I Really Don’t Get It.

So I am not what one would call “fashion forward” and may not be the best judge of what is hip. Do we still say hip? I don’t really follow what is trendy in fashion/pop culture because I know most women only look good in 5% of what celebrities are actually wearing. I prefer comfort over style and hate shopping and spending a lot of money on clothes unless I can wear that piece of clothing all the time and with pretty much everything else I own. I tend to stay in the neutral color tones and am content wearing many different shades of grey, black, green & blue. I adore fashion shows, but when I watch things like Project Runway I only agree with the judges 30% of the time. And as we speak I am sitting in yoga pants, green & blue argyle knee socks, pink slippers, a red sweatshirt, and I have a multi-color piece of random fabric in my hair in place of a headband because I love it.

See, I love my fabric headband….

My point is, I get it….I am not the best judge of fashion. But I do know when something doesn’t make sense and should be removed from the stores promptly and that is why I have to say I just do not for the life of me get Gladiator Sandals and/or Gladiator Boots.

Now I know these came out a couple years ago, but I had really hoped it was just a phase and a bad judgment call by some designers and they would be gone by now and after one season we would never see them again. But they are still around and becoming ridiculous!

OK, maybe a simple and semi-understated gladiator sandal like this…

......would look good on some people (especially when worn with jeans). But I just don't get them in general, I mean isn't the idea to elongate your legs and not cut them off at the ankles? These shoes definitely cut off your legs when you wear them with anything other than jeans.  If you do not have large calves, are the right height, the right age, and have great legs these would look "good" on you. But then they (the crazy designers of the fashion world)  went from a simple shoe to a shoe that now has a life of its own.

SEE!

Now they are like part boot, part leg warmer, part sandal, part S&M shoe, part where is the rest of your shoe, and part WTF is going on with your legs?!?!?! IT IS TOO MUCH   There is a difference between cute strappy sandal (which I like) and an unfinished one that cuts your legs in weird places. Seriously, where is the rest of my shoe?! If I am wearing a shoe that in theory is suppose to come up anywhere from your ankle to mid calf I want the whole shoe that I am paying for….not just pieces of it. It looks like the shell of what could be a cool shoe but was never finished because the cobbler left for Mojitos and passed out the night before the shoes were to be displayed at Fashion Week. And now we are left with pieces of shoes that look very uncomfortable, have no arch support (which is important in my older age), and makes your calves look like sausages.

And the worst part is that even though the celebrities may be starting to move on to other styles (though someone needs to take all of the Olsen twins gladiator shoes away from them STAT) now the general public is starting to wear these shoes more often and I have to tell you…..it ain’t pretty.  Maybe because I live in a college town and I am exposed to girls who study the “show” Jersey Shore instead of studying where Jersey is on a map, I feel like this particular bad fashion is everywhere I look. And unfortunately mama isn’t there to tell Brittni she doesn't look like a greek goddess but rather the court jester; and instead she has a bunch of drunk girlfriends who are going to let her go out in public wearing those dreadful shoes and flattering her on how great they look because they saw Audrina where them on The Hills and she looked awesome.

Sigh

So my point of this post?  If you can pull the more simple ones off in a fashionable way, please do.  I guess I just do not like seeing 20 year olds squeeze their legs into these while they wear cotton shorts with BGSU on the butt, a too tight tank, and a scarf.  There are other people to get your fashion image from other than girls from The Hills.

Day 1 of Vacation….And The Verdict Is???

Not what I expected.

Today was soooooo not what I expected that I decided to share. (See I am trying to get better about blogging more so you have to deal with my lame posts now too!)



So yesterday you saw what Belle did to me within the first few hours of my vacation day. (If not read the previous post) As punishment I forced her to lie on the couch with me for 30 minutes while I cuddled her. She hated it and was very annoyed. We are now even.


So what happened today? Well I woke up with a Urinary Tract Infection. sigh Unfortunately when I woke up (due to the UTI) it was still too early to call the doctor so I just had to lay there for a couple hours in between my frequent trips to the bathroom. After scheduling my appointment and chugging a couple big glasses of water I arrived at my 9:40 doctor appointment. As soon as I arrived they told me they were very backed up and it would be awhile. Now I have had many UTI’s in the past (I blame Terry) and besides the constant pain, urge of having to pee, and slight burning; I also become very very warm. So I sat down and instantly start sweating all over and getting the urge to go. I was a hot mess. I seriously looked like a junkie looking for their next hit. I asked if I could use the bathroom now and give them their urine sample….you know since I couldn’t hold it anymore and looked like a wet dog who just got in a fight (thanks again Belle). They graciously said yes, as I imagine they were afraid of me.


After obtaining my sample I am sitting on the toilet and need to wipe off my cup like a responsible person before I lay it down anywhere. So I reach for the toilet paper and the roll falls off the holder startling me and bumping my cup which then…..you might have guessed it…..spills urine ALL OVER ME. (I will wait for the ewwwws to stop.) Yep, there is nothing like spilling urine on you when you already look and feel like crap to just make you feel that much better. So after spending way too long in the bathroom I finally emerged with half a sample, little dignity, sweaty armpits, frizzy hair, and an aroma that I imagine a 90 year old who wears depends has. I was gross.


