Christmas Break, See You Next Year

"And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Wordless Wednesday

Etsy Sunday

Green is my favorite color, heck even my car is green!  Thus, this week's Etsy Sunday......

Screen printed bicycle glasses
Robot toddler tee
Stained glass peace sign (love this)
Peace on Earth cards
Mushrooms graphic tee
Knitted infant hat (precious!)

Christmas DIY Wreath/Centerpiece

I love seeing something at a store, or tasting something at a restaurant, and going home to create it myself.  Well here is my latest do it yourself project, Christmas themed.  It's super easy but may be a little time consuming.

Begin with a wreath form like this styrofoam one and lots and lots of Christmas ornaments (I found plastic ones at Fred's when I was in Augusta for Thanksgiving).
Starting with the larger ornaments, hot glue each one to the sides and top of the styrofoam first.  Then go back and fill in with smaller ornaments.

I am going to use my creation as a centerpiece adding a white candle to the middle.
This is my next DIY project!

Wordless Wednesday

Remember Those That Serve

Remembering the four Lakewood Police Officers killed December 2, and their families.

Sergeant Mark Renninger

Officer Tina Griswold

Officer Ronald Owens

Officer Greg Richards

Etsy Sunday

I missed last week's Etsy Sunday because of my hectic Thanksgiving schedule.  So I'll post twice as many super neat things this week!

Recycled beer carrier (for lack of a better name)
I love zombies coffee mug
Cat treehouse
Henry the VIII button
Wine bottle tray 
"I love you more than Edward Cullen" card
Computer monitor cat bed
iPhone docking station (this one's for The Pope)

John Mayer's Cake Competition

I am not sure why, but I follow John Mayer on Twitter (he's a verified account).  Well a few days ago he tweeted about his Interfaith Holiday Baking Competition.  Doesn't it already sound like fun?
Last year Mayer was getting emails from his brother with pictures of cakes he had been baking.  At first, John laughed but then considered holiday baking himself.  He wrote, "I had to try it.  Sure enough, baking a cake or two while listening to Christmas (okay, Holiday) music was like a giant does of premium cheer.  I had the happiest holidays in years."  So on his blog he has started this holiday baking competition.

The Rules:
submissions must be received by December 28th
email your pictures to interfaithcakes@me.com
maximum of three pictures and file size under 400k
only email if you're submitting something
don't repeat submissions
has to be baked and something that "makes an impression" on him

Prizes:
1st place will receive 4 tickets (with meet and greet) to any show on the upcoming US tour and a Martin OMJM Signature Series Acoustic Guitar
2nd place will receive a Fender JM Stratocaster 

I might enter just for the heck of it;  not sure what I would bake.  He is going to be playing in North Charleston around my birthday in February.  And I do really like that stratocaster, although I can't actual play guitar.  Hmm.
Will you enter?  Please come back and let us know when you send your submissions!

I've Missed Y'all

Thanksgiving put a damper on my blogging. Plus my family in Augusta still has dial up.....ring, beeeeeep, beeeeep.
I did have a great holiday break in Augusta hanging out with family. The Pope even made deviled eggs at Maw's (my grandmother) request despite the fact that he hates eggs and mayonnaise.  This was a true test of his love for me.
My parents have recently bought a house in Pine Mountain, Georgia (right next to Callaway Gardens).  So Saturday Carlene, The Fosters, and I drove down to check out the remodeling they've done.  I should have taken pictures but they still wouldn't have made sense to you.
See, the house was just a regular, normal sized home and then the previous owners added a super strange addition.  There is a five or six foot square tiled "tub" that is about four feet deep with stairs and railing!  In another spot in the house there is a trap door that is sort of an indoor root cellar, or I guess it could be used for a very small panic room.  There are even two kitchens in the place, like a duplex but not.  Weird.  Anyway, my parents are making this two-house home into one large home....taking out walls, adding walls, basically completely remodeling the existing rooms.

