Wednesday, April 25, 2012

B is for my 27th BIRTHDAY!!!!!!

I love love love Birthday's and of course, I love my Birthday too!  I thought I would dedicate a blog to all the things I am thankful for!  I have lived a great, interesting 27 years and unlike alot of really great musicians I hope I live to celebrate many, many more bdays!  Everytime I hear 27, I think of those peeps - Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Kobain, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse, etc.  They are all part of the 27 Club.  I am pretty sure I don't live a life like they did though! 
So onto my post, here is a list (and I am sure I will miss something) of all the things I am thankful for:
  1. God
  2. My KeeNasty and all the things he provides for me, emotionally, phycially, mentally
  3. My Mom
  4. My Dad
  5. My Step-Mom
  6. Leon
  7. Penny
  8. Tricia
  9. Danny
  10. Lee
  11. My late Mamaw
  12. My late Papaw
  13. My late Grandaddy
  14. My Gamma
  15. Faye
  16. Keeton's late MeeMaw
  17. Keeton's Papa
  18. Keeton's Grandma
  19. Keeton's other Papa
  20. Jennifer
  21. Liz
  22. Elyse
  23. Tish
  24. John C.
  25. Kyle
  26. Kendall
  27. Caroline
  28. Jacob
  29. Cadyn
  30. Bella
  31. All my extended family and Keeton's too
  32. My home
  33. My pool
  34. My dog, Maverick
  35. My belongings inside my home and out
  36. My job
  37. My office
  38. TCU as a whole
  39. My co-workers
  40. My bosses
  41. My previous jobs and co-workers there
  42. My BIA!
  43. All my other friends - I could list about 1000 names here - but I know I would leave someone out
  44. My friends' families
  45. My facebook friends
  46. People who read my blog posts
  47. All the sweet notes on facebook today wishing me a Happy Birthday!
  48. All the sweet texts, messages, phone calls I have recieved today wishing me a Happy Birthday!
  49. Flowers on my desk today!
  50. Flowers in general
  51. My health
  52. My Honda
  53. Keeton's work - PlainsCapital, his co-workers and bosses
  54. Lakes
  55. Rivers
  56. Pizza
  57. Sushi
  58. Chips and salsa
  59. ALL FOOD really!
  60. Laughter
  61. Love
  62. Make up
  63. Jewelry
  64. Shoes
  65. My cloths and all the ones I want too!
  66. Fingernail polish - I'm obssessed
  67. Medicine that makes people better
  68. BOATS
  69. Red Bull
  70. The Dallas Mavericks
  71. The NBA
  72. Happiness
  73. Air conditioning - important in TX
  74. Heaters - for when I get cold, ha!  Not often....
  75. Money
  76. Stocks
  77. My mutual fund
  78. Insurance
  79. Retirement accounts
  80. Purple pens!
  81. Vacations
  82. Beaches
  83. Movies
  84. TV
  85. Cable
  86. Computers
  87. Internet
  88. iPod
  89. iPad
  90. iPhone
  91. Printers
  92. My camelbak water bottle
  93. Wisdom
  94. Courage
  95. Strength - emotional and physical
  96. Headbands and headwraps
  97. Music
  98. Peace
  99. Security
  100. Sleep
Ok I am going to stop at 100 - I am sure I forgot some, but that is a good amount!!!  Have a great day everyone and be thankful for the things you have in your lives!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

B is for Baby Bia's Baby Shower

This past Sunday 6 girls (including myself) threw my best friend her baby shower at my house.  AND IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!  I am going to brag a little, but share some fun things we did too! 

First - Luz does not like flowers!  AHHHHHH!!!  All showers have flowers!  So on went the thinking caps!  Luz is a school teacher and so I thought, well children's books would be a nice touch for the center pieces.  Lilia then added in the little girl's shoes.  =)  So children's books and little girls shoes it was!  I wanted to create some height in the centerpieces, so I covered some small boxes with grey fabric and that worked perfect.  Luz's colors are grey and purple - so was the shower!  Also, on the table we pre-set mason jars with purple straws for the drinks and grey napkins.  The napkins were accompanied with teething rings and pacifiers.  All of these items were gifted to Luz after - so really, prob. better than flowers that would just be thrown away afterwards.  Oh yeah, I added in baby bottles with the taco sauces and some candles.  Here are some pics of the tables. 





