12 Crayons

12 CRAYONS HAS MOVED

2010-08-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yay! I finally took the initiative to get a new blog that allows to post BIGGER pictures.

In my opinion, pictures look better when they can be LARGE and in CHARGE!

Here is the new address:

www.summernicolephotography.com/blog

It is still a work in progress so pretend there is an imaginary Under Construction sign.

Summer

Party like it's 1999....

2010-08-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well except for sweet Chloe Jane wasn't even born in 1999. We celebrated her 6th birthday 2 weeks ago and I am trying to figure out when did I lose my cool points?

You know what I am talking about, the point where you go from me being someone who is cool to a dreaded ADULT-yikes. All of a sudden at the party, Chloe didn't want to hang with me or the other "adults" she wanted to hang with her friends. I was left to sit at the adult table--I remember when I still got to be at the "kid table." Hey I still like to color and play Candyland!

However, I will point out that I was still cool enough to be invited to the playroom to build the Buzz Lightyear Lego figure which took me about 1.2 million hours to complete. That little bugger was harder than it looked.

By the way, Chloe Jane is my faux niece. I mean she really is my niece except I don't have a sister but I have a cousin who is like a sister and Chloe is her daughter.

Here are a few pics from the party.

Here is my uncle Jerry-love him. Note it was a Luau theme party.He doesn't just wear this straw out on an average day.
And here is my beautiful Grandma who took the Luau theme VERY seriously. Please let me look like her when I am 82. She says the key is Baby Oil and Oil of Olay.
And here are the ladies minus Chloe because we are not cool enough. Why do I look so tall in this picture?
And here are the "cool kids".... (Chloe is on the right)

And when is the last time you tried to take a picture of 5 moving 5 years old? Right. It is a challenge. This is the best of the bunch ;-)
Here is the bday gal's cupcake--yummy!
And here is the bday girl...may all her wishes come true! And judging by how we spoil her, I am sure that all of her wishes will indeed come true.
AND BY THE WAY....WE NAMED THE PUP DIXON. MORE PICS TO COME ON THAT!

CRAZY TRAIN come and pick us up....

2010-07-27T05:09:00.000-07:00

Yep, go ahead and send the crazy train over to the Triompo residence because we just got another puppy. A good ol' Golden Retriever to brighten our days. We drove back from Greensboro yesterday like your typical 3 ring traveling circus. NT, myself, Hines and the new guy all in the front seat of the truck.

We could charge admission to see this zoo.

This is what we saw when we pulled up to the breeder. Could you walk away from this?

Here are a few pictures of the little man, I hope to have better ones once I can figure out how to make him sit still. It may be a while....

These two were also in the running.....

As far as the name....we are currently trying on DIXON. Get it....Mason Dixon....Mason was the name of our previous beloved Golden. Just wanted to make sure you got it....

But we do have other options. Will you leave a comment and tell me which name you like the best:

DIXON
RALEIGH
WESTIN
SULLIVAN (WOULD GO BY "SULLY")
MEMPHIS
HARPER
THEO

Or you go throw out a few original options. Check back later for more pictures. Until then I must go work. Someone has to earn some money to pay for all of these milk bones.

SWEET TOOTH

2010-07-21T18:10:00.000-07:00

I love sweets. Shocker, I know.

Brownies.

Pies.

Anything ala mode.

and....Cupcakes.
So imagine the temptation when I found out our hotel in Martha's Vineyard was located directly across the street from the most delicious cupcake shop in the world (okay,world may be an exaggeration but it sounds better). I introduce to you Sweet E's Cupcakes.

For starters, this was the view from our hotel balcony. (Note the lady icing the cakes in the window--strangely she is from Greensboro...just an FYI)

Every morning you could see them icing the yummy cupcakes. I could almost swear the cupcakes were shouting my name.

The cool thing is that they would write that day's flavors on the door and the window. As they sold out they would wipe them off or put the number of cupcakes left. So imagine my horror when I looked out the window and saw this....
SOLD OUT! Excuse me? I have not even tasted my first cupcake and you are SOLD OUT. No problem. I consider myself officially warned. I will now be there in the morning before the rooster crows.

Simple ingredients yield such tasty results:

Here are some pics of the amazingness:

S'MORES

RASPBERRY MINT FILLED

PEANUT BUTTER (I had this one, it was amazing times 10)
CHOCOLATE (For those who like the classics)
AND VANILLA OF COURSE

I actually only went twice which I thought showed incredible restrain. However, I am thinking maybe NT and I should start our own franchise of Sweet E's Cupcakes--and I would give unlimited free cupcakes to all my 12 crayons readers.

Sweet Tea - I love you

2010-07-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

If you don't like sweet tea then you are probably are not from around here...the south that is

And I personally embrace all things southern:

I say the word ya'll regularly
I love barbeque and grits
I like every meal to be served with bread
I watch NASCAR on Sundays with my hubby and I don't like snow

So after being up North for a week, I would like to talk about Sweet Tea.

As described by Webster: Sweet tea is a form of iced tea in which sugar is added to the hot water after brewing the tea but before the beverage is cooled and served. Adding sweetener to hot water allows the tea to hold more dissolved sweetener than under colder temperatures.

I was aware that once I left my security of the Carolinas, I might not find sweet tea but I was certainly not prepared for there to be a lack of UN-sweet tea. At one restaurant they brought me pre-made lipton from the soda machine with faux lemon. GROSS!

So I write this blog post in hopes that a restaurant owner who resides North of the Mason-Dixon line will add sweet tea to their menu. Do it for us southern folks that visit. Do it for those who have moved up north and long for that sugary tea.
I mean EVERYBODY doing's it. Check out McDonalds--they have built an ENTIRE advertising campaign around their $1 Sweet Tea (BTW, advertise your sweet tea special with Curtis Media Group-call me, Summer, for special summertime radio rates)
And I personally find Sweet Tea to be even more amazing when served in a Mason Jar.
So it summary, bring on the sweet tea by the gallon....which you can pick up at your area Bojangles. That thank it's southern goodness serves Fried Chicken, Dirty Rice and grits before 10am.

Did you forget how to type?

2010-07-13T05:32:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends asked me the other day...."Now that you are 30 did you forget how to type?" This is obviously a note to the fact that I have not blogged in a couple of weeks but don't you worry my camera is about to explode there are so many pictures ready to be posted.

Between my birthday, the 4th of July and now our trip to Boston/Martha's Vineyard...I have had very little time to blog. Luckily, I have now completely burned through ALL my vacation days so you can expect my bottom to be staying in the lovely NC for a while.

In the meantime...this is where we are staying in "The Vineyard"--that is what the locals call it. Yep, I am hip to the local lingo. However, within the first 10 seconds of me speaking everyone says..."Where are you from? You have a strong accent"....and I have been told I sound like Kelly Pickler twice. Obviously not my singing voice...but my country accent.

THE MANSION HOUSE

And here a few pics of the area that I found online....

I would like to point out that my Dad thought Martha's vineyard was a theme park like six flags or carowinds. Dad...you can see it is a bit more subdued ;-)

On today's task list. Hold on to your hats. NT and I are renting a.....

MOPED! Oh Dear. I hope they come with helmets and protective wear.
Talk to you 12 crayons peeps soon!

That hurt.

2010-06-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

This may be hard for you believe. It is frankly hard for me to believe but...I have never been stung by a bee (or wasp...or yellow jacket). That is correct in my 30 years of life I have never been stung....that was until this past Saturday.

I can guarantee you that you have never seen a jig like the one I did trying to run out of the boat house. Let me back up so you can get the full story.

First lets picture the day. It is my birthday celebration at the lake with my family. A warm Carolina Saturday. My dad in a float (which in itself is another story since he can't swim), mom is reading magazines, Papa snoozing in the hammock and NT was watching the World Cup.

I simply wanted to get a float so I can could cool off in the lake. See float below.
I enter the boathouse which I will admit has it's own microsystem of insects. I tend to cover my head with a towel upon entering.

I reach out to get the float and I see two wasp fly out. Now a smart person would think "Oh No! there is a wasp nest in here." Or maybe you would have a fight or flight reaction. I just stand there and stare as now 10 wasp coming flying out.

Then it hit me...RUN!!!!!! but it was too late. I had been spotted. Please double click on the picture below and look at the meanness of these wasp. (I am not sure if I need to add an "s" to wasp to make it plural...like wasps...maybe...)
I then felt a pain like I have never felt in my arm. It hurt so dern bad. I screamed. I danced. I hopped around like I was on fire. I might have cried, not sure.

And what was my family doing during my time of need....on my birthday....as I was being tortured by an overactive wasp nest.

Well.....

Here is my dad:

Here is my Papa:
Here is NT: (okay this is not really NT but a good representation)

Luckily my sweet Momma came over to help me. I swore the dern wasp was still attached my arm. The pain. The agony.

A little bit of alcohol and peroxide and I realized I was not dying. I made Grandma confirm that if I was allergic I would be showing signs. She said no your not allergic but give the poison time to spread and make sure you get out the stinger.

WHAT? Poison....a stinger....?

Now calling Uncle Jerry. The Wasp Destroyer.
Yes...venture in very slowly Uncle Jerry. And with a knock of a broom. The wasp were down for the count.
And there goes the nest. Bye Bye. And for you insect lovers...the wasps are still alive somewhere. Just not in the boathouse....or well I guess maybe they are still in the boathouse...plotting out their next attack on me.

Here is my pretty cake. Wording for the cake obviously done by my dad.

Why didn't I invent that?

2010-06-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Do you ever stop and think...."I wish I would have invented that." I am sure there are a few examples but here are a few that pop in my head.

SILLY BANDS: i don't even really know what these are...rubberband bracelets that make shapes? Why do people buy these? Even my mom and husband occasionally wear these little buggers.
Then do you remember the fad where people would put charms in their crocs? I don't even own crocs but I wish I would have invented these little suckers.
Or heck, maybe I should have just created the Croc shoe. I would be rich and give each and everyone one of you loyal 12crayons readers crocs in all colors!

Then there was the 90's fad of the Slap Bracelets. Yep, I rocked these. I guess these were the silly bands of my childhood.
Of course, I am a bit partial to one invention in particular. The MAGIC BULLET. You have all seen the infomercial (the one with that silly old lady), I am not sure why I love the MB so much but something about making smoothies, queso and chopped garlic all in the same container....in just 3 quick pulses.
But of all the above inventions, there is one that I should have thought of years ago. The stuffing free dog toy! This is such an obvious toy. Let's just think about this. Sweet Mason went through roughly 60 stuffed animals in the time that I knew him, ripping out the stuffing and leaving a flat shell.

Each time I would throw away the flattened shell and go back and by a new fully stuffed animal. Mason was probably thinking..."you idiot human, I am trying to give you an idea for the next invention that is going to make somebody millions."

Behold, the stuffing free dog toy-see image below. Please remember I have thrown away 60 toys that looked just like this one.

I was introduced to this toy last week at the in-laws house. Hines LOVED the stuffing free raccoon and let's be honest it was purchased from the "As Seen On TV" store so obviously it is amazing! I bought Hines one earlier this week and sure enough he prefers it over all the stuffing filled animals.

My point is.... how many inventions will have to see and think "Why didn't I think of that?" Maybe silly bands for your pet? Just a thought.

Do Butterflies pee?

2010-06-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

This may seem like a strange question...."Do Butterflies pee?" and I would never normally ask it if a certain Mr. Butterfly hadn't decided to let it all go right when I was taking my picture.

Let me explain for our our photography class this week, we headed to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. It was hot...like fire blazing, make up melting, want to climb into a fountain HOT.

One of my favorite pics was of this beautiful butterfly--how lucky to catch a butterfly...PEEING...what?!? I was just going back through to look at my pictures and zoomed in on this one to see what appears to be pee. I am not sure if it is, I am just saying that this picture will definitely need a little Photoshop love.
This sunflower looks as hot as I felt.
Remember when I mentioned it was "hop in a fountain" kind of hot? Well my friend Theresa decided to literally hop in the fountain. I was a wee bit worried we may get kicked out of the gardens....but a small part of me wished we would get kicked out because it was so dern hot. Did I mention our car said 100 degrees at like 7pm?
A few more pics:
Now this sweet bumble bee at least at the kindness to hold his bladder while I took this picture.
Here are a few more from the day....
8 days until.....

I turn 30.

Oh Dear.

NAP TIME

2010-06-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Have you ever just wanted to take a really good nap? Not a care in the world, just lounging back and enjoying life. I am personally NOT a napper, I honestly do not even remember the last time I slept during the day. I don't even like to sleep at night...I feel like I am missing out on something.

However, I cannot say the same for our dear cat Parsnip. That crazy fool of a cat.

He sleeps ALL the time. Well except for when he gets up to visit his automatic feeder. And yesterday he struck one of the funniest poses I had ever seen.

I RUSHED to get my camera thinking there is no way he will hold this for long. Boy, was I wrong I couldn't get him to move at all. At one point, I checked to see if he was breathing. He was.
The pose above is actually pretty normal for Parsnip.
Let me zoom in on that face for you....
And then.....he realized the camera was there. The eyes opened and strangely he just stared at me...for a long time....this is where I checked for breathing.
Like a statue (with a big belly).

SLACKER BLOGGER

2010-06-09T18:02:00.001-07:00

I have been a slacker on the blog. What can I say...it is summertime and the beautiful weather just beckons me outside. NT and I have had some amazing meals compliments of the Big Green Egg. I will be sure to share some of them with you.

I would also like to make sure that you all have marked your calendar....

...for my 30th birthday. Which is 23 days. I will be old. ancient....however, luckily not as ancient as NT. That is one plus ;-)

I still have not edited my fun and fabulous Dale pictures but here are a few more favorites... again SOOC (straight out of camera).

First, I would like to send this brief memo to my friend Chelsea who has amazing beautiful children.

Dear Chels (& Chris),
I am tired of taking pictures of my overweight cat and dog that looks like an ewok. Can I borrow your incredibly cute and photogenic 3 year old? Just a couple days a week would be fine. If I need to use crazy bands, dancing princesses and my little ponies to persuade her then that is fine as well. Amtrak is offering half price fares in June so just send her on down.
Love, Summer

Does anyone think it is a problem that Addison can jump in the water in the deep end, swim like a fish and dive to the bottom of the pool ....while I have taken swimming lessons 3 times and still can only swim in the shallow end with two noodles and an inter tube. Just checking to see if you thought that was odd.

The sign behind Addison was actually meant for me...the 30 year old...not the 3 year old that can swim like a fish.
Now, does this gal look like she loves Teddy Grahams or what? Hey Nabisco, you need to hire this gal.
Feel free to let me know if you need pictures of your family, pets, or ewok looking dog. I will give you a bargain price for being a reader of 12crayons ;-)

LOW COUNTRY BOIL

2010-06-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

I learned a lot from our beach trip last week. Such as:

Low Country Boils are yummy.
Hangin' out with a 3 year old is fun.
I still like to play Go Fish.
You will eat more fruit if you put it in a bowl in the fridge.
And NT and I would like to own a golf cart.

To be honest, I really didn't even know what a low country boil was....I am actually still not sure if I know now. Basically you but lots of stuff in a pot and then you boil it. And instead of serving it on plates you empty onto the center of an outdoor table on stacks of newspaper. Kind of a strange concept (I think...)

These pictures are SOOC (Straight Out of the Camera-no edit--I did not make up this term, I think the Pioneer Woman did)

First here is the final product and then we will back up:

I would recommend double clicking on this picture so you can the massive amounts of food in this pot.
Now for a quick back track. I was left in charge of putting down the newspaper and paper towel on the table--it was windy so I asked my 3 year old best friend, Addison to go get something to weigh it down.

She says..."something heavy?"

I said..."Yep, anything heavy will work."

