Friend-Makin' Mondays and LAST Baby Paxton

All right! Back into the swing of things. I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! My husband and I couldn't afford to go visit family, so my grandparents came to visit us. We had a really good dinner (at a restaurant because I have no table and the exterminator was coming again the next day) and got to spend some time with them since we won't see them for...quite some time now.

So Friend-Makin' Monday is another survey! I love surveys for some reason. If you want to join in, please feel free to visit Amber.

1. Favorite website
Hmm...I like to read my friend Vashti's blog or The Uniform Project is really cool. Also, my guilty pleasure is This Is Why You're Fat.

2. Favorite color
Cerulean blue. It's a crayon color

3. Facebook? {Post a link or share your name if you want some new Facebook friends!}
I do facebook, but I'm trying to limit it to close friends and family. I used to have something like 400 facebook friends and they were mainly people I spoke to ONCE in high school and people I wasn't even friends with. And I felt like I was just stalking too many people and it was bad for my soul.

4. Favorite Christmas song?
Hmm...I LOVE the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers Christmas duets, but some of the songs are just plain creepy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sing 'O Holy Night' though. It makes me ridiculously happy.

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake?
I miss having a real one. We had one almost every year, but it's been 3 years since I had one that was over a foot tall. Since we aren't at home (or at my parent's home) on Christmas anymore, no real need for one, you know?

6. Hottest celebrity?
Hmm...Mac from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia? I don't know...is it weird that I don't really think about that?

7. Favorite restaurant?
My favorite expensive restaurant is Peter Luger's. And my favorite non-expensive restaurant is either Nomado 33 (NYC) or Sakura (Akron, Ohio). I guess I'm just a sushi girl.

8. Favorite magazine?
I don't really read magazines. I used to like Gourmet, but that's gone now.

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays?
I love Reisling! Mmmmm. But I need to get back on the wine/liqour. I need to fit into a bathing suit for Christmas!!

10. Favorite Christmas movie.
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! IT'S THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL!!!!! It's a tradition for me to force anyone I know to watch it with me. I need to ask Steve to pull that out. :)

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Baby Paxton is HOME!!!



How great is that?

I was going to put the Chip In for Baby Paxton, but it looks like it's over! They were able to raise $679 for Paxton and his Ma Ma. I don't know if it's too late to join in though. Maybe not? Cause if you do, you could win these little suckers.



If you want to read up on what Baby Be Blessed does, you can always read here.

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Wooohooo!!! Another Monday, but this is a 2 and a half day work week!!!!! YYEESSS!!! If you want to join in, please feel free to visit Amber!

It's all about Thanksgiving!

1. Turkey or Ham? I prefer turkey, but I've always had both on Thanksgiving. One with each side of my family.

2. Favorite side dish. Mashed potatoes BY FAR!

3. Favorite dessert. We always had pumpkin pie or like chocolate cake. I like both. Though I can always do pumpkin roll too. You know, with the cream cheese.

4. Black Friday: Are you going or not? HELL. NO.

5. If so, what's on the top of your list? I with I could say I was sleeping in on Black Friday, but the exterminator is coming for the THIRD TIME and we have to be out of the apartment. With the cat.

6. Going out of town or staying close to home? We're staying at home and my grandparents are coming to visit!

7. Hosting or helping? None of the above. Since we don't have a table and, if we did, it would be wrapped in plastic, we have restaurant reservations at a place in Hoboken at 5pm.

8. Name one family tradition at Thanksgiving. You know, since my parents moved and then we moved too, all traditions have seriously been thrown out the window. We no longer have any traditions. Last year, for Thanksgiving, Steve and I went to Peru.



I wouldn't mind making it a tradition to take a trip, but we'd definitely need to start saving for that...oh...NOW. We only have a 'tradition' at Christmas and that is to take a paper Santa with us wherever we go and take pictures with him. This year, paper Santa will be ENJOYING THE BEACH!!! I can't wait to be in Hong Kong!!! :)

9. What do you do after dinner? This year, I'd love to sleep! We'll probably take a bottle of wine over to my grandparent's hotel room.

