Sunday, June 27, 2010

QT Pie

Last weekend I got to take pictures of the cutest, funniest little girl.  She is the daughter of Jeff's co-worker.  We went to Memorial Park and it was H-O-T, and we even met at 8:30am.  Can I please tell you, I could not even begin to count the number of crazy Houstonians that were running that morning.  That's dedication in my book!

Future photographer perhaps??


P.S. If anyone in Houston has suggestions on good picture spots, I'm open to ideas!

Friday, June 25, 2010

It's our House-iversary!

One year ago on this past Tuesday Jeff and I handed over more money than we ever had before, singed our lives on a lot of dotted lines for the next 30 years and took possesion of the biggest purchase we've made to date, we bought our house!



We've done a lot of work to our house.  When we first looked at it and saw there was wallpaper, I said "No problem!" HA!  I recently told Jeff that  the next house we buy, if it has wallpaper we aren't buying it and that's final. 

The one thing you really take for granted about living in apartments for so long is the maintenance man.  Oh Mr. Maintenance Man how I miss you and the ease of calling you up to change the florescent bulbs in the kitchen.  The first time we had water leaking through the ceiling in the gameroom of our house, I'm not going to lie, I panicked.  Thank God for the home warranty!!  Not sure what we would have done without you American Home Shield :)

Although it wasn't our perfect house when we moved in, we are (slowly) making it that way.  We love it and there's nothing like driving up to your house everyday and knowing that it's yours (and the banks).

I thought I'd share a couple before and after pictures, don't worry, I have PLENTY more where these came from!

KITCHEN BEFORE
 












KITCHEN AFTER 

BREAKFAST AREA BEFORE
 


 
BREAKFAST AREA AFTER 

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

An Open Letter to JRL

Dear Husband,

I win. 

I win in the dishwasher debate that we've been having for years.  The debate over whether or not you have to rinse your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher.

Should you pre-rinse your dishes before loading the dishwasher?


If you don't feel like seeing how wrong you are by reading the article, let me summarize for you.

1) Dishes will not get any cleaner if you pre-rinse them
They will especially not get cleaner if you let the dishes 'soak', or what I like to call, avoid loading the dishwasher by saying you are letting your ice cream bowl 'soak'

2) Pre-rinsing is a complete waste of time, money and energy
That's time, money and energy that this wife just does not have. 

3) Rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher can do more harm than good
Dang, our dishwasher already sucks, do we want to make it worse!  Let's not send the dishwasher to the unemployement office because we aren't giving it any work to do.  Give that dishwasher some dirty dishes to clean!

So in conclusion, I'm right, you're wrong, but I still love you.

Sincerely,

VEL
Your loving (and lovely I might add) Wife




Sunday, June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day!

My Dad has always said I was his favorite youngest daughter.  I think it's his way of making my brother and sister feel better about me being his all time favorite.

I can remember weekends at Dad's house and we would go to the drive in movie.  We'd make a big bag of popcorn, Angie always got to sit in the front because she wore glasses (pfft!), and I'm pretty sure I never made it through one whole movie without falling asleep.  Hey!  Maybe that's why I couldn't sit in the front. 

He was a chef in the kitchen, making Banquet Fried Chicken, Vienna Sausages, and fruit cocktail (making sure everyone got at least one cherry) and all the Pepsi you could drink.  

What he may have lacked in culinary skills ;) he made up for by being there for everything.  Basketball games, Football games, Track meets, Choir Concerts, Beauty Pageants etc, etc, etc.

Happy Father's Day Dad!  Thanks for everything, love you :)


I've been fortunate enough to have a wonderful step-dad as well.  Phil has always been there when we needed anything.  I never had to scrape snow off my windshield or warm up my car until I went college, I never had to worry about getting my oil change, windshield wiper blades changed, car checked out until I moved away from Indiana.  I got a husband and lost my mechanic! :)  Thanks Phil for everything you did and do for me.  Love you!


Happy Father's Day to ALL the father's out there!