Stay tuned this month for The Pope's irish coffee recipe and my Christmas crafts.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank you, Lord, for a loving and caring husband.  Thank you for blessing me with such a great man.
Thank you for a great supportive family that always understands.
Thank you for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Wordless Wednesday

Etsy Sunday

Tis the season!  I am ready to start playing my Elvis Christmas album and so ready to put up my Christmas decorations!!!  The older I get the more I love, love, love the holidays.

Colorful glass star ornament
Button snowflake ornament
Christmas vinyl wall stickers
Victorian ornament
Flip flop ornament
LOVE this centerpiece!

Eat, Speak, and Smile with Confidence

I was working the register today when an older woman stepped up to the counter.  She was telling me about the medicine her doctor was supposed to be calling in for her urine problems.  I turned around to do something and she had opened a box of Poligrip, taken her dentures out, and was squirting the tube onto the inside of her dentures... right at the counter!  What do you do or say in a situation like that?!  I just ignored her.

Wordless Wednesday

He loves me.


Keith Ketchum Photography

My Wish List

flexible measuring cups
dry measuring cups
garden/yard stuff
Embroidered Effects
Julie and Julia (dvd releases Dec 8)
cupcake stand
How to Make Almost Everything
yards of fabric
Plant Penguins
beginner sewing books like this or that
bamboo bread box
used DVDs (Dawons' Creek, Hairspray, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Shag)
diner cake stand
embroidery scissors

Etsy Sunday

More than crafts and handmade items on Etsy, I LOVE searching for nifty vintage stuff. Here's some great vintage-ness for you.

Milk glass candy dish (why do I love this?)
Lidded glass jars (I love cobalt blue!)
Brass mailbox
Metal locker basket (don't know how vintage they are but they're awesome for sure)
Glass letters
Aqua Spice Rack (If I had an extra $30, I would buy this now!)

Sis Boom Bah

I have been feeling especially crafty lately although I have no idea why.  I think it all started with a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, plundering the craft books.  That'll always do it for me....it inspires me.
While searching the endless number of craft sites today I ran across a fabric designer Sisboom.  I love the colors Jennifer, the designer, uses.  These are just a few of my favorites.

And over at Above All Fabric I found this great print by Chez Moi that I think would be great to recover the seats of our dining room chairs.

Etsy Giveaway

I ran across an Etsy giveaway this evening and wanted to let you in on it. Go to The Fancy Fritter and check out Outre Beauty Bistro. Follow the instructions and you could win yummy soaps, lip balm, or fuzzie bath bombs. I really hope to win a few bars of savon noir!

Wordless Wednesday

I took this picture while working/living at St Christopher (Charleston SC).

Easy Quiche Recipe

I love allrecipes because when I have a taste for something I just pop over and type in "brownies." Then I have a plethora of recipes all rated with little stars so I know which ones are the yummiest.  Well Sunday morning I searched for quiche recipes and found this one of Donna's.  After reading several comments from other folks at allrecipes I chose to make a few alterations.  Below is my adaption of the original recipe.

2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup fat free half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried savory
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (9 inch) pie crust (see this great made-from-scratch recipe)
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat together eggs, half and half, basil, savory, salt and pepper.

Spoon the onions into the pie crust. Pour the egg mixture over the onions. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.

Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into center of the quiche comes out clean, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.


Of course The Pope is not a vegetarian so I fried up some bacon for him.  He suggested that putting the bacon in the quiche would be super tasty (he doesn't even eat eggs).

It's a Boy

My parents are foster parents and have decided to adopt this precious 2 year old, Brother.  So today at 10am, I will officially have a little brother!

New Retro Look

I love everything retro and have wanted to give my blog a throwback theme for a while. Thank you to The Pope for helping me set up the new layout.  I found pieces of things I liked and he put it all together. I would be lost without him!

I'd like to give credit where credit is due.  I found the 50s housewife graphic here (tried to give her red hair but that didn't work).  And this is where I found the background.

So what do you think???
And now I've added music. Do you like it?

Etsy Sunday

This week I have devoted Etsy Sunday to local artists here in Wilmington.

