That one time I quoted Pinterest

I was having a pretty bad day last Friday.
Mostly because I had a startling realization that I infact had a full fledged muffing top.
Not like a baby one, not one that only stuck out when I wore certain pants.
A-real-legit-full-blown-in-your-face-get-your-ass-on-a-treadmill-muffintop.

So naturally I sent a little message to my bestie.

Truth is, I really did feel like a busted can of biscuits.

But I of course felt better when Sarah exclaimed that she peed and pooped her own pants.

Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.

 Its Thursday chicken nuggets which means once again I am linking up with Steph and Katie for their pinterest link up! I guess what I am about to post is sort of a cop out because well I may have found the pin but I sure as heck did not craft it! Although I am confident I could if I wanted to. But why would I when Ryan the crafting fool is here to do it? No seriously this boy crafts. And is pretty good at it too!

So without further delay I give you:

Mason Jar sippy cup

(because I don't want to spill duh!?!)

Original pin

Okay guys how neat is that! I knew immediately that I HAD to have one! What else is a girl supposed to sip her moonshine from or a crisp cucumber vodka cocktail?

So Ryan being the gem that he is went to work just days after I asked nicely demanded to have one of my very own!

So here is what he used:

one mason jar with lid of your desired size

super glue

straw

and a rubber or metal washer. (superglue if you use ruber)

a drill

He even took pictures of his materials, he knows so well.

So all Ryan did was drill a hole big enough for the straw in the lid

 placed the washer over the hole and seal

insert straw

fill with delicous beverage and enjoy!

I love my mason jar cup!

A picture is worth a 1000 words

Guys.
Can we PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE talk about this photo?

I swear Hudson looks like someone is actually trying to murder him. I have never seen him cry so hard. And Gavin? Not even phased. Its like his little brother isn't actually screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs! I can't wait to show this to all the ladies in about 13 years.

The time I wove bacon

I always knew that Bacon would lead me to great things.
I always knew bacon would make everything better.
And let it be known that bacon has not let me down.

Now I don't know how much you guys know about famous chefs.
But around these parts famous chefs take the cake for me.
I could read about chefs, watch them cook, fantasize about the wonders that they create for me to enjoy.
Its not mystery I love to eat.
But I also LOVE to cook.
It's a release for me.
I can spend a day in the kitchen and its like I am finally at rest.
I find it theraputic and relaxing.

So given this I enjoy cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
I like to spend the whole day in my apron cooking, creating, tasting and of course drinking (hey whats a meal without a delicious beve in hand?)
So on Thanksgiving I created til my heart was content and instagramed a few photos and posted them on twitter.



my expert bacon weave




doin what I do!

 Expecting nothing more than a few other bacon enthusiasts to comment and like my pictures.
But then out of boredom on Friday I began following people on twitter.
People like Bobby Flay and Mario Batali and other famous chefs.

Enter Chef Graham Elliott.

A real bad ass.
Homeboy can cook and he thinks of cooking as art and a creative release.
He has 3 restaurants in Chicago, has been named one of the top ten best new chefs, has been awarded 4 stars and his restaurants have received michelin stars.
He pretty much owns. Oh and he is only 31.

So what does this have to do with my Bacon?
This:

So basically me and Graham are like the two best friends that ever did live.
And now I can die happy.

A 26 in 26 update

A few months ago I did a post that was inspired by Erin at Living in Yellow.
She wrote a list of things she wanted to accomplish in the next year.
I love lists so I obliged.
I thought since I had my birthday a week or so ago now would be a good time to revisit the list and see if my desires had changed or if I could scratch anything off my list!

Here is the list: (updates/comments in red)

{1} Get myself to Vegas and stat. Perhaps to celebrate my 26th birthday? Didn't happen. Perhaps in May. Its happening before 27 one way or another.

{2} Go on a road trip with my best friend, good thing that’s already

being planned! We went on a few small roadtrips all summer long. One side of the state to the next! Loved every moment of each of them!

{3} Visit the Grand Canyon; try not to have a panic attack while

looking over the edge. Hopefully when we venture to Vegas!

{4} Travel to the East Coast, probably Virginia to meet up with my

food partner in crime Jeff! Hopefully I will make some progress on this one! I miss Jeff so much!

{5} Meet a fellow blogger, “CALLING ALL WASHINGTON BLOGGERS!!” That

means you Raven and Dani. Boom done! Dani and I had our first meet up in August. More to follow I am sure of it!

{6} Get my passport. Well. Not done.

{7} Run a half marathon; better get my badonkadonk to the gym. Need to get to the gym.

 

{8} Get my Harry Potter tattoo, yes I am a nerd, no I don’t care. Know what I want and where just gotta bite the bullet!

{9} Grow this lil ole’ blog and keep working on it each day! Well. I have been slacking. I apologize my nuggets!