Friday, June 18, 2010

TGIF

I'm sure a lot of you saw the picture I posted on Facebook last night of our sweet little Lily Belle.

AHHH!  She's coming after you, run for your lives!

I just wanted to make sure you all knew that she is still the sweet little puppy you all know and love, she just really, really wants those bubbles ;)


Have a great weekend everyone, I knew we will.  I see plenty of bubbles and sunshine in our future plans!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Real Housewives of...


I love them all!  Real Housewives of Orange County, New York, New Jersey, Atlanta.  They are all a bunch of hot messes, but it sure makes for interesting drama.

So, if you follow the shows, you know they are wrapping up the New York season.  There is a 3 part reunion show.  And you did read that right, there was enough drama in just the reunion that they split it into THREE shows.  Dang, these girls are craaazy.  I have a few comments about this season.

1.  Kelly is super duper C-R-A-Z-Y!  I mean really, she should be on some kind of medication, no joke.  I sit in utter disbelief during the reunion shows listening to her talk about how all the ladies bullied her.  She saw the footage, what is she seeing??  What?!?!

2. I've never had a baby, but how in the world did Bethanny look so good just days after giving birth?  I     mean besides the huge square jaw she looks fabulous. 

3. Alex really spoke up this season.  She's very weird though, right?  I really did not like her in past seasons, but this season I did.  Sometimes her hair just looks terrible though (I had to say it).

4. I like Ramona this season.  She's been keeping it real, and even though she does have 'crazy eyes' I dig her.  Her runway walk, not so much.  Ha!

5.  Jill is totally trying to look like the good person and just apologize for everything that she did.  Whatever let's you sleep at night honey.

6. Sonja cracks me up!  I love everything about her, except her too big lips, a little less collagen please.  I like how she tries to get along with everyone and she really seems like she is the type of person that is genuinely nice. 

7.  LuAnn, I just couldn't wait to talk about LuAnn and her brand new dance tune.  As much as I think her song is stupid, the dang thing gets stuck in my head and will not leave!  Money can't buy you class.  Well money can't buy you a singing voice either.

Whose song do you like better?  LuAnn's "Money Can't Buy you Class" or Kim's from Real Housewives of Atlanta "Don't be Tardy for Party".  I'm going to have to say tie ;)  Tie in that they are both horrible and they both get stuck in my head for days on end.





RHOPearland?? Where do I sign up?? 

Monday, June 14, 2010

Flashing lights

Lily didn't like Jeff's birthday card from my Mom too well, in fact, she freaked out a little more each time we played it.  And yes, we're mean, we played it a lot.





Sunday, June 13, 2010

Happy Birthday Jeff!



Jeff's birthday was Friday, (YAY!). I can't tell you how old he is, he's a little sensitive, but I'll give you a hint, we were born in the same year.

In honor of Jeff's birthday I thought I would write an Acrostic Name Poem for him

J - Jokester, and even though sometimes his jokes aren't funny, I always still laugh ;)
E- Excellent breakfast maker!  He rocks at pancakes, omelette's, bacon, anything breakfast related.
F - Fabulous Doggy Daddy to Lily Belle
F - Fantastic looking.  Whoo hoo Hottie!  I'm a lucky girl.
R - Really good beer maker! If you want one ask, he loves to share.
E - Everyday he kisses me goodbye, I really am a lucky wife.
Y-  Yard guy, no he isn't, that would be Miguel (WHAT??  Y words are hard to come up with!!)

I love you baby, I couldn't ask for a better husband and I hope that you had a wonderful birthday!  MUAH!



Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Totally 80's

Jeff and I recently had a discussion about 80's movies.  I told him, give me a choice between an 80's movie and anything else and I would pick the 80's movie hands down. 


