Friday, December 30, 2011

instafessional friday

I can't believe it's Friday again. It seems to have gone by so quickly because of the holiday and short work week, but you'll never see me complainin' about a Friday! No siree!

But that means that it's time for another edition of Instafessional Friday (my weird name for a combination of both InstaFriday and Confessional Friday posts).

So without further adieu...

This past weekend was Christmas...my most favorite holiday of all. I celebrated it in style, y'all!



Confession #1: I started a diet/exercise plan this week. (Tuesday) I may or may not have gone a little crazy over the Christmas weekend as my "last hurrah" before the diet started. This alleged "last hurrah" may or may not have included my cousin Tammy's delicious sugar cookies and my cousin Teena's swiss meringue buttercream chocolate cake.


Confession #2: I have a serious complex phobia issue with taking photos that include humans. I have no problem taking pictures of animals, or nature, but not so much of people. I resolved to change that a bit over the week and took a few photos of me, my sisters, and my little 2nd cousin Noah.


Confession #3: When people complain about the horrible Christmas presents that they got from their in-laws, coworkers or great aunt Gertrude, I secretly snicker and grin on the inside because my family knows me so well. Rarely do I get a gift that I'm like, "Well, that will be in the re-gift closet soon." Here are two things my sister got for me for Christmas. Glitter nail polish and gray ballet flats. Swoon.


Confession #4: I have more pictures of my dog on my phone than anything else. Also, I may or may not have had a conversation with him on the long car trip home after Christmas about what Santa brought him. (hangs head in shame)


Well, that's all the confessions that I have for this week. Have a wonderful weekend y'all!

Linking up with Leslie and Jeannett here.


Thursday, December 29, 2011

things that make you go EEWWWW

Today's Wildcard Thursday post came to me yesterday when I did something that made me say "Eewwww" out loud. Of course, my twisted mind caused me to immediately put that into a song parody and thus today's post title. "Things That Make You Go Eewww". Do y'all remember that song "Things That Make You Go Hmmm" from back in the day? It was 1991, as a matter of fact, and the artist was C&C Music Factory. (Side note: Up until yesterday I referred to them as CC Music Factory, unintentionally leaving out the "&". It wasn't until a coworker pointed out the AND that I realized I'd been pronouncing it wrong the whole time.) But I digress...

Do you ever have moments when something happens to you, someone says something to you or a thought crosses your mind that grosses you out and just makes you say "ewww"? 

Here are some of the things that make ME go "eewww":
1. Sitting on a public toilet seat that is still warm. IDK, it's just gross. I'd rather hover than sit in that situation.
2. When my parents ask us kids to "leave the house for awhile" when we're all staying in the same house for summer vacation.
3. When babies hold an animal cracker or cookie in their hand and "suck" on it for awhile and it's all slobbery and gross. Seriously. Gag reflex activated.
4. Drooling babies - in general. (No offense intended for my mama readers out in the blogosphere...as a matter of fact, I applaud you for being able to handle them...because I don't think I could.)
5. I don't like feet. They just gross me out. For the most part, people's feet are disgusting. I don't mind puppy feet though and they are even kind of cute. :)
6. Bodily fluids gross me out too. I avoid sharing drinks with people at ALL costs...even my family and the thought of accidentally touching something that someone sneezed on...vom.
7. Touching cold, raw hot dogs makes me say "eewww". I LOVE hot dogs, but the cold dog right out of the package that's still covered in hot dog "juice" is absolutely revolting. That's why God invented kitchen tongs. Hallelujah.
8. Frogs. One of my greatest fears is accidentally stepping on one while barefooted. Frogs pretty much make me go "eewww"...and make me go "ahhhhh" as well!

What are some things that make you go "eewwww"?


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

wednesday wardrobe: in the navy

I've blogged before about how much I love the color Navy. It's the perfect neutral, in my mind.

Well, it seems to also be the IT color this season. Designers all over the fashion spectrum are getting into the Navy trend with looks from Phillip Lim, Fendi, Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade making huge editorial spreads in major magazines.

