....like the pet scan I'll be having Tuesday.

I was trying to get it done at MDA, but that's not happening as quickly as I'd like it to.  So, my pre-planned trip is now cancelled.  I will be having my Pet Scan Tuesday here in OKC...I think it's best to get it done and know whether or not there's spreading so I can be staged properly.  And then if MDA needs to scan me again...well, so be it....

Prayer request for today....In the week that I've been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, I've already made a cancer buddy.  "Peppermint Pattie" is  someone from my world that I didn't know was suffering with the same illness.  But he heard through the grapevine and contacted me and has been an amazing sense of support since.  He's at MDA now for treatment and will be having surgery next week.  So please keep my cancer buddy in your prayers as well...that in the days leading up to surgery, God will give him strength and peace of mind....and be with his doctors as they perform this intense procedure on him.  And please pray that by the time he's in the hospital recovering, I will be able to have my first appointment...so I can go visit him and offer him a tenth of the support he's offered me through this process.

Updates and Birthdays....

I have to admit, it's been a hard day.  And I'm thinking there's going to be a lot more days like this ahead. Cancer was definitely a lot easier to handle last week when it was the only thing I had to handle.  This week, it's a bit more stressful when you throw in two insurance claims and a naked house in the mix.  I spent most of the day on the phone with the doctor, MDA in Houston, and claims adjustors...all this while I was at work.  Surgery date is still pending...so if you're praying for me, please keep praying that things move along quickly!!  Although I'm in the waiting phase I feel better knowing my doctors are still communicating with me on the daily and I haven't been forgotten or filed away.  Also pray that the remaining two tests I have to take come out clear whenever I take them!

I was feeling a little overwhelmed this morning when I got a call from my cousin, Mikey.  I started telling him about the tree predicament and the next thing I know, he was laughing hysterically and next thing I knew, so was I.  It was exactly what I needed  at exactly the right time.  Thanks for the laugh, Mike...and Happy Birthday!

Also a special happy birthday to my Molly Aunty.  I'm not quite sure what our family would do with out her....She's been amazingly supportive of me time and time again...but especially now when I need her the most!  She's come with me to my appointments and is always strong and encouraging.  She's such a blessing in my life and I'm so grateful to her!  

Seven Days of Faithfulness....Day Seven

Well, here we are folks...day seven!  I didn't know if I could make it till the last day!!!...not that I'm not thankful for lots and lots of things, but I'm getting a little tired of writing about it....and I'm anxious to move on to bigger and better things.  But before I do...Today, I was thankful for the best distractions!  I had so many visitors that I didn't  have time to think about my current challenging situations.  So, I thought I'd share some hi lights of my distracting day!

It's not often that my cousins swing by Oklahoma City...so when I found out my cousin Bobby was driving through with his family, I was uber excited to see them and the 4 Kurian Kuties.  I haven't seen my cousins in eight years, so it was definitely a great time catching up and finally meeting all the kiddos!

Later Baby Ava and her Mom, NC came to visit me.  Baby Ava wasn't really in the mood for selfies but she obliged.

Next, Htown requested I do some more DubSmashes...I forgot how much time I could waste doing them....but clearly, I have tons of fun doing it.  I think this is my best one yet...and I gotta be honest, I kinda have a big head on how good I am at this.  I sorta wonder if I missed my calling as an actress.

 So thankful for my distractions today because they made this Sunday fly by!  I have lots to do and accomplish this week.  Not only do I have to deal with claims adjustors and all the annoying damage to my car and house, but  I had pre-planned a trip to Houston, so I would like to go ahead and get some testing scheduled while I'm there.  So, if you're praying for me...please pray that all that will come together so I can make good use of my time there!!

Seven Days of Thankfulness....Day Six

I found it pretty difficult to find something to be thankful for this morning.  Before I even hit the ground running, bad news was delivered to my door step.  I wondered who could be ringing my doorbell incessantly so early in the morning on a  cold, icy day.  I tried to ignore them...but they were pretty persistent.  So I finally opened the door and when I did....

I saw nothing but tree behind the guy.  My heart immediately sank.  The beautiful, big tree that was in my front yard had collapsed.  Last year it was hit by lightening, but I hoped and prayed it could somehow survive it.  After last night's ice storm, it split in three ways.  One huge limb fell on the hood of my Honda Fit, the other limb fell on my roof, and the third limb remained, although weak and heavily damaged.  

Even as I type this I can hear tree limbs breaking and falling from the weight of the ice through out the neighborhood.  The entire neighborhood looks like it's war torn with broken trees.  Luckily three of my neighbors were kind enough to grab their electric saws and saw the limb off my car.  My poor bright blue Honda Fit was caved in from the hood.  RIP Sueberry...I loved you once.  The neighbors were too scared to saw of the 2nd limb.  It had to be done just right or it could potentially cause a lot of damage to the house.

So, for the first time in life...I handled a big girl task.  I had to call the insurance company and make a claim and then find a tree cutter who could take on the task...Luckily, my cousin "I guess" provided moral support.  The tree cutter told me that the third limb and the rest of the tree had to come down.  I wasn't ready to say goodbye.  But, I knew it was the only choice I had.  RIP beautiful, big tree...you added so much charm to my little house and you will be greatly missed.

