Eight was not great.

I'm pretty certain I'm a dehydrated person in general, and yesterday it showed. It was pretty warm outside, and I didn't have too many fluids during the day to begin with. With how warm it was, I thought it was weird I wasn't sweating at all while running towards eight miles. Around mile four my hands started itching. Then the back of my legs started itching. Then I had a rash from head to toe, and it. was. painful. I wanted to cry about it, but no tears would come out. I started to get chills and shortness of breath. The four miles back were the most miserable of my life. Then as soon as I got home and started drinking water, everything cleared up! Now I'm being extra cautious with drinking three of these during the day along with one after I workout.

Tervis Tumbler - Big T - 24 oz

It's a chore for me to drink all of this, but I have to do it. Then just when I needed it most, one of my coworkers, Joan, brought me this awesome sticker for my car... And it's pink!

It makes me realize how much I want this, even through the rough patches - rash & all! Next Sunday it's nine miles, and I'm going to bang it out, fully hydrated. Thanks, Joan!

My Weekly Gratitude

Thank you to...

my body for being able to run seven miles this past Sunday.

Sarah for creating custom art for our wedding invitations.

my bestie May for planning a wedding shower for me!

my boss for letting me borrow a stamp = birthday card mailed on time.

the vending machine for not having anything I wanted in it.

that eBay member for outbidding me... I did not need it anyway!

my parents for being so young (Dad only just celebrated 47).

Cara for inviting me to the Stella & Dot Trunk Show.

the self-control that led me to not buy anything at said trunk show (yet).

Hank for being the best guy for me!

YOU for reading my blog and hopefully delighting in it!

all the precious people in my life that make this ride so worthwhile.

"Weekly Gratitude is a movement started to say out loud or in writing those things that have fulfilled us, changed us, touched us or simply made us happy that week. It's a fantastic way to the end the week, and a brilliant way of constantly reminding ourselves how blessed we are, even during the toughest of weeks. It's a movement towards self reflection, thankfulness and peace. At the end of every week, take a moment to think about and write down those things or moments you are grateful for."

Hostess with the Mostess

One aspect I love about jewelry parties, showers, book clubs and the likes, are experiencing a new host. Every host has a different entertaining style. I love it, and I really appreciate the effort and creativity that goes into hosting. Last night I attended a Stella & Dot jewelry party. They have some really great pieces by the way:

Stella & Dot parties are essentially a trunk show. I enjoyed the jewelry being accessible in different places in the room which was very conducive to a mingling environment. The 'stylist' held a drawing for a bracelet which is a fun way to get your guests excited. The host in particular had some great, and hearty, appetizers (and wine) for all. There was the 'always a hit' vegetable tray, chips with salsa and queso, quiches, two different types of cookies, rice krispie treats and a new one for me... Pepperoni Dip! This dip was really great, packs a nice punch and is one I have not had before. I of course asked for the recipe, and I left it in my back jeans pocket. Luckily, it is so easy that I can remember it regardless:

Pepperoni Dip

3/4 lb Pepperoni (from the deli)

1 16 oz Light Sour Cream

Finely grind the pepperoni in a food processor. Mix with sour cream. Allow to sit overnight for the flavors to really develop (and they sure do). Serve with Frito Scoops.

... Super Bowl party idea!

I'm so ready to make this, but I don't have a food processor. Does anyone know of anything else that can be used instead? A blender, perhaps? Many hours and a knife?

I love when a host introduces you to a new recipe. I think it's great to always expand your cooking repertoire. You don't want to be known as the, oh yeah, she's the 'pigs in a blanket' lady, that's her speciality. Switch it up a bit - it's a good motto for food and a good motto for life. Cheers to all the Hostesses with the Mostess-es that are out there, I know some of you are really doing it up!

A Happy Birthday to my Dad today!

He's always the life of the party.

I Spy Spring Dresses

Victoria's Secret has two lovely ones I'm eying.

Dinner for Two

I enjoyed setting the table for two to delight in one of my favorite recipes, Ina Garten's Tuna Salad. It truly is a treat.



While we are a future Mr. & Mrs., I was too excited not to add these Mr. & Mrs. glasses to the tablescape.



The tealights I placed in them are actually LEDs, and I've found many uses for them already. You can find them for $2.50 for a pack of six at Wal-Mart. They flicker similarly to a tealight candle, but they last much longer at 120 hours.



I'm looking forward to lunch leftovers already as I think this Tuna Salad tastes amazing the next day. It's had plenty of time to take in the vinaigrette that was poured upon it.