And out she comes with....
Three My Little Ponies.
These are the prettiest paperweights I have ever seen. (especially the pink one)

Though it was a strange choice of "something heavy", the ponies did their job and we enjoyed a super fun dinner at the beach.
I feel the need to give a quick shot out to the younger Baby Dale....Hey Emma!
More pics from our beach vacation tomorrow--if I can make myself focus long enough to blog!

DeAr SqUiRRel

2010-05-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

DeAr SqUiRRel,

I sEe YoU haNgiNg oFf the sIde of mY hOUse... teaSIng me. I ParSNip, need yoU to knoW thaT i hAve blAck bElt in karaTe anD wiLl taKe yOu doWn in oNe sWipE.....if i cOuld jUSt gEt oFf thIs pOrCh.

I haVe mAny impReSsive aBiliTies. I cAn rUn a 100 yArd dAsH in a 10x10 spAce. I cAn do raPid fiGure 8's aRouNd a huMaN's legs wHile meoWing. I caN emPty aN auTomAtic feeDer iN unDer 10 mInuTes. and i cAn fit in aNy tInY caBineT or drAweR.

So SqUiRRel....be afRaiD....be vEry afRaiD. WheN I gEt out oF tHis pRisOn, I am coMinG aFter yOu.

loVe,

parsnip the cat
From the window, I saw parsnip jump straight up the air about 5 feet. And then he got into his hunting position which is a very still crouch. Then he proceeded to enter a staring contest with a squirrel that had taken residence on the side of our house.

I personally was also fascinated. Now that we live in the country we can get a little closer to nature.;-) For example, I have always thought that squirrels were cute and cuddly. I never understood why people would want get a bird feeder that would deter squirrels...I thought I would welcome them.

Until I saw the claws on this little guy. He was a fiesty looking little bugger....ready to attach. I am not worried, because Parsnip was ready to attack....too bad he is trapped on the porch.

Stay tuned for some of the cutest pics of the Dale Family Vacation.

Can the unicorns please stand up?

2010-05-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

After this harsh week, I am fully aware that the world of gumdrops, pink unicorns and gumdrops does not exist here on earth. I guess that will be when we meet the big man in heaven.

And in that magical place, I hope there are no homeless people. Point #3 from Monday's blog. I am that girl....you know the one.... that stops and gives the guy on the street corner money. In Raleigh,it is likely that you will see one homeless person a day; however, in San Francisco it was one per block-hundreds per day. Just over and over, people asking us for money and it would just TUG on my heart strings.

And some of the people were just plain mean. They would yell at us when we didn't give them money. NT made the comment that if we gave everyone a dollar we would be broke so we decided to give money to the ones who were putting effort into it....like singing, drawing, playing bucket drums, giving directions.

Then we met my favorite gentleman, playing "Stand by Me" at the Cable Car line. No really...he only played Stand by me...the same chorus over and over. We heard it 20 times while in line but I enjoyed it.

Here is my friend:

NOTE: That he is playing the guitar with a plastic spoon.

And smiling. I like when people smile. It gives me joy.

This will probably be the last San Fran posting, so here are a few of the wine country pictures. It was GORGEOUS there. I loved the laid back lifestyle....perfect for someone like me who likes to be in bed by 10pm and do puzzles in the middle of the afternoon.

We visited many wineries and our favorite was Bella which is small winery owned by a husband and wife team. Google it and read their story.

The tour was inside their wine cave. It was just NT and I and the tour guide.

It was a beautiful rainy day. NT is prepared with his wine glasses.

These are little baby grapes. They will grow into big grapes (obviously) and be picked in September.

It was fun to taste a few of the wines right out of the barrel!

And there were many many barrels.

On a sidebar-well this whole posting as basically been a sidebar-here is the watch I got NT for his Birthday along with one of those cool e-reader devices called the NOOK from Barnes N' Noble.

We are off to the beach tomorrow with the Dales. I am taking family pictures of them--we have never vacationed with a 3 year old and 3 month old. I should have LOTS of stories for Monday's blog ;-)

A SAD DAY

2010-05-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today is one of the saddest days I have personally experienced. Our beloved Mason passed away last night. Our precious Golden Retriever. The world's perfect dog....seriously....he was the perfect dog. I write this in memory and in honor of him. He knows how much we loved him and I feel at peace with that--there was little pain and that makes me feel a tiny bit better.

In doggie heaven, mason is chasing tennis balls, breaking records for the world's longest pee, carrying stuffed animals in his mouth and becoming the coolest kid on the block. Mason, I hope it rains down milk bones every day up there in heaven. We love you.

2010-05-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I promised to share #2 off of my list of San Francisco highlights. Therefore, today will be about why I think people love North Carolina.

Everywhere we went people would ask where we were from....we would say North Carolina and the rave reviews would begin to flow. 1 out of 3 talked about how they would like to move here. 100% talked about how much they loved the climate and how fantastic it was that we could drive to the beach and the mountains. And everyone agreed, that they would love NC because of the great radio stations that Curtis Media operates (okay maybe not--that may be self serving-btw, if you know of anyone who would like to advertise on one of these fine stations please have them call summer)

okay-well I guess that is all I really had to say about that.

let's move on to some of Summer's favorite pics from the trip. You would think these would be of the cable cars, the golden gate bridge, fishermans wharf....but no....they are of our breakfast.

The first morning we ate at an amazing restaurant in Sonoma called the Big Three-check it out next time you are there. I guess I was a little overexcited because I took A LOT of pictures but I loved the lighting and the colors....see below.
These were the most AMAZING pancakes ever. Apple Oat Pancakes with Creme Fraiche which basically means really good whip cream.
I like this picture because it captures our morning routine...me with OJ and NT with his coffee. Plus I like that only his hand and the mug are in focus.
This was NT's yummy burrito!
Okay two more random breakfast pictures. I know it is strange but for those who know me this is indeed NOT strange.
These houses are known as the "Painted Ladies"-cute huh? Can you imagine if you lived there and had tourists & double decker buses coming by all day? Luckily we don't have to worry about that here in Denver NC.

And now let's play a game called what's wrong with this picture....

You get 5 seconds to find one thing wrong with the below picture....GO!:
Did you figure it out? NO, it is not that my cheeks look fat. and NO it is not that we are wearing jackets in the middle of May. The correct answer is that this is my favorite picture, the money shot expressing my love of Cable Cars and my zipper is UNZIPPED!!
No worries. I have photoshop.

100% Tourist

2010-05-23T18:03:00.001-07:00

I have so much to tell ya'll....first how am I going to narrow down the 450 pictures that I took? For those newcomers, NT and I just returned from San Francisco and Sonoma Valley. There are few key takeaways from our vacation:

NT and I are 100% tourist (me more so than him)
People love North Carolina and think it would be a great place to live
Homeless people make me VERY sad and really mess with my pretend world of pink unicorns, gumdrops and hugs wrapped in honey
The San Francisco Cable car should charge admission like a theme park because it was the ride of a lifetime. (Imagine: Rice-a-roni commercial....got it? Now picture me holding onto the pole at the front leaning to the side)
The Golden Gate Bridge is beautiful.....and big....and WINDY.

I think I will detail each of these throughout the week. So to start let's talk about Summer as a tourist. Just go ahead and imagine "the typical tourist" and then put my face there....well minus the fanny pack.

This comes to the front of my mind because on the last day of our trip we were shopping in Union Square when I mentioned to an employee at the Diesel store how much I LOVED the Cable Cars. In a quick, terse reply he said...."san franciscans don't ride those....only tourist" and then he looked at me with disgust. I was so confused because the cable cars are SO much fun....I mean they are the ONLY moving national monument in the US! Again, he told me he had lived there for over 5 years and had never came close to one.

This made me realize that everyone should just embrace their inner tourist. Wear your camera around your chest with pride, pose in front of the Golden Gate bridge as many times as you would like, purchase an all day pass on the double decker bus, buy the gimmicky t-shirts, talk to the "bird expert" at Alcatraz for an hour (oh....maybe that is just me).

When I start out the day, I look like I am moving to a foreign country. I have jackets, motion sickness bracelets, anti-bacterial gel, tickets, camera & extra lens, bottled water & more. And NT....well he has his cell phone.

Here are some pics from the trip (WAY more to follow) and some of these showcase me embracing my inner tourist.
The Golden Gate bridge was really cool. Did you know that there is a paint crew working on that bridge every day of the year?
There she is.....tourist Summer listening to the audio tour at Alcatraz. Very cool btw.
I was OBSESSED with the Sea Lions at Pier 39. Out of the 450 pictures probably 100 of them are of the sea lions. I will do an entire posting on these guys so no worries.....
I have to tell you a secret. I don't like seafood. I think it smells. So imagine me in Fisherman's Wharf where there is seafood everywhere. Nonetheless, I can overlook my qualms for good picture moments like the ones above.

We also went to a Giants game which is part of our conquest to visit every MLB ballpark.
And friends, we were on the 3rd row. Thank you so much Sandyman. Ladies, we were so close that you could see these cute baseball pants REAL close.
And the mascot was right in front of us. I think he is a cat.
Did I mention that we ate this? Please don't tell Todd the Bod (our trainer).

Ahhh...the beautiful wine country. It will get a posting of it's own but for now here are two fun pictures.
So the take away from this blog posting.....embrace your inner tourist and wear your fanny packs proudly as you swing from a cable car.

More San Fran /Sonoma postings this week!

Publish Post

2010-05-14T13:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago our church held a fabulous event called Mission Possible. It was several community events at the same time with over 400 volunteers. We were everywhere, planting flowers at the hospice house, glamour shots at the Hope House for battered women, cheerleading and soccer camps in underprivileged neighborhoods, cleaning of the hospitality house, habitat for humanity and so much more.

I luckily got the chance to take photographs at several of the locations....and here are a few.

HOSPICE HOUSE
A sweet little gal helping to plant flowers....loved her eyes.
Cheerleading Camp!
Hands-On at the Craft Table.
Adorable huh?

Now, off to California we go. You can expect to see a gazillion pictures when we get back. I may (depending on internet hook up) do a posting while we are there. Our flight is at 6am tomorrow so we have to be at the airport at 4:30am. I will be a sleeping zombie by the time we make it to the Giants game tomorrow!

HERE ARE A FEW OF THE WINERIES THAT WE ARE VISITING:

BELLA VINEYARDS

SIMI WINERY

CAKEBREAD WINERY

I miss him.

2010-05-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

So we are heading off to California tomorrow (Sat.) so we had to drop off the kids off at the grandparent's house. Hines at my parent's and Mason at NT's parents.....and Parsnip was left to fend for himself.

You guys probably know how much I love our pets so it was really hard for me to say good-bye.....especially to Hines. Hines is with me EVERY WHERE I go....while I work, when I cook, when I pee....

I almost cried when I dropped him off with my Dad and I had to recite a few famous lyrics from my girl Fergie...."I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket, but I gotta get a move on with my life. It's time to be a big girl now and big girl's don't cry" Thank you Fergie for those melodic lyrics

Truthfully, this is how a parent must feel when dropping their kids off at kindegarten because here I am all overcome with emotion and Hines barely looked back. He was just so happy to be with my dad.....also known as the "King of Chicken." See....Hines doesn't get much people food, but my dad has a habit of slipping the pups chicken, oatmeal cookies, ice cream sandwiches etc. ( NOTE FOR MY DAD: Dad, please don't feed little Hinsey anything other than his treats and food, I weighed him before I left so I am watching you ;-)

Now, I wanted to share with you the packing process for both dogs.

Here is Hines "stuff":

4 stuffed animals, Peanut Butter for his bone, a pair of my shoes because he likes to sit on them, food, a leash, bones, my sports bra and knee brace....i have not idea why but Hines loves my exercise clothes, treats, clothing, a brush....

Here is Mason's "stuff":

FROG AND FOOD

And I would show you my stuff but I have a problem with over packing and it is kind of embarrassing.

Mason ready to hit the road....
And for those who need a Hines fix (aka: Chris)....here he is:

FAT AND HAPPY

2010-05-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to really be "fat and happy?" Because I kind of think not and here is my logic. Yes, I do feel happy when I am eating queso or a brownie a la mode but I am not that happy when my pants don't fit or my stomach rolls out on top of my skirt....gross.

I guess maybe life is good fat and happy as long as you can wear yoga pants and big t-shirts but let's be real....I am in sales...I don't think rolling out in my "comfy" clothes is acceptable.

However, I do think America is perhaps embracing the muffin top (that is what they call that fat on top of the pants) because women's clothing designs are really helping to cover up my "out of shapeness"

First here is the muffintop in detail for those who are not in the know....
But luckily I am never tempted to wear a very short tank with too tight jeans and a studded belt. Instead I have found 5 key wardrobe pieces that allow me to eat Queso and still hide my not so tight belly.

KEY WARDROBE PIECE #1: THE TUNIC
Look at the flowiness....that just screams eat a brownie and you don't even have to suck in!

KEY WARDROBE PIECE #2: LEGGINGS
Yep....these little babies just suck you right in. It is like spanx but cuter (and the celebs wear them too which is an extra plus)

KEY WARDROBE PIECE #3: THE SCARF
The scarf is merely used as a decoy....a distraction if you will. As in "don't look at my muffin top, instead look at my beautiful turquoise scarf which was handcrafted....by someone overseas"

KEY WARDROBE PIECE #4: DRESSES
Love 'em and couldn't live without them! It is a highlight of summertime...dresses!

KEY WARDROBE PIECE #5: BLOUSY TOP
I think I make up words on my blog....like "blousy"....but think I am allowed to do this since I write the blog? Not sure. But the point is any blousy top is alright with me!

Now if I only I could get Todd the Bod (my crazy trainer who tortures me to the point of not being able to breathe) to understand that I just want to wear tunics and scarves and eat ice cream freely with no guilt.

California in four days! Wine Country here we come.......about that diet.....

2010-05-10T18:18:00.000-07:00

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. And I am the old dog. I am embracing my soon to be "oldness" since I will be 30 years old in 8 weeks. And as far as my new tricks....I am taking a photography class at the wonderful Light Factory here in Charlotte. It is every Wednesday evening for 3 hours of fun!

After my first class, which was last week they gave us a homework assignment of shooting in the semi-manual setting of Aperture Priority. (Basically shooting at different f-stops which affects the depth of field ...ie: smaller stops (larger f numbers) produce a longer depth of field, allowing objects of all distances to all be in focus at the same time.

I tend to like to shoot with shallow depth of field....making the subject pop and leaving the background blurry. Here a few pics from my first homework assignment....
By the way...who writes the fortunes that go inside of these cheap cookies? Do you know their contact info? Because I need to email them and tell them they misspelled From on my fortune and it is messing up my picture. (These were at f5.6-see how the background is out of focus?)
Then since my poor pets are a bit tired of my gazillion pictures, I decided to torture various fruits and veggies around the house. Smile Limes.
Look this way Oranges. (f5 on this one)

And .....say cheese....I mean citrus....(ha, ha-I crack myself up) f9 here..
Have you seen my latest Home Good amazing deal? Right in the middle of the summer dishes was this fun and fab suitcase. I love the colors. Luckily my mom has the patience to look thru clutter and found this....
By the way, NT has a birthday this week. Happy Birthday honey! Now HE is REALLY old-34! just kidding....kind of.

Oh Baby! (or babies in this case)

2010-05-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

First, I apologize for my lack of blogging. I am so dern busy. My spellchecker is highlighting the word "dern".....is that not a word? I swear it is in Kannapolis.

Anywho, I am sure you are busy too. Springtime really brings out my crazy schedule-it is the culmination of the busiest month in radio sales, the season end of all my favorite reality tv shows, our anniversary, my dad and my husbands birthday, mother's day, business trips out the yin-yang and we are going to California in a week. Yikes!

Did I mention Project Runway, Amazing Race, American Idol, Survivor, The Hills, The City, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, Dancing with the Stars and Glee are all on at the same time....oh I did mention that....ok then...onward...

