Holly Jolly Fatdays!

I recently purchased a scale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond that gives a full body assessment including body weight, fat lbs., fat %, water weight %, and bone mass %.  It's a crazy cool scale, but why on earth I decided to purchase during the holiday fat season...I don't know. According to said scale, since last Wednesday...I've gained 4 lbs. I beg to differ, but I was defeated this morning to find out this news.  It must be due to the following:  Friday Night dinner at Lumi...

 Blue crab & cream cheese wonton

 

Shrimp & Crab Empanada

Ahi Tuna Nachos

Saturday morning brunch: (made by yours truly 0:)

 Belgian Waffles with blueberry sauce

Chorizo scrambled eggs

Saturday lunch: (not I don't skip meals just because i had breakfast...)

Saturday night dinner (followed by 4 pitchers of beer at the MAT and queso...):

Sunday Family Christmas Brunch:

 Creamy artichoke dip

 Fiesta salad

 Greenberg Smoked Turkey

Honey Baked Ham

Oh you think i'm done right...did I mention Sunday Night Dinner?:

 Feta Phyllo with aioli sauce

 Ceaser Salad

Farnatchi Special Pizza

All that being said...maybe I should be grateful it was only 4 lbs...now let the rest of the Holiday feasting commence!  Love you guys, Happy Fatdays!

HP Christmas Light Night & Top Chef

Tuesday night my wonderful husband planned an exciting HP Christmas light carriage ride with a couple of our friends, and it turned out to be quite a night! The night started off at Patrizio's for a fabulous meal...well it would have been fabulous if they had gotten our food to us before our carriage ride was supposed to start, so instead it was boxed up, and the first 20 minutes of our ride consisted of stuffing our faces, and very little conversation.  Our friends got a deep dish pizza that I envied the ENTIRE time. My pasta salad didn't quite stack up.  Anyway, 2 hours later, many conversations later, 3 bottles of wine later, the night was complete.  Let me say that ever since I started this whole 'work' thing i try to limit myself to 2 drinks max on a work night (if any).  Since I decided to break this rule by consuming a bottle to myself, yesterday was a day in fluorescent lighting...computer glaring...head pounding hell. In which I fought every urge to crawl under my desk and take a nap.  However, the carriage ride, lights, and company were just fabulous! So regrets are minimal now that I have fully recovered. I just adore Christmas lights, and enjoyed seeing the all-out madness that is HP holiday decor.  

On another note, last night I watched Top Chef, and finally felt the correct people were sent home after last weeks MADNESS sending Jen home...I was grateful for the fair judging, and now have some new favorite contestants.  Tiffany (my girl from Dallas), Tre, Casey, and true story... I'm loving Fabio--i think it's unfair that he just doesn't understand what everyone wants from him!  Angelo, though a front-runner, as Dan says, is obsessive and annoying.  Anyway, solid showing last night...though I was disappointed I didn't get to start the TV night off with Modern Family (WHY re-run...why?).  Have a fabulous Thursday! Soooo ready for tomorrow!

Pi Beta Cake Boss

So I'm a sucker for A-food, B-good food, and C-TV. So when reality shows like Top Chef, etc. come on...I immediately take on the role of a food connoisseur and apply it every time I go out to dinner in critiquing the food. Obvi.  So when I found out via FB that a sorority sister of mine (ya pi beta!) was going to be on TLC's  Cake Boss - The Next Great Baker I immediately set this on my DVR and tuned in.  Megan was such a super sweet girl in college, and I remember she always made various baked goods for our different functions, and they were of course always GORGEOUS and scrumptious.  It was clear she had a talent for this.  After college she got married to another great Baylor Bear and went to culinary school.  Well now she is the youngest contestant on The Next Great Baker, and might I add after watching 2 episodes...she really is THE BEST and front-runner.  It has already been so fun to watch especially knowing someone ON the show (now I won't say I know her well, but we got to know each other much better my senior year). It's especially fun when the person you know is kickin' ace on the show! All this being said, set your DVR Monday nights 9/8c to TLC and watch Megan dominate Cake Boss. ;-).  On another note...yesterday was Dan and I's 1 month anniversary, YAY! I'm not one to typically celebrate anything but year anniversaries, but being that this is the first week since we've been married we've really been able to settle in, we had to sit back and enjoy the occasion...and use it as an excuse for a fabulous meal out!  Hope you all had a wonderful Monday :( and are looking forward to the weekend as much as I am!

A Shake Weight Christmas

This weekend was a weekend filled with Christmas parties! Tis the season right?! So Friday's tacky Christmas party was quite a hit (particularly after a friend downloaded 'firework' by Katy Perry).  Another highlight was when the host came around offering peppermint bark, and when a guy friend of ours was dressed in his "canadian tuxedo" i.e. all denim with a tie.  We had a great time, and I felt our outfits turned out appropriate. Yes, Dan was dressed in my Vegas sing act vest from college....who knew that would come in handy? Good thing I saved that gem. 

