Are you there God? It's me Kristen.

Never buy jewelry from Zales!

2011-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

I am so livid right now! I have never, ever had a worse experience retail shopping for anything, much less expensive jewelry in my life.

My best friend bought me a beautiful pink saphire ring for Valentines Day. I saw it online and she wanted to get it for me. She had to go to 3 Zales stores before she found one...and unfortunately she ended up at the Zales in Gwinnett Place Mall.

When she went in, she told me she was pretty much ignored for a while. Finally someone decided to help her. The sales person was very pushy with her about the protection plan. She sold her the plan, telling her it was $39.99. Ashley told her she wanted to think about it.

We decided to get the plan, because it included free sizing and I needed to get it sized up to fit, because they only size they had in stock was a 7. We went back to get the plan and get it sized. The man that helped us the second time was obviously new. But we decided to discuss the plan with him and then purchase it. He told us the plan was $29.99. Wait...the lady the first time told her it was $39.99. He told us the extra $10 is an OPTIONAL theft protection plan. The first lady made no mention of it being separate...she tried to up sale Ashley without her knowledge! What a crook!

Then he was doing all the paperwork...took him forever and he had to keep calling over another sales person to help him. We stood and waited for all this for over 45 minutes. He asked me what size I needed the ring sized up to...I told him I didn't know, I would need to be sized. He brought the ring sizers over to me and just handed them to me! I had to size myself!

Finally, it was all done and he told us my ring would be ready in a week. Wait a minute....a week!? I've had 2 rings sized at Jarred and they were done in 2-4 HOURS!

Oh well, it's worth the wait....right?

Well, wait is the right word. We got a call yesterday late afternoon that my ring was ready. So Ash went this morning to pick it up. The store opens at 10am. Ashley got there a minute or 2 early. No one was there. Another employee was there waiting. Nobody. 10am passes.....10:30....11:00....11:38 someone finally shows up. 1 hour and 40 minutes LATE. Now Ashley had to wait for them to open the store, count the registers and bring all the jewelry out.

FINALLY.....2 hours later...Ashley finally gets my ring. I wasn't even the one waiting and I have never been so infuriated! What a way to treat your customers! I don't care if its Neiman Marcus or the Dollar Tree! Its ridiculous! Especially when they have your property that you have already paid for and you are coming to pick up. What insanity.

Not to mention, after waiting an hour....Ashely called Zales customer service number and the girl on the phone treated her so rude and wouldn't even help her contact a supervisor or anything.

NEVER EVER buy anything at Zales. Terrible.

An adventure in canning.

2011-02-08T17:27:00.001-08:00

An adventure in canning.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

In my quest for homemaker perfection, canning was one thing I still need to check off my list. Besides having yummy fruits in the pantry all year 'round...It will be nice to have jars of yumminess to give as gifts to friends and family.

Of course citrus is in season now, so Tangerine Marmalade it will be. The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook by Rachel Saunders is awesome. The pictures are gorgeous and make my mouth water. The recipes seem more complicated than I will need at first though. But it's a beautiful addition to my bookshelf.

I made a Greek dinner tonight. Chicken Souvlaki with warm pita and homemade tzatziki. I also made greek potatoes. It was so yummy!

Until tomorrow.....

Perfect on a dreary day.

2011-02-08T07:38:00.003-08:00

Perfect on a dreary day.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Surprise Maw Maw!

2011-02-08T07:38:00.001-08:00

Surprise Maw Maw!
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Family Ties

2011-02-08T07:37:00.007-08:00

Family Ties
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Pizza (abandoned)

2011-02-08T07:37:00.005-08:00

Pizza (abandoned)
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Tangerines, an Observation.

2011-02-08T07:37:00.003-08:00

Tangerines, an Observation.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Yep, got one.

2011-02-08T07:37:00.001-08:00

Yep, got one.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Raindrops keep fallin' on my...

2011-02-08T07:36:00.001-08:00

Raindrops keep fallin' on my...
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Thank God I live in Atlanta!

2011-02-08T07:35:00.001-08:00

Thank God I live in Atlanta!
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

BAD car day.

2011-02-08T07:34:00.003-08:00

BAD car day.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Speaking of the cats....

2011-02-08T07:34:00.001-08:00

Speaking of the cats....
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

While the cats away....

2011-02-08T07:33:00.003-08:00

While the cats away....
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Project365 - I'm jumping on.

2011-02-08T07:33:00.001-08:00

Project365 - I'm jumping on.
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

Project 365

2011-02-08T07:26:00.001-08:00

I've known about Project 365 for a few years now. It always seemed like such a monumental task that I never wanted to participate. My sister started on Jan 1st this year, and seeing her pictures motivated me to try. It gives me a short-term goal every day and keeps me accountable!
I've been posting my pictures on Flickr. Today will be Day 13. I thought it might be fun to upload my pictures here everyday too, and write a little bit....so at the end of the year, I can look back and remember every single day.
Pretty awesome way to not let time slip away.

So today, I will post my previous 12 photos and from today on, I will try to post every day!

Dream a little dream....

2010-10-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

I know we all dream every night, and don't even remember it. Sometimes, I will wake up from a dream and remember it in vivid detail, but then a few hours later I can't remember it at all. I think I should put a notebook by my bed so I can jot it down. I feel frustrated when I can't remember something so recent. I think its a mechanism our mind uses kind of like temporary Internet files, clears them out of your hard drive so you have room for more important memories.

When I woke up this morning, I remembered the dream I was having.

I dreamed that I was driving my sister's Scion, but in the dream it was my car. I was driving around alot, running errands. Then I met my uncle, because we were going on a trip together. At that point, I parked the car and rode with him. We went to eat, and then we went to the drug store. I can remember shopping in the drugstore vividly, but not what I was shopping for.

Then it was time to go get my car, and I could not remember where it was parked. We were searching all over and couldn't find it. We retraced all the steps I could remember and the car was no where to be found. I remember being worried that if I couldn't find my car before the trip, it would get towed away. I woke up before there was any resolution.

So, I thought it would be fun to look up the parts of my dream in a dream dictionary and see what it all means. This is what I found:

To dream that you forgot or can't find where you parked your car, indicates that you are dissatisfied or unhappy with an aspect of your waking life. You do not know what you really want to do with your life or where you want to go.

To dream that you are going on a trip, suggests that you are in need of a change of scenery. You are feeling overworked and need to take time out for yourself for some fun and relaxation. Alternatively, the dream means that you are looking to explore a different aspect of yourself.

To dream that you are on a business trip, suggests that you are having a difficult time trying to relax and being at ease. You may be feeling overwhelmed.

To dream that you are shopping, symbolizes your needs and desires. It also represents opportunities and options that you come across in life. Consider what you are shopping for and what needs you are try to fulfill. In particular, to dream that you are shopping for food and groceries, signifies your hidden attempt to buy the attention of others. If you are shopping for clothes, then it suggests that you are trying to put forth a new image.

To dream that you are in a drugstore, signifies a time for healing. You need to correct your thinking and readjust your attitude. You should look within yourself for the solution to a problem instead of relying on outside help. Alternatively, you may also be experiencing concerns with your health.

Its pretty creepy how accurate alot of that is. Maybe we should listen to our dreams more often....

It just isn't fair!

2010-04-22T07:44:00.001-07:00

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED -
Men are just happier people. What do you expect from such simple creatures?

You last name stays put.

The garage is all yours.

Wedding plans take care of themselves.

Chocolate is just another snack.

You can never be pregnant.

You can wear a white t-shirt to a water park.

You can wear NO shirt to a water park.

Car mechanics tell you the truth.

The world is your urinal.

You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.

Same work, same pay.

Wrinkles add character.

Wedding dress $5,000. Tux rental $100.

People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.

New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.

One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

A 5-day vacation only requires one suitcase.

You can open all your own jars.

You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.

If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a 3-pack.

Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.

The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.

You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life.

One wallet and one pair of shoes - one color for all seasons.

You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.

You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.

You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

The getting to know you quiz...AKA I'm so self absorbed.

2010-03-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

THE GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUIZ

I saw this meme-style quiz over on How to Eat a Cupcake who copied it from The Boastful Baker who copied it from Brownie Points. Both are awesome blogs, so check them out after you read this quiz.

PS: Feel free to copy it onto your blog so we can get to know YOU! :D

THE GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUIZ

Metal or non-stick? Baking or cooking? I use both for both I guess.

Cast iron or stainless? Both again! (man i'm boring) I love my cast iron for certain things and of course my stainless for all the rest.

Cutting board: silicone or wood? I like wood, but am scared of the sanitation factor. I have a ton of those thin plastic ones.

Knife: carbon steel or stainless? I think my knives are Stainless.

Kitchenaid or hand mixer? I love my kitchenaid stand mixer. Use it all the time! Wish I had more bowls for it!

Cooktop: gas, electric, induction? Well, if I had my choice it would be gas all the way, but only electric in my apartment :-(

Side-by-side, freezer on top, fridge on top? Again, apartment living SUCKS. I have a regular old freezer on top model. But I so want one of those beautiful french door models with the drawer freezer.

Apron or whoops? I love to wear aprons but I rarely remember to.

Mashed potatoes: by hand, ricer, or mixer? I like my potatoes lumpy, so I use my old fashioned potato masher and do it by hand!

Sandwich or wrap? I like both, but sometimes wraps can put on airs. Hehe.

PB & _________ ? Sugar. Yep, good old white sugar sprinkled on my PB. Don't judge me. I like the crunch?

Pancakes: syrup or applesauce? Um a big fat NO to applesauce. I like butter and macerated berries with their juice!

Cake: scratch or mix? I usually make my cakes from scratch, but sometimes I cheat and use a mix if I don't have time.

Chili: beans or no? Yes! Beans, beans the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot. The more you toot the better you feel, so eat your beans for every meal!

Napkin: cloth or paper? Usually paper towels. LOL

BBQ: takes the whole weekend to make or take out? I love to make my own in the crock-pot. But Dreamland BBQ is soooo good.

Chicken: white or dark? Legs and thighs please!

Ice cream: cone or dish? Depends, if its a fresh made waffle cone, then yes. Or soft serve on a cake cone, yummy. But usually just a cup!

♥ you all!

XOXO,
Kristen

100 things inspired by

2010-03-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

One of my other bloggers I follow posted her 100 interesting things a few days ago. It inspired me to post.....100 interesting things about me. So, Get in, sit down, hold on, and shut up.

1. I don't drink hot coffee. I drink cold coffee and hot tea.
2. I'm 26 going on 6 and love Hello Kitty.
3. I sleep with one foot off the side of the bed. And sometimes one arm too.
4. I can be physically abusive at times.
5. I have my tongue pierced.
6. I drive too fast.
7. I had my gall bladder out a few years ago.
8. I am meticulous when I fold laundry. My tshirts, jeans and towels must be a certain way.
9. I love, love, LOVE Greek food.
10. I was 3yrs old when my first car was sold.
11. I had a half brother. When I was 14, he committed suicide.
12. My first pet was an orange tabby named Spikey, he lived to be 20yrs old!
13. I wish I could go back to high school and do things over.
14. My favorite number is 24
15. I get depressed, alot.
16. My cats drive me crazy and keep me sane.
17. My Mom was adopted.
18. I'm hairy, for a girl.
19. I wish I had more of a southern accent.
20. I only clean when I can't stand the filth anymore.
21. I went to cosmetology school.
22. I have really, reeeallly bad road rage.
23. I want to kill or maim all landscapers and their instruments of torture.
24. <------YAY! It's #24!
25. I feel guilty for cheating on #24 and not including an interesting thing about me.
26. I love anything and everything Eiffel Tower related.
27. I used to be a freak for Jeff Gordon. Yes, the NASCAR racer.
28. I also used to have daydreams about marrying Conan O'Brien.
29. Funny men are -SO- sexy to me.
30. I also want to marry Vince Vaughn.
31. I hate Captain Crunch. It cuts my mouth!
32. I hate cold weather, but I love snow.
33. I secretly always wanted to live Amish...but just for like a week.
34. Citrus scents make me happy.
35. I am the worlds messiest cook.
36. My favorite movie is Grease....and 99% of all musicals.
37. I love the word Spooty.
38. I hate scary and/or gory movies. I H-A-T-E them!
39. Except I have seen House on Haunted Hill atleast 20 times.
40. I wear flip-flops 3/4 of the year.
41. I'm really, really grumpy in the morning.
42. The above is the gross understatement of the year.
43. I almost always shower at night.
44. I eat lime in and on almost everything.
45. Shopping makes me happy. And Broke.
46. Sometimes, I'm convinced my brother is the Devil's spawn.
47. I have a weakness for Siamese cats. Well, and cats in general.
48. I'm a republican, and proud of it.
49. I'm reallllly picky when it comes to men. I guess that's why I'm still single.
50. I'm happy when I make it 1/2 way through long lists.
51. Speaking of lists, I make them for EVERYTHING. I'm a serial list-maker.
52. I have a thing for writing utensils...and office supplies in general.
53. I play with dolls.
54. I don't like 98% of wine.
55. I have a not so secret girl crush on Pioneer Woman.
56. I have nice cleavage.
57. I have to fight with my pack-ratish, hoarding tendancies.
58. I have an inny belly button.
59. I am a hardcore hypochondriac.
60. My family means everything to me.
61. I don't call my grandma as much as I should. I have guilt about this.
62. I do not like our president and his political agenda.
63. I use my dSLR in fully automatic mode. I don't know how to use it any other way....YET.
64. We are living in a material world and I am a material girl.
65. I'm spoiled.
66. I have the best, best friend in the whole world.
67. I just really want to be accepted and liked.
68. I live paycheck to paycheck.
69. Let's do it. Heh.
70. I have 5 tattoos.
71. I am allergic to fresh cherries. But I love them so I eat them anyway.
72. I cry alot.
73. I want to have children, but no boys. Girls only please.
74. I am so disorganized, it's not even funny.
75. I started volunteering for an animal shelter. It's amazing in every way.
76. I spend 8-10 hours a day on the computer/internet. (7+ for my job and the rest recreational)
77. I'm stubborn as a mule.
78. I'm a mother hen. I will take care of you and worry about you.
79. I make cakes. Like on Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes. Yeah.
80. I love to read. I read trashy romance novels sometimes.
81. I have a hot mom.
82. If you google images "fierce modeling face" my picture shows up on the 3rd page.
83. My birthday is almost exactly half way through the year.
84. I hate phone conversations....especially with people I don't know.
85. I'm a stomach sleeper.
86. My sister, brother and I are all 8 yrs apart...almost to the month.
87. I don't, nor will I ever, play: farmville, petville, yoville or any other facebook time suckers.
88. I am a domestic goddess....well all except for that pesky cleaning part.
89. I'm obsessed with the HBO series, Big Love.
90. I share my birthday with John Elway.
91. I've been told i'm a good kisser.
92. I love to play Texas Hold 'em poker with the boys.
93. My Uncle lives in the house I grew up in.
94. I want to live by the ocean.
95. My entire name is 21 letters long.
96. I am addicted to Diet Coke.
97. I think his tractor's sexy. It really turns me on.
98. I think I could sleep 12 hrs a day and it wouldn't be enough. I'm always tired.
99. I love oldies.
100. I am so glad I made it to 100. Hope you did too.

