New guest bathroom, new guests

Last weekend you probably remember my good friend Rachel came in town and we had our winery adventures. This weekend I'm awaiting a fun-filled weekend with my high school friends Erin and Lindsay. They are staying with me as well which makes a lot of house guests for the past two weekends.

Just my cup of tea since I love playing hostess, but I felt like my guest bathroom was desperately needing a makeover. It was a pattern I'd picked out when I was 18 so my tastes have changed a little from a Parisian purse and shoe theme. Plus, I thought it didn't really reflect Hugh's taste that much, ha.

So, here is the new theme, complete with pics of Hugh and me on the wall :)

Comfort meal with a bestie

On Wednesday night, Katie and I decided to make dinner at my house to save a little money and we also thought it would be a fun change. We usually have the Chili's, Barnes and Noble, and movies routine when we hang out (which isn't enough if you ask me!)... that quickly adds up to a lot of moola!

On the menu was stuffed pork chops, mashed potato casserole, green beans, and beer bread. After a few mishaps (gluten-free instant potatoes and not using self-rising flour, haha), it ended up being a great meal that left us in the proper food coma this meal usually brings.

A welcome addition to the meal was our good friend Chris who contributed dessert (cookie dough ice cream) and good company.

I love nights like this where we can spend hours from start to finish preparing a meal, enjoying it, and cleaning up after it in the summer. August 2 I will be starting to visit my new classroom at least a few hours a day... I feel like school just got out!

Wherever the road takes us...

This weekend, I had the pleasure of having one of my dear friends (and future bridesmaid), Rachel come into town from St. Louis. We are sorority sisters from college and always have kept in touch well over the years with visits and phone calls. She is so much fun to be with because she brings out my spontaneous nature that needs to come out more often.

Case in point, yesterday afternoon. My sister loves New Oak Winery outside of Odessa, so we decided to drive out there among the corn, open road, and blue skies. While tasting different wines (I just took small sips since I was the driver), we discovered that Lafayette County is apparently a wine county. We decided to go to another winery about 25 minutes farther away from home, in Dover. This winery, Baltimore Bend, had a lot sweeter wines. I'm not a fan of dry wines, so this winery was my favorite of the two. I actually really liked a red wine and bought a bottle, which is saying something! We sat outside after the tasting at Baltimore Bend and looked at acres of corn. However, it was about 90 degrees in the shade, so that didn't last too long!

Rachel kept sharing all day that she has an urge to grow things, and one day would love to have a small sod farm. Hugh has always wanted to have a farm too, so I knew later that night when we went to dinner, that would be a fun topic of conversation. Hugh and I might eventually live just outside of the city limits in a few acres, but I think that's all I can do!

While we drove to the wineries, we decided- well I decided- that I wanted fruit and apple butter. So, we stopped at orchards along the way and an antique store too. We ended up with some awesome loot when the day was said and done. I am particularly excited about okra, which I am going to try and fry like Lambert's.

I haven't had an afternoon like that in a long time. It was a nice little day trip driving around the countryside and having good talks with a good friend.

However, by the time we got back to I-70 four hours later, I was ready to stop seeing mazes of corn and driving on windy roads :)

Another attempt at being a domestic goddess...

Every couple weeks, I try to be like Martha Stewart. Whether it's scrapbooking with my cricut, making elaborate from-scratch meals, or last week's candle making, there's always something new I want to attempt to prove I can do it all. I've found that I always take it a bit farther than I should (did I really need to buy four boxes of Mason jars and go to three Hobby Lobby's?!)... so it isn't until I have a few days to reflect on the project/meal that I realize that I really enjoyed it.

The candle making was an attempt to prove that making candles would be saving me money in the long run and that they would be personalized. The Mason jar candle also has a vintage feel that I love.

I decided on using white soy wax and just used the directions on the wax, wicks, and a DIY blog that my best friend Gwen wrote a couple years ago when she worked for KC Star. Here's a link to that: http://www.kcweddings.com/blogs/topic.php?t=6

I decided to make some of the candles with coffee beans in them, but decided I may have dumped too many beans in them (something I'll perfect if I make these again) for them to burn without crackling. I used mostly vanilla scent but a few have guava mango or a pina colada scent.

Overall, the project was fun, but I honestly don't know if I'll be dying to do it again. I will eventually need to do another session to use up the extra wicks. It ended up being more money than I thought, and I have a lot of Mason jars left. Putting in only the recommended amount of scent isn't enough if you are used to very fragrant candles like I am. They are really cute though, and they are making good gifts for friends staying with me the next couple weekends or hostess gifts when people have me over. It's a homemade gift that people can actually use. I bought two big bags of soy wax and it made about 15 candles (in four different sizes). The plus of soy wax is that it will burn for a very long time, so I made high quality candles. I'm sure I could make them cheaper next time!

