Spring Time!

Spring is officially here! I absolutely love the cold weather, however, I truely love this time of year when the days are longer and you just want to accomplish so much more in the day. Which brings me to the main topic for today, crafts! For a while now I've been contemplating starting an Etsy page and selling items I've created that route, but for some reason or another I've just never sat down and actually did it. Well, after much deliberation and "soul searching" I've come to the conclusion that Etsy is just not for me. I do want to sell my crafts, just through a different means is all. One of my oldest and dearest friends, Isabel, and I have decided to venture into this craft selling business together. At the moment we are just cranking out some items to sell and/or display through craft shows/fairs and of course this 'ol world wild internet web. So, if you know of any craft shows in the area that you think we might like to participate in, feel free to shout it out!

Here are a couple items I worked on last weekend.

This is my Ruffle Wreath with white and pink flowers. I still have a few touches to finish up, but it's basically done. I'll be making several more Ruffle Wreaths with different themes, so be sure to check back for more pics!

This is my take on a cherry blossom branch, this was the first one. I'm sure I'll be making more of these and varying the technique and/or colors and such.

And finally, I made this tutu for Miss E's 1st birthday party this coming weekend. I used four different shades of tulle and ribbon to tie at the top. I can't wait to see her in it!
I can't wait for this weekend to get back to work on my crafts! I have a huge project I'm working Sunday, hopefully I can get all four pieces completed by Monday, so I can post pics soon. I also ordered my own Cricut. I used to go to Candy's and share with her but with the new job hours it makes it rather difficult. But now that I have my own we can have a Cricut party ;) I'm going to get a table Friday after work and set it up in the "craft room" where the sewing machine is set up as well.

I'm just so excited to get going with this adventure, and see where it takes us!

xoxo,
kris

What the cool kids are doing.

Let me preface this by saying that I'm definitely all for donating to charities, especially those that help children. However, when you're deciding which charities/organizations to give your hard earned money to, you need to at least do a little research about them - and by research I don't just mean watching this J Kony 2012 video on Facebook. Anyone can post videos to Youtube and Facebook and Twitter etc. There are always two sides to every coin, if you don't believe me, check out this article also about Kony. After watching the video and then reading the article you will definitely see what I mean.

Any charity should be more than willing to show any and all tax/monitary records. Most reputable organizations have these documents available on their website, so you can easily see anything you might have a question about prior to making a donation. I know that one of my favorite organizations Love146 (who's missions is to end child slavery/trafficking) has their tax information available online. I was actually a little skeptical of them when I first encountered their information, but then I researched their stuff and made an informed decision that was not based on my best friend's facebook status or my favorite celebrity's tweet. Now there is a difference between spreading a message and blatant misguided propaganda. Many Americans I'm sad to say are stuck in their own little bubbles and are ultimately oblivious to the rest of the world. So, the viral spreading of videos like this are doing a great job of spreading the word about the mistreatment of people in other portions of the world, however we need to be very careful when these videos are also asking for monetary donations. Don't just blindly follow, learn something first!

Hope everyone has a great spring break if you have one and if not, sucks for you! ;)

xoxo
kris

What's New

So, I guess it's time to post about the new job. Yes, I started a new job at the end of January- GASP! I'm still at the University, just in a full-time position within COBA. You don't really want to hear about all the specifics, it's not that interesting trust me. Just know that I see a lot of golf kids on a regular basis. By a lot I mean those are the only students I work with now, and by regular basis I mean every. single. day. We all know golf is not the most exciting sport in the world, that's obvs football, duh! But, I can pay my bills with some change to spare so I guess that's all that matters right now.

Anywhoooo, speaking of the most totally awesome sport ever. Who watched the SuperBowl?! We had a blast watching the game... Too bad my boys couldn't pull through, but it was fun none the less. Candy, Caitlyn, and I went down to the Land of the Woods to watch the game at a friend's house. They have an awesome patio area for just such ocassions. I made Chuy's dip (love!) and Candy brought bacon cheeseburger dip - that dip was delish! We also had some yummy gummy bears that had been soaked in vodka (thanks Pinterest!) they were great, especially when my team started coming appart at the seams. ;)

Last weekend I got to spend some time with Heather and Miss Ellie! I was so excited because I haven't hung out with Heather in forever and I haven't seen Ellie since she started crawling. Love getting to spend time with them. We ordered some food to go and watched a movie while Ellie had a blast crawling all over the place, and us. If you haven't seen What's Your Number with Anna Farris, you should totally watch it!

This Saturday I'm working on some craft projects with Candy, so hopefully I will have some awesome pictures to post next week!

xoxo,
kris

MIA

It has definitely been way too long since my last post, but there has been so much going on over the past few months that I haven't had much time to post. Several events have also come and gone that I did not know how to articulate into blog posts (or if I was even going to) so here we are.

