30 days of me::It's over now

Day 30: Whatever tickles your fancy

What tickles my fancy today is our meal plan.
So, without further ado

Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Bread
Italian Sausage and Hash Brown Casserole
Chicken Piccata with Crock Pot Mac-n-Cheese
Slow Cooker Pot Roast with New Potatoes, Carrots, and Corn Bread
Chicken Tetrazzini with Garlic Bread
Ooey Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos

30 days of me::this is getting nuts

Day 27: This month, in great detail

what's happened so far:
-went on a mini vacay
-cooked, a lot
-held try outs for color guard
-sat in a boring graphic design class for 5 hours a week
-got my dog spayed
-watched tv, a lot
-got addicted to true blood
-pinched pennies like no body's business
-grieved over the break up of one of my fav bands, envy on the coast

what's going to happen:
-finish that stupid graphic design class
-teach routines to my c/g girls during band camp. oh joy
-finish season 1 of true blood [yes, i'm behind]
-read at least 1 more book in the gossip girl series. if i can get my hands on it
-try not to die from the heat

Day 28: This year, in great detail

what's happened so far:
-quit my old job
-started school
-adopted my lil kamzalina
-did lots of projects/worked my BUTT off [for school]
-spring break at Panama City Beach with friends
-studied for & ultimately passed the praxis
-got a new job
-finished the semester
-quit my 'new' job
-started my first summer semester ever
-went on mini vacay
-started my first gig as a c/g instructor

what's going to happen:
-hopefully pass my summer class
-make amazing routines so my girls will make all 1's at competition
-take a semester off, because my school is stupid
-hopefully get a second job
-finish seasons 1 & 2 of true blood. patiently wait for season 3, since we don't have HBO
-finish all books in the gossip girl series
-read all books on my 'to read' list
-lose 10 lbs
-renew my license

Day 29: Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days

-to be healthy & happy
-to decorate matt's new apartment. when he actually gets a new apartment
-to try a gazillion new recipes
-to get out of this financial slump we're in
-to be a better friend, in general
-to stop procrastinating so dang much
-to get an internship & blow them out of the water so I can get hired as soon as I graduate ;)
-to graduate
-to get a big girl job

30 days of me::My week

Day 26: Your week, in great detail

- came back from our mini-vacation in Florida
- lazed around
- watched a lot of tv
- went to school a lot
- did homework
- cooked dinner a few times
- finished a bunch of stuff for color guard
- had my first phone interview ever. it was awkward.
- drove 2.5 hours north west.
- had my ear talked off.
- conducted color guard try outs.
- drove 2.5 hours back home.

30 days of me::A day in the life...

Day 25: Your day, in great detail

- woke up
- went to class
- came home
- ate lunch
- attempted to take a nap
- finished making up color guard routine
- took a shower
- went to sonic for happy hour
- went to walmart
- got my car washed
- bought a few movies at movie gallery's going out of business sale
- came home
- finished some paper work for the color guard try outs
- cooked dinner
- ate dinner
- did homework
- watched 2 episodes of True Blood
- went to bed

30 days of me::22, 23, 24.....

Day 22: A website

My favs:

http://www.picnik.com/
http://www.sumopaint.com/home/
http://www.swaptree.com/
http://www.pandora.com/


Day 23: A YouTube video



Day 24: Whatever tickles your fancy

I got a job as a color guard instructor at a high school that one of my friends is the band director at. I am a little nervous, but mostly excited to get back into it. It doesn't pay much, and I'm hoping I can get a second job, but I think it's something I will really enjoy. And, at least I'll be getting out of the house!

30 days of me::Foooooood!

Day 21: A recipe


Each week I like to try at least ONE new recipe.
My favorite new recipe?
Crab cakes!

Ingredients

4-5 slices white sandwich bread
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 Tbsp plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 pound cooked fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked over and drained [I used TWO cans of lump crab meat, drained]

Horseradish Mayo
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp prepared horseradish
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Method

1 Tear up the bread and pulse in a food processor to make fine, soft crumbs (about 4 cups). Transfer the bread crumbs to a shallow pan and mix in 1/2 cup of the parsley.

2 In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, mustard, paprika, thyme, celery seeds, and black pepper. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise-type sauce. Transfer sauce to a bowl.

