Seven Quick Takes (vol.16)

Has this week flown by or what??? Here’s another 7 bits of information that you can probably live without. For more, visit Conversion Diary.

1.
Do you want to know the only thing that sucked about my birthday? I spilled BBQ sauce on my Sperry’s.

Oh, and it was freaking freezing. But other than those two things, it was glorious.

2.
Lauren is out of the hospital. She’ll probably have details on her blog in the next few days. Something about a ginormous appendix or something. She had surgery so she’ll be recovering for a while. But yay!!! I’m glad the doctors finally figured it out.

3.
Whenever you get a spare 2 minutes, watch this video. It is so cool. It appeals to the inner-geek in me.

4.
Quick Take #4 is not suitable for younger audiences… or family members. Skip this one if you are my family. Please. Or don’t… but I warned you.

S- I want this CD for Christmas.
C- Okay.
S- But you have to give it to me while you’re naked.
C- Santa doesn’t bring naked wives.
S- I don’t believe in Santa. I believe in Jesus. Jesus brings naked wives.

(Stephen really wanted me to tell y’all about that.)

5.
So this Ten on Tuesday thing… Let’s talk about it. I had originally planned to do it just one week when I couldn’t come up with something to write about. But then y’all started participating in the comments and on your blogs and I LOVE reading your answers. But here’s my problem: Sometimes I have a hard time coming up with questions… especially because I know I’ll be answering them too. So here’s my idea: You come up with the questions.

You can email me a list of ten questions at any time and I’ll post them on the next available Tuesday. I’ll link to your site and you link to mine- insta traffic! How does that sound?

6.
This may be my last Quick Takes for a while. December and January are going to be exciting times around R&R. We’ll be celebrating Christmas and my Blogiversary (Jan. 5) so each Friday I will announce a new giveaway. It’ll be open for a few days and I’ll announce the winner the following Friday. There are so ridiculously cool things coming your way and I’m sure they’ll help you with Christmas gift ideas. Be excited. Be very excited!

7.
Houstonians going to PW’s book signing… the details have changed. It’s no longer at the Blue Willow Bookshop, it has been moved to Georgia’s Market (<– that’s a link). BUT here is the thing. You have to have a ticket to get in the signing line. Boo hiss, I know. Tickets are available at Blue Willow now and they’ll be available starting at 11:00 at Georgia’s on the day of the signing. I asked if there was a chance they’d run out of tickets. She said, ” I don’t think so.” I don’t know if that means that there are an infinite number of tickets, or if they are severely underestimating the fame of Pioneer Woman. She told me that tickets will be in color groups, so the later colors just have to wait in line longer. If you don’t have the book yet, you can call and reserve it with Blue Willow and they’ll also hold a ticket for you (281-497-8675). Both will be available at will-call at Georgia’s. You cannot call to reserve your ticket, those must be picked up in person.

I think Georgia’s is a restaurant. We should all meet up and eat afterward. Or before. Or during. Or whatever. Who is going?

If you have any questions, ask. If I haven’t already asked I will send you to the correct person.

I hope you all have fantastic weekends ahead of you. We have a few things on our plate this weekend but I’m hoping it’ll still allow time for some reading, writing, and maybe putting up the Christmas tree! I know, I know. I’m a post-Thanksgiving decorator too, but next weekend will be CRAZY so I’m thinking we may try to get a head start. Don’t judge us.

Seven Quick Takes (vol.14)

It has been a LONG week. I’m pretty excited about my weekend. I only have one thing on my planner and it doesn’t involve setting an alarm. There is nothing better than an alarmless Saturday morning!

As always, visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.

1.
Stephen’s parents bought him the Lego Star Wars game for the Wii. This is good for many reasons. He said, “This is so cool” about 7 times within the first 2 minutes of playing. He is forced to sit up while he plays, which means his face won’t swell. It keeps his mind off the pain. He always breathes through his mouth when he plays video games (don’t ask) and since he has to breath out of his mouth anyways, he doesn’t notice or complain about it.

