this story is seriously so lovely.
ted williams is a man who apparently came from a good family in the new york area. after battling alcohol and drug addiction for many years, ted found himself on the streets, panhandeling to get by. earlier this month, a news reporter driving by in a nearby vehicle spotted ted and couldnt help but ask about the sign he was holding. the sign mention his 'golden voice' that god had given him, and ted gave us all a little something to enjoy as the reporter took video. apparently, the reporter held onto the video for a few weeks, waiting for a slow news day until unveiling "the man with the golden voice." it wasn't long at all before ted was receiving phone calls with job offers from all over the place. in just two short days, his life changed. it got better, his prayers were answered. having been sober for two years, ted is ready to embrace these opportunities and really get back on track. check out these videos and then let's chat....
1) meet ted-
2) ted and his mom reunite after ten years- look at how happy he is. eager to make his "mommy" proud.
3) now check THESE out...
while watching some of the interviews of ted, i couldnt help but just feel happy. he seems to be such an authentic human being. willing to admit that he'd messed up, that he'd hurt people... honest about how hopeful he feels to move forward. what i couldnt help but notice though, and am wondering if anyone else picked up on this was his mom... interviews were done with her (julia williams) to see what she thought of seeing her son go from 'zero to hero' so swiftly. it honestly seemed like instead of answering the questions asked, his mom wanted to focus on all of the bad things he had done. i felt sad for ted when he and his mom sat on the cbs news for an interview and he said when he was reunited with her (after 10 years) she looked at his clothing and said 'is that all you have?' he said 'and then i wasn't so happy anymore.' he smiles as he says these things, but im sure that the comments are hurtful. i personally have never dealt with an addict, but doesnt it just seem like some graciousness is in order when they pull it together and get back on track? i mean.... hello?? we are ALL human. we ALL have our handicaps; things we struggle with; things we turn to when things get rough. is it really fair of his mom to be debbie downer on the cbs news like that? on one interview she said "he ruined his family." now- i understand it might be difficult to just forget the past and let it go. but julia- i am here to say this- im pretty sure you're a human being just like the rest of us. im pretty sure you've got blood pumping through your veins just like the rest of us. and because of that, im pretty sure you've made plenty of mistakes too. maybe not in the same ways ted did, but seriously? you keep talking about how you prayed and prayed and prayed, that god would get ted back on track. well? did you pray with FAITH? why are you so reluctant to embrace this great opportunity, and to build your son up when he needs you? i believe that it makes NO sense at all to pray, if you don't actually believe god has the ability to answer you. i think what you outta be doing right now is REJOICING with your son, and praising god for the answered prayers- not reminding ted and everyone else on the planet about how he was a huge screw up. thanks.
anyway- although that annoyed the living daylights outta me (can't stand debbie downers) i have decided to focus on ted. he really does have this amazing speaking voice, and i wish him the very best of luck in life. i hope he knows that people are people, and it's okay that he took a rough road to get here. he's here, right? i will keep this man in my prayers, and look forward to enjoying his awesome voice on the kraft macaroni and cheese commercials. (mmmm, i LOVE mac n cheese).
anyway friends- check out the video- let me know what you think. be blessed and as always- be thankful.
1.14.2011
1.13.2011
okay, okay... so it's been a while
it has been a crazy week- the kids have been out of school due to snow and that makes for absolutely crazy-busy days. i go, go, go until 6:30, and then i come home and i DROP. anyway- i don't have a ton of time to write this morning, but wanted to share something that's been weighing on my mind and my heart for months now.
the doucette family was one that i met when i was probably 14. i was living in colorado, and we all went to church together. lisa (the mom) and mike (the dad) were seriously some of the nicest, and sweetest people i had ever met. their kids (jordan, who was 6, and katie, who was 2) were absolutely beautiful- inside and out. i babysat for this family on a very regular basis, and of course loved every minute of it. almost a year ago, i was reconnected with the doucettes through facebook. something called "life" got in the way, and caused us to loose touch for a long, long time. i was so thrilled to find mike on fb and to hear all about how everyone was doing. i was shocked to learn that jordan was graduating and heading off to college soon, and that katie was a teenager! (man- i am OLD!) i learned that mike was body building regularly and placing in competitions. this man was BUFF! reminded me of hercules actually. it was awesome just to see this family i adored so much, doing so well!