While in the waiting room I used the restroom 4 more times and then 2 more times once I was in an exam room. I do have to say there were all women working today and they were incredibly understanding. I really felt bad both physically and because I felt like a giant pain in the ass (or urethra) but they were so kind about the whole thing and actually pushed to get me through as fast as they could….aka in 1 hour.


After that hour in the doctor’s office I then spent 2 ½ hours going to the hospital lab to “drop off” my sample (and by drop off I mean register and wait to drop off my sample), at the pharmacy getting my prescription filled, at the store getting all my special pills & juices, and in a variety of disgusting bathrooms along the way. Talk about fun. When I got home I took any and all pills I had bought, inhaled a bagel BELT from Tim Hortons (it seriously never saw me coming), and then turned the shower on extra hot and sat…yes sat…in the shower for 20 minutes just forgetting about the past 3 ½ hours and waiting for the pain to go away. Oh and rinsing any urine off me.




But fear not fellow blog readers, I have not let these events ruin my day! Since it is just me tonight I am going to bake cookies for this weekend, watch some cheesy movie, enjoy a spinach & mushroom frozen pizza, drink my cranberry juice out of a fancy cup and pretend it has alcohol in it, and enjoy an evening with fewer bathroom breaks than this morning.


Yep, it may not have been that bad of a day. Well except for the spilling urine on myself….I mean really Jenn.

This Will Teach Me

So Belle bitch slapped me today while we were trying to cram load her into the cat carrier. She hates (understatement) leaving the house and really who could blame her….it is ridiculously hot out. She just did not want to leave because she knew it was to the vet as that is the only place we take her. I can’t get too mad at her for totally clawing up my face as I would have probably done the same thing if I knew I was going to the Dr. to get my anal glands squeezed.

I have to say my vanity did come out a bit when I repeatedly asked Terry if it was going to scar as she did get pretty deep with her claws. After repeatedly telling me no, at least not noticeably (great) I then asked if I would now get toxoplasmosis and immediately Googled it to see if I had any symptoms. Yes, I asked that question and was serious….but it shouldn’t be a surprise as WebMD is one of my favorite websites. And for the record the flu like symptoms take a day or so to show up....so I am not out of the clear yet.

In other news:

I am taking 5 ½ days of work! Holla. The last time I took a long weekend like this was when we got married in 2006. T. is taking the same out of time and I must say we both need this. Plans for the next few days involve a few trips to Starbucks, a bagel belt mid-morning (possibly on multiple days), sleeping in, working on a wall décor project that I am painting, visiting people at Lakeside, going to the Hancock County Fair, sitting on the couch, messing around online, watching at least one cheesy romantic comedy, and maybe a few other things here & there. I am very non-committal about the whole weekend so we will see what really happens….well except for the Starbucks and bagel belt - that will happen.

Also, I am soooooo happy this weekend is going to be nice and cool. I love Fall and this weekend’s weather sounds perfect. We got a little hosed last year with Fall weather….summer lasted too long and fall didn’t last long enough. So I say bring on Fall weather now!

I hope everyone has fun and safe Labor Day weekends!


Any big plans you would like to share? Not that I would be bored this weekend and just pop up at your family cookouts…ok maybe I would. So whatcha doing, where you going to be.... she asked in a non-stalker way?!

Talk To Me – Quinoa

So I have heard a lot of talk the past few months about eating Quinoa. Basically “quinoa is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. Quinoa also has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.[5] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.”


Sounds like it should be good for you, no?!

As I have been trying to eat healthy I thought I would give it a try. I get that you can use it in place of dishes with rice and Josey over at My Cheap Version of Therapy had a few great sounding recipes for quinoa meals! But I made a batch tonight and I have to admit, it is a little bland on its own and I am not sure how to use it in a healthy way for lunch. I googled some recipes and there were a few that sounded really good but I like stuff with lots of flavor and not just veggies but also something lighter for lunch.


SO before I go experimenting, has anyone ever used it before and/or have some good and easy lunch ideas to share?! Any thoughts on quinoa & recipes?

Really?! – Cell Phone Picture Edition

So here are a few pictures taken the past couple weeks on my cell phone that make me just think….Really?! (Yes, Like Seth & Amy on SNL)



Really Antique Mall in Findlay, Ohio?! You felt that you just had to put creepy porcelain doll wall paper up in your bathroom? I know you sell antiques and all, but what about finding wall paper with old books or antique toys without faces or I don’t know anything else aged that ISN’T a creepy doll?  Or hey, even better, how about just some fancy design like normal businesses have?  I mean really, do you not want people to use your restrooms?  Or maybe you literally want to scare the shit out of people when they are using your facilities as some sick joke.  What kind of creep does that?!  I mean come on, really.  That wall paper is one of the scariest things I have ever seen….I felt those creepy dolls, along with that little clown, were peering into my soul. Really.

