Late nights are so productive...

Christmas with the Alford clan was great--as always. East Texas is so relaxing. My favorite thing (besides spending time with my favorite family in the world) was sitting by the fire. It makes everything feel ok. :) The new Super Mario Bros and Mario Kart were fun...and Mimi taught me to crochet! I did it all the way back from Henderson. I picked up sewing last Christmas. I'm just a regular domestic. When I want to be. Santa brought me the movie "Julie and Julia." I just love it. Mom said that I remind her of Julie... Not sure what to make of that because Julie was a bit of a loon!

Packing for Michigan. Tony and I managed to pack in one (yes, ONE) suitcase for the trip. We're pretty pumped because he got to bump us to FIRST CLASS for our flight tomorrow. I feel like such a peon---I've never flown first class before! Tony loses his "elite" status at the end of the year, which stinks because our flight back is on Jan. 1st. That means that not only do we not get bumped to first class, but we also have to pay for our checked baggage---which is the reason for the single sad suitcase. Keep focused on the positive, right? First class!! I've just gotta have Champagne on the trip. What's a first class ride without it?!!

Very glad Josh is house/dog sitting for us!! Thanks bro!

I always get a little nervous going to Michigan to see Tony's family. Not because they are scary or mean but simply because we aren't able to see each other enough to get really comfortable. We're staying with his sister this time, which is new. I'm pretty excited about playing with his nieces Allison and Harley. Allison is 8 (?) and Harley isn't even a year yet. Hopefully I'll get my baby fix for a little while. :)

I just realized exactly HOW late it is---1:30am . I am uploading songs on my iPod and then heading to bed. I managed to load about 50 songs, then (simply because of my own ignorance) I deleted them on accident and now had to re-do the whole thing. Oh well. Such is life.

Other news? Started going to the gym again! YAY! Ok, well "yay" for now. The 24 Hour Fitness over here isn't really the best. I think I might try the new one over close to the school once we're back in the swing of things. I've got my little routine and it's going well so far---at least for the two times I've been to the gym. Traveling makes it difficult, but at least there is an attempt going on. Tony and I started a weight loss challenge with my little brother while we were at home for Christmas. We've got monthly and a yearly prize!! We're all a little excited, but I'm sure that will wear off (unfortunately) pretty quickly. I'm sure Tony will win---he always does. I'd love to kick his butt though!

Currently: DETERMINED.

EDIT: Thought I might work harder if I make my goal known and try to keep up with it in a visible forum

GOAL: down 8 by the end of January. Easy--2 a week? I'm a waste of organic molecules if I can't handle that (ha--bio nerd slam--I just can't help myself)!! I'll keep updating---keep me on my toes!

I did it!!

First of all, I am going to congratulate myself for being so productive this weekend.

Tony went to Michigan for one of his college roommate's weddings--I stayed behind. (Stupid $400 flights, and that was when he booked a month ago. I looked for a flight two weeks before and they were $800!!!!! Insane!) I haven't called a whole lot because I wanted him to enjoy his time up there with his old college buddies without a needy wife to worry about.

Task 1: Paint our guest bathroom.

Before he left, Tony helped me decide on a green color for our small guest bath. He was afraid to go too dark to keep from making a small room look smaller, so we decided on what looked like a Granny Smith Apple green. I waited until Saturday to start. Went to Home Depot and got paint and supplies. I was rather impressed with myself because I remembered how to pick out the mixing color---I worked at Home Depot through college (WHOOP!). A guy in line told me I was being very brave with the color choice... I agreed. But sometimes, you just don't know until you get it up there on the walls! Upon returning with my HD goodies, I moved everything out of the bathroom and cleaned it really well. I know that doesn't make much sense---to clean it before you paint---but I knew I would be crawling around on the floor and wanted to make sure it wasn't dirty.

I got everything moved and cleaned, then taped off the edges. TIP: Run your finger over the tape 2-3 times to make sure it sticks well, or else you'll end up with spatters, especially on the ceiling! Next step-first coat. It was a little scary, the color. At that point I was hoping that the second coat would tone it down a little...and that wasn't the case. Got the second coat on and took the tape down and it still was a little scary. UGH. Something that really gets on my nerves---when the paint sticks to the tape and it peels off!! Luckily, it only happened in 3 or 4 places unlike when we painted the other bathroom and it was every 2 inches.

I think I still might paint the ceiling, trim and door a brighter white to offset the green, but am a little afraid to because all the surfaces (countertop, bathtub, toilet) are all off-white. It looks ok where we did it in our other bathroom, so I think I will go ahead with it later today before I move everything back in. I'm stil hoping that all the dark brown I have to move in will help tone down the green.

