P-Dubs!

P-Dubs, aka PW, aka Pure Wow (my personal favorite), aka Pioneer Woman came to Houston last Saturday. When I found out she was coming out with a cookbook I was on top of the world! I love this woman and anything she does seems to be a huge success so I was pretty pumped. I woke up bright and early that morning to assure prompt arrival to Lauren's house. All the boys were going "camping" which entailed them going to Austin, staying in a hotel downtown, and sitting at multiple bars until the wee hours of the morning. Not what I imagined when they said they were going camping, but it gave us girls a weekend of fun, so I'm good with it! Lauren and I left her house and made the trip to the book signing. It was held in a very unique location. Kind of like a little market for organic foods. Totally random for a book signing. We walked in and were told we needed a ticket in order to get her to sign our books. Kind of like a golden ticket I guess, except ours was lime green and it put us in 11th place! No bueno. There was approximately 20-25 people in each color group and we were color 11. Hmm, I immediately whipped out the iPhone and started calculating....25 people in each group x 1-2 minutes of chit chat x 11 groups = A LONG TIME! We were looking at anywhere from 4-6 hours. In line. For a book to get signed. Hmmph. We took a moment to pull ourselves together after PW talked and re-evaluated our priorities and shopping ranked #1. Sorry P-Dubs. :(

So we went on to our next adventure and hit up Highland Park to get some Christmas gifts bought. We had a complete blast. I bought/spent way too many/much ornaments at Crate and Barrel. Good thing for that separate account I still have or A would have killed me! Sorry honey :) It was the perfect day. So cool and crisp. Before we headed back home we stopped at PF Changs for a little afternoon cocktail to re-energize us for our night ahead of baking!

After sifting through the beautiful glossy pages of PW's book, we felt inspired to make something! I think the wine had a little something to do with our new found love of baking as well! We decided we'd attempt sugar cookies. How hard could they be, right? Boy were we wrong! The rolling of the dough, cutting out the shapes - especially when the dough you're rolling out is not 1/4" thick like the recipe says, *coughs*, Ski, *coughs* and don't even get me started on the icing part. "What were we thinking" crossed our minds a few times that night, but then we would have another sip of wine and just laugh. I have to tell you the funniest part of the night is when Lauren handed me her sugar jar and the sugar had somehow crystallized and hardened inside of the container! She then lets it slip that she's had this sugar since she got married....over 2 years ago!! I was dying! It was so funny watching her dig it out over the trash can. It was stuck in there good!

Cheese! I love you

Don't ever let me wear an apron over a cable knit sweater again. Thanks.

2 year old sugar!!

might be a little thinner than a 1/4" thick ;)

comfiness is key

Whoops, wine spillage. Now that was funny!

PW!!

When all was said and done, we had a pretty amazing weekend. Our cookies weren't the prettiest, but as Lauren said (about 50 times that night :)) "It's not how they look, it's how they taste."

Thank you Lauren for letting me stay with you!! I had the best time. And thank you boys for going on your "camping trip" so we could have a fun girls weekend :)

Also, head over to Ski's blog and check out her post and extra pics!!

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Snow Day

This weekend was a blast! It all started on Friday when it started snowing, in Houston mind you (!!!) and I received an email allowing employees to leave work due to the "deterioration of weather conditions." Don't you love how people in Texas, especially my area kind of freak out about snow. We don't see it that often people so heck yeah it causes some anxiety! It also causes early release on a Friday which is A-OK with me!

I didn't get much done that morning because I spent the whole time with eyes glazed over staring out my office window. I haven't seen a lot of blizzards in my day, but I think you could call it a blizzard - for Houston at least. My sister dared through the rough terrain and rescued me from work. Yay! We went to her house and did what most people would do; took pictures, lot of pictures. I did grow up in Oklahoma so I'm not totally googly eyed for snow, but it was pretty dang exciting. We tossed her cat around the bushes and made him pose. He loved it, obviously.