2.
I’ve been having a lot of typos lately. Spell check doesn’t catch those. But you do. And, uh, thanks… I guess. I write posts every day so the odds that there are a few errors are pretty high. I suppose I could write less often and spend more time proofing my posts, but that just doesn’t seem reasonable. So you’re just going to have to deal. Deal?

3.
I forgot to get two important items at the grocery store on Sunday. In all fairness, I didn’t really forget them since they weren’t even on my list. I just never wrote them on the list. I thought I knew the recipes by memory so I wrote down what I thought I’d need. I was wrong. One was for the meal I planned to make Monday, one was for the meal I planned to make Thursday. This is really messing up my meal planning. Good thing my husband isn’t demanding any good food this week! (I just reread this and it’s so dumb. Why do I feel like you need to know this??)

4.
Tonight I saw an Old Navy commercial that said that all outerwear is 50% off this weekend and on Saturday scarves are $1. Holy moly! On an entirely unrelated note, my birthday is in 11 days. Also on an unrelated note, click here and here and here and here.

5.
So Stephen can’t smile right now, it hurts his face. Imagine you were sliced open underneath your nose and it was stitched back together. Now smile. Feel how it pulls that area?? Yeah so last night we watched The Office and he had to walk out of the living room 3 times because he laughed and it hurt his face. Then 30 Rock came on. He lasted about 2 minutes and started laughing. He yelled and went to our bedroom. During the next commercial break I went to our room to get some socks for my freezing toes and I found him curled up in bed watching Fox News.

6.
Also click here and here and here and here.

7.
I’ve got this stew in the crock pot. I can’t wait to get home and smell the deliciousness in my house! Although I’m a little nervous because I used a different wine. I usually use one called Cowtown Red from D’Vine Wine but we’re out. Hopefully it’s just as delicious.

Have a great weekend, y’all! Any fun plans?

Seven Quick Takes (vol.12)

Dear Friday,

I love you.

Always,
Chelsea

1.
Remember how I showed you that if you Google “how to know if my waterbed is full enough,”  you get me? Well last week someone Googled “baby why don’t you get on my waterbed” and got me. So apparently I’m the go-to girl for all things waterbed. I don’t know how I feel about that. In other Google-related news, here are some of this week’s searches:

-my grandbaby is cuter that yours
-my classes are full of losers
-bob harper do we clap tracey
-stephen’s brother shirt
-is it a big deal to be a rocket scientist

2.
Remember this cheesecake? This glorious, chocolatey, thick, delicious, cheesecake. I made it again last night for my sister-in-law’s boyfriend’s birthday. I get to have a bite of it in about 34.5 hours, plus our minus a few minutes. Can… can… can you tell how excited I am??? I can hardly s-s-speak!

3.
Thanks for all the dress help! I went shopping on Wednesday after work. It was quite a succesful trip. I ended up buying 3 dresses. I know, I know. I said I’d buy one for under $50. I said I’d buy one that I could wear to all three weddings and change my accessories. I remember, I wrote it. But you see, they were cheap. Kohl’s was having a great sale and I can’t pass up a great sale. For $119 I got two dresses, 4 bras, and a cute top. AND $20 Kohl’s cash! Then I went to JC Penny to check out their selection and ended up with one more. I planned to try them on last night and take pictures to show y’all but I was too busy making a cheesecake and watching The Office and 30 Rock. So you’ll just have to wait.

4.
America’s Funniest Home Videos is one of the greatest shows that ever existed. I firmly believe that.

5.
I’ve told you that my mind has been mush lately. I’m not just saying this. It’s true. Want proof? Re-read this sentence from yesterday: “It was fall of senior year when we got engaged and we were right out of college when we got married.” The problem? This isn’t true. Stephen was reading this yesterday and responded, “Ummm, you didn’t get engaged in the fall.” Crap. Then my sister-in-law commented, “Wait, I thought y’all got engaged in January (or February?)??” They are right. I seriously must be on crack or something. Stephen and I got engaged in January and got married in July. I’m not sure why I said fall. Ten points to Stephen and Heather for catching my mistake! Negative ten points to me for letting out an untimely and embarrassing brain fart.