So what am I thankful for?  Well....I'm thankful that this situation wasn't worse....and that my house doesn't seem to be too terribly damaged.  And although I lost Sueberry...she was just a spare and I have another car, so I don't have to find a replacement.  And I'm thankful for my neighbors who are pretty awesome in time of need.  All's well...that ends well....

My house with the big, beautiful tree..

Poor Sueberry trapped beneath the massive limb

What an amazing sight on a Saturday morning!

Seven Days of Thankfulness....Day Five

I've learned that being thankful and dwelling on the things you're grateful for is a great way to battle the blues.  So it's funny that God...in his infinite wisdom...gave me this brilliant idea to start Seven Days of Thankfulness on the most emotionally grueling week of my life.  You see, he knows that I couldn't start writing a seven day series and end at day two....it would drive me insane.  He wanted me to keep reflecting on the things I'm most grateful for in order to keep me positive and focused on what's good in my life right now.

I started this blog in 2005 and over ten years I've written a lot about absolutely nothing and a little bit of everything.  It's been a hodge podge of my life's misadventures.  So, I thought it'd be the perfect space to chronicle what I'm going through right now.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been having problems swallowing as of late...three months to be exact.  I'm notorious for having medical issues and letting them fester and get worse because I have avoidance issues and I feel like Dr's visits always seem to lead to.....more Dr's visits.  But, this time I was surprisingly proactive.  Possibly because I love food...especially swallowing it!!

I got referred to a GI specialist, who poked and prodded my gut a little and listened to my rant about my esophagus...and then assured me that I had nothing to worry about.  Sometimes your esophagus can narrow on its' own and that's what he thought mine was doing.  He scheduled an endoscopy a few days later to widen my esophagus a bit.  The day of the endoscopy I was eager to get the issue resolved.  I wanted to eat my dry piece of turkey breast on Thanksgiving painlessly!  But, when I woke up from anesthesia I had an even bigger problem....he found a mass.

On Monday morning, I found out the mass had a name...esophageal adenocarcinoma.  So, I'm 41 years old, and I have cancer.  I didn't even have a day to process the information before I was thrown face first into battle mode.  Everything this week has moved at lightening speed.  That same day I was in the hospital for a CT scan...which was clear, by the way....no spreading to my organs or bones!  The next day I was meeting with my oncologist.  It was overwhelming, to say the least.  He used phrases like "aggressive mass" and "high morbidity rate" and "you need chemotherapy."  

I realized that I hadn't thought this thing through.  I thought I'd have snip here and a snip there and be perfectly okay.  But those snips are apparently a highly complex resection that can't be done here in Oklahoma.  Not to mention chemo...  Upon my Dr's suggestion, I'm gearing up for surgery in Houston at MD Anderson.  I don't have the details ironed out yet because I have more testing to do to see if the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes.

I would have never thought that I'd end the year by beginning a battle with cancer.  Then again, I never thought I'd be so mentally prepared to deal with all of this either.  But life is full of little surprises.  Which brings me to why I'm thankful....

This week, I had to deliver this news to my friends and family.  It's not a statement that someone is ever prepared to make or hear.  I know that it was just as hard on all of them as it was on me.  So today I'm thankful for an amazing group of friends and family...who always make me feel loved and supported.  I don't know how many people responded with "I'm praying" and "please let us help you."
Words can't express how grateful I am to know that I don't have to go through this battle on my own...but that there are amazing people standing with me.

I've decided to use this blog as a portal to keep everyone posted with updates.  I haven't been a consistent blogger/writer in several years.  But I'm committed to it now...and I feel like I have a story to share as I start this journey to kick cancer's butt. 

Seven Days of Thankfulness....Day Four

I don't think I've ever been more reflective or thankful on Thanksgiving than I am this year. Thankfulness shouldn't be something we save for one day of the year it should be a daily occurrence. But life gets in the way...bad days at work, fights with your spouse, financial worries, health problems...the list is endless!! The things we are not thankful for block our vision of the plethora of simple things we overlook and should be thankful for.

As silly as this sounds, this year one of the things I'm most thankful for is the ability to eat a thanksgiving meal. I have been struggling with a pain in my esophagus that has made me grimace while swallowing something as simple as water. However today, I can take smaller bites and chew till my food is pulverized and swallow turkey and fixings!!  My heart goes out to my new friend who struggles with my same issue I do but is on a feeding tube.

We overlook the simple things in life...until we no longer have them. Take time to reflect and be thankful on the daily...it helps to keep your mind positive and focused on what's important.

I'm also thankful for BF! Today is her birthday!! I'm so grateful for her life and so many years of friendship! She is my sunshine when skies are gray!!

Happy Birthday, BF!

Seven Days of Thankfulness...Day Three

Ironically some of the things that I'm thankful for are also the things I complain about the most. I've often grumbled about why God gave me a creative brain. I much rather have a math/science brain that would land me a fancy job and  heavy cash flow. But instead I have the uncanny ability to watch M Knight Shymalan movies and know that "the Village" was really his view of 1st generation Indians in America. Is that a stretch?? Possibly... I digress.