I promised earlier in the week to share some pictures from the Crim Maternity shoot. NT and I met this amazing couple at church and learned their special story (& challenges) about trying to get pregnant and now they are blessed to be pregnant with twins!!!

This picture session was not meant to be like the typical maternity pictures with the bare belly out because Wendy had already done a few shots like this and felt she was "past the point of cute preggo belly." Instead she wanted pictures to showcase how supportive her husband Matt has been through the pregnancy. Pictures that showed how amazing of a Dad he is about to be--

Speaking of Proud Daddy...
Now....I know that all the photo websites say that selective color (leaving color in one spot of the photo) is out of date....overdone....cheesy...BUT....I still love it. Especially in this case with the color blocks and baby clothes. I don't care if it is overdone....Selective Color 4 life.

That's right.......there are two little bundles of joy in there. 2 boys.

Hopefully, in a couple of months you can check back and see some fun baby shots of the sure to be beautiful Crim Twins.

2010-05-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe but NT and I have been married one year today. It has been an amazing ride so far.... a lot of change......we have both started new jobs, we moved to Charlotte, we got a puppy....a wonderful first year if you ask me! My goal was to pick my favorite five wedding pictures for the blog but somehow five became 25.

My handsome husband.

This one is probably my favorite. Today anyways. We have over 2000 wedding pictures...and my question is what do you do with all of them? I feel kind of weird to have pictures of Neal and I in EVERY room (and always wearing the same outfit ;-)

These balloons possibly could have lifted NT off of the ground.

Our beautiful wedding party.

Our table numbers showcased different places that NT and I had traveled. This is Vegas. And No that is not really Johnny Depp....it is a wax statue.
My PaPa. (pronounced: Paw. Paw.)
I wish I could post all of the pictures of us walking down the aisle because I waved the entire time. It was as if I was in a parade. Hey you....and you...and you..you..you..you. I think I was just so excited to see our family and friends...I couldn't stop waving!
My lovely Grandma. precious.

I was in love with my flowers. and my soon to be husband.

Our first dance. I love NT's expression in this picture.

My Dad and I did a choreographed dance number, it was a really special moment for me and something I will always remember!

The CANDY BAR. (with my little handmade signs)

Cheers to another great year of wedded bliss.

Gimme' that Fish

2010-04-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the McDonalds Filet of Fish of commercial? It gives me life (thanks Bre)

I sing this little jingle all the time.
And I sound like a fool when doing it.
Please watch this clip.

CLICK HERE.

Did you laugh? I am literally laughing out loud right now just thinking about it.
If the person who wrote this jingle reads my blog (which they obviously don't) I want to tell them "you are amazingly creative and your jingle rocks my world....love summer"

Gimme that fish.

Okay on to Atlanta Part Deux.

I have been visiting my college roommate LP in Atlanta for the past 8 years and it was this trip that I could tell we have really matured (aka: we are getting old). 8 years ago my ATL visit would have included staying out til 4am, dancing til our feet hurt, eating at the Waffle House in the middle of the night because our metabolism was amazing, looking at boys (sorry NT but it is true) and shopping for lots of clothes that I didn't need (well some things didn't change)

However, this trip we showed our age. We were in bed by midnight both nights and that was late. We did a nice dinner and a show and one night and a potluck dinner the other night (it was great btw), And we shopped for antiques. Now that point hits home so let me repeat....we shopped for antiques. Gulp. I remember when my parents FORCED me to go to auctions and now I would love to go. Weird. I am becoming my mother (which is a good thing!)

I will be 30 years old in two months. Gulp #2.

Biggar Antiques warmed my heart. Here are some pictures. No photos allowed inside so you only get to see the funkiness that was available outside.
Please click on the picture above and make it bigger so you can see the coolness of the A&W gal and the big cowboy man.
There was old stuff EVERYWHERE. Apparently they use a lot of this stuff for props in movies. They are currently supplying ALL the props for the new Harry Potter ride in Disneyworld.
Suitcase anyone? which one do you like? I LOVE the yellow ones with the brown handles.
In a way this Mickey is a bit creepy and in another way he reminds me of a very happy and very large PEZ dispenser.
LP is Jewish and wanted me to take this picture of the "Jewel" sign. I like the shadow of the tree in the background.
This sign was at the front of the building. I loved it. I didn't buy anything because I couldn't figure out how to fit a 1200 pound A&W root beer man on the top of LP's corolla but maybe next time.

.....switching subjects now.....

For you container gardening folks....oh ok.....no one? Well keep reading anyway. You may remember one of my first blog postings about my garden......well don't dwell on that because it is dead. But maybe I will try again....MAYBE.

And if I do try again, I will not germinate my seeds I will buy the plant like any sensible beginner gardener would do. And then I will plant my plants in super cute old crates like LP.

See below.
This is clever too.....herbs in a flour sifter. I like it. I even think it shows I am getting older in that I took pictures of veggies and herbs. Pictures from 8 years ago ATL trip would be hard to even decipher.

To come later this week....maternity photos of the Crims! Good Night.

HEALTH NUGGETS IN ATLANTA

2010-04-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to Atlanta to visit my friend LP. And there....I discovered my love for Kettle Korn (Korn is probably not spelled with a K but alliteration is so much fun). It was a special day at the Dogwood Festival. The sound of music in every corner, the breeze was nice and the smells of fattening foods surrounded us. Yum....but it was the Kettle K(C)orn that I could not escape from.

I really don't consider myself a "popcorn" fan. However, I do see where the chink in my dieting armor truly is......it is the sweets (and the salty but let's not dwell). Plain or buttered Popcorn....no thank you. Popcorn coated with honey and sugar (and possibly caramel).....you better get your own bag because I ain't sharing!!
Did you know they make flavors of Kettle K(c)orn? Like Blue Rasberry, Apple, and watermelon....however, I prefer the plain.
The dangerous point is that you can order this Kettle Corn and they will deliver it RIGHT to your house. DANGER!! MUCHO CALORIES IN YOUR MAILBOX!!
To order to your own house go to....Moose Head Kettle Corn....
I would like to point out the attire that Mr. Kettle Corn maker is wearing. Yes, protective goggles, a fireproof mask, and arm protectors. I need to get something like this for days that I cook. That or a welding vest says my dad....

Other health nuggets available at the Dogwood Festival....Sweet Potato Chips and Funnel Cakes (plus many other things but I didn't take pictures of those)

Don't judge me. I only ate the funnel cake.

Also at the Dogwood Festival I found some other fabulous finds that I probably would have purchased if I could buy things willy nilly without worrying about it showing up in my bank account then on quickbooks.....

For example: DANCING METAL STRUCTURES.
Though they are cute I am not sure where you quantify them in Quickbooks. They would not exactly fall into the essentials category such as food, toiletries, pet supplies.

Example #2: RANDOM BUCKET GUY
I am not sure why but I still love this little guy. Can someone make one of these for me for less than $225? Ridiculous huh?

Example #3: BIRD WEARING BOOTS PICTURE
The problem is that I purchased this one. I do not have a picture but you would love it if I did. Little turquoise birds with long legs wearing knee high boots (do birds have knees?) Anywho, it is cuter than it sounds.

I have more from the ATL trip including pictures from the antique scavenger hunt that LP and I went on plus her super cute gardening ideas (**however she did just tell me that her lettuce is dead so I am not sure if the ideas are practical but they are cute). Kettle Corn 4 life.

CONGRATS TO SKIPPER AND ROB

2010-04-20T18:34:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, I love my camera. And the television show Glee. (I only tell you that because I am watching the Madonna episode right now. Amazing.) And my dogs. And scrapbooking. And the smell of fresh cut grass.....oh, right....back to the point...

After a mini lifetime I am putting more of Skipper (yes the barbie doll) and Rob's engagement pictures up. Like I said in a previous post, when you let a beginning photographer take your pics you never know what you are in for. And for Skipper and Rob, that meant 1,248 hitchkicks and posing with a donkey. Here are a few of my favorites. (BTW, Dear Blogspot, Can you make it where my pictures are bigger? Love Summer)

Now for a few of the outtakes...so the hitchkicks. You know what I am talking about right? The heels click in the air a la Wizard of Oz. I have seen it on many photographers websites and per usual they make it look SO simple. IT's NOT. (Just ask Skip and Rob)

Here is an example shot from the fabulous Erin Gilmore (www.eringilmorephotography.com)
As you can see, it is all about timing and synchronization. And apparently keeping your hitchkick low (is that even what it is called?). But truthfully the best part about the hitchkick shot is how hard it made me laugh....I almost wet my pants with laughter watching Rob practically kick the sun he was so high.

Here are a few outtakes:
And you know what I really appreciate....the effort. Here are probably the thoughts of Skipper and Rob. "Okay summer.....we have traveled to two barns, been kissed by a donkey, stepped in cow patties, walked through 7 spider webs, kissed 5.2 million times and you want us to WHAT?" The truth is I really didn't know how to get the kicks at the same time....so we went for the old fashioned count to 3 method.

After 33 shots (no really....33) check out this synchronization (too bad I only go their feet in the shot ;-):
So after reading this post....you folks go ahead and let me know when you are ready for me to take your pics....just prepare for donkeys and kicks. And April....you already committed so you can't run now...Harris family here I come!

This and That.

2010-04-16T21:44:00.001-07:00

I am in Atlanta visiting my friend LP so you can certainly expect many stories. I know I promised engagement pictures of my friend Skipper and Rob but due to my packed social schedule (ie: Project Runway Finale Part 1) I have not had time to edit them. So instead you get random pictures of some cute gals at church and pics of Mason's nose.

Let's start with Mason's nose. I recently got a new wide angle lens-Yay. So what did I do first? I took a picture of a my feet and my arm. It makes you look like you have go-go gadget arms. Kind of like when you used to go to the fun house with the silly looking mirrors.

So after pretending I had arms and legs like the "Incredibles"....I tortured the pets.

Check out Mason's nose...."the better to sniff you with"

MASON: "Seriously, Summer get that camera out of my face....oh....you said MilkBone....continue on then"

MASON: "Hey! That angle makes my butt look big"
MASON: "The celebrities would call this angle a crotch shot. Shout out to Britney"
And for you Chris....here is Hines in the wide angle lens. Ummm....is it me or does his beard look extremely long? No worries, I will also use the lens for landscapes, architectural details, etc....not just to make my dogs look like they have long noses.

Now to the cute gals at church...I have nominated myself to take pictures at church events and the other night we had a "Big Tent" service. These cuties were playing hide and seek and tag but they paused long enough for me to catch this picture.

Smiling for the random lady with the camera.
Mmmm....cute children feet. Love the pink boots.
Would it be odd if I asked this gal if I could borrow her cute red scarf/shaw?

More exciting blog postings to come. I promise no more dog noses (okay not really because it is my blog and I like to take pics of Mason's nose). You can however expect the conclusion of how to take engagement pictures with a donkey, how to plant a container garden, and my love for kettle corn. Good Night.

I'm Tired

2010-04-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hey Friends. I am tired tonight--not sure why--I really haven't done that much. I guess that walk around the block really wore me out. Anywho, this post is just a tease for a posting I am going to do later this week!

Yesterday, I did engagement pictures for my beautiful friend Skipper and her superchill fiance Rob. Just to tell you how pretty she is, she got the nickname Skipper because she looked (and still does look) like Barbee's best friend by the same name. And I guess the nickname just stuck...Skipper it is.

I am definitely a "photographer in training" so you never really know what you will get with me. In the first hour, Skipper was almost ran over by a cow and Rob kissed by donkey. Then I realized I was standing in about a 4inch pile of cow droppings (are they called droppings? they were MUCH bigger than the word "dropping" would imply. more like cow boulders) Then came the portion where I made them do that little hitch kick thing where you hit your heels together...about 804 times....it was honestly hilarious....to me anyways.

How do they make that look so easy on Wizard of Oz? huh?

I have to say my friends are so fab to let me torture...I mean experiment....I mean photograph them for 3+ hours. The good news is we got some great pictures and I can't wait to share them with you later this week. We headed back out to the same barn I shot at last week and then we went to a a local Rock Quarry (that I barely knew existed) where I almost had a nervous breakdown because we were technically trespassing.

Here are just a SMALL handful of pics.

Below: Check out Skipper's bling---good job Rob. Good Job.
Above: I have stories about this picture....I had seen a shot with a horse standing between a bride and groom so I thought....why not a donkey? You will definitely here more about this one!
Now on the picture below it is a little hard to see the most important part of the shot....Skipper and Rob...but I love the lighting! For my photography friends, I finally ventured out of my safety zone called Automatic Settings ;-) and used all Manual. I am so proud.
Expect to see more pics later this week and read more about my love with lucy the donkey, standing in Cow poo while trying to get the "shot" and why hitch kick shots are not as easy as they look. (Skipper if you are reading this....please pre-forgive me for posting the outtakes of the heel kickin' shots...I can't help myself)

LKN

2010-04-09T15:57:00.000-07:00

You know those stickers that people put on the back of their cars with 3 letters in a circle?

OBX is Outerbanks and NMB is North Myrtle Beach. Well when we first moved here, I kept seeing LKN stickers and being the genius that I am it took me a few months to realize it meant Lake Norman.

And now just a short time later....I want a LKN sticker. Why? Because I love Lake Norman!

You may find it strange that I would love being near a large body of water seeing that I can't swim. But I find it to be peaceful...just look at this sunset.
For Easter, the Fam went to my Papa's (pronounced: Paw-Paw) lake house where I learned the art of shark hunting from my sweet 5 year old niece Chloe. We had just went to see the movie "How to Train a Dragon" so why should we not hunt sharks in Lake Norman?

Let me walk you through the process.....

1. FIRST PICK OUT A LARGE STICK.

2. THEN TO THE LAKE....LOOK FOR THE LARGEST SHARK.

3. NEXT BEAT "SHARK" WITH STICK

4. THEN PICK UP THE LARGE SHARK TOOTH (to the untrained eye this may look like a chunk of cement)

5. PLACE SHARK TOOTH ON ARTIFACT TABLE FOR VIEWING

Chloe kept referring to us as "Discovery Girls" and I will be honest....I felt pretty cool as a Discovery Girl. Like I was on that 80's cartoon Captain Planet (do you remember....Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Heart....with our powers combined you are Captain Planet ;-)

Is it weird that I am almost 30 and like to play pretend shark hunter? Probably. But I think any escape from reality is nice.....maybe I could pretend to be a stay at home wife. That sounds like fun.

We also took a boat ride which was a blast....there was only two people wearing life jackets...me and Chloe. I asked her to smile pretty for a picture and this is what I got:
Finally after about 10 shots that look like the above picture I got a real smile. Thank goodness for digital cameras!
Here are a couple other pictures from the day including my dad chillin'
It is going to be a great summer!

QUICKBOOKS IS THE DEVIL

2010-04-08T17:19:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with the program Quickbooks? I am not sure who invented this product but it was obviously a male. (I just Googled and indeed it was a male) Basically it is an accounting software that is normally used by small businesses to track "money in and money out". Lucky for me (note of sarcasm)....NT recently purchased a copy.

I was a shop-a-holic before I got married. I admit it. And this is the first step to getting better.

But Quickbooks and the ability to view debit card transactions online are really putting a damper on my spending. Even basic everyday "need to live" spending....like getting my nails done and vital trips to Home Goods are tracked.

I think of it almost like a "SUMMER GPS" or Summer Tracking System if you will.

If NT needs to find me he can just log onto Wachovia.com and it would show a map of my days activities. She was at the coffee shop at 10am, and then she had lunch at Panera, then she was in in Huntersville visiting Home Goods.

Do you ladies know what I am saying? Let me explain what motivated me to write this post. I found a flower pot that I love....no really...I am in love with this flower pot. It makes my heart pitter-patter. I would look at it each time I drove by and finally one day I stopped...and it was WAY too expensive but like a true shopaholic..... I justified it. Then I purchased it.