Really Yoplait? “Thick & Creamy”?!  I know this isn’t new or anything, but I have always had a problem with it. Thick and Creamy. Was that the best name your marketing company could come up with? I mean really?! Were you all snickering as you came up with this or did you really think making a Thick and Creamy product line was an awesome way to sell your product. Yes, I know I usually “go there” and love a good sexual innuendo, but come on….who wants to stare at those words while trying to enjoy a tasty, 100 calorie snack. I mean really.

Really cats?  Did you not think we would notice the curtain hanging off the door window when we got home? And what were you three up to that would cause the curtain to “fall” down? Did you think you could look out the window?  Did you want to scare the mail-ma'am?  I mean really, what were you trying to accomplish with this besides making more of a mess in the house? I get it, the curtain isn’t that great but that is no reason to jump up and attempt to rip it down. Come on cats, at the best stretched out you are each no more than 3 feet and you do not have thumbs….so I do not know how you did this but there is nothing you need with that curtain. Really cats. 

2010 – The Year of Busted Stuff

So I try not to complain too much (though my husband may respectfully disagree) but there is a trend I am noticing for this year and I have to say that I am not so much a fan of it.



So what is the trend? All our shit is breaking!


Yep, I believe 2010 is the year that all our crap breaks….and is also the year of the Tiger (of the Tiger getting caught with a couple dozen mistresses…say what!)

 Now it is common for things to break here and there….but this year it seems to be almost like some running joke in our house, albeit a sick joke that makes me want to cry and eat a bag of pretzels and Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream, but a joke nevertheless. Now I am not looking for sympathy with this post (though please feel free to send donations c/o HOWARD RELIEF 2010 and in the memo – “Busted Stuff”) so please do not take it that way. But because of the absolutely absurd amount of crap that has broke not even 9 months into the year I feel it is my duty (teehee) to share because seriously, it is just crazy.


Stuff is just reaching that time where things naturally need fixed. My car is a 2001 Honda and is AMAZING (I heart Hondas) but as it approaches 10 years old it needs some basic fixes to keep it going another 10 years. Terry’s car is a 1991 VW (T. hearts VW’s) and it needs work to keep it going a few more years. The house was built in 1980 and has many original items, and therefore all that stuff is starting to need a little work…..kind of like me. Stuff just be getting old.  Plus I would much rather all this happen this year then next when T. is gone. And after 2010 is over we should seriously be all fixed up for awhile….and what isn’t fixed is getting duct taped.




So what is on our list this year of shit that decided to stop working?


1. Heater broke. Yep, on a very cold evening in January we lost heat. Brrrrrrr. Furnace = Fixed.
However a new furnace will be needed in about 3 years. = sigh
New coils were also fixed in the basement as they were starting to go bad and they were there to fix it then.


2. Volkswagen needed some new belt thing = Fixed


3. VW needs brakes, shocks & struts and rotors turned = Waiting to be fixed


4. Honda air conditioned broke this summer = Fixed


5. New battery for Honda = Fixed


6. Back shocks and struts on Honda needed replaced = Fixed


7. Front shock and struts on Honda need replaced = Waiting to be fixed.


8. New tires on Honda before November = Waiting to be fixed.


9. Honda started making a new noise when braking = Next on list to be fixed


10. There was a recall on the Honda for a switch that needed fixed. = Fixed…FOR FREEEEEE!


11. Computer’s power supply broke = Fixed


12. Dishwasher broke = New dishwasher with the help of my awesome parents! THANK YOU!!!


13. Air conditioned just started making this horrible noise when it shuts off and needs looked at = Waiting till Fall to look at it.


14. 17 year old washer decided to stop working 2 weeks ago…mid cycle of course = New washer purchased


15. Got a call from T. Monday saying that as he was heading to lunch his axel & some kind of ball joint thing on his car fell off and basically his tire was barely hanging on. (For the record can I just say I do NOT care about the car in this case and just that T. was in a parking lot at work and not on the highway going to class. My stomach turns thinking what might have happened if this would have broke even 20 minutes later. Losing a wheel on the highway at 70 mph. I seriously feel sick.) = Fixed.


16. After that little scare T. asked the shop to inspect the car thoroughly and see what else needs updated. We got a list that includes a few more things not previously mentioned above like a new exhaust, tires, and a couple other smaller items. = Waiting to be fixed



The thing is our cars are actually really great cars, though from the sounds of it I am sure no one wants to ride with us! It is just stuff that happens over time and needs taken care of. The good thing about all the car stuff is that 1) Terry works at NAPA and can get parts there for a deal 2) he has worked with some of the shops in town for nearly 15 years and that is nice because they don’t always charge for all the BS (like buying parts)…just their labor, 3) if we can invest some money now it will allow us to not have to make a car payment for at least 2 years until after he graduates from CCMS which is going to be huge, and 4) Terry can do some of this stuff himself which saves money.