6.
Let me just clear something up really quick. If you click on the ad on my sidebar, you will not get pop-ups or spammed or anything. It’ll simply take you to the website. I will NEVER post anything on my sidebar that will screw you over. I love you too much to do that. Also, I don’t get paid when you click it. Just so we’re clear on that!

7.
I am really enjoying these Ten on Tuesdays. I hadn’t planned on doing them each week but I’m going to keep going for a while. Quite a few of you participated these past two weeks and I had a lot of fun reading your answers! It’s a fun way to get to know y’all a bit. I read multiple answers on yalls blogs by yourselves and your readers and it was pretty entertaining. So keep it up!  We all need a day each week to do a mindless post, right? (Apparently I need two of those days… Don’t judge me.) Bloggers, I have a question for you. Would you like me to post the topic/questions on Monday so you can post on Tuesday? Or are you fine with the way it is? If I get no feedback, I’m going to keep it as is. But I have no problem posting earlier. Talk to me! Also, by Masselyn is designing me a fun button for my Ten on Tuesdays. I’m pumped!

 

Have a great weekend! I’m looking forward to a bit of rest & relaxation! I plan to do a lot of sleeping and reading this weekend! I’ll tell you the fun details on Monday! (You can go click that picture up there for more Quick Takes.)

Ten on Tuesday – Because My Mind is Still Mush

I don’t plan to do this each week but I fear that there is a great chance I’ll post something ridiculous right now if I don’t. I’ve been really overwhelmed lately. I have this problem where I can’t say no so I over commit until I crash. I’m in crash mode now. I’m doing my best to clear out a few things so I can relax a bit. So bear with me today and lets just chat. Ten more riveting questions that we should definitely know about each other.

Once again, answer in the comments. If you answer on your blog, leave us the link in the comments so we can all visit.

1. What’s your favorite late night talk show?
Chelsea Lately, don’t judge my morals. She’s just so funny. She’s quick and her delivery leaves me in stitches! Plus she always has great clothes and her name is Chelsea. My sister lent me her book, “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea.” I haven’t started it because I’m such a prude and don’t know if I can handle it. But I’m going to give it a shot because I imagine I’ll really like her writing style.

2. If you got an all expense paid week-long trip for two, where would you go and who would you take?
I think I’d go to New York and do EVERYTHING. But since I should really consider my husband’s feelings, we’d probably go to Europe. I’d like to go to France or some place with lots of good cheese, like Switzerland. Stephen would like to go to Spain. Since his desire to go to Spain is greater than my goal to eat cheese (not by much), we’d probably go to Spain.

3. What’s your stance on Botox?
I think wrinkles are charming. They show character and that you are a human and not a robot.

4. I have to read a few classic novels for my 101 in 1001. Do you have any recommendations?
I can’t answer this.

5. Have you ever broken any bones?
I broke my arm in elementary school. I fell off a trampoline. I wasn’t even jumping! I just stepped backwards and there was no trampoline left. I was such a cry baby when I was younger that my parents didn’t believe me. (Insert boy who cries wolf lesson here.) I went two days without going to the doctor.

6. What are your top five favorite television shows?
In no particular order: The Office, Biggest Loser, Big Bang Theory, Grey’s Anatomy, and Iron Chef. (The last one is a toss up. I just think Iron Chef is educational and I enjoy watching the creativity. But the same applies to Chopped, Barefoot Contessa, etc. I just really love cooking shows.)

7. What is something you are embarrassed to admit?
I used to LOVE Oprah. I even own a DVD set. Now? Not so much.

8. Best movie line ever?
“I don’t know… I don’t know if we’ll have time.” – Old School
“You can say that about anyone until the first time they don’t show.” – For Love of the Game
“I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.” – You’ve Got Mail
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I’d send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” – You’ve Got Mail

9. Cupcakes, cakes, or brownies?
Cupcakes. They are so cute!

10. Can somebody PUH-LEASE help me find a dress to wear to a few weddings this winter??
I can’t answer this one either. But I’d like something gray and I’d like it to be under $50 because I’m poor.

