twelve

7.31.99

7.31.11

I hung out with my most favorite guy today,
in one of our favorite cities.
We walked around the arboretum at UC Davis,
had sushi,
and hung out in the used book store.
We laughed and remembered all of the time
we spent hanging out in Davis when we were in college and dating,
including the time we listened to that guy playing guitar
outside of the coffee shop who called himself
The Fuzzy Bearded Guy.
{wonder where he is now...?}

It was the best way to celebrate twelve years.
Love you, GP!
xo

good day / bad day / good day

I liked yesterday.

My college roommate and her
cutest-ever-curly-haired daughter came to visit and spent the afternoon.
She and I don't get to see each other as much as we'd like,
but she is the type of friend that
no matter the time that passes since we've seen each other last,
we pick right up.
We laugh easily together.
I'm comfortable with her, always.
She's my sister-from-another-mister.
:)

She got the pleasure
{ha}
of watching me prepare food
for last night.
It was my turn to host my bingo group.
{and yes, i am aware that makes me sound like an 80 year old woman.}

For the last six months or so,
a group of girlfriends have been getting together
once a month for bingo.
Every month the hostess chooses a theme,
and every guest brings a $15 gift related to the theme.
When you win a bingo round, you choose a gift.
My theme last night:
bring your favorite {$15} thing.
Kitchen gadget...lip gloss...gift certificate...whatever.

{my favorite thing?  this.  it will change your life.  get one.}

I so love a good party prep.
Especially one that involves mason jars.

{straws from here}

I saw this idea on pinterest.

Freeze lemon and lime slices with water in a muffin tin.
It looks pretty,
but I think I put too many citrus cubes in the water.
It was quite lemon-ey.

I had never made any of these things before.
The margarita lime cookies were so good.
They were very moist and lime-y.
The recipe is from here.

And the baked brie?
Delish, and super easy.
Recipe here.

The girls came,
and we laughed and talked and bingo-ed.
And someone may have tried on a pair of spanx they received as their gift.
It was a good day.

Today...not as awesome.
I woke up with a migraine.
A pretty bad one.
The kids fought and whined.
A lot.
They watched too much tv,
because I was holed up in a dark room.
The day was pretty much a blur,
and I was feeling pretty whiny too.

Then I read about this little girl.
For her 9th birthday on June 12, she wanted to raise $300 for Charity:Water.
She asked family to donate to Charity:Water rather than give her gifts.
They did, but she fell $80 short of her goal.
She figured she'd ask family and friends again on her 10th birthday.
She never got the chance, as she was killed in a car accident last week.
Her story got out,
and as of this moment her Charity:Water page has raised $508,246.
Inspiring.

I stopped whining.

I ended the day sitting outside by the fire with my favorite guy.

It actually was a good day.

i knew pinterest was evil.

Because if it weren't for Pinterest,
I wouldn't ever have seen these.

Peanut. Butter. Brownie. Bites.

These are good.
Like, really good.

See what I mean?  Evil.
Do yourself a favor:
if you're not already there,
stay far away from Pinterest.
And if you are there,
let me know so I can see what horrible desserts you have pinned.
:)

And I'm making these tomorrow.

Dang you, Pinterest.

saturday

This is my current favorite breakfast.

It's like a pb & j, but better.
On the days I don't have this
I usually have greek yogurt + berries + the lemon omega-3 stuff from costco.

Very exciting stuff, I know.

And did you see my little watermark there?
I'm goofing around, don't mind me.

Someone decided that bike-riding is a whole lot of fun.
That was one item on our summer list:
practice riding her big bike.

Check!

Do you think dogs can have thyroid issues?
Poor Lucy.
She's just so large.

Colin grew this sunflower, all by himself.
He planted it,
he watered it,
and it's now taller than him.

And little green ladybug-looking bugs are eating it.
Not cool.

Otter pops are not my favorite things.
I think I was traumatized by them as a kid.
Remember how the plastic could cut
the sides of your mouth?
I hated that.

But they are good for a kid with a summer cold
and a sore throat.

And did you see it?  There's that color again....
I like it more and more every day.
Kitchen walls, get ready.

insta friday - the 'i need more summer' edition

I realized this morning that summer is slipping through my fingers.

And I am not happy about it.

There are only three weeks left before school starts.

The back to school catalogs have been arriving for weeks.

I'm not ready for schedules and running around and homework 

and - maybe worst of all - the school pick-up line.

{shudder}

I like lazy breakfasts.