Navy is the perfect staple for your winter and winter-to-spring wardrobe. It's staple-worthy like black, but a bit more daring and striking.

in the navy

What do you think about Navy? Is it a trend worthy to be tried or better left to the fashionistas?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

top 5 tuesday: new year's resolutions

  I've never really been one for New Year's Resolutions, but this year is a bit different from me. In 2011 I left my job of almost 5 years (and church home of almost 16 years) to start a new one in a completely different industry, moved from a city that I'd pretty much grown up in to a new one 4 hours away and fell in love and then subsequently had my heart broken. So for 2012, I really feel the need to set some goals that I can try to achieve this year.

Here are my 5 New Year's Resolutions for today's Top 5 Tuesday post.

1. Take up a new hobby.
2. Find a church home in Wilmington.
3. Lose 30 pounds.
4. Start taking on photography clients/booking photo sessions.
5. Go to the dentist and overcome my fear.

So, those are my New Year's Resolutions. Do you have any? Feel free to comment with YOUR resolutions.

Monday, December 26, 2011

monday space: winter warmth

  Happy Monday and Happy Day After Christmas! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I'm still reveling in the joy of Christmas this morning with a fantabulous breakfast being cooked by mi Padre. Then, there will probably be some friend-seeing today too since I'm in Charlotte.

Anywho, I found these beautiful winterized spaces here and here. I want to share a few of the pictures with you today.

Bookcase Basics
I love the colorful scarves-turned-bolster pillow and the wooden skis propped up against the wall. Bright and cheery yellow walls prevent the inevitable wintertime blues and the basket of cozy blankets sits right next to the couch to easily ward off a chill.

 red table with chairs and orange table runner
Wool winter scarves make a great table runner in the dining room and make dining room chairs a bit more cozy looking when draped over the back of them.


 free13-ice-blue-bedroom
The colors of sparkling snow make for a cool look but not feel to this room. Ice blues, silvers and iridescent tones combine together for a frosty finish. Found here.

Well, that's it for today's Monday Space post! Enjoy your day!


Sunday, December 25, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011

instafessional friday

I had so much comment love from last week's Confessional Friday post that I've decided to combine my two favorite Friday posts; Confessional Friday and InstaFriday.

So, dear readers, because of my love of compound, non-sensical words, I give you...
INSTAFESSIONAL FRIDAY!



Confession #1 - I bought the cutest box of Christmas cards, signed them, sealed them and addressed them last week. They have yet to actually be stamped and sent and at this point, they won't. So, it least it looks like I've got a MAJOR head start on next year's cards!

Confession #2 - I painted my nails twice this week. Both times it was a colored polish with glittery ring fingers. Yeah, it's trendy...so BOOM!



 Confession #3 - I went into work EXTRA early this week so I'd be able to leave early on Thursday to start my Christmas vacation early.

Confession #4 - I attempted to make Pretzel Hugs twice this week and both times had tragic consequences. The first time, I couldn't find Hershey's HUGS, so I used Hershey's KISSES and, well, yeah, I definitely burned those suckers. The second time, I guess they didn't melt enough because even though they looked pretty, they didn't stick to the pretzels and the result was essentially a build-your-own Pretzel Hug sandwich. Ugh. And, I've made these successfully before!

Confession #5 - I like when I take non-serious, funny face photos of myself way better than serious photos. Here are two that my friend Cara and I took this past week.



Confession #6 - I may or may not be obsessed with coordinating my gift wrap to my tree and coordinating my gift wrap with my other gift wrap. They are all in the same color family and theme. You won't see me mixing wrapping paper up in my crib!


And finally, another picture. I don't really have a confession to go along with it, but I wanted to share it with you. I took this at a place in Wilmington called the Cotton Exchange. It's a cool group of old granary and mill buildings in the historic district downtown that have been turned into a bunch of cool shops and restaurants. I think their decor in this outdoor courtyard looked downright Dickens, don't you?