When Aaron finally got off work we decided to head over to Rainbow Lodge. This was the perfect place to spend a snowy afternoon. And they had 1/2 price glasses of wine for "Snow Day." Dangerous. I also indulged in the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. A Panini with prosciutto, goat cheese, roasted red peppers on ciabatta bread. Amazing! But the night didn't end there. We headed over to a new restaurant/brewery and did a beer sampler. It was tasty. As were the mini burger sliders and fries. :) Yes, I ate again. A few hours had passed since my sandwich, so I gave myself the green light. But enough about food. Let's see some pics! Onward and forward.

And now I leave you with this last image of my little reindeers. We were trying to get some poses out of them for our Christmas cards. We didn't use this pic, but I thought it was hilarious how Daisy had her paw on Chester. She stayed like that for a good minute too. They are BFF's for sure!

I will also be doing a full recap of Saturday/Sunday. It's too good so it needs a whole post of it's own! I'll give some hints: Pioneer Women, cookbook, shopping, vino, and sugar cookies. Not sure about that combination, but it was a ton of fun!!

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Running through my head

This last weekend I woke up at 6 in the morning to run the 11 miles that my schedule deemed I run. When I went to let the dogs out I was greeted with rain. And it was cold. Running 11 miles in the cold and rain?? Hmmm. So I waited, had my breakfast, texted Lauren a few times "are we really doing this" "what are we thinking" "i hate this!" - ya know, the normal texts back and forth at 6:30 in the morning! I will be the first to admit that I was scared out of my mind about this run. I had ran a couple of 9 mile runs up to this point but for some reason 11 just scared me. It was double digits! I know it was all mental, but I was freaked out. Aaron sat me down and gave me a little pep talk and even said a prayer for me. I thought that was sweet of my boo! As I was about to leave he hugged me one more time and told me I was going to be great and I kind of melted down. Yes, I kind of got sad and weepy. I think some of it had to do with the fact that he was leaving me all day to go watch ATM play Baylor. So he wasn't getting home until 8 that night! All day alone after an 11 mile run = me not getting off the couch until 3.

I got out there and did it though. I did great for the first 8 miles or so and then I decided to try cherry flavored sport beans. It was all downhill from there. And not the good downhill as in running down hill. Nope. I'm not sure if it was the sport beans but something gave me the worst heart burn I've had in a while. I have to run 4-5 more miles with this pain??? You've got to be kidding me! I had several instances where my mouth started watering like it does right before you hurl. I was also burping up my peanut butter toast at the same time. Lovely, right?? This slowed my pace a bit. I had one mile left when I looked at my phone and saw a text from Lauren: "Woohoo just finished!! Call me when you get back!" I texted back "One mile left and I'm dying still running tho" And then I got "You can do it girl! Run NickyT run!!" And with that I picked up my pace and pushed on through my last mile! I knew I couldn't give up. I finished my run in 105 minutes. Not my best time, but not too bad after all the pain. Now, I'm normally pretty pumped after my runs and proud of myself but I was not too pumped after this one. I felt nauseous. I hate it when I feel like that after my long runs. I showered - which by the way is quite painful when the underside of your boobs are chafed! and laid on the couch. I did not get up until about 3. I tried to eat but nothing really sat well with me. I was miserable. And alone! Woe is me. Ha! But I did go get some shopping in around 4. I hit up Ann Taylor, Banana, and Pottery Barn. I also treated myself to a little non-fat Peppermint Mocha from Sbux! I think I'm getting close to drinking my weight in those. So good! 

This weekend is a 10 mile run. I know I can do 10 if I did 11, right?? I'm just really ready for the tapering to begin. I loved running at first but now I feel like it's more of a job. I have to make my runs in order to reach 13.2. And I refuse to walk so there's that added pressure too. Also, our training has been going on since July. So I might be a litle burned out. I'm to the point where I am so ready for January 17 to be here so I can be done with it and be able to enjoy a nice 4 miles run instead of 11!

Below is some running gear I used. I normally run with a bottle of water and pack away pieces of power bar into my pocket of my running shorts, but I decided on this run I needed something more. I broke down and bought a water belt. I felt like a nerd, but was glad I could free up my hands some. It did weigh me down, but I'm hoping I'll get used to it.

Nike hat (essential on a rainy run), sport beans (never again!) and ironman belt (total awesomeness...)