I would recommend making the candles if you already have the jars or if you are just wanting to make a handful of candles. Also, if you like fragrant candles that reach an entire room, put in double the recommended amount of frangrance.

I'm engaged! And here's the story...

Over the past two days, I have been asked about the “proposal story” many times… I love telling it, but for the technology-driven and detail-oriented people out there who want to know it before they see Hugh or me next, here it is:

[Before I dive right in, it’s important to know something about our story. Hugh has told me since we got together last year that he has admired me from afar for many years (since 2003 to be exact). When I was in my high school production of Oklahoma, Hugh came to see the musical and fell in love with my voice and formed an admiration for me. When we went on our first date (or maybe in emails/phone calls before), Hugh told me about his crush he had had for so many years.]

On Wednesday afternoon(which was my parent’s anniversary), Hugh picked me up and drove me around blindfolded for 40 minutes. For those of you who know me well, this was torture, as I like to always be in control of everything, especially my hair and makeup. Ha.

Then Hugh told me we had arrived at the destination (I pretty much knew what was going down), but he told me I had to keep the blindfold on until I was in the exact place he wanted me. After tripping a few times (thanks, hun!), we went in a set of doors that sounded like either school doors or theater doors. Then I told him I smelled paint (at this point I had the location down to two different spots in my mind), and I told him it smelled like the paint in the theater from high school. “Oh really? Hmm,” was his response. He was really good about not giving anything away!

Then we went through another set of doors, and I started hearing someone singing over the sound system. Then I realized it was a song from Oklahoma, and it was MY voice from so many years ago! After walking up a set of steps and Hugh having me sit in a chair, I asked if I could take the blindfold off- he said not quite yet. He told me something along the lines of “The voice you just heard was the voice of the most creative, beautiful, and kind person I’ve ever met.” Then he took off my blindfold, and I realized I was on my high school theater’s stage, complete with beautiful lighting and a street lamp. He got down on his knee and asked me to marry him… I of course said yes immediately!

It was the perfect proposal, and it was all caught on camera by our good friend Zach Cobb- there will be pictures of this soon!

My newest indulgence... a Cricut!

A few weeks ago, I took the plunge and invested in a Cricut. For those of you who don't know what this is, a Cricut is a paper-cutting machine. However, with this amazing machine in my arsenal, I feel like the possibilities are endless.

Of course, there is the scrapbooking aspect. I'm in the middle of making a scrapbook for Hugh, so this will allow me to stay caught up on it! Handmade cards are something I am looking particularly forward to. I also constantly need a Cricut to make my classroom unique and original. The biggest reason I bought it was because I have borrowed Gwen's Cricut many times, and I wanted the freedom to spontaneously be creative :)

I got an amazing deal on an amazon.com bundle of the Cricut and My Story (a book binder and laminator). So not only can I make letters for my classroom in the freedom of my own home, I can laminate them as well!

Today, Gwen came over to break in the new Cricut. We decided to make cute postcards for our men. I went with a hot pink and yellow motif, while Gwen stayed classic with navy/yellow/white.

I can't wait for all the opportunities this summer to use my Cricut... Next up, updating Hugh's scrapbook which is our adventure book :)

"Something Borrowed" and "Something Blue" are sweet escapes...

As the end of the school year winds down (nine days left with the kids!), I have had a little more time for leisure reading than usual. I have less grading to do, so I thought I would start the much-hyped Emily Giffin books.

A few years ago, I started noticing the pastel covers of Giffin's books circulating through the airports- pink, blue, green, and yellow. I thought they were probably just a leisurely beach read, but when my good friend Rachel started raving about them over and over, I decided to give them a try.

I started with the first book Giffin wrote, "Something Borrowed," which is actually the first of a two book series. From the first chapter, I was hooked. I couldn't believe I was actually rooting for the main character, Rachel, who was having an affair with her best friend, Darcy's, fiance. Also, Rachel was the maid of honor in the upcoming nuptials.

Giffin's writing is so real, so raw, and as in life, things aren't always black and white. It's important not to judge because we never completely know what's happening or what has happened in our friend's relationships. I found myself thinking about many different friendships of mine throughout this book. Giffin's writing is so real, and it's comforting to know that feelings I've had throughout my life others have too. For example, even though I love all of my close friends dearly and want nothing but the best for them, there are still a few friends that I feel like we are constantly competing over things in life. These things can be big like who has the better job or who gets married first, or small like who wears a smaller size or has better clothes. In this novel, Rachel and Darcy's friendship has been this way their whole lives.