10. What are you most thankful for this year? I am thankful for my husband. For all that God has done in my life and for my relationship with Him (that's what I want the most!). For being able to have a cat. For my family. For the children that I love and have never met and those I have met or will meet soon.

Remember God's bounty in the year. String the pearls of His favor. Hide the dark parts, except so far as they are breaking out in light! Give this one day to thanks, to joy, to gratitude! ~Henry Ward Beecher

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? ~Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981

Friend-Makin' Mondays

WOOHOOO!!! This week's Friend-Makin' Monday is after my own heart.

Favorite winter recipes.

I actually don't have a recipe that's SPECIFICALLY what I like to make in the winter, but I do have a favorite cupcake recipe. They're called Car Bomb Cupcakes (or Irish-Guinness Cupcakes). I make them a lot. As you can see.





They're a little involved, but totally worth it. I got this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. LOVE Smitten Kitchen!!

Chocolate Whiskey and Beer Cupcakes

While the Guinness in the cake gets mostly baked out, the Baileys is fresh and potent, so if you’re making this for people who don’t drink — ahem, nobody I know, but I hear such people exist — you’ll probably want to swap it with milk.

The Baileys frosting recipe makes a smallish amount of frosting — enough to just cover the cupcakes. Because they were so rich and this frosting so sweet, I felt it only needed a little. Double it if you want more of a towering effect.

Makes 20 to 24 cupcakes

For the Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup stout (such as Guinness)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Ganache Filling (Updated to double it, based on many commenters suggestions — thanks!)
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 to 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey (optional)

Baileys Frosting (see Recipe Notes)
3 to 4 cups confections sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperatue
3 to 4 tablespoons Baileys (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination thereof)

Special equipment: 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer and a piping bag (though a plastic bag with the corner snipped off will also work)

Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Make the filling: Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Fill the cupcakes: Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Make the frosting: Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time.

[This is a fantastic trick I picked up while working on the cupcakes article for Martha Stewart Living; the test kitchen chefs had found that when they added the sugar slowly, quick buttercream frostings got less grainy, and tended to require less sugar to thicken them up.]

When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.

Ice and decorate the cupcakes. [I used a star tip and made little "poofs" everywhere and sprinkled it with various colors of sanding sugar to keep it looking festive for New Years. I bet shaved dark and white chocolates would look gorgeous as well.]

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I thought I've given an update on Baby Paxton as well.

It appears that Baby Be Blessed now has almost $500 for him!! Almost there!!

If you would like updates on how he's doing, you can always follow his Ma Ma's blog, the Wild, Wild Wests.

If you want to follow the progress on the fundraising, check it right here!

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Woohooo!!! I do enjoy friend-makin' Mondays! Though I do not appreciate Mondays in general. ;) If you'd like to join in, go visit Amber!

What are your favorite candles/scents?

Well, I might skip the candle part. I love candles, but I was never allowed to have them in college and I haven't really had any since. But, of my favorite smells they are...

1) Freshly mowed grass. I actually had more than one bottle of perfume that smelled like this. Does anyone else remember that the Gap had this scent?! Too bad I'm allergic to the real thing.

2) Chocolate cake. I baked a chocolate hostess cupcake cake this weekend and it smelled delicious!! (And it tastes great too)



This is not what I was baking this weekend, but similar. Except my cake was more lopsided and messy. There was cake EVERYWHERE.

3) Steve. Yes, I do enjoy the smell of my husband. Quite tasty, if I do say so myself.

And yes, this is my beautiful, wondrous husband here:



Feel free to be jealous.

4) Raspberries. I love the smell of raspberries so very much. And I love to devour them as well.



5) Rain. I love the smell of rain in the fall. Something about it mixing with the leaves. It just makes me happy.