3 In a large bowl, combine the onion and bell pepper with the remaining 1/4 cup of parsley. Add the mayonnaise-type sauce and crabmeat and mix lightly. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of the bread crumb mixture. Do not overwork the mixture. Gently form 6 cakes and flatten them into patties about 1/2 inch thick. Dredge the patties lightly in the remaining bread crumb mixture. Cover the crab cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or longer.

4 Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat and add about 2 Tbsp of butter to the pan. Working in batches, fry crab cakes gently 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through. Add more butter to the pan if necessary.

5 To prepare the horseradish mayo, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes six 4-inch wide crab patties.

30 days of me::Hobbies

Day 20: A hobby of yours

My new found hobby:






making jewelry.

30 days of me::Talented

Day 19: A talent of yours


Call me crazy, but I think I'm pretty talented in the art department. Not that I'm being conceited, but if you don't have faith in yourself, no one else will either.

I draw,



I paint,



I make prints,



I also create ceramics and sculptures.

30 days of me::Again, really?

Day 18: Whatever tickles your fancy


Yep, today is another 'tickle your fancy' kind of day. I should be an expert at tickling my fancy by the end of this whole ordeal.


If you haven't noticed, I've kind of fallen off the band wagon with this thing. I feel like I started out strong, but it slowly felt more like an obligation than just something fun to do. Sorry, ya'll! I've also been slacking on the reading/commenting area, which I feel really bad about. I'm trying to get better. I've just had so much going on in my brain lately. I haven't necessarily been really busy, but it's like I can't stop thinking. [Yes, I realize that sounds super lame.] Sometimes, I wish I were a guy. They seem to have an on/off button for their brain. But not me. I'm too busy worrying about the future, playing out different scenarios in my head, and going over 'what if' situations. It really sucks, and is starting to take a toll on my sleep.

So, that's what's tickling my fancy today. What's tickling your fancy?

30 days of me::art

Day 17: An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

I currently have a huge [art] crush on
Yellena James.
This stuff is so fresh & intriguing, it makes my heart skip a few beats.

Another artist that gives me butterflies,
Yvonne Coomber.

They both use brilliant colors and create sweet compositions. I would only hope that one day my art could inspire people the way they inspire me.

30 days of me::I'll cry if I want to

Day 16: A song that makes you cry (or nearly)


This one is pretty self explanatory. No more dialogue needed.

30 days of me::whateva

Day 14: A non-fictional book
Day 15: A fanfic

Since I'm not a big fan of non-fiction, and I don't read fanfic, I'm skipping them.
Hey, this IS my blog, so I'm entitled to do what I want, right ;)

Anyways, I'll tell you about some other materials I read instead.
MAGAZINES!
I love them.
I'm currently subscribed to
Allure
Glamour
Food Network
and a huge THANKS to whoever bought me a subscription of OK! Magazine..cause really, I would have never done it myself, but I love reading it.

So, there you have it. Just a few of my guilty pleasures. What are some of your favorite magazines?

30 days of me::Gossip Girl

Day 13: A fictional book

I was going to wait until I read more books in the series to write a review about them, but when this subject came up, I just couldn't let it pass.

I have recently started reading the Gossip Girl books.
Usually when I say that, people look at me like I'm retarded, so judge if you must, but they are honestly really good.

If you like the show, chances are you will like the book. Although it is A LOT different, I would encourage anyone who watches the show to read the book.

I've only read the first two so far, but they have me hooked. Once I start one, I can't put it down.


While I'm talking about books, let me refer you all to swaptree.com

I use this website because...well, to be quite honest, reading can be an expensive hobby. Especially when your local library never seems to carry books you are interested in.

At swaptree, you list books that you have in your possession that you are willing to trade. Then you list books that you want to read. Then they match you up with people who want your books and whose books you want. It's really neat. I've been doing it for about a month now. All you have to pay is postage, so it's really cheap. I think I've swapped 7 books, and I've only spent $10.

What are some good books you've read lately?

30 days of me:: fancy schmancy

Day 12: Whatever tickles your fancy

Let's talk about Date Night.
And no, I don't mean the movie.
As a couple, especially a married couple, it is SO important to have date nights.
Everyone needs a chance to relax, eat good food, let loose, and have fun.
Our date nights used to consist of going out to eat, going to a movie, and sometimes we'd stop and get ice cream afterward.
Since we implemented a budget, we aren't going out as often, but it doesn't mean we can't have a great time together.