So there you have it. Happy Monday.

Pee Dub Diddy in the hizouse!

2009-12-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

Look, it's a bird, it's a plane.... no, its PIONEER WOMAN!

Last night I got to meet not only one -but two- of my Blogger heroes! (More on the 2nd one later)

Pioneer Woman came to Atlanta for a signing for her brand new cookbook: "The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

I checked and checked again and it was scheduled for 7:30pm at the Borders on Peachtree Road across from Phipps Plaza. I got myself all ready and headed down, I arrived at 5:30 promptly. (yeah! i'm here early and I am ahead of the game!)

Walk in and up to the table set up at the front of the store! I'm here for PDub, where is the front of the line? He laughed. You can take your place behind the 250 people already here...........................

250 PEOPLE!?!?!

Lawd have mercy. Oh and the loverly PW moved the signing up to 6:00 and didn't tell a soul. Thanks girl!

Luckily, they came up with a handy dandy system of colored wristbands so I didn't actually have to stand in a line for all 4 hours. I found a spot on a bench and sat there people watching for the first 2 hours.......

Then I got tired of sitting. So I decided to go stand up near the front and sneak some paparazzi photos of Ree.....

Then I look to my right and who do I see?

None other than my favorite sweets blogger evar.........

BAKERELLA!

Whoops....she caught me, and she started taking pictures right back! Hey Bakerella!

She was so sweet, even held Tory!

Then FINALLY it was my turn to meet Ree. I strode over with confidence! "Hey Ree, Say hello to your new best friend"

Ahem....

Okay, I'll admit it. I was nervous! She is like my hero and all. But, she was complete sweet. She even pretended not to be creeped out that I brought her a gift, by the fact that I had a t-shirt that said "I ♥ PW" and the fact I was holding a doll, with a huge head,eyes and a tiny body?

I think it was all an act. I think, at this very moment she was looking for a way to signal her security to remove me from the premises.

Luckily for me, they missed her signals and I showed her how Tory's eyes change. Look at her face.... Doesn't it just say "Wow, could this girl get any more creepy!?"

But, she put on a good face. She really has some great acting skills. I forget all we said, I just know I was sweating profusely and rambling like an idiot.

Here is the signature in my cookbook:

.......I went to bed a very, very happy (creepy) woman last night!

Thanks Pioneer Woman!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

2009-10-12T12:57:00.001-07:00

Elvis has been running through my head ever since I heard the news! Guess what lucky girl gets to go to Vegas this January for the Int'l Consumer Electronics Show!? Yep, that would be me!! It will be my first time ever going to Las Vegas and I am soooooo out of my mind excited.

Second best part about my Vegas trip? I get to go to Paris!! (Not Paris, France, but Paris, Las Vegas!) Woot! I guess I better brush up on my French....oh la la!

I'm not down for all that lame touristy stuff...okay well maybe just a little bit. But you know what I want to do more than anything? Go to this place:

Yes, glory be to God. The Pinball Hall of Fame...hundreds of vintage pinball machines all line up in rows. Heaven! I love me some pinball. Now, just investigating how to get all those quarters through security at the airport.......

Myspace Countdown or Myspace Layouts

You have to check out Foose Cookie Cutters!

2009-10-07T10:40:00.001-07:00

You have to check out Foose Cookie Cutters!
Originally uploaded by kmiller799

The soundtrack of my life...

2009-09-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

I heard this on the Bert Show the past few days driving to work and I thought it would be fun to compile my very own soundtrack of my life....here goes....

1st song on 1st album you ever bought: My very first ever CD was Ace of Base....and you know I was jammin to "I saw the sign" (Video)

1st song I ever danced to: I have one song that defined my whole childhood and that had to be "Walk like an Egyptian" by The Bangles. I even danced to it as part of a 2nd grade project on Egypt...LOL (Video)

Song that makes you carsick or you just plain hate: Suicidal (beautiful girls) by Sean Kingston...i mean really? UGH! (Video)

Song that you blow off steam to/kickass song: The entire Smash Mouth: Fush Yu Mang album. For those of you that don't know their first album...its not the bubblegum pop you think of from "All Star", "walking on the sun" etc. They were hard! If I had to pick one song...it would have to be "Pet Names"....(video) (ignore the anime...its the only vid i could find with the song!)

Song that reminds you of a bad breakup/heartbreak: Well this one is easy...it's Leave the Pieces by The Wreckers....if you don't know it, go buy it on itunes NOW! (Video)

Song that reminds you of the first time you drove alone: It has to be Low Rider by War. Let me explain. My first car was a Cherry '86 Monte Carlo. (this was 2002) it was freaking awesome. My mom called it "The big comfy couch" because the bench seats were so plush and comfortable. *sigh* I miss my baby...she got stolen! (Video)

Song that makes you feel like a stripper. Okay, don't give me shit for this one but it's totally "Crazy Bitch" by Buckcherry. Yes, makes me feel like a raunchy dirty stripper baby. (Video)

1st song you made out to....this one was hard, I don't really remember but a song I remember from those early make out days had to be Boys II Men, "I'll make love to you"...ahhh those were the days. (Video)

Song that reminds you of your parents: This one is easy..."Jack and Diane" by John Cougar Mellencamp....well my Mom's name is Dianne and she really loves that song...so it always reminds me of my parents (video)

Song that describes your life right now: Anything Lady Gaga....but I guess particularly "Poker Face"....i cannot stay still when that song comes on. And, I play alot of Poker! haha 2 for 1! Love it! (video)

In honor and celebration: Blondies!!!!

2009-09-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

In honor of my favorite blogger Pioneer Woman, and in celebration of my new cookbook:

I decided to do my very own step by step (oooh baby...) recipe blog. Today's featured recipe?

Blondies!

First, we need to sift together dry ingredients.

Start with 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.

Then a teaspoon of Baking Powder.

1/2 teaspoon of salt if you please. (not really its a required ingredient)

Then sift it alllllll together.

In a separate bowl, grab a stick o' unsalted butter. And YES, you do have to use unsalted. Remember that salt we added earlier? That's why. Besides, you alllllways use unsalted butter for baking.

Now, melt the heck out of that butter. Then let it cool.

Now is time for the sugar. Light brown sugar. 1 1/2 cups, tightly packed. Stat!

Whisk to incorporate.

It will look like this when you are done.

Time for the huevos! 2 large huevos please!

And now, 4 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract. Yep, not a typo. 4 whole teaspoons.

Then you do the hokey pokey and whisk it all about....

Remember those dry ingredients we sifted? Now it's their time to shine!

Dump it in and mix thoroughly.

Looks all nice and purdy like this:

Time for the good stuff. Now I know semi-sweet morsels are not traditional here. I know that butterscotch morsels are what I am supposed to use. But hey, don't start the argument with me...see that cookbook up at the top? They allege, that people like the semi-sweet morsels better....so I will trust and obey.

1/2 cup of semi-sweet...or more if you are a choco-holic like me.

Mmmm...now 1/2 cup of white chocolate

(then stir them in) I missed a picture for this step...oops! But, I think you can handle it.

Now we prepare our pan. Make what they call a tinfoil sling for your 13x9 pan. This helps you lift them out when they are ready to cut so you can have those pretty bake sale squares.
Then, grease the pan. You can use butter or Crisco...but I live by Pam for Baking. Works every time!

Now pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Smooth it all around.

Bake for 20-24 minutes in a 350° oven, or until a toothpick comes out dry with a few moist crumbs.

Ooooh look how pretty! Now is the hard part. Gotta let them babies cool.

Once they are cool, use the foil to lift them from the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut in to big yummy ooey gooey squares.

Prepare your glass of ice cold 2% and enjoy!

Yummmmie!

Hope you enjoyed my little tutorial!

Crap.

2009-09-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Just read a blog

that makes me tear up

just about every time

I read it.

Single father

who writes

in the most peculiar style

but it lends itself

to expressing

the heartache he feels

on a daily basis.

Heart wrenching.

It makes me

cry every time.

Fall is almost here

and I am feeling

very

overwhelmed.

More black on

the damn calendar

than I can bear.

Makes me wish

I could just

getaway from

it all.

Too much

stress in

my life these days.

Crap.

Wilton Course 1: Class 2

2009-08-11T06:32:00.000-07:00

Well, 2 down, 2 to go.

Last night's Wilton class was slightly less boring, but not much. At least we actually got to do something this class other than sit and watch the teacher talk.

We practiced piping and decorated our first cake in the class. The teacher had everyone else in the class pipe a flower onto their cakes but she called me up to the front with my cake and had me demonstrate using piping gel to transfer a pattern onto the cake. So my cake turned out to be a rainbow! Whoo.

The older lady beside me was really having a problem with the rose thing we started last night. I tried to help her...but it almost seems like a lost cause. Honestly I really feel better about my self-taught skills being in this class! There is only a few, out of a class of about 12 that really know what they are doing.

John at work, who the cake was for, realllly loved he rainbow. *rolls eyes*

Next week we are to bring in a dozen cupcakes to decorate. We are doing the creepy Wilton Clowns. Oh joy.

So anyways, here is my cake from the second class:

Wilton Course 1: Class 1

2009-08-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

Last Monday was my first of 4 Wilton cake decorating classes. I have been needing to take these classes for a while...but at $70, I had to wait for the right time. I got a gift certificate for my birthday, so I went ahead and signed up.

The first class was pretty boring and repetitive for me. We went through our kits and "learned" what everything was and what it is used for. Of course, I already use all these items. The teacher made a batch of buttercream. I could make buttercream with my eyes closed. Then she showed how to torte a cake and ice with buttercream. Of course, I have iced my fair share of buttercream cakes, so this was a bit monotonous, but she did have a few pointers that were new to me. One was freezing the cake prior to frosting...it makes a world of difference!

Then she gave us our homework and supplies to buy (yep, we had to buy a bunch of stuff that the lady that signed me up for the class insisted was "optional")

Bake 1 cake, 2 layers. (Leave one in the freezer for next week)
Make 3 batches of Wilton Buttercream (stiff consistency, Medium and thin)
Use thin to torte and ice cake, divide medium into 2 and color green, and color of choice and also tint stiff consistency batch.

Well, I was talking to the lady at my work who handles goodies for the birthdays around here and we have a co-worker with a birthday coming up on Tuesday, so I will be bringing my cake into work.

The instructor recommended we use a cake mix for our cake...but I find that a bit boring, and everyone loves my Almond Sour Cream cake, so I decided to whip up a batch of that for this cake. I halved the recipe...since I didn't need 4 layers. I guess my measurements were off somewhere, because it didn't quite turn out the way it usually does....but it worked so I am satisfied with it.

