tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29272070077018443242023-11-16T06:53:12.593-05:00At least we have each otherChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-47024443415879469552013-11-03T20:44:00.001-05:002013-11-03T20:55:56.385-05:00I love you, mom.My beautiful, loving, funny, caring, amazing mother passed away 9 days ago.<br />
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I just feel lost.</div>
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She was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer 3 months ago. She passed away 11 weeks after we got the news. We were told she had time. We were told the kind of cancer she had (non-small cell lung cancer - adenocarcinoma) was slow progressing. We were told there were a litany of treatments she could have.<br />
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She hadn't smoked a cigarette in 29 years. She quit the moment she found out she was pregnant with me.<br />
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To spare you the details, the treatments didn't work. The cancer spread to her brain. The brain radiation didn't work. The chemotherapy didn't work. Her cancer progressed rapidly. It didn't act the way the doctors expected it to act. We had no idea.<br />
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We didn't know it was killing her so quickly. We had no clue. And now I'm left with a ton of woulda, shoulda, couldas.<br />
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And a lot of doubts.<br />
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My mom and I were so close. We did stuff together almost every weekend. Mainly shopping. We loved to shop. (I think that was an inherited trait.) She helped me take care of C after he was born... she helped me take care of myself. A month after I gave birth, she was diagnosed. Man, did she love my kid. She cried the night he was born. She cried every time I texted her a picture. Now, he's going to grow up without knowing her. It guts me to think about that.<br />
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There's a void.<br />
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I miss my mom.<br />
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Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-59680095001029409082012-02-27T21:39:00.001-05:002012-02-27T21:44:03.560-05:00Music MondayI haven't been here for a long time, but I'm back. <br />
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Last year was very difficult, and as a result, I didn't want to blog. I have a lot going on this year, and I'm looking forward to sharing some exciting things that will be happening. My camera fell ill last year (much like it's owner), however, it's being fixed and I'll hopefully have some pictures to share soon.<br />
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But for now, music.<br />
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I'm going to California this year for the first time ever. I'm SUPER excited! My friend J and I are spending a long weekend in LA. We plan to spend some time at Venice Beach and Santa Monica. We're going to <strike>window</strike> shop at The Grove and hit up some good restaurants. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4riCpKergMYb6I9XaRhM5e4_6OSJkRYlDSek8XPoW6Gr2VObTe6_xDrKiLWQ_oEVVEQY82W2rpS_URjkIOMVmmh8Jd2EGhz3ba7PSmv-WCZFnDqSP2sKn9AAZ3nPzNNZ9YwyQ8Y55Sz0/s1600/tumblr_lybss6Gf1j1qbrp7ho1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4riCpKergMYb6I9XaRhM5e4_6OSJkRYlDSek8XPoW6Gr2VObTe6_xDrKiLWQ_oEVVEQY82W2rpS_URjkIOMVmmh8Jd2EGhz3ba7PSmv-WCZFnDqSP2sKn9AAZ3nPzNNZ9YwyQ8Y55Sz0/s320/tumblr_lybss6Gf1j1qbrp7ho1_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://xxjustbreathexx.tumblr.com/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Oh. We're also going to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Staples Center. <br />
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GAHHH!! No big deal, only my favorite band EVER. Anthony Kiedis <i>may</i> have been my desktop background through most of college (when I say may, I mean <u>definitely</u> was). So basically, Anthony Kiedis helped me concentrate on my computer based studies more. As a result, he could be credited with helping me graduate from college. Thank you, Anthony.<br />
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In honor of this upcoming trip, my Music Monday selection is pretty obvious. Enjoy!<br />
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</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YlUKcNNmywk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-79557525461813457162011-09-29T22:45:00.001-04:002011-09-29T22:45:51.034-04:00Things I've done since my last post on May 9thWell...<br />
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I went to Florida. Again. I am a lucky gal to have a best pal in such a great place!<br />
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I saw one of my favorite bands in concert (for the 2nd time) and...<br />
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I caught a pick (for the first time)!<br />
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K and I celebrated our one year anniversary! Morton's is the ish. Look at that cute menu! Look at my improving Photoshop skills!<br />
