Fill in the Blank Friday

September 30, 2011



1.   My current obsession is      Gordon Ramsey's The F Word. I've liked the show for awhile, but with it on On Demand I am a bit out of control  .

2.    Doing Zumba with my coworkers      makes me happy.

3.  My greatest strength is   my insane ability to hold a grudge and be realistic to the point of confusing it with cynicism   .

4.    Food   is my greatest weakness.

5.  My life is    lovely. I am not too keen on where I am currently living and the sheer lack of the amazing women's group I had in Monroe. However, I am making it. At least my family and work make me happy these days .

6.  In high school I was     smack dab in the middle. Hated by most girls, but I had a great boyfriend {Lord knows that changed when we got to college} and great friends. Overall I had a lot of fun   .

7.  When I'm super tired    I literally can't form a sentence. It sounds like gibberish. I can also sleep in a car or sitting up at this point  .

Link up at www.thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com
Read More

WIWW & a few recipes

September 27, 2011

Needless to say I am lacking in WIWW this week. Mainly because I couldn't get it together last week, I was seriously late every day. I had a really cute outfit planned out but at the last minute wore the wrong pants and couldn't tuck in the top, therefore making it so dern fat day looking it wasn't even funny. I did get one good outfit out of my busted week...but only because it was from this week. 


So here you go, the one and only outfit...boy do I suck this week.
periwinkle sleeveless ruffle top - Loft
khaki blazer with ruffle back- Loft
skinny jeans- Old Navy
khaki wedges- Shoe Carnival

I actually feel like I look 25 in this outfit. Happy dance. 

.................................................................................................................

Now for part 2 of this post. The recipes I have been meaning to blog but terribly neglecting.

First up: Roasted Radishes

I recently had a ton of radishes in a recipe, and still had a ton left over. They sat, and sat, and sat until I was worried I was about to waste the poor things. My solution: roasting. Everything taste better roasted. 

Ingredients:
radishes 
salt & pepper
garlic powder
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat over to 425. Toss radishes in S&P, garlic powder, and olive oil (to taste) and roast for about 30-45 minutes (depending on your oven).

Next to raw this is the only way I can stand to eat them...and they taste good. I was surprised at how the texture changed. 

Next: Bacon & Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken
I had concocted this spread a few weeks ago for bagels and had some leftover, so I added a few more ingredients and wa-la best stuffed chicken I have consumed in as long as I can remember. 

Excuse the oh so not styled what so ever picture, I had gobbled mine up before I decided I wanted to blog the recipe. 

Ingredients:
salt & pepper
papprika
garlic powder
thyme
mustard powder
4 large chicken breasts, or 2 small
2 oz cream cheese
1 green onion chopped
2 tbsp bacon chopped
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp blue cheese

Directions:
Mix last 5 ingredients together well. Stuff chicken breasts (2 large or 4 small) with cheese mixture. (I secured the edges with toothpicks) Season to taste with first 5 ingredients. Bake at 375 until chicken is fully cooked. 

I'd give a specific time but my over is crazy and cooks much faster than my mother's. Last recipe of mine she used (since I've been at the new apartment) way over cooked compared to mine. 

Last up: Oven fried Chicken Nuggets
serves 2 
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts, or 4 small cut into cubes
3tbsp all purpose flour
1tbsp ground flax seed
3tbsp masa harina
1/2 stick of butter (cut into pieces)
non-stick spray
(next ingredients are to taste)
garlic powder
red pepper
salt & pepper
thyme
onion powder
paprika
gallon zip-lock bag or paper bag

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Add all dry ingredients to zip-loc bag. Shake until combined. Add chicken and shake until evenly coated. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place chicken on baking sheet in one even layer. Place butter pieces between chicken pieces throughout the pan. Bake for about 15 minutes and then flip chicken and allow to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

***side note: that is Cane's sauce on my plate. We had some left over from 5th Quarter and I had no plans to let it go to waste:)



Read More

Show Us Your Life-Favorite Places to Shop

September 24, 2011

Since I like to do WIWW, I though I would link up to Kelly and participate in Show Us Your Life this week. This week's topic is [as you can see from the title] where your favorite places to shop are. I have several and they tend to change based on where I am and what time of year it is. 