Stuffed Peppas

Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers - Italian Style



Ingredients:

4 large Green Peppers, remove lids (and keep them) and scoop out until clean
1 lb of Lean Ground Turkey
1 can Leaf Spinach (13.5 oz), drained
1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Lime & Cilantro (10 oz), undrained
1 can Tomato Paste (6 oz)
1 can Mushrooms (4 oz), drained
1 cup Sweet Onion
1 chopped Garlic Clove
1 Egg, beaten
2 tbs Olive Oil
1 tbs Italian Seasoning
1/4 t Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Mexican Cheese Blend for topping
Texas Pete to taste (if you like a kick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine in skillet and sautee mushrooms, onions, spinach, garlic and Texas Pete (to taste) with olive oil. Once almost sauteed add tomato paste and diced tomatoes to pan - stir well. When you add that Rotel... BAM! It smells great.

In a separate bowl combine turkey, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper.

Then combine your sautee pan of goodness with your bowl of goodness. All ingredients combined at this point and used - except cheese.

Listen to Maroon 5's Hands All Over album and it will put you in the mood... A good mood and a stuffing peppers mood ; ) Stuff to the beat. These peppers will be super stuffed! You could over stuff four or serve six if needed. Sprinkle cheese. Add lids for fun! Cook for one hour.



It's healthy (minus the cheese), and it makes a lot - you will be stuffed. Serve with Spanish rice, or any other side you love, and enjoy!

100 Days

Until we say 'I Do'.

FIREWORKS

Congrats to my great friend Maura (third from the left) on her career move...

She's building an empire. Cheers to you, Maura!!

Laduree Paris

Macarons: Small, round cakes, crisp on the outside, smooth and soft in the middle. Tender meringue, quality fillings and vivid flavors and colors.

These look divine.

Laduree: Paris' international temple of macaron holiness.

I can't wait to try!!

*Since the English word macaroon can also refer to the Coconut macaroon, many have adopted the French spelling of macaron to distinguish the two items in the English language.

FANBasket

I just walked into our break room and saw this...

It's a recycle bin and/or trash can that sings the fight song when you throw a can in it, for example. You can turn the sound off if you'd like in case it gets a little obnoxious. I really love it, but then I just looked it up online and saw it's $185... Sad. I still love it though. I'm impressed that in a cluttered market of collegiate merchandise, creative minds are still able to come up with something I've never seen before!

Starry, Starry Night

"Made completely of Jelly Belly jelly beans and on display at the Jelly Belly booth at the 2011 Fancy Food Show."

... This is pure genius.

A Happy, Happy 21st Birthday to You, Laura!

Laura is turning 21 tonight. It's birthday party time!

Let Your Calendar Say It

I know many of us take the time to pick out a nice calendar for the coming year. A calendar where each monthly photo inspires, makes us laugh or takes us to a place we would love to travel to. Then when the year is up, how sad to waste all of the lovely photos... I didn't waste my calendar this year, I found a way for us all to repurpose our calendars. A way to turn last year's calendar into this year's masterpiece.



Tear the pages from your calendar.



Use a paper cutter to cut the image from each calendar page into a triangle. This could also be done by using a ruler on the back and marking straight lines. Then use your scissors to cut.



Punch a whole in the top two corners and fasten two triangles together with a bow. You should be able to come up with 12 or so triangles, perhaps 13 with the cover. I used black paint and a paint brush to paint letters upon each triangle.



Fasten ribbon on the ends to make this creation hangable. Leave to dry.



Ta-da! A homemade banner pennant ready to hang.



Mine says Laura is 21. What will yours say?

For the Love of Books

I love that my guy is currently into this series.



I'm currently into, perhaps, my all-time favorite children's book, I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. It's the perfect little gift for that special someone in your life.



"... On the Fourth of July
I like you because
It's the Fourth of July

On the Fifth of July
I like you too

If you and I had some drums
And some horns and some horses

If we had some hats and some
Flags and some fire engines

We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION

We could be a WHOLE PARADE
See what I mean?

Even if it was the
nine hundred and ninety -
ninth of July

Even if it was August

Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no particular place in January

I would go on choosing you
And you would
go on choosing me
Over and over again

That's how it would happen every time."