skip forward a few months and that's when things got hairy. i had moved in june and for some odd reason took my sweet time to get my internet at home hooked up, which meant i had limited to no access to fb. i was able to have some connection- but only through my crackberry and so that just wasnt the same. when i finally got the internet up and running, i was excited to get back on the computer and get to catching up with people. i was SHOCKED to learn that mike was struggling with some health problems! though it was troubling, i just knew that this man would survive! he is a fighter, and deserved to live and have a healthy, happy ending... well- here we are months later, and mike is still fighting. every single solitary day, this man fights for his life. he spent much of his time waiting on a match for a bone marrow donor and when he did, we all breathed a sigh of relief, praising god and knowing the ride was almost over. except it hasn't been so simple after all- apparently his body isn't entirely rejected the marrow (since his blood counts are going up and are good) but he is struggling now with things like brutal blisters all over his body. the blisters make him feel as though he's covered in 3rd degree burns. he is also having terrible trouble with his eyes- what started out as awful burning, has turned into a situation where he can barely see at all. my concern is that he might feel he's loosing his battle. and he can't loose this battle- he just can't. for the longest time it seemed everyday we learned of these new, totally out-landish symptoms... symptoms im not sure he ever could have seen coming and prepared himself for. right now, mike is in the hospital, surrounded by his loving family. they are literally trying to convince him to keep fighting. apparently, the doctors do see recovery and healing in the future, but mike is depressed and he is discouraged.
there are 3 things i want to say in response to having shared this crazy story with you:
1) isn't it funny how life can just seem SO terrible? SO overwhelming? SO annoying? and then you step back and look at things and realize "woah! it could be so, so, so much worse. shame on me for even allowing myself to feel bad for me! pull it together!" this situation has done exactly that for me. these past few months, ive been reminded of things that would normally drive me nuts.... but then i think of mike- a good, good man, fighting for his life and in pain. i think of his precious family- consumed with worry, spending every waking moment at his side trying to lift him up, when they themselves are the ones who need lifting. there's nothing like a good reality check, huh?
2) when i learned initially of mike's battle, eric and i both immediately registered to become a part of the bone marrow registry. seriously guys- this takes maybe 5 minutes of your time, and it could SAVE A LIFE! you fill out a brief questionnaire, and then they send you some swabs you use to get your dna by swabbing in your mouth. you send your sample back to them and BAM- you're done. the organization will contact you if they think you could be a match and help someone in need. i want to urge each of you out there to DO THIS! seriously- it's easy, it's fast, it's free and could really, really help. to do this, go to bethematch.org and it will easily walk you through the steps.
3) lastly, i want to ask that each of you begin to pray for mike and his family. mike is tired and so are they. mike's sister keeps up with a website where she provides details on his progress and the status of things. please take some time to check it out- make yourself familiar with him and his family... read his story... PRAY. go to caringbridge.org and enter in mikewdoucette- they will ask for you to sign up or whatever, but this is just so you can receive his updates, etc. i believe it's easy to read my blog, and say 'aww, how sad, that's terrible' and then move on without thinking of these poor people again. but if you GO to the site and get to know them- i just KNOW that you will for sure be compelled to pray.
thank you friends for reading. be blessed, and as always BE THANKFUL.
the doucette family was one that i met when i was probably 14. i was living in colorado, and we all went to church together. lisa (the mom) and mike (the dad) were seriously some of the nicest, and sweetest people i had ever met. their kids (jordan, who was 6, and katie, who was 2) were absolutely beautiful- inside and out. i babysat for this family on a very regular basis, and of course loved every minute of it. almost a year ago, i was reconnected with the doucettes through facebook. something called "life" got in the way, and caused us to loose touch for a long, long time. i was so thrilled to find mike on fb and to hear all about how everyone was doing. i was shocked to learn that jordan was graduating and heading off to college soon, and that katie was a teenager! (man- i am OLD!) i learned that mike was body building regularly and placing in competitions. this man was BUFF! reminded me of hercules actually. it was awesome just to see this family i adored so much, doing so well!