A couple of weeks ago my sweet husband went in to Academy to get himself some hunting gear and picked me up this watch. He surprised me with it that evening. He's a keeper :) I love it! I was having a hard time with my other watch b/c the face had cracked and it was hard to read the time. I always tell Aaron "it's the little things that make my heart melt" and this definitely did just that.

Horrible pic, but I wanted you all to see that I was in fact still standing after my run. The smile is so forced and I look sick but I guess that's what you expect after a long run.

Happy Thanksgiving week!!! I could not be more excited. One more day of work and then I will be gourging myself on turkey and all the fixins'!! My mom is flying to Oklahoma to pick up my grandma and flying her back today so I will get to see her this week too! Love it. I hope you all enjoy your time with your family and remember all the wonderful things we have to be thankful for :)

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"Playing the Piano"

Another installment of FHPF with a little story :)

A couple weeks ago Aaron and I had the opportunity to babysit for my little sis, G. My parents were going to dinner in our area so we offered to watch her. We always have fun when she's over and she and Aaron are crazy together so it makes me laugh. Well, as you know, we have 2 dogs. Daisy, our labradoodle and Chester, our golden retriever. Chester is about 5 months old now. It must mean he's a teenager in human years because that little sucker is a horn ball! Well Gabby witnessed this a few times while she was over; sorry mom and dad :-/ she might have a few questions for you all; and said "Oh look, how cute! Chester is playing the piano on Daisy." I about died laughing! I asked her why she thought that and she said "because he's moving his paws around on her like he's playing the piano." Hilarious!! I figured this was some code word that the parentals had taught her in lieu of "humping", but it was actually something she made up on her own! How funny is that?? So now that is all I think about when I see our little horn dog on Daisy's back!

And as if you all weren't able to visualize this for yourself I decided to post a couple of pics. I always catch him in the act and all I have near me is my phone so the quality isn't too hot but you get the point! You can tell from the pictures how much Daisy enjoys this special bonding time :) Oh and the black thing on the ground is one of my dresses they knocked down in all their commotion and yes, there are sheets on the floor waiting to go in the wash. Our closet was not photo ready when I took these!

I don't even know if this is suitable for blogs?? Please don't report abuse on this!

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FHPF!!

I bet you thought I forgot about FHPF! I'm sure the peeps that are involved in the picture below wish I had.... ;)

Now it's a little blurry, because, well let's face it, we were all having a little too much fun. We were in a small town, at a Catholic church dance hall (??) and the "kitchen" was stocked full of drinks. Dangerous, much? So what do we have here?

Ski - in the red. She's happy, really happy. In fact she's giving me a "cheers!"

AliB, she's a little confused. Wondering why I am snapping pics instead of shaking my groove thing on the dance floor, I'm sure.

And Aaron. Well, he looks to be in pain. It could be from the 12,000 times he decided to run and slide on the wooden dance floor. He actually tore up his knee pretty good, not to mention completely ripping his jeans which was actually hilarious to all of us watching. He was channeling Tom Cruise in Risky Business, I guess.

There it is! The second week of FHPF! Hope you enjoyed :) Have a great weekend everyone!!

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Heaven in a box

Ya'll, I have discovered an amazing treat. I'm talking delicious perfection! I saw them in my mom's pantry when I was there last and knew I had to try them. This last weekend at the store I just so happened to see them staring right at me! I knew it was fate and I had to make them mine. My word am I glad I did! Here, I give you RITZ Fudge Covered crakers (crackers, cookies, wafers??? I dunno.) They are just little round discs of amazingess.  The combination of the salty cracker covered in a delicious fudge is almost too much to handle! I can NOT control myself when it comes to these. I packed 5 today for lunch. 5? Seriously! Is that necessary? I did give one to my coworker though. She best not come in here asking for another or we might have a problem. I can't find these online anywhere for a pic, so I had to rely on my trusty little iPhone. By the way, I have an iPhone, did you know that? Well I do. And I love it. And quite frankly I don't know what I did before this cute little handheld computer! I was slow to convert, yes. That's how I am, remember? You try it out first, then I'll tag along. :)

Do you want to know what makes me so sad about my Heaven in a box?? Those 2 little yellow words "Limited Edition." Why do they do that to us? And how do I know how long "Limited" is? Should I go out and buy a pantry full of fudge covered discs?? Maybe.