The end of this book is jaw dropping, and that night I was up until 11:00 finishing it. For those who know me well, this is saying a lot on a school night!

The second book in the series, "Something Blue" picks right up from where "Something Borrowed" ended. However, in this book, the story is told from Darcy's point of view. I don't want to give too many details that would ruin the first book, but it's amazing how by the end of this book, I felt completely in tune with both characters. I understand Darcy and I understand Rachel. In this book, a lot of personal growth occurs on Darcy's end. It was refreshing to read a novel about how someone with a "perfect life" can lose it all and then find everything.

I read both of these books in the last two weeks and am very excited to recommend them to everyone, especially to people who feel like it might be a transitional time in their lives. I know my life has changed so much in the past year and will continue to change in the coming year, so these books helped me with these changes.

Next up with Emily Giffin: "Love the One You're With," "Baby Proof," and the newly released, "Heart of the Matter."

The Perfect Pool Day

As the school year is winding down (30 days left with kids, but who’s counting?), I am starting to daydream about the perfect pool day that I love to experience as many days as possible during the summer.

The most important aspect of this day is the weather. I have found the optimum weather to be 85 degrees, sunny, and minimal wind. Too little wind creates a sweaty mess, too much takes away from the “sun-baked” feeling.

Second, and almost just as important, is the company to keep while creating the perfect day poolside. Family, especially one named Anna Claire creates a fun, laidback atmosphere, certain to bring laughter and good memories. Dad cooking on the grill and Dan making lots of waves in the pool makes for an entertaining day. If you want a lazy, relaxed day, then friends such as Heather, Gwen, or Taryn would be ideal to lay on floating rafts and bake under the blazing sun. Lastly, a fun-loving atmosphere is what you crave, then Hugh would be a wise choice.

With the ideal weather and perfect company, you just need a few more areas to have the perfect pool day. Fitting the music selection to the mood is very important. With family, it would be wise to choose country, standards, or easy listening while friends like the newest jams, top 40, or alternative. Hugh just likes weird music so play whatever you like and he’ll adapt J

Last but definitely not least, the perfect accessories make the day. These include, but are not limited to… the right shades, new swimsuit, trendy cover-up, cocktail, oversized beach towel, iPhone, tanning lotion, sun block, neon nail polish, the shiniest lip gloss, and bling-bling waterproof jewelry J

Escapist Movies and TV

In college when I discovered my passion for movies and TV, I was big on seeing all the movies nominated for the Oscars and watching Emmy nominated TV shows. I felt like I had to be prepared for "award season"and became the movie guru in my circle of friends. I remember arguing with family members about what movies to go see on holidays because I wanted to see potential award nominees and they wanted to see "feel-good" movies. I would say, "Not all good movies will make you feel good when they're over." And that's true.

However, in the past few months, the tables have turned. The stress of every day life such as the responsibility of being on my own, work, and other big changes in my life have led to my movie/TV tastes changing. Instead of adding award nominees or past winners to my Netflix queue or blockbuster pile, I find myself wanting to catch up on past seasons of The Hills and The Office or watching Teen Mom, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, or Jersey Shore. Hugh deals with Keeping Up with the Kardashians and Girls Next Door since he knows they make me happy. On the other hand, recently I rented The Hurt Locker and only watched half of it and never even opened the case for District 9 (both Oscar nominees this year).

For instance, today and then tonight. Today... Katie and I happily watched THS: The Kardashians instead of finding something more "appropriate" to watch. Tonight...Taryn is coming over, and I have rented The Stepfather, Coco Before Chanel, and A Serious Man. Of course, Taryn and I are going to watch the "critically-acclaimed" horror film, The Stepfather starring Penn Badgley and Dylan Walsh. I realize this is a remake and will probably not be stellar. However, I'm looking forward to escaping from real life for a few hours in my basement and enjoying time with a best friend.

Instead of worrying so much about what people expect from me to know, or what I should have seen because it's a "classic," I'm just watching what makes me feel good...what makes me unwind. Isn't that one of the reasons why movies and TV were created?

So, for right now, I'm an escapist.

Fabulous February

This past week has brought many challenges. I won't go into detail, but my job has been overwhelming, one of my best friends is probably moving away, and other challenges have presented themselves. However, enough complaining.