Here's a bit about what has been going on. Last week was my birthday. I am now one year away from 30, yay. Since this is my last year in my twenties, I decided to actually make (and keep) a New Year's Resolution this year. Which brings me to the next thing on The List: The New Year's Eve Resolution. Rather than being an actual "I will do ____" this year I decided to just focus on me. So, I've basically made a list, an ever growing list to be exact, of things that I've always wanted to do. The first thing on The List was actually marked off in 2011, the week before NYE. A group of us went ice skating and it was so fun! The next item on the list was boxing lessons, which I've been taking for a month. I absolutely love it! I don't think I'm going to be able to keep up with the lessons with work and all, but since I know the basics now I can box on my own with the bag several times a week after I run. I highly recommend boxing lessons if you like to workout and want to change things up and/or focus on or arms. It's fun and a great workout!

The List isn't in order of completion or anything, I just randomly add things when I think of them. At some point I may upload The List to the bloggity, but for now it's just for me. :)

One of the next items that I'll be crossing off, though, will probably be Painting With a Twist. It's a little art studio that allows you to bring your own alcoholic beverages and snacks while you paint the given picture of the evening for $45. I think it sounds fabulous, especially if you have a group of friends.

The next and probably most important thing that is going on. tomorrow. is. the. SUPER BOWL!
I'm so freaking pumped for this game. For those non football fanatics the New England Patriots are playing the New York Giants in Indianapolis. Which means, Tom Brady vs. Eli Manning. My Boys vs. The New York Football Giants. This is going to be an awesome game. If you haven't noticed from previous posts or that reference to "my boys", I'm going for the Pats. Wes Welker #83 is my boy. I could go into stats and all kinds of info about the team but I'm sure that would bore most of you. So, just know that you need to be cheering for the Patriots and especially for #83 and #87 Rob Gronkowski. I'll be heading to The Woodlands Sunday afternoon with Candy and the clan to watch the game at a friend's house. I made Chuy's dip today for the occasion. I love that stuff! It's literally like crack dip. The recipe is super simple, but I modified it somewhat so it's a bit spicier than Chuy's actual dip, and is a little more flavorful. Candy is taking some vodka soaked gummy bears that I'm very anxious to try haha!

Ok, it's definitely time for bed. I will try to be more diligent with the posts in the future.

Christmas Eve!

I can't believe Christmas Eve is already here! Seems like just yesterday we were talking about Thanksgiving, Halloween, or the semester starting... I mean really, where does the time go? Oh, right. I guess this means I'm getting old.

Well in the spirit of Christmas I thought I would share a couple things from my wish list, that I most likely will not receive...but can hopefully one day find their way into my possession!

I've wanted a KitchenAid mixer for a while now. I absolutely love this yellow color! I guess at some point I will have to bite the bullet and just buy myself one, but until then I will fantasize about receiving one as a gift or just a free one in general. ;)

This next item will most likely not make much sense to some of you, however it is near and dear to my heart. You're probably wondering why I do not already own this item. Well, it is with great sadness that I have to say I basically can't.

Wes Welker is my favorite NFL player and I would very much like to have his jersey. The problem is the men's sizes are super huge, and I'm most definitely not tucking in a jersey! I tried on a kid's and it fit perfectly, however Welker's jersey is only available in mesh form in the kids, not poly. DOH! So, you see my dilemma here?! I'm hoping that after this season more will be available... We shall see!

I'm about to go make some cinnamon rolls with mom for tomorrow morning and then watch some football and probably play some scrabble with the fam. Hope you're having a great Christmas Eve and a very Merry Christmas tomorrow!

Holiday Time :)

I just love the holidays! I mean really, twinkle lights, glitter everywhere, cheery Christmas music playing in every store, hot chocolate, beautiful Christmas trees everywhere you look, cozy nights watching old movies or reading a book... the list goes on and on and I mean really if you can't find just one single thing you don't like about the holidays, there has got to be something wrong with you.

So, in the spirit of the holidays, here are a few things I've done recently to get into (or spread) some Christmas cheer!

I made these little numbers to give out as treats for the peeps at work.

I don't really know what call them, I just saw a picture of them online and decided to make them. Super simple! Just take the waffle pretzels (small square ones) and spread them out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Then you just place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each pretzel and bake them for about 4-6 minutes at 170 degrees. As soon you remove them, press Christmas M&M's on top. You can let them stand for a while to cool or place the tray in the fridge for about 20 minutes and they'll firm up instantly. I packaged them in clear plastic party bags and tied them with Christmas ribbon and an ornament. I didn't take a picture of any, sorry. I thought they were pretty good, not near as great as the puppy chow I usually make, but good none the less.

