Cozy Holiday Linkup / Favorite Things Friday

Earlier this week, one of my favorite bloggers Nicholl shared that she and Neely were hosting a link up for today.  Considering that Wisconsin get completely dumped on with the winter weather this week, Nicholl and Neely's "Cozy Holiday Linkup" was just the thing I needed!

(Also, since these photos pretty much also represent everything awesome that happened to me this week, I'm linking up with Lauren like always as well.  Even if it's not my top 5... because let's be real, narrowing down 5 favorite cozy things is impossible... it's pretty true to my original Favorite Things Friday posts I was doing way back when and since I used to link up then, I'm stretching the rules and doing so again.)

Ok, without further ado... Rikki's Favorite Cozy Things that Happen to be Posted on a Friday.  Or something like that...

I wrote this post as the wind whistled outside, a pie was in the oven, the girls were sleeping in a little ball on a stool in the kitchen, I was wearing a fuzzy sweater with fuzzy socks and leggings, and I was singing along to Christmas music... if that doesn't spell cozy, I don't know what does.

Happy holidays, friends!  I doubt I'll get around to writing this weekend but you never know.  If not, have a wonderful weekend!

Favorite Things Friday (Pizza!)

Remember a few weeks ago when I did the ice cream edition of FTF?  Let's keep going with the food theme, shall we?

I love pizza... Even more so than ice cream.  All kinds of pizza.  In my world, Dominos, frozen pizza, Brooklyn style pizza, stuffed crust...... all different foods.  I could eat each of those in one day and not feel like I ate the same thing over and over again.  I probably eat pizza 6 days a week and I'm not even ashamed about that.  It's the perfect food in my opinion.

So here, because I know you were wondering, are my favorite pizzas, in no particular order.  Just writing this post makes me want to travel to all of the places that I am so lucky to have called home or to have visited.


Best Pizza in Minnesota - Pizza Luce

Picture taken straight from their website.  Such a familiar sign - a little piece of home.

By far, one of the things I miss most about not living in Minneapolis.  Pizza Luce's Seward location was my own personal place of heaven in college.  It's amazing what you can get done over a large plate of delicious cheese bread and a side Caesar salad.  I wrote many a final paper in one of their over-sized booths, watching the world walk down Franklin Ave.

Fast forward to 2am when you've been drinking beer all night with your friends.  Nothing beats their Garlic Mashed Potato pizza.  Nothing. 

And if it happens to be 2am downtown, when you're waiting for your friends who are bartenders to get off of work and you're freezing outside because it's December and Minnesota is obviously cold in December, the Pizza Luce downtown serves food until 3:30.  In a town where bars close at 2:00, that's a godsend.


Best Pizza in Green Bay - Sammy's Pizza
(I was lucky enough to have this just a few weeks ago!)
This delightful family place is literally across from my parents' house.  We've been eating there since I was a kid.  In fact, my sister and I both went to preschool with the children of one of the owners and my mom waited tables there when I was a kid.  While the service has left a little to be desired the last few times I was home, you cannot beat their food. 

I highly recommend the Classic Combo pizza - fresh mozzarella, the most delicious pepperoni you have ever tasted, onions, green peppers, Italian sausage (which I don't even like anywhere else!), and fresh mushrooms.  I am a girl that likes a lot of toppings piled on my pizza.  The best thing about Sammy's is that you can have a boatload of toppings and not feel overwhelmed.  If you're anything like me, however, you will probably drop at least one piece of pizza covered with boatloads of toppings in your lap.  I think I've only made it through one dinner there without staining whatever I was wearing at the time.  It's just that good.

Plus, because it's Green Bay, you can get a pretty great glass of Chianti for only a few dollars to go with your pizza.  Always a perk!

Perhaps my favorite thing about Sammy's is that, while we think of it as a Green Bay original, it really isn't.  One late night in college, I was discussing "back home" with a friend and we discovered that she too had grown up on Sammy's pizza - only she was from Northern Minnesota.  Turns out it was the same family - small world.  You can get the whole story here, but it was worth mentioning.


Best Pizza in Lexington - Goodfellas
(Had this for lunch this week!)

Like I mentioned above, in my world Brooklyn style pizza isn't even in the same food group as other kinds of pizza.  On my occasions than I should probably admit, I have eaten Goodfellas for lunch and order Dominos for dinner.  But I digress...

Goodfellas quite possibly has the best lunch deal available in Lexington.  Their pizza is always hot and fresh-enough and a slice is as big as my head.  Literally.  Their lunch deal includes a slice of pizza, a beverage, and a side - usually a breadstick that is half as tall as I am, but sometimes if I'm feeling "healthy" I get a salad instead.  Or a cannoli.  Yum.

As I said, Goodfellas is "fresh-enough" - it's typical, thin crust, Brooklyn style pizza that isn't always 100% piping hot but is always gooey, greasy, and downright delicious.  They always have creative toppings (spinach artichoke is a favorite of my coworkers) but I stick with the classics.  Hawaiian or plain old pepperoni or, if I'm lucky, pepperoni and mushroom.