Saturday was filled with Christmas shopping and food preparation for our "Knot" Christmas party.  Our outfits were placed on repeat for the night, and I'll say the highlight of Saturday's party came in 2 parts...1st being that in the white elephant exchange I got a shake weight! Those of you who do not know what this is, climb out from under a rock and get yourself to bed, bath, and beyond and pick up one of these gems.  Probably the best part of this was that no one wanted the shake weight, i was #14 and I opted for the steal...what are these people thinking? It's like the guilty pleasure item you've always wanted, and now you don't have to be seen purchasing it at the store, or knowingly spending the $ on it.  I was beyond confident in my choice to steal the shake weight (and that it'd stay in my possession for the duration of the game). It's all about playing it cool.

The 2nd part of the greatness of the party came when we decided it was time to bust out the Wii and play "Just Dance 2"....let me tell you, it was hillarious.  Granted a good amount of drinking had taken place before this part of the night came to fruition, but it was quite a workout, and as we all know i'm an awful dancer, and I had a great time with it!  We even were able to make the guys go a round....to "Wham-wake me up before you go go"....it was brilliant, and might I throw out there that if you're looking for some last minute Christmas gifts for any age...please consider the Shake Weight, or Just Dance 2.  Both made my weekend exponentially better.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!

A New Twist on Tacky Christmas Party Attire

Gooooood Morning!  So last night Dan and I (well mostly I), prepared for our weekend of tacky Christmas parties...yes, I realize this 'trend' is not so 'trendy' anymore...as LOTS of people throw them.  Luckily, I've kept my gear from my college 'costume bin' for such occasions going forward (as well as assorted Halloween costumes, thug attire, some camo, and all Baylor Sing costumes...just in case ;-)). Anyway, as I was gathering costume attire for both nights of tacky Christmas parties, as well as wrapping some clutch white elephant gifts. I decided I'd do some internet research just to see how common the tacky Christmas theme is these days...and what I found was disturbing.  When I think of tacky Christmas I think of this picture. 

However, as I did the research, I found THIS picture...how horrifying!  Now this is what i truly consider TACKY Christmas party attire. As for the above, and what we will be wearing, grandma sweaters and turtlenecks are fly like a G6, and never offensive for said parties.  So what if i make my husband wear an antler headband like it's his job? Festive is key, and i never pass up an opportunity to dress up for a themed party.  However, this girl, well, she has a lot to learn, but not a lot to leave to the imagination.  I am SO SO excited to be in town this weekend to attend fun parties and do some Christmas shopping, and maybe even pump the Pandora "R&B/Pop Holiday" station...but if Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer comes on...i might be traumatized after seeing this tacky Christmas outfit choice.  Have a wonderful weekend! Hope to see some of you party peeps!  

Angel Tree Anxiety

So yesterday during lunch I met my sister for some family Christmas shopping at the mall where I also picked up an Angel Tree angel from the Salvation Army tree.  For those of you who are not familiar with this event, see www.jcp.com/angel (you can adopt one online) conveniently this year.  Anyway, I remember growing up my mom would always take me and my sisters to the mall and we'd get to pick out an angel to shop for for Christmas! So Dan and I wanted to carry on this tradition this year.  I picked a 9 year old boy, and Dan and I set out to shop right after work.  Come to find out, they don't give you a lot of information about your 'angel', just all his clothing/shoe sizes for his "need" list and a "want" list that singly listed an XBox360....well, since money isn't growing on the trees in our backyard quite yet (I guess we're not using the right fertilizer)...we weren't going to be purchasing Marion the XBox 360 this year.  They don't even give you any pertinent info like what he's interested in, etc., so fulfilling some 'wants' like toys was a little difficult as well as clothing choices.  Are khakis cool for Marion? Is this football t-shirt cool? Does he even like sports? What about this fleece jacket? Navy, black?  What kinda socks are cool? I wear no-show, but what if he likes tube? We didn't want him to get bullied at school due to our poor understanding of what's cool to the 9 year old Marion.  We did our best and walked away with khakis, a football (not team specific) long sleeve t-shirt, some black and gray tennis shoes, a black fleece jacket, no-show socks, and plaid boxers.  Then onto toys...Dan decided a football and basketball combo would promote active behavior, and surely wouldn't get him bullied...and then he immediately picked out a Nerf gun that looked like a shotgun (it had barrels and you had to cock it before shooting)...I proceeded to put back that gun, and promote a more 'outer-space' looking Nerf gun...the last thing I wanted was Marion to decide to bring his 'shotgun replica' Nerf gun to school.