WAIT! Don't go yet. I wanted to share this with everyone. I've shared it before, but I wanted to share it with the Friend-Makin' Monday crowd :)



This is Baby Paxton.

He was born with only half of a heart. At 4 days old, he underwent heart surgery. 4. DAYS. OLD. That is so crazy to me. I pulled some glass out of my foot today and I was a big baby about it. He would have done WAY better then me if he can do surgery at 4 days old.

The ladies over at Baby Be Blessed (who are super awesome) have chosen Baby Paxton as their Give A Blessing recipient for November.

Of course, they are trying to raise money. But it's more than that.

They want your prayers too.

If you can't donate, that's fine! Prayers are probably more important anyway. We can give in so many ways, whether it be money or our words to God.

If you'd like to help out, here's what you can do (From the Baby Be Blessed website):

FIRST~SEEK GOD ON HOW HE WANTS YOU TO HELP!!

~PRAY! Visit their website and let them know you are praying!

~DONATE!

~SPREAD THE WORD!! Grab a copy of the chipin widget below and place it on your blog/website!!

If you'd like to track the progress with me, you can view it here:

Friend-Makin' Mondays

I wasn't going to join in, but, HECK! Why not? If you'd like to join in, just go visit Amber at aefilkins.

So this was what we passed out to the five kids who came up the elevator to our apartment. The rest of the candy is sitting on my desk at work.



Yeah. We have a TON left.

But my favorite would be Kit Kats. As you may see in the picture, there is a very large Kit-Kat in there. And yes. It is gone. IN MY BELLY!!! I also happen to love Laffy Taffy, but not banana flavored. Bleh.

I didn't dress up this Halloween, but I did watch the movie Scream. I never realized how BAD it was when I bought the movie. I used to watch that all the time!! That is an AWFUL film. I wish we would have just popped in Psycho. CLASSIC!

What's your favorite Halloween candy?

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Serious cat face.

You know what? Yeah...it kinda sucks. I've cried and debated on cleaning our savings account out today, but it'll be okay. God is with me.

'He has made everything beautiful in its time'
- Ecclesiastes 3:11

So, for now, I'm going to focus on other things. Like how much I love you all.

If I could, I would give you all a hug today. Hugs are never out of style. And I freaking love them. I'd especially give one to you.

And I'll do Friend-Makin' Monday. If you'd like to join, head over to Amber's blog here.



The question for today:

If life were a movie, which movie would you want to live in?

Laugh at me all you want, but I would live in The Big Lebowski.



I love ridiculous movies and I would totally go bowling everyday. And eat blackberry pancakes.

As soon as I saw this movie a few months ago, it became my favorite. It even replaced Pulp Fiction (though one of my favorite clips of all time is still in Pulp Fiction).

I could quote this movie all day. And maybe I wouldn't be a naked, rich feminist or a lazy, slacker who drinks White Russians and bowls daily. ...Or a Shabbas-observing, Vietnam-veteran with a major temper...but I'd totally live in that world.

What movie would you live?

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Oh, how I love Friend-Makin' Mondays!! If you'd like to join in, please click here!

What Makes You Happy?

What makes me happy...

1) God makes me happy. I don't give Him as much credit as I should, but I'm pretty sure He's doing a ton of good stuff in my life and I need to acknowledge it more.

2) My husband. He's ridiculous and caring and always there when I need him. He's my travel companion, my right-hand man, and my partner-in-crime.



3) My family! Sure, I'm being very cliche, but that's fine by me! I only see my family twice a year and so it makes me appreciate them more and more.



4) Vindaloo!! We've only had her for about a week, but she's cute and I love her. Even when her butt is in my face at 6am or she's knocked my wedding ring over. Or that she's meowing her head off while I'm in the kitchen. No, cat, I am not feeding you again!



5) My voice-over work. I haven't really mentioned it on here, but I do voice-over work for MTV.com (also where I am a production assistant). It brightens my day every time that I can get in the VO booth and do some recording.