And then, magically, less than 12 hours later my purchase appears online at....wachovia.com....those buggers. Can't they fudge the number just a little? Maybe make it half price or something?

And some of you ladies might have husbands who don't even check the bank account.....lucky you. But my husband is a numbers guy, a "I love graphs and excel spreadsheets" kind of guy. So I seeked out a bit of various advice of how to cover random purchases like overpriced flower pots.

First, from my mother-in-law the recommendation to get cash back while at the grocery store. Store this cash in a secret location. Save up for large adorable overpriced sky blue flower pots.

Second, I came up with this one. Use NT's recently purchased guitar and weed trimmer as leverage to justify my purchases.

Third, just remind NT that when he fell in love with me I was a shopaholic. This may never change. (Right, Dad?)

The summary of my story....is that Quickbooks and Online account review are very bad things and that life would be a bit easier if certain purchases just faded into the woodwork.

Happy Shopping ladies ;-) Did I mention I am going to IKEA Saturday? A place as dangerous as home goods for me!

I LOVE LUCY

2010-04-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am always tempted to stop by this random farm right near our house to take pictures of their cows and horses. But to get a good shot I would need to be inside the fence with the animals and this may be shocking but I do not have much experience with farm life.... so I probably shouldn't jump the fence.

So instead I came up with the idea of calling my Dad's buddy JB who has a couple of animals on a small farm(2 cows, 1 donkey, and 24 chicks to be exact). But to my delight he also had a lot of vintage cars which some may call junk but I call treasure.
But back to the animals. I fell in love. With a donkey. Named Lucy. Here she is.
I love Lucy.

I was expecting she would be kind of shy maybe even scared of me but that was NOT the case. Instead she was a total DIVA who wanted all the attention. "See me!! Pet me!! Only take pictures of me!!"

"Ignore me and I will bump you. Pet me and I will love you forever"
I thought taking pictures of babies was difficult.... until I met Lucy. She loved to have her picture taken but she wanted to be close....real close to me....to the lens. I would squat down and get her in focus and by the time I would click, I would have a picture of just her nose ....or eyes....or me on the ground.
When I first started to take the picture above she was about 5 feet away....by the time I pressed the shudder she was......well....about 2 inches away.
She reminded me a lot of Mason (our Golden) because she liked to nuzzle and cuddle. If I could have fit her into my Murano, I would have honestly taken her home with me.

I wonder if there is something in the HOA rules about having a donkey in our back yard? I mean Mason is kind of like a donkey....he eats grass...he is stubborn.
I even called Mom about maybe keeping the donkey in their backyard and got shot down real quickly.

As previously stated, majority of my attention was on Lucy and why would it not be? She is the Beyonce of Donkeys. If she wore clothes, she would wear sequins and stilettos. Diva.

But I should at least put a picture of the sweet Moo-Cows (that was really her name)
Then I found the hidden treasure, the jewel of the nile, the pièce de résistance. Vintage aka:junk cars. I don't know why, but I love taking pictures of really old stuff.

And I loved these old cars. (Yes I realize these pictures have a lot of edits on them....I was Photoshop happy yesterday).
This one is my favorite. Click on it and make it big. Yep. I love it.
Funky, colorful and fabulous. I can't say I would want to ride on this bus but I do like the picture of it! Did I ever tell you the story about when my dad used to drive a school bus? He flipped it over in a ditch. I might scan in the article one day and let you read it. Until then....I imagine this is what the bus would look like ;-)
How fun is this? The animals drink water out of this big tub. Mason would love to drink water out of a tub (or a toilet)!
Just a few others. If you know of any good places in the Charlotte area for me to take pics, send me a note! I like animals, old stuff, nature and anything else that won't complain about me taking 554 pictures of them.

THE WEDDING.

2010-04-03T18:06:00.001-07:00

Kids, I have to say as I go back and look at the pictures of Jaime's wedding....it is hard to multitask. I felt like I took a lot of great pictures at the wedding but as it turns out I only have a few that I really like. I think I was too concerned with making sure my spanx didn't show from the bottom of my dress.

Here is one of my faves of the beautiful bride.
The Lucky Man....
And here is the mother of the bride.....
And here is the brother and sister-in-law (me obviously) of the bride.....
And here is the DAD, right before he lost it.
And here is best "exiting the wedding treat" EVER! Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Add a "Hot Doughnuts Now" Sign and it would have been a mad stampede.
The wedding was at Prestonwood and the flowers were done by the wonderful English Garden. The food was fabulous and I was tickled pink to be able to eat as MANY carbs as I wanted. The photobooth was a hit and the Cupid Shuffle didn't disappoint. Here are a few pictures from the night.....
Right before the fire started. Okay, not really but I was concerned.
Next time I photograph a wedding, maybe I won't be in it and I will get better pictures. Somehow, it would seem inappropriate for me to pull the Canon out from under my bridesmaid dress and start taking pictures of Jaime as she walked down the aisle ;-)

Ga-Ga Ooh-la-la

2010-03-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

I know I promised Jaime's wedding pictures but what can I say....too much reality television. So instead you get Mason dressed up as Lady Gaga. Not purposeful of course....unless you count chewing out your stitches and staple 4 times as purposeful.

See if you see the Gaga resemblance.
NT and I have really had a mess on our hands for the last month....a mess with the name of Mason. I am not going to go into the craziness but I will sum it up and say that we have been through 2 sets of stitches and 2 sets of staples.
You might think...."Summer and NT, why did you not just put one of those dome things on his head?" And I would say..."that is an excellent idea and I wish we would have done that."

What is that saying..."fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice,shame on me" fool me four times and you must be a stubborn Triompo. I guess the truth is I just felt so pitiful when he put that thing on his head, he would run into furniture, into the door, into ME! As us southerners would say....Bless his heart.
But after the 4th set of sutures, the vet basically said they would hunt us down if we didn't leave the e-collar on him 24/7. And I have to be honest and say I have slipped it off a couple of times (okay a lot of times) but only when I can watch him. Man, I really am stubborn huh?

And here is the gratuitous picture of Hines (that is for you Chris!)
BTW, what do you think we should do with Hine's crazy beard? Do you think it is time to have him groomed or do you like the bearded look? And for those of you readers who want to comment but don't know how (Dad & Aunt B) just click comment and then post anonymously but be sure to leave your name at the bottom.

Photobooths are fun and so are spray tans!

2010-03-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

What can I say....I love photobooths. And spray tans. I am not sure which of these two loves I should talk about first. Let's go with spray tans. So as previously stated I needed to fit into a dress that was too small on Saturday,by the way it was coral---we all know that one of the worst combinations with a coral bridesmaid dress is pale skin. Plus,everything looks better tan, including fat ;-)

I was under a bit of time constraint, as in it was Thursday and the wedding was Saturday. So naturally I googled "Mobile Spray Tanning Raleigh." Lucky me, I found a gal willing to come to my in-laws house at 10pm once I arrived in Raleigh to tan me. Have you ever been spray tanned? The machine is kind of like the airbrushing guns that you used to see on the Myrtle Beach strip or in Gatlinburg TN. You know the ones, right? When you wanted to get the t-shirt that said BFF's forever or Summer loves (insert name) 4 ever!. Only this time instead of paint it is some weird tanning spray.
We chose the laundry room (which I tried to pretend was actually a Hawaiian Beach). And then came the pop-up tent....you can't make this stuff up. It looked EXACTLY like the one above in the picture.

Into the tent I went. To be honest, I was a little nervous that I would come out looking like this. Yes this is Magda from There Something about Mary.
Once the spraying was complete (which only took like 5 minutes) the gal told me now I just needed to simply dry off in front of a fan for 20 minutes and I would be all set. Mmmmm.....excuse me? Dear Tan Lady, Did I mention that I am only wearing bathing suit bottoms and I am staying with my in-laws? Sure, no problem. Let me go stand in the middle of their den with my fake spray tan in my bikini bottoms so I can dry.

Obviously, this was not an option so instead I had the tan lady fan me with a folder. Then I stayed awake for 2 more hours just to make sure my tan was "set." And amazingly....it worked! And for that you know what I say....I say Spray Tans are FUN!

Here is a before and after shot:
And now for something else that is FUN! Photobooths. I have actually always had a thing for photobooths. I think I get it from my mom and dad....I say this because check out these great retro shots of my mom and dad. (yep, no one is safe from summer's blog) I just guessing this was a 1970's photobooth by looking at my dad's hair.
I love the peace sign at the bottom--yeah, Dad rockin' the 70's!

The photobooth tradition continued every year when we would go to Gatlinburg and pay $.75 to get in the booth and take 3 pictures. I always looked forward to it.
As you can tell, I kind of liked to be the center of attention...I mean...center of the photo. Strangly, not much has changed.
This is the photobooth from our wedding. Out of the 300 pictures, I was probably in 100 of them. (I "heart" photos. period.)
And I actually thought there was no way I could love a photobooth more until I discovered the photobooth at Jaimes wedding (which will be blogged about tomorrow-stay tuned).
Yep folks. I want a photobooth in my house. I want to be able to hop in there anytime for a pick me up. Or actually maybe I could start a business where I take a photobooth to events and in the off time I use it as a mobile spray tan booth. The name could be "Photo and Tan"--okay that is not a creative name but we could work on that part.
I kind of have a small issue of making each picture the "Summer Show"--always all up in the camera blocking out others. But the photo below had me in tears of laughter.
There are actually 11 people in this shot. Can you find them all? Can you find my Dad? Think of it as the "Where's Waldo?" of photobooths. Hint: look for his curly hair.
Okay, in this photo can you count all 11 people? Can you find cousin Molly?(see her close up in the pic below) Look at the one eyeball beside my mom's left ear. that's her. hilarious, huh?
How many Morgans and Triompos can you fit in one photobooth? Apparently, 11 if you are concerned for safety.
This photo is actually one of my favorites. Why you ask? Because Aunt Dawn is doing her
"Gangsta" sign. Yep, the okay circles around her eyes are supposed to represent her gang. Which led me to believe that she might be a member of a nursery rhyme gang...ie: The Humpty Dumpty Gang (that was for you Molly)
Does anybody know why I have my mouth wide open in every shot? Me either.

So the real question here is....Would it be weird to have a photobooth in your house? If not, then I want to put that on my birthday list. (Mom: please make note of that)

Tomorrow's blog post: the much anticipated....WEDDING!

The Things We Do For Love

2010-03-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

So much to say and so little time to blog about it. That is the situation this past week.

I have decided you can gauge how busy I am by the number of times I blog per week. It would look something like this.....

4 times or more: Life is good....skipping through a field of daisies with nothing but time on my hands.
3 times: Enough time for reality tv & blogging.
2 times: To do list is probably a couple of pages long. probably blogging after 10pm
0-1 times: OH DEAR! in desperate need of air... and an assistant

This past week was definitely in the "Oh Dear!!" category. You may already know....it was the moment of truth weekend....would Summer fit into the bridesmaid dress? Stay tuned to find out (expect to read about it on Tuesday) The wedding was amazing times 10 and I can't wait to share some highlights!

But first to make up for my lack of posting, I will share my random thoughts EVERY day this week. Now, that is commitment.

To start, let's travel back to LAST THURSDAY.
The Mexican National Soccer Game.

The things we do for love. I dare say that NT would never accompany me to a Beyonce concert or the "Dancing with the Stars" tour....yet somehow I got roped into going to the Mexican National's Soccer game.

I am going to ATTEMPT to describe to you in detail the misery that I experienced but I feel pretty confident that you will not be able to truly understand via this blog post. Let me at least give you a glimpse via a photo....
There were 70,000 people. And these 70k people had to cram into ONLY 3 entrances at the Bank of America stadium. Many of these fanatics were willing to do anything for a free t-shirt (like run over me) and also seemed to think it was normal to wear an entire bottle of cologne.
We were like sardines crammed together. Sweaty peeps all around me-gross.
Next there were the horns. O the horns. Darn you Allstate for providing 35,000 free horns. Imagine when you are in a parking lot and a car alarm is going off. Got it? Now multiply that sound by 50,000. Okay, now imagine hearing that for 3 hours nonstop.

Let me back up and explain that NT works with many clients who market to Spanish-speaking audiences and soccer is a great reach mechanism. That was the main goal of going: to prospect and see clients. But wow this cultural experience brought us so much more.

I kind of knew we were not in Kansas anymore when I saw the human Foosball table. see below.
Followed by when I was trampled by a guy dressed as a pinata (or matador-not sure) in order to catch a free t-shirt. But this was honestly the least of my problems. Let me show you a series of pictures and you tell me if you can see what is wrong with them.
That is right. I am wearing navy blue and everyone else and their brother are wearing green. Why is this you ask? Because the Mexican National team colors are green, red and white. Did I mention they are the world cup team and have one of the largest followings in soccer?

Did I also mention that the opposing team was Iceland and their team color is Navy Blue. Right....so now you see the problem?
I should have known something was up when I got booed crossing the street. Concerned for my safety.....I found myself also jumping in the crowd trying to catch the free t-shirt since they were green. It was that or buy a Mexico flag and wear it as a cape. (no really...this is a very popular look, see below)
Probably time to conclude this lengthy rambling. After standing in a line for a mini lifetime, the can of sardines was finally released and thank goodness our seats were in a suite. Yay. Behind the most ANNOYING HORN GUY EVER.
A night to be remembered. As in I need to remember this because NT owes me big time.
Strangely, when you leave at the half ....you find that at least the horn-lovin', t-shirt wearing, flag waving fans are LOYAL. Sticking with their team til' the end.

THE TOY BIN

2010-03-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Our pets really do not long for much. Mason eats organic food that is delivered each month from California, all the pets have two beds each, Parsnip has two scratching pads and a birdfeeder just for his daily entertainment and all the pets have more toys than they could ever use. It is the massive amount of toys that leads to this story....

I bring this up because the pets were in RARE form today--was it a full moon? I don't know but I know something was up with our pets today. To spare you each and every detail, I will skip to my favorite crazy highlight of the day.

HINES AND HIS TOY BIN.

Hines often plays this cute little game with NT. It is called "empty out the toy bin so my neat freak dad has a panic attack." And Hines plays this game about twice daily....pulling out one toy at a time as NT comes along right behind him to put it back. But today Hines took full advantage of the fact that NT was napping on the couch. It was a Free for All in the toybin as I did some photoshop work on my "Baby Emma pics" (no worries Chelsea, I finished them up today.....I am sure you were wondering if Emma would turn 1 year old before I actually got you her newborn pictures)

Let the madness begin....one plush lambswool beauty at a time.

This picture gives you a good idea of the destruction a six pound pup can cause in as little as 10 minutes.....impressive, huh?

In the mist of the chaos, I am simply trying to edit a few pics of baby Emma (that is her above) that are all starting to look a bit similar. Editing photos takes patience and a discerning eye which I tend to have only in very short bursts (especially when i have a small puppy running laps around legs pulling out 1.2 million stuffed toys)

These toys vary in size but most of them are bigger than Hines. The pig is his new favorite toy and he loves it!

Do you see anything funny about this picture? Look carefully. One of these things is NOT like the others. (HINT: bottom left corner)

I love it when Hines lays like this--I call it the Frog Pose. I encourage this pose.

Here it is close up......Frog Pose zoomed in. I Love it.

Okay, back to me. NT made me a smoothie which was a nice break in my 3+ hours of editing. Then I was chuggin' water--MUST fit in the bridesmaid dress this Saturday. Yikes! And of course,I am never too far from a Sharpie pen and list. The pic on the computer is of the super cute Addison.

Doesn't this picture just scream "I'm Guilty."?

Even with all of his drama and messes ......(did I mention he pooped on our beautiful white shag rug in the den and then NT stepped in it this morning?)

