Monday, November 28, 2011

It's beginning to look a LOT like Christmas!

 I've done a little decorating...   I found the idea for the door hanger on Pinterest.  Which I am obsessed with.  I actually changed the ribbon   which you can see at the bottom.   I cheated and bought the bow at Jo Ann because I am incapable of making a pretty bow.




It was SO hard to find a cat stocking.   Lots and lots of dog stockings but no cat..   This was at Target on the very bottom of the shelf covered by all of the other stockings.     I don't even know how I found it. We brought it home to the beast and he sniffed at it and just walked away.   Unappreciative cat.  haha.  
I'm so beyond ready to get a Christmas Tree that it isn't even funny.   I'd really like to find a place to cut one down here, but I'm not sure if there are any.     I'm holding out until this weekend.    I plan on getting one this Saturday!   SOO excited.  I'd like to think it'd still be alive and well after 22 days...    I'll just have to keep it watered and keep oliver out of it.  I just LOVE the smell and I'd also like to get all of my decorations off the floor and on the tree.   I had Tyler get them out of the attic and they have been occupying the floor of my dining room for a little over a week now.   I've got a busy month.    Tree saturday, work christmas party sunday, cookie swap next sunday, the sunday after that is our christmas dinner with my friends, then it's CHRISTMAS.   ahhhhhh.    I'm ready for the gifts I ordered yesterday to come in so I can wrap them.   I also need to start making the gits I'm giving to my friends.   SO much to do.   
Hope everyone has a great week.



Brandi

Chrimmas



1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate, though I did buy some egg nog last night

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Wraps!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
I like white.  Though I think when I have kids I'll use colored for a while, I know I loved the colored when I was little.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but I want to.

5. When do you put your decorations up?
Usually Thanksgiving day, but this year I started early and started this past Tuesday.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?
mashed potatoes and gravy.    not just a holiday dish, but we always have it a Thanksgiving and Christmas and I love it.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child?
every year my parents would get me a new stocking.   They still do it and I'm 23.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I don't remember...

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
I might have once or twice, but I don't really remember.   I do remember us doing the 12 days of Christmas one year and I got to open a small gift everyday on the 12 days leading up to the big gifts on Christmas.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
I have tons and tons or ornaments.   Tyler and I will get to add our second one to it this year :)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
it's okay.    We don't really get snow until February. 

12. Can you ice skate?
I haven't in a long time, but I used to be okay at it.  

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
I remember my parents got me the peg puzzles (like at cracker barrel) one year and I loved those things.   I also got a pogo stick one year..  and a car.  ha
Adulthood- Tyler got me a yellow pea coat last year.   It's amazing!   I also got a fantastic hand mixer from my parents last year.    I use it quite frequently

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Getting to spend time with family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Pecan pie and lemon ice box pie.  period.   I'll eat the rest, but if I don't have these I have to make them for myself.   It's a must.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching it's a Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve. 

17. What tops your tree?
I've always had a star but this year we got a Santa and I'm pretty excited about it.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
Giving.   I LOVE Christmas shopping.   It's one of my most favorite things.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum?
YUMMMMM

20. Favorite Christmas show?
It's a Wonderful Life, Elf, Christmas Vacation, all of the cartoons....

21. Saddest Christmas Song?
Christmas Shoes.    I actually hate this song because it makes me cry every time I hear it.   stupid song.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Traditional- Baby it's Cold Outside.
Fun- Waitress's "Christmas Wrapping", or *don't make fun of me* Justin Bieber "Mistletoe"
But I seriously love all Christmas music and I actually started listening to it well before Thanksgiving this year.   I also love this.





Monday, November 14, 2011

Layered Mississippi Mud Cake


Friday Tyler and I were watching the fabulous Paula Deen on Food Network and she made the most fantastic looking thing I've seen in a very long time.  This  Layered Mississippi Mud Cake recipe was actually kind of hard to find because she has the Mississippi Mud Cake on Food Network and the layered cake was on her website.   Anyway, we finally found the recipe and decided we'd make it.   It turned out amazingly!   I thought it would be really rich, but it isn't.  Reminds me a lot of a sheet cake.

  I replaced the pecans with walnuts because Tyler doesn't like pecans.  But OMG it was SO good.   The filling helps cut the sweetness of the cake and icing.   I will make this again for sure!