Handmade journal
Pistol wallet
Glass sushi set
Robot print (The Pope really likes this artist)

Under Construction

I loved my simple, wooden fence blog layout.  But apparently folks were unable to post comments while I used that background.
I read somewhere that comments and hits on your blog basically means more and more people will visit your blog (of course there is some google science to this that I don't understand and also can't explain).  So I have been forced to temporarily use a generic layout until I can figure something else out.
Use your imagination.  Imagine the background is vintage and worn with a cute 1950s kitchen graphic.  Or imagine a sexy man in uniform holding up the left side of my blog.  Hmmm.  There's an idea for a background!

Wordless Wednesday

Ginger Heads

On a recent trip to the dentist, to fill not one but two cavities, the dentist had to use five shots to numb my mouth.  I had always heard redheads needed more anaesthesia than other folks; guess it was true.  (Ironically my dentist is also a redhead.)  Anyway,  I wondered what it is about our red hair that affects our pain tolerance.
Let's start first with what makes our hair red.  There's this gene MC1R that produces pigment in your body.  Our bodies (redheads) produce tons of this red pigment called pheomelanin and underproduce a dark pigment eumelanin.  These levels of pigment make my hair red.
Right now scientists don't know specifically what the connection between redheads and pain is.  There is speculation that the pigments increase pain sensitivity.  But scientists know for sure the MC1R gene is in some way related, just not sure exactly how it relates.
There is lots more information available here about a study done at the University of Lousiville, Kentucky.  They found that redheads needed about 20% more anaesthesia.

And here are some fun useless facts about redheads:
Less than 4% of the world has natural red hair; less than 2% in the US.
The highest percentage of redheads is found in Scotland.
Redheads don't turn gray as they age, they turn white.
Russia means "land of reds" in honor of a Viking, Rurik.
In the late 16th century, the fat of a redheaded man was an ingredient in poison.
Egyptians, believing the color red was evil, burned women alive.
In Greek mythology, redheads turn into vampires when they die.
Redheads have fewer hairs on their heads than others.

And I can't write about redheads without mentioning this great video from Dazed and Confused.

Side note:  Despite the fact I had two cavities, I do actually practice good dental hygiene and consider myself "a teeth person."  I just have really deep grooves, so says Dr Walker.

I Can Introduce You

This video makes me wanna raise my hand and holler like an old lady at a revival.

Etsy Sunday

As a small tribute to my favorite singer I decided to choose all Elvis themed Etsy items this week.
Thankyouverymuch.

Coffee cozy
Vinyl wall decal (see wall decal #2 below)
Oven mitt
Uniform pillow cover (you know I love a man in uniform!)
Lamp and shade
Tissue box couch cover (got to see this one for yourself)

Dia de los Muertos

Law Enforcement Misconceptions

Growing up in a law enforcement family, I remember Daddy telling stories of calls he had been on and the crazy, stupid folks he came in contact with.  He used to say if he pulled a female over, she was getting a ticket.  I guess his point was he obviously had a lawful reason for pulling her in the first place.  Also, he didn't want there to be any question why he didn't give a woman a ticket (ie because she was crying or had big boobs).
I also remember Carlene getting aggravated when people made jokes about cops and doughnuts (I personally can't stand that one) or the you-only-pulled-me-over-to-meet-your-quota response.  With The Pope's help, I wanted to try and clear up and hopefully explain some of these common misconceptions.

Real life is not like CSI: Miami.
Not every surface at a crime scene is good for lifting fingerprints.  Additionally, if there is an obvious shoe print, they might just take a picture instead of lifting it with a big sheet of tape.  Actual CSI units will not solve your crime in an hour.  They also don't necessarily drive Hummers or wear shades.

Police work is not all gun fights and police chases.
The majority of calls are more mundane; disciplining someone's teenager or quieting a neighbors dog.  There is also lots and lots of paperwork to be done.  *But don't forget, a LEO puts on body armor before heading to work.

The officer was not wearing his hat when he wrote me a ticket so it doesn't count.
Yeah right.  Next time trying not breaking the law.  (It also doesn't void the ticket if you tear it up or if the officer writes something incorrect on the ticket.)