skip forward a few months and that's when things got hairy. i had moved in june and for some odd reason took my sweet time to get my internet at home hooked up, which meant i had limited to no access to fb. i was able to have some connection- but only through my crackberry and so that just wasnt the same. when i finally got the internet up and running, i was excited to get back on the computer and get to catching up with people. i was SHOCKED to learn that mike was struggling with some health problems! though it was troubling, i just knew that this man would survive! he is a fighter, and deserved to live and have a healthy, happy ending... well- here we are months later, and mike is still fighting. every single solitary day, this man fights for his life. he spent much of his time waiting on a match for a bone marrow donor and when he did, we all breathed a sigh of relief, praising god and knowing the ride was almost over. except it hasn't been so simple after all- apparently his body isn't entirely rejected the marrow (since his blood counts are going up and are good) but he is struggling now with things like brutal blisters all over his body. the blisters make him feel as though he's covered in 3rd degree burns. he is also having terrible trouble with his eyes- what started out as awful burning, has turned into a situation where he can barely see at all. my concern is that he might feel he's loosing his battle. and he can't loose this battle- he just can't. for the longest time it seemed everyday we learned of these new, totally out-landish symptoms... symptoms im not sure he ever could have seen coming and prepared himself for. right now, mike is in the hospital, surrounded by his loving family. they are literally trying to convince him to keep fighting. apparently, the doctors do see recovery and healing in the future, but mike is depressed and he is discouraged.
there are 3 things i want to say in response to having shared this crazy story with you:
1) isn't it funny how life can just seem SO terrible? SO overwhelming? SO annoying? and then you step back and look at things and realize "woah! it could be so, so, so much worse. shame on me for even allowing myself to feel bad for me! pull it together!" this situation has done exactly that for me. these past few months, ive been reminded of things that would normally drive me nuts.... but then i think of mike- a good, good man, fighting for his life and in pain. i think of his precious family- consumed with worry, spending every waking moment at his side trying to lift him up, when they themselves are the ones who need lifting. there's nothing like a good reality check, huh?
2) when i learned initially of mike's battle, eric and i both immediately registered to become a part of the bone marrow registry. seriously guys- this takes maybe 5 minutes of your time, and it could SAVE A LIFE! you fill out a brief questionnaire, and then they send you some swabs you use to get your dna by swabbing in your mouth. you send your sample back to them and BAM- you're done. the organization will contact you if they think you could be a match and help someone in need. i want to urge each of you out there to DO THIS! seriously- it's easy, it's fast, it's free and could really, really help. to do this, go to bethematch.org and it will easily walk you through the steps.
3) lastly, i want to ask that each of you begin to pray for mike and his family. mike is tired and so are they. mike's sister keeps up with a website where she provides details on his progress and the status of things. please take some time to check it out- make yourself familiar with him and his family... read his story... PRAY. go to caringbridge.org and enter in mikewdoucette- they will ask for you to sign up or whatever, but this is just so you can receive his updates, etc. i believe it's easy to read my blog, and say 'aww, how sad, that's terrible' and then move on without thinking of these poor people again. but if you GO to the site and get to know them- i just KNOW that you will for sure be compelled to pray.
thank you friends for reading. be blessed, and as always BE THANKFUL.
1.06.2011
here ye! here ye!
a picture has officially arrived! thank you to nikki for all of your help! this is really just a quick trial and what else would i post but an adorable picture of my bristol anne. otherwise known as b. brit. brittle. bb. beazer the pleaser. bristol the pistol. and bear. she is my lovely.
i know you're all probably wondering about the tongue- i'll go ahead and answer the questions i know will inevitably cross your minds... no- this picture has NOT been photo-shopped and yes- her tongue is always always always this way. pretty cute huh?? :)
hope you each are doing well and happy to be welcoming friday! i know i am! be blessed and as always- be thankful.
1.05.2011
im on a roll.
since im committed to being a 'better blogger' i thought i might go ahead and add another post. two days in a row- im on a roll! :) today i wanted to share some of the pages i enjoy perusing while wasting my life away online.... so far, ive managed to find at least a few worth mentioning that i kinda love. i hope you guys enjoy as well...
the first is called 'just a pinch' and it's a site dedicated to people like myself who love to find new, fun things to cook (or in my case, bake). i can assure you that LOTS of my precious time has been wasted on this site, but not for nothing! ive found several great recipes here AND if you become a member of their little club and build a profile, they will send you free coupons each week for featured items. and i dont know about you, but i like free!