Well, that's it for today's Instafessional Friday! Join me next week for another installment!!

Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 22, 2011

wildcard thursday: single around the holidays

I stumbled across this post on Tuesday from this awesome blog I follow and loved it so much that I begged the author to allow me to repost it here on the ol' bloggity blog. She graciously obliged. I've not edited or changed anything so these are her words, referencing her past...but boy can I glean some good advice from the lovely Leslie and all that she's been through. She's pretty funny too. 

So, for all my single friends (AND for those of you who AREN'T single but maybe have single friends), enjoy!

I  preface this post with the following:

Single does not translate to Desperate, Depressed or Unhappy, and by no means does this post imply that. In fact, a lot of girls LIKE being single, including myself during that time. Like, seriously loved it. I learned so much about myself; who I was, what I stood for, etc. I learned how to be independent. I bought a car. I took trips with my girlfriends. Summary: I highly recommend spending a few years enjoying yo'self sans boy. 

And if you are single during the holidays, I highly recommend kissing a complete random guy on New Year's Eve, just Because. You. Can.

Not that I ever did that...ever...but it looks fun...from what I've seen on movies and whatnot...because I would definitely not kiss random strangers....

But, for those of you out there who are at the point where you just wish you had a great guy to spend Christmas with, (boyfriend, or otherwise), I know how ya feel. During college and for years after, being single during the holidays was fun! Back then, there were no stupid questions from friends about when I would settle down or when I'd cash in my bikini for a baby bump.

I mean, who asks a 20 year old, "So why haven't you settled down yet?"

But then years passed.

Then it became less cool to be alone during Christmas.

When I was 22, I began dating someone. Three years passed, we were still together. For reasons I'll never care to know, he refused to solidify any kind of commitment with a ring or even a promise of a future together, (and BOY was that a blessing in disguise.) Holiday functions were torture. Not because I wasn't someone's wife, (there's plenty of time for that), but because he flatly refused to go to my family's home for Christmas or (Lord forbid) spend Christmas Eve away from his parent's house, like most grown people do. It became increasingly embarrassing to go to parties and face questions about when he would propose, or even better, WHY he hadn't proposed yet.

Now, let me interject here and say, in the South, if you're not married by the time you've graduated college, there must be something wrong with you. It's getting better, but still, it sucked having to deal with the questions.

This point in my life was agonizing. And embarrassing. And I knew it was time to cut the dead weight.

We parted ways in 2009 and I honestly felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from my shoulders. But then Christmas rolled around...another holiday season spent alone. Attending parties alone. Blah, blee, bloo.

Single can be SO fun....if you have friends who are also single. I (at this point, anyway), did not. Not one single friend. Lemme' tell ya, it ain't fun to be third wheel at every party and get together.

Last year was the first time really EVER that I'd spent my Christmas with a real, legit boyfriend who wanted to spend Christmas at MY house. (This boyfriend, coincidentally, became my fiance one week later.)

And it was amazing.

But this time of year still makes me hurt a little for the single girls out there who DO long for a sweet guy to kiss under the mistletoe. Trust me when I say, I have sooooo been there. It sucks to spend an entire car ride trying to come up with witty comebacks for when your Great Aunt asks, "Why don't you get married?" "Why don't you have a boyfriend?" "You know, if you want children before your eggs dry up, you need to find a man!", as one older woman asked me one time. For real.

Just know that what you're feeling is legitimate. There's nothing selfish or silly about wanting a male companion with which to spend Christmas Eve. Also, know that your Mr. Right, that amazing man that will one day go to all of your crazy family functions with you and kiss you under mistletoe, is on his way. It may be this year, it may be in a few years. Be patient. God has perfect timing.

I pray daily for the single ladies who are at that point in life where they want to settle down. It's easy to get bummed out, especially during times like the holidays, but please keep your heads up. Just remember that I met Stephen in the most random, unexpected way; likely the way it will happen for you, too : ) It was when I was happy and content with myself. God knew that if I loved myself, I could then love someone else wholly and unconditionally. You'll get there. You'll have your first Christmas as a girlfriend and a fiance and a newlywed.