YES it is VERY frustrating having this all happen at once but at the same time what can we do about it. Shit happens; and in our case shit happens and then breaks.  So you fix it an move on.  But if you cannot get ahold of me, please check any of the local repair shops in the area….or the ice cream section at Meijer.




This is ONE year. ONE FLIPP’N YEAR. Nuck’n Futs, right?!

Being a grown up is sooooo much fun :)

Shameless Plug or Fun Invitation?! Tastefully Simple is in the House!!

Beer Bread and Mixes and Desserts....OH MY!!!

So my wonderful cousin who lives in my hometown has decided to become a Tastefully Simple consultant. Now as my cousin is gracious enough to drive 3 hours and I have been considering becoming a consultant up here, cannot turn down a party, and can definitely NOT turn down a party all about FOOD I am going to be hosting a party of my own on Saturday, September 25 at 2:00p.m.!


I am sending out an open invitation (so you can get an invitation) to anyone who would like to come over to my house for a few delightful Tastefully Simple treats or would like to order something in anticipation of the Fall and Winter months!

Just so you know, the new Fall-Winter Catalog will be out very soon and since I saw a sneak peek I can say it is jammed packed with all of your old favorites as well as SOOOO many tasty treats specifically for the colder months! Plus there are over 25 NEW products available! Not to be bias, but the Fall catalog is my favorite…as it is hard to go wrong with Oh My! Chia, Pumpkin Patch Bread Mix, and Creamy Potato Soup! *drool*

So if you are looking for some delicious and easy items to help you through the holidays, gift ideas for friends/family, or just want to try some delectable food please let me know!

Please feel free to comment on the blog and leave your email or email me at jennperko@hotmail.com if you are interested in receiving an invitation to the party so you can hang out with me and eat some fun food or if you would like a link so you can purchase stuff online!! I have a list already started, but just so I do not forget anyone please let me know by Sunday as I will be sending out invitations then!!

A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That

As I seem to be having difficulty of late writing any sort of blog post interesting or otherwise, I thought in an attempt to make an effort to blog more frequently I would do a completely haphazard blog of things that I am thinking and feel like sharing. So please enjoy these few tasty morsels of randomness.



- See that little girl with me? I love her and she makes me smile.

Her name is Macey and she is ADORABLE, HILARIOUS, and SO STINK’N SMART! (So is the girl next to her…but we already knew that.) I also love her mommy very much too and was SOOOO excited when a couple weekends ago my cousin, her husband and their daughter Macey spent the entire weekend in our house!! We colored, played, watched kids shows I had never heard of!!! Having a child in the house was awesome, hilarious, eye opening, and tiring….I loved it. 

Her and her new friend Ivan!  It is hilarious watching two 3 year olds interact.

Here they are being crazy.

Basically because they wouldn't just lay there for a real picture!

And here they are teaching my sister a lesson. 

Don't worry, she was ok and only suffered minor injuries.

- So we my sister got a another cat. Another cat you say? Don’t you already have two too many? Egad…I can’t believe you would say that!! In a moment of weakness for cute kittens and so I could nurture something I agreed to let Kristen get a kitten. (For the record T. agreed too and said “I don’t care, she can do whatever the hell she wants but I am not going to f@$k’n take care of it for her. Oh and she better pick one that is cute and gets along with our cats." Translation: “I really want another kitten so of course.”) 

This is Charlie. (He is waving hello)

He is a pet of Lucifer bit of a handful, but when he is asleep and not moving he is adorable…and a cuddlier, which is purrrfect. (sorry)

This is him trying to figure out why he can now lay flat. 

It is because they just took his little kitten balls from him.

"Someone get me my evening paper, cigar, and warm glass of milk!! 

I had a hard day and wish to relax....is that too much to ask for?!"

"What about now?  Is this sexy?"

He is a little cuddle bug....I enjoy that and he enjoys how soft and squishy I am.  He can stay!f

- I bought this nail polish from Rite Aid a few backs back and I have to say I LOVE IT. It is from Sally Hanson and called Complete Salon Manicure. The idea is that all 5 steps of a manicure are in a bottle. (Base Coat, Strengthener, Growth Treatment, Color, Top Coat.) Now for the record I bought this stuff only for the color below (Fairy Teal….awesome) and I still used a base and top coat because, well I didn’t even realize it was a 5 in 1 until a couple days after I used it. Top coat or not this stuff goes on beautifully, comes in SO many fun colors, lasts a long time (mine lasted nearly 3 weeks…but I cleaned with bleach which didn’t help), isn’t clumpy or thick, and has really fun nail polish names! It also has a different design of a brush, which I wasn’t sure of at first but then thought was rather brilliant. I also got Commander in Chic which I will be trying this weekend.

Pretty

 

I heart these colors.

Funky brush but works wonderfully.

- I bought these gaucho pants at Target.com for $10! Yep, very comfy and just something to lounge around in or wear out to do errands. I enjoy them a lot. The material is a bit on the thinner side, so take that into consideration when buying them….but remember they are only $10 so you can’t beat that for lounging pants! But seriously, if you have any cellulite (and so help the person who says they do not) you may want to avoid white as I am sure it will show everything. But black and brown, like I got, are well worth it!