First up, my long love...Gap. I love a good button down! Plus I am ruffle obsessed [my wedding dress proved that one whole heartedly] and gap has managed to bring in all sorts of ruffle in the past two years. I hardly [rarely] ever buy anything straight off the rack, I am a sale girl all the way. I wear khakis to work a lot and their Favorite [or perfect, not positive] is the best fitting khaki pant ever. 


Next in line in Old Navy, I loved living so close to it in Monroe. Kind of got me in trouble at times. Since they are related somehow to Gap I tend to find khakis that fit well here too. However [much like this season at Gap] they are off and on in the clothing department. Some years I want everything they have, other's I nothing appeals to me. But they are still an old favorite. I do love their workout shorts, those are the only ones I buy.
 
Next up is Loft, this is honestly one store I could buy everything off the rack...but the cost is what would prevent that. They have amazing sales though. This summer I took my graduation money to Loft, picked up roughly $300 dollars worth of clothes and only spent $180. I could show you a million pictures of everything I like at Loft, but I will just keep it down to one. A great blazer, jeans, and a pretty top. I want those jeans so bad right now, oh I need to stop writing this post. Makes me wanna shop!


I am also a Target lover, but like Gap and Old Navy it just depends on the season. I'm not much for crazy expensive brands, and I re-wear things all year long. It just seems so wasteful to dump an outfit after one use, I'm no celebrity and no one else is paying for this...so it shall be worn until it is so far out of style I get looks or I just genuinely hate it. 


Now every once in awhile I will be in a "dumpster diving" mood and head on over to Dirt Cheap. They are essentially a hybrid thrift store, except no one else wore your clothes. They are the left over from last season or who knows what...maybe the store just closed. They carry brands from Wal-Mart/Target all the way to Loft. I have found them all. You really need to know your brand names to know what exactly you are getting. I have seen dresses on the rack at Target for $30 and [literally] walked into Dirt Cheap and found the same Target dress for $2. It isn't for everyone, but if you are on a budget it is the place to be. There is a lot of crap, and a lot of trying on outfits to do...plus inspecting them for damage, but it is totally worth it when you find something great. 
[side note: once I found a Macy's down mattress topper for $20, I looked online and it was well over $100. I had to mend a hole, but heck for that price I would pluck my own duck]


Hope y'all are having a great weekend! 

Read More

Is it Fall yet?

September 18, 2011



I keep seeing pictures of people in other states wearing long sleeves, scarves, and just looking like they are enjoying football season and all the fall weather it brings. Sadly...in south Louisiana that is not the case. It has been in the 90's all week. We still have to wait to run until 8pm. Furthermore, I want a pumpkin but feel ridiculous buying one when it is 95 degrees outside. So here is a list of what I love, or what I would like to do for that matter.

1. I would like to wear scarves without being asked why I am wearing them. Granted they've been summer scarves, but I get questions none the less.

2. I want to buy a pumpkin, 5 pumpkins. I also want to put them outside and all around my house. But I am afraid they will die miserably in this heat.

3. I want to wear long sleeves and not have to dress like it is still July with fear of sweating to death.

4. I would like to go running whenever I want to and not have to wait until it is dark outside.

5. I would be overjoyed if it got cold so the ugly nasty lizards would go away. They creep me out.

6. I want to drink hot tea before bed and not feel so dern hot. I want to be warmed up, not on fire.

7. I want to make pumpkin butter and put it on everything.

8. I want to wear my coat, not because it is freezing in my ice box of a classroom, but because I need it on recess duty.

9. I want to bake without fear of the house feeling like an inferno.

10. I want to eat chili.

11. I want to pull out the big down comforter for our bed. I am sick of putting the AC as low as I can afford and yet still burning alive under the thinnest blanket I can find.

12. I want to open my windows and smell Fall
Read More

on kissing toads...

September 17, 2011





I saw this quote this AM on Pinterest and just HAD to share, because it is so true. At least for my life. Now I haven't spoken much about my man past on here out of respect for the permanent one, but I figured this would make a good excuse. 


