Happy Turkey Day!

I am very lucky to have today off! Ty only has class until noon, so I was going to go in for 1/2 a day, but my boss was like, "why don't you take the whole day?". I said OK! Have I mentioned how great my job is?? I am going to spend my morning baking this for Thanksgiving.

Then Ty and I are headed to his grandparents for Thanksgiving. (We rotate Thanksgivings between my grandparents and his.) It is about a 4 hour drive. No fun, but I guess it could be worse. I will be missing Black Friday shopping with my mom and aunt. They have been waking up before the crack of dawn to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving since I was really little. I started going with them a couple of years ago. It is so much fun. I will be browsing the ads and making a list of things for my mom to pick up for me. There aren't any good shops around Ty's grandparents house. We will literally be in the middle of nowhere! But I am very excited to spend time with his family. He doesn't see them much anymore due to medical school, so it will be really good for him. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!!

AWARDS, I have a few awards I need to get caught up on.

Thanks, Downtown Southern for this great award!

The Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:~ inspires you~ makes you smile and laugh~ or maybe gives amazing information~ a great read~ has an amazing design~ and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!
The rules of this award are:
* Put the logo on your blog or post.
* Nominate at least 5 blogs that for you are Uber Amazing!
* Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
* Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

I think every blog that I read has received this award, so I will only be passing it onto one blog:

Love Lace--she is one of my good friends from college and just started her blog. Go welcome her to blogging!

The award says: "This blog invests and believes in 'proximity' (meaning, that blogging makes us 'close'-being close through proxy)." Thanks Newlywed Stilletos what a sweet award!

I am passing this onto:

Tales of the Trees: I love reading her blog! We have actually been at the same event on the same day before and realized it later when we were reading each others blogs. Plus we both work at universities!

Pleasant Drive: She is such a sweet girl. We discovered each others blogs through a mutual friend. I'm so glad I did!

Elefantitas Alegres: Kate and I share a love for clothes and shoes. She is always tempting me with something great to buy!

Bama Belle in the Big City: She always has a fun story to tell. I love reading her blog!

Okay, I could go on forever here so I am making myself stop. I just read so many great blogs and I love them all!

Thanks, Brown Eyed Girl & her Beau

I love reading all of these blogs and so many more. I am very THANKFUL for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lavender Lilac Moment

Okay, I know you are thinking what the heck is she talking about?? Lavender Lilac Moment?

Well, let me tell you. Gain, as in the laundry detergent, has a somewhat new scent out called Soothing Sensations Lavender Lilac. It. is. amazing.

Seriously, it smells so good! I was washing my face this morning with a wash cloth and I could smell the scent. It definitely brightened my morning. I know that everyone has their own brand of detergent that they use. It is usually whatever brand their mom uses. My mom uses Gain, so I use Gain. I did branch out and try this new scent and it was worth it! So, if you are in the market for some great smelling laundry detergent look no further...try it, I dare ya!

I know it is weird to blog about laundry detergent, but it just smells so good that I had to share!

Today is my last day of work this week! I couldn't be more excited! YAY!

Weekend RECAP

My weekend started off with the Twilight movie. Once again if you haven't read the books you need to! The movie was FANTASTIC! Really, I promise! I never like movies that are adapted from books. They can never live up to the books. This one was great though. It can never compare to the book, but it definitely brought it to life. Now, I can't wait until they make another one. And I am officially in love with Edward! :) (even more so than before!)

I spent Saturday morning at the craft show with my aunt, cousin, and her cute little baby boy. This is becoming a tradition for us. I really enjoy getting to spend time with them.

I hadn't seen little Aiden in months. I was amazed at how big he had gotten. He was all smiles while we shopped--such a good baby. I never find much to buy at craft shows, but I enjoy browsing. After a few hours of shopping we headed back to my house to let Aiden play on the floor for a while. He had spent most of his morning in his stroller. I would have toted him around all morning but that little guy gets heavy!

Later that day I met up with Joy and Kaitlin. We all went to college together and Joy was one of my bridesmaids. They both live in the city and were coming to t-town for a concert. I got to show off my new house twice on Saturday, once to my aunt and cousin and then to my friends! I took Joy and Kaitlin shopping at Utica. (A great outdoor shopping area.) We had fun exploring the shops and eating slices of cake from Queenies.