But, I love creating things...whether it be a blog post or the perfect cupcake topper for a birthday party!!  My creativity has opened doors for me to make friends...like my beautiful brides!!...have fun experiences...like book reading NYC...has challenged me...like when I work with squirrellyMerly on her visions of grandeur...and provided me with so many crazy memories...like the time Sheba and I got a call from a Mother of the Bride about a missing Amachi.

I do realize creativity is a blessing and a gift from God...and it makes me uniquely me!

my current favorite mug...

Seven Days of Thankfulness....Day Two

This year, I am especially grateful that I was able to go on a trip of a lifetime to Greece!   My awesome sister and BIL let me tag along on their family vacay!  I would have been a fool to pass that one up.  We spent 9 days in beautiful, Greece!  It's hard to pick a favorite moment or experience...how do you choose when you're dealing with the ancient ruins of Athens or staring at the beautiful blue Aegean Sea from your villa in Santorini!  I guess what I found to be most interesting were the locals and learning about the way they live....

Gus lived in Athens, and he was our driver.  The amount of history that even the drivers know about the ruins is simply mind boggling.  Although we did hire a tour guide, I'm pretty sure we didn't need one because Gus could have told us the same thing.  He was so kind and compassionate, so to hear about his struggles with the economy crisis in Greece was a pretty heart wrenching.  He was the only person working in his family of five, which included three adult children!!  He said the unemployment rate for the older generation was about 20% and among people between the ages of 20-30 it was 50%.  Pretty unreal...

In Santorini, I met George, who was our driver and tour guide.  If anyone is reading this right now and ever plans on visiting Santorini...which I suggest all of you do...please contact me so I can try to help get you in touch with George.  There's not a crevice of Santorini that he doesn't know.  He's kind of the Rico Suave of the island.  Ever the bachelor, he kinda just roams about the island in his Hummer being a Bad Ass with his collar popped.  He's worked as a guide/driver with all sorts of celebrities...like Hrithik Roshan!!

While we yachted on the Aegean see, I met Eddy...He was the co-captain and chef on the yacht.  His culinary skills were amazing...for a guy whose real profession was being a painter.  He was pretty much a jack of all trades and he mastered all of them.  When I interrogated...err, i mean, chatted with him, he told me about how he met his wife in Santorini.  Apparently a lot of Japanese come to Santorini to get married, and she had come along with a couple as the bride's hair dresser.  She met Eddy, they fell in love, and they got married!!...She never went back.  How romantic!!!  They've been married for three years, and this will be the first year he goes back with her to Japan.  He said they work pretty much day and night for seven months out of the year in Santorini and then chill for five months and travel and do whatever they want.  I could handle that...Don't think I didn't think about staying there.

So aside from the people and the beauty of Greece...the food was phenomenal.  Gyros...greek salad...fried anchovies...the best seafood ever...and shrimp saganaki!  Thankfully, I brought a few recipes home with me and can do a pretty close mimic...but nothing will ever compare!

Seven Days of Thankfulness....Day One

It's Thanksgiving week!  What better way to spend this week than reflecting on what I'm thankful for.  It's super easy to think about all the things wrong in your life...but it's a little bit more challenging to think about the good things.

Four and a half years ago, when I was unemployed my frenemy...AKA Shines... suggested that I apply at Paycom.  Thinking we'd be in the same building...and that we'd probably want to kill each other most days... I said, "no thanks."  But he was persistent and he brought up a really good point...I needed a job desperately.  So, I gave in and let him work his magic...and Viola!...I got the job!! 

Since then I've grumbled on Mondays....ok, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.... but in all honesty, I am so thankful for my job at Paycom...ok ok, and I'm thankful for my frenemy too!!  I tend to lose sight of my gratefulness when I'm up to my eyeballs in work, but I  actually couldn't think of a company in Oklahoma that I'd rather work for right now! I could brag about the $1 insurance, the $4 lunches, the monthly luncheons, Paycom Prom and all the other fun things we do....but those aren't the things that really impact my life.  I've made some unbelievable friends at Paycom.  I can't call them co-workers because that term just doesn't fit when I think about what an integral part of my life they are.  Apparently I'm not the only one who feels this way about Paycom or the friends I've made there.    But most of all, Paycom has given me stability.  I'm not living like life styles of the rich and famous by any means.  But I'm doing just fine...I'm comfortable...even with a horrible on-line shopping addiction! 

So on day one of thankfulness week...I'm ever so thankful to God for opening up this door of opportunity for me to have a stable job at a stable company that cares about the happiness and well-being of their employees and for bringing people into my life that I know will be my besties for the restie!

PayCom Peeps!

Add caption

Soul Mates....Fact or Fiction

A friend and I were discussing "soulmates" the other day....I was pro.  She was con.  She asked me to explain my stance, but we were texting and she didn't quite catch my drift, so I told her I'd write about it in my next blog.  Days passed and I didn't quite feel inspired to write about something so heavy.  But, here I am on a Saturday night...cuddled up with Moussey under my cozy, new blanket watching the Sex and the City Movie.  I've watched it nearly a dozen times, but I can never get enough.  Watching Carrie and Mr. Big  jump through hurdles to finally tie the knot ***spoiler alert*** suddenly inspired me to write about my stance on soulmates.  I mean was there ever a more romantic pair of soulmates on TV?!?!?

