Halloween, take 3.

Last night we went to a Halloween party at the house of some of our friends.  They live less than a mile away, so it was completely ideal for drinking, since we could walk home :)  They went all out on food and decorations, but I was exhausted, and that made me a sleepy, grumpy gus.  I am too old to stay out til 4am!


I didn't take very many pictures, but I do have a few.


Me and Malia:

I went as Sookie Stackhouse again, and she went as a substitute teacher.  Look!  A paper airplane stuck in her hair!

And a "Kick me" sign...so clever.

Jessy dressed up as Audrey Hepburn a la Breakfast at Tiffanys, and I think she nailed it.

And my cute husband turned last week's Monk costume into a hippie costume.

Complete with a peace sign and headband.

Gas, grass, or ass, no one rides for free!

In spite of how exhausted I was, the night ended on a perfect note.  Malia is my best friend, and Joel is Tyler's best friend - but now Joel's girlfriend Jessy is one of my closest friends, and Malia's boyfriend Jon is one of Tyler's closest friends...and so the six of us are just a big ball of fun.  Joel drove us home, and the song "Here I go again on my own" came on.  All six of us burst into song, singing the words at the top of our lungs (the half a mile back to my house).  Those are the best nights :)

A work Halloween pictures!

I found the pictures - my memory card got loose, so I've been shooting on the camera - not the card!  Derrr.


Here we go of the cupcakes:

A work Halloween

I have no idea how this happened, but somehow all but 14 pictures on my camera have been deleted!  I have no idea how that happened, and am really disappointed!


My work does a Halloween party, and encourages employees to dress up.  This year, one of my best friends, Jessy, actually works with me!  So it made the festivities that much more fun.  She went as a queen, and I dressed up as the tooth fairy :)

I made a glazed pumpkin cake (recipe and picture to come) and decorated cupcakes.  I had smaller pictures showing more details, but those are among the ones gone, so I only have a shot of the group:

The mummys were the biggest hit!

Show Us Your Life: Halloween Costumes

Today its "Show Us Your Life" over at Kelly's Korner, and the theme is Halloween Costumes!

So I thought I'd post a few of mine.


This year, last Saturday to be exact:

Sookie Stackhouse from HBO's series "True Blood!"


Last year, 2008:

German Beer Girl.


And for work last year, 2008:

Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast at Tiffanys'


Two years ago, 2007:

A peacock! This is my favorite.


Three years ago, in 2006:

Miss Iowa!


Annd, thats all I have on my computer. Hope you enjoyed!!

Bichon babies?!

Some people dress their dogs like children.

When I have children, I think that I'll dress them like my dogs.

Oh god...so cute I can hardly stand it!  All images from www.gymboree.com.

J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS!

Okay, I am as loyal to the burgundy and gold as any Skins fan could hope to be, but my next door neighbor Michael is a born and bred Jets fan.  Today was his 39th birthday, and I wanted to bake a special cake for him.


(I tried 8 times to rotate it...stupid blogger)

Sort of close, eh?

Happy happy birthday, Michael.  Can't wait to go to New York with you and Donna in two weeks...and I will cheer for the Jets wholeheartedly while at the game :)

Dan the Man

Thought I'd take some pictures with Lieutenant Dan since we're hoping to get him adopted soon.


He wasn't really feeling picture time....

I have about a hundred that look like that.


Luckily, I got one decent one -

I'm sure gonna miss my little buddy :(

10/14/2000

Today, 9 years ago, I met my now-husband.


It was Junior year homecoming, and I had a wonderful boyfriend at the time, Carter.  Carter was away at school - he went to Carnegie Mellon - and so I went to homecoming with a group of girls from my Cross Country team.  It was my first time driving without a parent in the car, and for some reason my parents agreed to let me drive everyone to dinner and the dance in their massive blue Ford Club Wagon.  That thing fit 12 people - it was pretty much the biggest car ever.


After we all met up at one girl's house, we drove to Don Pablos in Fair Lakes Mall.  Our assistant cross-country coach, Megan, was a server there, and we wanted to sit in her section.  We had a great dinner.

I don't remember us seeing or having any interaction with the busboy.  Megan told us there were two of them that were cute, and we decided to all write down our numbers and email addresses, and put them under our plates.  Looking back, I have no idea why I did this - I adored my boyfriend, so it was a pretty shitty thing for me to do.


A week later, I came home to find out there was a message on the machine for me.  My mom played it, and I had no idea who it was.  We deleted it.  Then, Tyler emailed me.  It breaks my heart that I don't have these emails anymore - they were all printed out in a giant box of memories of our relationship, and were in the storage unit that was robbed a year ago.


I remember him sounding like a huge nerd.  He talked about music he liked - 311 and Korn were his favorite bands, as well as Britney Spears.  He then added "And no, I'm not gay, hehe."  ((Sidenote, I HATE "hehe".  I am such a "haha" kind of girl))


He also talked about his trip to Italy the previous summer, and how much he loved Venice.  He described it as "serene and picturesque" which also seemed funny to me.  I remember him ending it along the lines of "so...uh...you can write me back...or not...hehe."  


I talked to him on the phone, and he was actually pretty funny.  I decided to meet up with him to hook him up with my friend Katie, but looking back, there is no way that was my intention.  I definitely agonized over what to wear, and I never mentioned I had a boyfriend - two telltale signs that I'm a jerk.