We set all tables generally next to each other.  People want to be close to others, not secluded.  I wish I could have set everyone in the shade, but my back yard did not allow it.  If possible, that is the way to go.  We lucked out with a nice breeze, so everything was perfect!  I ordered table cloths that only went 1/2 way to the ground - this creates a more casual setting, full length cloths are usually used for more formal events. 

For our food, Luz loves this taco place in Fort Worth called Taco Heads.  Its actually a food truck, but they do cater as well.  They were set up in the shade on our deck and it was great!!!  This was a huge hit!  Here is their website/fb and some pictures.  Taco Head's facebook page



I mentioned this above, but we put the taco sauces in baby bottles on the tables.  I had to cut off the nipples b/c the sauces were thicker, but this was so cute!


We added in some food items - chips, queso, fruit, purple drinks, water, purple popcorn and of course cake, which I will get into later.  It was perfect and everyone was beyond stuffed!  We held the shower at 1pm, so it was really important we fed everyone.


Here is a pic of the yummy tacos!  We had pork and chicken to choose from.  Plus cilantro, onion, pico de gallo and cheese!  SO SO GOOD!


Karen did a great job with all of the games!!!  We played 3 or 4 (can't even remember) and everyone won prizes.  My fav. was the one we had to put a diaper on a cabbage patch doll with a partner only using 1 hand each.  HAHA!  Good times!  I didn't win any of the games, but still fun.  Luz enjoyed them too!

The cake!  It turned out great and Lesha did a great job!!!!!!!  And Scott too.... hehe.  Luz loves taking showers now that she is preggers and plus this was a "baby shower!"  So check out the cake!!!!!  Blue Bonnet Bakery made the tub part and everything else Lesha added in.  SO SO CUTE!  And unique too!!!!  Lilia found the idea and Lesha ran with it - AWESOME JOB!  The base was purple, but kinda looks black in this photo.  We did the cake indoors, so no worries about it melting, etc.  It was nice to get inside in the cool for a short period of time too.  I used my late Mamaw's cake serving plates and forks, so that was special for me.  Real plates and silverware always makes everything so much nicer than plastic - but I def. have used both - don't get me wrong!  It totally depends on your event and how many people you are serving, I do get that!


Party favors - this was Izzy's part.  She did take away sugar cookies that were awesome!!!  So cute and very yum!  We set these by the door for everyone to grab on their way out. 


There were so many other special touches - diaper wreath on the door, thumb print on a matted picture of Luz, diaper cakes, etc.  But we really kept Luz in mind the whole time and she loved everything!  We were all very happy with all of it and SO WAS SHE!!!!!!!

This was the first shower I have held in my house - I felt it was a success!!!  Thank you again to the hostesses!  Love yall!  -Izzy, Karen, Mom, Lesha, Lilia-  I def. can't take all the credit here!  And to my hubs, KeeNasty for helping clean up the yard and pool - he made it look so nice!  =)

I hope you enjoyed this post - we had so much fun doing this for my bia bia!!!!  =))

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Our Summer Vacation - NEED YOUR INPUT!

Hey everyone!  Keeton and I have recently booked our summer vacation and we are going to somewhere TOTALLY NEW for us!  We want to make sure we get the best out of these places and I want your feedback if you have ever been, lived there, etc.

To start with some background on why we booked this vacation.  Keeton and I have always wanted to explore Europe (lots of places)s and do it before kids are in the picture.  Well, I will be honest (as usual), I am so unfamiliar with Europe, that the idea of taking a cruise to a couple different places totally puts me at ease!  If I don't like a place, feel uneasy, etc. - I can just go back to the boat and we will be all good again.  I hope and don't foresee this happening, but just in case.  Keeton and I have been on 2 cruises before a couple of years ago, but they were both in the Caribbean, so... we are familiar with cruises.  After we determined a cruise would be a good option for us we then had to pick where. 

My number #1 and #2 places I have always wanted to visit are:
1 - Greek Isles
2 - Venice, Italy


Santorini, Greece

I started with that and I found the perfect cruise!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I think it was a God thing b/c Keeton and I had already set our vacation week with work and the ONE cruise we wanted was THAT SAME week!