Best Pizza that You Can Get Delivered Almost Anywhere for When  You Want to Cozy Up in Bed with After a Long Day, When it's Raining or When You're a Little Hungover... - Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust
For any of the above occasions, I usually load on the toppings - Green Pepper, Black Olives, Mushrooms, and Ham
Or When You Just Want Beer and Pizza... 
You can't beat Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust with loads of pepperoni and a six pack of Bud Light.  They were MADE FOR EACH OTHER.

Best Side of Cheesy Bread that You Can Get Delivered Almost Anywhere - Domino's Stuffed Cheesy Bread with Spinach and Feta
Have you tried it yet?  No.  Order some now.  It's delicious.  Too bad I don't particularly care for Domino's pizza.  

Favorite Things Friday (Living Alone)

Last Monday night, I was laying in bed relaxing when something totally freaked me out.

In fact, I was laying in bed, working on the blog post that follows (ironic, because this really was the topic) as well as one that will be published later about a book I recently read, snuggling with the cats,

when someone pounded on my door.

When you are a single girl who lives alone and isn't expecting company, that's a terrifying thing to happen.

When you are a single girl who lives alone, isn't expecting company, and are watching an episode of Cold Case that is about a serial rapist who attacks women who live alone, who he meets at book clubs, and have cats it might just give you a heart attack.

(For what it's worth, in case you missed the conclusion on Facebook, I think it was just the pizza delivery guy at the wrong apartment.  At least, that's what I'm still telling myself it was.  Because otherwise I still wouldn't be sleeping.)







Ok, on to the topic at hand.  Sometime living alone can be a bit too quiet or a bit freaky or just a bit boring.  But anyone who has ever lived alone knows there are some pretty great things about it too.  There's an episode of Sex and the City where the ladies discuss their secret single behavior and I know that all of my single girl friends (and guy friends I'm sure) know exactly what they mean.

I, for one, embrace my own weird single-girl who-lives-alone habits.  So today, I'd like to share some of my favorites.


Watching television shows mostly for the hot men - Criminal Minds may be my favorite show now but I am not afraid to admit that I started watching it specifically for this man, Shemar Moore:

Or more specifically, for his arms.  Because I definitely watch tv shows just because the men have great arms.  That's allowed when you live alone.  When my ex-boyfriend was around all the time, he didn't necessarily appreciate it.

Addition to watching television shows mostly for the hot men - Watching television shows in bed - I don't have a tv in my living room right now.  Why?  Because I am so tired at the end of the day anyway that all I want to do is snuggle up in bed and watch my shows (if I watch tv at all) so I just moved the big tv and dvr box into the bedroom.  At first I thought it was weird but I've decided it's fine.  It has to be, because it isn't going to change anytime soon.


Shower beers - I know for a fact that this is not something unique to single girls.  But it is something that I cannot even imagine doing if I had a roommate.  Because let's be real, you look weird taking a beer into the bathroom.  Except when you live alone and you're getting ready to go out it's not only necessary but not all that weird because there is no one there to judge.  Don't judge now.  Because if you haven't tried drinking a beer (or glass of wine or whatever you drink of choice is) in the shower either before you go out for the night or after you get home from a very long day, you're missing out.




Being able to eat just about anything you want - I'm not ashamed to admit I eat pizza pretty much every day.  And no one can tell me that's not ok.  (Stay tuned next week for the FTF pizza version!)


Being able to wear just about anything you want - I mean around the house, of course.  I can wear pretty dresses to do the dishes just because I want to (not that I'd ever do that of course............), or I can wear next to nothing because it's hot and I haven't turned on the AC, or I can change my clothes 4 or 5 (or 14 or 15) times before going out at night, or I can try on things just to plan out outfits for the next week.  There aren't any roommates to tell me it's weird or ugly or any of that.




Keeping weird hours - I have gotten some of my best house cleaning done at 4am.  Of course, with a roommate that would be rather annoying.  Honestly, the cats find it annoying too as every time I can't sleep and get up to accomplish something in the middle of the night, they burrow under the covers or hide in another room so that they can sleep even if I don't.





This is of course not a comprehensive list.  In fact, I've worked on this post for over a week off and on because trying to compile a list of things I love about living alone is actually pretty difficult.  Not because I don't have lots of things I love about it, but because it's hard to narrow down favorites.  Or to pinpoint what exactly is is that I love bout living alone in the first place.  It's just a feeling - a good feeling - of accomplishment, of freedom.


Update:  Linking up with Lauren at From my Grey Desk.  Her High Fives Friday is similar to what I do every Friday (it's obviously way cooler since I discovered her blog all of 5 minutes ago and am already obsessed) but the theme there is all the favorite things from the week but since my entire blog is basically giant high fives all the time, I'll stick with my FTF theme.

Favorite Things Friday (Ice Cream)

I've been pretty bad at posting these the last few weeks.  Really, I've just been busy and when you don't even think about what you'd write until midnight on Friday night, it's a bit of a moot point.  But this week I didn't want to skip it!  Because let's be real, this post is important.

I live in Kentucky where last weekend had a string of days that were all over 90 degrees and I have yet to turn on my air conditioning.  We didn't have central air growing up so I've learned to survive the heat.  Plus last summer, I tried to use my air and it never worked that well - it would run all day and the house would still be 85 degrees - so it basically just made my electric bill go from $50 monthly to $200 monthly.  Not something I really want to deal with or can afford right now.