I'm sure you've seen on the news about The Goonies anniversary and reunion and it got me thinking about my favorite 80's movies.  Granted, I was born in the 80's and by the end I was only 7, but thanks to cable T.V. I've seen all these movies over and over again.  So here they are, my top 10 favorite 80's movies.  I tried to put them in order from my favorite on down, but it just hurt my heart too much to try and decide!  So, in no particular order:

#1 Dirty Dancing

Heather Hayes and I must have watched this movie at least once a week for 2 years.  We loved it!  It was only years later that I finally figured the whole movie out.  Baby tries to help out a dance instructor, Penny, when she gets herself into a "situation".  Amidst all the drama she finds herself falling in love with the much older Jonny (Patrick "Hottie" Swayze). Of course her Dad hates it, yadda, yadda, yadda they dance at the end in the most famous of all dance scenes. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"


The Final Dance


#2 The Goonies


"Hey you guyyyys!"

Of COURSE The Goonies will make this list.  What kid doesn't want to go on a buried treasure hunt?  I've actually watched it so much on DVD that my disc is worn out and skips.  That's called true dedication people (or too many times of having no cable).


#3 The Little Mermaid

This one barely makes the cut, made in 1989.  Oh the songs, I knew every word, the story, it's heart wrenching, the action, it keeps you on pins and needles.  Ariel dreams of being a human and marrying the man of her dreams.  Even after making a deal with the devil a.k.a Ursula and almost ruining herself and her family the story ends happily ever after. If I had to make a call, I would say this is the BEST Disney movie EVER.  And if you disagree, I'll fight you.


"Under the Sea"

#4 E.T.

I just fulfilled a life long dream of actually being in the movie E.T.  Yes, that's right I got to ride a bike on the E.T. ride at Universal Studios, it's pretty high tech let me tell you.  The movie was actually made a year before I was born (oh yea, be jealous if you were in High School when it came out)  It's about a poor little adorable alien that gets left behind by his people, and all he wants to do is phone home.  Sweet faced Drew Barrymore (before she was smoking cigarettes two years later) and her on screen brother Elliott have to help E.T. go home. 
#5 Sixteen Candles

No list of 80's movies would be complete without Sixteen Candles. It's every High School girls dream to have the head jock want to date you, the lowly sophomore.  Hopefully not every girl gives her panties to the resident geek, but I blame her parents, they forgot her freaking birthday!



#6 The Breakfast Club

While we're talking about Molly Ringwald why not include The Breakfast club, the Jock, the Brain, The Criminal, the Princess and the Kook.  5 kids have to spend a Saturday at school for various offenses they committed during the week.  Like all good 80's movies it starts out as a group of unlikely friends but by the end everyone has learned something, about someone else and themselves.  LOVE IT!

#7 Hoosiers

What self respecting Indiana girl would not include Hoosiers on her best of (all time) movie list??  Growing up our school usually had a pretty decent basketball team and every tournament season our school would shut down one afternoon to watch the inspiration we know as "Hoosiers".  If you can watch this movie without feeling some kind of emotion then your heart must be black. I do wish the movie was called "Boilermakers" though.


Jimmy Chitwood's final shot


#8 The Princess Bride
"As you wish" Dang, I wish I heard that once in a while.  KIDDING!  What can I say about the sets and the animitronics.  The part where Wesley wrestles the Rodents of Unusual Size, amazing.  And
Andre the Giant was in it!  You can't beat that! 
#9 Back to the Future
Marty McFly, to escape death, goes back in time, 30 years earlier.  While he is there he almost ruins his own existence by interfering with his parents original meeting.  After finally ensuring his parents meet and fall in love, he has to dramatically make it back to the future in the DeLorean (Coach Kerr anyone?).

If you missed this movie when it came out, just tune into TBS or TNT on a Sunday afternoon and you're sure to catch it then.



#10 Gremlins

Holy moly!  This movie scared the crap out of me when I was little.  Those little creatures are so cute and cuddly and then BAM! they want to kill you!  It should be a lesson to all kids about what happens when you don't follow directions.  No getting wet, no eating after midnight and no bright lights.




So those are my top movies from the 1980's.  What were yours?



Monday, June 7, 2010

Let Them Eat Cake

On Sunday I attended another baby shower for Miss Kayleigh, I must really love that girl!