So here is the itinerary:


 Day 1 - Fly to Venice and we stay overnight
Day 2 - Leave on our cruise from the port in Venice
Day 3 - Port of Call - Bari, Italy
Day 4 - Port of Call - Corfu, Greece
Day 5 - Port of Call - Santorini, Greece
Day 6 - Port of Call - Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Day 7 - Port of Call - Katakolon, Greece
Day 8 - At Sea
Day 9 - Arrive back in Venice and stay overnight
Day 10 - Fly Home

Ok, now I need your help!!!!  Please give me any input you may have on any of these places! 
  • Where to stay in Venice?  Area?  Hotel?  Any other Venice tips?  Where to eat?  What are some "must do" things in Venice?
  • Where or what to eat ANY of these places?
  • What to do in ANY of these places?  Things to see, etc.?
  • What I should shop for - must haves or rare items from any of these places I need since I may never go back?  I know a carpet/rug in Turkey!  And remember, I am not a millionaire...lol.   
I plan on REALLY researching all of these places and things, but this is part of my research, the help of my friends!!!  So bring on the comments!!!  Thanks everyone!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

B is for Baby Blue Salad w/ Fresh Pears

MY NEW FAVORITE SALAD!!!!  This salad is so good, I decided to blog about it!  Def. my new fav. food item!  I have never been a fan of blue cheese, but in this salad it works great!  I got this recipe from our catering dept. here at TCU, but I am not sure where it came from.  Looks like a magazine of some sort.  Anyways, I made it recently and Keeton and I both loved it!  Here is the recipe - a def. must try!

Baby Blue Salad w/ Fresh Pears
2 (5 oz.) packages of gourmet mixed salad greens, thoroughly washed
2 large Bartlett pears, cut into thin slices
1 quart of strawberries, quartered
4 oz. of blue cheese, crumbled
Sweet and spicy pecans (recipe below)
Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Sweet and Spicy Pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup of warm water
1 cup of pecan halves
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1/8 teaspoon of ground red pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together the 1/4 cup of sugar and warm water until sugar has dissolved.  Add pecans and soak 10 minutes.  Drain, discard water. 
2. Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, chili powder and red pepper.  Add pecans and toss to coat.  Place pecans on lightly greased baking sheet.
3.  Bake pecans at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once at 5 minutes. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons of honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 small shallots, minced
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of olive oil

1. Whisk together first 7 ingredients until blended.  Gradually add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until blended.

After all items are prepared, mix together and enjoy!  This salad could also be presented in a very pretty way, if you arranged the fruit, etc.  You should all seriously try this - SO SO GOOD!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Austin - Tourist Style....

So 2 weekends ago, Keeton and I went to Austin to visit Matt and Luz!  We had so much fun of course and I love Austin!  It is my 2nd fav. city in TX (first being - Funky Town, of course).  Since my bia is pregnant, this Austin trip was a little different than one I have ever done before.  Why???  We totally did the Austin tourist thing and I LOVED IT!  So fun and different and as many times I have been to Austin, I have not done any of these things.  So here is the run down and not in any particular order.....

1 - We went to the highest peak in Austin - Mount Bonnell and climbed the 102 stairs (yes, I counted them).  It has great views of downtown Austin, Lake Austin and the Loop 360 bridge.  Here are some pics and look at my bia, she made it - 7 months preggers! 



 

2 - I saw a moonlight tower!  I had never heard of the history of the babies, but I was informed.  I couldn't snap a pic b/c we were driving.  But here is some info.  

Austin, Texas is the only city in the world known to still operate a system. The towers are 165 feet (50 m) tall and have a 15 feet (4.6 m) foundation. This type of tower was manufactured in Indiana by Fort Wayne Electric Company and assembled on site.  In 1894, the City of Austin purchased 31 used lighting towers from Detroit. A single tower cast light from six carbon arc lamps, illuminating a 1,500 feet (460 m) radius circle brightly enough to read a watch.

The Austin Moonlight Towers were erected, at least partially, in response to the actions of the Servant Girl Annihilator. This claim has been repudiated by some since the towers were erected in 1894 and 1895, ten years after the murders took place.
When first installed, the towers were connected to their own electric generators at the Austin dam (on the site of present day Tom Miller Dam). Over the years they were switched from their original carbon-arc lamps (which were exceedingly bright and time consuming to maintain) to incandescent lamps in the 1920s, and mercury vapor lamps in the 1930s. Mercury vapor lighting allowed the installation of a switch at each tower's base. During World War II, a central switch was installed, allowing citywide blackouts in case of air raids.
1970 saw the towers officially recognized as Texas State Landmarks. This was followed by the 17 remaining towers being listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 12, 1976. At this time, only 6 are in their original locations as established by the Board of Public Works and City Council in 1895. Additional designation was given them as State Archaeological Landmarks in 1986.