Task 2: Mow the yard

I did it! All alone for the first time! What a chore. I have a new respect for Tony, and will definitely make a bigger deal out of it when he does the yard. I had a fight with the weed-whip, and still don't really know how to use the thing, but it came out ok. I do have a few tips:

-Mow as much as close to "obstacles" as you can. Whatever you don't mow will just be extra work with the weed-whacker and it's sure harder on the arms!

-WEAR GLOVES! My little girl hands both have blisters. About halfway through I decided to "don" a golf glove because it was within reach and it helped a lot.

-If you get a headache after being out in the sun for a while like I do, take medicine before you go out. Excedrin works great for me because it keeps the headache away AND gives me a caffeine boost!

-Keep a big glass of water out there and don't forget about it!

-Dump the clippings before the mower gets too heavy to push.

-I'm scared of Tony's edger for some reason. To get a similar effect, I turn the weed-whip over where the nose is facing the ground and use it that way.

-BIG SUNGLASSES are awesome for yard work! They act like safety glasses AND keep the sun out of your eyes.

-Reward yourself with a nice long cold shower when you get back in.

YAY!

The best thing about summer...

Apart from the many obvious things that make summer pretty awesome... I think that fresh raspberries have to be the best. Just stocked up at the store!

Well, Tony convinced me to get rid of the caterpillar yesterday. HE said it was what has been eating our tomato leaves! And I, being the biology person, probably should have known that!

Still trying to decide on a final shade for the bathroom. I've made Tony look twice and I've looked a hundred times at the paint samples.

Bella, Baxter and I had a lazy day today. I finally finished the 5th Harry Potter book today, and have moved on to the 6th. I can't wait to finish---I want to see the movie so much!

Productive day--Finally! :)

Today, I was a bit more useful than I have been most of this week. I went into the city and picked up Tony's new suit, then to Home Depot to get some paint swatches so I could see how the colors looked in the bathroom. I finished my homework for week 2-School Law, AND pulled up some of my overgrown tomato bushes. I was going to pull most of them, but when I got about halfway through I found a visitor! I don't know whether I was scared after I saw it, or just wanted to watch it grow!

Redecorating la casa

I'm trying to get inspired to redo our house! I want to paint everything. Since we've moved in, the only rooms we have really tackled whole-heartedly are our master bed and bath. We keep saying "we WILL do it..." but that time hasn't come around until now (hopefully!!). Here are some of my inspirations so far:

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Bathrooms/Botanical-kids-bathroom/detail.esi?oid=497657
for the guest bath--would the stripe make it look too small? It's a TINY bathroom already...

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Bathrooms/Small-and-Sleek/detail.esi?oid=3594201
another idea for the guest bath.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Bedrooms/Finally-Mastered-the-Master-/detail.esi?oid=6541363
for guest bedroom---probably will try to incorporate more apple green.

http://www.roomzaar.com/rate-my-space/Bedrooms/Green-Guest-Bedroom/detail.esi?oid=6170199
maybe a little too much green..? (guest bedroom)



Still looking!!

Last Week...

I went to an AP Biology conference at Rice last week. What a beautiful campus! I'm looking forward to this week---organizing closets, baking, and visiting with friends are on my agenda!

I kicked off the baking last night, much to Tony's dismay. (He's in a weight loss competition at work--and has already lost 7 pounds!) I made chocolate chip cookie cheesecake bars. They are YUMMY--especially fresh out of the oven! They're also very easy, which is always a plus. Here's the recipe (from Taste of Home: Winning Recipes cookbook):

Cookie "dough":

3/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans

Filling:

2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and pecans. SEt aside a third of the dough for topping. Press remaining dough into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Sp[oon over crust. Drop teaspoon-fulls of reserved dough over filling. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack and store in the fridge.

Doggies!

My babies are so good in the car!

Wacky Waco

Mom and I went to visit some family in Waco today. Long drive to make in a day, but it was worth it! I got to meet my cousin's babies, and they were absolutely precious. She has an 18 month old little girl and a week old baby boy! I got my baby fix for a while... but they were so nice.

Trip to the country!

I'm packing up the dogs and headed for Henderson! I'm excited to go visit---and I'm sure Tony will enjoy the time here to enjoy the peace and quiet. Not sure what all we're going to do, but mom's talked about going to visit family in Waco. Baxter is going nuts! He thinks I'm going to leave him again!

Ugh. Bugs.

Two bug issues today.

Issue #1: I have these insane red and black beetle things crawling all over my tomato plants! I'm going to try a concoction I looked up online for a spray and see if it works... There are so many ripe tomatoes that they're threatening to attack!!!

