Southern Blondie: August 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Alpaca Face

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You should always know how to laugh at yourself. 


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Why I Love Arkansas...

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Because of days like this...

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Wordless Wednesday: Happy Arkansas Cows!

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(Or I'm guessing they're happy!)
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Carrot Cake

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Valerie sent me her Carrot Cake recipe...the next person who makes this please send me a piece. I'm always happy to test try anything...

Carrot Cake

Ingredients: 
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups grated carrots
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (Val used walnuts)
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
  2. Grease and two 8-inch round pans.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans or walnuts. Pour into prepared pan.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
  5. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts. 
  6. Frost the cooled cake. 
  7. Enjoy!
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Let a New Chapter Begin...

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“…I’m not afraid of dying. I’m afraid of not trying…” – Jay Z


1. I am too old to be running around a college campus.
     Yesterday during my lunch break I went to get a parking pass thingy for my graduate classes starting Thursday. Little did I know that one errand turned into an hour long hunt of also having to get a student i.d. As I'm walking around the campus I realize that I am by far the oldest kid there...

I bought the Zebra...seemed like the right, responsible thing to do.

2. Apparently drinking an obscene amount of water gives me an obscene amount of energy.
     After leaving work yesterday, I went to get my oil changed, shopped at Wal-Mart, went to Kroger's, headed home, unloaded the groceries, took my dog for a walk, cleaned the kitchen, did laundry, cleaned the floors, folded and put away clothes, and picked up around the place. And I wasn't tired after...that's what drinking about 10 bottles of water will do to you I guess. 

Looks like a great time, huh?

3. Buying college text books is still expensive. 
     Nothing has changed in the past four years. College textbooks are still out of this world expensive. Thank goodness for Amazon and Half.com. My two books, which would have cost $300 in the store bookstore, only cost $130 online. Win for me. 


4. Carrot cake is wonderful. 
     Yesterday, Valerie brought Allison and I some carrot cake to work. It was delicious, homemade and  was the perfect afternoon snack. Thankfully, Allison and I shared it. I'm working on getting the recipe from Valerie...

5. The scale is a big, fat liar
     After jumping on my scale yesterday morning and probably breaking it (I haven't looked since yesterday), I decided last night it would be a good idea to buy a new scale last night. This morning I was four pounds lighter than yesterday. Adios old scale!

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Scaling Down

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Today was the first day back to school for all the kids and teachers in the area. Now, this has no impact on me whatsoever until it comes to traffic. Since I drive through a school area, I know how wonderful the traffic is on the first day of school. 

Not wonderful at all. 

As I happily hopped out of bed this morning a little early to make sure I beat the traffic, (true story, I woke up REALLY happy) I did my morning routine. Brush teeth. Shower. Piddle Diddle. Brush my hair. Weigh...then that's where I stopped. 

I received a scale about five years ago from an ex bf for a Valentine's Day present (true story again). Back then, I didn't hold a grudge towards the scale. As I've been using this scale for the past five years, it's reminded me of: how the number on THIS scale affects my mood; how I've been living and breathing by what number is on THIS scale; how THIS scale has been from one town, to a city, back to a town, and back to a city. 

This scale is always three pounds heavier than any other scale. It beeps if you step off of it too quickly, and it has the audacity to tell you your body fat percentage. Honestly, it's the most judgmental thing in my life.

After seeing my glorious number this morning I had had it. I had had it with the beeping and talking back from a silly machine with a silly number. So what does a rational, professional, educated woman do? She jumps on it three times, kicks it twice and throws it back into the closet. Mature? Probably not. Worth it? Totally. 

I'm still in my great mood. I went on with my morning without any hitch. Applied the makeup, got dressed, took care of my dog, put breakfast together and headed to work to arrive at around 7:35 a.m. to beat that silly morning, school traffic now.

The scale might have thought it was going to win - but I won this one. Even though I'll probably end up buying a new scale, at least it and I will start out on good terms...unless it beeps at me.
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"I'll be in touch..."

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I'm just going to say this the best way I can.