Quotas.
There is no such thing as law enforcement quotas.  Officers can write as many tickets as they want.

Miranda rights.
An officer does not have to mirandize you unless you're in custody AND the officer is asking you questions.  Just because the officer put you in handcuffs doesn't mean he/she has to read you your rights.

Wordless Wednesday

What could be easier than posting a picture on your blog?  That maybe why it has become so popular for bloggers to use Wednesdays as a break from writing and instead just displaying a picture.  Here is my first Wordless Wednesday.

My Recent Obsession

I love cooking and I obviously love food.  Well since we got rid of cable at our house we have been watching lots of hulu.  The Pope and I discovered Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares and GORDON RAMSAY!
Hell's Kitchen is a reality show about average, everyday chefs that compete to be the head chef of one of Gordon Ramsay's four star restaurants.  The first few episodes made me pretty anxious.  Chef Ramsay screams at the naive chefs, throws things, and drop lots of f bombs.  Of course that's what makes the show so appealing!  After watching one complete season of Hell's Kitchen, you realize Gordon is a not a super jerk but a good man that just pushes people to be better chefs.
In Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Ramsay visits real restaurants and helps redesign the menus and decor.  He also closely inspects the entire kitchen (this part usually gets pretty gross).  Ramsay screams and cusses at the owners, managers, chefs until they realize there are changes that need to be made in order for their restaurants to succeed.


Check out a little drama from season 2 of Hell's Kitchen.  Both shows have full episodes available for viewing on hulu.

Etsy Sunday

This week I wanted to focus on Halloween items from Etsy.  Just look at all the great things I found!

Medusa earrings
Spider web umbrella
Hair, hair bow
Los Novios handbag

Etsy Sunday

Here are this week's Etsy finds:
Rustic serving trio
Burlap tote
Aluminum spice rack
Shower art

Check back next week for my favorite handmade Halloween items.

My Dream Homes

The Pope and I have been married now for a year and a half.  Of course we've talked about cars we would like to buy, how many children we hope to have, even pets we hope to own.  One topic that always comes up is houses.  We could talk forever about how I would layout my kitchen or how he would setup his "man room."  And just like all young couples, we love to just drive and point out our favorite homes to one another.  So here is a list of my favorite, add 'em to my wishlist, homes.

1. farmhouse

2.  Charleston row home

3.  arts and craft

4.  beach house

5.  southern plantation

Baby Names

I was browsing Etsy, my new favorite pastime, and I ran across this post.  Of course it caught my attention because The Pope is a sheriff's deputy.  At first I misunderstood and thought the woman was asking for her son's name to be placed on the belt buckle instead of Sheriff.  NO, her son's name is Sheriff.  Seriously?!
What is it with baby names in the last few years?  Everyone has named their son Liam, and celebrities have gone crazy with their children's names.

Seraphina Rose Elizabeth: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
Bronx Mogli:  Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz
Shiloh and Maddox:  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Sparrow James Midnight and Harlow Winer Kate:  Nicole Richie
Spec Wildhorse:  John Mellencamp
Sage Moonblood:  Sylvester Stallone

Personally I prefer old Southern names like Jackson, Caroline, Nathan, Isabelle.  I especially like last names for boys like Anderson, Jones, Davis, and Thompson.

Etsy Sunday

After spending the last hour on Etsy looking around and being inspired, I have decided to make Sunday's Etsy Day. Every Sunday I will post my favorites for that week.  I hope this will encourage you to browse Etsy and support recycling and handmade goods.  Please share your favorite finds!

silver tiered candy dish
white enamel bucket
vintage pot rack
green kitchen scale

Tree Stepping Stones

How amazing is this garden path!  I found it on Readymade, my new favorite website.  I would love to try this idea in a future garden.

Herbed Potato Soup

Growing up, Paw would make potato soup for me when I was sick.  Well The Pope found this recipe online and has made it for me several times.

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk

Place potatoes and water in a large saucepan; cook over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, saute onion and butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, and pepper. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add potatoes with cooking liquid; heat through.