That same weekend my mom and I made Christmas cookies! :)

Well, she makes the cookies and I do the decorating. This year I wanted to have more colors, so I played artist and mixed some food coloring up and made purple icing too, it turned out to be my fav! Making Christmas cookies is one of my favorite things to do every year, for those of you who aren't big bakers, you can always buy frozen sugar cookie dough or one of the mixes where you add water/eggs etc. I've used both methods before in college and we still had a blast and they tasted just fine ;)

My friend Candy had been a busy little elf these days making all kinds of garlands and wreaths for her house, friends, and coworkers! She surprised me with a wreath last week as a gift for my mom, it's super cute! She decorated it with ornaments, lights, and this beautiful material that reflects the lights. 

Last week I also made a gingerbread house. I LOVE making gingerbread houses! Usually there's a group of us making them together but this year I did mine on my own, I think it still turned out ok. It's just a kit from Target - I don't go too crazy and have to make my own gingerbread or anything that's insane! 

Thursday was our department Christmas party. This year instead of renting one of the buildings from campus, the party was held at one of our faculty member's houses. Rather than having a caterer, we did it potluck style and it turned out pretty well. I made pasta salad, which of course I forgot to take a picture of. It was pretty yummy and super easy to make! 

Ingredients:

1 box Rotini Pasta (I used plain, colored are fine too, bowtie also work great too)

1/4 lb deli pepperoni

1/4 lb deli hard salami

2 containers olives

shredded parmesan cheese

italian dressing

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

3 tbsp EVOO

1/2 tsp black pepper

4 minced garlic cloves

The first thing I did was make a marinade for the olives. The olives I purchased came in a resealable container (not a jar) but a tupperware would work fine too. Drain the olives and then sprinkle them with the thyme, rosemary, black pepper, garlic, and EVOO. Seal the container and shake. Shake some more. And then when you think you're done, give it another shake just to make sure the olives are good and coated. Let the olives sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour or up to 5 days. I let mine sit over night and they tasted delish!  The next step is obvs to cook the pasta. Since this was for work and I didn't want to be running behind, I cooked my pasta the night before and did a light cover of Italian dressing (so the noodles didn't stick) and kept it in the fridge overnight. When you're ready assemble the entire pasta, cut the pepperoni and salami into strips and toss into the pasta with the olives and sprinkle with a handful of cheese. Using a large spoon, mix that baby up! Give it a taste, if you think it needs it, add more Italian dressing. I usually add a lot of extra dressing to mine, however since I marinated the olives this time I didn't want to over power their flavor, so I didn't add to much extra - that's all in your hands ;) The pasta salad was a big hit at the party, and it's so easy!

I also made these little appetizers for the party. I just used store bought toasties and pipped some herb cream cheese onto them and sprinkled bacon on top. The herb cream cheese is a secret recipe, sorry ;) But you can experiment with your own variations, the possibilities are endless!

Please excuse the "in the refrigerator" picture hehe ;)

Also, this weekend the Bearkats clinched their first ever FCS National Championship birth! I'm so proud of them! I went to the tailgate Friday and then came home to watch the game, it was just too cold for me, guess that means I'm getting old... I'm super pumped for the game January 7th! Get ready Candy, I'm already planning all kinds of stuff to make for our viewing party hahaha!

Giving Back.

It's already December?! Oh-Em-Geee!

Hopefully you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving holiday, whether you were with family, friends, alone, or volunteering. My holiday time started the Saturday before Thanksgiving when I joined several friends and their church to deliver Thanksgiving box meals to families in need. It's really a great thing the church is doing! Donations are made in the weeks prior to that Saturday of non-parishable Thanksgiving meal items and frozen turkeys are kept as well. Everything is put into boxes based on the number of people in the family. Essentially, each family will receive a turkey, 1-2 bags of rolls (depending on the number of people in the family) and then canned veggies (ex: green beans, corn, cranberry sauce etc), a bag of potatoes, and 1-2 frozen pies (again depending on the number of family members). This year, the church had an excellent turnout in both donations of food and delivery drivers! It was great! I hope the church is able to keep this tradition alive and continue to increase the volume as well. :)

On Thanksgiving day, my sister and I made quite a bit of food and took it up to the station so the officers who were on duty could have Thanksgiving dinner too.  They really appreciated it, and I'm sure it was much better than the drive-thru or whatever they were planning on eating during their shift ;)

Let's try to remember to give back what we can this holiday season, even if it's in donations of time or goods! Hope your holiday season is off to a great start!!