SO without further ado- here is the link... let me know what you think and if you find anything worth trying.
www.justapinch.com
next, i found this awesome couple who have this awesome website. of course they use their site for blogging, but they also do all kinds of other fun things: share recipes, electronic scrapbooking, etc. don't ask me how in the world i stumbled across them, but they are really fun to follow. the main reason i wanted to share their site is because the wife comes up with all these awesome fonts you can use to make your blog personalized. im guessing you could use the fonts for more than just your blog, but that's up to you to decide. check them out and let me know what you think- all you have to do is click on their 'free fonts' tab and if you're anything like me, you're heart will immediately go "pitter patter." yes, friends ive said it... fun fonts make me happy. :) i hope to see some of these fun fonts integrated into some of your sites soon!
www.kevinandamanda.com
and of course... how could i sleep with myself at night if i didn't mention the beloved martha stewart website? once again- i can assure you that countless hours of my time have been spent browsing the site, getting all kinds of great craft ideas, cooking ideas, table setting ideas, etc. here's the thing about martha- i get that some of you may think she's just a sham. she got in trouble, went to prison, whatever. say what you will, but im pretty sure no one can argue with the fact that this woman is nothing shy of creative genious! no lie. what i love about her site and even her magazines is that she doesn't just give you the idea, she shows you how to do the project! she shares all kinds of useful hints and tools about how to do her crafts, and gives you a step by step guide for each thing. i love that! so many times, i find myself fingering through a magazine, or surfing through sites to get ideas and then it's up to me to figure out how to make that idea come to life. but not when ive got martha on my side! if you like crafting, or cooking or even want to learn how to knit- pay her a visit! it's no wonder she's made millions because she really goes the extra mile and i love that.
www.marthastewart.com
now, since that's all said and done ill close with what could potentially be the cutest thing everrr. this is my sophie. she had her first round of proffesional photos done in early december, and hello??? can we say model? of course id love to post one of the images here- but im still at a loss as to how to make that happen PLUS i dont own the copywrite SO click on the link below and enjoy. i promise its worth it- she will brighten your day.
http://www.
i hope your wednesdays are going wonderfully. be blessed and as always- be thankful.
the first is called 'just a pinch' and it's a site dedicated to people like myself who love to find new, fun things to cook (or in my case, bake). i can assure you that LOTS of my precious time has been wasted on this site, but not for nothing! ive found several great recipes here AND if you become a member of their little club and build a profile, they will send you free coupons each week for featured items. and i dont know about you, but i like free!
SO without further ado- here is the link... let me know what you think and if you find anything worth trying.
www.justapinch.com
next, i found this awesome couple who have this awesome website. of course they use their site for blogging, but they also do all kinds of other fun things: share recipes, electronic scrapbooking, etc. don't ask me how in the world i stumbled across them, but they are really fun to follow. the main reason i wanted to share their site is because the wife comes up with all these awesome fonts you can use to make your blog personalized. im guessing you could use the fonts for more than just your blog, but that's up to you to decide. check them out and let me know what you think- all you have to do is click on their 'free fonts' tab and if you're anything like me, you're heart will immediately go "pitter patter." yes, friends ive said it... fun fonts make me happy. :) i hope to see some of these fun fonts integrated into some of your sites soon!
www.kevinandamanda.com
and of course... how could i sleep with myself at night if i didn't mention the beloved martha stewart website? once again- i can assure you that countless hours of my time have been spent browsing the site, getting all kinds of great craft ideas, cooking ideas, table setting ideas, etc. here's the thing about martha- i get that some of you may think she's just a sham. she got in trouble, went to prison, whatever. say what you will, but im pretty sure no one can argue with the fact that this woman is nothing shy of creative genious! no lie. what i love about her site and even her magazines is that she doesn't just give you the idea, she shows you how to do the project! she shares all kinds of useful hints and tools about how to do her crafts, and gives you a step by step guide for each thing. i love that! so many times, i find myself fingering through a magazine, or surfing through sites to get ideas and then it's up to me to figure out how to make that idea come to life. but not when ive got martha on my side! if you like crafting, or cooking or even want to learn how to knit- pay her a visit! it's no wonder she's made millions because she really goes the extra mile and i love that.
www.marthastewart.com
now, since that's all said and done ill close with what could potentially be the cutest thing everrr. this is my sophie. she had her first round of proffesional photos done in early december, and hello??? can we say model? of course id love to post one of the images here- but im still at a loss as to how to make that happen PLUS i dont own the copywrite SO click on the link below and enjoy. i promise its worth it- she will brighten your day.
http://www.
i hope your wednesdays are going wonderfully. be blessed and as always- be thankful.