I decided that this shortening icing was too disgusting to fill the cake with as well, since people would be eating it...so i set out in search of something yummy for the filling. I found a recipe for chocolate chip buttercream (ACTUALLY made with butter, unlike Wilton's "shorteningcream") that sounded yummy so I headed off to the kitchen.

After whipping up the basic buttercream, I went in search of the chocolate chips....and I searched....and searched. No chocolate chips. WHAT!?! I always have chocolate chips. Because one never knows when the craving for some chocolate chip cookies will hit.

Well, crap...okay. Plan B. Wait, I don't have a plan B.

Then my eyes hit the package of unsweetened bakers chocolate squares. BINGO! Hoping upon all hope that the unsweetened chocolate would not be too bitter I threw them into the food processor and hoped for the best.

OH MY LAWDY. Bestill my beating heart....it turned out to be one of the most delicious things that ever passed my lips. I could eat it with a spoon! Or over ice cream....or on cupcakes....hmm....or as the filling of a cannoli...oh the possibilities are endless!

And, no...I won't be sharing my recipe...its mine and I want people to ask ME to make it for them! (Wow, I am getting more and more like my late grandma every day)

Tonight is my second class of Course 1...so stay tuned!

Ode to the Membership Club....

2009-08-05T10:05:00.000-07:00

Oh Sams Club how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways....

1. Fabulous eats. I mean come on, its no Chez Francois...but a HUGE Nathans Hot Dog and Drink for $1.50. Tell me you can resist!

2. Samples, samples, samples.....Coconut Shrimp, cheese and crackers, BBQ sausages, mini egg rolls....oh I could go on for days.

3. Junk food in gargantuan proportions...I mean 5lbs of Cheez-Its? Yeah baby!

4. Office supplies...on steroids. For some strange reason I have a obsession with office supplies...pens, markers, cute post-its, tape dispensers...I love it all.

I wish I had a huge storage/pantry/fridge/freezer so I could buy everything at Sams. Le sigh.

I need your help bbs!

2009-07-14T10:17:00.001-07:00

The next cake on my list is a cake for my Great Grandma Et's 96th birthday. It will be a small, family affair...so I am not planning anything too grand, but I do want to go in with an idea and I have had a few different ideas for a theme and I need your help picking one!

The cake will be a White Almond Sour Cream Cake with Almond buttercream

1. Purple fondant with white accents and white daisies with yellow centers.
Et has always loved the color purple, she has alot of purple clothes and it has just been one of her trademarks.

2. Purple iced cupcakes with a white daisy accent
Same idea as above but cupcakes instead

3. "31" card game themed cake with green fondant and Spade, diamond, club and heart accents
Et has always loved to play cards, and she plays this particular game with her family alot and she used to play several times a week with her dear friend Hugh. My idea was to make a themed cake with a green fondant background, fondant playing cards and silver dimes...with the card suits in red and black as accents

4. Red ruby themed cake with swarovski crystal accents and roses
Ruby is the birthstone for July, so my idea was to make a red and white cake (possibly with red roses, fresh or gum paste) and have dangling accents of red swarovski crystals

So, now that you have my ideas....please help me decide!!

Thanks so much in advance!

Baking Escapades, Southern Belles and Our Nation's Birthday

2009-07-02T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Bloggies,

(blog readers...would be bleaders!? eww... Blog Homies....Blomies? Blog Peepes....Bleeps...none of those are good)

Editors Note: This entire post should be read in a Scarlett O'Hara accent.

Hello darlin's! It has been dreadful long since I last picked up my pen and detailed the goings-on of my dreadfully boring life for ya'll. Please do accept my sincerest apologies for that.

Okay, enough with the Scarlett crap.

I have been so busy the past few weeks! June has indeed been a crazy month for me! It all started a few weeks ago with the serendipitous beginning of my cake "business" My friend Crystal was having a baby shower and she asked moi to make her cake. I was flattered obviously...but...a cake...for in public? For a shower with people I don't know!?! I was terrified. Somehow I got it in my genius (read:STUPID) head that I wanted to do a beautiful fondant cake.

Yep.

Fondant.

Never touched the stuff in my life. (besides peeling it off of cakes I was consuming)

So, it was at that point I decided I better practice first. Birthday of a co-worker coming up? Check. Fabulous.

So it was at that point I decided I wanted to make Marshmallow Fondant, so everyone would be able to eat it. (Gorgeous and tasty!)

Well, turns out practice cake was a success. Check this puppy out:

*insert applause here*

Then, the very next week I would be tackling the "for real" shower cake.

And, I don't mean to brag or anything (okay, yeah I do) but it turned out amazing! I was so happy (as was Mommy-to-be) Check it out!

*insert standing ovation here*

So this pretty much lead to a bunch of people saying they know such and such who needs a cake for such and such and they would pass my name along.

Thennn, I figured if I was actually going to turn this into something on the side, I should probably have some sort of card to hand out with my name on it.

Thus, Daisy Belle Cakes was born. Check out my marketing:

The next weekend was girls weekend to Charleston, SC...which also happened to be my Birthday weekend...whoo hoo! We had a fabulous time. It was hot as Satan's Balls, and we almost got killed by a tornado...but other than that, a fabulous time was had by all!

Here are the Millers three...

We celebrated with birthday fudge at 12:01am June 28th.

Enjoying the mornings on the porch....ET, Mom and Maw Maw
Jeanne and ET in the midst of "Operation: Harbor Cruise '09"

Obligatory Scenery Picture: Charles River Bridge...pretty isn't it?
We also spent the afternoon at Folly Beach on the 28th. It was great. Sand between the toes, sticky salt water skin the whole 9. We ate at the restaurant at the pier. There was a lobster machine outside. Yep, I said it. A lobster machine. Picture an arcade stuffed animal machine, but with lobsters. Fascinating.

We had a ton of good food while we were there. Ate at:

West Ashley Crab Shack

The Noisy Oyster (Downtown Charleston)
The Buccaneer

and

Locklear's Seafood

(among others)

Yay for seafood!

I have tons more pictures posted here: Facebook Charleston Weekend Photo Album

Now is the point in this post that you are expected to feel jealous of me. Very jealous.

This weekend (as we all know) is our Nations Birthday...yep...Independence Day, 4th of July....call it what you will.

We have plans to spend the day on this:

On the lake called Lanier.

With the Family called Tingley, and Taylor and Deitrich and...a bunch of other peeps whom which I do not know. But, a fun time will be had by all. No doubt.

Stay tuned for pics of the dessert goodies I have planned to take! You will die!

Okay my lovelies, I hope you have a fun and safe 4th of July!

I'll be watching you....

2009-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Can you fall in love with a person through reading their blog?

Maybe the question is not "can you"...but "Is it crazy that..."

I have quite a few blogs that I follow on my Google RSS reader. I check it faithfully every day for updates on all my favorite internetland people. I find myself feeling sad if they have not updated in a while. Melancholy that I can not get my regularly scheduled glimpses into their 'much more interesting than mine' lives.

You get to feel like you know them....like you are right there with them cooking dinner for Marlboro Man and the Punks...or right beside them making cakepops....or simmering frijoles, and painting Vans for the chil'rens.

I love my blogs...and I don't care if Pioneer Woman, Bakerella or Pear Mama don't know I exist! I still love them! Call me crazy if you must.

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
I'll be watching you

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
I'll be watching you

Uncouth?

2009-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Would it be in poor taste to get a paypal donation button for my Crackberry fund?

I've seen other people do it for ipods and new cars...so why not me for Crackberry?

Help a sista out!

Needs no title, no explanation...

2009-06-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

Oh beloved Crackberry...

2009-06-01T13:05:00.001-07:00

I want you so....

catching up....

2009-06-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am a moody blogger. Yep, I only blog when I am in the mood.

Its JUNE...which means my birthday month starts TODAY! Whoo for 28 days left till I turn 26 and am officially OLD. Urgh. Feel free to send me gifts. Thank you.

My $#%*^%in' cell phone went bezerk on me Saturday and decided it was time to quit working. So now I am stuck with a POS not much better replacement, until I can purchase another. I want a Blackberry. Blackberry expensive. Kristen broke. You get the idea.

I had a really fun day with my Grandma yesterday. The effects if her chemotherapy are finally starting to wear off, which I am so thankful for. She bought us a membership to the High Museum of Art. So yesterday we went to the member preview of the Monet: Waterlilies exhibit that opens on June 6th. It was a very interesting exhibit. Then we went to dinner at a tapas bar called Eclipse de Luna. It was my first time at a tapas restaurant. We had SO much fun. The food was yummy! We had roasted asparagus with manchego cheese, black bean hummus with naan, salmon tacos with cucumber relish and a grilled flat bread with roasted tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese! It was all fantastic! Then we walked over to Cafe Intermezzo and shared a slice of their Canolli cake...it was TO DIE FOR! Oh my mouth waters just thinking about that cake. So delish! I had a really fun time with her, and I am so glad she is still here despite the cancer. She is a really special lady and I am so thankful she is my Grandma.

Brain dump.

2009-05-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that Summer is finally here. I mean, I know since I am a working girl that summer does not really produce the same joy that it did when I was in school and I could live free for 3 months...but alas I am a summer baby and I still love me some summer!

Speaking of being a Summer baby...my birthday is coming up...you all better put it on your calendars! June 28th! Don't you forget it! Best day of the year, it is! I am going to be 26. UGH...did I just say that out loud? I can't quite figure out when I stopped feeling excited about being another year older and started to dread it. I would say it was shortly after 21. No more monumental coming of ages to be had anymore. Just oldness. 26 is....half way to 50! OH MY GAWD. *faints*

Sorry about that...just practicing my Scarlett impression. I do live in Georgia you know.

Speaking of my birthday...I have something planned that I have never done on my birthday before...a birthday trip! We are planning a girls weekend to Charleston. It will be my Great-Grandma Et, Maw Maw Jan, my Mom, Me, my Sister and possibly my Aunt Jeanne. Should be fabulous. Where better to spend your birthday than in the most genteel city in the south?

Then family vacay will be not long after that. No plans have been made yet (big surprise) but my parents always wait till the very last minute to plan these things. I think they live for the thrill of the last minute. "Will we be able to find a condo?" They love it. I, for one, hate it. Somehow between their genes I got the love to plan ahead gene. I could and would plan a vacation a year in advance. Last minute does not thrill me!

I am totally addicted to this Beverly Lewis serise right now. OMG. Let me tell you. There are 5 books in the series, I started book number 1 ehh...less than 2 weeks ago. I finished book #4 in one night 2 nights ago and now I am sitting in the edge of my seat to get #5 from Barnes and Noble.com. Should be here any day now. The books are about an Amish family in Lancaster County. Which is where my family happens to be. Who knew the Amish had so much drama! These things are like "As the Butter Churns" or "Lancaster General Hospital". I am eating it up! I am going to be so sad when I finish the last book in the series. Then what will I do? Ugh.

Well, I could probably brain dump for another hour but I am sure you are bored by now and are probably thinking about your weekend plans or that you need to brush your teeth or something far more interesting than my ramblings so I will let you go.

Love, Peace and Taco Grease!

Death to Landscapers

2009-05-12T05:48:00.001-07:00

I hate them, I despise them...Excuse my language but they can go straight to hell! I don't know for what reason but it seems like every single morning those POS landscapers are blowin' and mowin' and edgin' all round my apartment...WHY!? Once a week, okay I can see...but they are there AT LEAST 3 mornings a week disturbing my last 30-45 minutes of precious sleep! Anyone who cherishes sleep like I do knows that last 30 minutes is precious and not to be disturbed.

I've always had a huge gripe with any sort of landscaping noise making equipment. I would have to say it is my biggest pet peeve. Being woken up by a mower at 9am on a Saturday morning when I was a teenager. Or outside my office window while I was trying to talk on the phone or work at my job. Now at the freaking apartment complex 3 days of the week at 7am. Seriously, if I had a gun in my apartment...I would be going to jail for murder because I would pick them off one by one. And it would feel good.

The biggest complaint I have is....what the heck are they even mowing? There is not a speck of grass anywhere around the back buildings in my complex. They make the front look all nice and lush and green and the back is one giant mud pit. I have to walk through 3 inch mud puddles to get to my apartment every time it rains. Its disgusting.

I cannot wait to get the hell out of these apartments. December can not come soon enough.

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride...

2009-05-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

If I were a color, I’d be…pink...because I'm bright and bubbly and girly.

If I were an animal, I'd be...a cat, so I could lay around all day and sleep and have no worries in the world. Did you know cats sleep up to 17 hrs a day! Lucky bastards!

If I were a landscape, I’d be...a white sandy beach, warm and comforting beneath my toes. And no, not just because i'm white and pasty! Gah!