But if you are solo this Christmas and need some good comebacks when peeps ask why you aren't dating or married, I've personally used all of the following below:

Pestering Friend/Family Member: "So why are you still single (insert name)?"

You: "Jesus was single. I'm just following in his footsteps."

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Pestering Family Member: "I can't figure out why you're not married yet!"

You: "Me neither! But I know why I'm not divorced yet!"


//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Pestering Family Member: "Don't you want a spouse?"

You: "Yeah, someday. But I'm really still holding out for that Miss America Title."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Now this one is a tad snarky, but just in case you need it...

Pestering Family Member: "Why haven't you settled down yet?"

You: "I'm waiting until I get to be your age."

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

That's all the witty comebacks I've got, girls! Seriously though, just know that y'all are in my thoughts right now. Keep your pretty, perfectly structured chins up. God is working on someone amazing for you, just wait and see.

Don't y'all LOVE her?!!? And, she's cute-as-a-button. You can check out her blog here. Thanks for tuning in!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

wednesday wardrobe: sweater coats

Today, I'm spotlighting a wardrobe necessity that every lady should have for the winter months: a sweater coat. Some call it the belted cardigan. Some call it a sweater jacket. I call them versatile and comfy.

The sweater coat is a great winter staple for any shape or size. It looks great layered over a tank with jeans and boots or added over a LBD with tall boots or flats. This is my wardrobe item of choice for the Christmas day family visits. It's warm and comfortable but not shapeless and unflattering.

A word of caution on the sweater coats, please make sure to get one that is either belted or more structured. (think sweater blazer or something that hangs straight down with not a lot of extra fabric in the front...that adds weight)

sweater coat

PS: Both of my sweater coats came from Old Navy and I LOVE them.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

top 5 tuesday: christmas movies

I've done a few Christmas themed Top 5 Tuesday posts in the past with a Top 5 Favorite Christmas Songs post here and a Top 5 Best Christmas Gifts here.

Today, Top 5 Tuesday is all about some of the best Christmas movies I've seen. I'm a huge fan of Christmas movies because I really think they help to get people into the Christmas spirit. All of these have good messages about love, family, friendships, etc.

1. The Grinch (1966 version). It's so good. I tear up everytime the Grinch's heart grows three sizes.

2. Elf. This is probably the most quoted Christmas movie ever. I seriously love Will Ferrell so much in this movie. "SANTA! I KNOW HIM!"

3. White Christmas. This old movie features one of my most favorite singers ever, Bing Crosby. I love the tale of old Hollywood plus the clothes, music and dance routines are legendary.

4. Charlie Brown Christmas. After just seeing this movie for the FIRST TIME on Thursday, I really, really liked it. Charles Schultz definitely knew a thing or two about Christmastime commercialism and the part when Linus reads the Christmas story is SO good.

5. Home Alone. I remember watching this movie when it first came out and it's such a perfect story about family relationships during Christmastime.

Honorable Mention: Okay, I couldn't figure out which I liked better between this one and Home Alone...but Christmas Vacation is seriously hilarious AND another family movie. I love the family dinner scenes. HA!

Did I list your favorite? If not, which Christmas movies do YOU love?

PS: In an effort to maintain some continuity with the ol' bloggity blog, I'm going to be doing a posting schedule. So, as much as possible, I'm going to try and post according to this schedule:

Monday Space (home decor/design/interior design photos)
Top 5 Tuesday (this is already a main staple on ALOTAT)
Wednesday Wardrobe (posts about fashion and clothing)
Wildcard Thursday (to allow for my random personality, a blanket post...you know, like a wildcard)
Friday - either Confessional Friday or InstaFriday (or maybe both!)
Saturday/Sunday (I usually don't post unless it's a holiday or special feature)

I'm looking forward to a bit of continuity from now on. Please continue to tune in to A Little of This and That and leave me comment love. Y'all know those comments make my day!