It's a highly debatable topic...so just a reminder, everything you read here is merely my opinion.  I realize there is no right or wrong answer to this question.  

Why I Believe in Soulmates

By SueVee

I believe that God has selected one soulmate for each one of us.  I realize this places a lot of pressure on people to find that one person....but hey, no one ever said love was easy.  So not only do you have to find that one person, but you have to convince that person that they're you're soulmate and you're theirs....GOOD LUCK!  Now, I'm not saying that if you find your soulmate, everything is going to be amazing and you'll be skipping through fields of daisies.  Relationships are hard and they take work, regardless of who you're with. God is also a very important factor in this.  Just because you find your soulmate doesn't mean you don't need God's love.  He's the third strand.  With out God, you will never feel content or fully loved.  After all, God is love.  I believe that God intended us to share our lives with one person (mainly) and then share our love with everyone.  He designated and set aside one person just for each of us to connect with at a soul level.  The challenge is finding that person.  

Most of what I just wrote sounds pretty sensible, I think.  Here's where  people start to think I'm crazy....What if you know someone is your soulmate and they don't agree or they die or they pick someone else...or you pick someone else??  Well, the reality of life is that it isn't perfect.  Sometimes these things happen.  Does this mean you'll be miserable for the rest of your life?  I don't think misery is the correct word.  I think that you can still love and be loved by someone else.  But the connection will not be as deep...to the core...as what you would have with your soulmate.

Now, I could be totally wrong.  Realistically, I probably am.  But, I've watched a lot of RomCom's and read a lot of ChickLit and this is what happens to your brain after years of doing so.  I would like to think that all the Carrie Bradshaws and Mr. Bigs of the world end up together....but I know it's not always the case. But for those of you reading this who think your soulmate might have slipped away ask yourself if Carrie ended up with Aiden instead...would life have been so bad?

Happy Birthday to the Maternal Unit on this...her 70th birthday

My mom...she's a character.  Now i'm sure a lot of daughters say this  about their mothers.  But no, really...my mom is definitely a character.  Sometimes I don't know if she's gotten the memo that I'm actually 41 years old...because she still checks on me 2-3 times a day, wants to know where I'm going and when I'm going to be back...even though I don't live with her.  I don't know that there's a single solitary human on earth that drives me as insane as she does...but I also don't know if there's  a single solitary human on earth that loves me the way she does.  Happy 70th birthday to my mom!!

My mom with her grandkids...minus Aaron.

My Dog is Transpecies....

I think from the beginning, Mousse has never received the memo that she’s a dog.  When she was a puppy, we butt heads over this constantly.  I tried to do puppy things with her...like play fetch, but she wanted to play keep away instead…I tried to make her spend time outside, but she never would unless I was out there too….I tried to make her sleep on a dog bed, but she preferred my bed over hers…I arranged play dates with my friends’ dogs, but she had no interest in the dogs and wanted to play with my friends instead, she even refused to eat dog food unless it was topped with milk or some kind of human food.  It became abundantly clear to me that my dog is transspecies and that I had to accept her as a human because she would never behave like the dog species she was born into.  People think I’m nuts for the way I cater to her like she’s a little kid.  But, that’s the way she sees herself and now, that’s the way I see her….one big bratty little girl!!  

Every once in a while, I’m reminded how absolutely abnormal it is…Like when Htown brings her pup over.  Riley is a typical pup…she’s playful, loves to be outside, eats her dog food, chases after critters and bugs, plays fetch, sleeps on a dog bed.  She’s a dog’s dog.  This could be why Mousse wants to have nothing to do with her.  She often tries to pretend like she doesn’t see her by being super still and turning her eyes away from her in hopes that Riley will mistake her for a dog statue instead of a dog.

I wonder if there are groups for transspecies dogs.  If not, maybe Mousse and I should start one.

Mousse ignoring Riley... 

 Me &  sweet Riley pup!!  I love her!!  Shh...don't tell Mousse!

Make-Up Hacks...

So this summer, I made a few new friends...two of which are "chocolate chip" and "Htown"  I use aliases not to protect their identity but because it's more fun for me to come up with aliases.  Anyway, these two ladies have introduced me to a lot of new things in the short time that we've been friends...Like new trendy eateries in OKC, how to make a lychee martini, the movie Tristan and Isolde, and make up hacks!!

Chocolate chip showed me an amazing make up hack by Deepicam on youtube.  When I first saw this, I seriously doubted it would work...I have skin discoloration on the side of my cheeks that I am always trying to cover up.  It's been one of those rare Saturdays that I had nothing going on and had time to spare to test out a good make up hack.  So I watched the video one more time, and proceeded to smear on red lipstick on my cheeks!  I then covered the lipstick with concealer, and then used foundation and powder for finishing touches.

So, here's the finished product!  No visible red lipstick on my cheek...and no dark line on the side either!!  I was so surprised!  I'm not sure how in the world this works, but it does, and it's so amazing!  Thank you Deepicam for sharing your brilliance!...and thank you chocolate chip, for always keeping me in the loop about make up do's and dont's!

Fun Facts about Fetty Wap Friday...

It's Fetty Wap Friday....what does that mean?  Well, we're going to learn five fun facts about my current favorite rapper...the one whose tunes will undoubtedly get me through a very boring Friday at work!