If I were a plant, I’d be...rose, because they are beautiful, but as Bret Michaels lovingly taught us....Every Rose has its thorn.

If I were a vehicle, I’d be…lets be honest...I would be a mini-van or something equally as embarassing.

If I were a type of music, I’d be…something chill like Nora Jones or Regina Spektor.

If I were a food item, I’d be…a big juicy STEAK...mmmmm me likey RED meat! Growl!

If I were an article of clothing, I’d be…flip flops....casusal and cool.

If I were a household appliance, I’d be…Crock Pot....because I love to cook lowww and slowww allll dayyy longggg.

If I were a celestial object, I’d be…a star....haha...yeah I shine brightly!

If I were a tool, I'd be...sledge hammer....cause im heavy and I like to break things.

If I were a time of day, I’d be…dusk....still a little sun left but just beginging to see the cool, calm night.

If I were a spice or herb, I’d be…mint...cause im fresh and versitile!

If I were a piece of jewelry, I’d be…a charm bracelet...helping you remember all your favorite memories.

If I were a toy, I’d be…play doh....I can be mushed and squshed into a multitude of shapes.

If I were a shape, I’d be...a heart...curvy and pointy all at once...and full of love.

Your daily LOL

2009-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Or in this case...your daily ROFLMFAO!

*ahhh* I love JT on SNL!

Hello World: "All the single ladies..."#links

2009-05-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hello World: "All the single ladies..."#links

Consumer review: Hair Poufs

2009-05-01T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, recently I have been seeing an infomerical about this new product out called Bumpits. These little plastic comb-like things that you put under your hair to "Bump it up" and give that all popular Southern Beauty Queen hair...or look like a B52...take your pick. Well, it just so happens that I wish I was a Southern beauty queen and I love the B52's...alas, I was dying for some of these Bumpits. Being the good little consumer that I am, I almost always do my research before purchasing something online or through an infomerical....does it work? is it a piece of crap? Well, the common consensus on these was that they are crap...they show through your hair...and I have really thin hair...so that was no good. Besides...who wants to put something on their head that is comprised of the words BUM and PIT....i mean...GROSS!

However, one blog I read said that Vidal Sassoon had a product out called Hair Poufs that were a much better design than the Bumpits. Also, you can buy them at Ulta...score...no crazy shipping charges! Well....I got to Ulta...much to my dismay no Hair Poufs....well one pack, but they were blond and one was missing...crap! So I decided to ask if they had any in stock....manager comes back to me with these:

Okay so a little different than the ones I came after. (The ones I was looking for were little tootsie roll shaped things covered in fake hair) But, manager said if I was interested in these she could give me a $3.50 coupon since these were not what I was looking for. I was skeptical...the hair ones seemed obvious because there was less a chance they would show. But, at last I was swayed and decided to go with these. Besides, they rang up on sale for $7.99, plus the $3.50 off...I only ended up paying $5, so that was schweet! So yesterday, I decided to try them out. I had to still tease my hair a little...but I was never able to get this kind of lift without these little babies. They are light as a feather and I didn't even notice they were there! I wore them all day without any discomfort. Annnnnd my hair stayed poufy! Whoo hoo! Here were my results: This is my Top Model face...."You wanna be on top? Na na na na na"

Back of the pouf....a little messy..but hey, this was my first time! Give me a break!
I totally favor my cousin Athena in this picture. These are my Top Model eyes....fierce...no?

So, all in all, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone who wanted to try the hair pouf look. I would still like to get some of the hair tootsie rolls to try...but in the mean time....these are great!!

Hi, My name is Kristen and I am addicted to popcorn.

2009-04-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I will admit it. I have an addictive personality. Some people are just more wired than others to get addicted to things. I am one of those people.

Luckily....none of my addictions thus far has landed me in any sort of anonymous meeting. Granted, there is nothing wrong with that, but all of my addictions have been legal...and not harmful to my health, mostly anyway.

Diet Coke, shopping, baked goods....and now popcorn. But, not just any popcorn. Kettlecorn. But not just any Kettlecorn. THIS Kettlecorn.

Oh sweet baby Jesus, is this stuff ever good. I beg you NOT to every try it...cause you will get hooked. I promise you. Resistance is futile!

Annnd, they have other flavors....Cheddar Cheese, White Cheddar, Sea Salt, Movie Theater, Buffalo....ohhh yummy.

If I were a rich woman (which I am decidedly NOT) I would make a whole swimming pool, just to fill it with this kettlecorn. Then I would swim in it. Daily. Mmmm, yes ma'am!

Pictures

2009-04-23T12:40:00.001-07:00

Spikey ~RIP~

1989-2008

Dunkin' Donuts

Sassy Baby ~RIP~

Daisy "Boo"

"Porta"Bella

Tiger

Punkin "foofa"

People say its "just" an animal...but people do not understand.

2009-04-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

My Dad called me today and asked me to take one of our cats to the vet. Tiger is our gray tabby adopted neighborhood stray. He and his brother have been with us since they were kittens. They showed up in our back yard screaming for food and neither of them ever left.

Punkin has always been pretty healthy...I think he is a wimp and pretty much tries to stay away from trouble, but Tiger is the neighborhood badass. He is huge and often comes home with battle scars. His ear is all flopped over from an infection he had and he has FIV, but he is the sweetest cat, he has a Hemi for a purr motor and he will sit in your lap and knead and drool whenever you will let him.

Well, our big Tiger has turned into a skin and bones Tiger in a matter of weeks. My Dad thinks its worms...and I can only hope so.

This past year has been pretty trying on the cat front for me and my family. I adopted an adorable little orange and white stray who I named Dunkin. He lived with me and my Siamese Daisy for a little while, but he was too wild to be an indoor kitty so he went to live at my Dad's shop and be a mouser. He disappeared for a few weeks over there and then came limping home...apparently he hurt his shoulder/arm/leg. He healed okay but still limps around.

Then my very first cat Spikey had to be put to sleep. He was very very old...in his 20's...and it was his time to go, but that made it no easier. I carried him to the Vet, barely breathing and watched as he passed over the rainbow bridge. That was a very sad day.

Then a friend of mine called, she had some stray kittens she picked up...I can never resist a kitten so I adopted one and named her Sassy, as a tribute to another Sassy we had who was hit by a car. They looked just alike! Sassy was the sweetest cat on this earth, no doubt. I loved her dearly, but just a few months in, she swallowed an Excedrin Migraine I had on my nightstand and I had to have her put down. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Sweet little baby Sassy.

I am taking Tiger to the Vet that treated Sassy when she was sick and I know it will be a hard thing to walk in there again. The folks were so sweet, and even sent a sympathy card when they heard I had to take her to an Emergency hospital over the night and have her put to sleep.

The bright spots are...I still have my Baby Boo Daisy and I adopted a new kitty. She was at a rescue shelter for Siamese. She is actually a Balinese which is a long hair version of the Siamese. The lady at the rescue said they thought she had been abused, because she was so skittish and afraid of human touch. When I first got her, I could see why they thought that. She is such a sweet baby and you can tell she wants love and attention but she always flinches when you reach to touch her. It breaks my heart! Now, many months down the road after much love and patience she has grown to love and trust me. It was a great accomplishment.

I am rambling about this cause it feels good to get it off my chest. Thanks for listening.

Tara is the Biggest Loser (and not in a nice way)

2009-04-22T07:49:00.001-07:00

Ok, I am going to bore you all with some Biggest Loser complaints.

I am totally hating that Kristin got voted off last night. Mike is a bitch. So is his Dad...I can't believe how 2 faced Ron is!! Kristin was fabulous (and not just because we share a name!) Not to mention she really needed to be on the ranch and lose more weight! I hope they all go down in flames and Filipe takes the whole thing. He is the only contestant left who hasn't been a lying cheating bitch! Whew..okay...I need a zen moment.

As for Tara...I am really getting sick of that smug "i'm better than you" smile she constantly has plastered across her face. Yes, she is kicking butt...but what happened to being humble? Isn't pride one of the 7 deadly sins? I really just want to slap that look off her face. And all the whining about Laura leaving? Get over it! Every contestant left, save Ron and Mike, have had their partner leave the ranch. Its hard, it sucks, we know. But suck it up for real. She was hurt, she needed to leave.

Ahh...feels good to pitch that little bitch fit.

Side note: Totally happy that Lawrence Taylor got voted off Dancing With The Stars....it was his time to go! I am still torn between Melissa and Shawn....and still hating Cheryl....

Shout outs

2009-04-21T07:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to do a quick shout out for some of the blogs that I really love and read all the time. They have given me tons of laughs, tears and interesting reads and I feel I need to pay it forward and point all my loyal readers in their direction. (Okay, who am I kidding, no one reads this!) Anyways.....in no particular order

A Year of CrockPotting - This crazy lady cooked a meal every single day of 2008 in her crock-pot....there are some amazing recipes here!

Bakerella- God's gift to all things pastry and cute. She makes these "cake pops" omfg...amazing. Really a sight to behold!

Hello World - This is Pearmama, she has tons of little chil'rens running around, and she still manages to be fabulous. She and her husband are also artists, really fabulous ones at that.

Jenny B - I love Jenny, she is one of my dolly friends. She lives in Bean Town, loves all things fashion and is passionate about some great causes and issues.

matt, liz and madeline - This is the blog of Matt, Daddy of Maddy and widower of beloved wife Liz. This is his story of raising Maddy as a single father. He is a saint I swear, and his writing style just sucks you in. I sat for hours reading the archive. Laughing, crying... have tissues near by.

There are some others I read too...check them out over there on the sidebar. They are all equally amazing.

Now go....shoo....you have lots of reading to do!

A little game of catch up

2009-04-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the dentist yesterday. It had been a few years since my last cleaning (no insurance) so I was nervous as to what was going on inside this loud mouth. I had a tooth on the right side that would throb from time to time and I was scared it was cavities. Well, the good news is...no (new) cavities! Whew...I almost fell out of the chair when the dentist said that in his broken English. Side note: why are almost all dentists Asian? Anyways, I did have one of my childhood fillings fall out so I have to get that re-filled, but I only have to pay $80 out of pocket for the white composite filling, so that's decent.

I went to the High Museum with my bestie on Friday for The First Emperor: Terracotta Army exhibit. It was so awesome. I am a history buff, so it was fascinating to me. The emperor built over 7,000 of these life size terracotta army men to watch over him in the afterlife. He also built civil officials, horses, cranes and birds and there is a legend that he built a liquid mercury river to flow through his underground world. The roof was even painted with stars. Fascinating. The next exhibit that is coming is Monet: Water Lilies. I am psyched about that too. It opens in June.

Saturday morning, I went to an Open House at Le Cordon Bleu, a culinary school here in Atlanta. If you know me, you know I love to cook and bake, and I have always thought in the back of my head that I would love to have a career in the field. I especially love pastries and baking. Well, the school has a Patisserie and Baking certificate program. I am all over that. I would love to do wedding and celebration cakes. But *jaw drop* just the Pastry and Baking certificate program is ..........$20,000. Yep. The full culinary program is almost $40,000! Whew, that's a huge chunk of change and I am broke. Oh well.....maybe some day I will be able to afford it. The tour was fun, and then one of the instructor chef's did a demonstration and made the whole "class" Eggs Benedict with Tourne potatoes and a salad. It was delish!

Saturday afternoon was the neighborhood spring party. It's usually a decent way to spend a nice afternoon. This was no exception. They had a moon bounce for the kids, face painting, cupcake decorating and pine cone bird feeder making. The face painting was awesome. Overall, a fun weekend!

Since I can't garden outside.....

2009-04-15T10:21:00.000-07:00

Why not bring the garden inside?

I am DYING to get one of these:

It's an AreoGarden, and it's flippin awesome. It grows plants, flowers, herbs, lettuce, tomatos, peppers or whatever you want....indoors....hydroponically! I live in a *$#@ apartment, which gets mostly shade all day long....so I haven't been able to grow squat since ive lived here. It breaks by heart cause I looove to garden and plant flowers.

This little beauty is the answer to my prayers! Its a self contained garden...that grows indoors! No need to add sunlight.

I'm dying to get one, but they are rather expensive. Hmmm...my birthday is coming up in a few months! Hint, hint!

Do you want me to call the wahhhhmbulance?

2009-04-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

I feel like absolute crap. I don't know what is going on with me, but it seems like everything that could possibly wrong, is wrong.

I know most of you would rather not listen to me whine, so you can tune out now.

The biggest of my complaints is the $@#@$% pollen. My allergies have been giving me absolute HELL for the past 2 weeks. I sneeze about...ehhh... close to A MILLION times a day. Sniffle, snot, itchy, watery eyes, dry mouth, fluid in BOTH ears. Damn, I sound like a commercial . It is absolute hell.

I haven't been sleeping well for a week now. I swear I wake up every hour on the hour. Tossing and turning. Even my Simply Sleep doesn't help as it usually does. I wake up feeling like I got ran over with a Mac truck.