February is going to be fabulous. Even though all I want it to be is summertime, there is still a lot to look forward this month:

- Oscar nominations. This Tuesday brings my favorite month of preparation for my Oscar party (this year co-hosted by Karen) and a lot of movie watching to get ready for the big night!

- Valentine's Day. For the first time in my whole life, I have the most amazing valentine ever to celebrate it with... so I'm going to celebrate Valentine's all month!

- Anna's 1st birthday. The birthday party is going to be adorable and a wonderful day with family and friends.

- The 25th. This date will mark 4 amazing months with an amazing man :)

- Tax return. Hopefully this month will bring my tax return with my housing incentive... yay!

- Young Frankenstein. On February 20th, the family (along with Hugh) and I are heading to the Music Hall to see this musical I am so excited about!

- The Super Bowl. Yes, I'm actually excited about this because Hugh's taking me to a gathering where I get to meet one of his best friends... now who's playing again? :)

Is there something I'm missing?

What are you looking forward to in February???

Monday mornings ruin my Sunday relaxation

I don't know about you, but Sunday is usually not a relaxing, peaceful day for me. I know it's supposed to be the day of rest where time is spent with family and friends. Sunday is also supposed to be a day to get renewed for the week to come.

Since I have started my job, I have fallen into this pattern on the weekends:

Friday night: Euphoric. I'm so excited it's the weekend so that I can relax and recharge from my busy week with my twelve-year-olds. I usually do something with the girls or my sister.

Saturday: Get errands done, laundry, and maybe go to lunch with my mom or a friend.

Saturday night: Either hang out with friends or in the past three months or so, it's mine and Hugh's date night.

Sunday: I usually spend this day getting ready for Monday. I will finish up laundry, grade, plan lessons, etc. I hate anticipating Mondays. I will sit around all day and just worry about the upcoming week. This doesn't accomplish anything. However, I don't hate my job at all. I'm so lucky to have the job that I do. But having my job has been such an adjustment in my life that weekends feel like my normal life and the work week still feels weird. Sometimes my mom has Sunday dinner or we have a family dinner for someone's birthday.

However, I want to change the way I feel on Sundays. I don't like it! Andrea and I were talking about it yesterday when she was over for coffee. She feels the same way! This is what I want my Sundays to be like from now on (please take note family and friends):

* I want to start having Sunday lunch or brunch with you, yes YOU!

* When the weather gets nicer, I want to go on Sunday walks.

* I want to go to Sunday movies.

* I want to have girl brunches more often like we used to!

* I want to start making Sunday dinners every once in awhile.

* I want a special boy to stop by sometimes after he leaves his parent's house on Sunday evenings :)

*I want to keep up my grading resolution so I don't have to bring near as much work home with me on the weekends.

* I want to go Sunday shopping with a shopping buddy.

I'm starting off the new Sunday today, and I'm having Taryn over for Sunday dinner (beef stroganoff). Then we are going to see The Blind Side.

How do you spend your Sundays?

How do you get rid of the Monday morning dread?

My cozy nook

Sometimes it takes a special person like Taryn Wright to make you get over a stupid little quirk like a haunted basement. I found out on Friday night that my basement wasn't haunted at all. All it needed was a little T(aryn)LC.

After Taryn and I spent some time upstairs on Friday evening, I was getting ready to put some chocolate chip cookies in the oven. While I was doing so, my partner-in-crime since I've been eight, was making the basement ready for the first movie showing: Romeo & Juliet. This included lighting candles, turning on the mood lighting, and bringing down blankets and pillows.

Even though I was skeptical as the movie began, I was pleasantly surprised. My basement is like a little nook where I can escape from the responsibilities of the rest of my house like cleaning up. I can just enjoy watching a movie with the special people in my life.

After Taryn saying, "I remember liking this movie more when I was younger even though Leo is hot," we stopped the movie about halfway through. Then we lounged on the couches for the next couple hours and chatted, laughed, and cried like the best of friends do after 15 years of knowing each other.

That's when a room starts to feel like a home; when you start having experiences in it that will turn into precious memories. My basement is now part of my home :)

My neglected basement

So I can't figure it out- not for the life of me. My dad built me this gorgeous house that could not be more perfect. I picked the color palate- from the walls all the way down to the carpet. Every square foot of my house is my dream come true, especially the basement.

Framed movie posters of Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Revolutionary Road, and my favorite film Almost Famous line the walls. There is built in shelving displaying all of my most-prized possessions.... my DVDs. In the center of the shelving is my new 42-inch Samsung plasma. I also recently added an X360 with games like Karaoke Revolution and Scene It. Sounds like the perfect movie going/gaming experience, right?