We decided to go to my high school football game, and then out to see the movie "Meet the Parents".  He found out that there was a Roy Rogers near me, and we decided to eat there for dinner.  Two days before, he emailed me to ask "what kind of guys" I liked.  He said that he bounced between preppy, or skater-like in JNCOs.  Well, both of those were a lie, he is the least preppy person alive, and never actually owned a pair of JNCOs  :)  I told him I shopped at the Gap, and chose to dress fairly preppy, but had no preference for him.


He picked me up in his silver Hyundai Sonata, wearing a navy blue turtleneck sweater, khakis, and brown shoes.  I was wearing a navy blue turtleneck sweater, jeans, and brown sandals.  We joked about dressing alike.  I remember I also had this light blue canvas purse from the Gap that was sort of cross-body style.  There was one, red single stemmed rose sitting on the car seat.  He didn't come to the front door - that always bothered my dad.  We will definitely teach our son to always go to the door to get a girl, especially on a first date ;)


After leaving Roy Rogers, we headed to my school for the football game, and we realized that I had forgotten my purse.  I was completely mortified, and that too become a big inside joke for us - he talked about how mesmerizing he was, that he made me forget everything about me.  Ten years ago Tyler wasn't nearly as funny as present Tyler  :)  yet, back then, I found him just as hilarious as I do now.  I guess we really did grow up, together.


After the movie, we did walk back to his car with our arms around each other.  No attempts at kissing that night (or for several nights).  I remember us joking about rollerskating in the mall.  Gosh, none of our jokes were funny!  But I adored every single inside one that we had.


This got super long, so I think I'll make our initial courtship into a part two in a few days :)


BUT, I will leave you with this.  We celebrated our 9th anniversary - the beginning of 10 years together - at Unos.  During Karaoke night.  With a 12 year old girls soccer team.  And no, it was not on purpose.  We then went to see a movie, Couples Retreat, and were stuck sitting in the very first row, with our necks contorted and twisted to see the screen.  And I had an absolutely wonderful time :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

While the cat is away, the mouse will...bake?


Tyler is working the night shift, and I find myself trying to keep busy...I am horribly consumed by loneliness, and baking is both distracting and productive.


Today I decided to try a recipe I bookmarked from My Sweet Savannah - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

UMMMMM, ammazing.  I just ate 2.  And then I made my next door neighbor, Donna, come over, and she ate two and took a batch home.  There are 8 more sitting on the counter staring at me.


Like this:

"These are the pounds you'd lose if you'd stick to Weight Watchers and STOP EATING STUPID PUMPKIN MUFFINS!"  Sigh.   I have no self control.

Make sure you try Melaine's recipe...its wonderful.

1 2/3 c flour

1 c. sugar

1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup plain canned pumpkin

1 stick butter, melted

6 oz. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

In an electric mixer beat the eggs.

Add pumpkin and butter.

Mix well, but do not over mix.

Add the dry ingredients a little at a time and mix.

Add chocolate chips.

Bake for about 25 minutes

Enjoy!

Window Shopping at Banana

What's a girl on a budget to do when the shopping bug strikes?

Ugh...window shop.  My least favorite shopping ever.  Growing up, I thought it was spending Saturdays at Home Depot and Builder Square with my dad - wrong.  I'd much rather price out lumber than not shop at all!

So, today I "went" to Banana Republic.  Oh, husband...you sure I can't squeeze anything extra out of the budget this month?!

Lightweight wool sheath dress.

Extrafine Merino Ruffle Cardigan

Silk Rose Blouse

Pleated Tulip Skirt

Flannel Blazer

Eliza Slouch High Heel Boot

High Society Necklace

Motherhood?

I sometimes think I may not be ready for it.

Four dogs is SUCH a handful.  All four are on daily medications - some twice a day, one three times a day.  Two are awful on a leash, and so I have to take two separate walks each time they need to go out.  When one spooks herself, the other three all chime in to bark at nothing.  When the doorbell rings, it takes me 10 minutes to get the door, chasing them down individually to crate them so I can have an adult conversation.


Today, while Kimchi was sniffing a mailbox, Lieutenant Dan lifted his leg and peed all over her head.  I mean, ALL OVER her head.  Yellow and smelly and PEE.  It is probably easier to wrestle alligators than bathe Kimchi.  Meanwhile, Holly pooped since I didn't get her out fast enough for her and Missy's walk, Dan ate the liner from the inside of his diaper, and Missy knocked over the office chair trying to get at a yogurt that I left on the desk.  

Devils, I tell ya.  Perfect little devils.

Summer sweet to Autumn chic

One of the most fun parts about early Fall is transitioning my favorite summer pieces.  If I had to name an outfit after a song, this one would be...."These are a few of my favorite things!"  Haha.  Target watercolor shift dress?  Check.  Louboutins?  Check.  Marc Jacobs clutch?  Check.  David Yurman bracelet?  Check.  Chanel glasses?  Okay, fail, mine are knock offs...one day!

Anyway, all I did was throw a black blazer over a very summer-y dress, and I think it worked great!

Dressed up a little bit for a Sunday full of church and family, followed by a party at my sister's house.

I always feel my sassiest in these shoes.  Must be the red sole.

God, I love these shoes.

Dog Love

Taking pictures of four cute dogs at one time is impossible.

Especially when you have a shitty camera and they all have demon eyes.

Miss Holly and her new 'do.  I think she looks ridiculous.  Tyler is in love.  Can you see why we call them the princess and the monster?

Annnd, Missy is out.  Sigh.