So last Sunday I used the heat as an excuse to eat ice cream off and on all day, in the end sampling three different flavors.  Ice cream to me is its own separate food group.

So without delay, here are my top five favorite ice cream flavors.


Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra -  While not as scandalous as it sounds, it is as seductive.

I have been known to eat an entire pint of this ice cream after a really bad day - especially if that day was really bad because of problems with a man.  This flavor is half chocolate ice cream, half caramel ice cream with bits of chocolate sprinkled throughout and a solid core of creamy caramel in the center.

Basically, it's a pint of PMS-curing goodness.  I highly recommend eating this flavor while up to your neck in a bubble bath.  Not that I speak from experience.




Culver's Single Scoop of Chocolate in a Waffle Cone - I will admit that part of why I was willing to move to Lexington without knowing anyone was because they have two Culvers locations here. When I lived in Nashville, I would drive all the way to Bowling Green, KY just for a butter bacon cheese burger and chocolate custard.  Lately, everyone in Lexington is on a frozen yogurt kick.  I don't care if it's better for me, I don't like fro-yo that much. 

I'm a custard fan because I love how thick and creamy it is.  This flavor is best eaten on a park bench while people watching.  And always in a waffle cone - it makes me think of my grandfather who was quick to point out that when you get it in a waffle cone, they have to give you more than a single scoop in order to fill up the cone.

Haagen Dazs Fat-Free Raspberry Sorbet - My one exception to the ice cream / custard favorites is sorbet.  Really, I love any raspberry sorbet but Haagen Dazs makes a special one.  It's especially wonderful because it's fat free, dairy free, and extra delicious.  Sorbet is so incredibly delicious when it's 90 degrees out because it's refreshing.

Raspberry sorbet is best eaten out of the carton, while sitting on the front porch enjoying a glass of wine.  It's also pretty great to eat in bed while sharing tiny bits with the cats.  Again, not that I know from experience.

Cold Stone Creamery's Cheesecake Fantasy (with a few modifications) - The way this combination is on the menu (and what is pictured to the left) it has blueberries.  I love blueberries but I tried a bit of a modification once and it stuck.

I make my cheesecake goodness with the cheesecake ice cream, strawberries, graham cracker crust, and caramel.  Only in this case, it's in a dish because a waffle cone or bowl is just too much.  I have been looking for cheesecake ice cream that is half this good anywhere else and have yet to find it.  This flavor is best eaten with a big group of friends or family - I save Cold Stone for special occasions usually.


Mint Chocolate Chip - Up until now, I've been rather specific in my favorites.  Last but not least, is any mint chocolate chip.  I prefer the real mint kind - which is white instead of green - but any and all mint chocolate chip will do.  It's especially good when it's ridiculously hot out and it gets all melty and soupy before you have a chance to eat it.  


Can you think of any especially good flavors that I'm missing?

Movie Review: Battleship

Ok, say what you will about cheesy summer blockbusters.  If you don't like watching things explode, awesome special effects and hot men running around saving the planet, and you don't want to eat lots of buttery popcorn (which afterward spilled all over my car so I will probably stink like said buttery popcorn tomorrow) in an air conditioned theater while it's over 80 degrees out, then don't even bother reading my review.  You aren't the intended audience.

However, if you like even one of those things, continue.

Let me sum Battleship up in one word:  AWESOME.  Seriously.  

Watch this trailer and tell me this isn't going to be just about the best stupid summer movie since Transformers came out.

No, I didn't have any drunken moments jumping out of my chair and yelling "Holy shit, it's Optimus Prime" in a theater completely packed full of people (yes, that actually happened).  But I did have a lot of laughs, a lot of jumps in my chair as evil robots were hurtled toward the screen, and I will be buying this movie to watch over and over again.

Here's what else this move had (complete with Transformer correlations because I can't resist):

• The aforementioned, requisite eye candy.  Hot butt kicking blonde (in this case) for those who prefer the female variety (she even talks sorta like Megan Fox in that annoying whiny breathy sorta way) and hot military men for those who can't resist a sweaty man saving the world one explosion at a time.  (See: Taylor Kitsch - you may not know him now ladies, but you'll want to, Alexander Skarsgard - way hotter here than as a vampire, and Liam Neeson just to name a few.)
• It's worth mention the military men again for two reasons.  One, this movie does for the Navy what Transformers did for the Air Force.  But two, it also - somewhat humorously - pays reverence to those who have fought before and does some pretty cool - if not chuckle inducing - things with veterans.
• Kick ass evil robots who want to take over our planet.  They even click like the Transformers as they are building themselves.
• Incredible special effects.  I couldn't believe how far we've come since the first Transformers movie.  They just keep getting bigger and better and louder and faster.. all the things you absolutely must have in a summer movie if you want anyone like me to watch it.
• Witty humor that will be hilarious every time you decide to watch this movie drunk in the future.  Anyone remember the IMAX only scene in Transformers with the lady in the shop with the machine gun?  Anyone?  Only me?  Oh well... This movie is full of those moments.

So basically Battleship is a mash up of Alien, an awesome game of Halo (I watched far too many games of Halo in college not to see the connection), a good old fashioned game of Battleship (the references where so eye roll inducing that they are part of what gives this movie its charm) and Transformers.  All it was missing was a little Josh Duhamel and a Linkin Park song and it could have been another notch on the Transformer awesomeness belt.