1.  Fetty Wap's real name is Willie Maxwell-  He was nicknamed "Fetty" which is a slang for  money.

2.  He developed glaucoma in both his eyes and the doctors were unable to save his left eye and so he was fitted an ocular prosthesis.

3.  Trap Queen was released in February 2014 but didn't gain recognition until November 2014

4.  Fetty usually wears the flag of Haiti in honor of his daughter's grandmother.  He's not Haitian, but he appreciates the culture.  

5.  He was born in 1991...when I was a junior in high school!!! 

Welcome to the World....

Every once in a while you get to witness a miracle which  reaffirms your faith and makes you believe that happy endings do exist!

This little "oomakutten" (kissable baby-some things just don't translate over!!) is exactly that!

Welcome to the world baby Isaac!! Congratulations Sunu & Aby!! Your little gift from God is too precious for words! can't wait to hold him and smother those cheeks with kisses!

Forties...Fetty Wap...& Fashion

A year since my last post...I'm clearly not very good at this anymore. But I figure I'll keep trying until it sticks and I'm back to writing again or I stop and officially give up!

When I originally wrote here, I was in my 20’s and 30’s and it’s funny to see how different and the same my life really is.  One thing that didn’t impact me at all in the past that does now is…fashion.  Not that I’m a fashionista or anything but I do love clothes and trends, and I find myself wondering if I’m crossing lines when it comes to age and fashion.  When you get older it's kind of hard to know what's appropriate and what's not...so you start questioning yourself...not just about clothes but everything!! You not only ask yourself WWJD but WWAMAD (what would a mature adult do?!?) like would a mature adult be a Fetty Wap fan? I don't know but I am one!!

All that being said I used to not care about fashion at all. I had my staples…black and gray slacks and cardigans in every color.  Let’s be honest, I still have cardigans in every color.  But now, I feel like I’m more conscious of trends. And once Sangita Patel stepped into my world and introduced me to bling...accessorizing became my cardio! 

So this morning I had to go get my blood drawn…another new fun thing I get to do regularly now that I’m old. Bleh.  The lady who sat in the waiting room with me wore gray jeans with gaping holes in each thigh.  I probably wouldn’t have batted a lash, but she was in her sixties.  I mean gray hair and matching gray jeans with gaping holes don’t really go…do they? 

Clearly she was trying to keep up with trends and not concerned about age appropriateness but I definitely don't want to be examined by some one twenty years younger than me in the same way.

So how do I avoid this sticky little situation? I really don't know yet. I figure the rule of thumb is as long as I stay out of the juniors section I should be ok!...for now!

I always feel like...somebody's watching me...

I love my dog.  She's my best friend.  But, her staring is getting out of hand.  I could be lying on the couch watching TV...and Mousse will be watching me!  I could be sleeping in bed, and wake up to find Mousse...in my face staring into my eyes!  I'm not sure what she wants.  She's not moving...just staring.  It's starting to get a little strange.

I'm on the computer and I turn to see this... 👀

What I wake up to 👀

Tropicos update!

So, my 20 something coworker received her box from the Tropicos company. They  next day aired it... They must really care about satisfaction! So here's what we got...

We got a new box of Tropicos, which I got to say looks a lot more like the disgusting cereal than before! And we got a complimentary box of ancient grain flakes which I'm sure tastes exactly how it sounds!...5$ in coupons and two amazing pins! So basically I have more disgusting cereal than I ever wanted and free money to buy even more! Next time maybe we should just keep our complaints to ourselves!

Pinterest picks

So lately I've been "pinteresting" more than just craft ideas and recipes on Pinterest! I've been feeling like my closet is full of work clothes and on the weekends I dress like a slob because I don't have enough casual but cute clothes. So I decided to Pinterest surf and find some casual cute outfits to wear when I'm not at work...or when I am at work on Fridays. So far I found two outfits and have mimicked them....not 100% exact... I had to throw some Sue style in there to make it my own! I got some compliments on my Pinterest looks and thought I'd share them here to inspire those of you who hate shopping and don't know what to get...you could do the same thing! I didn't have to leave the comfort of my home...,I got the majority of my outfits online! So without further adieu....here's this month's Pinterest pick! What do you think? Stay tuned for more!

Tropicos... Cereal or bird food?

I try to keep a box of cereal at work for breakfast emergencies. This weekend I went to Sprouts which is a local grocery store that carries mainly organic products. I came across a box of Tropicos and thought it would be a healthy cereal option because it's low sugar, gluten free, no preservatives or flavoring, and naturally colored. The picture on the box looked like fruit loops so how bad could this be?  This morning I had a breakfast emergency and reached for the box only to discover the cereal looked nothing like the pic on the box! The color of the cereal wasn't bright tropical colors they were dark and drab, and the shape look like plastic beads instead of cereal Os, and the smell was pretty much the scent of bird feed! So one of the 20 something's took a picture of it, and promptly found the email address for the company and expressed my dissatisfaction!  We weren't really sure what to expect since the company is in Australia

She received a prompt reply from the company! The email began with a proper Australian greeting , "good day" and then they assured us that they created a new box with a picture on it that was taken with the real cereal. They also said they changed a few of the colors and offered to send us coupons and a complimentary box of cereal. I'm not sure any of us are interested in eating the cereal but we definitely are interested in checking out the changes! Stay tuned!