{10} Get back into my adult gymnastics class(aka get over my fear

after spraining my knee a few years back when my body decided not to

complete that backhandspring back tuck) The good news is I am now coaching gymnastics! Which as much as I miss tumbling there is something about seeing a kid get something you have been teaching them that makes your heart melt.

{11} Learn to be more open and upfront, stop biting my tongue and speak up! Getting better! YAY

{12} Join a small group at church. First step, get myself back to church every week...

{13} Join this virtual martini club Erin speaks of! AHEM Erin virtual martini club???

{14} Meet someone famous, preferably one of the many artists I will be

seeing in the next coming months, the Biebs, Blake Shelton, Miranda

Lambert, Dierks Bentley, any of them will do! Didn't happen I am still emotional about it.

{15} Take a trip back to Nebraska and visit the familia!

{16} Go sky diving.

{17} Learn to be more organized like my sister. UGH don't even ask.

{18} Learn to stick to the budget I created for myself.

{19} Start eating more organic again, Foodinc anyone?

{20} Spend more time with my sister and my sister in law, these two

are truly spectacular women and I have so much I can learn from them

and I love them sooo much it hurts! Been working on this. And now more than ever do I see the importance of this!

{21} Truly, and I mean truly get over the last boyfriend, I mean he

broke my little heart back in February it’s time to get over it… I go back and forth. Some days it's like it didn't even happen others it's like he wont leave my mind. I hope that soon this will change I have some plans to help with this.

{22} Spend more quality time with my fur babies(aka take that fatty

Rooskey for more walks so he loses the lbs) Been snuggling like crazy!

{23} Go cliff jumping again and try not to be such a huge baby about it! Waiting for summer time again!

{24} Make plans and stick to them! Improving thats for sure!

{25} Make homemade pasta and pasta sauce with my brother again this year!

{25} Learn how to make risotto!

{26} Actually tell my friends and family about this blog… yeah most of

them don’t even know I blog

So all in all a few small success and a lot to work on. But revisting this list reminded me of the things that are important to me and the goals I want to reach! Can't wait to start scratching more things off my list!

How bout you guys any goals you have set for yourselfs! Lets hear it nuggets!

Going Raven style...

Raven at Don't Quote the Raven usually spends her Fridays in Blog land listing her Gripes and Gratitudes.
I think its a wonderful cap to the week and great way to remind us of the small pleasures in life.
So I am totally ripping her off - Hey I am giving credit where credit is due!

So I would like to take a moment on this little space of mine to talk some gripes and gratitudes. Real Talk. Ladies, real talk time.

Gratitudes

I don't think I say it enough but I will forever be grateful to have an amazing big sister. She is my best friend, my rock, my truth, my inspiration, and laughter. I love her so much it hurts my heart. When she hurts I hurt. When she is happy I am happy. When she is mad I am mad, just ask her husband. Yes I just got all sentimental on you. Don't get weird.

I am so grateful that I have a job. As much as sometimes I hate it. As much as sometimes I do not want to get out of bed, I love that I have a job. It gives me purpose, it pays the bills, and it is rewarding sometimes.

I am so grateful for my northface. Yes I went there. I love my trusty Northface rain jacket. It was definitely needed this week in good ole' Washington. It has been a tortential down pour this week and without it these lucious locks would have looked more like a wet maltese.

Duck Dynasty. No joke I get more joy from this show than should be allowed. I watch it with one of my best friends Sarah and it has changed our lives. We spend hours quoting Duck Dynasty back and forth. Its sad but true. I got a soft spot for quiet sweet little Jep. I need to move to West Monroe like yesterday!

Ain't that the truth Phil, Thats what I'm talkin bout!

I love my hair straightner. That is all.

I love Bacon and various other pork related things. Thus why on Thanksgiving I wrapped a ham in bacon.

oh and leftovers. Thank God for leftovers.

Gripes

Working today. It should be illegal. I am in a full blown food coma still. Who needs to come to the doctor after Thanksgiving? Go to the ER for your black friday related injuries.

My step sister supposedly has an allergy to christmas tree's and my dad and step mom are trying to say we have to have a fake tree. Last year real tree no problems. I refuse. I want my real tree and I am gonna have it even if I have to put it in my damn bedroom!

Facebook. Its like some sort of evil possessed machine. I deleted it for weeks and put it back on my phone for me "facebook day" AKA my birthday. I was sucked back in within a day. I had to intervene.

And that my little nuggets are my gripes and gratitudes. Hope you are all enjoying yoru day to digest the pounds of food you ate! Now off to celebrate Christmas!

A 26 year old in a onesie

I know the Blog world is being rampaged by lists of things they are thankful for.
On the eve of Thanksgiving the thing I am most thankful for is that tomorrow I will be cooking in a handmade pig print apron and footsie jammies.
Take a brief moment to soak that up.
Oh and please note the exessive drinking that usually occurs as well.
Except I have been punished by the Catholic Gods and have to work on Friday.
A day I usually spend sleeping off the 20-30 pounds of food I consumed and avoiding the public like a plague.