Monday, December 19, 2011

monday space


 Here's a look at a beautifully decorated Christmas space. This is from the 2011 Christmas House Tour sponsored by The Inspired Room. Sometimes a simple color palette can pull everything together and make your decor look elegant and chic. I really love how white becomes the main color in this room instead of an accent color.
Enjoy this gorgeous Christmas home and Merry Christmas!




 

Friday, December 16, 2011

confessional friday

 

I'm linking up with Leslie over at the Blonde Ambition blog for a new segment called Confessional Friday.

Confession #1 I have mostly survived this past week on some sort of pasta. Pasta with marinara, white wine pasta, mac n cheese, etc. Weird.

Confession #2 I secretly covet other people's Christmas decorations.

Confession #3 I judge people by how clean their houses are yet I will let my car get SO messy.

Confession #4 I often pre-clean my car before I go get it washed or the oil changed. Heh.

Confession #5 Sometimes, I put the radio station on a really, really ridiculous station right before I take my car to get worked on. That way when the mechanic starts the car up, they'll at least get a few seconds of Feliz Navidad or something similar.

Confession #6 I've learned this week that being alone and being lonely are two different things.

Confession #7 I talk to my dog (as I've mentioned before) but I also talk to other people in what I perceive to be his voice. I've also signed greeting cards for him and written notes from him as well.

Confession #8 I sleep on a satin pillowcase every night and feel kind of grungy when I don't.

Confession #9 I don't like the movie Happy Feet because of how it portrays seals. I love seals.

Confession #10 I like watching "boy shows" like Swamp People, Goldrush, Pawn Stars and American Pickers. I can't help it!


instaFriday

 It's FRIDAY y'all! I'm so excited for so many reasons.

1. Christmas is in a week!!!!
2. Some of my besties are coming all the way down to Wilmington (from Charlotte) to see ME this weekend!!
3. I'm done with my Christmas shopping!
4. It's time for another edition to InstaFriday!!


Linking up with Jeannett here again this week.

He's a curious boy.

The new Coca Cola Freestyle machine at the Firehouse by my house. It has over 120 combinations of drinks AND Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper...from the fountain. Oh snap! You can make all sorts of combinations or just drink 1. It's freestyle!!

I did a light blue nail this week with my ring finger nail in purple/blue glitter. Yeah, so I did something trendy. So what?! I LIKE it. ;)

Over the weekend I did a photoshoot down at Fort Fisher Beach. It was a gorgeous (albeit chilly) afternoon.

My company had their Christmas party and this was the ceiling in the room. I thought it was so pretty!!

I made one of these for my sister, brother-in-law and dad for Christmas. It's a Mason Jar Wineglass.

Well, that's it for today's InstaFriday! Tune in later this morning for a blog post link up with Leslie's Confessional Friday!!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

christmas lists and quiz

 So, it is time, y'all. Time for me to post my Christmas LIST. [cue music da duh DAAAAAAHHHHH!]

I have a few things on my list this year that I've been eyeing for quite awhile.

1. Tripod. I need one of these way bad. Why? Well, as you can see, I haven't really been posting outfit shots that much... and my lack of tripod is why. So, hopefully, if Santa brings me one, I'll start back posting outfit shots.
2. The Office Season 6. I have seasons 1-5 and I need to continue the trend, HA!
3. Marcel Iron/Curling Wand. Whatever you call it. I need one of these babies like, way bad.
4. Reese's Trees. Something about Reese's being in the shape of a tree makes them BETTER.
5. Ballet Flats. Y'all know I have an obsession with ballet flats. So, why not feed the obsession with more?

 I stole this snazzy little quiz from Bekah over at The Matters of Merrymaking. Here are my answers to the quiz. If you decide to post your own version, leave me a link in the comment section and I'll check out your answers!!

Christmas Quiz
If you post your own Q+A's be sure to let me know so I can check out your holiday answers.