- These are my other cats. They saw I put something on here about Charlie and got pissed and tried to ship him to Bali so I promised I would put pictures of them on the blog if they unwrapped him from the bubble wrap….or at the least poked holes in the box.

Sebastian being fancy for the camera.

This was Belle being dramatic. 

She was laying over the steps looking down and meowing and then.....

......She pretend to fall down the step.  Drama queen.

- I have officially lost 50 pounds in a year. I am excited as it is about a pound a week, but really wanted to lose more as I still have a ways to go. Slow and steady right?! At this rate I should be at my ideal weight right before I hit menopause! But seriously, I am excited…hopefully by this time next year I will be at my goal weight.

- I have always been indifferent about The White Strips but lately I cannot stop listening to them. Their music can be rough and sound like a mess, but it is actually fantastic. I watched their documentary on Showtime called Under Great White Northern Lights that came out last year and it is awesome.  My husband also told me to watch It Might Get Loud with Jimmy Page, The Edge & Jack White.  Suh-weet.

A little random fact….their song “We're Going to be Friends” is the song played at the beginning of Napoleon Dynamite.

Ok, that is it.  I think I have bored you enough! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLEE!!

Someone very special to all of us is having a birthday today!!! (And may also find out the gender of her newest pretzel!)


Happy Birthday to Kylee over at TwoPretzels.


Kylee, I think everyone would agree with me in saying that you are one of the kindest, funniest, most creative, stylish, beautiful people we know…seriously you are just wonderful. And besides being such an awesome person with fantastic hair, you are an amazing mother and a truly wonderful friend. Oh, and your blog just rocks.

I am soooo glad to have met you that fateful day at OCC and am truly inspired by the strong, confident and amazing women you are!

Happy Birthday my friend!!



Sending HUGS to you today. Love you

Geico....You are Some Funny People

I am not a big fan of many commercials because they are just boring and I am glad 85% of the T.V. we watch is recorded so we can fast forward through commercials that are not funny (sorry commercials, I wish you were funny for both of our sakes). But I have to say that one of the few commercials I stop at and will actually rewind to watch are the newer Geico commercials. They are WHO-larious!

You know which ones I am talking about right...click here.

Does Elmer Fudd have troubles with the letter R? "Wabbits. Wabbits. Ah this director is wubbing me the wong way."

Does a former drill sergeant make a terrible therapist?...."Tissue? (Throws box) Cry Baby."

Or how about the Honest Abe commercial?! Is honest Abe really honest? "Does this dress make my backside look big? (insert uncomfortable expressions) Perhaps a ...."

So have you seen the newest one?!  Oh my gosh, I watched it four times because I couldn't stop laughing.

Did the little piggy cry wee wee wee all the way home?



Genius.  I really believe I would like the people who come up with these Geico commercials as I love funny people.  It is simple but very clever humor. LOVE. IT.

Any favorite commercials?

Terry-ism: Reason # 1,487 Why I LOVE This Man

I came home the other day after work to see Terry chill’n (yes chill'n, not chilling) on the couch watching TV. I sit down beside him and notice he is watching Bewitched circa Darrin #2 and the following conversation takes place:


Me: “Watching Bewitched, huh?”
T: “No.”
Me: “Terry I see it on the TV, what do you mean you are not watching it?”
T: “I was really watching this.” Switches to a different channel.
Me: “What is this?”
T: “Charmed. Bewitched is my back up channel for when there are commercials.”

The conversation basically ended there because all I could really do was smile. Yes my long haired, metal head husband watches Charmed & Bewitched. It has been 10 years together and he is still an enigma to me.


I love you Terry.

"Who's gonna turn down a Junior Mint? It's chocolate, it's peppermint -- it's delicious!"

(Anyone guess what famous TV show that quote is from? Mickey D. I know will get it!)


So I went to the movie theater a couple weekends ago and I was flabbergasted…yes flabbergasted to see there were NO Junior Mints being sold at the concession stand. (Pause for audible gasp from readers) Now I prefer salty foods over sweet foods, but do enjoy the occasional sweet treat…..especially at the movie theater. So when I go to a big chain theater where I pay $8 to get in during the day and see a piss poor selection of candy I feel it is my responsibility, nah, duty to my fellow Americans to point out this travesty.

In my opinion there are 5 candies that I feel are true movie theater candies and should be available at every theater AT ALL TIMES…no questions asked and Junior Mints are most definitely one of those candies. Now I do not necessarily like all these candies, but if I had* to pick just five, then in my mind these are the candies. (*Who said I had to pick just five? Me. I like lists. Preferably Top 5 lists. See High Fidelity….you will understand.)

The Top 5 Candies That Should Be Required BY LAW To Be At EVERY Movie Theater In The World.