It feels sort of weird answering my own questions! But I do it… for you… because I love you so much. Now you should answer my questions since you love me so much.

Other things you need to know. Biggest Loser tonight! Also, I got a pumpkin spice latte this morning and it was glorious.

Seven Quick Takes (vol.11)

What a glorious Friday it is, my friends! Almost every minute of my weekend is planned, but I’m okay with that. Anyone else doing Seven Quick Takes? Make sure to add your name to Mr. Linky over at Conversion Diary.

1.
Bloggers, be prepared to be jealous. Last night I had dinner with Kathleen from Kapachino and Lauren from, well, Lauren from Texas. Long story short, they went to the same conference and made plans to have dinner afterwards. Luckily they asked if I wanted to meet up too. Of course I do! So we had a great dinner. We talked about our lives, our blogs, how the non-bloggers in our lives think we are weird, and we talked about y’all.

Let me just say that I was quite naive when I began blogging. I thought I’d just write and maybe my mom and husband would read. I had no idea that strangers read blogs. Or that you get to know other bloggers via their blogs. Or that sometimes you actually meet them in real life. I didn’t know this. But its a nice surprise!

2.
So… that balloon boy… yeah…

3.
Stephen and I are having dinner with Lauren and her husband on Saturday. Of course we are thrilled because we just love them to pieces…. not literally, you know, like Lennie. Just metaphorically… We like them a lot. Anyways, if you don’t follow Lauren (you should), she recently got her wisdom teeth taken out. She’s still in a lot of pain so we aren’t quite sure what she’ll be able to eat. I’m bringing dessert and a side. I’m bringing PW’s roasted garlic potatoes. This is the third time I’ll be making them in ONE WEEK. I can’t help it, they are just that good. And easy. But the question is this: Is it cheating if I take dump cake and vanilla ice cream?

4.

\m/

For those of you who don’t know what that is, I’m not talking to you. For the rest of you, what time is it?

5.
I’ve only had two pumpkin spice lattes this season… both were the first week they came out. This is a travesty, I tell you! I think I’ll get another one sometime this weekend. I think I’d feel better about myself if I got one. It’s really a disservice to Autumn if I don’t, right?

6.
When you have some spare minutes on a computer with speakers, visit this site: http://www.iamsecond.com/ You won’t regret it. I haven’t watched them all but I’ve watched the one with Colt, Colt and Sam, and Michelle Aguilar (from Biggest Loser) and I’ve been thoroughly impressed!

7.
Congratulations to the winners of the giveaways!! I wrote up all the entries, put them in a bowl, and Stephen drew two names. We took our jobs very seriously.

molly won the custom onesie! (Which is perfect since she’s pregnant!)
Southern Gal won the jewelry tote! (Which is perfect because she probably has some jewelry to tote!)

Email me to claim your prize!! chelsea.hurst (at) hotmail (dot) com

Visit these two Etsy sites when you’re looking for Christmas gifts. Apparently we had another issue with the text of the link being too close to the regular text. I’ll help you out: CLICK HERE to look at EdieCastle’s shop and CLICK HERE to look at Taryn’s shop. I hope you enjoyed the giveaway. That’s just a little preview of what’s to come in the next couple months! So stick around!!

Have a good weekend, y’all! It’s 9:18 and OU still sucks.

Ten on Tuesday

Here’s the deal. I’ve been battling a headache for three days. It’s been rainy here in Houston and for some reason when it rains, a hammer sneaks into my head (I assume by way of my ears) and knocks around my brain a bit. This leaves me grumpy and with a severe case of writer’s block. But you know me and you know that I’m not going to just NOT post. I’ve made this deal with myself to post everyday and I don’t think I could let myself down.

So I’ve come up with a cop-out idea. Ten on Tuesday. It’ll somehow involve ten. Ten questions, ten things, ten thoughts, etc. Today, ten questions. I will answer them but I’m much more interested in your answers. So answer in the comments or copy this list and put it in your blog and then leave the link in the comments.

1. If you won the lottery, what would be your one random, off-the-wall purchase?
Lots and lots of designer shoes. And full access to a chiropractor. And back surgery.