If you saw it and didn't like it, we can agree to disagree.  But I highly recommend spending the $10 to go if you like these kinds of movies.

Next on the docket, The Avengers.  Just haven't had time yet...


And just because this movie was only missing two things which incidentally are two of my favorite things on the planet, here's a little of both.

 

 

Also, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is on tv right now.  Too bad it's the worst of the series.  I'm going to watch it anyway.

Favorite Things Friday (Road Trips)

First off, I am loving Favorite Things Friday.  In fact, I could probably just have an entire blog about my favorite things.  Oh wait... Too late.

As I mentioned last week, I spent last Friday driving to Wisconsin and last Sunday driving home.  This weekend finds me traveling to North Carolina.  While I am not driving alone on this trip, I sure am piling on the road trip miles.

And with that, I give you my favorite things about road trips... It'll be a quick one since I've been too busy preparing for Mom & Dad to visit and making all of these trips to put too much thought into it.


Beef Jerky - Kroger sells this awesome brand... which holy crap, you can buy online.*  Score!  Perfect car food.  It's "protein," it's not messy, and if I get stuck in my car due to inclement weather for five days it isn't going to go bad.

Cheese Curds - See last week's post and revel in the fact that I only ate 3/4 of a bag while driving back to Kentucky last weekend.

Reese's Pieces - My dad and I used to eat them at the movies.  Somehow they're also perfect car food.

A Great Playlist  - Ok really, I can't say much about this since I just used my iPod for the first time in months while driving last week.  But anything you can jam to - my go to's are Linkin Park, 3 Doors Down, and Incubus - or anything I can sing to - Dixie Chicks, Lisa Loeb, or almost anything put out from 1993-2001.

Podcasts Downloaded from iTunes - I subscribe to the New Yorker Fiction podcast and it's a life saver while making long trips.  Sometimes it's just nice to have background noise that also makes you feel a little bit intellectual.  Plus it's serving as fodder for a number of future blog posts that I'm kicking around.

Anything you can think of that I'm missing?

*Not so interesting side story.  I just Googled "kroger world beef jerky" because that's what I remembered about the brand.  And found it.  Google is amazing.  Except that one of the recent "key words" that people used to find my blog was "cat SATS" so of course I had to see why... and this is what I found.

Yep, that is definitely a cat that sat.  Spot on, Google, spot on.  Although I couldn't find that image when I searched even after scrolling through 40+ pages of images.  Whatever they were looking for, I hope they found something more interesting than Charlie sitting on my lap.

Favorite Things Friday Addendum (Which is Why I Can Post This on Monday...)

While driving home last Friday in the middle of the night, I realized I missed two very, very important Favorite Things from Wisconsin.

So first, if you haven't experienced the wonderfulness that is my last FTF post, go here.

Back?  Ok...

Friday Night Fish Fries - If you live in Wisconsin, chances are pretty good you'll spend Friday night in a bar eating fried fish.  As a child, we would go down to Sheboygan and spend Friday nights eating fish at the bar with Grandma & Grandpa.  Now, I try to get fish every single Friday that I'm in Wisconsin.  It's just what you do.  They don't have fish fries in the South - I'm not talking catfish here, friends.  Ick.  I'm talking fried perch, rye bread and onions, potato salad and coleslaw (which I don't even eat...)

Instead of a picture (since I didn't find any that did the fish justice), I will make two recommendations for anyone looking for a great fish fry.

If you're in Green Bay on a Friday night, go to Sidekicks.  I've known the people who own this place for ages - I worked with one of the bartenders (also the owners daughter) back in high school - and they have some of the best fried fish I have ever experienced.  Plus if you're a beer drinker like me, you can totally get away with drinking the cheap beer (Bud Light) as they keep their coolers REALLY REALLY cold.  Like the beer freezes.  It's awesome.

If you're in Sheboygan, WI on a Friday night, go to Scenic Bar.  Sheboygan can be quite an experience but it's worth if for the fish.  So delicious.  Also, who know Scenic had a Facebook page.  LIKE!


Milwaukee Brand Pickles - (Also has a Facebook page.  LIKE again!)  In my opinion, it's not a party unless there are pickles involved.  I'm really picky with my pickles though (say that 10 times fast...)

I like super crunchy pickles.  I like kosher dills, not just regular dills.  And I like midget pickles at home, not the giant ones. 

This is where Milwaukee's pickles enter the picture.

I almost always have a jar of these in my fridge.  In fact, I just opened my last jar so had to get more while I was in Wisconsin last week.  The year after college my roommate and I used to spend hungover Sundays laying bed watching movies and eating pickles... with a "pickle spear" which of course is what you call a fork the year after you graduate from college.

The thing with this brand is that they are ALWAYS crunchy.  Always.  Like an audible crunch.  I wish I could find their theme song online (any one bored and want to look?).  It goes something like this.

Milwaukee Pickles... CRUNCH... Best pickle under the sun

Milwaukee Piiiiccckkkllesss... CRUNCH... The greatest little pickle in Wis-con-sin!

Ask me and I'll sing it sometime.

The Disclaimer on Why Some Things Most People Would
Put on Their Favorites List are NOT on Mine

 Two of the most popular vacation destinations in Wisconsin are Door County and Wisconsin Dells.