1.04.2011
happy new year!
i seriously had all these grand plans of blogging while on vacation, and that (obviously) just did not happen. i'm not sure if i've got an excuse, but for now i'll just go with 'i was too busy having fun.' the trip to new york turned out to be the best one yet! going there is always a fun time- my parents' house is so dreamy. it's warm and cozy, beautifully decorated, and comfortable. but this time was extra fun- i'm thinking it's because my entire family was there and it's been way too long since that's happened. it's funny how my brothers and i can go months (and in this case years) without seeing eachother, and yet when we get back together, it still feels like home. that was true for this visit, and i loved it! i had an absolute ball spending time with my sister-in-law tara! we never ran out of things to chat about and to laugh about. i feel lucky to be able to call these people my own. :)
eric and i returned from new york the day after christmas and life has been busy, busy, busy ever since. we got back at about 8 on sunday evening, and jumped right back into working the following day. it was a joy to reunite with my faves. they are the essence of preciousness, and i missed them while i was gone so much! while away, my little sophie started crawling! i must admit- i kinda had a sneaking suspicion this might happen, but when i came back and actually saw her on the move i was in awe! she is such a little toughy! growing up WAY too fast, that's for sure! i discovered a song that captures exactly how i feel for that precious little one- the first verse and the chorus say it all-
your little hands wrapped around my finger, it's so quiet in the world tonight
your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreamin', so i tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light.
to you, everything is funny.
ya got nothing to regret.
id give all i have honey to make it stay like that.
oh darlin' dont you ever grow up, dont you ever grow up, just stay this little.
oh darlin' dont you ever grow up, dont you ever grow up, it could stay this simple.
i won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart,
and even though you want to- please try to never grow up.
it's a beautiful song, written by the lovely taylor swift (or as i like to refer to as t-swizzle, t-sizzle or most recently- t-siz). i highly suggest buying her new album 'fearless'. i love, love, love this album and am in awe of this girls talent, her class, her integrity, her sense of humor and her love for what she does.
i have grand plans of posting a blog of my favorites from this past month... favorite memories, favorite foods, favorite gifts i received... with this post, id love to share pictures but am still at a loss as to HOW to make that happen. if any of you fellow bloggers wanna give me a hand and fill me in, let me know! i promise my blog will be way more fun with photos.
in the meantime though- here are just a few id like to share so far:
1) eric and i were invited to a christmas church service at gracepointe with the family i work for... this was uh-mazing, with a capital A! seriously- i was blown away by the entire thing, and LOVED every minute of it!
2) i tried to do a lot of holiday baking this year and one of my favorites was not really a BAKED item, but these fabulous little chocolate cherry dipped mice. i don't even like cherries, and that's a good thing because these little guys were just way too cute to eat! EASY to do, but time consuming for sure! this would be a great little project for those of you who have kiddies that like to "help cook."
all ya hafta do is:
-melt 1 bag of tollhouse milk chocolate chips on your stovetop. to avoid burning the chocolate, be patient and melt it slowly- stirring almost constantly.
-once the chocolate is good and melted, as you hold onto the cherry stem (which will end up being the tail), dip your cherries, one at a time. dip each cherry so it's covered in goo-ey goodness, and then set on wax paper. hint: it's easiest if you make sure the cherries are drained, and dried before dipping- makes the chocolate stick better.
-next, you take a chocolate covered kiss and press the bottom of it, against the side of the cherry, opposite the tail (this will be the head). the goo-ey chocolate will inevitably meld with the kiss and dry as one.
-before you're finished there's just one more thing to do- take two sliced almonds and place them in between the kiss and the cherry, so that they're poking up and out (these will be your ears). again, the goo-ey chocolate will dry it all together and hold it in place.
i've seen where some folks have gone one step further and added little eyes with icing, but i didn't bother and my army of mice were awesome! :) i highly recommend making these- especially if you love chocolate covered cherries- my husband said they were delicious.