First ever Halloween party....at 40!

So I work with a lot of 20 something's and I find that they keep me young at heart... Mostly because they tell me wonderful things like "there's no way you're that old!" Ok so maybe that sounds like a cross between a compliment and an insult, but hey I will take it! Anyway, one of the 20 something's invited me to a HalloweenHouse Party  replete with a black light and techno music bumping in the garage!  At first I thought perhaps I was too old for this party but the 20something assured me that attending was not optional! So, I began my search for the perfect costume...after all it was my first Halloween party except for the ones we used to have in elementary school.  So after a lot of Pinterest-ing I came to the conclusion that 98% of Halloween costumes for women are slutty and homie doesn't do slutty!  So instead I found inspiration from this adorable baby!

Now my friends were a little skeptical...I mean, sure, the baby is ridiculously cute in this costume.  But how cute would this be on a grown adult?  I was convinced that I could make it work...So despite the popular opinion, I went to Hobby Lobby on Friday night and bought approximately 150 puffy balls to glue on an old beanie, some sparkly felt and a red long sleeve t-shirt.

  An voila! Here we have it folks...an adult version of the gumball machine costume!  Now, am I as cute as the baby version? Ehhh not quite.  However, I got a few high five and a few "that's an awesome costume" and "oh my Godddd, she's a gumball machineeee!"  So overall, the costume and the party was a huge success!  I laughed more than I have laughed in a good ten years and I got to spend a day in the life of a 20 something again!  Now could I do this every weekend?  Most definitely not...but every once in a while...it's fun to be a kid again!!

Chocolate covered strawberries

So I am bored...and I have this really cute heart shaped tray...I used to use it for ice cubes but have since gotten a fridge that handles the ice making stuff. So I decided to make chocolate covered strawberries.

1. I filled each heart with cut pieces of strawberries.

2. Next I melted chocolate chips in my makeshift double broiler.

3. And stuck it in the fridge to cool.

* word to the wise...they've got to be eaten pretty quickly so, they are perfect for girls night or sweet treat for kiddos.

A tart treat...

This was my July 4th dessert!...Pink Lemonade cupcakes....not very patriotic, but a perfect summer treat!  I saw the cake mix at Target the other day...I think baking cakes/cupcakes from scratch is pretty silly when you have easy box cakes that are just as moist and delicious.  But, I refuse to use can frosting...I think they should be banned from the stores.

 

This frosting was easy, tart, and delicious!  Believe it or not, I couldn't find a recipe for pink lemonade icing that I really loved...so I just made up my own.  Here's what you'll need:

1 stick of butter

1 block of cream cheese

4 cups of powdered sugar

1/3 pkg of pink lemonade drink mix envelope

 

I blended the butter and cream cheese together, then the pink lemonade crystals...and then the powdered sugar.  If the frosting is still to tart...just keep adding powdered sugar until you are satisfied with tartness/sweetness.

 

Celebrating the red, white, and blue...

 I didn't make this myself...It was actually a gift from one of my co-workers.  I thought it was really cute and festive though...so I asked her how she made it.  Basically...she put the rice in bowls and dropped a few drops of food color into each bowl and then layered the rice into mason jars. Easy. Breezy.  What I like about this is that you could basically do it for every holiday...orange, yellow and white for Halloween, green white and red for Christmas, red, white, and pink for Valentines...etc, etc!  So, thanks Tandy...for this July 4th inspired craft!...and stay tuned for some 4th inspired recipes this week!

It's not so much about the Present...as it is the Presentation!

I was invited to go to a baby shower this past weekend.  I get more requests to decorate showers than I do to actually attend them.  So, I was very excited to go to this one.  I typically try to flex my creative muscles a bit and try to come up with some clever/creative way to package my gift.  This time, In  enlisted the assistance of my friend, Sonia.

She sent me a link to a very ingenious idea...creating a closet for baby clothes as the gift's packaging.  I instantly loved it.  But the picture on just the link wasn't very cute (they just left the brown box as is)...and the how to was unnecessarily complicated.  So, I thought I'd create my own "How To" right here:

Here's what you need:
A sturdy box that is both wide enough and long enough to fit your outfits
Shelf paper
Wooden knobs

I stood the box up length-wise and cut the shorter lids (or flaps) of the box.  So I was only working with two flaps which would become the doors to my closet.  Lining the box with shelf paper is probably the easiest and cheapest way to change the color of your box.  This avoids messy glue or dealing with too much tape.  I embellished with scrapbook paper which I had cut in circles for a previous project.  You can embellish in a variety of ways...(just flex those creative muscles!)

I found the perfect wooden knobs at Wal-Mart in  the craft section.  There were several in a package for maybe a dollar or two.  I decided to paint the knobs to match my embellishment...and then hot glue them on the "closet doors."  Afterwards, I hung a little sign from the knobs which I constructed with scrapbook paper and stickers. 

Now for the inside...if you want to get fancy,you can line the inside as well.  I decided NOT want to get fancy. ;)  The original how to said to purchase a closet rod and saw off to size.  I thought that was silly...because a gift wrapping roll is perfect for the project and much easier to work with.  I cut it to size and wedged it in the box...there was no need to glue it in or anything!  Then I hung the real gifts inside.

