Almost Thanksgiving!

I got a new cookbook in the mail recently. I'm super excited about it. It's annual recipes from Southern Living 2012. Hopefully my new years resolution will be to make every recipe in that cookbook for next year!

Everyone knows I'm a big eater. I love to eat. It's not so much that I like eating, it's that I love food. Weird, I know! But food has got to be the best thing on this earth. The warmness of the oven when it is baking bread or a cake, the lovely smell of spices wafting through the air, and the sweet scent of sugar carmalizing.

Mom is a cook. She enjoys the smiles on our faces when she dishes something sweet, warm, and mouthwatering. Over time I've learned to pay attention to her meals. To smell and watch and ask questions. I can't take those delicious recipes for granted! The most honoring part of making a meal is that mom looks forward to it. My mother, who is the cook of the family, looks forward to MY cooking. I like making her proud with trying out new and different recipes. I think part of me doesn't want to make a recipe she is good at and maybe take the chance that it somehow could be better than hers. I would hate to outdo my mother on one of her recipes. That's why I try new ones. If she likes it and decides to make it, I can always count on her perfecting it. Which is great for me because I can learn from it.

This year will be the first year that I contribute to Thanksgiving dinner. I'm not making the turkey or the ham because I know for certain that I cannot even compete or compare to mother's meats. I'll be making all the sides and desserts. Mother is excited. I just hope I don't disappoint.

I love my family. I am thankful for my mother's hands and talents to always keep us well fed. Feeding us is always a pleasure for her. Even when we don't show our appreciation for her as our mother, she can always count on our unsaid appreciation when we eat her food.

22 Before 23

I haven't updated my blog in seriously a long time. But I thought it would be cool to share a cute little project I worked on that didn't need any thing more than a pen, paper, and some goals/dreams!

It's called 22 Before 23.

Last year I made a list called, 21 Before 22, and had 21 goals or aspirations, little things that I would like to have accomplished before I turned 22. I only completed about 4 things off last years list but it's okay. At least I was able to sit there and visualize the things I wanted to do for a long time, or things that I keep procrastinating on. 

I'm early but I just finalized my 22 Before 23 list. I would suggest you try it. You may not complete all your goals, but you'd be happy to see what the next year can bring. I'm already happy as can be! :)

Breathing Time

I haven't updated in a long while. Things were a bit hectic but now that I have breathing time, I can think...and breathe. Oh, the irony! Well since I've last been on, I've been through a wedding, driving to Naples, taking finals, working hard, and somehow, someway, getting sleep between it all.

1. Wedding!
Wedding was wonderful. Being the Maid of Honor was super stressful and I probably wouldn't have made it without Andrew, Elizabeth, and a few other people helping me out. Elise looked absolutely beautiful in her dress. It was just marvelous. Her sister-in-law handmade it and it came out wonderful! 

Elise walking with her dad down the aisle. 

After the nice Latin/English wedding, we took pictures afterwards and rushed to the reception hall where we had the traditional first dance, father/daughter dance, cut cake, bouquet toss (which of course I caught) and they drove off! Patrick sang one of Elise's favorite songs to her on the guitar which was super sweet and adorable. It was just a stressful couple of days because of that but I'm happy it's over.

 They are now enjoying their wonderful honeymoon in the lovely North Carolina mountains! I'm still waiting for some pictures from the photographer but I guess we have to wait a while for those things.

2. Naples!
For Elise's wedding, I picked up my friend, Brendan from Ave Maria so that he could play the violin. On Thursday, the 26th, I drove down with Andrew to Ave and drove back. On Sunday, the 29th, Andrew, Josee and I drove down there again to drop him off. It takes 3 hours one way and 3 hours back. So we were all exhausted to say the least.

3. Finals!
I had two of my most important finals on Tuesday morning. I did ehhhh, on them. I graduate with my AA in Liberal Arts on Friday. It's most exciting! Only because I'll be half way done and take the classes that I want to take eventually. I'm just tired of studying for now.

4. Work!
I've been doing doubles all last month and a little bit of this month. I'm just tired, and my feet hurt from standing all those hours. With school ending soon, it shouldn't be that bad. I just want life to calm down for a moment so I can get my feet back on the ground without my head being in the clouds.

5. Sleep!
Whoa! That's such a foreign word to me! But it sounds SO amazing. Yes, I've been getting good night sleep's but it just doesn't feel like enough throughout the day. I probably need to eat healthier and work out. Maybe I'll have more natural energy. I don't want to fall back on coffee every morning. That's an addiction that I'd rather stay clear of. I just need something to keep me going and still feel like I can manage without taking a nap. I get so tired by noon time that I just want to sleeeeeep.

Anyway, just for fun; here's a picture of Andrew and I at the wedding. I think this is the only picture of us that was taken and so I am very pleased. Plus, he looks extremely handsome in a tux, don't cha think?

Good Friday

Today has been spent in meditation and…painting my room! Yes, it's something I've been wanting to do for a while; but it is physical labor, my arms are tired, and I thought it would be good to do it today. 

This is the color of it now (until we come back from church).

  It's a coral and mint color. It's still in progress but we're getting read to go to church soon but I thought to give an update.

This is my lovely checkboard wall. I still like it and won't get rid of it.

We still have yet to paint the rest of the walls. 

The rest of the walls are going to be a coral color. The mint is just my accent. I bought some spray paint because I'm going to do a project with my desk. It was painted white from its previous owner. I got it at an antique store in town but that will also give some mint accents around the room. 

Also, I'm going to give Lucy a bath tomorrow because we're taking pictures with her for Easter. I thought that would be so cute; taking pictures with a bunny. Wonderfully cliche thing to do!

And one other thing, I received the book I was waiting the longest for. It is uh-maze-ing! After the first chapter, I was so inspired that I cleaned the bathroom and picked up my room. Maybe that's why I actually went along and bought the paint…

Anyway, have a holy Good Friday and if I don't update before then, a WONDERFUL Easter. 

Palm Sunday/April Fool's!

What a wonderful Palm Sunday! Unfortunately, I had to work and not be able to spend it in the sun. I got my pranks in at work though by telling people class was cancelled. 

I wish it wasn't so late and I could lie out in the beach all day. Definitely want a beach date with my boy. 

I'm planning a going away party for Judy. I think I mentioned this, and it's black and white themed. I've bought a good number of stuff for it already. I'm excited!

We have a quote of the day board at work…and I've been the one dubbed to change it. I've been changing the quote every couple of weeks from 3 sheets of papers with quotes on them that they supply me with. Today, I thought to change it up and pick a quote that wasn't on a sheet. Plant City YMCA's, and my quote of the day:

"Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed." -Mark Twain.

Quote of the Day

"Fairytales are more than true; not because they tell us dragons exist; but because it tells us that dragons can be beaten." - GK Chesterton

Home

As you know, mom has been gone for the whole week. She's finally coming home tonight! I know it's super early but I had to finish writing a paper that's due today and I'm on a writing rampage so I thought, what the heck! I'll write a blogpost too.

I have a friend, Josee (Not, Jose. Josee. And not Josie. The first "e" has a little accent mark) who I took shopping with me yesterday. It was so much fun with so many giggles. I bought my Easter dress and it's soooo cute! Josee, Andrew, Elizabeth, and Josee's brother, Joey, and I went swing dancing in Tampa laaast Sunday. It was so much fun. Then Joey went off and decided to join the Navy and shipped off to bootcamp on Wednesday. Byyye, Joey. :(

I still have not posted a picture of my sweet little Lucy. I should take a picture of her soon. I want you all to see her.

Anyway, I'm getting tired again and have to get up soon for work. There's my little update!