3) while in new york my family and i went ice skating in downtown buffalo and it was wonderful! ive never really ice skated before, but i am happy to report- i did not fall! (which is amazing, considering the fact that i somehow manage to fall off my shoe at least once a day, lol). aaron wasn't in town yet so he wasn't able to come, but the rest of us went and loved it! the rink was outside, christmas music was playing, christmas decorations hung from all of the rails and light posts, we enjoyed hot chocolate... it was truely magical. i would love to make this a christmas tradition for sure!
4) this year for christmas i was spoiled ROTTEN! it's serious. which is why this will require me to integrate a list within my list. okay, so a few of my favorites this year are as follows:
a) my employers got me a kitchen aid mixer! the heavy duty one! WITH all kinds of attachments. it is very industrial looking, and rocks my face off! i LOVE it and was SO shocked that they spoiled me that way!
b) my mom got me this awesome (with a capital A) chunky sweater tassel throw. it is cream colored and has these awesome tassels on the ends. it is literally like curling up in a sweater while you lounge and watch tv. it's from west elm and although it may seem a bit pricey- i am telling you- totally worth it! no doubt.
c) my eric got me a new set of bedding. this may seem lame to some (possibly to those of you who couldn't care less about things like bedding) but seriously this rocked my world! also from west elm (it's my favorite spot- check. it. out.) this duvet cover is something i've had my eye on for months. i had NO idea he had been thinking about buying me this, but i am SO glad he did!
d) my brother craig and sister-in-law tara went totally above and beyond this year by doing some research and buying us les meserables tickets! whoo hoo! the production will be here in nashville in may, and they got us each a ticket- AWESOME seats- for may 20th. we are SO excited to go, and feel like that was such a fun and thoughtful gift!
e) my mom got me these awesome booties from old navy. they are red and white striped and i love them for a few reasons:
1- because they are made of sweater material too, and that's just so, so cozy.
2- because they come up to the middle of my shin, which means my skinny little ankles (the ONLY thin part of my entire body i assure you) don't get all chilly. and
3- well basically- they're just super cute. i love them.
f) my eric got me the new t-siz album for christmas and as mentioned before- it rocks! buy it! no joke. love.
5) the last and final favorite from this holiday season may seem a bit random, but i can assure you- had you been there- you would understand. i loved the mushrooms my mama made on christmas day! we had this big, awesome feast complete with prime rib, roasted potatoes, asparagas, yorkshire pudding, a fresh salad, and many more goodies- but seriously? the mushrooms rocked my world! they were wonderful and i can't wait to make them at home.
alright so anyway- now that ive successfully given a detailed overview of my holiday, i think i might sign off for now. i think if i were to blog more frequently, my posts wouldn't be so obnoxiously long. sorry for that- will do better, promise!
i really hope that everyone is enjoying the new year as much as i am! have a wonderful day, be blessed, and as always- be thankful!
eric and i returned from new york the day after christmas and life has been busy, busy, busy ever since. we got back at about 8 on sunday evening, and jumped right back into working the following day. it was a joy to reunite with my faves. they are the essence of preciousness, and i missed them while i was gone so much! while away, my little sophie started crawling! i must admit- i kinda had a sneaking suspicion this might happen, but when i came back and actually saw her on the move i was in awe! she is such a little toughy! growing up WAY too fast, that's for sure! i discovered a song that captures exactly how i feel for that precious little one- the first verse and the chorus say it all-
your little hands wrapped around my finger, it's so quiet in the world tonight
your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreamin', so i tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light.
to you, everything is funny.
ya got nothing to regret.
id give all i have honey to make it stay like that.
oh darlin' dont you ever grow up, dont you ever grow up, just stay this little.
oh darlin' dont you ever grow up, dont you ever grow up, it could stay this simple.
i won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart,
and even though you want to- please try to never grow up.
it's a beautiful song, written by the lovely taylor swift (or as i like to refer to as t-swizzle, t-sizzle or most recently- t-siz). i highly suggest buying her new album 'fearless'. i love, love, love this album and am in awe of this girls talent, her class, her integrity, her sense of humor and her love for what she does.
i have grand plans of posting a blog of my favorites from this past month... favorite memories, favorite foods, favorite gifts i received... with this post, id love to share pictures but am still at a loss as to HOW to make that happen. if any of you fellow bloggers wanna give me a hand and fill me in, let me know! i promise my blog will be way more fun with photos.
in the meantime though- here are just a few id like to share so far:
1) eric and i were invited to a christmas church service at gracepointe with the family i work for... this was uh-mazing, with a capital A! seriously- i was blown away by the entire thing, and LOVED every minute of it!