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate? I don't think I'd like eggnog. Mostly because it's called Eggnog. Gross. Sometimes, I just call it 'Nog. :) So, definitely hot chocolate, extra chocolatey with mini-marshmallows.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Well, in my household, we opened gifts from each other on Christmas Eve. These were wrapped. Then we got unwrapped gifts from Santa on Christmas morn. Since Santa doesn't come once you start paying taxes, my sis and I mostly fill each others' stockings and leave those out  on Christmas morning. Sometimes my parents will leave out a gift that they didn't wrap up. There is always candy involved on Christmas morning.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Um, we ALWAYS had colored lights everywhere growing up. Now I have a mixture of white and colored...but never just plain white.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not really. It was never a big deal in my family.

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My mom makes some killer potato hash casserole stuff. I also love the little hors d'oeuvres that my family has on Christmas Eve. Sausage balls, bagel bites, chips and dip, fudge, pigs in a blanket, fruit/cheese tray, veggie tray, homemade candy, etc. It's a traditional Christmas Eve feast!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? All of my childhood Christmas memories are so good. I've always loved Christmas Eve the best. Good food, gifts, candlelight and Christmas lights, putting out the snacks for Santa (and carrots for the reindeer) and then waking up at the crack of dawn to see if Santa had come and eaten the snacks. My sister and I are generally fairly jovial with each other during this time. Even when we were younger and wanted to kill each other. T'was the Christmas spirit, after all.


8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth about Santa? You mean that he doesn't really have a Naughty List?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? All of them. :) Except for what Santa brought on Christmas morning.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? My tree at MY house is very girly with purple tulle and pink, purple, lime green and electric blue ornaments. My parents' tree (and thus, the tree that I had growing up) is a mixture of antique, family heirloom ornaments, bronze and copper balls, colored lights and pretty icicles. It's beautifully coordinated to their living room's “colors”. I love it!

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? Love it.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes. I used to be quite good at it. But it's been awhile...

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A Pink Pony Surprise. It was the Tickle Me Elmo and Furby of the early 90s. I also remember getting one of those animal backpack purses. Mine was a dalmatian dog.

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? 3 things: celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ (and thus the transformation of the world as we know it), honoring traditions and being with friends and family.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? D. All of the above. No, but my fam makes these delicious Reese's Cookie things that are amazing. My cousin Tammy makes amazing traditional Christmas cookies in different shapes with homemade icing. GAH. I'm drooling. Oh, and we make these delicious things with Ritz Cracker Peanut Butter sandwiches dipped in melted white chocolate. Seriously, it will make you want to slap your mama, it's so good. Can you tell I have somewhat of a sweet tooth?

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Church on Christmas Eve and then food afterward.

17. What tops your tree? Always a star. Sometimes a bow. Never an angel.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? I absolutely love finding the perfect gift for someone and when I do, I relish the act of giving it to them. I usually never go for your standard gift but enjoy thinking long and hard for exactly the right one!

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? I mean, are they dipped in chocolate?

20. Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas, Elf, The Holiday. In that order.

21. Saddest Christmas song? Hands down, it's “Stille Nacht” by Mannheim Steamroller. I guess it's not as sad as it is reflective. It's beautiful and haunting and quiet all at once. The song is so beautiful that it makes me want to weep. Does that make sense?

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? This is very hard. Religious song, I'd say “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”. It's haunting and melodic and tells the story of the Savior that has come to ransom us from captivity. I also love Carol of the Bells and Silent Night. Secular song, I'd say would be White Christmas. (the Bing Crosby version ONLY)



Wednesday, December 14, 2011

the most holy sport: a girl's observations

 Everyone knows that football is the most holy sport. It is the sport nearest and dearest to our Lord's heart. Growing up in the South, I was whelped on the pigskin pacifier. Sunday afternoons are so iconic with football that I feel lost when it's NOT on.

With all that though, I'm still a girl. I observe football in a different way than my male counterparts. In today's post, I'll share a few of my football observations with you. Feel free to chime in if you agree/disagree or want to add your own observation.