I am not good at dating.

It's true. It doesn't come natural to me. As soon as there is pressure on the table, I freak out, start to panic and generally doubt my self-worth. Why? No idea. I think it's the pressure of one person judging me to decide if I'm good enough to have a second encounter.

Whatever it is. I'm working on it.

So...my friend Annie, whom is also a co-worker, started talking to be about a guy she knew who was her neighbor. Then she told Valerie. Then she told Allison. Then Leigh. Then Suzanne. Then Brooke. Before I knew it, this guy, whom we shall name Air Force guy (because he's in the Air Force) became a topic of conversation about once a week at lunch.

Annie believed that she should hook up me up with Air Force guy. I was a little resistant at first because again, dating freaks me out. Since I trust Annie a lot, I decided okay. Fine. Let's do this.

I gave her my number to pass to Air Force Guy. She lost it. I emailed it to her a week later. He lost it. I gave it to her again. She gave him the wrong number. Finally, Air Force guy had the right number.

He texted that he would be in touch. Okay.

A week later (he had gone on some trip) he called.

The first phone call went pretty well. We talked for over an hour and discussed going out. I didn't say yes, I just said maybe. The next night he called again to see if I wanted to go out for the weekend. I agreed to a Saturday night date. Friday nights I'm tired from work and well Sunday's are reserved for my DVR.

Saturday morning I went to a baby shower, ate lunch, went shopping with my cousin, took a nap and then started getting ready for the date with Air Force guy. After showering, primping, make-up, actually working on my hair besides straightening it and finalizing the outfit. I was ready. Let's do this.

As soon as I told myself that, the Air Force guy was there. He came to pick me up. Nice of him. He brought me a bottle of water because the heat has been incredible hot here lately. Okay, that's nice too of him. He asked if which restaurant he had picked out was okay. Fine with me. Nice of him to ask.

We arrive at the restaurant. I'm nervous. He's talking a lot. I'm having a hard time paying attention because I'm worried about everything else going on. Did I put on deodorant? Perfume? What if it's too strong? I have make-up on right? No need to scare off anyone on the first time meeting them. Wait, is my dress too short? Crap. I forgot to shave that one part of my knee. Well that's embarrassing. All of this time, he's talking. Okay, what's he talking about now? Oh. All caught up.

I had been to that restaurant before and knew I was going to order the same thing. I need consistency, I knew I liked it, no need to try something new with someone new and not like either one.

We order. Both get salads. And the bread comes out. Now. The sit and talk part. I sat. He talked. I nodded. I'm not really sure what we talked about now. I know I did a lot of nodding. Maybe I asked too many questions. Maybe I didn't speak up enough. Maybe I was preoccupied that the guy beside us look a lot of one of the characters in 'Good Fellas.'

We sit and keep talking. Once we were done, we got up and left pretty swiftly. Got back in his truck. And he took me straight home. He did get out of the truck, open the door, gave me the side hug and said, "I'll be in touch." 

Be in touch? What does that mean? That the date went badly? Does that mean you're not going to call? Let's just decide this now. If you are going to be in touch I won't blog about you. If you aren't going to be in touch, then I'm totally going to tell this story. Which is it?

"Sounds good," I said.

I walked in my house, saw the time of 9:30 p.m. and sat on the couch for a second. What does one do at home on a Saturday night? Well...you can go out and meet up with people since you are dressed...or you can put on Good Fellas and call it a night. That's what I did.

So the date didn't go so well. He was nice. It wasn't a terrible date, it just obviously wasn't a great one. Those happen I guess. He hasn't been 'in touch' so I blogged about it.

I did learn a couple of things though:
1. Next time have more wine. Maybe I'll talk more.
2. No date on Saturday nights. I'll suck it up and do it on Friday nights.
3. Get dessert if it's going bad.
4. Next time I hear, 'I'll be in touch" go ahead a blog. Homeboy isn't calling. 