1. Junior Mints
2. Sno-Caps
3. Reese’s Pieces
4. Gummi Worms or Bears
5. Sour Patch Kids

Now as we live in a country where it seems even our options have options I feel it should be good to also have on hand all or any of the following: Twizzlers, Sweet-Tarts, Skittles, Sweedish Fish, M&M’s, & Whoppers as they too are wonderful movie theater candy. There can be a sub-law for these candies.

The theater I went to had a few of these candies, but not all. No instead my options were some Wonka Bars…which are very delicious but NOT a movie theater candy; Cookie Dough bites…WTF are those?!; Some fancy chocolates which I will not even acknowledge as movie theater candy; and a few other jank-ass candies I have never seen before because I most likely choose to overlook them on the basis that they suck. I mean REALLY, these are the candies you are going with? I was very underwhelmed.

If I am going to pay $4 a bag for $1.50 worth of candy I don’t want any of this new age candy crap, I want the classics. Now true, I could sneak my candy in like many people but I have to say that in the off chance I do want candy there is just something childlike and nostalgic about peering into the glass windows where the candy is so beautifully displayed that makes me want to get my candy there instead of just pulling half melted candy out of my purse. However, peering into a glass cabinet seeing nothing more than some random product placement candy put there by the higher ups within this theater’s corporate juggernaut marketing department who know not a thing about what great candy is because they are too busy sipping on their wheatgrass and kissing each others arses does nothing more than make me annoyed and unwilling to compromise on my candy morals (not to be confused with candy morsels).

Overall I was very disappointed that Junior Mints were not even an option (also not an option Reese’s Pieces, Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers, Sweedish Fish, & Whoppers), especially at a place that serves multiple flavors of ice cream, iced coffee, pizza, chili cheese fries, and a variety of other junk foods that while good are not conducive to the movie watching experience. I mean seriously – popcorn, candy and pop should be more than enough! I think that their priorities are just not right.

Sigh

So what are your favorite movie theater candies?

Movie Review – Inception

Here, is my review of Inception. GO SEE IT.


Don’t ask any questions. Don’t over think it. Don’t wait for it to come out on DVD. Just go see it and thank me later for pushing you to see it.

Seriously, I was not sure about this movie at all. I wanted to see it because it looked interesting and I like Christopher Nolan but honestly, I thought it would be a huge disappointment. But it wasn’t. I thought it wouldn’t make sense, but it did (though you really DO have to pay attention and be open to the story line.)

As simply as I can explain it…it was ORIGINAL. It was not a sequel to something, not based on a book or comic book, it was not a retelling of something else. It was simply an original movie that made you think. It may not be for everyone, but I think everyone can appreciate what this movie does and how entertaining it truly is.

I don’t want to build it up anymore so I am going to stop right here in the hopes that I have said enough to convince you to go see it.


RATING: Jumbo Popcorn w/ salt and extra butter, Jumbo Mountain Dew, your favorite candy, and share pretzel bites with cheese.

T & I have our movie rating scale. The H-Plus Rating Scale.
 

If you HAVE seen it, please let me know your thoughts in the comments. However, try not to give the end away just incase people do read the comments section.




SPOILERS MAY BE IN THE COMMENT SECTION

Is My Husband Trying to Kill Me?!

Ok, for the record I am very certain my husband is not trying to kill me, however I would not be surprised if he is trying subconsciously to have me take off a few appendages.


Last week Terry came home with a “present” for me. It was a rather large pocket knife. What I have always wanted. When it is out in its full glory it is about an 8 1/2” long & 1” wide (hey oooooooh) pocket knife that on the handle also has one of those knobby things (technical terminology) that breaks through your car windows. He said he got it for me for my safety, which I would agree with if it wasn’t for the fact that I am incredibly clumsy. Seriously, my parents call me Grace and it is actually pronounced with a hint of sarcasm over the long A and prefaced with “way to go”. So because my husband knows I absolutely can NOT walk down a hall without at least bouncing off one of the walls or objects in the hall along the way, I don’t see how he can even think for a moment that giving me a knife is a good thing. Well unless of course he wants me to take off a few un-needed appendages.

Example. Sunday I went to Rite Aid to pick up a few things for the house. While there I found a cute headband and decided to purchase said headband. When I got in the car I noticed the headband was tied to a cardboard holder with industrial strength, government approved, Area 51 tested plastic. There was no getting this headband free with my weak little hands. But wait, I have a knife in my car….let me use that. Now before we go further and to remove any unnecessary suspense…yes I have all my fingers & toes and no blood was drawn.

So, I easily opened my knife and sawed my way through the packaging and was very proud that I didn’t hurt myself…..but figuring out how to close the knife was where things got tricky. I first tried to just bend it down – nope. Tried squeezing parts of the knife thinking it would unlock it – nope. Pushed anything that looked like a button on the knife and handle – nope. Tried hitting the back of the knife on the floor of my car thinking I just needed more force – nope. Seriously, I sat there for 5 minutes thinking what the hell I should do with this knife all awhile envisioning the many ways I could cut off a finger or stab myself in my attempts to close this knife. For a brief moment I thought I would drive with the knife open and let Terry close it at home, but as quickly as that thought came into my head so did the thought that I would slam on my brakes while driving and the knife would wiggle its way out from under my purse, fly in the air, and stab me. So I quickly nixed that idea for very obvious safety reasons. I also wondered if I could try to see if someone could help me, but was afraid that a suspicious looking girl with a knife might yield a scared response and not the helpful one I was looking for. And I didn’t want to call Terry, because honestly I didn’t want to let him know I was on to his plan….it is just better that way.