I hear single girls all the time complaining about not being married, not having a baby, not having _________. We all forget that at some point everyone was "single", we weren't born married. Furthermore, my parents sure didn't arrange my marriage. I may have been married a few short years, but before that I was in the "dating" scene for years. I dated frogs in addition to a few wolves. I went so far to give the month, date, and year to guys you shouldn't bother telling the time of day. It was all rebellion though, but not from anyone in particular. I was rebelling from myself. 


For years I had dated a really great guy, until we got to college. Then suddenly, everything we knew about each other changed. Our values went in such separate directions. I was dumped. But not really dumped. We still saw each other every chance we got...we just fought about it, and of course held the statement "well we're not dating" whenever something was being done that the other didn't agree with. We should have walked away sooner, but we dallied around until we had not been "dating" but something still "dating" for a solid 6 years. By then we were ready to set the other on fire and haul butt. 


Looking back now, he was a great person and we helped each other survive high school. However, we should have just stayed friends. We were best friends, and we ruined it. 


Next was the charmer, aka the wolf. He could charm you right into any situation your gut was screaming no at. Bad I tell you, bad bad bad! When I finally got the guts to break it off he would essentially stalk the mess out of me. 


Sadly I met J in the middle of that mess. I was as far out as I could get. Be that as it may, I still deep in my guy torn mind saw that J was the good guy. We went for walks and talked about what we wanted to do with our lives, all the while I was constantly reminding him I wanted nothing to do with dating. That worked out well didn't it. Do you have any clue how odd it is to date a "good Christian guy" after dating the nut bags I had followed around during college? When we first met he was living at the BCM and preparing to leave for Africa for 3 weeks on a mission trip. I on the other hand had been out doing the complete opposite. Yet he still wanted to talk to me. He eventually conned me into marrying him, I had nothing better to do so I went with it (Ha, if you heard how he tells how we started dating you would understand why I get my blows in while I can). 


All that being said to make this point to single girls. When I was least expecting it I met a good guy, fell in love, and got married. I am 100% convinced I didn't meet him sooner because if I had I would not have appreciated him. I would have thought he was weird. It took "dating" a whole bunch of substandard nuts to even think "well this may work".  


So date. Just because Mr. Right Now isn't Mr. Right doesn't mean you shouldn't test the water. The idiot you'd never go on another date with just got you one step closer to the right guy and gave you another thing on your long list of likes and don't likes for your one day husband. Also, don't obsess over not being with someone. Enjoy your singleness. Some of the happiest days of my life were spent in my 1-bedroom townhouse as an undergrad student  with my dog. Doing things "my way". 


I didn't meet the right guy until I had decided that I didn't care if I ever met him. 
Read More

Fill in the Blank Friday

September 16, 2011



1.   You should always take time to     rest. I know I sound like an old lady but I was so tired when I got home today I slept from 3:30 to 6:00  .

2.    Really good food      make(s) the world a happier place to be.

3.  I can hardly wait for   Fall, honest, legit, Fall   .

4.    Saturday   is my favorite day of the week.

5.  Something totally dumb and ridiculous that I love is    watching any and all British documentaries I can get my hands on .

6.  If I could, I would   sleep later. My body believes it should be up at sunrise, regardless of how I feel   .

7.  I rather like    Spotted Dick and Treacle pudding  .

Read More

Hi Blog. It's me, Emily.

September 15, 2011

I honestly have not intended to weekday neglect this blog. But Lord help me, when I get home I can only muster the thought process it takes to stare at the TV and cook dinner. Although, while flipping through old FB pictures I have recently been slightly more driven to run. Nothing makes you want to run like looking at your 20 year old self. I also agreed to run in a 5k in NOLA (only cause it goes to cancer research). Did I mention I can't run?


Work is great by the way. Don't get me wrong, I am exhausted, but I enjoy being at work. Never thought I'd say that...and heck it's only September, so it can still change. Ask me again in May and see if I have started glaring at pregnant women (because by that time the sight of anyone trying to repopulate the student community is annoying). 


I recently ran out of the stock pile of British food I purchased before leaving Monroe. You may not know this, but there is a grocery store in Monroe that carries all the British foods that make me happy...to the point that if there are any Monroe residents willing to ship, I am willing to foot the bill. I am going to cry if I don't find some golden treacle or tea biscuits. I tried making Treacle, but needless to say Molasses is not a proper substitute, and this girls needs one. 