A Few Favorite House Items

This is one of the best souvenirs I have brought home from a trip. It's my Turkish Tea Set. I remember going through many tiny shops in a bazaar. I came across these cups and saucers. They caught my eye with their etched glass dots. And of course these were the last four. The shop keeper wanted $50 which I thought was a bit steep, so I told him I only had $30 for the cups, saucers and silver stirrers. After much debate in another language with his partner... Sold! I love the stirrers because they feature Turkey's evil eye to ward off all things bad. Then I went on the hunt for a nice tray to place them on. I went to the basement of one shop, and I sat on the floor sorting through the many plates until I came across this most perfect one. I've received many compliments on this tea set - I love how it came together and that it made it home safely.



I love any and all games. If you name a game, I will play it with you! I like Catch Phrase, but the original version only - None of this digital shenanigans for me when it comes to this game (but I will still play the digital version with you if you'd like.) I also love Creationary. My Dad never had a son, just me, and he made sure to pass on his love of Legos to me... Even if I had the princess castle set amongst others - we would work on these sets together. Santa brought Creationary to Hank, and it is a blast. It's similar to Pictionary, hence the name, except your are building with Legos!



Handmade baskets from the lake... I just love them.



Zebra napkin rings... Hey Zeebs!



Registry items! I enjoyed serving Martha's Pineapple-Basil Margaritas in the above pitcher when hosting MexFest.

Cozy Corner

I love this corner of the house. Cozy chair, Paris pillow and a picture of Hank and I. It makes me smile when I walk by.

See ya, Dougie... Do the John Wall!

Newest dance in the club... It was made for me.

I posted about this dance here.

Troop 41 is Raleigh based... The opening chorus line is, "Raleigh be the city where we like to do the dance..."

The Tale of Two Dresses

There are two Lilly Pulitzer dresses I purchased while in college. I bought them, and then I never wore them because once it was time to put them on, I couldn't fit in either one! They both still have the tags on... Now that is sad to me. One of them is the prettiest dress I have ever seen and absolutely the best Lilly Pulitzer dress made (in my opinion). My only 2011 resolution is to fit in these dresses. I want to be able to wear them to a shower or bridal luncheon or to Paris or Rome. Progress has already been made... I was able to zip in to the only one I tried on Sunday. I had to see where I am, to be able to get where I am going. The fact that it zipped, and looked great on, brought lots of smiles. But we all know looks can be deceiving, right? I could. not. breathe. I didn't even try to sit, but I bet you I couldn't do it. I already have the clutch and shoes to match, so I am so ready to make this happen. My plan of attack is twofold.

Part One: Train for the aforementioned Disney Princess Half Marathon. A couple of months ago I mentally could not run one mile. I just didn't want to. Now I am up to six!! It is absolutely mind over matter. My body starts to regulate itself after mile three, and it says you can do this. My mind says, Andrea, how much more fun would it be to sit and watch Disney's Beauty & the Beast instead? But you just have to really, really want it and think about how good it will feel once you cross the mental finish line that is, I just ran six miles... nine miles... 13.1 miles!

My second plan of attack is minimal sweets. I eat right and practice portion control, but when it comes to sweets... Oh, la, la. I can't resist! I need one everyday - just a little something. So today for example, I am saying no sweets until Sunday night for a slice of future sister-in-love's 21st birthday cake. Only four days you say? It will certainly be an uphill battle for me. We're all in this together, and it's the baby steps that make it happen. Sweets includes drinks too... I went out the other night and caught myself drinking not one, but two Long Island Ice Teas. Where am I? Calorie bomb city! Mmm to rum and diet coke or a vodka light cranberry from this day forth.

So I put it out there, now to challenge myself and make it happen. Cheers to a new year and an improved me and an improved you!

Let's do this.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

I just told my doctor how it has been years since I have been sick, had any type of cold, etc. (To Be Continued.)

I'm currently training for the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I am up to mile six in training, and I ran it on Sunday... The coldest run of my life. I ran three miles away from the house, and then I was thinking there is no way I am making it back. This is what I wore... or didn't wear... No hat, no jacket, no gloves, no nothing... I was a running ice cube, and I could not feel my arms. Luckily, I made it back in perfect time to pull the lasagna out of the oven and then proceed to warm myself up. I don't have a fireplace, this is absolutely the next best thing!

With that being said, now I'm kind of sick. I say kind of sick because all I have is a sore throat, but for me that's huge! I attribute my strong immune system to the obscene amount of milk I drink. I'm sure they have no correlation, but I think they have everything to do with each other (in some twisted way). Hot tea and soup for me today!