2. What is popular now that you just don’t get?
Glee, American Idol, Twitter, Barack Obama, Farmville

3. What would your last meal, you know, if you were ever about to be executed and you got to choose that sort of thing?
Chips and queso, sour cream chicken enchiladas, refried black beans. And then a big hunk of chocolate cheesecake. And I’d prefer to die before the bloating and stomach aches set it.

4. When is it okay to start listening to Christmas music?
After Thanksgiving, on days when it’s below 75 outside. Never before.

5. How do you feel about facial hair on men?
I’m not a fan of beards or mustaches. Goatees are okay, but not on my man. I don’t like to kiss sandpaper.

6. McDonald’s or Burger King? Those are the only two options.
McDonald’s burgers and fries, Burger King’s onion rings.

7. What kind of soap do you use?
Some tropical Dial bar soap. And Niven Morgan Gold body wash. It’s amazing. I smelled it once in a boutique in Austin and I’m hooked. The lotion is a bit strong for my sensitive nose, but the body wash is perfect.

8. What movie can you watch over and over and never get tired of?
You’ve Got Mail, Never Been Kissed, For Love of the Game, and come December 8 Julie & Julia. Underlying theme- writing and baseball.

9. Favorite beverage?
Non-alcoholic: water with lemon or Diet Coke with lime
Alcoholic: Raspberry mojitos or Blue River Riesling

10. What do you want for Christmas?
Realistically: a Le Creuset dutch oven and a massage. In my dreams: wood floors, dining room chairs, blinds, a very expensive pair of black heels that don’t hurt my feet, a sewing machine and sewing classes, a very very long nap.

Your turn.

Seven Quick Takes (vol.10)

 Good morning and happy Friday! What a great weekend I have ahead of me! And I hear that we might get a weather change here in Houston so it’s not in the 90’s. Not that I care, I love the heat… but I think everyone else will be less grumpy.

Here you go- visit www.conversiondiary.com for more quick takes.

1.
Hey, let’s all do something fun. Open Google in another tab. Just do it, trust me on this. Type in “how to know if my waterbed is filled enough” and click on the first thing that comes up. Sometimes I think Google is drunk.

2.
Okay, back to my thoughts on Tracey. (Biggest Loser talk, skip this one if you aren’t interested.) Here is why I think Tracey could be planted by NBC. All of her circumstances are just too weird. She passes out and doesn’t come back the rest of the week. She finally makes it back but can’t work out but SHE STILL LOSES WEIGHT! She gets control of the game. She still can’t work out but still loses weight. It just doesn’t make sense. I’ve been watching this show long enough to know that something is sketchy. Now I have no idea what the benefit is to NBC to do this, maybe just to get us talking. All I know is that something just isn’t right with this chick.

3.
See that ad at the top right? Green Grass Meats? Yeah, you should click on that and go visit that site. (No, I don’t get paid if you click. Just click for the love of food.) I may or may not have gotten a cooler full of meat from them yesterday. I may or may not be able to focus at work today because all I can think about is the brisket in my freezer. I may or may not have taken a picture of my husband hugging the cooler full of red meat. God bless Texas, I love meat.

4.
Today is my grandpa’s birthday! Everyone, give him some love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA! I love you and hope you have a great day… I know it’ll be tough since you won’t get to see me. 🙂

 

5.
Does anyone know when Julie & Julia comes out on DVD? I’m ready to see it one or five more times. I miss Julia.

6.
I found this awesome website. Remember when I told you that I can’t stand Nickelback?? Seriously, all of their songs sound the same and they are just so annoying. Apparently I’m not the only one that thinks this. Check out this website:
http://www.isnickelbacktheworstbandever.com/ 
Incase you don’t excel at reading sentences with no spaces, it says “Is Nickelback the worst band ever?” Click it!