And You Thought Your Job Was Tough

Which of my favorite movies has the best soundtrack?

Dirty Dancing
Almost Famous
The Blues Brothers
Bridget Jones Diary
Dazed and Confused

Mom's Words to Live By

Growing up, Carlene used lots of clichés to help teach me things.  I've always wanted to write them down in one place and share them with others.  Isn't that what a blog is for?

1.  Don't write it down if you don't want it known.
I learned this the hard way in eighth grade when I wrote a note in class about this cute boy next to me.  The teacher saw me writing a note and read it out loud to the class.

2.  Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.
Although it is completely true, I have grown up to be skeptical of everything I hear now because of this.  Just because it's printed in a newspaper, on TV, or in an email doesn't mean it's true.  And for goodness sakes, use Snopes.

3.  If someone lies they will also cheat and steal.  If they will lie about something small they will lie about something big, too.
Carlene hates liars.

4.  Nobody ever told you life was gonna be fair.
This was always the reply to me saying, "that's not fair!"

5.  Don't date anyone from work.  When it goes bad, it goes really bad.
This also includes borrowing money or doing business with friends.

6.  Be nice to your sister; she's the only one you'll ever have.
Mantha and I are the only two, we're seven years apart.

7.  Rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
I am constantly quoting this one; just good sense in lots of situations.

Pacey or Dawson?

My favorite TV show of all time is Dawson's Creek.  I was the same age as the characters when the show aired originally.  Every Wednesday night, after church, I raced home to catch the latest of the love triangle....Pacey, Joey, and Dawson.  Pacey, of course, will always be my favorite.  Dawson is completely fickle and acts like a girl.

Who is your favorite?

I Hate Entitlement

I work at a pharmacy, and I have to tell people all day long that there are no refills left on their prescription (this means we had to fax their doctor for more refills).  Very rarely do I come across someone who actually recognizes there are no refills on their medication.  Usually I get the, "well I wish I would have known" response.
FYI:  there is a countdown of refills on every bottle of meds you get.

When did the world, Americans, become so entitled?  What happened that made people stop taking responsibility for themselves and blaming everyone else for their problems?
Unfortunately, I think the US government is only perpetuating this feeling of entitlement....."you can pay for your cell phone but you can't pay for your house?  we'll take care of that for you,"  "you can pay for satellite TV but you can't buy groceries for your children?  we can do that for you!"
What will it take for people to stop blaming others for their poor life decisions?  Looks like it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

Don't sit in your crap and complain 'cause you smell!  Stand up and do something about it.

The Pope Turns 31 Today

Happy Birthday! I love you.

Icebox Strawberry Pie

My blog may just turn into a huge recipe database. Maybe I should change the name to "Fat Chick That Likes to Eat."

I got this recipe from the container of organic vanilla yogurt.

Icebox Strawberry Pie
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1-8 oz package cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup diced strawberries
1-9" graham cracker crust

In a medium size mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Blend yogurt and vanilla extract into mixture and fold in strawberries. Pour filling into graham cracker crust. Freeze for 2-3 hours or until set. Place pie in refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.
I prefer making my own graham cracker crust with sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and melted butter.

Walnut Basil Pesto

I have several favorite kitchen tools, most of which were wedding gifts. It's great to gain a husband and super kitchen stuff!

I love my Caphalon pots and pans (thank you Momma and Daddy). I love my cutting board and Henckel knives (thanks Aunt Kerry). I literally use them everyday. I also love my mini food processor. This little gadget is small enough to fit nicely under the counter and not a pain to use or wash. I use it to make my homemade salsa and to make quick, yummy walnut basil pesto.

To make my walnut basil pesto I blend together walnuts, fresh basil (compliments of my garden!), olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. I sort of just add things until they taste good. I don't tend to follow recipes exactly, prefer to make it my own. Serve your pesto with a good pasta that will hold the pesto well.

Disclaimer: my combination of ingredients tend to come out the color of tuna, unlike the pretty green pesto you might be use to.

How Well Do I Know The Pope?