In 1993 the city of Austin dismantled the towers and restored every bolt, turnbuckle and guy-wire as part of a $1.3 million project, the completion of which was celebrated in 1995 with a city-wide festival.
One of the towers was prominently featured in the 1993 film Dazed and Confused as the site of a high-school keg party, in which the character played by Matthew McConaughey exclaims, "Party at the moon tower."

The City of Austin has ordinances in place to protect the towers from demolition; however, since 2004 two of the remaining 17 towers have been taken down from their locations. The towers at 4th & Nueces and 1st & Trinity have been removed due to new construction. It is unclear whether the towers will be replaced, or erected elsewhere.

Here is a pic I found online -


3 - I saw, in person, this really cool Austin mural painting - I have seen this in so many pics, but I actually got to see it for real!  Pretty neat..... Location?  Still don't really know.... ha!


4 - Austin has been called the "Food Truck City of the World" or something like that, so we went around to bunch of them and THEY ARE EVERYWHERE!!!!!  We ate at a smaller one - which included Izzoz Tacos and Gourdough's.  Gourdough's is like this donut place that sells all these speciality donuts.  But they taste more like a yummy cake, not really a donut and so much better.  Keeton and I had the "Bring the Heath" and Matt and Luz had the "Miss Shortcake."  BOTH AHHH-MAAAAA-ZING!






3 - We went to Hyde Park, yet another awesome little area in ATX, I had never been.  Here is some info on this area - Located in Central Austin, Hyde Park is defined by W. 38 Street to the south, W. 51 Street to the north, Duval Street to the east, and Guadalupe Street to the west. It is situated just north of the The University of Texas and borders the neighborhoods of Hancock and North Loop. Hyde Park traces its origins back to 1891 and is considered to be Austin's first suburb.
We ate at this awesome place called Hyde Park Bar and Grill - SO YUMMY and SO NEAT!  The polenta was like the best ever and we started with some yummy fries (no pic though, Fresh Hyde Park Fries - Consistently voted “Best French Fries in Austin”. A big platter of hand-cut Idaho Potatoes, dipped in creamy buttermilk, rolled in seasoned flour and lightly fried. Served with our special Hyde Park sauce) that were awesome too!!!  I was really impressed with this whole place.  Here is the website - http://hpbng.com/#.  And some pics....







4 - BINGO!  I have never played BINGO at a BINGO hall before, how awesome and fun!  We didn't win anything, but still something different and fun to experience.





I really enjoyed my entire weekend!!!  I got to feel Baby Bia kick too!  So neat - I love that little girl so much and I haven't even met her yet.  Matt and Luz are so fun regardless what we do.  This was fun and a different way to experience Austin for us and we loved every minute of it!

Oh yeah.... I almost forgot - I schooled Matt, Luz and Keeton that the word "nunnery" really does exists!!!!!  BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!  Nunnery - a building or group of buildings for nuns; convent.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Pauly D Project


Well - first and foremost I will totally admit, that I watch Jersey Shore.  Yes, my guilty pleasure.  The show is absolutely ridiculous and really just stupid, but I like it - so there ya go!  But, on the other hand - the new spin off, "The Pauly D Project" is awesome blossom so far!  They have only aired one episode and I loved it!  I mean, I LOVED IT!  I don't think it is ridiculous like I do Jersey Shore.  This show is legit.  I literally laughed, smiled, cried, I think every emotion passed - honestly.  It is just sincere and you can tell it.  These guys are good friends and they care about each other.  Yes, of course there are some stupid parts - but all of our lives have those moments, right?  I like seeing good things happen to good people and I think Pauly D is a good person.  Do I know him personally, well no.  But he works - that's one thing the others really don't do.  And he cracks me up!!!!!!!!!!  CABS ARE HEREEEEE, CABS ARE HEREEEEEE!!!!!


Here is the outline of the show - The Pauly D Project is an American reality television series which premiered on MTV on March 29, 2012 in the United States.  The series revolves around DJ Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio's transition from being a housemate on Jersey Shore, to becoming a "world-class" disc jockey, along with his friends from his hometown in Rhode Island. The series is the first official Jersey Shore cast spin-off.

Here is the show website, where you can even watch the episodes online.  It airs on Thursday's at 9.30pm Central on MTV.  http://www.mtv.com/shows/pauly_d_project/series.jhtml

The hair and tan will always crack me up!!!

Monday, April 2, 2012

B is for Happy BIRTHDAY to my Momma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is my Mom's bday and this blog post is dedicated to her on her special day!  I am super close with my Momma and I love her to death!  She is special, special to me!  Love you Madre and Happy Birthday!