My neck and shoulders hurt, my shoulder muscles are tender to the touch. I have pretty much a constant headache.

My emotions are freaking screwed up. I cry all the time for no reason at all. As a matter of fact, tears are rolling down my face right now...why? I have no idea.

WHAT THE %$#& is wrong with me? GRRRRRRR!

Babysitting Adventures, Part 1

2009-04-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Since my Mom, Dad and Uncle are up in PA for my Great Aunt Rosie's funeral, I am staying over at my parent's house taking care of my sister and brother.

Just one night has given me quite and insight in what it will be like when I have kids!

I wrangled Lauren into a walk down to feed Miss Kitty (neighbor's cat) with Nathaniel and I yesterday afternoon. It was a nice little walk and we were all hungry when we got back.

I started cooking dinner while Nathaniel played with his cars and Lauren was on the phone with her boyyyyfriend.

Hot dogs, french fries and broccoli was on the menu tonight. Simple dinner, it didn't take us long to devour.

Then we had to tackle Nathaniel's homework. He has a little attention problem and we suffered though about half. Then I promised them we could go get ice cream at Brusters.

And we did. Lauren had Birthday Cake, Nathaniel had Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and I had Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. It was delish.

Lauren tried to talk me out of making her go to her after school class for the Gateway. I had to promise I would dye her hair before her Florida trip with her boyyyyfriend, to get her to go.

So, we stopped at CVS to buy hair color. Lauren has the longest, not to mention thickest hair you have ever seen in your life. So, I had to buy 2 boxes of color for her. We just barely had enough!

Then it was home, and a bath for Nathaniel. We worked on some pronouns while he was in the tub. Then once he was out and in jammies we worked on another page of his CRCT packet.

Then it was bed for him. We laid down and read Stone Soup, then I tucked him in. But, I am not done yet!

Then I had to color Lauren's hair. As I mentioned before, its so LOOOONG and thick that we used 2 bottles and it took me almost 20 minutes to apply. My back was aching!!

Finally i got to get in jammies and relax and watch King of the Hill and Family Guy on Adult Swim.

Drifted off to sleep about midnight.

About 5am this morning a violent thunderstorm woke me up. I was worried about Nathaniel being scared so I stayed awake for a while listening for him.

Alarm went off at 6:10 to get Lauren up for school. Luckily she popped right up and I didn't have any trouble.

Back to bed until 7:30 when I got up to get Nathaniel ready for school. He got up good too, and dressed himself. We sat and brushed the cat for a while then I drove him to school since it was raining.

Now I am at work. Ready for lunch. Stay tuned for the next episode tomorrow!!

Confickr C

2009-04-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Have you tested your computer for the Confickr C Worm? I did mine this morning. I found a really helpful virus scan here: Micrsoft Virus Scan

How stupid have we become?

2009-04-01T06:29:00.000-07:00

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2008
Scenario 1: Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack. 1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2008 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2: Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2008 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged them with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3: Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students...
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sitsstill and does not disrupt class again..
2008 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2008 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison... Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5: Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2008 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6: Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2008 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2008- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called.. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watchlist and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8: Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2008 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.

BlytheCon 2009

2009-03-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

Things have really gotten rolling on BlytheCon 2009! Linda, Jessica, Megumi and I have been working night and day to get things in motion for this great event!

We have a ton of special guests lined up including (but not limited to): Gina Garan and Megan (Minklet) and a grand list of sponsors!

We have our venue set for a cute little gallery called YoungBlood in a adorable Atlanta neighborhood called Virginia Highlands.

We will have Blythe goods vendors from all over the country and even have some other great craft/hobby vendors getting in line.

Oh! I almost forgot the date! Mark your calendars for October 17th 2009! I hope to see you there!

hacksnifflesneezeGROAN*

2009-02-23T10:39:00.001-08:00

Well, I am back to the land of the living, but barely. Skipped work on Thursday as I was feeling like crapola when I woke up (which isn’t exactly new and different than the 3-5 previous days but it seemed worse this day) so, I made an appointment with The Doc.

Well, turns out my body is fulfilling its life long dream to become a living, breathing Petri dish, and I am host to a infection, but get this….its Viral and Bacterial? How does that happen?

None the less, I was sent on my merry way with the antibiotics and a warning to stay away from anyone who didn’t want to host my loverly energy-sucking, snot producing germs.

Played hooky again on Friday…and spend most of the weekend resting (or trying though many family occasions seemed to get in the way)

It’s Monday and I am back again. Though not feeling much better. It seems the crap has left my head and found refuge in my chest. Now, instead of blinding sinus headaches, I have a cough. Which is fabulous.

I am stopping for some Vitamin C on my way home. This is just getting ridiculous!

Pride

2009-02-18T06:38:00.001-08:00

Well I defiantly have learned my lesson! One of the seven deadly sins came back to bite me in the butt, well okay, not the butt but my foot actually.

I was walking across my living room marveling over the delicious homemade peanut butter cups I made and feeling rather happy with myself when my oh so creative-ness reared its ugly head.

My pile of knitting was on the floor, where I had left it after getting burnt out on knitting cutesy valentines dishcloths. I was so interested in the previously mentioned peanut butter cup that I somehow managed to trip over sed pile of knitting and somehow impale my foot with one of my aluminum knitting needles.

Mmmm…yummy.

To add insult to injury it was in that tender little spot between my toes and the ball of my foot. It gushed blood for a while but was generally okay. I was walking around fine with only a hint of a limp….

Until this morning. Yep, entire ball of foot is so swollen and tender even flip flop will not stay on foot. I’m hobbling around here like an invalid.

Fabulous.

Joann's is the bane of my exsistence and other sewingcapades

2009-02-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

I don't think there is a week that goes by that I don't grace the doorway of Joann's ETC near my work. I am a craftaholic! It's really neat cause there really isn't a section of Joanns that I haven't purchased something from. I sew, knit, make jewelry, scrapbook, make soaps and even arrange silk flowers! I mean, not trying to toot my own horn or anything but I am pretty freakin' creative! Hee hee.

I went yesterday in search of a pattern for an apron. I signed up for an apron swap on Swap-Bot and of course my partner wants a full apron (I had planned on making a half apron, no pattern needed!) Well it just so happened that they were having a president's day sale and all the Simplicity patterns were $1 (score!)

This is the pattern I ended up picking:

I love that its retro and love even more that its a simple pattern and only takes 1 yard of fabric. I picked a really cute white on blue floral toile-like pattern and I am going to use red bias tape. I got started last night, got all the pieces cut out and got the darts sewn in to the bodice. I had fun cutting out the pattern. My work area is small so i decided to cut the pattern out on the floor so I would have less trouble. Daisy saw this as permission to take flying leaps right into the middle of the paper with claws extended. Loverly.

I'll let you know how it turns out!

Love me or hate me its still an obsession....

2009-02-16T08:27:00.000-08:00

Undoubtedly, and with reference to my previous post, I love Old Navy. I love their styles, their values. It’s a great combination. I like to be stylish but I want more bang for my buck. Usually I am singing their praises.

Well today, I am armed with a complaint. This isn’t a new complaint. In fact its one I have had with ON since we first started our love affair, many many years ago.

I HATE THEIR JEANS.

I always have and probably always will. No matter the change in styles (ultra low waist) or change in name (flirty), they always suck for me. I have found people that love them and hate them (I worked there for a year) but I fear I will never again be the proud owner of a pair.

I think they are prejudiced against women with large thighs. I don’t think actually, I know. I can try on a pair in my size and not even be able to get them all the way up! Granted, yes, I may have larger than average thighs but Jesus, most women’s thighs are larger than their upper arms! Go up a size, okay at least I can get them up but my legs look like Vienna sausages and I could fit a toddler in the waist with me.

The other thing that perplexes me is the only jeans I have found that I really love are Gap jeans. Yes, The GAP, parent company to, you guessed it, Old Navy. Gap jeans fit my thunder thighs like buttah, but put a dent in my ever lean wallet. Why can’t they just get their acts together?

Gimmie some jeans I can love Old Navy!!!

Yay for $2 footwear!

2009-02-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

Let’s stop just a minute and reflect on God’s gift to feet. Yep. Old Navy Flip Flops.

If you know me in any capacity, you know that I hate close toed, tight fitting shoes. My tootsies need to be free! So naturally, flip flops are just perfect for me. You all know that from March to October (hey I live in the South, its WARM here) you can look at me at any given moment and tell what color my nail polish is.

I have all sorts of flip flops. Target has some really cute ones, with gros grain ribbon type straps. Very preppy and cute. I even have dressy ones with heels. But, the all time love of my flip flop wearin’ life is Old Navy flip flops. Now, I don’t remember exactly when I discovered these babies, it was probably in high school some time. Since then you will never catch me without them.

I had a bit of a meltdown when they changed them a few years ago. Gone where the soft foamy soles. *sigh* They replaced the soles with some sort of rubber-foamy material. I had a love-hate relationship with this new material for the first year or so, but now I am fully on board. It’s comfortable and seems to last longer.

I haven’t been to Old Navy in about a month, (which is weird, usually I’m there once a week!) so I have yet to stock up for this year. I have to stock up early in the year because Old Navy discriminates against girls like me with big feet and they only stock a few pairs in size 10! Grrr. But, this year I decided to do my annual stock up online. 2 pairs for $5, you can’t beat it with a stick, or even a stiletto! I just made my order and 5 sparkling new pairs are headed my way.

My toes are rejoicing!

It's the time of the season...

2009-02-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

I've totally got the spring fever. Like crazy. Its been 70 degrees here the past 3 days and it's heaven.

Just knowing how nice it is out there and having to be chained to my cubicle is killing me. My mind wanders, I can't concentrate.

Yep, full blown spring fever!

It's the real thing!

2009-02-05T09:15:00.001-08:00

Hello My name is Kristen and I am a Diet Coke addict.

Yep. It’s true. I need my cold fizzy fix atleast 4 times a day. Atleast being a relative term…its usually more like 6-8 times.

It has really come to the point where I wonder what would happen if I had to go without my Diet Coke every day. (the horror!)

Anyone know a cure for this addiction? Is there a 12 step program or something I can follow? Diet Coke Addicts Anonymous?

Ehhh, forget it. I don’t want to be cured.

Viva le Diet Coke!

Wish and just keep on wishing cause it ain't gonna happen.

2009-01-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Well yeah, just bored at work wishing that someone would post an interesting blog for me to read to waste some time. Then it occured to me. Well, guess I should just blog myself. Seeing how its been months and all.

Blah. Whatev.

Sometimes I just don't feel like writing (or typing as the case may be) all my thoughts down. Sometimes I like to keep them bottled up so they can fester and turn into something worse. Ha. Nice huh?

Im feeling especially moody and morose today. Maybe its the fact that i owe thousands in taxes in just a few short months without a dime to my name. Maybe its the fact that i'm not sure where gas money is going to come from next week. Maybe its the shitty rain outside. Maybe its my depressing job. Maybe.

I have this really narssisistic habit of looking at things I can't afford. For instance, my lease is up on the hell hole i call an apartment and pay almost $800 a month for in April. I know i will be stuck there for another year miserable,cause its what I can afford, yet I sit here and look at all these gorgeous apartments with wood floors, and granite countertops with kitchen islands and new appliances. All for only....$1300 a month! What a deal! What a steal! Ugh. I have the distinct feeling I will be living in poverty my entire life.

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood isn't it?

I'm baaaaack....

2009-01-26T12:11:00.001-08:00

more animals

What were you born to do?

2008-12-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

Do you ever feel like you were simply born with a single purpose for you life? One thing, that you know without any doubt you are meant to spend your life doing but can’t for one reason or another?

I do. I know in my heart of hearts what I was born to do and I definitely know that every job I have ever had and ever will have is NOT it. I hate working. I don’t dislike it or wish I didn’t have to. I H-A-T-E it. With a passion. I feel so depressed every day at work and I know I don’t work as hard as I should. It just feels so wrong. It feels like I am wasting my life, but I don’t know how to break the cycle. Well, I do, but the opportunity has not presented itself for whatever reason.

I feel so depressed and on the verge of tears every day and spend the day just looking forward to the second the clock hits 4:00. I know this is no way to live my life, but I don’t know what else to do.

It feels really hopeless.

Man oh man...how time flies!

2008-12-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

Arg! I can't believe its been so long since I last updated. Oops!!

I have been so busy between family stuff, apartment crises, and general holiday time madness!

Heat has been out in my apartment since early last week, finally fixed today. When I got up in the morning, it was about 55 degrees in my apartment. Brrrr!

Also, Comcast problem FINALLY fixed. The guy that came said all the BS I went through was for nothing! He got the cable fixed in the living room and my bedroom after months of trials and tribulations. Hallelujah!

Thanksgiving, birthday parties, trips to see Maw Maw weekly, it really has been a whirlwind.