Me, Joy, and Kaitlin

Isn't that tree gorgeous!?! Such a vibrant red! I just love Fall!
I spent most of Sunday just hanging out with Nuts. Ty has a huge test today and spent most of Sunday in his office studying.
All in all it was a great weekend! And I am looking forward to a short work week! YAY!

Say Cheese

I love photos. What girl doesn't? I'm always making Ty take a picture with me. He is usually a good sport, unless its bright and he can't keep his eyes open. He has the most sensitive eyes ever. Let me start at the beginning...

Last week Ty made me stay after work for close to an hour to watch a ping pong game. (We rode in together, so I didn't have much of a choice.) Ping pong at medical school is not regular ping pong. It's ping pong on steroids. In fact it is called Super Pong. Medical students need a place to get all their frustrations out and ping pong seems to work here. Every year the students have a tournament. One of Ty's friends was playing for a spot in the tourney. I guess it was a big deal. My co-worker's husband is in Ty's medical school class. He even made her stay and watch the game. Poor girl was about to fall asleep in the chair. (Whitney is preggers and has been very tired lately.)

I made Ty promise me that he would spend an hour doing something that I wanted to do on Sunday in exchange for me staying an hour late at work. I realize that I wasn't working, but I'm all about leaving as soon as the clock hits 5! I somehow got him to agree without knowing what it was that I was going to make him do. You guessed it I made him take some photos with me!
Erin over at the Vintage Pearl is starting a photography business. She needed people to volunteer to do a mini photo session with her. I was probably first in line! I couldn't wait to have some new pictures of us.

We met Erin after church on Sunday. It was a gorgeous, warm fall day. She got some great shots. I just know that she is going to be very successful!

She e-mailed me these two photos earlier this week as a sneak peak. She put all the others on her website for me to view. Erin will be sending me a cd of all the pics. I can't wait to use one of them one our Christmas cards.
I'm going to see TWILIGHT this afternoon! I can't wait!!!!!!! I wonder how many blog posts will be dedicated to this movie!?!

Nice and Cozy

I am addicted to coats. I can't help it! For the past few years I have had a coat on my Christmas list. This will be the first time in a long time that one will not be on my list. Oh, I'm tempted to ask for one, but I know that I don't really need one. (This is going to shock my mother!)
But then again....I could be real nice and cozy in these coats!

I actually have this jacket, but look below. Isn't it adorable in blue??

I love the tulip sleeves on this coat.

I'm sure there are a lot more cute coats out there, but I just happened to look at these yesterday. I got an e-mail from J.Crew saying all of their outerwear is 40%. What a good deal! But I am going to be strong! I really don't need another coat. Right?!? Its not helping that the high is 45 degrees here. Yesterday it was 77!! It was so nice!

Random thought: Does your mailman ring your doorbell everytime he brings you mail? Ours does and I think it is the weirdest thing. I have never had one do this before. Is it just me? Or does this happen to everyone?

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream For Ice Cream!

I love ice cream! A LOT! When I was growing up my dad and I would eat a bowl almost every night. Its a wonder we weren't fatties. I can no longer have a bowl a night and not be a fatty! I can't allow myself to have it in the house. I have NO self-control! I know everyone has their favorite place to get ice cream and mine is Braums. They have my favorite flavors and it is super cheap!

Ty and I have always lived near a Braum's--in college and in the 2 houses we have lived in here. There always seems to be a Braum's just down the street from us. This means bad news for me! We both love their chocolate shakes, but my favorite thing is the mint chocolate chip ice cream. Its SO good! I told Ty the other night that if we ever had to move out of the state for his residency I was really going to miss Braum's!

They are only located in 5 states.

I know the color is really bright and green, buts it's so good!

I am the only person in my family that likes mint chocolate things. I think this stems from the fact that I didn't ever have to share if I got some sort of candy or ice cream that was flavored mint chocolate. For example, girl scout cookies: My sister, brother and I always got our own boxes. They would have to worry about someone eating theirs, where as I never had to worry about sharing. I think we may have had some issues with sharing! :)

Adorable Apron

My bff, Chesley and I have been working on this project for a long time. She wanted to make an apron for her neice. She is turning 2 in a week and loves playing in her play kitchen. It is the perfect gift! We bought the fabric in September and cut everything out that weekend. This weekend we finally started sewing and put the pieces together.

Nuts is supervising us.

Sewing is all about trial and error!

Got it right!