6) Sweater weather. Not what we have now, but when it's like...say...60-65 degrees. As of the moment, it's freaking freezing!!

7) Hong Kong. It's become like a second home to me and I can get around Central like I've lived there forever. If I could move there, I would.

8) My friends. I should say now, that this list is in no particular order. I love my friends from college and the friends I've made in NYC. AND all my blog friends. If you would have asked me a year ago if I'd ever have blog friends...but I LOVE you guys!!

This is my friend Rachel. She ran after an ice cream truck to get me chocolate ice cream. I love her :)


9) Getting mail. I LOVE receiving mail. LOVE IT. I've always loved getting mail, even as a kid. I was always the one who walked across the street or, later in life, the quarter of a mile down our driveway to pick it up.

10) Bubble tea. I was supposed to get some this weekend, but I didn't. Oh well. It does make me happy!!

11) Baking and cooking. I was the girl who used to burn all the macaroni into one big rubber ball. But I've gotten a LOT better and I love to cook and bake (I'm better at baking). It makes me happy...but not the cleaning up part!



12) Okay, last one. Random incidents. I love random things. I love finding forks in the road in upstate New York or...when I used to have a yellow car (A yellow Ford Focus hatchback, to be exact!), I was pumping gas at a gas station. A van comes roaring in beside me and three people jump out. They say, 'We're doing a church scavenger hunt and we need to get a picture pumping gas into a yellow car!' So they take the picture and I'm like...ooookkkkaaaayyyyyy. So I'm about to get into my car and...another van pulls in! They jump out and start to explain and I say, 'They were just here a minute ago!' So they run, take the picture, and speed away. What a crazy day!

But this picture has to be my favorite. I was with my family about a month before the Olympics in Beijing. A school class saw us and, recognizing we were probably English speaking, all started to yell, 'hi!' So we got together and took a picture with them. They then asked my sister if she would stay with them and if she was a movie star.



So what makes you happy?

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Woot! Always a fun time of the week. If you'd like to join, please click here.

Here's the question:
What are you going to be for Halloween?


My pumpkin is in the middle...with the ketchup and mustard and the bottle in it's mouth.

So, it's been awhile since we've dressed up. Actually, this year, we're just ECSTATIC that we can pass out candy. We haven't been able to pass out candy since we've been married and we're just so excited!! We have to sign up to do it and put a special sticker on our door so that kids know that they can knock (we live in an apartment building).

But I can tell you what I HAVE been for Halloween in years past.

1) Velma. My husband, when he lets his facial hair grow and wears a green shirt looks EXACTLY like Shaggy. So we went as Velma and Shaggy to a Halloween party once.

2) The Boston Tea Party. Yes, I'm somewhat of a nerd. I wore one of my mom's old prom dresses, a tie-dye shirt, and a floral crown. I was like, 14. Give me a break.

3) Cereal killer. I covered a black sweatsuit with mini-boxes of cereal.

4) Ghost. But not just any ghost. My mom cut out a hole on the top of the sheet and stuck my ponytail through it. Then, she put lipstick around the mouth hole and eye shadow and mascara (this is all in paint) over the eye holes. I was the cutest darn ghost around.

5) Ophelia. My brother is awesome. He is the coolest kid on the block. His first year trick-or-treating, he carried a skull around and was Hamlet. He was 7. A 7-YEAR-OLD DRESSED UP AS HAMLET!!! I taught him young. :) So we went to a costume party together. I was Ophelia and he was Hamlet.

What about you? You have any costume plans?

Friend-Makin' Mondays

I like Friend-Makin' Mondays! And I'm waiting for the cable guy today. I kind of need him to come soon because I gotta get to work. But for now, I'll do this!!! If you want to join in, just click here.

What are your hobbies? What do you wish that you knew how to do?

My hobbies are:

1) Traveling



This is with my brother and sister in South Korea.



This is my whole family in Cambodia.