Sipping coffee 

and eating fake-on 

{aka turkey bacon}

while browsing the perfect wall color on blogs

is going to be a tough ritual to part with.

And speaking of the perfect wall color...

...I may have found it.

Do you like that trick?  

I didn't want to paint the wall so I painted a piece of cardboard

and have just been moving it around the room.

Gary gets the credit for that idea.

The closest Sonic is 20 minutes or so away.

Which is a good thing,

because I could possibly OD on 

diet dr. pepper or diet cherry limeades if it were closer.

Summer ending,

also means soccer beginning.

Soccer beginning means relaxing evenings ending.

Relaxing evenings ending also means fewer opportunities

for my favorite fat dog and I to catch the last rays of the evening.

I'll miss that, for sure.

These next few weeks:

we are going to squeeze every. last. drop. out of summer.

We are still going to cross some major items off of our summer list.

I plan on using another full bottle of sunscreen before school starts.

And I refuse to buy school supplies until the last minute,

even if it means missing out on 27 cent boxes of crayons at walmart.

Summer is still in full-swing.

best. lasagna. evah.

Let me apologize in advance to all of you
suffering through major heat waves
throughout the country.

The highs here have been - I'm whispering now -
{in the 70's.}

Sorry, midwest.

So I decided to make PW's lasagna last night.
I hadn't made one of her recipes in awhile.

Don't you love to lay all of your ingredients out
and be organized
and keep your kitchen tidy when you cook?

Me too.

As is the case with all of her recipes
{i won't bring up that one unfortunate choice at thanksgiving two years ago}
it did not disappoint.

This was the best lasagna I've ever made.
{maybe the best i've ever eaten?  strong words, i know.}
And...drumroll, please...
the kids liked it.
Boom.
Keeper.

Delicious.
Her recipe is here.

For the record, I used freshly grated parmesan
in lieu of Kraft. 
{that's just my own personal hang-up.}

And, since we're talking about records,
let's just put it out there that any recipe that calls for
Jimmy Dean sausage is going to be good.

Make this.
Once it is no longer 114* at your house.

{sorry, midwest.}

insta friday - the it's not friday edition

I'm low on pictures this week.
There hasn't been a lot of blogworthy happenings.

I do think it's worth mentioning, though,
that it is mid-July and I am still enjoying having the kids home.
Not once have I uttered that inevitable
"I'm SO ready for school to start"
phrase.

I'm sure it's coming,
{it always does}
but as of right now we're still having fun.

Here's a few pics from the week.
It's been a mellow one.

On Wednesday my dad entertained
the crew for the afternoon.
I enjoyed a hair appointment and then
I drove through Sonic for a Diet Dr. Pepper
and then headed solo to Home Goods
I got some new blonde and some red low lights.
At Home Goods I scored a chicken wire basket.
Yeah, buddy.
That's a good day.

We have several {young} fruit trees in our backyard.
Here is our bounty:

one plum.
One.
Plum.
It's breakfast tomorrow.
It better be good.

On the agenda today: painting.
He paints.
I watch.

It's a good system.

Enjoy your weekend, friends.
Eat a fattening ice cream cone.
Sit in the sun for a few minutes.
Go on a walk.
Stand in the grass with your shoes off.
Do something nice for someone.

That's a good day.

banana haters, look away.

I know that either you are a fan of bananas,
or you aren't.

My college roommate Amy is a HUGE banana hater.
She is one of those people that gags when they smell banana.
She never appreciated the fruit
bowl full of bananas in our apartment.
I managed to love her anyway.

BUT...
if you like bananas,
and if you happen to have purchased
an entire package of Hershey bars at Costco
before you went camping and you still have about 14
Hershey bars leftover from s'more-making in your refrigerator,
then you'll like this.

My brilliant friend Joy gave me this idea.
{hello...joy...start a blog already.}
I'll love her forever for it.

{i'm wearing a teal tank top today - can you tell?  i love the costco cami tops.}

First slice the banana:

Then add Hershey's.
In my opinion, the more, the better.

 Wrap in foil, and grill on the stove or bbq.

Grab a spoon,
hide from your children so they don't try to eat yours,
and enjoy.

OK, fine.
Make your kids their own so you don't have to hide.

Yum.
Sorry, banana-haters.

three years ago today...

 

...I was at the park with a friend

and she was telling me about how she discovered

this website written by a woman 

living on a ranch.

She was telling me about the love story

this woman was writing about herself and her husband, aka "Marlboro Man".

And I was telling her about this website

{"i think it's called a 'blog'?"}

I had just discovered 

while doing a google search for cakes 

authored by this cool girl in Kansas

who writes about her family and beautiful home and her love of color.