7.
A month or two ago, Pioneer Woman announced that she was going on a book tour to promote her new cookbook. Of course I wanted to be there. But when I looked at the schedule, Houston wasn’t there. Austin was on the list but it was on a weekday and since I doubt my boss will feel like this is a necessary trip, I knew I wouldn’t be able to go. However, after yesterday’s post, I learned that Houston is actually on the list. On a weekend! December 5, to be exact. So of course I’m going. And you should too. And then afterwards, we should get a latte or a mojito or a hamburger or something. Who’s game?

Have a great weekend and HOOK ‘EM HORNS!   \m/

Seven Quick Takes (vol.8)

 Isn’t it weird how the days go at a snail’s pace but the weeks fly by? I hear this is what adult life is all about. Oh well, the one good thing is that Friday comes quickly and you get another volume of Seven Quick Takes. You can visit www.conversiondiary.com to visit other Quick Takers.

1.
Three bloggers that I regularly read have announced this week that they are pregnant. And then one that already knew she was pregnant found out she was having twins. So to all of the other bloggers that I read, watch out. There must be something in the cyberspace I bring to your site.

2.
It’s feast or famine here, y’all! I either have nothing to talk about or too much. I’m approaching the too much stage right now. Consequently, I’m doing a bonus post tomorrow. If you’re like me and spend that majority of your week in front of a computer screen and need a smidgen of a break over the weekend, well don’t. Visit on Saturday because there is a 98% chance that I’ll be doing a bonus post.

Or don’t. It’ll still be here on Monday. Although I’m not quite sure what two doses of R&R in one sitting could do to a person. If you’re willing to take the risk, be my guest.

3.
The past few weeks during my Quick Takes I have talked about music. Which is really odd because I’m not a music appreciater. But there’s a song out that I really just need to talk about. But first, the rant. (There’s always a rant.) I hate when country artists throw in a few key words to guarantee that their song will be a hit. Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith are the main offenders that come to mind. Kenny throws in “high school” or “beach” every now and then to make sure the kids like him. Toby throws in “America” or “bar” to get hits. I don’t like this. It seems fake.

But there is a song out by Zan Brown Band called “Toes” and it is wonderful! If you’re having a bad day, listen to it and you’ll feel like you’re sitting on the beach with a cold beer (or fruity Pina Colada, if you’re one of those). Take a look see.

 4.
It should be an exciting weekend for me. My church is having a shrimp boil tonight but we won’t be going because shrimp kills Stephen. So my weekend will consist of cooking, decorating, hosting a bridal shower, cleaning up after the bridal shower, going to a wine bar, hosting a Pampered Chef Party, and cleaning up after the Pampered Chef party. It’ll be oodles of fun. (And I get to spend time with my Blog Friend 4 Ever, Lauren! Be jealous. Be very, very jealous.)

5.
Who’s brilliant idea was it to put Grey’s Anatomy and The Office on the same night? I’m forced to choose between the two and since I am married to a man, I have to choose The Office. Which is fine because I love The Office, but it makes me sad to see 42,000 facebook statuses (stati?) that say something about “OMG, Grey’s tonight!!” and know that I won’t be watching Grey’s tonight. And also, why are all of these shows so long?? I’m fine with giving The Biggest Loser 2 hours of my week because they can’t fit it all into an hour and it’s my favorite. But 3 nights of Dancing With the Stars? Two nights of Idol? A two hour season premiere of Grey’s? Sheesh people!

6.
I have a blog obsession. Well I have many, really. But there is a blog out there that is just AMAZING. It’s called YoungHouseLove. Kathleen from Kapachino told me about it when I was talking about painting my wood paneling. Thank you Kathleen. A thousand times, thank you. I have shared this website with so many people and wasted so much time browsing around it. You will not be disappointed. (Except when you learn that you didn’t win the $500 Lowe’s gift card.) On that note, I have three comments.

– SOMEONE needs to have a wedding like theirs. If I wasn’t already married, I totally would. Sister? Sister-in-laws? Check that section out and we will make it happen!

– Last night I told Stephen, “If we weren’t already married, I’d want a wedding like that. But not. Because I’m too scared of weather and I’d get a migraine from worrying about it.” Last night I dreamt about my wedding day. EVERYTHING went wrong. The cake was delivered in separate tiers for us to put together. When we put it together it was the shape of a car and there was a giant M&M person on top. I cried. My dad told me that there is nothing wrong with the M&M person, who doesn’t like giant M&M’s?? It was terrible.