This is to make up for the Fallen Princesses post below. Love you, sweetie!

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? a movie (to include shooting) or video games
2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? usually the dressing that comes on the salad already or italian; ranch is mayo based and is totally out of the question!
3. What's one food he doesn't like? one food?! hummus, tofu, cottage cheese, blueberries, raspberries, seafood, mayonnaise, cabbage, brussel sprouts, pinto beans, refried beans.......
4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order? Woodchuck or a Coke
5. Where did he go to high school? some magnet school in Raleigh, I forget the name
6. What size shoe does he wear? 12
7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? anything is right, anything and everything....guns, knives, flashlights, books, challenge coins, leo patches, wads of gum, lint....
8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? peanut butter and jelly
9. What would this person eat every day if he could? chocolate cream pie
10. What is his favorite cereal? he's not a cereal eater so much but he puts Chex in his trailmix
11. What would he never wear? anything pink
12. What is his favorite sports team? he doesn't really have a favorite team
13. Who did he vote for? McCain, certainly not that other guy
14. Who is his best friend? SEA
15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? lol, oh there's tons! mostly he wishes I wouldn't nag him about the things I wish he wouldn't do
16. What is his heritage? Hungarian
17. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? chocolate, chocolate with peanut butter (he doesn't like cupcakes)
18. Did he play sports in high school? nope, he made videos
19. What could he spend hours doing? playing video games (grrr)
20. What is one unique talent he has? he's great at shooting and really knows his tactical stuff

Fallen Princesses

As I've gotten older I have realized that Disney princess movies (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid) give girls false hope of love and relationships. Take Beauty and the Beast for instance. Isn't it usually the other way around? Men are super sweet and treat you great (prince-like) when you're dating, and then when you're married he turns into a "beast."
How about Cinderella.....a girl is forced to work hard her whole life until a man comes and saves her. Don't women work harder after they find a man?

I found these pictures of Fallen Princesses, cutesy princesses depicted in real life scenarios. I've posted my favorites. Go check out the others.

Training a Mini Penis

I moved to North Carolina in 2007. That same month, Sister went away to college, and Daddy changed jobs and started working out of town 5 days a week. Momma, being the great mother she is, decided to become a foster parent. She currently has 4 children living with her at her house in South Carolina....a 6 and a 7 year old brother and sister that have been with her for almost 3 years, a 1 year old little boy, and a 2 year old little boy.

Momma has only raised girls so this means she has learned a lot about boys in the last 3 years. Well now it is time for the two year old boy to be potty trained. Recently Momma was talking to a girlfriend about potty training little boys as this woman has raised two boys, now men. Apparently there are two schools of thought, some men shake their penis after urinating and some men actually use a square of toilet paper and dab any excess off. After further investigation, Momma also found that only some men use the flap on their briefs where as some men unzip their pants and pull their underwear down to urinate.

I myself have only recently become familiar with the male anatomy and find this all very fascinating! So I did my own research....poopreport.com (awful isn't it?) did a poll in 2006 of 1,327 men. These were their findings:
26% give a gentle shake
12% give a wild thrashing
23% blot with toilet paper
33% let their underwear absorb the drips
6% other, whatever that would be

Now aren't you curious to know what the men in your life do? Shake, dab, flap, pull down?! I've already asked The Pope; he's a shaker, flapper, and a puller-downer.

I heart my flat wallet!

I am not usually into following the crowd and owning the most trendy things. However, TONS of chicks have come into the pharmacy lately with these super cute flat wallets. These woman seem so organized plus the outside of the wallets are so darn cute. Well today this woman came through the drive-thru. She had one of these great wallets, too! I complimented her and asked her where she got it. "Everyone is carrying these wallets. Where did you get yours? I have searched online and don't know what it's called." She asked if I really liked it and told me she would be back later. About 30 minutes later she came through the drive-thru again with a flat wallet for me! It is bright blue, fake alligator skin....so great. I told the woman I didn't have any cash to pay her for the wallet. I also offered to make her homemade dog biscuits for her puppy. (Is that lame?) She told me just to "pass it forward."
How wonderfully nice?!