2) I love playing board games with my husband. Scrabble!! He hates it though because he says that I always win.

3) Reading

4) Volunteering. I love to volunteer at the Animal Shelter and the Jewish Home and Hospital in Manhattan, as well as at church.

5) Finding random landmarks or oddities.



A fork in the road!! That's in upstate New York.



So is this...

6) Baking! I'm WAY better at baking then I am at cooking. :)





I used to have WAY more hobbies. I feel like I need to pick a few of them back up. I used to knit and scrapbook and write. And I've pretty much stopped all of those.

If I could learn something new...hmm...I would love to learn sign language. I don't know if you can count that, but I'd love to learn a new language. I would also like to learn how to sew. My knitting skills were HORRIBLE. I'd like to learn how to actually make things.

What about you? What are your hobbies?

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Moving was a nightmare, but we've gotten almost everything moved!!! So I'm excited. Not only that, our first night in, there were fireworks over downtown Manhattan and we got a ton of pictures of them. Now, to take a break.

Friend Makin' Mondays!!! If you want to join in, click here!




List a few things that you cannot live without

Let me think...

1) God. He's been doing a lot to keep me sane lately and I know that if I felt like He wasn't around, I'd probably feel a hole in my heart. Same with number 2...

2) My husband. He's been behind me for awhile now and I fully appreciate that. He loves me and shows me what love is.

3) Books. I love the smell and feel of books, whether or not I'm reading them. :) I just LOVE it!!

4) Sushi. I haven't had it for awhile, but once I start...

5) TRAVEL! If I didn't do it, I wouldn't see my family. But I absolutely LOVE to travel and I am almost always counting down until I'm going somewhere.

6) Our new apartment!!! It has a pool and a gym and a WASHER AND DRYER IN THE APARTMENT!!! So, so excited. And it's almost clean and way more space then we thought. :) Now, time for a trip to IKEA.

What can you not live without?

FMM IS BACK!!!

I freaking love FMM. :) It's been awhile. If you want to join, head over to Amber's blog.

This week, it's 20 questions!!

1. Do you cook every night?
Do you include peanut butter and jelly? Or a bottle of wine and anything you can find in the fridge? My husband and I have those nights every once in awhile...okay. Fine. More often then not. Especially when we're trying to get rid of the food in the house because we're going to be at weddings in Ohio. ;)


2. What kind of laundry detergent do you use & why?
I try to use Seventh Generation, but I'll use anything as long as it's unscented.


3. Do you do laundry every day or loads at a time?
We do laundry every two weeks. It's hard to get it down to the laundromat. It's over 10 blocks away and we don't like to lug it there too too often.


4. How often do you eat out per week?
We've gotten better about it! We actually haven't eaten out in a week or two. It used to be like three times a week.

5. Where do you usually eat out?
Nomado 33 (it's our favorite sushi place, but a little bit far away)...otherwise...umm...Well, I guess that's about it. There aren't too many fast food places near us.

6. What is your favorite retail store?
There are no retail stores in Manhattan!! But if I were in Ohio, it would be Target.

7. What's your favorite thing to drink?
Orange juice

8. Do you take vitamins? What kind?
I should


9. What percentage of the household chores to you do?
Umm...this is iffy. It depends. It goes anywhere from 0% (this is bad, but I rarely do the laundry) to 100% (I'm the only one that cleans the bathroom). Otherwise, it depends on the week.


10. Do your children do chores? {Or will they, did they, etc}
If I had kids, yes. And I'd actually pick up my clothes off the floor (a bad habit I picked up from my husband!)


11. Do you go to church?
Yes! We've found a church that we love and that has been helping us really grow in our faith. I love it. :)

12. Do you have a housework schedule?
Absolutely not.

13. Do you keep a working budget?
Umm...we pretend to. We're okay with our money...kind of. Rent really kills our bank account.

14. What do you do at night as a family?
We eat dinner together, watch Spongebob or bad horror films, we read the Bible together before we go to bed.