Yes, it takes a little bit more time and effort than sticking your gift in a bag with tissue...but, it's worth it to hear the "awwwww's"...afterall, shower gifts are 50% present and 50% presentation!

First...here's a picture of the completed project...



 

And the inside...





 

A New Start

For years now, my CCL (cray-cray cousin Lisa for those of you just joining me) has been urging/pleading/insisting that I pull the plug on this blog and start anew.  And finally, I had to breakdown and agree with her...well, partially.  It's impossible for me to pull the plug on SueVee blog.  There's a lot of history here...funny history at that!  But, I have to admit that my life is totally different now than it was when I first began this blog.  I can't write about the same things...I have a different lifestyle, different interests, and well, different things on my mind.  So, instead of reading about the antics of a 20 something single trying to find the right job and right man...you'll be reading about the antics of a married 30 something who loves crafting/cooking/writing.  Hope you'll come back and join me to see what's happening in a day in the life of SueVee!

Character Profile...Birthday Edition

Name: Sonia
Nickname: BF

Favorite Food: Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Ice Cream, and Chocolate Chip Cookies (do you see the common denominator??)
 
Best known for:  Her million dollar smile...

Guilty Pleasure:  Watching the Bachelor/Bachelorette...and suckering me into watching it.

Super Power:  She knows everything that goes on in Facebook...and she doesn't even have a Facebook account!  How does she do it?!?

What you don't know about her:  She's one of those girls who scopes out People while standing in the grocery check out line...and loves to share the latest celebrity gossip...But she also is one of those braniac who sets her mind to something...and accomplishes it, regardless of how difficult it is. She is one of the most strong-willed humans I know.

Funniest moments shared:  Most of our funny moments shared are due to stupid things I do...and I could produce an endless list of that stuff...but  Sonia very rarely makes a fool out of herself...give or take one or two times (like the time she created a sensational singing group called Snaple (no, not the juice drinks...6 girls named Sonia,Nancy, Annie, Priscilla, Lisa, and Elsa)..there was just one problem..they didn't sing sensationally) 

They say that pictures are worth a 1000 words... I'm not sure what in the world was so hilarious...but this picture definitely captured the essence of our friendship...we crack each other up...usually about things that other people don't find quite so amusing...

Through thick and thin...the good, bad, and the ugly...she's been by my side...Always there to listen, laugh with me, and pray for me.  Whether we were in the same city or miles away...we always remain close in heart.

Happy Birthday, BF. 

Thanksgiving 2012

Typically Thanksgivings are spent in Okc...and they're pretty quiet...because we don't have a lot of family here.  But this year, one of my cousins in Dallas invited us to his brand new house, which sits on a few acres of beautiful land....to enjoy Thanksgiving with the whole family clan. 

I wasn't sure how this trip would go...First off, driving in the car with 6 people didn't sound like an amazing way to spend 3.5 hours.  Secondly...I knew my cousins in my age range wouldn't be there...and I am just not used to being at family functions with out them.  Usually it's the other way around.  Thirdly, driving back the same day with 6 people who just filled themselves up with turkey and pies..didn't sound like an amazing way to spend 3.5 hours either.


And so I was right about a few things...the drive there and back was slightly on the hellish side.  But the time spent with my family was awesome.  I got to really sit down and talk to my aunts, my uncles, my cousins, and nieces and nephew.  And...I'm thankful for each and every one  of them...

My beautiful nieces and cousins...

 

It was just me and these guys for Thanksgiving this year...

 

The trip was definitely worth being packed like sardines...although I definitely missed my cousins in my age range and my sister...

I'm thankful for a lot of things Thanksgiving...but maily for God's grace....because without it...there would be nothing else to speak of.

Happy Thanksgiving, blogosphere!

Oodles of Noodles

 My friend Shelley at work ordered several packages of noodles from groupon...and was nice enough to give a few of us girl a bag to try it out. Apparently these noodles have no calories, no carbs, no gluten and no fat. She's been wanting one of us to try them out and give her a review of how they taste. So, I decided to make them tonight.

 

 This is what the bag looks like..

 

The slogan on the back made me chuckle...

 

This is a blurry shot of what they look like before I added sauce, spice, meat, veggies, and eggs...so basically put...this is what they look like when they're truly fat free, carb free, calorie free state.

And this is what it looked like after I made a meal out of it.  I guess this proves I can make even the best of things fattening.

In short, my review of the noodles pre-good stuff is...they're completely tasteless.  it's like chewing water.  Ater the good stuff...it tastes like chinese lo mein....not too bad.

I work at a place where a lot of young, college grads work.  The girls are really fashionable and trendy...and put my cardigans to shame.  There's three particular girls who I think dress so super cute...and I make a point of making mental notes of what they wear and how they mix and match.

Well, yesterday, I was in the bathroom...and I could see from under the stall that someone was standing at the sink.  This someone had on black tights and some mustard colored peep toe pumps.  The shoes were super cute, but I totally thought pumps and tights were a no-no.  When I left the stall and went to the sink...I realized it was one of the girls that I think is particularly fashionable.  I was shocked!