So I sat in my car in the Rite-Aid parking lot just looking at this knife (in the most inconspicuous way possible of course) trying to figure out how the hell to close this damn thing. And then I see it. At the base of the blade this little piece of metal I can push in WITH MY FINGER to release the lock and then push the blade down at the same time with my other hand just like a  little finger guillotine. Riiiiight. Tricky and again just another attempt for T. to get me to chop off my fingers. But alas, I got it closed and safely put away with absolutely no bloodshed. IN YOUR FACE TERRY!

I feel more comfortable with my knife at the moment, and by more comfortable I mean comfortable for someone who is clumsy, doesn’t like weapons and is pretty certain that I will one day draw blood but not actually cut off an entire finger with this knife. My husband also wants me to take gun classes so in a year when he moves away to school I will be safe…..riiiiiight again. I think instead of gun classes I am going to start with the ancient art of Karate and just get me some nunchucks instead.  I can just practice that on the Wii.

Ok, so maybe he isn’t technically trying to hurt me either….but come on it does seem just a little suspicious.


P.S. Looked....I blogged! Seriously it has been over a month!

Talk To Me – Basil

Here is my basil plant a couple weeks ago….it has at least DOUBLED since I took this picture and it is just going crazy. (Glad to see someone is enjoying this hot/rainy weather) Now I loves me some basil. I try to use it in many of our dishes. And give me some tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and I am oh so happy and could eat it every day. I make a great bruschetta with those ingredients and also make some good pasta dishes with basil. But I must say that I have SO MUCH basil growing FAST that I am having trouble keeping up with it in the cooking department and coming up with new ideas for my basil.



So I ask; what are some of your favorite recipes with basil?!


Also, does anyone have a pesto recipe they love?! I am looking for a great recipe but I do not do pine nuts or walnuts. I have tried a couple different recipes but they seem to be either too oily or way to strong. I just need to know a good combination of ingredients!


P.S. I am not kidding when I say that I could eat a caprese salad EVERY DAY and not get tired of it. Sooooooo good.

Beware…This Post May Make You Drool!

So over the years I have realized how much I love cooking and how much better I have gotten at it.  When I first started I called my mom to ask how to boil an egg.  I also have thrown many a dinners away because they did not turn out.  But it has always been relaxing to me, even through the disasters and now I love it. Not to gloat, ok to gloat a little, but I think I am a pretty darn good cook. I have started now making up some of my own recipes and experimenting with different foods. (Insert cheap joke: yes, I am experimenting with different foods…Terry doesn’t mind though because he participates sometimes as well.)


I have over 20 cookbooks, subscribe to 3 different food magazines for a few years, and watch tons of cooking shows so I have many recipes at my disposal that I can cook, however, I tend to not try anything too far out of my comfort zone these days for fear it won't turn out. That changed last month. For mother’s day I decided to do a fun pizza lunch for our mom. I made my own pizza dough from scratch and then made 3 delicious pizzas that didn’t contain any pizza sauce or traditional toppings. I made a margarita pizza (basil, mozzarella & tomatoes), a spicy sausage pizza with caramelized onions and feta (sweet & spicy!), and then my own creation of red onions, chicken, corn, pancetta, smoked provolone cheese, and then slices of avocado after it came out of the oven. Are you drooling, I am and that is why I didn’t post pictures of these. These three pizzas were delicious! I actually loved being creative and trying something new so I decided that one Sunday a month I am going to prepare something new and slightly out of my comfort zone.

Fast-forward to last night and the Thai food spectacular my sister and I made! I bought ingredients I have never used before like fish sauce (which stinks but in food tastes great) and did a bunch of research on authentic flavors and spices. I had so much fun using different spices out of my cupboard and buying new ones! I also very much enjoyed all the great ingredients out there that I have only seen on TV.

This was the dinner:

Chicken and veggie curry. – AMAZING. Look at it. Nuff said.

Spicy (could have been spicier) Beef with veggies and Mint. This had red peppers, onions, flank steak, mint and basil. Very good, but I left a lot of spice out just incase it was too much, but it could have been a lot spicier.

Turkey Larb - "Larb is most often made with chicken, beef, duck, turkey, pork or even fish, flavored with fish sauce, lime juice, and leaves" (we used mint). We put ours in lettuce wraps. Not spicy at all, very refreshing with all the acid from the limes and lemons.

Jasmine Rice – I think I like it better than regular rice

Naan Flatbread – I bought the mix and made it from scratch! These are wonderful and would just make them to eat plain.