Anyway, I'm sure Marion will end up being a cargo jean and plaid shirt wearing little boy that prefers white tennis shoes and is in the band, and Dan and I will have failed miserably.  If that is the case, I put partial blame on the Salvation Army, and there lack of research, because I know Santa would know everything about little Marion, and I...a mere over-sized elf...did not.  Merry Christmas Marion!

Neglecting my DVR

So I've been able over the past couple of years to 'sell' my (now husband) on some critical TV shows that I just couldn't live without.  Most of my shows he will watch with me (he secretly loves them)...GG, 90210, Bachelor/Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad, Top Chef, Guiliana & Bill, Bethany, and Flippin Out.  If he had his way...we'd watch NatGeo, ESPN, and Fox News 24/7.  However, my shows he absolutely REFUSES to watch are: Real Housewives, Greys, Desperate, Brothers & Sisters, and Private Practice.  I've given up most of these sadly, but I just couldn't give up Desperate and Private Practice. I've had 4 episodes each unwatched screaming at me from the DVR...but last night, my sweet little husband, (who has the ability to fall asleep ANYWHERE sitting up...trains, planes, automobiles) fell asleep literally in the palm of my hand around 9:30, and I took advantage by aggressively catching up on Private Practice.  Let me tell you...it was a rollercoaster of emotion.  For those of you who watch, the last couple of episodes have focused on Charlotte King, one of the main characters whose profile can be described as a strong, independent, successful, sassy woman, was brutally attacked and raped. It was really one of the most intensely horrific episodes I've seen on any of the shows I keep up with and watch. I found myself holding my breath throughout the episodes, and I really think they did an interesting and amazing job depicting it differently that other shows may have in the past, and in the media.  I read an article online that addressed an interview with the actress.  She spent months at a recovery center for rape victims studying different womens' stories and attending counseling sessions where different women spoke about their experiences.  The writer and producer of the show also did similar research.  Secondly, a close friend of the actress had her attacker convicted the same day the episode aired on television, so it hit close to home for the actress.  It really has been an intense and informing series of episodes the last couple of weeks.  On a lighter note, all that being said, I'm very dedicated to my shows and their characters and story lines, and do NOT like getting behind with my DVR, so here's to catching up, and many more nights of my sleepy husband falling asleep in front of the TV so I can sneak in my guilty pleasure girly emo shows without his moaning and groaning about them being torchure :-).  PS I promise the other shows I watch are light-hearted and evoke more laughter.  i.e. on tonight's schedule...Top Chef All-Stars! Team Tiffany!

Inaugural Post

So i've been thinking about starting a blog for a long time, so here we go! I guess I will start off with the fantastic weekend we had attending my "roomie"'s, (well for 5 of the last 7 years, and until recently when I got married),  wedding! We had such a blast, the rehearsal was a hunting/lodge theme and the speeches were HIGH-larious.  I particularly liked an old childhood friend calling out the bride-to-be on a certain "hot or not" website posting from middle school. Do you guys remember that site?!? Too funny. I'm sure she got some killer ratings, as we all would have in middle school.  My constant pony tail and braces really should have graced the cover of "Tiger Beat".  Anyway, the rehearsal was a blast and the next day we had a little luncheon at my parentals house.  My mom was shocked at the amount of food girls consumed...I told her "we went to baylor, we are NOT scared of food".  After that we all enjoyed a fabulous day at the church getting ready and after the ceremony we boogied down at a fantastically fun reception!  Highlights from the band for me: Gloria Estefan-Conga and Journey-Don't Stop Believing.  It always amazes me that adults think it's so weird we love Journey...well you know what? I think it's weird you like Lady Gaga when it comes on your Sirius XM Hits station, and stop asking me to burn you CD's just because you don't understand how to work the ipod we got you last Christmas.  Many friends, and even some adults, dominated the tambourine that night to constant Earth Wind & Fire and KC & the Sunshine band hits...it was a good time had by all. Did I mention the wedding itself was CHRISTMAS themed?!? I love Christmas decor, their trees, etc. were much more extravagant and beautiful than mine...but speaking of Christmas decor...

Sunday when we got back Dan & I got to work on the outdoor Christmas light situation at our house, because i refuse to be the Grinch on the street.  It absolutely amazes me that no matter how much planning you do, you WILL need twice as many lights as you think.  We are almost done, and I will post some outdoor Christmas decor pictures later...but for now, here's a teaser of our tree inside.  I found it appropriate since before mentioned Roomie bought us the tree for our wedding present! Thanks Rooms, and have a WONDERFUL and fabulous honeymoon! Grr....can I go back to my honeymoon? Till next post, as Paula would say...Merry decoratin' yall!