The first blogs I ever read,

and just the inspiration I needed.

Three years ago today I went home and started a blog.

I had no idea what I would blog about,

or if anyone would ever read it.

But here we are.

I blog about...let's see...random? nothing? everything?

and there are a few of you that read.

Thanks for that, friends.

Here's to another three!

xo

camping - in instagram

A driving-to-Tahoe tradition:
In-n-Out in Placerville.

Animal style.
Always.
{sorry to all of you without in-n-out.  that probably makes no sense.}

Camping = critters.
Not my favorite part.
But apparently I am raising three caterpillar fans.

Tahoe is more than just pine trees.
Cypress groves

and wildflowers
for the win.

{blurry pictures of}
huge hollow trees are awesome, too.

But...
pollen?
Lakes colored yellow with pollen?
Cars covered in pollen?
Picnic tables and tents and food
covered in pollen?

NOT AWESOME.
{{ah-choo!!}}

Coffee brewed over a campstove is extra delicious.
Steaks grilled over a campfire are extra delicious.
S'mores made over the campfire are extra delicious.
{duh}
But popcorn popped over a campfire?
D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.

Hats to cover the dreaded camping hair are a must.
And...for the record...dry shampoo?
Don't believe the hype.
Your hair still looks like you are camping and haven't washed it in two days.

Cousins reading quality literature before bed
make for good memories.

{why is a book about a superhero in underpants so darn funny to them, anyway?}

costco loves camping

We were camping this past week,
in one of our very favorite places.

I love Tahoe.

I love:
the lake, the trees, the air,
the smell, the camp cooking,
the lack of video games and tv,
even the dirt.
Sort of.

I don't love:
the mosquitos.
They were so bad this year.
I may need a blood transfusion.
Also don't love:

There were a lot of these guys around.
I like the butterfly version of them better.

And Costco loves it when we go to Tahoe.

I love camping,
but I'm glad to be home.
And, no 3G in the campground.
So...
what have I missed?
Leave me a comment
and let me know what you've been up to
so I can come say hi.

I'm having blog withdrawls.
:)

what i do every 3rd of july

For at least the last eight years,
my kitchen counter looks like this
on the 3rd of July.

There's not always mayo and mustard,
but the cocoa, eggs, baking soda, etc.
are always there.

4th of July Tradition: Texas Sheetcake Brownies.
{pioneer woman - whom i LOVE - has the identical recipe in her book}

I copied mine from my mom back in August of 2000
when Gary and I had been married less than a year
and we were living in Texas
and I was homesick and supporting Gary and I
on my measly teacher's salary
while he was in grad school at Texas A&M
and I was teaching 4th graders
and discovering the beauty and
efficiency of phrases like "all y'all".

Whew.  I'm glad I told you that.

It's the best, most moist dessert.
It shouldn't really be called brownies:
more like cake.

And, like anything,
it's better with sprinkles.
{recipe below}

I also made Ina Garten's potato salad.

I'll let you know if it's any good.
{but it's Ina we're talking about, so it should be...right?}

Also on the 3rd of July,
one of my very favorite things about our town:

parade, old-school style.
I love the homemade floats with baseball teams and gymnastics troupes and boyscouts.
I love that the kids see people they know on every third float and in the crowd and are
yelling and waving at their friends.
I love that the kids are beyond thrilled
to catch candy and and cheap necklaces
and temporary tattoos that are thrown into the crowd.
I love the veterans in their uniforms receiving standing ovations.
I get teary.
I love the classic cars.

This is the car that Gary drove when I met him.
It's no wonder I liked him, right?

And I love when I take a picture down the main street
and then notice that there is someone planking in the middle of the street.

Never heard of planking?
I'm not sure if it's funny or just plain weird.

Jessica Johnson: this picture is for you.
The pirate lives on.

Happy 4th, everyone.


**********************************

Texas Sheetcake Brownies

Sift into bowl: 

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

In pan on stove boil:
2 sticks butter

1 cup water

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Pour wet ingredients over dry into bowl.

Add 1/2 cup of EITHER sour cream or buttermilk,

and 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla.  

Beat well.

Spray jelly roll pan and pour in batter.

Bake at 400* for 30 minutes.

For icing:

Boil 1 stick butter,

4 Tbsp. cocoa powder,

and 6 Tbsp. sour cream.

Take off of heat and add

1 box powdered sugar,

1 tsp. vanilla,

1 cup nuts (optional).

Whisk together quickly and pour over warm cake.