Living Proof Live from this past weekend was awesome. I got really excited when I opened up the notes pamphlet and saw that the James study is being released in November. Whoo hoo! I studied James last year with my Life Group and it was so convicting. 


Speaking of LPL, I went to it with Mom & Laura. Which means I got to see Joshy Poo. I wouldn't have believed anyone had they told me how 20 month old boys acted. I seriously laughed until I was crying. The fact that you can say "Hey Joshua, shake your hips", and he starts dancing and throwing his arms everywhere just kills me. When I went to leave he wanted in my car and kept yelling at Mom to "sut da door!" It took awhile to get him out of the car and off my lap...and when Laura pulled him out he left crying and screaming. Mom said he went inside and cried in the floor. Once that was over he walked around the house with the phone pretending to talk to me. Poor baby, I wish I could see him every day. 


Oddly he doesn't make me want a kid. Weird how people ask that. That is like asking me if I want a cupcake just because Laura has one...so absurd. I just take hers haha! Plus having my own kid would make another kid, and I'd be the Mon. Hence, the awesome aunt status would not be so awesome. I so enjoy not having to punish him (even though I sometimes have to) and laughing hysterically at the stunts he pulls. 


Tomorrow is our first 5th Quarter. I am excited and kinda nervous at the same time, you see, when I was living in Central/North Louisiana and in high school it was a big deal. Then again, Christian is more common. Down here, in Catholic country, Christian youth groups are few and far between. We don't have many kids, and there are churches here that don't have a youth group at all. So because of that Jeremy has reached out to other churches in hopes of making this more of a community thing, since the last time it was attempted it didn't work so well. I just hope some kids show up tomorrow, I don't expect this to be huge at first, but I just hope it grows over time. 


Last but not least. The new Desert Trio flavor from Blue Bell is heavenly. I'd show you a picture of ours that we purchased Sunday, but by Wednesday it was long gone. LONG GONE. 




I need a sugar intervention. But the only way sugar will leave is if Jeremy does. That boy buys some sort of sugary treat every time we go shopping. Who on earth buys Blue Bell (his wifes favorite ice cream) after being told "if you have to buy something, please buy nasty crap I will not be tempted to eat"? He must hate me. If he loved me he would not buy sweets, he would buy fruit. 


But lets be serious for a second. Who the heck can eat fruit when Blue Bell is in the freezer? No one! No one I tell you. That sad little peach can only taste good with a side of junk after I see Blue Bell. 


Okay that is enough rambling for one blog post. Will someone come put a lock on my fridge?
Read More

When times get tough, heck I just get in bed and eat chocolate

September 3, 2011

Overwhelmed.

How do you deal with it? Are you one of those who happen to thrive in pressure, or are you like me and it manifests itself in other ways. Like annoyance, irritation, or a need to find a tiny dark closet and hide in it with your iPad until the storm (literally Tropical Storm Lee) passes?

I don't thrive. I never have. At least at this stage of the game I am not covered in hives and having a panic attack (Thank you high school geometry). If there is too much going on at once I just get irritated, annoyed, and depending on who I am talking to...louder. I can't say at the age of 25 that I "can't help it", because if I honestly wanted to, but I can say that I don't care to help it. Hence the loud voice yesterday afternoon after a massive case of "I can't control this situation one iota" that led to me apologizing to a bunch of short people, if you get my drift.

Now let me digress. It was not like last year's "off the handle" version of "I can't take this anymore!" It was simply a very honest case of not having a single break due to our lovely friend TP Lee and other extenuating circumstances. Yes, this teacher has to have that 45 minutes of silence during planning to regroup and get things done so that your's truly can teach at 100% for my last two classes. 

Oh, the incident. Anyway. I didn't yell (I don't have the guts to with these open window paneling things above my room and allow noise to escape like air from a popped ballon) I just got stern, and my high pitched Southern-Valley accent got deep y'all. Deep. Mrs. B don't get deep until she means business. With that several little 8 year old eyes popped out of their pretty little heads with a look of "she hadn't done that before" and an obvious "Thank God it's not directed at me" look on their faces. I felt bad, but homegirl had to get stern to make a point.