– I’m sad to think that this site has been around for two years and I didn’t know about it. So would you guys please tell me what other blogs I’m missing out on??

7.
My Blog Friend Lauren is organizing a Houston bloggers meet up. Naturally I’m invited because, well, I’m her favorite. We’re both trying to see if there is any interest out there. If not, it’s okay. Lauren and I will split a bottle of wine, this cheesecake, and talk about how disappointed we are in all of you. It’s possible that many of you have already heard this request since Lauren posted it on Wednesday and I think we have many shared readers. (We’re trying to at least. That’s why we keep sending you back and forth.) So anyways, let me know if you’re interested via comments or email.

Have a great weekend!

This Is What Happens When You Don’t Give Me What I Ask For

I’m a planner. I keep lists and a very detailed planner. I have a meal plan hanging on my fridge. On Sunday afternoons I sit with my coupons, Kroger ad, and a cookbook and decide what we’ll be eating for the next 6 days. It helps me not be a crazy lady during the week. I know Stephen appreciates it. He doesn’t particularly like my crazy lady side.

I’m not sure if this is breaking some sort of blog etiquette but I also semi-plan my posts. As I grocery shop I’ll think, “Monday I’ll write about that thing that happened Friday night. Tuesday will be able the thing Stephen said. Wednesday is Biggest Loser. Not sure about Thursday yet. Friday is Quick Takes.” And then as I go about my business, I apply the things I’m experiencing to the things I planned to write. It helps me. Well remember last week when I wrote “Talent Show“?? (You can click that if you haven’t read it. It’s actually one of my favorite posts I’ve written.) At the end, I asked yall for two more words for my next challenge.

Here’s the problem. People suck at answering multiple questions. Think about it. How many times have you sent an email or text with two questions? You only ever get one of those answered. “Where do you want to go to lunch? What time should we meet?” The answer you’d get back would be, “Let’s go to Panera Bread.” The end. Do you see the problem? So when I asked you to leave me two words, very few of you did. Many of you had plenty to say about my jump roping experience and how cool I am. And while your comments were hilarious, that doesn’t help me today. Today is Thursday, the day I had mentally prepared to write a “two word challenge” post.

If you’d like to participate in next week’s challenge, leave two words in the comments today. But because you left me with nothing, you get this today. I saw it on another blog and thought it was fun.

I am thrilled that Lauren is a Biggest Loser lover after only one night and very few threats

I think every weekend should be a three day weekend. It makes me happier.

I have a lot of bruises on my legs from painting last weekend.

I wish I had the money to replace all of the floors in my house.

I hate talking on the phone.

I miss The Austin Stone Community Church and the people I met there.

I fear that I am going to get sunburned this weekend.

I hear that Kate Gosselin and Paula Dean are going to have a television show together. Seriously?? That’s dumb.

I smell the bathrooms across the hall from me. It’s as disgusting as it sounds.

I crave the chopped salad from Outback Steakhouse. And also Andes chocolates.

I search for blog material in all aspects of my life.

I wonder how Stephen and I will be able to afford kids.

I regret painting my hallway the pink/tan it’s painted.

I love being entertained by your comments. Seriously, you guys are funny!

I ache all the time.

I am not patient.

I believe in Jesus! I think He’s just swell!

I dance never.

I sing when I’m alone in my car or alone at home. That’s it.

I cry when I get overwhelmed. And sometimes when I have migraines that are so bad I’d rather die. And sometimes when I see something that fills me with joy.

I fight like a girl. Except I took Rape Aggression Defense class in 8th grade so I know a few moves. (Slap, grab, twist, and pull– know what that could mean?)

I won a guitar signed by Cross Canadian Ragweed in college. I should write about that sometime.

I lose sleep if I have anything on my mind.

I never watch Lost, American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, or Desperate Housewives. And look, I’m still alive and happy!