15. How do you prepare yourself for a new week?
I bake! I try and have a bake sale on Mondays for Project O. I just got back into it so that makes me happy!! This week is chocolate chip cookies, double chocolate cookies (also known as World Peace cookies), snickerdoodles, and peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips. :) Then I made biscuits for dinner.

16. What do your mornings look like?
I get up around 8:00am, barely get ready, and then head to work early so that I can check all my e-mail and everything.

17. What time do you get up in the mornings?
8:00am :)

18. What time do you go to bed at night?
It depends. Lately, it's been 10:30am on the weekdays and 1am on the weekends.

19. How do you manage all of the paperwork that floods into your household? {bills, school work, magazines, ads, etc}
It's ALL over the table. All over it. Then, about once a month, we recycle almost everything and then put the bills on the desk that we then organize once every three months (we will have a LOT to change when we have kids!!!)

20. How do you keep your household organized? {calendars, charts, etc}
I have a calender in my purse. And on my wall at work. Otherwise, I have post-it notes all over our apartment. In my mind, I'm organized!! I swear!!

Friend-Makin' Mondays

So it's been awhile, but I like this friend-makin' monday!! This one is being hosted by No Ordinary Moments because Kasey is still on vacation. Here are the questions!

1. Tell us about the best {or worst} vacation that you've ever taken.

2. Tell us FIVE places/vacations that you would like to take at some point your life. It doesn't have to be next year...maybe it's the vacation of a lifetime or somewhere you just dream of going years from now.

_______________________________________________

1) The best vacation that I've ever taken...that's hard! I've been to so many fun places: England, Scotland, Hong Kong, Japan, Cambodia...but if I had to pick, I think I might have to say that it was Thailand! Thailand was the first vacation that my family took together after my parents and younger brother had moved to Hong Kong. We rode on elephants, saw so many places, ate one of the BEST Thai meals I've ever had. And it was all so new! I loved it. I'll have to add some photos when I get home.

Our worst vacation (is this bad to say?) was Hawai'i. We went to Honolulu and it just...I mean, it rained every day and the luau we went to was...weird. Full of grandmas and nothing what we hoped it would be. We drank our two coupon drinks and laughed the whole time. I mean, it was great to see my parents for Christmas, but I think we decided that our vacations needed to be more well-planned after that one. :)

2) Five places and or vacations that I would like to take...

Okay. I'll admit. I'm spoiled. Or lucky :) Twice a year, I get to visit my family in Hong Kong. And each time, we go somewhere else for a few days and then come back to Hong Kong. I've been so luck to see so many places!! There are a few places that I'd love to go to (and some that I get to!)

1) South Africa. I've always wanted to go and now I get to!!!
2) Brazil. I'd love to see the giant statue of Christ, but there are a few things that turn my husband and I off about Brazil. We don't really go to the beach and we know that it's dangerous. So we'll see on this one.
3) Russia. I REALLY would love to go to Russia. We were SO close to going last November, but we were told Russia is beautiful in ALL months...except November.
4) Australia. :) Just because. Maybe I'll go bungee jumping again there.
5) India. Not only would I love to meet some of our sponsor children, but India has always captured my interest. At the same time, people almost always get sick there from the food. Hell, I'd still be up for the adventure.

HAPPY FMM EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friend-Makin' Mondays

Oh my gosh. It's been forever since I posted. So I'm going to do this NOW. Friend-Makin' Mondays is being hosted by Dandelion Wishes. So if you want to join in, feel free!!

The thing is to name 5-10 of your favorite things. These things can be things that have changed/revolutionized your daily life. I think I'll just have random ones too. :)

1) Jesus. Can I tell you how much He's been changing me? It's kind of cool. It's also making me realize how selfish and d-bag-ish I can be. But I try to remember Him and love Him and know that I want to trust in Him. My faith journey is pretty new (though I've been a Christian my whole life), but I'm excited for it.