Domestic Direction: cleaning your refrigerator

I have almost always wanted a family to serve and organize. I love being domestic and I love a clean house. In college, my mom bought a book for me all about keeping house, Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House. This book covers everything! It's 845 pages of great information on how to keep your house spick and span. So my plan is to share the information I have found useful in this book.

Todays lesson: cleaning your refrigerator
How often do you not only throw away all of your moldy leftovers but also clean your fridge? Think about it....your fridge is the home for a lot of your food before you eat it. Not only that, odors in the fridge are unpleasant and can then contaminate the taste of juice, milk, and other foods. This is what Cheryl Mendelson recommends for keeping your refrigerator looking and smelling nice:
-every few days throw away out of date, moldy, slimy, and smelly foods
-rotate food so that newer items are placed in the back
-clean your fridge before going to the grocery store so it is empty and clean for new items
Scrubbing your refrigerator:
-set not quickly perishable foods on the counter; crowd highly perishable foods on one or two shelves
-remove as many drawers and shelves as possible
-starting at the top and working down, wash the enterior of the fridge (walls and door) with hot vinegar water (white vinegar)
-wash the drawers and shelves in hot soapy water, rinse well, dry, and replace

Cilantro Hummus

1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained, rinsed
1/8 cup tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and paprika into a blender. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of water, lemon juice, and the cilantro. Puree until smooth.

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. Love that website!

Again With the Rolling Stone

Glad to be home after work today and begin my weekend. I went to the mailbox to find another mysterious issue of Rolling Stone awaiting my arrival, only this time, thankfully, no Lady Gaga. Instead there was a man in a trying-really-hard-to-be-sexy pose, with a snake on his leg....Adam Lambert.

I do not watch American Idol in fact we don't even have cable. However, JP and I were at a friend's house for the finale of this season's Idol. Jon and I were disgusted with this eyeliner wearing rocker. Bleh! I thought that other dude had a much more "popular" persona and radio pop music. I also hate that Rolling Stone would put the makeup wearing loser on the cover instead of cute little Kris.

So I chose to post his picture, Kris Allen, the winner of American Idol 2009.

Our Story

As many of you know, my husband and I met online, not in a chat room and certainly not playing World of Warcraft. We met on eHarmony.

In 2005 I tried eHarmony several times, signing up for 3 months at a time. First I tried it October, November, and December and realized there were losers on the internet just like in real life. I sort of thought my money was wasted. Well I must say they have a great advertising team over there at eHarmony because the commercials got me every time! So February rolled around and I decided to try it out again. I was matched with unemployed men, poor disabled guys, single dads, the list goes on. And again I was turned off of online dating thinking I was destined to live my life like Bridget Jones. Then about September of 2006 the commercials got to me again. The (supposedly real) couples seemed sincerely happy with one another. And the guys were good looking, not trolls at all!

I had been signed up and meeting not-so-great-guys for a month when I was matched with a dude from Wilmington named Jon. Jon's profile stated he worked in "government" and his picture was none too shabby. I was sure he would close the match and not correspond with me (I never initiated matches). Apparently this Jon had a thing for redheads because just a day or two after being matched, Jon initiated conversation.

A month went by with super long emails through eHarmony, and Jon sent me his phone number. I remember his email said, "you can imagine my trepidation as I send this to you." Of course I thought that was great word usage.

I was on the way to Starbucks to meet a girlfriend and thought that would be the perfect time to give Jon a quick call. We had a great, short conversation. After that we talked on the phone for about two weeks before Jon asked about meeting in Charleston (a 3 hour drive for both of us; Jon in Wilmington and me in Augusta). We had a great weekend in Charleston getting to know one another better, geocaching, and window shopping on King St.

Two weeks later, Jon went to Augusta for Christmas with my family and then the next weekend we both went to Raleigh for Christmas with his family. We dated long distance for 8 months before I moved to Wilmington, September 2007. Jon proposed December 2008 and we will celebrate our one year anniversary June 28.