I always have Chapstick in my pocket.

I confuse people when I say that I love baseball but hate hot dogs. I really don’t know why people think they are so correlated. Why would my fantastic taste in sports be related to my taste buds despising tubed meat?

I listen to the Roula and Ryan show every morning. I used to listen to Pandora all day. I haven’t figured out my next game plan. Yesterday I kept the radio on but heard Black Eyed Peas 4 times.

I can usually be found wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

I am scared of knives, snakes, and losing family.

I need to sleep through the night. Just once. Please God. Puh-lease!

I am happy about the dining room table my mom bought us for $100 at a resale shop. Now if we could only find cheap chairs in the correct height…

I imagine what we’d do if we won the lottery. It makes me pretty excited!

I tag nobody. I’m not into forceful blogging. (Except forcing you to give me two words. These posts don’t just write themselves. Help a girl out!) But seriously, steal this if you want to.

Seven Quick Takes (vol.4)

1.
No intro today. I’m too tired for an intro. (You can click the picture above if you want to see more Seven Quick Takes or add your own to the list.) Two nights in a row of very, very little sleep. I have this issue where I can’t sleep if I’m busy, stressed, or have something on my mind. It’s a terrible problem to have. We have an event tonight at church and I’m in charge of games and prizes. Turns out, that’s a lot of work. I love it and enjoy it but it’s hard to work full-time and then pull together the pieces at the end. Thankfully my mom doesn’t work and she’s able to work on my to-do list during the day.

Last night we went up to the church to help set up a bit. Then we went back to her house to decorate cupcakes and brownies for the Cake Walk. They turned out amazing!! Look how cute these little cupcake boxes are!

Yeah, I know. Precious. I was on Box Constructing Duty while my mom was on Cupcake Decorating Duty.

My mom said that under no circumstance did she want to be in any picture that may end up on my blog because she hadn’t done her hair or makeup and she’d been in the kitchen all day. But I’m sneaky. I caught her in the back ground of the brownie lollipops.

Let’s just take a second to talk about how cute my mom is in her trendy pink glasses. And how cute those brownies are!

2.
I saw a woman in traffic yesterday who had those really fluffy, thick seat covers. We are in Houston, lady. Unless you are using that as a sponge to soak up the sweat on your thighs, I don’t see the point.

3.
A few months ago I had full intentions of throwing a Pampered Chef party. A friend of my sister-in-law sells. I know we’re all pretty poor but you can’t be a successful wife without their pizza stone! And maybe their garlic press. And mandoline. So I was going to host a party so that we could get the goods and be well on our way to impressing our husbands. But I scheduled the date in the summer and one by one, my guests emailed me saying they couldn’t come. Then something came up and I couldn’t come. I’m going to give it another shot.

So to any of my Houston girls that read this, let me know if you’re interested. Many of you will be getting Evites regardless. I’d post this on facebook but my status is too occupied with the link to my blog. Anyways, if you’ve never been to one, it’s one of those Bucket List things. Right after “Vacation in Hawaii” and “Go to Europe.” It’s that important.

4.
I need your help. I have been asked by a friend to devote a blog post to “ways to cook fish.” But the problem is that I don’t eat fish. I think it tastes like licking the bottom of the ocean. So can you help?

5.
If you read through yesterday’s comments you’ll see one that says this: “Gosh, I love how you tie things together so intricately. It makes me want to give you two words and see if you can write a post that ties the two of them together. You up for the challenge? Haha!”

I think this challenge is intriguing. I usually have no problem making connections between events that happened to me. I’m not sure if I can write about something that I don’t have experience with. However, Samantha, I’m up for it! If any of you want to participate, leave two words in the comments. I’ll randomly select a set of words next week and attempt to write something. I’m sure that what I’ll come up with will be complete crap, but maybe it’ll have a bit of entertainment value in it.

6.
I’m not setting an alarm tomorrow morning. This thrills me.

7.
I just thought you all might want to see another picture from our cooking day last Saturday. It was a long day. For some reason we thought it would be cute to take a picture of me holding pasta. And then Lauren misspelled “tuna”…