Neither of these places are anywhere near my favorites list.

First of all, Door County kinda drives me crazy.  Too many people, too many over priced gift shops where they sell rooster hand towels, and far too much traffic to be relaxing.  It's great for apple orchards and that jazz, and I've spent my fair share of time camping up there, but it's not for me so it's not on my list.

As for the Dells, I don't do water parks.  I do beaches.  With a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other.  And if I can't have a beach, I'd rather float in my parents' pool any day.

So there.  Had to throw those out there!

Favorite Things Friday (Wisconsin Addition)

Since I will be spending my weekend in Wisconsin, I thought it only appropriate to do a Wisconsin themed Favorite Things Friday.  Anyone who knows me (i.e. everyone reading this blog) probably already knows what is coming but just in case, here are the top things I love most about my home state.

Green Bay Packers  - duh.  No explanation necessary.  But just in case, here are some reminders of why we're the best team in the NFL.

• We have 13 world championships.  I don't want to hear the haters out there who have more Super Bowls.  Because let's be real, we're not far behind and I'd rather cheer for a team like the Packers, than a team that half the country hates.
• Some of the most famous / influential men in football have played for or coached in Green Bay.  Not even worth naming them.  You know who they are.
• Even players who are no longer with us do classy things like this.  I have this hanging above my desk as a reminder not only of how great Packer Nation is, but of how we should treat people every single day.  They don't have to be famous to deserve respect like this.
• And then there are articles like this one.  I can't find the original link but every time I read it, miss home (more than) a little bit.

Need more convincing?

Thank you, Mom, for sending this to me via email one day last fall so I didn't need to wade through countless photos of this beautiful man before posting.

Since I know it's mostly ladies (ok, probably all ladies) who read my blog, I'll give you a little more eye candy.  Football is great on it's own but come on.  Watching this every Sunday?  Sign me up...

I tried really hard to find a picture of Ryan Grant's booty since that's by far his best asset but I failed.  Sorry ladies!

Ok... moving on.
 

Cheese Curds  - (Who knew they had their own Wikipedia page?)

My coworkers are afraid to try them but they're missing out.  Don't  just settle with the fried ones, which are good in their own way, but be adventurous and try the real deal.  They squeak between your teeth, taste even better at room temperature than cold, and have just enough saltiness to them to go great with an ice cold beer.  The perfect Wisconsin snack.  My mouth is watering thinking about them.


Leinie's Summer Shandy - By far, the best beer on the planet for days when it's 85 degrees and sunny and you're out on the lake.  Don't even argue with me because you'd be wrong.

I don't think I've ever met someone who tried it and didn't like it.  Non-beery enough for non-beer drinkers, light enough for those who don't like dark beer, but flavorful enough for serious beer drinkers.  I want some.  Mostly because it's 80 degrees and sunny in Kentucky this week.


Johnsonville Brats - Yes, I can get these (and the beer for that matter) in Kentucky.  But there's nothing like sitting on my parents deck, eating a hard roll with two brats and a boatload of ketchup.

Two brats, one bun.  That's just how we do it...

No one grills a brat quite as good as my dad (hi Dad!) and no one makes a hard roll quite like Sheboygan.  Just sayin'.


(Last but of course not least) These People - 

That's my family.  A very old picture of us (look at my hair!) but it's one of my favorites.  Three of the five of us don't even live in Wisconsin but they're what makes it home, of course.

Favorite Things Friday (Birthday Addition)

First of all, this entire week has been a "favorite."  My birthday was yesterday and the ridiculously awesome outpouring of Happy Birthday messages (142 Facebook posts?!  I didn't know that I knew 142 people...), texts, phone calls, and drop-bys in the office made this one of the best birthdays yet.  It wasn't without some ups and downs but seriously, if my 27th year is half as good as my 27th birthday then it's going to be pretty awesome.

So in honor of the big 2-7, let's do a birthday themed Favorite Things Friday, shall we?

Here, in no particular order, are the things I cannot get enough of this week.

These Pants - People who know me know that I am pretty much obsessed with anything Gap, Inc.  I worked a the Gap for a brief period of time in college but even before then, I loved them.  Loved.  Seriously.  Anywho, a few weeks ago I went and used my birthday coupon a the Gap (which reminds me that I have to use my Banana Republic birthday coupon before Monday.  Crap!).  Usually I buy something new for work and something fun to wear our for my birthday (even though I need no excuse to buy new clothes) but this year, I just bought these pants.

I didn't really need red pants but I really wanted them.  And this have this incredible seam up the back that I am obsessed with.  Have any of you ladies ever worn stockings with a seam up the back?  They make your legs look incredible.  The same with this seam, only it runs all the way up so it helps make the tushy look great too.  I'm sure no one else even notices but it makes me happy and this is my favorite things, not theirs.

I wore them out last Friday with a simple tshirt, gold bracelets, and gold shoes.  Yesterday, I was daring and wore them to work with a black blazer, black bejeweled flats, and blingy jewelry.  In short, they make me happy.


These Children - Probably a weird thing to list as a favorite but still.  Don't you love them too?