We all had a great time, good food, beautiful decorations and an awesome cake! I wish I was half as talented as Kayleigh's Mom. She can do anything, and when I say anything I mean anything, faux finish walls, decorate beautifully, refinish/recover furniture, paint wonderful pieces of art, AND she bakes! She makes not only beautiful cakes, but delicious too!

It was a three layer cake, chocolate on the bottom, carrot in the middle and french vanilla on top.  Before you ask, yes I tried all three.


Yes!  That's a baby!  Don't worry, we didn't eat it ;)

If you live in the Houston area, I highly recommend Cindy for any of your cake needs.  You can check out some more of her stuff here

Friday, June 4, 2010

Thank you for being a friend

In case you've been living on an island inhabited by "Others", let me be the one to share some sad news with you. Rue McClanahan, from The Golden Girls, died yesterday, and now we're only left with one golden girl, Betty White.

Whenever I watch The Golden Girls, and believe me I'm on my second or third round of all episodes by now, I'm reminded of two of my best friends from high school, Tessa and Ashley. At the end of high school and beginning of college we spent a lot of time together and I remember one day while we were of course watching Blanche, Rose and Dorothy, comparing ourselves and our friendship to that of those three crazy girls.

Ashley was always one to tell you what was on her mind, and she was always the voice of reason when Tessa and I were being ridiculous. I remember one day, it was sophomore year of college and I had put on a few pounds (that I'm still trying to lose) and we were all jeans shopping. I DID NOT want to go up a pants size so we went from store to store trying to find pants that fit, in the size I thought I was. Finally Ashley yelled at me in the dressing room, "Just go up a size! You've gained weight, deal with it!" She was right, she usually was, just like Dorothy.

If anyone knows Tessa then you know it wasn't hard to compare her to Rose. We all love her, but she might be considered, sometimes, once in a while, or at least once or twice, a little bit silly. Like the time she decided to make Lucky Charm treats, and use colored marshmallows so they would be really colorful. FYI, they were brown, and horrible. Come to think of it, I MIGHT have been involved in that process as well, but I think it was her idea. Or mine. Who's really keeping track?

I, was of course, Blanche. I was always the one that came up with the big (usually bad) ideas and plans and drug them along. Actually it was usually me and Tessa dragging Ashley along. But wherever we went we always had fun!!

We were always together, always had each others back and they are definitely friends of mine for life. And even though we live in three different states, when we see each other we always pick up where we left off. Miss you girls!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Get Lost

Our downstairs AC went out last week, so we were without air conditioning all weekend downstairs. Yes, feel sorry for us, it was HOT! Because of this, we spent a lot of time upstairs where it was cooler, not cold, but cooler, where we had ourselves a little Lost marathon.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are only half way through season 3, DO NOT tell me what happens!

While watching episode after episode of Lost, I couldn't help but think about how some of the characters in the show remind me of people in my very own life.

Jeff and Jack have more in common than just the first letter of their name. They both also married blondes! Hopefully Jeff can hold onto his better than Jack did though ;) Love you baby!

Let's face it. You want to like Sawyer, you really do, but he just makes it so hard! Just.Like.Audie. I mean, has he ever said anything nice to me?? Nope. And yet, I still like him!! There's still time to make it all up to me Audie, there's still time.

While we're on the topic of those Alaska relatives. I say Shandra and Hurley could have an awesome "Biggest Hair" contest any day! My money is on Shandra.

I don't know about anyone else in my family, but if I was going to be stuck on an island I'd want my step dad Phil (or Bear Grylls, he's amazing!) there. Like John, he can do just about anything.


Sun is nice to everyone and is always there to help out. Just like my lovely sister Angie. She's always been the nice one :) And they have the same color of hair!!

You got me. Jim is not on Lost, but holy crap, he reminds me so much of my brother Mark it's ridiculous! You might not believe me, but I've gotten the look that's on Jim's face from Mark many times in my life.



And of course, Lily reminds me of Vincent, the resident island dog of Lost. Although Lily is cuter, smarter and more cuddley.