I went back to my department and asked one of the girls whether wearing tights with peep toes was acceptable.  She said definitely not.  I thought I would look into this a little more.  I mean peep toe tights girl definitely seems like she would know about fashion do's and dont's...so maybe...just maybe she knows something my friend and I didn't.

So I researched the subject and found this article. Looks like I won't have to save my pair of peep-toe wedge heels for the spring!!!

 I interrupt this way back Wednesday post to show off my new toy...

Yes...it's my very own...brand new, purple, ecraft cutter!!

For those of you who have no idea what this contraption is...it cuts images, shapes, icons, letters, etc.  (I'm sure my sister is a little annoyed right now because when I lived in Florida for a while SHE was my ecraft cutter! Ha!)This will save me so much time and energy for my parties!  I'm so stoked and ready to try it...but I have very specific things that I need it to cut, and have been calling customer service for assistance, but the offices are in Long Island and have been closed due to Sandy.  Damn, Sandy!!

I've waited 4 years to get this baby...I guess I can wait a few more days!

 

Never fear...I'm still here.  I've been trapped in a bathroom for 3 days...painting, that is.  My mom was going to hire some painters for the job, but Matt volunteered us to do it instead.  *Sigh*  So, I spent the better part of the weekend taping, painting, cleaning...Bleh!  If I never see a paintbrush again...it will be too soon!!

I heard something so startling today...NEXT WEEK IS THANKSGIVING!  Seriously?  Where are the days going?  What's even more sad is that our plans are not quite nailed down yet.  I would love to join the fam in DFW, but I have to work the next day.  And driving back and forth in one day doesn't sound appealing...but what do you do?  Last year, the maternal unit and I went Black Friday shopping after turkey dinner.  We weren't after awesome things like TVs or laptops...we bought dumb things like towels and tupperware...Boy was I lamenting the next morning after I went into work after only 4 hours of sleep.  That won't be happening again...Ever.

Life seems to be moving in fast foward...and it's a little scary.  It was 20 somethin' degrees this morning, which means it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  I'm no where near ready for it.  Bahumbug!

So one of my favorite accessories to wear in the fall is tights.  Those of you who know me know that I've had an obsession with tights since I was a little girl.  I was born in Chicago and lived there until I was 5...and remember wearing tights around the house to keep warm...and sliding around the house was just an added bonus. 

So, today's post is dedicated to TIGHTS!...and to learn more about the do's and dont's on how to wear them...click HERE!

Thanksgiving in Okc is usually a little on the boring side.  We don't have a lot of family here, so it's not a very big gathering.  Usually it's just my family and aunt's family...and we're typically kind of a quiet group.  We just eat too much and then kind of lounge around in a sleep induced trance.

This picture was taken during Thanksgiving 2009.  We had just eaten...and I went to the room to lounge...and this is what I found...my kid cousin Les lying on my bed IN MY WEDDING DRESS, reading a magazine...just like it was a normal thing to do.  

Gotta say...it definitely made me laugh....and it still does!

S'more, Please!

In my house, smores are a much enjoyed treat...I used to just put a piece of hershey's and marshmallow on a graham cracker and nuke it in the microwave.  And yes, it was delicious and easy...

But then I discovered a new way to make smores...and I thought I'd share it with you because the result is even MORE delicious!

Line a cookie sheet with graham crackers...sprinkle mini marshmallows over it, and then sprinkle chocolate chips over them.  Put in oven under broiler...I would watch them because the marshmallows get toasty realllly fast.  Once the marshmallows are browned, pull cookie sheet out of the oven...and place graham crackers over the top and press down soo the ooze which will help the chocolate chips continue to melt.

Then enjoy!....my favorite thing to do is dunk them in milk!!

Oh, and by the way...I rocked the vote....did you?

I spent the weekend with 2 of my favorite girls...my cuzzies, Lisa & SueTee.  Sadly, it's been  2 years or so since I've last seen them...so it was a much needed, but extremely short visit.  SueTee was kind enough to score us some tickets to the very first home game of the Houston Rockets.  It was slightly weird to see Houston fans with beards cheering James Hardin on.  And although the Rockets lost...It's always fun to watch an NBA game...especially with these two.

Before the game, we had dinner at a fancy new burger and crepe joint called Guru.  Lisa and I had left early morning and had skipped lunch, so we were starving.  A nice juicy burger and fries were exactly what both of us needed.

I decided to order a "shroom burger."  On the menu, it was described as a burger with portabella mushroom, sauteed onions and peppers and swiss cheese.  I took my first bite, and wasn't highly impressed.  I was shocked because Lisa kept saying her burger was amazing.  And I totally wondered why mine wasn't.  I took the bun off, and added some salt...hoping that would do the trick.  I cut my burger in half and ate one half.  Then, I cut the other half in half...and after I did that, I took the bun off again because I noticed something was missing....MEAT!  Yes, I ate half of my shroom burger before I realized that it was made entirely of a portabella mushroom without any meat!  Who woulda thunk it?  I totally was expecting a mushroom burger with a meat pattie...not a portabella pattie!  Sooooo disappointing.  My cousins couldn't stop laughing because they knew that the shroom had no meat and thought I was just making a healthy choice. 

I don't know what was more bewildering...how my cousins who've known me my whole life could possibly think I'd order a vegetarian burger or how my mushroom burger had no meat!