Etsy Friday

It's been a long, long time since I've blogged.  Goodness, I've got a lot going on. 

When I saw these items on Etsy I HAD TO share them!  OMG.  I want a Blackberry just so I can cover it in this hideous thing.  Isn't it amazing?!!

How 'bout these Elvis skeleton cameos?  My question is.....why?

Five Question Friday

I have joined the bandwagon of other bloggers already participating in Five Question Friday, hosted by My Little Life.

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?

As a mother of four month old twins it is not unusual for me to spend two consecutive days in the same yoga pants and hoodie.  And even on day two, I may only change my outfit because someone spit up on me.  True story.

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?

Hands down I would choose Memphis.  Granted I've only visited but the city was amazing.  The people were incredible; there was no segregation.  Everyone was having a great time dancing and socializing on Beale St.  Your race, age, or place in life didn't matter.  And then there's Elvis.....

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?
With all of our family living at least an hour away, we're pretty used to driving all over.  I can't imagine trying to keep up with children (big or small) and luggage, or navigating airports.  Night-mare!

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?
 I don't think I clean more around springtime.  I guess I should.  (shrug)  I know there is sort of a list of annual projects you should do around the house (ie flip matteresses).  I suppose it would be a good idea to have such a plan.  "Every April we flip the mattresses and wash the curtains."  Maybe we'll get there one day. 

5. What is the best book you have ever read?
I'm not much of a reader.  I barely read (or didn't read) books for school that were required.  I remember having to read Beowulf during my senior year of high school.  Bleh!  
Now onto the question....I read The Time Traveler's Wife years before the movie came out.  It was fantastic.  It was such a different book from what I had read before.  The imagination and emotion that it stirred up was super.  I cried and cried!  (I also really liked The Red Tent.)

The King Potato

A second Elvis Mr Potato Head is being released soon!  The new toy will be released at the 2011 New York Toy Fair.  The new version will replicate Elvis' '68 Comeback Special and will include the famous (sexy as hell) black leather suit and mic stand.  Five hundred lucky customers will also find a gold microphone stand included in their box.  The Mr Potato Head Elvis '68 Special will be available at specialty shops for $20.  You can pre-order yours here.

Watch an excerpt from the '68 Comeback Special here.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I sometimes like to use my blog as more of a notepad or place to dump the thoughts in my head, and if someone reads it, super cool!
Below I have compiled a list of my current favorites for you to check out.  Maybe a few will become your favorites, too.


Look at these amazing pictures, a technique you could do, too.  So nifty!   They don't look real.

I love this hand embroidery pattern, Floral Fantasy, from Sublime Stitching.  Hand embroidering, for me, is like coloring with thread instead of crayons. 

I wish we had a place to put this ornate chalkboard sticker in our house.  The detail is great.

Owls are so trendy now and although I prefer to go against the grain, I have gotten caught up in the owl following.  This is the cutest cookie jar ever!  It's turquoise!!!  (Pictures of recent owl project coming soon.)

I really dig the entire line of Melissa & Doug toys but I especially like this mail themed "fill and spill."  Don't you remember playing mailman when you were little?  There was even a Muppet Babies episode where they played mailroom. 

While I'm folding clothes, folding diapers, and feeding babies I watch episodes of Masterchef Australia on Youtube.  They have tons of challenges and they have a "Master Class" where the chefs teach the amatuers kitchen skills. 

I ran across this clip from "This Is Elvis," a documentary about Elvis Presley.  I've never seen the film but of course I would love to see it and own it.  I'm not sure what to think about this Elvis.  I prefer to think of him as being perfect and innocent like the 1956 Elvis.  Guess he was a real person and certainly a womanizer.

Wordless Wednesday

Can't Help Falling In Love With These Cupcakes

January 8th would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, bless his heart.  I had to work so I couldn't celebrate too much, but at the end of the day I had the great idea to go home and make cupcakes in observation of the special day.  I left work and went straight to the grocery store picking up some bananas, peanut butter, and cake mix.  My plan was to turn a box of Duncan Hines into a dessert Elvis would die for.
The Pope was working nights so I had the whole house to myself.  I unpacked my groceries, set a stick of butter out to soften, pulled out my new mixing bowls, and went to the cabinet to pull out the bag of powdered sugar.  But there was no powdered sugar!  I ripped the cabinets apart looking for the sugar.  I am slightly OCD and know exactly where everything is in my kitchen at all times......the ketchup sits next to the mustard, in the fridge, right next to the salad dressings on the bottom shelf.
Apparently The Pope had used all of the powdered sugar a few weeks ago to make buckeyes and "crack balls."  So then an argument ensued.
I was not about to go out in 20 degree weather especially when The Pope should have let me know he used all of the sugar.  And he argued that we rarely use powdered sugar so he didn't see the reason to mention it.  I explained that when I have the urge to bake, cook, and create in my kitchen, I expect those staples to be there.  I went to bed with nothing to show for my love for Elvis.
I woke up this morning with a fresh 2 pound bag of Walmart brand powdered sugar laying on my cutting board.  The Pope is too sweet (pun intended).  So here's my recipe for Can't-Help-Falling-In Love-With-These-Elvis'-Belated-Birthday-Cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