And you know what's even better - put these suckers in the fridge! Wow. I'm telling you, don't walk, RUN to your local store and get you a box. They won't disappoint!

Happy Happy Tuesday!

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FHPF!!

Happy Freaking Hilarious Picture Friday!! Mr. Chester in his Halloween costume!

 (Sorry for the poor quality....pics taken with Iphone)

He is one HOT dog!! Don't ya think??

Happy Friday!!

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TB Love

Last month I got one of those amazing emails from Tory Burch: "Fall Sale 40-60% off" So I hopped on over to see if there was anything that I just had to have. And of course, I found something! I saw the Julianne wedges and fell in love. Love, I tell you! I went with the black patent. Why not go for the fun metallic patent, you ask? Because I'm my mothers daughter and we are very practical people. I could hear her saying "You will get more wear out of the black" What she really means is "you're not ballsy enough to pull off the metallic pair"! And she's right. I'm not. For heavens sake, I am just now, as in today, busting out the tights trend. What am I, like 2 years behind?? Yep, pretty much how I roll. This girl is not a risk taker. I admire those of you who are. I would much rather someone else make a fashion forward decision, me see it and say "that's so cute!" and then try it myself two years later. Now that you all are bored with that, why don't you take a look at my pretties! 

    

These pretty much pull any outfit together. I love wearing them with skinny jeans. So cute! Trust me when I say that these are quite possibly the most comfortable shoes I have ever slipped my feet in! They fit perfect and I can wear them all day long if I have to. And I've had to! Now I kind of want the suede wedges too, but those are not 60% off at the moment so I will be waiting!

Hope you are all having a fantastic week so far! Mine has been pretty stellar. Yes, I did just use the word stellar. Work has been good. I joined a gym this week! Holla to losing some much needed lbs!! I got to hang out with 2 fabulous ladies last night over wine and pizza. We had some great conversations, as always :) Today is my Friday!! Woohoo! I am taking off tomorrow to hang out with my awesome Momma and little sister G (or G-unit if you ever see her on the streets) and we are going to the Junior League holiday market!! So excited! The weather has been perfect all week so I'm looking forward to being off tomorrow.

Also, I'm tossing around the idea of starting a new segment on Fridays called "Freaking Hilarious Picture Friday" or FHPF for short. I have some funny, slightly embarrassing photos that I've been combing through and I thought that would be kind of fun. What do you think?? Lame?? Or AWESOME? ;)

Have a great Thursday ladies!!

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Breakfast Sandwiches

The other day I stumbled on this fabulous website called the Food Gawker. Ya'll this site is pretty incredible! I found several recipes that I have used since and this one was so simple and a definite pleaser so I had to post about it. We are normally in a rush in the mornings, I mean who isn't these days? There's not a ton of easy grab n' go food that will keep you full until lunch and that is also somewhat healthy. Well I saw these breakfast sandwiches and knew I had to try them. I made them last Monday night and they smelled so good we almost had them for dinner. Here's the recipe : Breakfast Sandwiches. I've never made eggs in the oven or in muffin pans for that matter so this was a first. I wasn't too sure how they would turn out, but I was pretty happy with the end result!

eggs

turkey bacon (also used sausage patties)

 

 english muffins (you can use biscuits too)

 

 throw bacon on muffin

 

 add egg with cheese*

 

 wrap sandwich up with saran wrap

 

 sausage and bacon english muffins

   

12 breakfast sandwiches!

*FYI: I sliced the eggs in half because they were about half the size of the english muffin. They didn't fit too nicely, so I just went ahead and sliced them so they would fit a little better on the muffin. You could also use miniture bagels and the eggs would probably be perfect. I also did the same with the mini sausage patties. They were pre-cooked so that made it much easier.

I put 6 in the fridge and the other 6 in the freezer. I made them last Monday night and we still have about 4 or 5 left! It's been so easy to just grab them in the mornings and either nuke them before we leave for work or zap them in the microwave when we get in the office. So perfect and so delicious!! I got 2 BIG thumbs up from the Mr. on these! They didn't take more than 30 minutes to make and assemble. Super easy and you have breakfast for 12 days! Enjoy ladies :)

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