I still love him. Why? Because of that crazy underbite and his huge heart. (Though the poop on my white rug did strain our relationship for a minute)

Battle of the Lemonade

2010-03-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Today was a GORGEOUS day. And on days like this one in particular...I love Denver, NC. Lake towns are the best on 70 degree Saturdays! I was taking little Hinsey on a walk when I came up on an old school lemonade stand. The little boy was 12 (I asked) and he had two friends who were helping him run the stand. He put the full court press on me telling me I could get one glass for $.50 or two glasses for $1.00. What a bargain huh?

Obviously walking, I did not have any money on me but I told them I would be back. And let me tell you they DID NOT forget about me. But by the time I got back to the house I saw another lemonade stand had set up on a different corner--this time it was the girls.

This shaped up to be a nice competitive Boy vs. Girl lemonade war. Nothing like young entrepreneurs. Let's compare why Girls are ALWAYS so much better than boys---just saying.......

1: THE SIGNAGE. Please see below to compare the details of the boys sign vs. the gals.
Yep--the gals who are obviously more creative used color and visual images for their lemonade.

2. INCENTIVE TO BUY. The ladies were offering a FREE Reese's cup with purchase of a small lemonade. Okay, so yes they were melted but it is the thought that counts.

3. LOCATION. The boys win this one only because they were on the main street corner in the neighborhood. The girls were originally not allowed to leave their driveway but they did eventually get to move to the corner of our street but it is not a high traffic area.
4. COMMITMENT TO SUCCEED. Both lemonade stands started at noon. The boys closed up shop at 1:30. The girls stayed until the last cup (which was 4pm). That is commitment. I might hire them to make cold calls for me.

NT was the girls #1 customer. They ended up making $9.50 and NT and I were $2.50 of that total. What can I say we have a thing for young entrepreneurs.
Now I love that the little red headed gal wanted me to take a picture of the sign on the post but she didn't want to be in the picture. So she was "hiding"-kind of like Hines. He thinks if he can't see me then I can't see him.....not so much. (Check out her Rainbow Brite nails)

The boy walked down twice and asked the girl's how much they had made and they said "we are not telling you." This was when I knew the competition was on. NT and I supported both lemonade stands and really it gave me an idea....
I did start thinking that if radio advertising sales doesn't improve I can always set up shop in our front yard--good idea, huh? I could sell cookies and lemonade! Take that 8 years olds.

I wanna know what love is....

2010-03-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

In the words of Foreigner....

"I wanna know what love is....

I want you to show me...."

Well, guys here it is....true love at it's finest. A man and his grill.
Those of you who know somebody who owns a Big Green Egg understand that it is a bit of a cult. . Seriously, they have their own festival called the Eggtober fest. The Big Green Egg is a charcoal grill and smoker and by NT's standards you would think it produced lumps of gold.

Let me give you a few case studies to show why I believe NT loves Eggward (the name of our grill) as much as he loves me and Mason.

When we were moving to Charlotte the only question NT asked the mover was how would the Big Green Egg get here safely? And then we chose our mover mainly based off the fact that he was also an "Egghead"
He calls himself an Egghead.
When the BGE was first delivered, NT looked at it with adoring eyes. It was a very similar look to as when we saw each other for the first time on our wedding day.
He named it Eggward.
We move it into the house when it rains. (okay-just kidding-but it is not a stretch)

There he is in all of it's beauty. That metal thing it is sitting in is called a "nest", cute huh? The truth is that the food REALLY is better when prepared on the Big Green Egg.
Are you wondering how NT talked me into getting this grill? Well, I was sold once I saw how cute it was. If only they had a BIG PINK EGG....that would be really cool! I should invent that for my female grillin' friends.
We use the Big Green Eggs to make grilled veggies--supper yummy!
We used to make steaks, ribs and barbeque but now on the new diet plan....we eat chicken. Chicken. chicken. and chicken.
The thing I like about this pic is the dogs in the background. I feel like we are living the life here in Denver. A beautiful evening by the lake, grilling out and the puppies are just chillin'. Mason is behind NT on the left and little Hinsey is that black spec on the right.
"mmmm......this grill brush smells like chicken....and I want to lick it but it is rough"
By the way, this is our new patio furniture. It is super comfortable. We also got a Gigantor umbrella for those hot Lake Norman summer days.

Some of you have asked....how is the diet going? Well....it is going. However, I am in the craving state. I would probably trade you my dog for a chocolate chip cookie right now. (Chris, don't get any ideas) The good news is I was able to zip the bridesmaid dress....the bad news is I can't breathe in it. And I look like a ghost. Must find a spray tan...STAT.

My arm won't extend straight.....

2010-03-13T16:14:00.000-08:00

I am sure you are wondering how is Summer's diet coming along? You might have even been losing sleep over it. Well, it is pretty tragic really. I miss bread. I miss dessert. I miss the feeling in my right bicep and forearm. And I miss being able to pee without throbbing pains in my quads. But other than that it is going swimmingly well.

I think it is day 4 of the diet. Hard to really say because due to my lack of caffeine and carbs I can hardly focus for my than 10 minutes. Sad.

I have only had water and A LOT of it to the tune of 12 (8 oz) glasses a day. Yes...I am floating.

I have hired a trainer who I have nicknamed Todd the Bod. He is one of "those" types....the triathlon running, bike riding, organic eating, "I do push-ups with one hand just for fun" types. And I like him. (NT works out with him too)

Iphone camera comes in handy yet again~

Here is a brief outline of my 3 days with Todd the Bod.

DAY 1: The DIET. I am doing 1700 calories a day with a food journal. It is broken down by starches, veggies, fruits, protein and dairy/fat. Each category then tells me what foods I can eat inside the calorie limit. Strangely I looked 10 times through the pages trying to find chocolate...not available! There will be more on this diet in a separate post.

DAY 2: ARMS. Oh my goodness....the arms. It was the most painful experience in my life. The pain was so intense in my biceps that it hurt in my nose (I don't know why but it did). i wanted to cry but figured that would be bad on our first workout day.

I even tried my usual cheating....you know...he tells me to do 15 reps and suddenly I forget how to count and OOPS! did I only do 12 reps? my bad.
But this was the move that actually did me in. My arms were like jello...like little lifeless limbs and when I went to do the move above....I basically face planted to the floor. Todd the trainer was like just hold it for 10 more seconds. Really? "Sir, maybe I have not made my tiredness known. Let me explain. I am so tired that I am willing to lay my face on this GROSS gym floor just so I can rest. Dear Trianer, do you now understand how tired I am?"

DAY 3: Well....actually, I should tell you the conclusion to Day 2-Arms. At 4:30am this morning I awoke because my arm was writhing with pain. Like a Charlie Horse but in my arm. I COULD NOT straighten it. I per usual yell for NT and wake up the pets but there is nothing they can do. A handful of Ben Gay later slathered from my shoulder to wrist, I was able to stomach the pain and go back to sleep. (for about 10 more minutes until Mason was ready to start his day)

Okay....back to DAY 3 (today): LEG WORKOUT (P90x style). All I have to say...is Girl Bye! We did more squats that Tiger had mistresses. After about the 100th squat and 5th wall sit, I was ready cry or die. And Todd the Bod had a new nickname....The Devil. He seemed to find it funny that I would have hard time squatting to pee by tomorrow.
This move which is known as the explosive squat was "special." See the gal above seems to be having fun for some reason as her quad muscles rip to shreds with each and every jump. Well...okay...it is not that bad. This gal looks like a cheerleader, I looked more like a bloated frog. We probably did about 5.3 million of these today (obvious exaggeration)

The funny part is that I pay Todd the Bod (aka:the devil) to torture me in this way. Don't worry friends, NT has his first workout next week and I will have the muscle cream waiting!

BTW, our little gym is super cute-see logo below.Sweet little Denver, NC.

Enter Captain Obvious

2010-03-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

So....we have a small situation on hand. Let me attempt to explain through a series of pictures.

My lovely sister-in-law Jaime is getting married. This is her...cute huh?
She is marrying a very nice gentleman named Lee. Handsome little devil.
She asked me to be a bridesmaid. I was honored. I have helped with showers and bachelorette parties--fun times. I even ordered a super-fun bridesmaid dress from J Crew--and it is actually a bridesmaid dress that I would wear again (for real). Here it is in all of it's cuteness...
Now here is where the situation arises. I ordered the aforementioned dress last May. Do you know what else happened last May? I got married.
Do you see the problem yet? No? Well let me explain. I worked out at least 5 days a week before my wedding and ate only 1300 calories a day.
Now you see the problem right? I was about 2 sizes smaller or 10 pounds lighter when I ordered that dress. Yikes! Jaimes wedding is in 3 weeks and I can't fit into my dress.
So my very first thought was to try to get the dress altered. This would be the easiest way and would prevent me from having to eat like a rabbit for the next 3 weeks. Here is where Captain Obvious enters the picture.

I was at the tailor and had just tried on the dress. I am wearing spanx and sucking in but that is not enough. I exit the dressing room and the tailor states...."Your zipper does not zip all the way." Really? Did you think I didn't notice the draft on my back?

Then CO (Captain Obvious) states "you must have been 2 sizes smaller when you ordered this dress." Okay....again....why don't you just a girl while she is down? geez.

And then the final blow...the knockout punch. He tells me there is not enough room to take out the seam.

The basic gist is that I need to lose 1-2 inches in the next 3 weeks. I know it can be done but I am not sure if I have the will power to do it.

Did I mention we live 1 mile from a fabulous donut shop? I plan to blog about that once I go off my diet!
I then decided to do what any "desperate to lose weight" person would do....I googled. And here is what I found:
Yet, another Captain Obvious. Step One: Remove all junk food. My problem with this eHow article is that it is rated as Moderately Easy. What world do they live in? Obviously not one with peanut m&ms and brownies a la mode.

So the plan is to make this dress fit. I have 3 weeks to do it. Here we go.

2010-03-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

My blog is normally a happy non-serious place. A place where pink unicorns can roam in a field of gumdrops.....

However, I must pause for a moment of reflection. NT and I went to Raleigh this weekend and for the first time I felt like a visitor. It was weird. A place that was home for 10+ years now feels like a place we would go visit for the weekend.

And things had changed. For one.....there were more potholes. Weird I know...but true...you Raleigh peeps know what I am talking about. Second, El Rodeo has a new sign. How could one of my favorite mexican restaurants change their sign without my approval? Next, the State Farmer's Market restaurant now welcomes "happy dogs." And North Hills has a 2-story Harris Teeter. Did I mention that Hillsborough street almost has a traffic circle?

I guess my point is that I left and expected things to stay the same while I was gone. But instead there is change and it doesn't feel like home anymore.

Of course, I still did my obligatory cruise through the NC State campus and reminisced (thank goodness for spell checker for words like reminisced) of the good ol' days. NC State....I still love you....Go Pack!

Ok re-enter the pink unicorns. the moment of reflection is over.

Sidebar--do you know what I love about warm weather? .....everything! but here are top 5!

Walking the dogs.
Sitting in our new outdoor furniture
Mason "sunning" himself in the yard. He is certainly not missing the 2 foot square of grass at our old townhome
Riding with the windows down
Grilling out!

PS: Mom and Dad you picked the perfect name when you decided on "Summer" because I adore warm weather and summertime!

Wendy's For Life.

2010-03-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

So everyone has a favorite restaurant, right? For example, I heart Sushi-Thai in Raleigh. NT loves Mellow Mushroom. My padres adore Stag N Doe in China Grove. The in-laws are fans of Carraba's. But my Grandma....she loves Wendy's. Yep, the gal with the red pig tails. the home of the square burger and the Carolina Classic.

I find it to be very interesting that my Grandma can eat at Wendy's every day of the week. It is a simple order. Chicken Breast Filet sandwich (sometimes spicy), Fries or B Potato, and a senior coffee.
It really cracks me up that she still looks at the menu. I do that too. I go to restaurants and pretend to look at the menu and then I get the usual. For example I get the Pad Thai (not @ wendys-obv) but I still pretend I might get something different.

By the way... how cool is my Grandma? Gorgeous, huh? I can only hope and pray that I look like her after I am 80 years old. She tells me her secret it baby oil. Funny since baby oil is $3 bucks and my face cream is....well....it's a lot more than that.

Back to the point...ask yourself, could you eat at your favorite restaurant every day?

The cool thing is my Grandma knows everyone in there because several of her friends also eat there everyday! pretty neat, huh? I would love for all of my friends to meet me at the same restaurant every day.

Per usual....I decided I needed to document this Wendys trip. Hey, don't judge me...it is hard to blog about things other than your dog when you have no kids, can't cook worth a dang and work at a home office. Wendy's becomes a true field trip! No worries, I was not busting out my big girl camera....I just pretended to be making a phone call and then snapped a few photos with my iphone. Obviously it would be weird if people knew that I was taking pictures in Wendys...for what....for my blog? WEIRD.
There is my lovely grandma with her baked potato and spicy chicken breast filet sandwich...having no idea that I am taking a picture for my blog. perfectly happy to be eating the same thing 3 days in row.

Now-please note this visit to Wendy's was pre-diet. now I eat lettuce. and water. and sometimes a peanut or two. and i am very moody due to lack of carbs.

The Face of a Monkey....the Heart of an Angel!

2010-03-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Yes I said it. And yes I was talking about our puppy Hines. I decided to check out the breeder's website just to see where our little bundle of love game from. And here is the exact quote from the home page at www.brusselgrifflady.com

"Brussels Griffons are the perfect dog. Charming, smart, easy to train, easy to groom and even easier to love. Small...Smart...Sturdy...Sensitive...Social. THE FACE OF A MONKEY, THE HEART OF AN ANGEL."
I think we all look at the picture of Hines and kind of think....wow, that dog looks like a monkey or a rat. But to be polite we say Gizmo or an Ewok. I really don't normally admit that my puppy looks like a senior citizen monkey but when the breeder says it....it really gets you thinking. (PS: Did you notice it said "easy to groom," she must have missed my post about bathing hinsey)

The breeders website has a page on the puppies. See below. Which one do you think is Hines?
Did you get it right?

And yes.... I also wonder why the breeder takes pictures of all the puppies in front of a fake fern? Of all the backgrounds to choose from.... they choose faux greenery.

If you did not find Hines, see below:
Okay-try your best to look past all of the fake ferns and look at the puppies. Why does our dog look like the crazy one?!? Seriously look at his face and the eyes bugging out. Here it is close up for your viewing pleasure.
mmmm.....yep. I don't really have anything to say about this picture.
Seriously, is this really happening? ..... as if the faux fern was not bad enough now the dog is in a mini jungle wearing a crown. I think this is Hine's half sister.
Ok, I promise to stop now. I simply had to show you these last two.

Ok so I am certainly not judging ANYONE for being crazy because you know I beat to a different drummer myself. However, when the breeder names her dogs after drugs....

You may think I am kidding and I wish I was. But the dogs names are Prozac, Midol, Advil, Zanex, Zoloft, Botox and Lipitor.

To sum up this post. The breeder of our dog says he looks like a monkey, hid him in a fern and produced him from Zanex and Prozac. And we wonder why Hines acts da' fool?

at least he is a cute monkey.

Rub a dub dub.....

2010-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

Have you seen all the cute pictures of babies taking a bath? Adorable little suds on the tip of their noses or little rubber ducks in the background.
Well the thought of it inspired me to take photos while bathing my baby....Hines Dudley. Now I am not sure if it is difficult to take pics of bathing babies but let me tell you what....it is EXTREMELY difficult to take photos of a 5 month old puppy getting a bath.

First, Hines hates the water and trys to jump out of the tub every five seconds. Second, he shakes often which makes it hard to catch the shot because I have to keep covering my lens. Finally, he is solid black and just looks like a furry blob most of the time. (Would it be too much to ask to die his hair so I can get better pictures?)