Drool

Can I just say the entire dinner was amazing! I think it is so FUN and exciting to experiment with different foods and different ingredients. I knew it may not turn out and I know what I may change next time I make these dishes, but it gave us all the chance to try something new. I am going to keep doing this at least once a month, or when I feel like it, and I have to say I am really look forward to this! Anyone need a party catered?!?!?

Have you made any food out of your comfort zone? How did it turn out?

Picture of The Week - Add Your Own Caption!

So my friend who lives in Chicago took this picture and posted it on her facebook. It made me laugh and was such an awesome picture I had to share! I mean, who doesn't carry around a sword?! 

I have added some of my own captions, please feel free to share your thoughts on this picture!

"Business man by day; dragon slayer by night."

"Do you think this will get through the metal detector at the airport?!"

"I should have gotten a bigger bag for this sword."

"Because CARRYING a sword is too much work. I need a really small rolling luggage carrier instead."

"I am He-Man!!"

"I look so freak'n cool right now."

Gettin Crafty With It

So awhile back I decided I wanted to try some new craft projects. I have a bit of craft ADD and love to try new projects, even if I am not done with the 16 other projects I have started.


One of my friends had mentioned she wanted a board to put on her desk to display a few pictures but didn’t want to pay the $20+ it cost for some of the pre-made boards she found. I told her that I could make her one, even though I had never done one before. I did not have any instructions and just went based on what I had seen in the stores. I soon realized these were super easy to make, took very little time, and even better cost less than $13 to make (even less if you had many of the supplies already or made multiple ones).

This is what I made! I love it and have since made about 7 others as gifts for friends and family.

So I thought I would share how you can make them too. (or maybe I will start selling them....hehe!)

What you need:

- 11x17 Cork board (no trim) $4.99 at Hobby Lobby. (You can go bigger if you want)

- ¼ - ½ a yard of your favorite fabric. I paid $1.45 at Hobby Lobby

- A regular roll of matching ribbon about a 1/2” or so wide depending on your preference. $0.99 at Hobby Lobby

- A large staple gun and staples. Already had. (If you do not have a staple gun you can try a hot glue gun)

- 1 can of spray adhesive. We had this but it is $2.99 at H.L. (Note: You don’t have to use this, but I like it because it gives a little extra support and helps keep the fabric from wrinkling or bunching up. Plus the spray will last awhile if you do more of these.)

- 1 box of Extra large thumb tacks. I paid $1.99 for 65. But you only need 5 per project so if you do multiple ones these will last you for a long time.

- 1 pair of scissors.

Start up cost for the first one: $12.41. Each additional board: $7.43 ...seriously what a deal!  These are about $20-$30 in the stores.



How to:


Start with your cork board. Measure & cut out the amount of fabric you need, leaving a couple inches extra on each side to fold over.

Go outside and lightly spray the top of the cork board and the back of your fabric and stick together, smoothing and pressing down for a minute or so. (make sure you have something to cover your face or stay away from the adhesive fumes, I didn’t do that the first time…oops!  And keep away from pets - see picture below! Belle always wants to help.)

Pull tightly and cover the fabric on the board, making sure to smooth out any bunched up material on the front. Fold over the extra material on the back and spray a little adhesive to make sure it sticks.

Using your staple gun, make sure the material is securely stapled all the way around on the back. I may have went a little crazy with the stapling, but I wanted to make sure it was secure!

Your board should now look like this and be secure.

Now take the ribbon (Don’t cut the ribbon until you measure first) and starting at the top left go to the bottom right. Staple the ribbon on the back. Now take another piece of ribbon and go from the top right to the bottom left and staple on the back. You should have a giant X.

                                   

Take some ribbon and start in the center left and go to the center top (follow green X's and trace the blue lines). Staple. Then center top to center right. Staple. Center right to center bottom. Staple. And finally center bottom to center left. And staple. It should look like the picture. (Basically a giant X with a Giant diamond on the inside.....sorry if it doesn't make since, but do you like my amazing paint shop work!)

                                    

Close up of the ribbon.

Take your extra large tacks and place in the center of where the ribbon meets on the board.

Like this.

And you are done. BEAUTIFUL!

These are a couple others I made.

So there you go!  Hang on a wall or put on your desk with a few of your favorite pictures. Ok, so have fun if you want to make these!  Or, if you want me to make you one I would love too!!!

Damn You Waskly Wabbits!

I wanted to put up a picture of one of my lovely Lilies growing outside my house because in a couple days it will have been eaten by the many rabbits, deer, and other furry woodland creatures that live near our house. I planted these last year and within a week the beautiful orange lilies had been all chewed up and looked horrible due to some hungry animals in our neighborhood. We learned and now keep our basil and mint and anything else we want to plant up high and away from the ground, but figured these were a lost cause and wouldn’t be back this year as animals have already started gnawing on the stems and leaves. But yesterday the lilies started coming back to my surprise and delight!  (Even though I am fairly certain I will be posting a picture in the next week of half eaten lilies. Grrrrr)


But until then, I will enjoy my one lonely yet beautiful lily and share it with all of you on this lovely Friday!

HAPPY FRIDAY!