These are my best friend Heidi's kids.  Trey is almost 8, Bray is 4, and Addy is the little one.  I don't know that I want children of my own but I sure love her kids.  They called me yesterday to sing Happy Birthday and even though I already knew they were going to call since we had scheduled it, I cried.  Because seriously, wasn't it like two days ago that Trey was a baby, and then it was yesterday that Brayden was a baby, and by tomorrow Addy's pretty much going to be in college.  I miss my friends of course but nothing new really happens with all of us - we talk almost every day and I'm always like "here's what I did at work" and Heidi's like "I did some laundry today" and nothing is ever really new - but it's usually months between when I see the kids and they're suddenly all grown up.  Trey will be bigger than me by the time I see them next.


My Birthday Flowers - Every year since I can remember, my parents send me flowers on my birthday.  I think it started in grade school and even though I know they're coming now, they make me incredibly happy every year.  It's something that I already know I will do if I ever have children. because it's such a nice thing to do.  This year's flowers are especially pretty.

For those of you who haven't known me for more than a couple of years, let me explain the pink-ness.  I went through a very pink phase in high school and college.  I've always been drawn to pinks and reds anyway - even though now I tend to be more of a purple, gray, and green girl when decorating the house - but for a number of years I wore something pink every day.  Pink shirt, pink socks, pink unmentionables, even pink pants.  Something about the color makes me feel especially feminine.  While I love beer and football more than most girls, I'll always be a girly-girl at heart. Thanks for enabling, Mom and Dad!


This Label - My other best friend Lauren was awesome and sent me wine for my birthday because she couldn't come visit me in Lexington this year.  Greatest idea ever.  But not so great when a box with this label got delivered to me at work...

Yep, that went through the campus mail room.  Gotta love FedEx.  Every time I see this picture, I laugh.  Do not deliver to intoxicated person?  Like a drunk person is ordering wine and getting it shipped same day because they are too lazy to go out and buy it at the liquor store.


And those my friends are my favorite things right now.  Enjoy your weekend!

Book Review: The Witch Who Made Adjustments

As I (sorta) mentioned last month, I am a sucker for free Kindle books.  I'll read almost anything and on a limited budget, the last couple of months I've been stuck with trashy romance, Christian romance which are in no way trashy (Surprise!  You never see those coming!), and pretty bad suspense stories.  But considering I have over 100 books saved to my Kindle, and I'm back to reading about a book a day, I'm clearly surviving.

Before I get to the book review, I often get questions about how I find said free books.  Honestly, once a week or so I go through the "Best Sellers" and download anything free that sounds remotely interesting.  Anything not-free I save to a wish list until I'm ready to read it.  That's my secret to keeping the Kindle costs down.  I never pay for anything until I'm ready to read it, that way I'm not wasting money.

I digress...

I had a pretty rotten afternoon so I came home and picked up my Kindle and a glass of the aforementioned Trader Joe's red wine and sat on my porch until my toes got too cold.  The first "new item" at the top of my Mystery Suspense Horror collection* was a novella called The Witch Who Made Adjustments which sounded interesting.  I think it's technically a long children's story and honestly, it would be excellent to read with older children so that wouldn't be wrong.

The story is about a woman who enters a town and makes "adjustments" - basically switching products between the town's stores - and then seats herself in the middle of the town until Halloween.  The story follows a (presumably) young boy who works at one of the town's stores.  It's a simple enough story loaded with meaning.  I knew I was hooked from the first paragraph.

The witch came into town in the early days of autumn, when the first curling leaves fell from the maple boughs and the breath of the world cooled along the cobblestones.  She was exactly what a witch might look like, except she wasn't.  She was neither old, nor ugly or wart-nosed, or stooped over.  Neither did she wear grimy black clothing or a pointed hat.  But somehow everyone knew what she was, with her large, dark, bruised valise, and a sizeable aspen-wood walking stick. 

After a grouchy day, that paragraph was exactly what I needed.

The story continues in such a manner.  It really is simplistic.  Nothing about it is difficult but it still manages to explore some pretty incredible themes (friendship, longing, losing and finding, first impressions) and allows you to grow as a reader (perhaps as a person?) while enjoying the story.  The story is technically a "Halloween" story but since the weather has dropped sharply here from the early start of spring, that didn't bother me in the least.  I can't wait to read it out loud, snuggled next to a campfire, with a child on either side of me.

The book was free when I downloaded it but it's now available for less than $2.  It would be a great book club read for people who never have time to finish the book - my book club is the worst at this! - as it took me less than 30 minutes to read (probably an hour for the average reader).  There are so many things about this book that I would love to discuss.  Apparently I'm also able to lend it to someone for free so if you're interested let me know and I'll try sharing it with you.  If you don't have a Kindle, you can still read Kindle books online or using an app for your computer or phone.



*Am I the only one who names "collections" in such seemingly vague and weird ways?  You should see my Pandora station list.  I honestly have stations called "Hauntingly Beautiful," "Dad's Music," "Work Safe Rock," and "Late 1990s and Early 2000s Awesomeness."  That's what they are to me!

Favorite Things Friday (Week 1)

I'm going to steal a series idea from my friend Wendi whose blog I follow.  Favorite Things Friday is an excellent way to make sure I post at least once a week.