So at the end of the day I apologized. I don't have to be the mean teacher I was last year, and I refuse to be. I told them I was sorry I got angry, but that things just had to be done a certain way. But let's face it, it was Friday after 2pm, we had finished testing and were writing. Nothing stresses kids out in the state of Louisiana at the 4th or 8th grade level quite like a teacher pulling out a released test items packet and discussing what components need to be in a written composition. Poor babies, it is just too much.

On a side note: I am very thankful for my partner teacher this year. She is amazing, absolutely amazing. When I was literally sinking from all the paperwork at the beginning she helped me organize, and now I feel like the work part of work is under control. She is also great to talk to and has great advice. I honestly couldn't be happier, reminds me of my first year teaching again!

Back to the story.

So after the stressful day/week. I left to go home. The weather was picking up. Jeremy was at the church working on something. And lastly, one half of the in-laws were at my house. (yes my house that I have not cleaned all week because this week has been nuts and busy nearly every night) I got halfway home and just couldn't drive any further. This week had been to much. I was in no mood what-so-ever to put on a happy face and schmooze with house guests. Which led me to immediately U-Turn and windup here:
Yes I admit it! I don't see a shrink, I see Target. Throughout my college life, and up to now, if I am stressed out I go to Target for retail therapy. I walked up and down every asile. I even browsed cleaning supplies. I had to get away, and nothing de-stresses me quite like shopping. I magaged to snag some Essie Cute as a Button and some new red felt tip pens. Just in case you have young kids or teach, Target has several classic stories written in kid friendly terms in their dollar bin, I snagged Rip Van Winkle, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and something else that has skipped my mind. 

Anyway, so now my toes are this color.
Which helped a little. However, I am still in tropical storm force sour puss mood. Jeremy's Mom and her new husband wanted to play board games last night, guess what your's truly did. 

Yes, you guessed right! I told my husband "No, work was exhausting, I feel like crap, I am staying in bed!" Yes, I know I wasn't raised this way. but Southern Belle went out the window hours ago. I was raised to make lemonade and have a cute snack on the counter for people to munch on. Sorry Nanny and Mom, this Southern Belle was plum out of hospitality at 5pm on a Friday. 

So among other things, the Southern Hospitality is out the window this weekend. We are under a flood watch and a TP Lee watch until Monday. There is hardly any bread or water left at the store. My grill in living in the house (yes I was outside in my polka dot rain boots dragging it in once gusts made it to 5mph lol). In addition to all that lovely, the dogs are refusing to potty in appropriate areas and the smell of what I do not love woke me up at a fascinating 3am. Which brings us to present time. 

How many are left out there? Something tells me this long post cleared the room out. 

Hello.

(echos back) Hello. Hello. Hello. 
Read More

Fill in the Blank Friday

September 2, 2011



1.   One thing that is completely superfluous, but that I could never give up is     my pink pillow. Let's face it I literally have been sleeping with it since I was a baby and it is just plain comfortable. It has become quite the sleep addiction  .

2.    Speaking to a crowd of adults      makes me feel awkward.

3.  I can't    sleep    without,    my eye mask and white noise  .

4.    Crackers, cheese, and fruit   is my favorite snack.

5.  Lately I've been     attempting to run and attempting to make my body sleep past 5:30am .

6.  If at first you don't succeed    give up and do something else that you like better and are good at    .

7.  Fall is    my happiest time of the year. I love the food, decorations, and holidays! Plus the weather, who can forget the weather!    .
Read More

Accent Vlog

September 1, 2011

Here is my accent vlog! I've seen a lot of bloggers participating in it, and after today it was quite appropriate. But you'll have to watch to see what actually went down today:)




Here is the list of words you have to say:

aunt, route, wash, oil, theatre, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, sure, data, ruin, crayon, toilet, New Orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, spitting image, Alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, syrup, pajamas, caught

The questions are as follows:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on someone's house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it rolls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a large group of people?
What do you call a spider that has an oval shaped body with extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when it rains while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change to tv channel with?

Read More