2) TOMS Shoes. I LOVE TOMS shoes. And I have been purchasing them left and right. LEFT AND RIGHT. I think I've spent a good amount of money on them. All sorts of them. And I've been stalking the website to see if they have youth sizes yet.

3) My husband. Steve is...beyond good to me. He loves me for who I am, even if who I am hasn't shaved my legs in a month, wants to play tic-tac-toe with a chicken or search for a giant wooden elephant in New Jersey, and who wakes him up at 8:30am on Saturdays.

4) My friends. Be it bloggy people who I seriously want to come visit (Vashti, May 6th-20th, 2010?) or my friends in Ohio, they've been there for me and they really make me happy.

5) Our church! We've become really involved and we just love it. It really is a community. I never thought I'd find a place like this. We've become really involved.

So much feels like it's happened! I'm finishing up my application to New School for my Certificate to Teach English (as a second language). If I get accepted, I'm hoping that MTV will pay for it. :-D And that I'll be done by next summer (if not earlier) Steve has applied for his CPA license. We've decided that we're not going to live life like it's in limbo (which we have been for awhile). So I'm happy.

Anything new with you? It's been awhile.

Friend-Makin' Mondays!

Hello, hello all!

I tried to post pictures of my pies that I made this weekend, but my Mac hates uploading pictures (weird, right?) so I do most of this at work. Shh!!! But I decided to take a break and do Friend-Makin' Mondays. Thank you, Kasey!!

So here's todays:

"So today's task is Confessions! Spill you guts"

1) My husband always ends up doing most of the laundry and dishes and I feel AWFUL about it. Horrifyingly guilty. I hate doing the laundry (we have to walk 10 blocks), but I don't mind dishes. He just always decides to start them and we don't have enough space for both of us to do it. I try and dry them though!!

2) I binge eat every once in awhile. Anything I can get my hands on. I hate it and I try to stop it.

3) Sometimes, SOMETIMES, I get really angry when I have to get up on the subway to give my seat to someone. Mainly, when someone asks me to get up. I know I shouldn't, but I still do. I don't mind getting up, but when I want to get up. I'm working on it.

4) My in-laws can irritate me to no end. Is that a confession? My husband's father almost didn't come visit because we don't have air conditioning. When we take them out to eat at different places (aka: not Olive Garden), his dad looks at us like we're eating monkey brains. I hope we go to Korean BBQ next time they're in town (which is in two weeks...)

5) I hate when my husband does laundry. Just in general. I get whiny and wish he was home. And then I feel guilty about it.

I'm really trying to work on it all though, you know? ;) I really am!!!

Friend-Makin' Mondays!

Woot! I'm back from California and trying to cope. :)

Friend-Makin' Mondays is a time I fully enjoy. If you'd like to participate, go here.


1) TRAVELING. I love to travel and the summer typically means now that I get to go see my family. This summer, we're going to South Korea as long as North Korea does not declare war.

2) NEW YORK CITY. Manhattan has some of the COOLEST free things for you to do over the summer. Next weekend, we're going to Shakespeare in the Park. Sure, it's getting up at 3am to get free tickets at 1pm, but we're making it a summer tradition. But I do NOT like the smells and the ridiculous amount of people. New York City stews in its own juices.

3) LESS WORK. I get summer Fridays! I get to leave work around 2-3pm and I LOVE it.

4) FRESH FRUIT. I love fruit. So very much. And the summer is good for it. It's definitely less expensive then.

5) FRIENDS. This time of year typically brings people to NYC. We don't get to see the people we love enough, that's for sure.

6) ROAD TRIPS. Steve and I can take a roadtrip or two during this time of year and I love it. We find as many ridiculous things to see as we can and GO FOR IT.

7) ICE CREAM. Steve and I go for Red Mango and Pinkberry now and I have a feeling we'll be eating lots and lots of it.


Hmm...is it sad that I may only have 7? We don't have air-conditioning, so we're always super hot. I pass out in the subways because they're so hot. It smells and is putrefyingly hot. But that's okay. I still like the summer.