Live and learn.
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My New Obsession

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I'm obsessed. Can't get enough. Over the top. Addicted. In love. Stay up all night and think about all day my new hobby...


www.pinterest.com 


A website? Yes. A website. A website that I can find ideas about recipes, crafts, cakes, style, and everything else. 


What do I find? 


Well...I find stuff like...



Great fall style ideas. I love boots and scarfs. And easy. 

Ahh...

Is it fall yet??


Turkey Lettuce Wrap Tacos with Chiles, Cumin, Cilantro, Lime and Tomato-Avocado Salsa

Okay. Not that I'm just a huge fan of lettuce wraps, I need a tortilla, baby! 

This just looks delightful. And something I could totally do. I'll just have to eat like five of them.


I'm getting out my spray clue and glitter now! 

Hello Thanksgiving!



I love apple pie. I love cupcakes.

This is putting two of my favorite things together. (duh.)

I will make this. I will blog about this. I will share this. 



Then you have fun ideas like this...

Going on a trip somewhere? Going with someone you want to take a picture with? 

Combine the two and slap that fun on the wall. 

Giddy up, folks. 

I got a lot of pinning to do.

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Life Rule - 10 Min Pity Party

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I don't really have a lot of life rules. Be kind. Have fun. Laugh everyday. That's about it. I know you can't control things that happen in life. I know that what happens is probably suppose to happen. I know that when the time is right, the right thing will happen.

But I do have one major rule.

A pity party can only last 10 min.

Bad dates. Bad hair days. Stressful work days. Flat tires. Three extra pounds on the scale.That moment of where is my life going? All can cause pity parties in my life. 

However, a pity party can last 10 min.

Why? Well, five minutes isn't long enough and anything more than 10 minutes you are setting yourself up for disaster.

Five minutes to cry. sulk. pout. yell. scream. give up. quit. throw your hands up in the air. reconsider what you're doing with your life. and just be mad.

After those five minutes, you get two minutes to compose yourself.

Dry up those tears. Stand up from pouting. Take back that you quit or you are giving up.

After the five minutes of your pity party, two minutes of sucking it up, you then get three minutes to figure out what to do next.

Bad day? Figure out why it was bad and how to fix it. Bad hair day? Wake your butt up 15 min earlier tomorrow and carry a pony tail holder. Flat tire? Well pumpkin, that's just life. Three extra pounds on the scale? Well, put on those walking shoes, sat down that cupcake and figure out that only you are responsible for you.

Did I have a pity party today? Yes. I did. I'm a girl. It happens.

I gave myself 10 minutes and got my act together.

I woke up late. Had bad hair day. Didn't like what I was wearing. Stressing myself out at work. Mad that the scale was up three pounds. And generally in an unplesant mood because I was letting myself be in one.

So. I gave myself five minutes of pity. Two minutes to suck it up. Three minutes to figure out what to do next.

Tonight I'll set out my clothes for in the morning, set my alarm 15 min earlier, drink extra water and not eat any orange sherbert for dessert and realize that things happen for a reason.

Next time you are having a pity party - time yourself to 10 min. It'll change your life.

I can promise you that.

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What God Gives You...

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Wordless Wednesday: Hot.

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My Life Is A Picture Book

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"Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart."

I'm pretty lucky to work with the people I do. We work hard. We play hard. And on Friday's we like to go to lunch together to discuss life in general. Though this picture is blurry and all over the place it kind of describes what's going on here - a hundred conversations, lots of interaction and everyone having a good time.

   Hello to my life lately. Two computers. TV. If only you could hear the music playing. I'm trying to stay on top of everything. All the time. Thank goodness for Sonic and their large drinks.
This might not be a big shocker to anyone who knows me (or the three of you that read this) but these are some of my 'normal' personality traits that were identified in a work-style-personality-test thing. It also said that I like music, enjoy writing (i.e. blog) and am pretty straight forward. No shocker there.
 

Something you only see in small towns? Tractors stopped at a red light. I do wish the small car behind it would drive through it like go-go-gadget though...


 It's so hot in Arkansas now the only place you can find people is at the lake. Otherwise, you just gotta stay inside.

Amen.
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