Been working furiously on my Christmas gifts. I am making scrabble tile pendants for all the ladies in my life. I hope they love them! Also making Swarovski crystal bracelets for ladies in my family to honor lung cancer awareness. Thanks to LindaJ for our upcoming tutorial beading session! (She is a jewelry master!)

The guys are getting a tin full of goodies! I am making Buckeyes, Oreo Truffles, choco covered pretzels and puppy chow. I hope they like it!

Who else is giving home-made gifts for Christmas this year?

My Thanksgiving

2008-11-26T08:46:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving Survey

TAKE THIS SURVEY!

Take this holiday survey

Where Will You Be Spending Thanksgiving?
At my Uncle's house

How many people will you be eating dinner with?
Aprox 15 ppl?

Is there a designated kids table at Thanksgiving Dinner?
not usually

How long ago have you sat at the kids table?
I never did

Are you spening Thanksgiving with the same people as last year?
Yep, pretty much, with a few exceptions

Favorite Side Dish?
Squash casserole!

Baked Turkey or Fried Turkey?
Fried...its soooo JUICY!

Sweet Potato Pie Or Pumpkin Pie?
Pumpkin Pie, sweet potato souffle

Rice Stuffing Or Bread Stuffing?
bread

Who Will Be Cooking?
Its a Pot Luck, so everybody!

Who will be Cleaning?
probably everybody will pitch in

Are Prayers Said Before Eating?
Oh yes always.

When is the last time you prayed?
Hate to admit it, but last Saturday

Does Everyone say what they are thankful for?
uhmm...no

What are you thankful for?
My family and friends

Will There Be Just Family Or Close Friends As well?
Mostly just family and extended family

Is There Ever Enough Food For Everyone?
oh yeah, theres usually leftovers!

Will Some Of The Meals Be Prepared The Day Before?
probably

Have you ever eaten an organic turkey?
nope

Have you ever eaten Tofurkey?
Ewww. no!

Will There Be Any Alcoholic Beverages Set On The Table?
Definately not.

Are you going to watch Football?
Probably

Do you watch the Macy's Parade?
If I wake up in time...

Do You Look Forward To Thanksgiving?
Sure, why not

Favorite Past Thanksgiving Memory?
Just spending time with family

Is Thanksgiving Your Favorite Holiday?
heck no

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS SURVEY!

MySpace Surveys

2008-11-21T10:18:00.001-08:00

Basics:
Name:	Kristen
Date of Birth:	06-28
Birthplace:	ATL Ho!
Current Location:	Work. Norcross, GA
Eye Color:	Brown
Hair Color:	Lt, Brown today...tomorrow...who knows?
Height:	5'7"
Heritage:	German, Irish, English
Piercings:	tongue and ears
Tattoos:	4
Favourite:
Band/Singer:	Ludacris
Song:	Space Oddity - David Bowie
Movie:	Grease
Disney Movie:
TV show:	Greys Anatomy
Color:	pink and black
Food:	desert!
Pizza topping:	mushrooms
Ice-Cream Flavor:	snow cream
Drink (alcoholic):	malibu and diet
Soda:	Diet Coke (It runs through my veins)
Store:	Target!
Clothing Brand:	Gap...their jeans fit like a glove
Shoe Brand:	Crocs
Season:	Spring
Month:	June
Holiday/Festival:	Christmas
Flower:	Daisy
Make-Up Item:	Full N Soft Mascara
Board game:	yahtzee
This or That
Sunny or rainy:	sunny
Chocolate or vanilla:	vanilla
Fruit or veggie:	veggies
Night or day:	day
Sour or sweet:	sweet
Love or money:	love
Phone or in person:	in person
Looks or personality:	personality
Coffee or tea:	both
Hot or cold:	depends ;-)
Your:
Goal for this year:	get my comissions up
Most missed memory:	Maw Maw Nell
Best physical feature:	smile
First thought waking up:	damnit!
Hypothetical personality disorder:	schitzo
Preferred type of plastic surgery:	lipo
Sesame street alter ego:	Oscar the grouch
Fairytale alter ego:	Pinnochio
Most stupid remark:	oh emm gee
Worst crime:	cheating
Greatest ambition:	be a mom
Greatest fear:	never finding my true love
Darkest secret:	wouldn't you like to know?
Favorite subject:	history
Strangest received gift:	a pepper shaker, no joke
Worst habit:	messy
Do You:
Smoke:	nope
Drink:	socially
Curse:	like a sailor
Shower daily:	yes
Like thunderstorms:	yes
Dance in the rain:	hell yea
Sing:	in the shower and car
Play an instrument:	the kazoo
Get along with your parents:	yes
Wish on stars:	always
Believe in fate:	idk
Believe in love at first sight:	no
Can You:
Drive:	duh
Sew:	hells yeah i can, like a champ
Cook:	everybody loves my cooking
Speak another language:	un peu de francais
Dance:	in my own mind
Sing:	people tell me so
Touch your nose with your tongue:	no
Whistle:	yes
Curl your tongue:	nope...its genetic!
Have You Ever:
Been Drunk:	yes
Been Stoned/High:	no
Eaten Sushi:	yes
Been in Love:	yes
Skipped school:	yes
Made prank calls:	yes..LOL
Sent someone a love letter:	of course
Stolen something:	i plead the 5th
Cried yourself to sleep:	yes.... :-(
Other Questions:
What annoys you most in a person?	cocky
Are you right or left handed?	right
What is your bedtime?	whenever usually around 10 or 11
Name three things you can't live without:	shopping, diet coke, flip flops
What is the color of your room?	cream color the apartment complex painted
Do you have any siblings?	yes 2
Do you have any pets?	yes 2 siamese
Would you kill someone you hate for a million dollars?	no
What is you middle name?	michelle
What are you nicknames?	Kiki, Kris
Are you for or against gay marriage?	NO
What are your thoughts on abortion?	i believe it depends on the situation
Do you have a crush on anyone?	haha...sorta
Are you afraid of the dark?	no
How do you want to die?	in my sleep when im OLD
What is the largest amount of popsicles that you have eaten on one day?	who knows...i could tons
Would you take a bullet for the one you love?	idk
What is the last law you’ve broken?	probablly speeding
In a Member of the Opposite Sex:
Hair color:	doesn;t matter
Eye color:	i love blue
Height	talllllllll(er) than me
Weight	doesn't matter
Most important physical feature:	nice eyes
Biggest turn-off	dorks
Take this survey or other MySpace Surveys at PimpSurveys.com

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

2008-11-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

So, yeah, we got some devistating news last Thursday. My Maw Maw was disgnosed with Stage 3a Lung Cancer. It has spread to her lymph nodes, so it is inoperable. She will have to have chemo and radiation treatment to hopefully shrink the cancerous cells.

The sad part is, she never smoked a day in her life. The good news is, otherwise she is very healthy, her heart is very strong. I thank God for small gifts.

Could you please pray for her? I need my Grandmas! I lost one other to cancer about 13 years ago and the other is suffering greatly from an advanced case of Parkinsons and Lewy Body Syndrome. The doctor does not know if she will live to see Christmas.

It's a very sad time for my family.

My bitching finally paid off!

2008-11-19T04:28:00.001-08:00

So, after much loud voicing of my opinion, sticking to my guns and contacting of companies and "upper management" I got the e-mail last night that Casio is going to fix my camera under warranty.

Thats freakin right they are because if they didn't at least one of those "upper management" jerks was going to have my camera permanently embedded in their asshole.

Hold on, let me retrace my steps a bit for you. My camera broke a few weeks ago. Yes, the second one I had to buy cause I left the first one in Helen over 4th of July. So the freaking thing is less than 4 months old and the other night it quit working. (See my previous post about that whole incident)

So I package up my little baby and send it on its way to Casio up in good 'ol New Jersey. A few days later I receive an e-mail saying it was going to cost $150 (roughly) to fix my camera. I had the option of paying to get it fixed, paying $7.95 to have it mailed back to me broken or they would oh so kindly "recycle" it for me. "Recycle it meaning fix it and sell it to someone else refurbished.

I flew off the handle at that point. Being as this was Thursday and I had already gotten the bad news about my Grandma (More about that later) I decided I was not going to take this laying down. I called up customer service to get the story on why they decided they would not fix it under warranty. The rude lady on the phone told me that the technician found "evidence of misuse." She could provide no further details on sed evidence. I babied that camera! Never dropped it once...kept it in a hard shell, padded camera case. So the claim of "evidence of misuse" was a complete fabrication, and I told her as such. Then she promptly told me she was "not going to argue with me" Then finally she said she would pass the case on to her supervisor and I would be getting a call.

In the mean time, i visited every consumer watchdog site and posted complaints, contacted Buy Now (The company i bought it through Amazon) and just raised cain with anyone who would listen.

Well, all my bitching finally paid off cause as I mentioned above, they are fixing it! Whooooooo hoooooo!!

Now I just hope it doesn't take months to get it back. Also, go visit Buy Now on Amazon.com. They are so great! Someone personally answered all my emails and they contacted Casio and put in a good word to get my camera fixed for me. I would HIGHLY recommend them to anyone!!

Jump on the bandwagon!

2008-11-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

I took the pledge to buy and gift handmade items this holiday season and you should too!

Visit my favorite site: www.etsy.com

A penny saved is a penny earned.

2008-11-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

My Mom always makes fun of me because I am a clearance rack huntress. When I have something new she always says "Let me guess...on clearance at _______" (Insert Target or Old Navy here)

Its true, I am always on the trail of a good bargain. I could stand and sift through clearance racks for hours looking for that one shirt marked down to $6.99. I'm not ashamed! A good deal is just that....a good deal!

Last night I got a super fantastic deal on something I really needed anyway....a winter coat. I have been drooling over the wool coats at Old Navy since they appeared back in October. I looooove wool peacoats. I have had one every year since High School. I was really drooling over this gorgeous red long wool peacoat. Alas, it was $100 and even though its a coat. Thats crazy!

Finally, the heavens opened up and the angels sang. I saw the commercial while watching Dancing with the Stars. All outerwear 50% off at Old Navy. SCORE!!

Not only that, but I also had my $10 bucks back that I had been saving for a rainy day.

So I went off to Old Navy last night. First disapointment...no red long peacoat in my size. Pooey. But then, the more i thought about it, the long coat is kind of dressy for everyday use. Then I ventured to the fur lined puffy jackets. Strike out again! None in my size. Dang it!

Just when I had given up all hope and decided to take one last pass around the store before leaving...EMPTY HANDED (I never ever do that) I saw this little gem hanging in shop 1 back in the corner.

Its everything I wanted and more...casual, everyday style but that classic peacoat look. I was extatic!

Regular price? $69.99. 50% off? Check. $34.99. $10 bucks back? Of course!!

I got my coat for 25 freakin bucks!! Yeah BABY!

Anyways, just wanted to share my joy with you. Let the holiday shopping season BEGIN!

A shave and a haircut, 2 bits.

2008-11-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been neglecting you my little journal. I have been très très busy as of late. Let me catch you up to speed.

So, no camping this weekend. I have some *itch *ss friends who can’t keep plans to save their lives. Oh well, there’s always next year right?

The good from the bad in that situation was I didn’t have to miss my sister’s debut in the Magic Toy Shoppe! She was a “shopper”. It was a really cute number and of course she did great! Here we are:

Afterwards we went to Athens Pizza Kouzina, which is one of my favorite restaurants ever! I love, love, love greek food. I think maybe I lived in Greece in a past life or something.

The big news now is this morning my Maw Maw went in for a lung biopsy. She has been really sick for about a month now and they did a chest x-ray and found a shadow on her lung. L We will find out on Thursday what the results are. I am so nervous. Please pray for her?

#^&%$#@$%!!)#$^$%!

2008-11-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

My new freakin camera broke! Yes, the camera I just had to replace 4 months ago because i left it in Helen. 4 months ago I just plunked down a huge chunk of change to get this new camera and now its broken.

*#%^&#&$%& Piece of CRAP!

I don't know what happened, but I was using it Tuesday night and the screen went blank and the lens is stuck out but you can hear it turn on and off and crap.

I'm so mad...now I have to pay to send it off to Casio for them to check it out and see if they will fix it under warrenty and if not, then I can either pay to have it repaired (god knows how much) OR pay for them to send it back to me. Broken.

I hate technology. *grumble*

What if?

2008-11-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

I know this is a question parents dread to hear....this and "Why?" seem to plague our childhoods.

I was just sitting here feeling sorry for myself because I look at everybody's beautiful Blythe pictures and I wish I had tons more time to spend with my dollies. I love to sew for them, dress them up and make them beautiful for pictures. Not to mention the work I have to do preparing for their new house that should be coming soon. Its so much fun and so stress relieving. But, the time I have to spend on such things is extremely limited. I feel lucky if I get a few pictures posted to Flickr each week!