On Sunday we went Christmas decoration shopping.   I'm trying not to buy any ornaments for the tree this year (I'm trying to make all of them), but I did need some new lights for outside and a few bows.  I'm so excited I want to put them up now!     But we're waiting until next Tuesday because Tyler will be off and we'll be at his parents on Thanksgiving day, which is usually when I'd do it. 

I so can't wait until Thanksgiving.  It's only 10 days away!  This year has FLOWN by!  I'm making a tequila lime pie for work and a pecan and lemon ice box to take to Tyler's parents.   Oh the mashed potatoes and gravy I will eat.   

Have a great week everyone. 



-Brandi



Monday, November 7, 2011

Miscellany Monday

SO.    I finally attempted making a skirt.    I bought the fabric and cut my pattern (which was probably just me, but it was insanely hard) and sat down to sew it and it was a disaster.   :(  this is the skirt I tried, but it wont be a skirt if I don't figure out what I'm doing.  

Pretty disappointed, but maybe I'll eventually get it.

Oliver, however, couldn't care less if I made a skirt or not.   He just wanted to play with my measuring tape.   

OAN, I'm pretty upset the Pyramid is being turned into a Bass Pro Shops.   I think it would make a FANTASTIC History museum.    Memphis needs one anyway. 

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!!


I am neglectful of my blog, and for that I apologize.  

Now that I've gotten that out of the way we can all move on with our lives.  :)    Today is Halloween!!!     This used to be my favorite holiday, but this year I'm not really sure what happened.   Maybe I'm just getting old.   Who knows.    Tyler and I did carve a super cute pumpkin to keep the evil spirits away tonight...   I had a blast doing it...   I also discovered that Oliver LOVES pumpkin.    He went crazy over the bowl of "pumpkin guts" and got really mad at me when I took it away.   I just knew he would literally eat the entire bowl and I didn't want him to make himself sick. 














I had some friends over from work and we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.   Afterwards we went to see Paranormal Activity 3 while Tyler did homework..   I think it was much better than the first two..    You didn't have to wait until the very end for something exciting to happen.   After I got home I had to make something for Tyler to take to work today for their Halloween potluck (the one he didn't tell me about until so I could prepare something super yummy for, so they have to settle for something just kind of yummy)  I put it in the oven and played around on Pinterest for a while and apparently I was really tired or really intrigued with Pinterest because I didn't hear the timer go off....   I have no idea how much too long it was in the oven but it didn't LOOK burnt so he took it anyway.    Maybe that'll teach him to tell me in advance.  


Lately I've been trying to get back into working out.   I've actually been doing really well the past few weeks (minus the week off for me hurting my knee...) I'm going to start kickboxing again.   I'm actually thinking of going this week.    It wont be the same as going to my dad's classes, but I'm sure it'll still be good.

Time for a protein shake.     Hope everyone has a great week.  




Happy Halloween!!!!!

Brandi

Monday, October 10, 2011

Just another manic Monday...

This morning when Tyler's alarm went off at 5am, I thought well this is weird.   I'm pretty sure I actually said "that was weird." after he turned it off.  Then when he got out of bed I remembered he took the early shift at work so he could get off earlier since I'm off work today.   I also remembered I promised to make him waffles with my new *awesome* waffle maker.  So I've been up since 5 on my off day.    Oh well.   So far I've cleaned, made breakfast; *fantasticly delicious* waffles, done laundry and made three (yes, THREE) wreaths.  One of which I got the idea from here.   I love them.   I'm going to give one to my mom and send the other to a friend.  I think they will both like them.     ohhhhh!  I almost forgot, I ordered my sewing machine.   I got this sweet baby!   I absolutely can NOT wait for it to come in.   Should be here some time next week.    MAYBE, JUST MAYBE I'll be able to quickly learn it so I can make a baby quilt for my soon to be here baby cousin Aiden.    I just hope I can figure out how to use it.  





-OAN, I'm really wanting to have a cookie swap this year.   Has anyone done this or attended one?   If so, tips, tricks and ideas are welcome.  :)

I think a nap is in order now.    When I wake up, I'm making ice cream in my new ice cream maker.   Happy Monday everyone!!!



Brandi