The Supplies: Pet Head Shampoo, Large Georgia cup for pouring water over small dog's head, pet head smell good product (b/c I tend to miss a few spots), a comb for that crazy beard, and of course the Georgia shirt (can someone please buy me a NC State t-shirt for little man?)
Okay this is the beginning of the process. I am wearing my "dog washing" shirt. I knew the 500 sorority shirts that I bought in college would come in good for something. Notice, how he is already trying to escape. And yes, I see that my hair needs to be highlighted...no worries that is happening this week. (Thank you Mom for your photography work)
In the words of Aaron Neville and Linda Rondstadt..."Look at these eyes..." pleading with me to PLEASE put down the camera. It is hard to be a family member of a blogger, because I stop the natural flow of life to take pics. For example, small dog is FREEZING his tookus off right here but I had to take 5 pictures because he wouldn't look at me.
Dear my family members (especially you HINES),
I love you guys for supporting my blog. For future reference if you would just look at me as instructed and strike a pose instead of avoiding the camera, things would move faster. For example, Hines....just look at me, smile....and then I will take you out of the tub.
Love, Summer
Here he is the calculating risk of jumping the 3 feet vs. staying in the tub with crazy photographer lady.
The drying process goes quick because he so small. He doesn't really like it much though...my Grandma suggested using a hair dryer but I am afraid that would feel like Hurricane Hugo to this little guy. (And yes....I had an "I survived Hurricane Hugo t-shirt in the 80's)
His beard cracks me up. He catches everything in it....fuzz, food, dirt....henceforth why he needs a bath each and every week.
Here is the final product. As I look at it now, I am trying to figure out if he looks cleaner? He kind of looks like he put his paw in a socket. Definitely more fro like and fluffy but I am not sure about cleaner. Good thing I have that smell good spray to cover it up....it is like Febreeze for dogs.

PS: Hines, thank you for your support. Next time I promise to not take 1.2 million pictures while you shiver in the sink

How many Triompos does it take to change a battery?

2010-03-01T13:28:00.001-08:00

Just a story that I wanted to share with you....

We were sound asleep when we heard the ever so annoying chirp of the smoke detector. This set the nervous Golden Retriever into a tailspin of anxiety which gets the small dog upset. Thus begins another sleepless night. You may wonder, why did we not just get up and replace the battery? Well, because we are stubborn. Instead we cranked up the sound machine alarm clock. The sounds of the ocean were so loud it was as if I was a fish in the sea....but it was not match for the incessant beeping that seemed to get louder and louder.

Have you ever noticed that your batteries always go out in your smoke detector in the middle of the night?

Finally, when it seemed Mason might crawl under the bed, we waved the white flag. yelled "Uncle"....we gave up.

Get the ladder. Get the batteries. Get some patience.

As it turns out, our builder was apparently 10 feet tall and the maker of our smoke detector was an idiot.

The smoke detector was no lie about 14 feet high....really sir? Mr. Builder.....was none of these other walls and ceilings satisfactory enough for you? You had to actually choose the highest point in the house--that is some sense of humor.

So, here we are in our pajamas climbing up the ladder trying to open the Fort Knox of detectors. This is where NT had the revelation that he is scared of heights and has bad balance. Really?

Enter She-ra Summer (yep...by the power of gray skull). Using my pilates techniques for balance, I focused on one spot, tightened the core and headed on up to the top rung...which felt like the top of the Empire State Building. I teetered on top of that ladder for a mini lifetime trying to figure out the battery pack.

.....45 minutes later. (no really....that is not an exaggeration) We got it!

Battery is in and we have such a feeling of accomplishment.

Then.....beep.....beep....beep. What? The battery we put in was apparently bad.

Here is the crazy part. NT tells me to just unplug it. Excuse me? What did you say? You mean we could have just unplugged this little bugger? I slept in an ocean with a dog on my head and climbed up a 10 foot ladder in my pajamas and stood there with my core sucked in for an hour....and we could have just unplugged it?!? Geez.

I will point out that it is now FIXED. Which is good because in this house, it is important to have fire detectors. okay--next posting it about giving Hines a bath....is this too much excitement or what??

The new PB Catalog....

2010-02-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Oh Pottery Barn...why do you tease me and capture my heart each and every month with your catalog? I was perfectly happy with my dining room just one hour ago and now all of a sudden I feel the need to hang very large keys around the perimeter and then put a large bushel of green hydrangeas in the middle. Just last month, you told me it was cool to have empty bird nest with pale eggs and a chalkboard wall. Make up your mind PB- you are making me broke.

This is an every 3 or 4 week ordeal for me. I am one of "those" people who has to change their duvet/bedspread every month. I feel the need to pile up all of my accessories in the middle of a room and "rearrange" them every quarter. I get bored looking at the same paint colors and furniture. You can see the problem in this.....right?

And actually come to think of it we do need outdoor furniture. Well the word "need" might be slightly overrated here. Perhaps the word "want" would be better. It looks like we now have plans for the weekend....SHOPPING!!! Hearth and Patio here we come....
Don't you just want to sit on this couch and drink a glass of that yummy water with lime? I could see me chillin' on that couch while NT grills and the pets play in the yard. Spring and Summer please hurry!

The 80's were AMAZING!

2010-02-25T17:22:00.000-08:00

The 80's were amazing and I want to go back. This evening, NT and I took a field trip to an 80's paradise, it was filled with cabbage dolls, Strawberry Shortcake, Teddy Ruxpin, Care Bears, and more.

It is called..... my Parent's basement.

Bless their hearts (as us southerners always say) for storing ALL of my toys for over 25 years.

Right there by the Christmas wreaths and garlands are my favorite toys all stacked up waiting for me to......well, I don't really know what they are waiting for me to do. Certainly not waiting for me to play with them. And I can't really envision NT and I loading up a truck with my strawberry shortcake kitchen set and setting it up in our breakfast nook. I guess the toys are there for when I want to reminisce of the good ol' days.

Here are some of the highlights from the tour a la Morgan's basement.....
This was one of my FAVORITE toys and honestly I would bring this little guy home today. And perhaps display it on my nightstand or the mantle. The fact that it is wearing a MILK t-shirt makes it even more fabulous. In case you don't know this is a Mon-Chi-Chi.
Baby Mon-chi-chi fingers and toes. I think I might go on ebay tonight and buy a whole family of mon-chi-chis.
This was sidekick....Neta Gay the Cabbage Patch doll. I took this doll with me everywhere. And in case you were wondering...NO I did not come up with the name Neta Gay. She came out of the cabbage with that name.
Though I loved her.....I really don't remember her looking that scary when I was young. The red hair, crazy dimples and buck teeth--kind of crazy.
This doll could be an impostor because I don't really remember her...she must have been second fiddler to Neta Gay.
Not sure about this either but I am assuming since it is pink that I must have rode my barbies around in it.
This mini boom box only plays one song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Such a nice song talking about "dreams really do come true." Whoever wrote that song was probably not in radio sales....just saying.
Sorry Mom....I know you are dying that I am posting this picture. To those who do not know...my mom's house is VERY neat this is just the "stuff that Summer refuses to take to her own home but will not let us get rid of it" area. The main highlight is the Strawberry Shortcake kitchen in the upper right. Love it and the big plus is I would not be able to start any kitchen fires on it.

Writing this post made me think of other favorites from the 80's: Garbage Pail Kids, Fashion Plates, Care Bears, Candyland, Pound Puppies, California Raisins, He-Man and She-ra, the Smurfs, Light Bright, My Little Ponies and a another fave of mine.....Rainbow Brite!

I would like to point out that I just did some research on Ms. Brite and it is no wonder that I loved her as a child. She rode on a magic horse named Starlite, lived on a rainbow, was in charge of all the colors in the world and used "Star Sprinkles" to make everything work. Rainbow Brite is my hero. She has a very similar view of life as I do....gumdrops, fairytales and hugs wrapped in honey....perfect. (Thank you Chris!)

And my parents are also my heroes, thank you for continuing to keep all of my old toys in your basement so that once every 5 years I can go there and remember how amazing the 80's truly were. Oooohh.....i wonder if I could find my old "Popples" lunch box and thermos down there??

How to plant a garden....

2010-02-23T18:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, actually this blog post might be more about "what not to do when planting a garden." In true summer style, this planting a garden idea turned out to be quite a scene, a hot mess if you will. This whole concept starting on a whim at Lowes....kind of like when you are at the grocery store and you see Krispy Kreme doughnuts on the end cap and all of a sudden you MUST have doughnuts. Well in this case it was "we must grow tomatoes." We must have a portable greenhouse. perfect. (we should have stuck with the krispy kremes)

I feel like it is appropriate at this point to mention that I have NEVER grown anything. I have planted pansies and hung a few hanging baskets but that is about the extent of it. Here is the crazy part....I didn't realize that you could buy these veggie plants already planted. I thought you had to grow them from seeds but a wise sage (our painter) told me that no, you can just buy them already growing from almost any garden center. Now this comment might make me sound dumb but I prefer to think of it as horticulturealy challenged. Yes, I made up that term. I think I will point out the mistakes I made along the way in order to prevent you from making the same ones in case have the same whim to buy a 25 cell greenhouse.

I am glad we are starting with just four things....less for me to kill.

Here was mistake #1. Do you see those 4 little directions at the bottom? That was the ONLY directions I followed, I did not see the book of instructions until later. This one little mistake caused a series of other small mistakes. So this is our seed starting greenhouse kit....fabulous.

Here are the little pod things that have the nutrients and such. If I had read the detailed instructions I would know that the pods are supposed to face upward in order to make sure they do not bust out the sides when they expand (mistake #2). However, I did not read the instructions....so....

So the pods started to expand. They looked so FUNNY. I didn't know if I should go get the Mason's pooper scooper or if this was what it was supposed to look like. Mistake #3....I didn't know how much water to put so I just started adding.

You see the problem right? That little bugger on the left kept expanding and then busted out the side. (Mistake #4)

Yep....the pods are trying to escape. I do not blame them.

So then came mistake #5 which was I didn't read that you were only supposed to put one or two seeds max per pod. I actually just emptied the full envelope....all 1.2 million seeds. Then came the needle in the haystack dig to try pinch out the tomato seeds....which apparently are "runners" said the before mentioned "painter" who apparently doubles as a gardening expert.

The main point here is we survived planting the "garden" and now we just have to wait for it to germinate (I don't even know what that means). I covered it with plastic and now we wait for 4-8 weeks.

Next time we are at Lowes and feel empowered, we will try to stay out of the gardening section. Home improvements stores give you confidence to be the ultimate do-it-yourselfer....making it look so easy....who knows maybe I will become an expert gardener.

Smile baby.

2010-02-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

Look over here...turn this way...can you smile for me? How about an over the shoulder look...okay no then? Fine, just ummmm......curl up in a small ball....perfect....fetal position...even better. Baby Emma.....such a natural for the camera.

I have a lot of hobbies but photography is my favorite, I am VERY much still learning but luckily I have friends like Chelsea who are willing to let me practice. Chelsea's Goal: Get a photo for baby announcements. My Goal: to not make the baby cry. I just took these today so I have not had time to review them all but here are a few of my faves.
Now you are probably thinking either Baby Emma just grew up REAL fast or this is a different baby. Yep, this is big sis Addison. I also like to think of her as America's Next Top Model. Chels, you know it's true....this girl is one step away from the runway! (Look at those eyes!!)
Emma, can you look this way? Oh right, you are 10 days old...then just look to your left. perfect.

Why am I naked in this basket? And who is that girl standing on our couch?

Now another thing that made this photo shoot "unique" was that the subject had to stop and eat every I don't know....5 minutes or so. Ok that is a total exaggeration but either way it gave me good quality bonding time with Addison and we played with her princess collection. Did you know there were 5 Sleeping Beauties and they were competing for one Prince Charming who lived in the woods and killed dragons and sometimes stayed in a high palace? Yep, neither did I. Addison educated me quickly and told me that it is all about "true love's first kiss" and then you live "happily ever after." I love this point of view (it is so "pink unicorn/happy gumdrop").....maybe I was meant to be a Disney Princess.

I have one more addition to this story. About 5 weeks ago, I stayed with Chels overnight and Addi and I bonded. To solidify this bond, I did what Aunt Summer does best, I tried to bribe her. I went to Wal-mart and purchased the coolest box of legos. Here is the mistake--I forgot to take them to her during my next visit so I told her about them. I promised to bring them next time. Next time came and went with no legos. Then the next next time came....and went. I kept forgetting. Now I don't know kids very well but it seems to me that little Addi would have a bit more going on than to think about this stinkin' box of legos that Auntie Summer promised (I mean...hello....she did just welcome a new baby sis into the world). But....what was the first thing she said when I walked into today (note: 4th visit since I originally mentioned lego)....."Mommy, Ms. Summer is here! (now, direct look at me) Did you remember to bring my legos?"

Well....about that. And here was the answer I wanted to give. "Addison, your Aunt Summer is very forgetful. She has to make lists for everything including simple things like walk the dog, unpack suitcase, cook dinner. And so far your legos are not on the list. Therefore, they are sitting in my trunk...in Denver, NC. And honestly, I just got the legos to move me up that internal ranker of yours. I want to be "cool" Aunt Summer"

......but, I thought that might be a bit much for a 3 year old. So instead I tried this line....

"No worries Addison. I am actually sending them by magic mail and they will arrive this week!"

Now....I must go write a list. List Item #1: Visit post office. List Item #2: Make legos fit into small flat rate box List Item #3: Don't make promises to a 3 year old

25 Things You Don't Know About Me

2010-02-20T19:18:00.000-08:00

So.....do you read US Weekly? They have that little section where celebrities tell 25 random fact about themselves. I think this made the facebook circuit in early 2009 and the blog world before that. Well in true Summer fashion I am catching on a couple of years later and here are 25 things I am sure you are longing to know....

I wish Ellen DeGeneres was my neighbor.
I hate green beans.
I am a speeder.
When I was in pre-school, I was sent home for wearing a Michael Jackson t-shirt. (And it was the cool Thriller album picture with the white tiger--can you believe it?)
I crumble sausage into my grits. yum.
I love Danica Patrick.
I was in the Marching Band my freshman year in high school. I hated the big hat.
I "google" everything.
The Bosu Step is my favorite piece of gym equipment.
Chai Tea for me....no coffee!
I won the "Most School Spirit" superlative my senior year in high school-go figure.
My husband scratches his back with a fork. weird. no worries, it immediately goes to the dishwasher.
I chew Trident Gum.
I took piano lessons for 6+ years.
I had a Cabbage Patch Doll named Neta Gay and she went EVERYWHERE with me including the Western Sizzlin Steakhouse every Sunday where I would try to cram food in her mouth. she never would eat--obv.
I like re-usable shopping bags.
Three is my lucky number.
Wheel of Fortune is one of my obsessions and I believe I could win.
The Smurfs and the Get-A-Long gang were to of my favorite cartoons as a kid.
I think I would be a great Cruise Director!
Being in radio, free tickets are king of my thing but....I did pay for tickets to see Stevie Wonder, Beyonce and the off broadway show Wicked
Speaking of Wicked...it is my FAVORITE thing to sing in my car. For you fans..."No one mourns the wicked"
When I work out, Flashdance tunes are what motivates me. "She's a maniac, maniac for sure...and she's dancing like she's never danced before."
I don't know how to whistle.....or swim....or apparently cook ;-)
Why is #25 so hard to think of?? Ok- I love the mall. It feels like home to me.

I didn't even get to mention that Paperboy was favorite Nintendo game, that I am a bad backseat driver, that I hate scary movies, cleaning litter boxes make me dry heave or that I wish Hawaii was just a two hour drive from here....oh well...maybe on the next list.

Wok this way.....