Between getting up at 6:30 for work, coming home, cooking dinner, spending time with my felines, cleaning up from dinner and vegging watching my favorite prime time shows…its time for bed…and not a spare second for my Blythe girls. I feel like such a bad Mommy!

What if there were 2 or 3 more hours in the day….*sigh*

How do you make time for your Blythe girls?

Fabulous Fall Fun!

2008-10-31T07:07:00.001-07:00

Whooo! We had an awesome time in the mountains this past weekend! Sorry I am so tardy in posting about it, I haven’t been feeling awesome this week. All this CRRazy weather has got me all messed up! Also I have been hard at work on my Halloween costume. Its pretty freakin’ awesome, and totally original! More on that later…

So, not all the leaves were changing yet, but it was still really beautiful. Our condo has a really nice porch overlooking the lake with a porch swing so I enjoyed sitting out there and looking at the view.

Friday was pretty tame, we all just got there and settled in. My Maw Maw made some delicious Sloppy Joes and Mac n Cheese. Saturday was a lot of fun, we decided to do something a little different and visit Yonah Bowl and Skate…YEP! It’s a bowling alley and skating rink all in one! We had a good time skating…and even my Dad joined in on the fun! Unfortunately the bowling alley was closed for the Senior bowling tournament so, skating was the extent of our thrilling afternoon.

Saturday night was our ever cheesy, but totally fun Halloween “party”. We have fun Halloween themed food, play games and tell ghost stories. This year we had toe jam dip, mummy dogs with diarrhea and vomit, and fingers with blood. For desert, we had vampire blood punch, Cemetery Dirt Pudding and bloodshot mummy eyeballs. It was deeeeeesgusting, wait I mean deeeeelicious?

Then Sunday we went into town and spent time being tourists, shopping for pumpkin pie and maple pecan fudge at Hansel and Gretel Candy Kitchen, and for all kinds of fun goodies at Betty’s Country Store.

A grand time was had by all! It was a fun weekend.

A wee little poem....

2008-10-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

'Twas the night before elections,

And all through the town,

Tempers were flaring,

Emotions all up and down!

I, in my bathrobe,

With a cat in my lap,

Had cut off the TV,

Tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden,

There arose such a noise,

I peered out of my window,

Saw Obama and his boys.

They had come for my wallet,

They wanted my pay,

To give to the others,

Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money,

And quick as a wink,

Jumped back on his bandwagon,

As I gagged from the stink.

He then rallied his henchmen,

Who were pulling his cart,

I could tell they were out,

To tear my country apart!

"On Fannie, on Freddie,

On Biden and Ayers!

On Acorn, On Pelosi",

He screamed at the pairs.

They took off for his cause,

And as he flew out of sight,

I heard him laugh at the nation,

Who wouldn't stand up and fight!

So I leave you to think,

On this one final note-

IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM,

GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!

Its your Friday Cell phone crappy photo upload!

2008-10-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Dude, my nails are totally awesome! I have painted them to get in to the Halloweeny spirit for my trip to the mountains this weekend. Check them ouuuut!

Yes, they are black with gold sparklies. Your welcome for this crap-tastic photo. I took a better one with my camera, but my cord is at home so you will have to stay tuned to Flickr next week for that one!

Thiiiiiis was my one of my yummy lunches last week. I didn't have my camera to get one of those artsy food photos like those people on flickr....but it looked soooooo good I just had to snap a pic. Again with the shitty photo. You can thank my Motorola Razr *coughpieceofcrap*

This was my yummy bean salad I made for the Atl B meet @ Lindas which consists of: Black Beans, Corn, red bell pepper, fresh cilantro and lime juice (and a few secret ingredients) and sliced an avocado on top. Then, one of my parents neighbors gave my mom a ton of homegrown sweet lil grape tomatoes, so I halved them and marinated them in some olive oil, cilantro and Mrs. Dash. At lunch time I mixed them together and VOILA! Super delish and pretty looking lunch! *pats self on back*

Will it never end?

2008-10-23T07:02:00.001-07:00

So....my first car was this really awesome vintage Monte Carlo...it was a sweet ride, and I totally loved it! Everytime I would pull up to a gas station, and even some red lights I was always getting offers to buy it. But, it was my baby and I wasn't giving her up!

So, I was working a lame retail job after college and came out one day after work and my baby was gone :-( somebody had stolen her from me!

They never found her....about 6 months later the detective called my dad to say the junkyard had called to clear the VIN cause it had been crushed. They said it was stripped. My poor baby :-(

So anyways....my parents were so awesome and they let me buy my mom's old mini-van....ok think what you may, but as far as "old" mini-vans go...this one is schweet. Its a Chrysler Town and Country...with all the trimmings...leather and suede interior, heated seats, infinity stereo system...etc etc. Being in your 20's it isn't exactly "cool" to drive your mom's mini-van, but I was super greatful to have a car.

Now, she is just about to hit 10 years old next year....and she is edging up on 100,000 miles...but she is still a great car.

But, it seems the girl is getting a bit ornery in her old age. This 6 months...it seems like everything is going wrong with her!!! She is falling apart!

-the starter
-circut board in the dash making my gauges not work
-the seat control module stopped working, now no power seats
and NOW

the freaking steering wheel! About 2 weeks ago I noticed that the volume control on the steering wheel wasn't working....oh well I thought, its no biggie. Thennnn the Airtbag light started coming on! Crap! Thennn my horn stopped working! Double crap! Now the airbag light stays on constantly.

So I look online and yep, there is a recall on something called the "clockspring" whatever that is. But it says they will only fix it on "certain" vehicles. My old girl better be one of those "certain" models or Chrysler is going to get a mini-van sized suppository.

And a big shout out my my dear old Dad for helping me and fixing all these problems...he is the awesomest! I love you Dad!

Yummy in my tummy!

2008-10-22T09:36:00.000-07:00

I just came across this recipe and it reminds me of the one my Mom makes at New Years. It is totally and completely YUMM-O and so easy!

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip
Makes about 4 servings

1- 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
1- 9oz. package artichoke hearts (drained jarred or canned, but not marinated)
1 -10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves
¼ cup shredded mozzarella
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Grease a 2 quart baking dish
3. In a food processor, combine all ingredients except mozzarella cheese
4. Spoon into baking dish and top with mozzarella
5. Bake until bubbling and the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes
6. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips or toasted rustic bread.

Shoot, now I am totally craving it!

Things I am loving this second.

2008-10-22T08:18:00.001-07:00

Yay for fun FREE placemat patterns!

2008-10-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

My Grandma has a timeshare condo in Helen, GA. If you haven’t heard of Helen…you should check it out. It’s this totally kitschy Bavarian tourist trap in the N. GA Mountains. The whole town is one big party from mid-September through November for Oktoberfest. So, long story short, my Grandma’s week is always the last week of October, so we all go up and spend the weekend enjoying the mountains.

Although it started out as a girls weekend, just my Great Grandma, Grandma, Mom, Me, my cousin Athena and my sister Lauren…once Nathaniel was born he started coming and then Athena moved away and stopped coming and then my cousins Nell and Lisa started coming and now this year it will be Nell and Lauren’s friend Jessica. On Saturday night we always have this 100% childish and completely fun “Halloween Party”. We make themed party food, have lots of sugar and dry ice and glow sticks are usually involved. It really can be a lot of fun. (Don’t judge me!)

My Grandma loves Halloween more than most people and she loves to decorate. So this year, while browsing JoAnns to feed my fabric addiction I found some Halloween fabric I fell in love with, but didn’t know what to do with. Then I had the bright idea to make my Maw Maw some placemats to use at the condo for our weekend. Lame, but she will flip out.

So, I finished them last night! My mom suggested I share the pattern with all of you blogsie readers….so here you go!!! You could totally use any fabric you wanted, change it up for different seasons and holidays and to match your décor.

Boo Baby Placemats

Makes 6 placemats

BUY:
Aprox 2 yards print fabric
Aprox 3 yards stripe fabric
3 yards 40 weight interfacing
Contrasting thread

CUT:
6 – 10”x 15” pieces from print fabric
12 – 10.5”x 2.5” pieces from the stripe fabric, making sure stripe is on the horizontal
12 – 19” x 2.5” same as above…or in other words stripe should be horizontal on the 2.5” side of the stripe
6 – 19”x 14” pieces from stripe fabric for backing. Or, you could also buy more printed and use that for the backing.

**All of these dimensions allow for a 1/4" seam allowance!**

Basic directions:

1. Pin 2 of the shorter stripes to the short side of the 10”x 15” piece. Sew and press seams open. **All of these dimensions allow for a 1/4" seam allowance!**

2. Pin and sew 2 of the long, 19”x 2.5” strips to the top and bottom. Press seams open.

3. Pin the backing to the front (right sides together as always) start on short end, about one inch from corner and sew around other 3 sides then stopping about an inch in from the other side. You need to leave the 4th side open to slip in the interfacing to make the placemat stiff. (if this is confusing see my little lame illustration) Turn inside out and press.4. Cut one piece of interfacing aprox size 18.5”x 13.5”. Slip into the opening and then sew closed using your desired method. I used a hidden stitch or disappearing stich…but you could also whip stitch or whatnot.

5. Set your machine to the double zig zag stitch. (If your machine has that setting) basically it just does each zig and zag twice so it is thicker. (it just stands out better) Follow the border of the seam around the middle 10”x15” pattern piece.

6. Snip all your loose threads and press!

Voila, you have a gorgeous placemat!!

Tips:
Use a straight pin to pick out your corners before your press. Then the corners of your placemat will be nice and pointy!

You may need a heavy duty needle to sew through the interfacing, depending on what weight you get. I did not have any heavy duty needles, so I used a regular duty needle, but I put a fresh one in, so it was nice and sharp.

When zig zagging around the center panel, leave the needle in the fabric and turn. This way your zig zag will be one continuous stitch, it will look better and your will have less threads to hide!

I hope you all enjoy this pattern! Its just a basic Log Cabin type quilting method (thanks for teaching me that Mom!)

Feel free to use it however you wish! If you decide to make them to sell, all I ask is you give me credit for the pattern creation and a link to my blog would be great! (but not required)

Happy sewing!!

Rain, rain go away....

2008-10-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, I came here with the fabulous intention of writing a witty blog about ________.

Yeah, I'm here and I totally can't remember. Shit.

I haven't got a clue...

2008-10-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Call me childish, or a kid a heart, but I love boardgames. I know kids today are all about Wii and PSP and DS and all that other handheld honkey, but I am all for old fashioned game night.

One of my tried and true all time favorites is, of course, Clue. My most favorite, was the 1970's retro version found at my Paw Paws. Classic! Dusty and antique smelling, it totally satisfied my board game hunger.
We had the newer, renovated early 2000's version at my house, but it was still the same ol Clue. And of course Professor Plum did it in the Ballroom with the lead pipe.

Well, Hasbro went and dunnit. They changed my sacred old Clue! I did not want to, but I had to check out what abomination they turned one of my favorite board games into.

Now, Cassandra Scarlet did it in the spa with the dumbell.....wait...the Spa? with the dumbbell? Yep. Its all new! There is an Observatory, the Spa, the guest house, the theater, the patio.

Jacob Green could kill you with poison, a trophy, a dumbbell, an axe, a baseball bat or a pistol with a silencer!(I'll always call it the revolver!)

Its also got new cards, with cheats like getting another turn or getting to see a card from another player. Also, each player starts out with a personality card that gives each one a cheat right off the bat.

I am so Bah Humbug about these new cheat cards. Why make the game easier? I mean okay, change the rooms, change the weapons...whatev....but don't change my game!!

I guess its just a sign of the times....

Do you want to lick it?

2008-10-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Okay so I had a tough break on Sunday. Trying on some sexy siren costumes for the upcoming All Hallows Eve, I had a little mishap. Okay, so maybe it was a major mishap.

Somehow, some way the hard cardboard tag met my soft, fleshy eyeball. Major OUCH moment.

I was all but blinded for the past 3 days. Luckily it is getting better and I get to wear a sexy pirate-ish eyepatch till it is completely healed. Yay me!

I am a little "red" in the face.

2008-10-10T12:04:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking all these things over in my head alot lately, as it has been in the forefront of every news story and discussion these days.

Some people say that I should not voice my opinion, because I do not vote. I disagree.

There are certain websites I frequent, certain forums, that have threads going about politics and the election. I try my best to stay away from these threads as people can be very ugly when it comes to politics and their choice for president.

I may not be super educated on the topic, but I know in my heart what my morals and values are and they seem to fall in line with one candidate.

I don't understand why people need to be so mean, hateful and ugly while discussing their views. Is it because they are not armed with the knowledge to carry on a educated conversation, so they must stoop to mud slinging to supposedly get their point across?

I know I should not care, but as anyone knows who knows me, i wear my heart on my sleeve and some of the angry words thrown around make me want to stand up for what I believe is right. But when I do, I know I will be burned at the stake, because my views are not "what everybody else thinks"

I'm conflicted.