Sewing is so much easier when you have someone to do the cutting and ironing. (My least favorite parts of sewing!) Chesley did a great job with these tasks! I did teach her something--how to sew on a button. She brought over her coat for me to fix. I hadn't sewn in so long. It took me awhile to get back into the groove of things. I used the seam ripper a LOT! I think Chesley was scared of me at one point.

Very cute, but still needs something else....

Ruffles!!

The toile fabric came from Hancock's Fabric. I love it! It is adorable and perfect for a little girl. The polka dot fabric came from HobLob. I can't wait to see pictures of it on little Julia.

Movies

I love this time of the year because there are so many good movies coming out. I just pre-purchased my ticket to go see Twilight the day it comes out. Thats right I said pre-purchased! You don't want it to be sold out! If you haven't read the books you should really consider it. They are SO good! The movie comes out next Friday, so you have plenty of time to finish the 1st book before then. :)

I think Ty and I (maybe Chesley) are going to go see this movie, Role Model, sometime this weekend. The previews look so funny! There is this great little theater in town that shows new releases for $2.75 matinee and $4.75 evening. You can't beat those prices!!

This movie comes out around Thanksgiving. I love Reese Witherspoon and can't wait to see it.

The Changeling is already out in theaters. It looks good and really dramatic. I don't think I can talk Ty into watching this one with me. Its probably best. He likes to ruin dramatic or romantic movies for me. He thinks it is real funny to talk during them and smile a lot. He is silly!

Have you seen any of these or are you going to? Any other great movie recommendations out there?

Perfect Fall Bread Pan

I won this fabulous bread pan in a giveaway hosted by GlamLifeHousewife.
It is from Williams-Sonoma and is perfect for fall baking. I used it for the first time Tuesday night. I made some delicious banana nut bread. I will be making this to take to Thanksgiving dinner. Isn't it perfect for the fall!?!

Don'tcha want a piece??

Winter Blues

Ty has diagnosed me with seasonal affective disorder, aka the winter blues. We have both been really tired lately. Monday after dinner I seriously could have gone to bed. I stayed on the couch all night. I left a huge amount of dishes in the sink because the dishwasher was full of clean dishes and I was too tired/lazy to unload them. Last night was a little bit better. Probably because I made myself get up and bake some banana nut bread. I had been meaning to make it all weekend.

For those that want to know here is the definition of seasonal affective disorder from Wikipedia,
"Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression or winter blues, is a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or, less frequently, in the summer,[1] repeatedly, year after year. The US National Library of Medicine notes that "some people experience a serious mood change when the seasons change. They may sleep too much, have little energy, and crave sweets and starchy foods."

I don't really have this but it sure fits what I have been feeling the last several days. Although, I always crave sweets and starchy foods! I think we all experience this a little bit when the seasons change to Fall/Winter. Nuts has been lounging around in front of Ty's space heater in Ty's office. That little dog won't move for hours. He is so content to just lay there and be warm. It has been so gloomy here lately. I sure hope the sun decides to make an appearance this week. I discovered that baking helps me get through this 'blue' period. My house smelled so good last night with that bread cooking in my oven. What do you do to get yourself out of the sleepy/lazy funk of winter blues?

I do have something positive to write about at least for people in my area...Gas is $1.75! It only took $22.69 to fill up my tank last night!!

Fall Table Setting

One of my really good friends from college just started a blog. She was actually my Big Sis in my sorority. She is such a sweetheart!

Go check out her blog and welcome her to the blogging world! Love Lace

Check out my great Fall plates that my sister, bro-in-law and brother bought me for my b-day.

I LOVE them!

Wonderful Weekend

My birthday weekend was absolutely wonderful! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! Even though my b-day was on Saturday, the husby and I started celebrating Friday night. Ty gave me my present, a pink ipod! I love it. I had borrowed his the other day to go running. I guess he didn't really like that so he bought me my own! He was so excited to get it all set up for me. Then we headed to the mall to spend my b-day money.

Every store was having great deals. I had been eyeing this dress at Banana Republic, but didn't want it bad enough to pay full price. I got it for $32! I love finding a great bargain! And the best part of the dress is that it has hidden pockets!

Saturday was a great day. Ty took the morning off. He didn't start studying until noon. He made me a birthday breakfast omlet. It was yummy! He also did a lot of random household chores that I didn't think were going to get done until his Christmas break. It was so nice to have him around on a Saturday morning. His usual routine is to get up extremely early and study all day. Chesley (my bff) came over Saturday afternoon to help me with my cupcakes.