2010-02-17T16:44:00.000-08:00

After the stuffed green pepper debacle last night I have to admit I was a bit nervous about trying Pad Thai. But here is my thought, I love it so much that I might as well try to learn how to make it.....even if it goes horribly wrong at least I will know what NOT to do the next time. Find the sample recipe I used here. Now I will mention that finding the ingredients in the store was a bit of a hot mess for me. I was in good ol' Harris Teeter for what felt like a small lifetime. Long enough that in the middle I bought a chai tea latte at the front of the store and used that little cup holder that is on the buggy--I always wanted to do that! The death of me was the tamarind paste.....so I gave up and took the easy way out and purchased a pre made deal. It was good. Here is a pic:
Pretty yummy sauce and really saves money and time....and in my case sanity.
Now the noodles are a bit crazy. This was probably about half my chai tea right here...picking out the noodles. I mean it is called Rice Sticks...are you rice or are you a noodle?
Just bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put the noodles in for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Then, decide if you want to it to be vegetarian or if you want to add chicken or shrimp. I still have a minor intimidation factor with cooking meat so vegetarian it is!
You can really choose to add tofu and other veggies but we went with a shallot, 3 cloves of garlic and later added bean sprouts.
Get the wok really hot and then add one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then add two eggs.
Scramble it up and then set the egg aside.
Okay then add 2 more tablespoons of vegetable oil. I should point out that I am a teeny bit nervous around the hot wok/oil since I have set two scarves on fire so I called NT in to do the wokking.
Saute the shallots and garlic (and meat if you are using it) for just a couple of minutes.
Then add your rice noodles. Add either your homemade sauce or if you are a wimp like me...use your handy dandy pre-made sauce. We then added salt, pepper, chili powder and hot sauce. Keep sauteing the ingredients together. At this point things are smelling really yummy and I realize hey this isn't too hard....(especially because NT is doing all the work and I am just taking pictures like a fool) That being said, it is pretty funny taking pictures for the blog while cooking. Since I am new to this blog concept, I forget to take pictures of key steps and then I also think "how funny that I am taking five pictures of chopped garlic"
Anywho, after you have stirred in the sauce add your eggs back in and then add the bean sprouts.

Complete the dish with chopped peanuts and a lime (which I forgot to buy--great.... I spent an hour in the grocery store and forgot the peanuts and ended up with a premade sauce). But it was indeed very yummy and we will make this again!

"A" for effort

2010-02-16T16:26:00.000-08:00

There are a few popular sayings that come to mind when I cook.

"A" for Effort
Bless her heart
....at least she gives it a try

The sad thing to me is how much effort I put into planning the menu, grocery shopping and attempting to cook. For goodness sakes, I started a blog about becoming a domestic wonder woman--yet I can't even make a basic stuffed green peppers and my husband does all the household chores including the laundry. I just remind myself that at least I can decorate and I am a nice person.

So tonight was supposed to be the "easy" night--easy stuffed green peppers. No really...the recipe had the word "easy" in front of it. And as well it should be, it is ground beef, onions tomatoes, spices, green peppers and cheese and yet somehow I MESSED it up. The rice was completely undercooked as were the peppers.

Let's back up about an hour. NT enters the kitchen and says "Do you think I shoud be scared when you cook?" The question confused me because it could mean multiple things:

I am scared that you might destroy our home by starting your fourth kitchen fire
I am scared I might get salmonella because I am afraid you might under cook the meat
I am scared that I won't like what you cook and I will therefore starve to death

or....

I am scared that I am going to have to pretend to like your undercooked stuffed green peppers and if I tell you truthfully that it is the worst thing I have ever eaten you will yell at me and/or cry. Therefore, as a good husband I will eat this and smile and be scared of all the above.

The truth is I have made stuffed green peppers multiple times and they have always been good. This time it just didn't work out...at all. I would love to be that blog that has beautiful pictures of my food and all the amazing recipes that I craft each night but that is simply not the case. Stick with me and maybe one day....I guess that is why I am a "domestic diva in training." I have the Diva part down pretty good already! The downside of this story is that tomorrow is actually the hard recipe.....Pad Thai. We used to eat this multiple times each week in Raleigh at our favorite restaurant Sushi Thai. It will be interesting for sure....heck....I have never even heard of "rice noodles" and have certainly never cooked with fish sauce, bean sprouts or thai chilis. Good Luck to me and yes NT you should be scared....real scared.

She's my Aunt Summer

2010-02-15T17:35:00.000-08:00

Today was a very special day, I was a guest for lunch at my niece Chloe's school. Now those of you who know me are probably doing the math and thinking that I am only child so how do I have a niece (NT's sister is not married yet)--well I round up. April who is my very close cousin (really like a sister) has a very special and amazing daugther--Chloe. I love her....times 100...times 1000. Check out April's blog here.

On Mondays, Chloe has the opportunity to have a family visitor for lunch...enter Aunt Summer. For starters I was a wee bit nervous because I am not used to being around a group of kids. Entering into an elementary school in 2010 is a bit different from when I was in school in the mid 80's. I think anyone could have walked in and said they were my family and picked me up. To get into Chloe's school was like trying to enter the White House (well unless you are those party crashers)--I had to identify myself, fill out information on a computer, get my picture taken, wear a badge, enter through special doors. Crazy.
Walking through the school was a nice feeling. I always wanted to be a teacher, I think it stems from my obsession with markers and wipe off boards ;-) I waited outside the cafeteria for Chloe and could smell that oh so familiar cafeteria scent. Do you know the smell I am talking about? It is like nuggets and some type of weird veggie smell mixed together with cleaning spray. Odd. I also remembered loving pizza day at my elementary school-we had rectangle pizza and I loved it. I wonder if I would still think it was good today? But my thoughts were interrupted when I heard "Summer! Summer! That's my Aunt Summer." Chloe was in a single file line but jumping up and down waving her hand. She did this all the way until she got to me. Btw, she is the cutest girl in her class (just sayin')

I surprised her with Subway (tip from her mom). Did you know that Subway Kid Meals come in a super cute reusable lunch bag? I asked the Subway lady if I could upgrade my clear plastic bag for a lunch bag but no luck. Dear April if you are reading this....I know you told me to get white milk but they were out...I promise...I did not intentionally get the chocolate milk. I figure it is better to confess this now before you see the below picture!!
The first thing Chloe said when she opened her lunch was that sometimes her Mom will let her eat her cookie first. I feel like kids always try to pull this one on me and you know what it normally works on Aunt Summer. Today was no different. Now I would like to point out that cell phones are strictly prohibited at the school but I pulled out the iphone quickly to get a few shots...what I won't do for my blog!
Note: This is NOT a freckle on Chloe's cheek....that is a chocolate chip. And yes I cleaned her mouth before she went back to class.
A little bit of Chloes lunch. The grapes and crackers were from a little gal sitting across the table who wanted to trade out for part of Chloe's cookie and her Cheddar sun chips. Apparently having Subway is pretty cool (1 point for Aunt Summer)

My favorite part of the day was when Chloe took me to meet her classmates....she was so proud to have me there. It warmed my heart. Here are the highlights:

Chloe introduced me everytime in this manner. "This is my Aunt Summer, she has a Wii and a small dog." And the kids seemed impressed with that. Imagine if I did my sales calls like that...."Hey my name is Summer and I am with Curtis Media Group. I have a Wii and a small dog. Would you like to buy some advertising?"
Chloe introduced me to 1 of her TWO BOYFRIENDS. People, she is 5 years old. I about had a heart attack. However, April assured me the boys are nice kids. However, the one boyfriend named Gunner put his arm around Chloe's waist and I was about to pop him. I told her no boyfriends until she is 40 especially with the name of Gunner (aka: player)
A sweet little gal named Victoria told me I could back anytime and held my hand in the hallways
Chloe invited me back next week. I feel cool.

Chloe and her Dad are going to this dance...how cute is that. Love her.
Another Kindergartner named Ellie wrote this letter and it was hanging in the hallway.Kids have an amazing way of looking at the world and it really brightened my day to spend my lunch hour looking through the refreshing eyes of a 5 year old. Bugger...now back to the real world of cold calls and rejection.SIDEBAR: Later in the day, back in the home office, I looked down to find Hines with a bit of cotton stuck to his beard. Hilarious. He didn't even realize it was there. It is like when we humans get spinach stuck in between our teeth and no one tells us. One more thing--that list of 33 things I love--add Iphone camera to that list please.

A fave website....

2010-02-14T17:15:00.000-08:00

So if you need a smile, a laugh or a car be sure to check out my dad's website. I occasionally visit his site just to see what he has for sale and honestly to make sure he doesn't have one of our cars listed. He is known to sell my and my mom's cars right out from underneath us--of course I don't mind--I love getting a new car. Thanks to dealer Johnny, I have had 36 cars--crazy, huh? Well this visit to www.johnnysonestop.net produced quite a laugh--check out my dad's description for this HHR.

Chevy Wagon, this is # 17 we 've had for sale, gas milage/ 100K mile warranty/ ride/ quality/ price.......everybody should drive a HHR!!!

Super shiney, Carfax, runs and drives like new, We've sold 16 HHR's because we sell them cheaper than any other dealer (my shops in the backyard, no overhead, Johnny buys the cars, Johnny cleans up the cars, Johnny sells the cars, Johnny does all the paperwork, you get the picture?), asking $10,900 for this 09' with 21K miles....CHEAP!!!

First, I love that my dad thinks everyone should own an HHR. Second, I think it is fabulous that he spells shiny with an "e" and lastly I love that he competes with the "big guys" by being a mega multi-tasker. That's my Dad!! There is not a better place to buy a car than Johnny's One Stop--I promise--and I am not saying that because he is my dad. Did I mention that you get a soda and a pack of Crackers just for visiting and a custom Johnny's One Stop t-shirt if you buy a car? Keep an eye out and let me know if you see my Murano sneak up on his site ;-)

33 Things I LOVE

2010-02-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

It's Valentines Day which is really not a favorite day of mine-for example on this special day NT is immersed in the 8 hour drama that is Daytona and I am blogging. Sounds romantic, huh? I figure the least I could on this day of love is list a few a few things that warm my heart....like the tv show Biggest Loser.

33 items that warm my heart and soul--

My husband and my family
Our Pets (Mason, Hines and Parsnip....affectionately known as "Blimpo")
My Camera and taking pictures
My friend Chelsea's new baby girl.....Emma Louise Dale
Vacations
SHARPIES (and any colored pencil or marker)
Scrapbooking and picture albums
Games
Febreeze Candle Things (Just googled and the technical term is "flameless luminary")
The Ocean
screen in porches
Home Goods
Diet Dr. Pepper Cherry (yummy!)
Reality Television
Singing in the Car
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
Smell of Fresh Cut Grass
My Friends
Making Lists (like this one)
Church
desserts (all desserts, especially things that are a la' mode)
Celebrations
Decorating
Hawaii
Being Late (NT made me add that-I do not mean to be late-it is an issue for me)
Fruity Drinks served with Pineapple
Cookbooks and attempting to cook what is in them
Soft pillows
my Dad's garage
Trident Gum
Girly Movies
Smell of fresh paint and new shoes (not together, I am just running out of numbers)
Driving with the windows down on a sunny day

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours ;-)

If you are a stray dog...come to the Triompos.

2010-02-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

When NT and I first started dating, we found a stray cat who had been injured by a car. I will not go into details but the basic gist of it is we were on our way to dinner and we ended up stopping and rescuing this cat. At this point, I knew that NT's love of animals matched mine and to be honest it was the first time I knew that I would marry him. Crazy to think an injured animal could bring all that to the forefront but it takes a special kind of person to drop everything and save a pet.

Well since then, NT and I keep running into animals who need our help. We are like pet whisperers.Apparently, there is announcement out there "hey if you are lost, hungry or need a home for a night or two be sure to drop by the Triompos-they give great treats." And yesterday was no different.

We were out for a peaceful walk with the pets....little Hines and Mason. And out of the blue comes a beautiful yellow lab. At first I thought he must be a neighbors.....but no just our luck....he was a little lost dog. He had a collar but no nametag. (PEOPLE--put name tags on your pets) and he had a sensor for an electric fence--clearly he had broke free and was living the life of a free man.

I always comment on how our cat, Parsnip, trys to escape the house daily. I remind him that in the real world there is no one to go behind him and scoop his poop from his litter box...there are no automatic feeders....friskies treats don't just fall at your feet. And I think this is what this little pup was realizing--he missed his home.

We tried to keep walking but he followed us. We then went door to door...no one recognized him. We then (of course) brought him home. Go Figure.
This is the little guy....who I named Clementine. NT then told me that was a "girly" name so I then named him Oscar. (These pics were taking with my phone-so excuse the quality)

Next, we called the vet...by the way, we are their best customers with all of our crazy pets and rescuing antics. They recommended that we bring him in and have him scanned. And luckily, they found a chip which led us to a breeder in uptown Charlotte.
Here is NT and Clementine/Oscar at the vet waiting.....waiting....waiting to see if we were about to be the owners of a 3rd dog.

The breeder luckily had the number of the puppy's chip stored in his computer and was able to locate the owner. Turns out the dog's name is Raleigh (coincidence,huh?) and he is a 3 year old lab who apparently doubles as an escape artist. He was about a mile from his house and honestly very lucky that the Triompo Rescue Team was available. We kept him until later that night when the owner could pick him up and in that short time.....I fell in love.
I miss you little Raleigh. Come back anytime you need to be rescued...or just want some milk bones with peanut butter.

SIDEBAR: All of these pics were taken with my iphone and edited with the program Best Camera. It is a FREE app. You should download it if you are into that kind of thing. See below-Hines likes the iphone camera

Puppy Class

2010-02-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well tonight was....well it was special...unique even. It was Hines Dudley's puppy class. I was convinced that he would probably be the worst pup in the class mainly because we kind of spoil him. I mean let's be honest he can't even walk down a set of stairs because we carry him everywhere he goes. I was afraid he would be the "F" student. I pictured all the other dogs rolling over, sitting, staying, shaking hands, etc.

Man was I wrong. We walked into a madhouse. There were 8 puppies running wild as if they were bulls that had been in a cage. They were bucking around, biting each other's ears, peeing on the floors-it was a crazy sight. My first thought was I don't want to put my sweet baby dog down in this madhouse but our furry pup was ready to take on the big guys. Of course I dressed him in his ever so cute Georgia shirt and combed his hair (i mean it was his first day of school).

Hines is not scared of ANYTHING. He went right up to the German Shepard pup and looked him dead in the eyes. Hines might be scared of a flight of stairs but he will take on any dog no matter the size.
We each had to wear two name tags--our name and our puppy's name. Shout out to the Steelers.
And then it happened. Hines fell in love....with a tramp. No really, the dog's name was tramp like "lady and the tramp." I will admit this puppy was gorgeous. It was yorkipoo. The rest of the night these two were inseparable--sniffing each others bottoms, rubbing noses, bouncing around, tugging on the same toy. It was love at first sight.
Hines:" I love your hair" Tramp: "I love your shirt" Hines:"Let's be friends"
This dog makes me want a 3rd dog.
Now this was the point in the night where I thought maybe the puppies wanted to eat Hines for dinner. Note how they are all staring at him with such intensity.
I honestly did not pay attention AT ALL in the class-I was too busy watching the puppies. But here is the outline of whatever she talked about. Btw, the teacher was CRAZY.

After the class, I would say Hines is not any smarter than before. He still can't walk down stairs, jumps up and down instead of sitting for treats,bites our fingers, etc. But you know what.....he found love....and to me that made puppy class worth it.

Retail Therapy

2010-02-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

So you all knew (all 3 of you who read my blog) that today was the day.....the day we made the road trip to Gaffney to visit the beloved Pottery Barn Outlet. I spent all week preparing by researching my Pott Barn magazines, making lists and surveying the house for what was needed in each room. Now as if the Pottery Barn outlet is not fabulous enough, my MIL gets an additional 40% off. You heard me...40% off of the discounted price. It is indeed truly amazing. We made sure to wear comfy shoes and we ate a good breakfast to give us shopping stamina.