Hi, my name is Kristen and I have an ebay addiction

2008-10-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

It's true. I mean, not to the point of shamelessly bidding on hundreds of items i don't want or need, but i really cannot help myself sometimes.

I'll tell you what, you may judge me for this, but I totally get a rush putting in my bid in the last 30 seconds of the auction, heart pounding, hitting the refresh button every second to see if someone got another bid in above yours.

I was all set to win this fabulous TiVo, with Linksys wireless adapter and everything for a rediculously low price the other night. In my usual fashion I sat at the computer and watched the minutes count down till the end of the auction. Okay, 1 minte left, type my bid and wait with pointer poised over the "Make a Bid" button, yes, 30 seconds, make my bid. Okay refresh refresh refresh....15 seconds....I HAVE BEEN OUTBID BY .50 OMG....bid again..................

We are sorry, this auction has ended.

Someone freakin outbid me with 15 seconds left. Bitches. I hate you.

Sometimes, I even bid on auctions from my cell phone.....yes, I said it, my cell phone...

Sad. I know.

Hi, my name is Kristen, and I have an ebay addiction.

Ipod goes into the fortune telling business

2008-10-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

What you do is...put your music on shuffle and answer the questions with the song titles. try it..

How am I feeling today?: Move Bitch ....lol i feel that way most days
Will I get far in life?: Gimmie three steps....well damn, that isn't far!
How do my friends see me?: Friend is a four letter word.....shit! I can't make this stuff up!
Where will I get Married?: Love will always win....well thats good to know
What is my best friend's theme song?: Maneater....LMAO!
What is the story of my life?: The Guide
What is/was highschool like?: Basket case..haha!
How is today going to be?: All I wanna do
How can I get ahead in life?: Love me or hate me
What is the best thing about me?:Love song
What is in store for this weekend?: Living in Fast Forward...sounds exciting!
What song describes my parents?: Sexy Can I...bahahah! gross!
My grandparents?: Technologic....ok, they are definately NOT that! LOLs
How is my life going?: leaving on a jet plane.....shoot, I wish I was...
What song will they play at my funeral?: What am I to you? well dang thats not nice!
How does the world see me?: Piece of Me
Will I have a happy life?: Lovestoned....bahaha
Do people secretly lust after me?: Wouldn't It be Nice....HEY! Thats not very nice at all.
How can I make myself happy?: Damaged
What should I do with my life?: Welcome to Atlanta
Will I ever have children?: Not too late......hip hip hooray
What is some good advice for me?: Hips Don't Lie....well I'm glad they don't!
What is my signature dancing song?: Picking Wildflowers....i'll dance with Keith Anderson any day!!!
What do I think my current theme song is?: Lean like a cholo.....okay a cholo? not really.
What does everyone else think my current theme song is?: We all want the same thing.....do we really?
What type of men/women do you like?: White and Nerdy.....*falls out of chair laughing* BAHAHAHAHAHA....I swear, I cannot make this shit up!! bahahahahaha!

*wipes tears from eyes*
I love my ipod!

Just one of those days....

2008-10-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

We are all allowed a grumpy day every once in a while, right?

Just one of those days when the world is dark and grey and your mood is equally so. A day when no one can make you crack a smile, and anyone who tries better duck and cover.

Don't ask me what's wrong. Don't tell me i'm grumpy. Don't try to cheer me up.

Just let me be!! I'm sure I'll be fine tomorrow.

No rest for the weary

2008-10-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, it was the first of all of my hectic October weekends. Saturday my parents had a party at a friend's cabin, so I watched my little bro and picked sis up from her ballet class. It was homecoming at Parkview, where my sister's boyfriend Brandon goes, so we did hair and make-up all afternoon to get her ready. She looked so pretty, and so grown up! I know I am sounded more and more like my grandparents but she is getting so old, I can't believe she is 17.
Then Sunday, we did a family outing to Stone Mountain. I already gave you the 411 on that fun place, so if you were are TARD and did not read my post about the Chili Cook-Off, go and do it. NOW...shoo! go read!

All in all it was a fun weekend. Looking forward to all the fun stuff I have planned for the next 5 weekends, but oh when will I ever get some (much needed) rest?

Here is what you, my fantabulous readers have to look forward to:
Lilburn Daze
Bridal Shower
Halloween B Meet at Linda's (yay!)
Haunted House
Oktoberfest in Helen and weekend at Mountain Lakes resort
Halloween and party at Wild Bills
Camping at Unicoi State Park

Stay tuned!

I am too much like my MawMaw

2008-10-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

So, I am planning a camping trip for me and some friends up to Unicoi State Park the second weekend in November. Now, most of you that know me, know I am NOT a girl that enjoys the great outdoors. Yes, I am spoiled and prissy, I must have my bathroom with 3ply toilet paper and Egyptian cotton towels..etc. Well, I don't know how or why but I got talked into camping. Tent camping. In the woods.

The strange thing is, I am excited about it. I mean granted, this is a campsite that has bathrooms and showers, electricity and water hookups and all that jazz, but it is still in the woods. I think its the excitement of planning it all. I love to plan, be it a birthday party or vacation, I am all about it. I'm most looking forward to cooking over the campfire...yum! Yay roasted marshmallows!

There is lots to see and do up there...its within hiking distance to Anna Ruby Falls and Helen. It should be a grand ol time. Pray that the weather is nice for us!! Stay tuned for pictures and I'm sure hilarious stories of my weekend communing with nature!

I don't know if I'm proud or ashamed....I'm like Gabby!

2008-10-02T06:34:00.001-07:00

I have a love hate relationship with reality television.

2008-10-01T08:12:00.001-07:00

I love reality television. Well, okay, most of it. Some of those shows on MTV and VH1 really make me roll my eyes, but there really is some good, quality reality out there.

Take Jon and Kate plus 8 for instance. Its ugly, its annoying, but oh so real. Screaming, messy kids, a controlling manipulative wife and a laissez faire husband, make for some darn good reality.

I love New York? Not so much.

Thus far, hands down, my favorite reality is Dancing with the Stars. I love the cheese, I love to see the spoiled celebs suffer...i love to see the judges call eachother crazy. Its just fun. BUT...and this is a big BUTT...(pardon the pun) the fact that Chloris Leachman is still there while Jeff, Ted and Kim are gone just makes my blood boil! She is an embarassement to the entire show and she should have been gone from episode one. She just makes a big huge joke out of the whole competition and besides that SHE CAN'T DANCE!!! GRRRRR! It makes me so mad. I wish all these idiots would stop voting for her! She is old, and completely nuts. She needs to be comitted.

Its early in the season, but I have picked a favorite...

Team Brooke!!

Boring Housewives

2008-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

So, last night was the season premier of Desperate Housewives. I can't claim that I have been a diehard fan of the show since season 1, but I have been watching pretty regularly for the past 2-3 seasons. The premier last night was so lame and tame vs. previous seasons. It flashed forward 5 years. I know that we had to be, you know, brought up to speed on all the bitchy housewives we know and love, but come on! There was none of the bitchy drama we have come to know and love. There was one bright spot when Edy was telling Gabby what a fatty she has become, but even that was short and sweet.

I hope this is no indication as to what the rest of the season is going to be like...are there any other DH fans out there that hated the season premier as much as I did?

On a side note....Brothers and Sisters was pretty good. I'm happy to have all my showsies back on!

Why did you invent Mondays God?

2008-09-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ugh. I hate Monday mornings. I 'specially despise Monday mornings after I had a long, tiring weekend.

The Chili Cook-Off was ab-so-freakin-lutely fabulous! (even though I can't imagine ever wanting Chili, Brunswick stew or cornbread ever again) Judging this year was alot of fun. Even though I had to taste like 60 different Chilis, about 30 Brunswick stews and 20 corn breads and wanted to lay down and die I was so full. We sat at the best judges table ever and made some fun new friends.(even though one was trying to convince us that Dragon-Con was Gods gift to human kind and was the best place on earth)

Most of the Chilis were dis-gus-ting! But there were a few that were really good. I think I could totally enter that competition...and win. Some peoples ideas of what tastes good are really weird!

Thennnn....afterwards we went and had fun at Crossroads. They have this new attraction called Sky Hike, and it is totally awesome! Its like a ropes course on steroids! You get all harnessed up, and climb up and then you have to do all these obstacles on ropes like 40 feet in the air! Woot! This was my second time, so it was a little less terrifying, but not much!

Then of course, we stayed for the laser show. For those of you who don't know what the laser show is....you are missing out! It's something i've been doing as long as I can remember. A little background: Stone Mountain is this huge granite mountain thingy here in GA. On the side of sed mountain they have carved this memorial to the Civil War. Below sed memorial, they have what they call the memorial lawn. Here, during most of spring, summer and fall, they have the Laser Show Spectacular, where they take lasers and project this show up on the side of the mountain, along with music and fireworks. Its really a sight to behold! It started in 1983, the year I was born, and it was still going strong. Any given weekend you will find thousands of people on blankets picnicking with a good ol' bucket of Kentucky Fried. If you are ever in Atlanta, make sure you visit!!

2008-09-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Whooooo! 2 posts in one day.....im on a roll people!

So, totally excited about tomorrow. You are reading the blog of a renowned chili cook-off judge! Okay, well not renowned, but pretty darn fabulous! Tomorrow, my friends, is the great Miller Lite Chili Cook-Off at Stone Mountain and I get to be a judge! Pretty cool huh? I get to taste hundreds of chilies, Brunswick Stews and Cornbreads. I'm pretty sure i'll be the best judge there.

Stay tuned for pics and tales of my fabulous weekend. Now, I am off to watch my newly aquired DVD of the best movie ever made! You mean you don't know already!!??!? Of course I am talking about Sex and the City. Like, DUH!

Until we meet again my beautiful friends....au revoir!

Wanna start a pool?

2008-09-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

Ohhkay, so this is, like, the bajillionth blog I have started. I love blogs, I love to read other people's blogs, but I just can't seem to keep one going.

I've been inspired, once again. I just totally figured out the igoogle thing. (yes I know I am soooo behind the times) and the RSS feed thingymabob is completely fabulous. I can watch all my favorite blogs for new posts and keep on keepin on with all my internet blog stalking.

Another reason I can't keep a blog going is simple. No body reads the crap! Its a little disheartening to pour all your blood, sweat, and tears into something that is just going to float off into internet oblivion. Alas, I digress.

If you are reading this. I love you! Tell your friends, invite them on over for a little of my bloggy goodness. I swear, like totally, that I will keep up with this thing!

Are you there God? It's me Kristen.

Never buy jewelry from Zales!

An adventure in canning.

Perfect on a dreary day.

Surprise Maw Maw!

Family Ties

Pizza (abandoned)

Tangerines, an Observation.

Yep, got one.

Raindrops keep fallin' on my...

Thank God I live in Atlanta!

BAD car day.

Speaking of the cats....

While the cats away....

Project365 - I'm jumping on.

Project 365

Dream a little dream....

It just isn't fair!

The getting to know you quiz...AKA I'm so self absorbed.

THE GETTING TO KNOW YOU QUIZ

100 things inspired by

Pee Dub Diddy in the hizouse!

Viva Las Vegas!!!

You have to check out Foose Cookie Cutters!

The soundtrack of my life...

In honor and celebration: Blondies!!!!

Crap.

Wilton Course 1: Class 2

Wilton Course 1: Class 1

Ode to the Membership Club....

I need your help bbs!

Baking Escapades, Southern Belles and Our Nation's Birthday

I'll be watching you....

Uncouth?

Needs no title, no explanation...

Oh beloved Crackberry...

catching up....

Brain dump.

Death to Landscapers

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride...

Your daily LOL

Hello World: "All the single ladies..."#links

Consumer review: Hair Poufs

Hi, My name is Kristen and I am addicted to popcorn.

Pictures

People say its "just" an animal...but people do not understand.

Tara is the Biggest Loser (and not in a nice way)

Shout outs

A little game of catch up

Since I can't garden outside.....

Do you want me to call the wahhhhmbulance?

Babysitting Adventures, Part 1

Confickr C

How stupid have we become?

BlytheCon 2009

*hack*sniffle*sneeze*GROAN*

Pride

Joann's is the bane of my exsistence and other sewingcapades

Love me or hate me its still an obsession....

Yay for $2 footwear!

It's the time of the season...

It's the real thing!

Wish and just keep on wishing cause it ain't gonna happen.

I'm baaaaack....

What were you born to do?

Man oh man...how time flies!

My Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Survey

TAKE THIS SURVEY!

Take this holiday survey

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

My bitching finally paid off!

Jump on the bandwagon!

A penny saved is a penny earned.

A shave and a haircut, 2 bits.

#*^&%$#@$%!!)#*$^$%!

What if?

Fabulous Fall Fun!

A wee little poem....

Its your Friday Cell phone crappy photo upload!

hacksnifflesneezeGROAN*

#^&%$#@$%!!)#$^$%!