It's Almost

... 100 days until wedding time (109 today to be exact).



Lots of fun to do this month in preparation!!



*Our first picture taken back in 2004.

Use No YOU

One thing I remember from middle school is an activity we did on arguing. It's something I remember today - It really, really stuck with me. We were each paired with a partner, and we had to argue with one another. The one word we could not use is YOU. There were monitors coming around to listen. If you said YOU, the pair had to take a seat. The last pair standing won. Teams dropped like flies. It is something that is difficult to do, but once you learn to do it, you'll learn it gets your point across much more effectively.

"You are so annoying. You never do anything right. I just don't understand why you don't get it."

All the person you are arguing with is hearing is you, you, you. Any point you are trying to make is lost. Isn't the whole point to resolve the problem? It's not going to be resolved if the person doesn't even know what you are truly upset by. Arguing in general is not effective, but arguing with the word YOU as your ammunition will not resolve any situation.

"When people treat me like that I find it's really annoying. It makes me feel like nothing is done right. It makes sense to me, and I just want it to be understood by all.

See how much more effective this is? You're concentrating on what's upsetting you instead of using the word YOU. Let's reserve you for for the good things in life... You're awesome & I love you. Think about using no YOU the next time you are confronting someone with what you're upset by.

Recipe: Corn Dip

This is a great one for a MexFest appetizer, a cold day or as a Super Bowl dip to share.

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large saute pan.
Add one cup of finely chopped onions.
Add one finely chopped green bell pepper.
Saute for three minutes.
Add one tablespoon of garlic.
Add a dash of salt and pepper.
Add two tablespoons of finely chopped jalapenos (canned).
Continue to saute for two minutes.
Add two cans of drained corn.
Continue to saute for six minutes.



Remove pan from heat.
Add 3/4 c light sour cream.
Add 3/4 c light mayo (I love the kind with olive oil).
Add one 8 oz bag of fancy shredded cheese
... A four cheese Mexican blend (Monterrey Jack, cheddar, queso quesadilla and asadero cheeses or anything similar will be perfect).
Mix all of this together.
Put in a 13 x 9 pan.
Bake for thirty minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve with wheat Tostitos, and enjoy!

Imagine

One of my absolute favorite songs. Jack Johnson does a great rendition of John Lennon's original.



Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
And above us is only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life for peace

And you may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Free Bagels!

Get your coupon for 3 FREE Bagels!

Sign-up at brueggers.com for their e-mail news, and they'll send you a coupon on February 7 to get 3 Free Bagels on February 8! (You also get a coupon for a free bagel & cream cheese, for signing up.)

Like them on Facebook, and print your coupon for 3 Free Bagels from the coupon tab.

Quote Boat - Love

"Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

- Franklin P. Jones

...Love does make the ride worthwhile, but I think it does make the world go round too ; )

The South

"The place where:

Tea is sweet and accents are sweeter
Summer starts in April
Macaroni & Cheese is a vegetable
Front porches are wide and words are long
Pecan pie is a staple
Ya'll is the only proper noun
Chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy
Everything is Darlin'
Someone's heart is always being blessed"

Love is all you need

Sweatshirt Salesman

I really love my ENT, but I was confused by this today:

Doc: How's your job?

Me: I love it - I have a deadline coming up, so I'm busy selling to make goal.

Doc: I guess that means I need to buy another sweatshirt!

I don't... sell sweatshirts? I wonder what he thinks my job is? A sweatshirt salesman?

Cacio e Pepe

We're honeymooning in Paris and Rome!!

I'm already daydreaming about Cacio e Pepe from Roma Sparita. It's a classic dish of pasta with pecorino romano cheese and pepper, and it's served inside a crispy bowl made of this same cheese and pepper.

We first saw this dish and restaurant featured on Anthony Bordain: No Reservations. Apparently if you ask any Roman where to get the best Cacio e Pepe they will say Roma Sparita! This plus fried artichoke and a glass of red wine... First stop, please.

The Bachelor... P.S. on this!

Ashley S. and Marissa both went to UNC. It was racking my mind trying to figure out where in the world I knew Ashley S. from... I finally figured it out. We worked at Abercrombie together during college. Whew... I feel so much better now.

The Bachelor

Ashley S. and Brad... He'd be crazy not to.

He's 25 Today

NYE Midnight Phone Call

On phone with bestie in NC





Bestie on phone with me in CALI



We both have photos of this phone call. This is why we're besties.

Happy New Year to you and you and you!