Let me introduce to you the
Date Night on a Budget.

I made us Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup & Goat cheese, baked potatoes, and freshly steamed spinach.

After dinner, we watched the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.



For a sweet ending to our night, I made a gooey toffee butter cake, straight from a Paula Deen recipe. Amazing!

And, we were able to only spend $12 to get everything we needed.
What do you do for date night?

30 days of me::recently....

Day 11: A photo of you taken recently




Aaron & I at the concert last week.

30 days of me::10+ years ago

Day 10: A photo of you taken over ten years ago

Please excuse the quality of the photo. This is a picture of me and my Nanny a long, long time ago. She's my favorite person in the world, and the reason I've made it this far.

30 days of me::mine

Day 9: A photo you took

A few years ago, my sister and her husband were stationed in Virginia. I went to visit, and this is a picture of the sunrise that I took as we were on our way to D.C.

30 days of me::Sad

Day 8: A photo that makes you angry/sad

This is a picture of my mom taken before my sister and I were probably even thought of. Why does it make me angry/sad?

It makes me angry because she was taken away from us at such a young age.
Because if that nurse wouldn't have been so negligent, she could have survived.

It makes me sad because I miss her every single day.
Because I constantly wonder what my life would be like if she would have lived.

But it makes me happy because it's all I have.
The memories have been fading for a long time, but I still have pictures to hold on to.

30 days of me::Happy

Day 7: A photo that makes you happy

This is me making my very first snow angel, ever.

Something else that makes me happy?

The fact that I quit my job.
Yea, I know. It's the recession. I should have stuck with it no matter what.
But, there are two things that I hold true to.
1. Treat others the way you want to be treated in return.
2. Life is too short to be miserable.
I'd rather be poor and happy than rich and sad.
I'm not going to get into the situation here, but it was a spur of the moment thing.
It was a bunch of little things that added up, and last night they put the nail into the coffin and I was done. No two week notice, nothing. I know this could possibly come back and bite me in the butt later on down the road, but sometimes....you just gotta do what you gotta do.

30 days of me::A Concert

Day 6: Whatever tickles your fancy

Last night, Mr. O, Aaron, & I decided to go to a concert.
We saw Emery
Terrible Things
Queens Club
Sent by Ravens
Kiros
Evolette

I've never been to a concert like this before. First of all, we were confused because we thought it was going to be at a small club, but it ended up being at a church. Honestly, the only band I had ever actually heard before was Emery. ANYWAYS...I was expecting there to be a couple hundred people there, but unless I just really suck at estimation, I don't think there were MORE than 100 people in attendance. It was very intimate and sweet.

Evolette was first. They were pretty good. Aaron said they reminded him of Paramore. I'm kind of interested in hearing their album when it comes out.

Kiros was very energetic. They are a group from Canada, and KEPT reminding us about it. Their music was good and their Tshirts were cool.

When Sent by Ravens came on, I started to feel like I was at church camp. I just remembered back in the day when they would have people come in and sing and it would be all fun, and then they would start talking about how we should give our lives to God and the mood would go from fun to serious. DON'T get me wrong. I was raised southern baptist, and I am a Christian, but I don't believe in pushing your beliefs on someone else. It didn't last long, and maybe I was overreacting, but I started to feel a little out of place. Anyways, their music was pretty good, but if I never had the opportunity to see those guys in concert again, I don't think I'd be upset.

By the time the fourth band came on, I was starting to wear out. But, Queens Club was like a breath of fresh air. The lead singer reminded me of Napoleon Dynomite, and they were totally grungey-garage band, electro crazy awesomeness. Check them out!

For those of you who don't know, Terrible things is made up of Fred [former TBS member], Josh [former Coheed&Cambria member], and Andy [former Hot Rod Circuit member]. It was really awesome. I would definitely enjoy seeing them again, and hope I get the chance to.

But what really made the night awesome was Emery. Apparently their bus had broken down, so only a few of their band members made it. AKA an acoustic show. It.was.amazing. They had us all sit down, which I was thankful for because I was exhausted at this point. They sang to us, and talked to us. They let people ask questions. It was special.