For the cupcakes I used a boxed yellow cake mix and added a few mashed bananas before pouring into cupcake tins.  I got the basics for my frosting from this recipe and tweaked it a little.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened not melted (don't use margarine)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (natural peanut butter has a stronger flavor)
2 cups powdered sugar
enough milk to make it creamy, about 1/4 cup
a little vanilla extract just 'cause

Cream the butter and peanut butter, then add the vanilla, sugar and milk a little at a time.  Remember only add enough milk to make it creamy.  This frosting would be absolutely yummy on some chocolate cupcakes or for the peanut butter fanatics try it on some peanut butter cupcakes.

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)

Random Things About SEA

In my college public speaking class, I did an informative speech on Waffle House. For two weeks other students complimented me on my speech. I also did a persuasive speech on skipping class. (see college dream reference below)

Dawson's Creek is my favorite tv show of all time. I always thought Joey should be with Pacey. Dawson is such a girl!

If I could travel back in time I would redo my wedding reception...totally plan the whole thing over again. It just didn't turn out the way I had imagined in my head.

I was the first person in North Augusta (my hometown) to own Titanic on video. I pre-ordered it from Blockbuster, and I drove down at midnight the night it came out to pick it up. I was first in line!

I don't like cottage cheese, meat, beets, cooked spinach, sun dried tomatoes, or blue cheese.

I would love to be a personal assistant...run errands and help people organize their lives while setting my own hours.

For some reason, I get very angry and annoyed when my husband plays XBOX. Am I secretly jealous of his video games?

Hospitals freak me out. When I have to visit someone my heart starts beating fast and I breathe faster, too.

I admit, in the past, I have been unappreciative, juvenile, and ridiculous. Sorry.

I would be willing to pick up and move back to Charleston next year. Maybe we could just move Wilmington closer to Augusta...along with the coast.

I've only ever loved one man. We met on eHarmony.

I suck at keeping in touch. I'm bad about returning voicemails. I just don't like talking on the phone. Talking on the phone comes with pressure. What if I catch someone at a bad time? I hate it when I'm in the middle of something (even just watching tv) and someone randomly calls me. Can't we just send impersonal texts and emails back and forth?!

I get scared at night when Jon works nights. I'm a big chicken. I'm scared of the dark. When he's not home, I sometimes sleep with the lamp on.

After a trip to Memphis, and reading his biography, I love Elvis. He was an amazing man and changed the music industry forever.

I wish I could choose when I have pets and when I don't. 2 dogs and 2 cats can sometimes be too much. Other times they can be lots of fun and really worth it.

About every other month I have a dream about college. In my dream I usually oversleep and miss a class, can't find a class on campus, or at the end of the semester find out I registered for a class but mistakenly never attended.

Sometimes I get homesick for Augusta. I miss my family.

I have a blog (greenismyfavorite.blogspot.com) but I write like I talk, not like a writer so I just post things I find witty, interesting, or sometimes movie reviews.

I was raised to be conservative. Therefore I am old fashioned in a lot of ways. I think men and women have their places in the world (and in the church). But I also understand this is 2009 and not 1950.

I wish my house were cleaner. It's never clean enough for me (refer to above statement about pets) but I try and not let it bother me. I have OCD tendencies.

I sometimes want to wear more professional, more mature clothes but at the same time really all I want to wear are hippie-y clothes. They're so much cooler and more comfortable.

If I could wiggle my nose and learn to do anything I would want to learn to paint, repair cars, and learn everything there is to know about computers.

I love to cook and be in the kitchen but my least favorite chore is laundry. It's never ending!

Jon and I both were in the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in high school (he in Raleigh and me in North Augusta). Jon played the dad and I played the mom. It's meant to be.

I've been known to have a pretty good intuition. Sometimes I get "bad feelings" about something or a situation. Several times my "bad feelings" were right. (scary stories about that, maybe I'll post sometime)

I was raised by and married law enforcement. Daddy was a deputy sheriff with the Richmond County Sheriff's Department in Augusta. Jon is a deputy sheriff with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. I am so proud of both of them.

I love cruises. I have been on two, both with Royal Caribbean, both on the Mariner of the Seas. It's amazing! I do prefer Eastern Caribbean to Western Caribbean.

I studied Christian Studies in college. Basically that means I studied the Bible, world religions, and learned to write theological papers. I am passionate about the Bible, my Savior, NASB (the best translation), and my religious views.

I am way into music. I mostly like classic rock, 1970s. I love the wa-wa pedal and great guitar sounds of the 70s. But I also really like love songs from the same decade.

I LOVE discussing politics and religion, although both are thought to be poor subjects for public conversation. I like to hear what people believe and why they believe it.