Here are the top three things I'm obsessed with this week:

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee - My friend KP posted this link a few weeks ago because she was going to be hiatus-ing from her blog and she thought this (among other things) might keep us entertained.  I cannot get enough.  Seriously, this woman fosters the cutest kittens ever.  I love my girls and I think they are adorable but this site is full of cuteness.  I hope you didn't click that link without wanting to "aaawwwwww"

 

This tank top - I own it in three different colors now and I honestly wish I could wear it every day.  It makes me feel girly and comfy all at the same time and it's pretty much become a game changer at my house.

Boxed Wine from Trader Joe's  - Talk about a game changer!  This was made specifically for busy women everywhere who like wine.  It has taken me weeks to get through one box and the wine hasn't gone bad!  I love a glass of wine at the end of the day but once you open a bottle of wine, you have to hurry up and drink it and then you end up with a nasty headache and in the end, you should have just skipped the wine.  This is $10 per box (approx. $2.50 per bottle!) and you don't have to feel guilty for only wanting a small glass of wine and not finishing the bottle in one night.  Amazing.  Thanks to Lindsay for picking some up for me last time she was at Trader Joe's..

 
Also, I'm glad I could give a shout out to some of my awesome blogger friends in this post.  Woo whee!  Happy Friday!

This Has Been a Wonderful Couple of Book Weeks

So I obviously posted this morning but it wasn't about anything I've read lately.  Honestly, I haven't had time to update in a while because I've been hurrying home to read more.  Fall is officially here (well, back at home winter is officially here but down here in Kentucky, I'm content with fall for now) and I've spent lots of nights laying on the couch with a fire going, a glass of wine in my hand, Lady Bug curled up on my feet and wonderful read spread out in front of me.  I know I mentioned that in one of my last real post but seriously.  I am so incredibly content with my life lately that it was worth mentioning again.

So in my post about The Thirteenth Tale, I went on and on about what a good book it was because I loved reading other people's stories.  That book, combined with some recommendations from friends and family, has gotten me a new genre trend - books about libraries or books.  I read three in a row that fit that bill and I loved each and every one of them. 

The first book after The Thirteenth Tale that I devoured (well, it was really brownies or cookies that I was devouring probably but the book was just as delicious in it's own way) was The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.  Add it to the book club recommendations.  It's about a woman, Nell, and her granddaughter, Cassandra, and their separate journeys to discover who Nell really was.  As a child, Nell was discovered on a boat dock in Australia and brought up by a family that was not her own.  Life, and later death, intervened before she could solve her own mystery so her granddaughter picks up when she left off and ultimately discovers her family heritage after her grandmother's death.  The book does a wonderful job of telling the story from all of the perspectives and time periods involved and conjures up incredible images of stories that are waiting to be deciphered.  One of the only things that Nell has to help solve her mystery is a book of fairy tales that she arrived with in Australia.  The fairy tales themselves are a clue and tell the stories of lost princesses, scary old witches, homely but kind hearted crones... It gives me chills just thinking of how artfully these stories are crafted into this book.

After finishing that book cuddled in my bed on Saturday morning, I opened up The Shadow of the Wind, yet another book that tells the story of a mysterious book.  This story talks about a magical, if not sad, place that I wish really existed - the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.  I want a job someday guarding those books so they are not forgotten.  Seriously.  Anywho, the eerie tale that follows about a boy who "adopts" one of these forgotten books and subsequently goes on a quest to discover why it has all but disappeared is one that will suck you in on a rainy Saturday night and not let you out of its grasp until you reach the end and learn all of the gritty details sometime in the wee hours of the morning on Sunday.  I loved this book.  Very rarely do I read a book and think that I need to own it so that I can pass it along to everyone who is willing to read it, but this is one of those books.


Alright, that was sort of brief but it's 5:30 and I don't want to sit at my desk any longer.  Just wanted to mention a couple of wonderful reads for those of you who are going to be settling for the holidays and want something to read.

Oh yeah!  And I couple of movie recommendations too...

• 27 Dresses - So cute that I went out and bought a copy... 
• Avatar - I've been putting off seeing this because my tv isn't worthy.  Well I watched it last weekend anyway and hello, AMAZING.  I don't care who you are, watch it.  My mom even loved it and my mom is not a movie person.  That was the fastest 2.5 hours I've spent watching a movie in a long time.  Beautiful, political, and heartwarming all rolled into one.
• My Sisters Keeper - Yeah, no.  Not a bad movie if you haven't read the book but I am not surprised that Jodi Picoult hated it so much.  Terrible adaptation of a great story.  Skip the movie and read the book.
• The Queen - How did it take so long for me to see this movie?!  It was so royal, and British, and somehow comforting and uncomfortable all at once.  And I love Helen Mirren.  Wonderful.

Clearly I've been a busy lady lately.  Or a homebody... ha ha

Happy Thanksgiving friends!

My lack of blogging has nothing to do with not having anything to write about and everything to with not having time to blog while I'm sitting at my desk during the day.  By 5:00pm, I usually just want to run home.  Considering that I've spent pretty much every night for the last two weeks laying on the couch reading a book or watching movies, with the cat curled up at my feet or on my lap, a fire going in the fireplace, usually with a bowl of popcorn in my lap and a glass of wine or mug of steaming hot cocoa on the coffeetable within arms reach... Well, needless to say, I have plenty of books and movies I should have taken the time to write about.  There just aren't enough hours in the day where I have internet available.