Issue #2: Finding doodlebugs. We always do a lab at the first of school with roly-poly bugs and I never have enough. I sliced up some potato and put it on the wet ground outside to see what happens. So far, I've collected what I think are 5 larvae ... Who knows what they'll grow into!!

Sunday, lazy Sunday...

Had a great time at Jami and Colter's for the 4th! Lots of pool, grill and firework action. Didn't get to make the dessert "experiments" I had planned because I ran out of prep time, but I did make banana pudding! Yum! Can't believe we didn't take pictures...again. We're so bad at that!

Tomorrow will be homework day---the last day of my third class. I start School Law in a week. Sounds like fun times are just around the corner. I only have 14 months to go.

I think I'm going to head to Henderson to visit Mom, Daddy and Jason for the week on Tuesday. Mom wants to go visit some family in Waco--babies! I'm excited about that trip too. I think I'll try to take Bella gal in for her surgery while I'm there. Boy, will she hate that! She's not much of a fan of car rides, and with that at the end of the trip... poor gal.

Fourth of July Eve...

I'm going over to Jami and Colter's to watch the fireworks from their roof tomorrow. So exciting! They're going to have a great view. We are planning to head out to the pool for a while, then go up to the roof and grill etc. I get to try out some new recipes on them---that's always fun! Tony and I are in charge of burgers...then I'm going to make Black Bean Salsa (courtesy of a recipe from Kelly Bekelja--thanks!), lemon snowballs and caramel chocolate oat squares. The last two are new recipes from one of my new "Taste of Home" cookbooks. If the turn out I'll post the recipes!

We went to see Public Enemies today. It was ok. I generally like happy endings, and like Tony said "You can't change history. That's just the way it was." Ugh. After the movie, we drove out to (very exciting) Needville, TX to pick up a side of beef. Tony split a quarter cow with a guy he works with. I let him try to decide how to put it in the freezer---not an easy task! I had a flat today too, just to add to the excitement. I swear---I think my car TRIES to hit nails. This is the third flat I have had in the last year, or at least it seems that way!!

Act 1, Scene 1 continued

Just a few more pictures... Couldn't resist!




The Isla de Mujeres joint we played at.

Just pretty.

Ouch! Sunburn!

This one is just for Rachael...

This one too. I know how you LOVE dolphins!

Cookie Monster gets a high five!! (Why is this on the shores of Cancun??)

The big stand-off...

He had a boogie.

Act 1, Scene 1

Ok...so I decided to give this a shot too! After looking at Kacy's pictures of her sweet little Kinsey, I just couldn't resist starting a blog of my own. The name is courtesy of my husband, Tony, who really is a yankee in Texas. Well, maybe not a yankee (or so he says). He says REAL yankees aren't from Michigan.

We just got back from a trip to Cancun. It was loads of fun! Tony is a great traveling buddy. We stayed at an all-inclusive which made things very easy. Days 1 and 2 consisted of lots of pool-side drinks...which made for some interesting stories. On day 3 we took a ferry to the Isla de Mujeres for some snorkeling and shopping in the little Mexican city on the island. That was the day I got completely sunburned. Yuck! Day 4 was shopping in downtown Cancun, which was pretty much a let down, and more pool/ocean time. The morning of Day 5 we went shopping at La Isla (the best shopping center in Cancun---or to us at least!), had lunch at a place called El Jugo de Limon, or something that sounded like that, where we could watch dolphins and sharks in the tanks lwhile we ate. Then off to el aeropuerto and back to ol' Manvel, Texas. The flights there and back were fine. Take-off and landing scares me a little, but I generally get over that pretty quickly. We were a little nervous on the way back during our lay-over in Atlanta, but customs and check in went very smoothly. Mimi and Jason picked us up from the airport around midnight.

Back home now. The dogs (Bella and Baxter--both schnauzers) were very happy to see us. Tony, Mimi, Jason and I went for lunch at the OG, then they left to go home. Jason is probably going to come back tomorrow (or so he says). Tony and I made an exciting trip to the grocery store this afternoon. I worked on homework all night after that---fun, fun. I'm working on my masters degree in educational administration. While I was doing boring homework, Tony (who is amazing when he wants to be!!!) built me a picture frame, cleaned the entire garage and did all our laundry!

Wonder what exciting things tomorrow holds in store??!!! :)


Some very random shots from the trip...

Checking out the shark... Don't I look scared?!

The iguanas that greeted us every time we walked in front of the hotel...

The view of the pool and hotel

Tony got "artistic" while I was sleeping in...

The view from the pool---yes, that's ocean out there!

(On the party boat headed to the Isla de Mujeres!)

On our (BIG!) balcony! Checking in early sometimes has it's perks!

The view down the beach from our hotel