Anyway I digress, back to what I am thankful for.
Let me list a few of the obvious and then get to business.
I am thankful for the fact that I have a job to come to every day, now if said job wanted to give me a sweet raise and an allotted nap time I wouldn't be opposed.
Speaking of naps I am pretty thankful for those.
I am thankful for my family. Without them I would be nothing.
I am thankful for my best friends who will listen to me rant, rave, and cry about the same thing for 9 months and not tell me to shut my dirty trap. (I'm talking to you Marni, Sarah and Trashley)
I'm thankful for a few of my favorite men who have gotten me through the last few months. Jack, Jerry, and Vodka. Thanks for always being there when I need you.
I am especially thankful for Duck Dynasty. I have never in my life wanted to embrace my redneckness more than when I sit in front of my TV for a Duck Dynasty marathon.
And lastly I am thankful for Target for making footsie jammies my size.

Let me elaborate.
It may or may not be a huge secret that I love footsie jammies.
Something about running around in a onesie puts a smile on my face.
The best part?
I can totally buy footsie jammies from the little boys section.
Boys XL yeah buddy!
The only issue is for some reason Target seems to believe that a 10 year old little boy has feet the size of Lebron James.
News flash... THEY DON'T.
So I always have to cut half the foot off.
So I guess you could call them peep toe jammies.
Yeah, thats what you could call them.
I realized I might have a problem with the ole peep toe jammies when things like this started surfacing

It was my birthday don't judge.



This should have been when I stopped drinking. Unfortunately it wasn't. please note Trashley's look of disdain.



And that my friends is why I think it might be time to lay low on the footsie jammies. But probably not.

Happy thanksgiving turkey nuggets or in my case bacon because I'm all about being original and am serving a bacon wrapped ham in place of that bird.

This one time at Old Navy...

Yes I meant for that to sound a lot like "this one time at band camp..."
Except what happened at Old Navy for me was not nearly as enjoyable as what may or may not have happened at band camp.
If you have a slightly weak stomach I would suggest evacuating these premises because shit is about to get real.

Let me begin.

It was a brisk fall day in November. November 10th to be exact. A day I like to spend pre-celebrating my birthday. A day that is usually filled with joy and glee. Typically a little booze, a lot of food and of course shopping.
And just like any other year on November 10th I ventured out with my best friend in tow to enjoy the few simple things I love most. After enjoying a delicious bloody mary and watching Nebraska parade around Penn state (not even true we won in the 4th quarter) Trashley and I set off to purchase some brand spankin new attire at the local Old Navy. Through out this joyous day I had been getting "hot spells" if you will. I felt like I was 50 going through menapause. It was a real pain in the ass. Anyway shopping we were, taking a gander here, a gander there. Digging through clearance rack after clearance rack until my heart was content.

Then it happened.
A hot flash came on quick.
I literally said to Trashley "Ugh man I am getting so hot again".
No sooner did those words leave my mouth did a very unfamiliar and exceptionaly unwelcomed feeling begin to bubble in my tummy.
I couldn't do anything about it.
There was absolutely no stopping it.
I projectile vomitted all over the clearance section of Old Navy.
I was covered as the only reasonable thing I thought to do was put my hands over my mouth.
Big mistake.
My face, my hands, my shirt covered.
Not to mention the puddle that I was standing over.
Trashley turned and shrieked "WHAT ARE YOU DOING"
And guess what. I felt fine immedietly after. Not dizzy, not light headed, nothing! FINE.
Never have I ever seen an Old Navy employee move so fast.
I was mortified but those ladies at Old Navy were the sweetest. They got me a chair, water, wipes to clean myself up with and a bag to put my puke covered shirt in.
I did my best to clean it up as well as I could.
I didn't want some poor girl moppin up my vomit.
So November 10th 2012 at about 2:00 in the afternoon is the time I projectile vomitted all over Old Navy.
And November 12 2012 is the day I went back and spent lots of money at Old Navy to make up for it.

Finding a new me

So as most of you can probably see I have been a bit absent.
As much as I love to write and express and share my world on this little blog, its been hard.
Not only has life taken a turn for the busy, work, coaching gymnastics, friends, family, dating, birthdays, and holidays... I have just felt like I am on this path to finding a new me.
A better me.
A more organized me.
A more sane me!
A more relaxed me.
A healthier me.
A me with goals and ambitions.
And some how this blog of mine took a back seat to this self discovery.
Its still happening this self discovery.
Sometimes I can't imagine being happier than I am right in this moment.
Other times I think of the past, the mistakes I have made, the chances I should have taken, the times I shouldn't have just given up.
Self reflection is quite exhausting.
It's also quite rewarding.
I hope that very soon I will find my voice again.
And that voice will tell you all magical stories of my adventures, dreams and of course shenanigans!

Until then I am off to discover a little more!