Off we went--me and the moms--no husband to rain on my pott barn parade. No speak of the "Dave Ramsey" budget or cash in the envelope system. Just us ladies ready to conquer the world one purchase at a time.

This is the buggy after only 10 minutes in the store(us southern folk call shopping carts "buggy")

Now the original shopping list had a few key elements. 1) Bar Stools 2)Vase for Dining Table 3)Basket. So I was tickled pink when we found these amazing bar stools for the bargain price of $50. I will take four of those please- we are now 15 minutes in the trip. Note: We were in the store for 2.5 hours so you can imagine the load we left with.

Next, we found the always fun "Great White" dish collection. This is what NT and I received for our wedding but we needed round bowls because for some reason I thought square bowls were a good idea when we registered. However, I now know that when you make instant grits some of the grits get stuck in the corner and when you have cereal the milk flies out the corner of the square bowl. (Take this as a tip if you buying new bowls)

This was considered to be the best purchase of the day....a bargain at $64 bucks. This decorative cubbie is in the current catalog- see the picture below of how pottery barn featured it in their catalog. I will post a pic of our cubbie after I decorate it!
Here are the moms with their carts-satisfied that our day at the outlet was complete.

The truck was packed to the brim, there was almost no room for us. Seriously. Linda volunteered to ride in the back of the truck and just hold onto the bungees. We were so tired after buying out the entire PB outlet that we had to rest up at Chick-fil-A.
A #1 with a sweet tea-a perfect ending to a day of extreme shopping.

Meat on the bone-

2010-02-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

I am kind of weird about meat that comes on a bone--like chicken wings, ribs, etc. Now believe me, I understand that all meat originated on some sort of bone but I don't like to think of it. In my pink unicorn/gumdrop world, the meat magically ends up at the store and there was no harm to any animals. Don't mess up my imaginary world, please.

That being said, it is hard for me to eat ribs but NT makes AMAZING ribs. I look past the bone issue and just enjoy the yumminess. It all started with a trip to the neighborhood butcher, NT returned with 5 lbs of ribs and everything we needed to make a fabulous meal. He used two rubs: Chili Lime and the Zac Brown Clay Rub.

Next, he made the sauce. This started by boiling two Guinness Stouts and a half of cup of brown sugar. Reduce that down by half

From there, he added our favorite BBQ sauce....Sweet Baby Rays. ( A must try if you are not familiar) Salt, Pepper, Chili Powder, Garlic Salt, Tobasco and then a few fresh herbs. We went with thyme and rosemary.
Then we took the sauce and brushed on the ribs. Next, wrap the ribs tightly in aluminum foil and put in the oven for a little over two hours at 350 degrees. Looking good so far!
And here is the final product......
With the ribs, we had potato salad, cole slaw, mac and cheese and bread. AKA: WAY TOO MUCH FOOD!
Now you may wonder why we would make all this goodness on a cold, rainy Friday night. Well, the in-laws are in town and I am trying to prove how amazingly domestic I am. Of course, NT did majority of the cooking but that is just a minor detail.
(PS:Pottery Barn Outlet trip is tomorrow!)

THE BIG GAME

2010-02-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

After my seven years in advertising, I have a bit of a complex about actually using the term Super Bowl since it is trademarked times 100. "The Big Game" is how I would cleverly disguise it in my radio commercials (creative, huh?) ok, maybe it is not too original but what will be original is our fabulous Big Game menu. We have both families and friends coming over and it is going to be a great time. And NT is of course excited to test out the new surround sound. It will probably sound like we are standing on the 50 yard line.

Here is what I am thinking for the menu:

Homemade Salsa and Guacamole
Chili (plan on making this early in the day and the crock-pottin' it)
Rotel Dip (a must for any party)
An amazing large sub sandwich (prepared by Chef Wes)
Chicken Pesto and Chicken Parmesan Sliders
Wings (prepared on the Big Green Egg by NT)
Paula Deen's Toffee Brownies
Peanut Butter Cup cookies (made by Pillsbury ;-)

This menu is perfect because there is really only one opportunity for me to start a kitchen fire. I am trying to minimize the risk for myself and our guests. By cleverly using crock pots, my friends and my husband-only one item will be prepared on the stove. I have a horrible addiction to sweets so to be honest I could cancel the whole above menu and go something more like cheesecakes, brownies, cookies and fudge cakes!

Be sure to check back this weekend because we are making the trek to Gaffney to visit the fabulous and amazing Pottery Barn Outlet. The camera will be in tow to show you the deals of a lifetime--we are taking NT's truck so we can fill it up. I am on the search for barstools, cool glass canisters for our bathroom and a lamp for the media room.

Big Game, Big Shopping....Big Weekend. It stinks that it is only Tuesday!

SNOW DAY AT THE LAKE

2010-01-31T14:38:00.001-08:00

Wow--it is a good thing we really like our house because we have been cooped up in here for almost 48 hours. As any good wife would do, I ventured out to the grocery store on Friday and bought the necessities such as....brownies, taco shells, string cheese, gatorade, mini oreos, and salsa.

Here is a rough outline of our weekend:

Saturday
4:30am- Mason wakes up everyone to announce he needs to pee
4:40am- Finally bundle up enough to take pets out in the blizzard
5:30am- Dogs are fed. Mason wakes everyone up to announce he needs to poop
5:40 am- NT bundled up to take out pups who now refuse to pee or poop in snow
9:00 am- Oh Joy! I get to shovel snow to create a small grassy area for pets to "go" in

10am-NT makes his famous Waffles!! Yum!

11am- NT watches Braveheart for the 10th time and I finally finish wedding album
12n, 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, 5p, 6p, and so on---stand in sub zero temps while dogs use the aforementioned 4' x 4' grassy area
3p NT makes brownies ( we apparently eat a lot when it snows)
4p- We watch "The Island"-crazy movie but I kind of liked it
7p- Rachael Ray's Neopolitan Baked Ziti (pretty good & I got to use my new Bubble & Brown dishes!)

9p- Bible Reading, a little basketball watchin', check out some blogs and bed early

Sunday
4:30am-Repeat up above pattern with mason this time substitute blizzard for" ice skating rink"
8:00am- Realize we are out of milk and want to cry. I knew I should have followed the standard list of three--Milk, Bread and Eggs
10am- Devise Escape plan. Must be by foot-roads are too icy.
10:30am- Slip and Slide around the neighborhood trying to take fun winterland photos

12noon- NT and I risk the drive in order to maintain sanity by getting out of the house. We go to the bagel shop where the heat is broke! and then to Food Lion to get some milk (Yay!)
2pm- Play every Wii game we own
4pm- make lots of list ("Things to buy at Pottery Barn Outlet" list, "Work to-do" list, grocery list, "Things to get for the house" list, "Things to blog about" list, a list of things that you can make list for)
6pm -leftovers for dinner
7pm - Bloggin, Pro-Bowl and countdown to the Grammy's

Tomorrow-Please go away snow.

CURRENT POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN NT AND I-NEED YOUR HELP:

We each took a picture of Hines and we are arguing who took the better pic--which do you think is better? PICTURE A or PICTURE B....you can comment anonymously to keep your identity safe....

Color me pretty-

2010-01-29T20:44:00.001-08:00

I want a wall decal. Not just any decal that you can buy at Hobby Lobby but an AMAZING "could be a real painting but it's not" decal. The only problem is that NT is having a hard time justifying a $50 investment on a glorified large sticker. Nonetheless, I feel like I will win this battle. Think of wall decals as my surround sound...or my ping pong table.

So now the issue is which wall art shall I choose?? Check out etsy if you need something fun for your home as well, click here for one of my favorite wall decal shops. And click here for my cousin's etsy shop.

I love this Cherry Tree. I know it would be the perfect touch of brightness in our breakfast nook!

This fabulous decal would go in my office in the tiny space in the corner. I am a wee bit obsessed with birds and I have a feeder right outside of my office window so this would be perfect! I wonder if Parsnip (the cat) would try to eat this bird as well?

I must have these trees for behind our bed. I am not sure if it is because we saw Avatar tonight or what but I feel a connection to nature and I need these dream trees. I would like to point out that my last decal was only 24 inches long and it took me an hour to put it on the wall--luckily with the 8 inches of snow we have on the ground I have nothing but time!

Oh Rachel-

2010-01-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

Do you watch Rachel Ray? I do. I know she is a bit over the top but I like her...ALOT! I recorded (AKA:DVR'd) her top 10 recipes of 2009 show on Monday and I have watched it a couple of time since. She has this magic way of making everything look SO easy. However, I get in the kitchen and it becomes a HOT MESS! Tonight, NT said by looking at the mess and dishes he thought I had prepared enough food for a small nation. I was making what I assumed to be a SIMPLE dish called Que' Pasta--a simple mac n' cheese with a little Mexican flair. That was until.... I had to CHAR poblano peppers. Have you by chance ever charred a pepper? It was a disaster. For starters, those little peppers are deceiving. They are hot..lava hot..and if you touch them and then your eyes...it burns. Second, they have 1.23 million seeds in the center. And lastly, peeling off the skin after the charring process takes the patience of a saint.

All that being said, the dinner was great. NT said it was the BEST thing I had EVER made--hallelujah! I had all my little ramekins ready to go-filled with onions, garlic, flour, cumin, etc. Honestly I felt like Rachel Ray (well pre-poblano pepper). So the dish is really good and I recommend you make it. Here is the recipe:

4 poblano peppers
Salt
1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta) or whole-wheat penne
1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
2 cups milk
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons (half a palmful) ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons (half a palmful) ground coriander
2 1/2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend or mix of cheddar and queso fresco
1 firm avocado, diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 small vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 scallions, green and white parts, chopped

Heat the broiler to high and blacken the poblanos on all sides, 12-15 minutes. Place the peppers in a bowl and cover tight with plastic wrap or place in a paper sack; cool for 10 minutes, then peel, seed and chop.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Add salt and the pasta and cook al dente.

Heat a saucepot over medium heat; add the EVOO, onions, and garlic and cook until tender, 6-7 minutes. Add the butter to the pan and when it melts, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and milk and bring to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper, the cumin, and the coriander and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon in a figure-eight pattern until the cheese melts.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce and the chopped poblano peppers. Toss the avocado with the lime juice. Serve the mac-n-cheese in shallow bowls and top with the tomatoes, avocados and scallions.

And here is a video of how Rachel did it on the show. NOTE: Notice how she doesn't show how she chars, deseeds and peels the peppers. They just magically are ready to be tossed in the pasta.

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/food/recipes/que-pasta-mexican-mac-n-cheese/

And here are a few pics to show my effort (sorry for the bad lighting_)

One other thing--I am typing this 3 hours later after charring the pepper--and I just touched my lips and they are burning, stinging.

And another thing--I bought these ever so cute Bubble and Brown dishes from the Rachel Ray Store. Cute, huh? She uses them for everything. Sorry NT- I should have told you about these.

THE VOYAGE

2010-01-25T18:02:00.000-08:00

NT and I did our resolutions together this year. I liked it. It makes it so much better to have two people working towards the same goal(s). Now that we are almost at the end of month one, I think it is a good time to evaluate.

Here is where we are:

SOCIAL
-Take a trip per quarter (bugger-no plans yet)
-Entertain/Go Out with friends twice per month (check and check)

PROFESSIONAL
-This is probably boring to most of you but basically it involves a lot of torture by cold calling multiple hours each week. It also involves the very painful act of going to networking events. Networking does not have to be painful--it can be fun even--but in the beginning I feel a bit of a wallflower.

PERSONAL
-Read one book per month (check for NT)
-Cook 3-4 days per week (Done-fire and all)
-Volunteer once per quarter (We need to get going on this one)
-Be Active/Work Out (Done-Denver Health & Fitness 4 life)
-Start and update Blog (Done)
-NT: 3 fly fishing trips and play 4 new golf courses (this probably does not include me)

SPIRITUAL:
-Find, Attend and Get Involved in a Church (Lake Norman Baptist--we "heart" you)
-Read Bible Daily (see below)

I have often had the New Year's resolution to read my bible daily and I normally make it to the end of Genesis. However this year is different. NT and I are taking a Voyage through the Bible-a one year voyage. Lake Norman Baptist started this program by having the church commit to a daily reading plan. We are reading in chronological order the events of the bible from the beginning of time...and honestly it is very exciting. In case you want to follow along, here is this week (I will update each week).

Monday (1/25) Genesis 31:1-32:32
Tuesday (1/26) Genesis 33:1-35:29, 1 Chronicles 2:1-2
Wednesday (1/27) Genesis 37:1-39:23
Thursday (1/28) Genesis 40:1-41:57
Friday (1/29) Genesis 42:1-44:34
Saturday (1/20) Genesis 45:1-46:9, Chronicles 5:1-6, Genesis 46:10-12

So in conclusion--we are doing pretty good on our resolutions. I am proud of us.

What's for dinner?

2010-01-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

So I am not an amazing cook--we all get that. You really can't be considered an amazing cook if you have started 3 kitchen fires. Of course, I am working on it. However, what I am pretty good at is making lists. I make lists for EVERYTHING. I love paper, organizing tablets, calendars, sharpies, binders, notebooks, etc. So when I found this cool grocery list tablet at Target-I had to have it.

Every Sunday,I sit down and plan the menu for the week. I bring out the Rachel Ray archives, the cook books, recipe clippings and favorites. From there I make my grocery list. And then I TRY to find coupons that match up. I am new to this coupon stuff but I did save $30 last week at the store with my coupons. I do not have the amazing stories where you get $100 of groceries for free--but you get the idea.
And then, to be totally like a Pottery Barn Catalog--I write it on the chalkboard in the kitchen.
I always look in the PB Catalog and see those ever so staged office and kitchen settings thinking who keeps their life that organized. This is my one contribution.
So I still have a way to go to make my wall look like this--

TRUST

2010-01-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

I would say in general, I am pretty trusting. I am a control freak but otherwise trusting. So when I mentioned that I would like to have power outlets in the floor so we wouldn't have lamp cords running across the den and Dad volunteered his electrician services, I was game. H0wever, when he walked in with 3+ saws and started to carve in to the hardwood floors of our new house--I became slightly nervous. My Dad comes from the old school philosophy of "DIY-Do it Yourself" or at least Do it Yourself first and if that doesn't work you can call somebody.

So here we go:

NOTE: My Dad is below that hole underneath the house. The highlight of this 7 hour project was trying to find where to put the holes. It was a series of 1000 or so knockings on the floor and we amazingly ended up close to the target (well within 6 inches ;-)

Do you know the scene from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation after he spent all day stringing the Christmas lights and he brings out the family to watch the lighting? He has them do a drum roll.....and then nothing. Well this was what it felt like last night- we plugged in the lamp, the drumroll began, fingers were crossed....and nothing! It didn't work. My electrician/painter/carpenter/auto technician Dad felt like everything had been done correctly. So we ordered pizza and called it a night--we would try again the next day.

And finally.. WE HAVE LIGHT. Originating magically from our floor. And we saved money by using the multi-talents of my dad. Love him.

A MAJOR setback in my road to becoming a domestic diva...

2010-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

I set myself on fire tonight trying to cook. Yes it is true. I am not talking about a bit of smoke or tiny sparks--I am talking FULL out FLAMES burning my scarf to pieces around my neck. So what did I do....I screamed for NT and told him I was on fire. I then took off my flaming scarf and threw it at him. Luckily, he knew what to do and stomped out the flames. The bad news....I loved that purple scarf.

This honestly does not show how bad it was but I couldn't really go grab my camera while Neal was putting out the flames. I would also like to point out this is not the first time I have set something on fire in the kitchen--there was also the two times I put aluminum foil in the microwave. Don't do that.

This was what I was making-turned out pretty good in the end.