I'm thinking of canceling my cable now too.  Me... who is terrible-television obsessed.  It hasn't been on in almost a week except to watch football, Wheel of Fortune, and the morning news - both which I can watch without cable.

This fast moving city girl, who needs to know that she can go grocery shopping at 2:00am if she wants to (nevermind that I usually grocery shop on Sunday afternoons like civilized people these days), who sometimes wants ice cream at 1:00am on a Tuesday just because (except that I'm too lazy to get out of bed and actually get it now), who still doesn't sleep well (although lately "not getting enough sleep" means I only got 6 hours... which I was lucky to get in 3 nights during college and grad school), is slowing down.  Between the aforementioned fireplace, the cat, the frozen soups in the freezer, and the closet of comfy sweaters that were a requirement for growing up in the Midwest, I could stay home and doze on the couch all winter and not complain about not seeing anyone for weeks.  Seriously, I have turned into an old lady.  Or else the years of running like a chicken with my head cut off have caught up with me and my body is finally catching up on all of that rest I've been skipping since I was 12.

October feels like it was a blur.  Honestly, everything since about July has felt like a blur.  So much has changed in the last few months, even more if we go back a year, and I think I've just been coasting along until I got to a place where I felt comfortable examining my mistakes (honestly examining them, not just glossing over them and moving on), learning from them, and moving forward with my life.  The hours at home alone give me so much time to think and for the first time in my life, I'm not terrified of those thoughts.  In fact, it's been nice to be alone with my thoughts lately - I may be an old lady but I'm certainly not the crazy person that I always thought I was.

And I'm happy.  Sounds simple but we all know that it isn't always as simple as we'd like it to be.

Alright, on to the book and movie reviews.  It's been a while so I know I'll miss a few and these will be brief but it's worth it to share some of the great (and awful) things I've discovered lately.

Books

• "The Lost Symbol" (Dan Brown)
  Finally got around to reading this one.  I loved "The Da Vinci Code"  until I read "Angels & Demons" and I still think A&D is the best one.  The twists aren't twists anymore if they're pretty much the same in every book.  And this one was obvious (at least to me) but I read it in one sitting so I guess I shouldn't complain too much.  I mean, Dan Brown has a style.  If that's what you're looking for, you'll like it.  If it's not your thing, don't bother. Rating: Meh...

• "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" (David Wroblewski)
  Ok, so I'll admit I haven't finished this yet but the fact that it's taken me almost a week to get through is a big thumbs up in itself.  It's not that it's difficult or boring or anything - it's that I want to savor it.  Yes, this book was on Oprah's list and I don't particularly like Oprah (ok, can't stand her) but it's a book about a mute boy growing up in Northern Wisconsin and his family who raises a fictional breed of dog.  As someone who (obviously) loves her pets, I find it truly awesome.  Plus, the fact that he feeds his dogs cheese curds multiple times throughout the book certainly helps me cure homesickness a bit.  It's so touching and so real (although not all at the same time) - perfect for the nights curled up on the couch that have become the norm.
  Rating: LOVE IT
  

Movies

• "In the Bedroom" (2001)
  Truly awful.  I'm sorry, but it was terrible. I waited for weeks to get it from Netflix (for some reason it was always on a wait) and when I got it, it took me three tries to get through it because I kept falling asleep.  Terrible.  Netflix described Sissy Spacek & Tom Wilkinson's performances as "stunning" - bullshit.  They were flat and boring and while I understand that the story of a boy who dies while having a love affair with a single mother isn't supposed to be exciting I do expect some life.  They didn't deliver.  And Marisa Tomei only made it worse.  It got nominated for a number of Academy Awards but I couldn't stand it.  Maybe something is wrong with me.  Whatever - I don't recommend wasting your time.
  Rating: Awful

• "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010)
  LOVED IT - If you have children, they will love it.  If you are a parent of children, you will love it.  Even if you just like silly movies that make you feel like you're in 6th grade and incredibly awkward again, you will also love it.  So cute.  So child friendly.  Rent it.  Two child-sized thumbs up.
  Rating: So cute

• "The City of Lost Children" (1995)
  I should have known better than to think a 1990's French "thriller" would be thrilling.  I'll give it this much - the disjointed special effects were enough to throw you off your guard and it creeped me out a bit... but it was just weird.  Again, got great reviews, I just wasn't feeling it.  I think maybe I was just expecting too much and forgot how far cinema has come since 1995.
  Rating: It's 1995 French... what do you expect?

• "The Changeling" (1980)
  So I didn't expect much from this movie.  "Horror" movies from the 1980's don't usually turn out quite the way I planned - they're usually so terribly made that I end up laughing instead of shuddering.  Not so much with this film.  It genuinely freaked me out a little.  I mean, it was bad 80's acting and not great cinematography BUT they followed the number one rule of horror movies (at least my number one rule) and didn't really show the "ghost."  The only time you saw a figure at all was when they showed how the boy died.  Otherwise, it was just eerie things happening and that freaks me out more than some shadowy figure.  So glad I took a chance on this one.  I think my aunt recommended it - if she happens to read this, thanks.  Well done!
  Rating: Pleasantly surprised

 
So there you have it friends.  The life according to me... lately at least.