1. Football players are getting cuter.
I'm just saying. From Mark Sanchez to Wes Welker, there are lots of cu-ute men who put on the uniform. Have you ever looked at photos of some of the players from back in the day? Wow. They look a bit, um, scary. Now-a-days, there are LOTS of handsome players. Of course, if you know anything about me then you know how hard it is for me to NOT include the name of the most amazing, exceeding attractive and all-around good guy Drew Brees. Oh wait, I just did... ;)

L-R Mark Sanchez and Wes Welker

2. Football uniforms are getting uglier.
I love when teams put on their throwback uniforms because often, they are prettier than their normal uniforms. Examples of this are the throwback orange Bucs uniforms and the throwback Oilers uniforms. Now we have to look at the old ugly Titans uniforms. Ugh. Even though pretty much everyone in the world (read: men) hate the throwback Eagles uniform that's light blue and yellow...I LOVE IT!

L-R Throwback Packers, Bears and Eagles uniforms.

3. Football players are getting wimpier.
Yeah, yeah, I realize that players are big and hard now, but back in the day they didn't have nearly as many pads and protective measures as modern players do. Modern players are constantly getting hurt and hurting other players. Perhaps because they play long past their prime. Perhaps they play too often. Maybe they are just not as healthy overall as players were in the 60s. Who knows. It's just something I've observed.

4. College football is getting tainted.
From alleged compensations to sex-scandals, college football is losing much of its youthful innocence. No longer is college football just some boys who want to play ball and have fun, every one is out to one-up each other and make it to the pros. What ever happened to guys who just love the game? Is it all about the money and fame? I mean, you expect some of that in the NFL, but not in college too!

So, those are some of my football observations. Do you have any you'd like to add?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

recipe: white wine pasta with chicken

 I'm sure that most of y'all are aware of the fact that I have the food palate of a 3 year old. I don't really eat a lot of veggies, seafood or asian food...or other gross stuff.

But, I do love me some Italian and Mexican food. I found a recipe for Penne Al Vodka awhile ago on The Internets and tweaked it a bit (um, or a lot). The result is a yummy and tasty recipe that (because I use some pre-made items) takes 15 minutes to make! What's not to love about that?!?!


April's White Wine Pasta with Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of pasta sauce
1 small carton of heavy whipping cream (is this a pint??)
1 box of penne rigate pasta (I use about half of the box)
1 can of sweet peas
3/4 cup of white wine (please don't use wine that you wouldn't drink...)
1-2 tablespoons of flour
Garlic powder and parsley flakes for seasoning
1 container of pre-cooked grilled chicken strips (these are in the lunchmeat section at the grocery store)

Directions:
Open up your bottle of wine and test it by taking a sip.
In a large saucepan, pour half of your whipping cream and the wine.
Heat slowly starting on medium.
Add your garlic powder to taste.
Mix with a silicon-coated wisk, spatula or spoon.
Stir continuously and heat until bubbly.
Alcohol will start to burn off and it will smell VERY strongly of wine. Don't worry.
Take another sip of wine. You know...testing it.
When sauce is bubbly, add more whipping cream (almost the rest of the container) and stir.
Add 1 cup of pasta sauce and stir well.
Add flour to sauce and mix well to thicken sauce.
Reduce heat to low and let simmer while you start cooking the pasta.
Cook the penne like normal in a separate pot according to directions.
While the pasta cooks, open and drain your can of peas and add to the sauce.
Mix well.
Add the chicken and stir to combine. (I break the chicken up into smaller bite-sized pieces.)
Increase heat if needed to warm sauce and chicken.
Pour yourself a glass of wine. (after all, it HAS been properly tested, right?)
Drain pasta and add to pan with sauce and chicken.
Carefully fold pasta in and coat with sauce.

Serve with fresh parmesan cheese, if you like.

Take my word, y'all, this is DELICIOUS and it looks way more complicated than it actually is!


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