Friend-Makin' Mondays

I love All That is Good on Mondays (well, all the time, but ESPECIALLY Mondays) because it's Friend-Makin' Mondays!!!

The question for today.

How did you and your significant other meet? and if you don't have a significant other at the moment then what would be your dream way to meet him?

So, I was 14 and he was 15.  (Awhile ago, right?)  He was a drummer and I was a trombone player at that time.  I was friends with his sister and...the first memory I have of him is nearly sitting on his lap because his friend was dropping me and my friend off at that girl's house.  Later that night, in true teenager-fashion, I threw water on him (not THAT much, but a little) and then went to his house for the band bonfire.  They dared me to kiss him, but...come on!!  I'd never kissed anyone before!!  So I kissed him on the cheek and he ran away.  I tried to find him, but I couldn't.  When he came out of the shadows (he was hiding behind his house), we talked for the rest of the night.  His dad asked who this girl was he was talking to and we ended up talking to me the next day on AIM.  He came with me to TubaChristmas and we've been together since!!!  We just celebrated our second year of marriage and this year, we'll have been together for 10 years.  

We've been through so much together.  I don't know what I'd do without him.  Who else would watch Spongebob with me?  Or play Scrabble?  Or wrestle me when I'm feeling ridiculous?  Who else would indulge my fantasies to move to Australia or to go to South Africa for fun?!  God has truly, TRULY blessed me with him.  :)

Friend-Makin' Mondays!

Was over on All That is Good and it's Friend-Makin' Mondays! Haven't done one in a bit, so here I go :)

You wouldn't be caught dead where?: Hmm...I don't really have any place like this. But I don't think I'd want to be dead in an alley.

Do you have any hidden talents?: If you knew me in high school, you would know that I played the tuba, trombone, and baritone. I was also first chair for trombone and tuba!! I really miss my tuba, actually.

Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at: Organizing events and (possibly) baking. I'm definitely improving on baking.

Name two things you consider yourself to be very bad at: Cleaning and anything involving manual dexterity. My mom always used to say that she should have named be Grace because then I'd have some. After knocking around some pots and pans, Steve agreed with her.

Have you ever won a trophy?: Not a trophy per se. I have won a lot of academic honors. I was part of the 8th grade basketball team that won a trophy. I didn't score ONE point that year...

Name one thing not many people know about you: Since we're all ladies here...I had a breast reduction in 2006. Best decision I ever made.

Name your earliest memory: I can remember doing letters with my mom when I was probably between 4 and 5 years old. If I remember correctly, I was awesome at V's.

What was your favorite musical group in jr. high?: Hmm...I'm not sure about this. I feel like I want to say Our Lady Peace, but junior high may have been too early for that. I can tell you that my first CD was Chumbawumba.

What was something the worst roommate you ever had did?: My first roommate was pretty bad. I didn't grow up in a family that fought often and we NEVER screamed at each other. My roommate would constantly scream at her mother on the phone and it was REALLY uncomfortable. She threw a TV remote at me once too because I asked a question about a show she was watching. They kept telling us to "work it out" and that we would have to learn to live with people if we were going to get married. I'm sorry, but I picked who I got married too. I did not pick her as my roommate. Then I got the most awesome roommate ever. :)

When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?: A band director or a forensic scientist.

What was your worst dating experience?: My husband is probably the only real boyfriend I had. But I did have a "boyfriend" in 8th grade. That was bad news. I don't know how much I want to go there. ;)

If you were about to die what would your last meal be?: Sushi or a churrascaria. I love Brazilian steakhouses!!

Who is the most important person in you life?: My loving husband!

If your house was on fire what 3 things would you grab on your way out?: My husband, my travel journal and...let me think...possibly our donation money. We have a good amount of money that doesn't technically belong to us. And I would feel bad if someone didn't get the money that belonged to them because of a fire. So I guess that would be my third.