2) i tried to do a lot of holiday baking this year and one of my favorites was not really a BAKED item, but these fabulous little chocolate cherry dipped mice. i don't even like cherries, and that's a good thing because these little guys were just way too cute to eat! EASY to do, but time consuming for sure! this would be a great little project for those of you who have kiddies that like to "help cook."
all ya hafta do is:
-melt 1 bag of tollhouse milk chocolate chips on your stovetop. to avoid burning the chocolate, be patient and melt it slowly- stirring almost constantly.
-once the chocolate is good and melted, as you hold onto the cherry stem (which will end up being the tail), dip your cherries, one at a time. dip each cherry so it's covered in goo-ey goodness, and then set on wax paper. hint: it's easiest if you make sure the cherries are drained, and dried before dipping- makes the chocolate stick better.
-next, you take a chocolate covered kiss and press the bottom of it, against the side of the cherry, opposite the tail (this will be the head). the goo-ey chocolate will inevitably meld with the kiss and dry as one.
-before you're finished there's just one more thing to do- take two sliced almonds and place them in between the kiss and the cherry, so that they're poking up and out (these will be your ears). again, the goo-ey chocolate will dry it all together and hold it in place.
i've seen where some folks have gone one step further and added little eyes with icing, but i didn't bother and my army of mice were awesome! :) i highly recommend making these- especially if you love chocolate covered cherries- my husband said they were delicious.
3) while in new york my family and i went ice skating in downtown buffalo and it was wonderful! ive never really ice skated before, but i am happy to report- i did not fall! (which is amazing, considering the fact that i somehow manage to fall off my shoe at least once a day, lol). aaron wasn't in town yet so he wasn't able to come, but the rest of us went and loved it! the rink was outside, christmas music was playing, christmas decorations hung from all of the rails and light posts, we enjoyed hot chocolate... it was truely magical. i would love to make this a christmas tradition for sure!
4) this year for christmas i was spoiled ROTTEN! it's serious. which is why this will require me to integrate a list within my list. okay, so a few of my favorites this year are as follows:
a) my employers got me a kitchen aid mixer! the heavy duty one! WITH all kinds of attachments. it is very industrial looking, and rocks my face off! i LOVE it and was SO shocked that they spoiled me that way!
b) my mom got me this awesome (with a capital A) chunky sweater tassel throw. it is cream colored and has these awesome tassels on the ends. it is literally like curling up in a sweater while you lounge and watch tv. it's from west elm and although it may seem a bit pricey- i am telling you- totally worth it! no doubt.
c) my eric got me a new set of bedding. this may seem lame to some (possibly to those of you who couldn't care less about things like bedding) but seriously this rocked my world! also from west elm (it's my favorite spot- check. it. out.) this duvet cover is something i've had my eye on for months. i had NO idea he had been thinking about buying me this, but i am SO glad he did!
d) my brother craig and sister-in-law tara went totally above and beyond this year by doing some research and buying us les meserables tickets! whoo hoo! the production will be here in nashville in may, and they got us each a ticket- AWESOME seats- for may 20th. we are SO excited to go, and feel like that was such a fun and thoughtful gift!
e) my mom got me these awesome booties from old navy. they are red and white striped and i love them for a few reasons:
1- because they are made of sweater material too, and that's just so, so cozy.
2- because they come up to the middle of my shin, which means my skinny little ankles (the ONLY thin part of my entire body i assure you) don't get all chilly. and
3- well basically- they're just super cute. i love them.
f) my eric got me the new t-siz album for christmas and as mentioned before- it rocks! buy it! no joke. love.
5) the last and final favorite from this holiday season may seem a bit random, but i can assure you- had you been there- you would understand. i loved the mushrooms my mama made on christmas day! we had this big, awesome feast complete with prime rib, roasted potatoes, asparagas, yorkshire pudding, a fresh salad, and many more goodies- but seriously? the mushrooms rocked my world! they were wonderful and i can't wait to make them at home.
alright so anyway- now that ive successfully given a detailed overview of my holiday, i think i might sign off for now. i think if i were to blog more frequently, my posts wouldn't be so obnoxiously long. sorry for that- will do better, promise!
i really hope that everyone is enjoying the new year as much as i am! have a wonderful day, be blessed, and as always- be thankful!
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