However, I have never watched a movie down there once. I have never played my X360 down there except for a few minutes on New Year's Eve. I've lived at my house since Labor Day. Rockband 2 and Beatles Rockband that I so desperately wanted for Christmas have never even been opened. The only person that has made use of this room is my brother-in-law, Dan. He comes over and watches football sometimes.

What is it about my basement that makes me not want to be down there? I am racking my brain and cannot figure it out. The only thing I can think of is the couches. They aren't the most comfortable, and I want to buy a good sectional from Nebraska Furniture Mart with my tax return. However, the couches aren't THAT uncomfortable.

What do you think? What is my deal?

My guilty pleasure

I can say without hesitation that my favorite guilty pleasure of the moment is "Keeping Up with the Kardashians." There are a few key reasons why it helps me unwind and be captivated...

1. Khloe... She reminds me more of Taryn than anyone else I've ever been around/seen on TV. I think it's the way she doesn't take any crap from anyone and sticks up for those she cares about with a 'tude. Also, the way Khloe is with Kourtney is like Taryn and I are I feel like... :)

2. The big Kardashian family dinners. Somehow there is always a meal prepared for the whole family to eat at the house. The whole clan is there ready to eat and ready for drama. I feel like that is the kind of house I would love to hang out at but be able to escape from!

3. Obsession with clothes, shoes, power, and everything girlie. I feel like the Kardashians do whatever they need to do to be classy, powerful women. Smooch, Dash, Khloe After Dark, and the whole empire of Kim; they are all doing pretty well!

4. Kendall and Kylie... As Taryn puts it, these girls are going to be trouble. In a few years, they will be gracing US Weekly after years of looking up to to the way their sisters act.

5. Kourtney somehow being in love with Scott will continue to baffle me until I die.

6. The fact that Kris keeps Bruce's ATM card and controls all of the finances. He is the Olympic Gold Medal Winner!

7. Bruce = Scarecrow.

8. I feel like I am part Kourtney, Khloe, and Kim :)

10. That when I watched the first episode, I was like, "Who are these people?" And now I'm like, "I can't stop laughing at you, and I want to be your friend!"

Buy seasons 1 & 2 on DVD on amazon.com for a great price (like I just did) and watch season 3 on E! Sundays @ 9:00 :)

The perfect cake...

... is impossible! I've come to find this out over the holiday season. I can bake cookies and cupcakes along with the best of them, but two-layer cakes are another story.

The first was for the Christmas dinner I made for Hugh. It was from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. A simple "Devil's Food Cake" and "Quick Chocolate Butter Icing." This one was a crater cake that Hugh still ate graciously and with many compliments. However, it was disheartening because I spent a long time on it and then it sunk!

The second was this afternoon. How can you go wrong with a Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix and chocolate icing in the container? This one couldn't be as bad, I thought as I put the cake pans into the oven. How hard is it to add water, eggs, and vegetable oil correctly? However, I wanted to overcome my last two-layer cake experience and decided to make another two-layer cake instead of a sheet one. Now I'm dealing with a sloped cake situation again! Can I not bake a cake correctly or what?!

I tried to take the focus off that and decorated the top! My decorating is corny, I know! I know it's hard to tell, but the upper right side is sloped...I'm going to try until I get it perfect!

The first of many, hopefully...

I've went through the stages of my life having a Xanga and starting journal after journal, so let's see if I can make this one stick.

Tonight as I'm waiting for Shannon and Dan to get home from "White Christmas," I realize how much effort it takes to be a good parent. Case and point: babysitting Anna tonight. She's almost 11 months old, so she's all over the place. I love that she's so active and loves to play, but after an hour, I was already tired! She also doesn't miss anything. I took out my phone to quickly text Hugh, and she was all over my iPhone... Hugh got some baby texts tonight, ha. However, the point of the story is that when I do have babies, it's going to be life changing, that's for sure. I like to take naps when I want and honestly be selfish a lot of the time- having babies will change all that! Good thing that's down the road! Anna's good for now :)

Also, I want to type out my resolutions for 2010 so I feel more responsible for them:

Kirby's Resolutions for 2010:

1. Learn to budget better (ex. not have parties as much or have people help out more!)

2. Be more laid back in general

3. Grade papers for 30 minutes/4-5 days a week (I've been a procrastinator so far!)

4. Be more organized/Better time management

5. Eat a cleaner diet

6. Work out 3 times a week

I hope to have these in full swing by the end of the month... I'll focus on a new one every couple of days.... wish me luck!