Then Chesley, Ty and I went to dinner at Charlestons. It was so good! I've started calling us the 3 musketeers. We have so much fun together.

OSU played TX Tech that night and it was televised. We had one of my good friends from high school and her husband over to watch the game. Chelsey and Jonathan just got married last month. I am so excited to have her live only 20 minutes from me! She got me a really cute cutting board.

It was a great weekend! I have great friends and family that showered me with fabulous gifts! I am a very lucky girl!

Happy Birthday To Me!!

Tomorrow is my 24th birthday! I haven't been this excited since...well since my last birthday.
Last year was a great birthday. My boss gave me the day off. Sephora held a private, VIP event for me. Okay, it wasn't just for me. But that sounded good right??? They did hold a VIP night on the night that just happened to be my birthday. My mom and I went to the mall and shopped like crazy. After spending all my birthday money we got in line at Sephora for the VIP event. The first 75 people in line that RSVP'ed got a gift bag with free samples and a $25 gift card. It was GREAT! The gift bag was actually a really cute black tote with silver sequins on the handles. I carry it all the time. They also had hor d'oeuvres and champagne.

This year for my birthday Sephora is holding another VIP event. Its not quite as good as last years. It is in the morning before the mall opens and there are no gift cards. But it still might be a fun event. And its on my birthday!
I'm also very excited for this birthday, because Ty and I will both be home all weekend. October was a crazy month for us with all of my travelling and his million tests. But this weekend will be about relaxation and my birthday! (I'm sure he will still study all day Saturday.) Although this might be my first birthday without seeing my parents. :( I guess I have to grow up sometime!

I've always wanted a topsy turvy cake. I think they are so FUN! I love cakes. I am making my own b-day cake this year. I bought some really cute fall cupcake cups and I want to use them. What better excuse than to use them for my b-day? I called my nanny for her buttercream icing recipe. She makes the best cakes. I hope my cupcakes are yummy!

I love the flowers on the top of this cake.

I realize this isn't a birthday cake, but isn't it fun!?!


I just love these topsy turvy cakes!

This one is so pretty!

This is the cake I had made for my sister's bridal shower. I just love the bow.

Happy 100th POST!

Today marks my 100th post! YAY!
Blogging has definitely occupied my time and become my new hobby. (It is important to have lots of hobbies when your husby is in medical school!)
I feel so lucky to have discovered so many great blogs that I read on a daily basis. And even luckier to have people read my blog...now if I could only get everyone to comment...
While I was perusing blogs a couple of days ago someone did a post on the keywords that lead people to their blog. I have a google analytics account so I logged in to check on my keywords. If you have a blog and don't have google analytics you should sign up. It is so much fun knowing how many people visit your blog and where in the world they are viewing it from.

Here were the top 15 keywords that people searched for and somehow ended up on my blog. Some of them are completely obvious--others, I have NO idea!
1. yummy fall recipes {I like to think my recipes are yummy, Thank you! ;) }
2. http://thelifeoflindseyd.blogspot.com/
3. monogrammed pumpkin
4. monogrammed pumkins
5. thelifeoflindseyd.blogspot.com {now I know the direct address ones have to be coming from my husby. He is really wierd about typing in website addresses directly into the address bar. He only likes to do it from a search engine. He's weird! (love you!) }
6. cupcakes and cartwheels
7. cute desserts
8. husband slave
9. husband house slave
10. slave husband blog (Seriously, people WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???)
11. butterfly wedding
12. the bayou club, houston
13. coupon code cutie patootie
14. estimation skills
15. fatties face sitting (WHAT??? Are you saying I am a fatty!?!)

Some of these are so weird! But however you got to my blog, I 'm sure glad you did! Thanks for stopping by!

Election Excitement

The polls have been closed here for about 2 hours. The news stations are saying the voter turnout here has reached record numbers. They are also taking about the long waits at polling places. I got lucky and did not have a wait at all! This is my 2nd presidential election to get the opportunity to vote. The husby and I have gone together to vote in every presidential election that we have been old enough to vote in. Today was no different. He had a test this morning so there was no way we were going before work. Luckily, my office is pretty flexible so we went to vote around 4 pm. It was a great time to go--no wait! And I got a sticker! I know that a lot of you didn't get a sticker and had to wait in long lines. :(

I love when google does holiday banners. Todays is probably the best one they have ever done!