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I sprained my ankle playing this game on the 4th of July. Yes, It's <a href="http://www.kanjam.com/">KanJam</a>. I am very outdoorsy, coordinated, and athletic - didn't you know?<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I went to Myrtle Beach for the first time! While there...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>I climbed a rock wall. All the way to the top! (That's me to the right). I was very proud of myself.<br />
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I drank a little bit of wine with some friends.<br />
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I visited NYC for the first time in 2 years. 2 years?! How does time go by so quickly? 2 years is way too long for me to be away from my favorite city. My friends and I did a lot of shopping...<br />
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and we may have visited the 230 Fifth rooftop bar and taken advantage of their complementary snuggies.<br />
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I also went to Vegas for the first time ever. In fact, it was my first time being west of Texas. LOVE it out there. Mountains, desert, warmth... now I just need to get to California!<br />
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May have also been on a rooftop in Vegas, too. What can I say, I like roofs! Not roofies though. Staying away from the roofies. <br />
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So now what? No more trips for this year, which is disappointing. I'm extremely lucky to have been to all of the places that I've gone, so no complaints here! <br />
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I'm glad I did this silly little picture post, because it's made me realize that this year hasn't been ALL bad. I've had several health issues that have dampened my spirits a bit, but I'm still living and loving life! That's all we can do, right? Right.Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-11936989672936709672011-05-09T19:38:00.001-04:002011-05-09T19:52:59.373-04:00Vinyl.When I was little, my dad taught me how to use his turntable. I used to sit on the floor, listening to his old records for hours. Among my favorites?<br />
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Anything by Chicago. "25 or 6 to 4" is a favorite. My all time favorite, however, is "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?" This song will forever remind me of the countless drives I've taken to NYC. It's been on every mix CD I've made for that drive across I-80... and I've made a lot of mixes over the years!<br />
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My dad's record collection took up a lot of space in the small computer room in my parent's house. He moved the turntable and the records into their basement. Sadly, all of his records warped from the moisture, and he threw them all away. Whomp whomp.<br />
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One of my friends recently introduced me to Jerry's Record Store (here in Pittsburgh). They have a mind blowing collection of new and used records... including a majority of albums that I grew up listening to. I rescued my dad's old turntable from my parent's basement, bought a bunch of records, and I'm officially obsessed with vinyl again. I love the way it sounds. I also love the fact that you can't *easily* skip songs. I'm such a song skipper with my iPod. I could have musical ADD, if there was such a thing. <br />
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I'm not only finding my old school favorites... I've also found some modern albums that I never knew were released on vinyl. I LOVED Blink-182 when I was in junior high school. While I don't listen to them as often now, this album was way too cool to pass up. The album cover is printed on both sides of the record!<br />
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If you know me even a little bit, you know that Weezer is my all time favorite band (I'm going to see them, live, later this month for the first time in 9 years! WOOT!). I'm seriously dying to get my hands on a vinyl copy of Pinkerton. <br />
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Looks like they have several up for grabs on eBay, though they're pretty expensive. If anyone needs to buy me a present, you know what to get! (Hear that, K?! *hint hint*). Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-40746325249584227342011-03-10T21:09:00.001-05:002011-03-10T21:53:38.779-05:00#OperationLaylaIf I could tell you just one thing about myself, it would be that I would do anything for my friends and family. I'm often times loyal to a fault (read: I have a big mouth, and I'm not afraid to tell those who wrong them where they can go. Oops). <br />
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My friendships are not defined by the number of times I see someone in a day, a week, or even a month. Some friends I see every day. Some friends I see every week. Some, I see when I vacation. Others, I've never met in person.<br />
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I've never considered it odd to make friends online. When I was in middle school and making websites on Geocities like a boss (RIP Geocities. I miss you), I made some friends my age. As an adult, I've met a multitude of wonderful women through various outlets, one of which being Weddingbee. Of course, I've also made a bunch of friends through this blog, too. Today, one of these friends needs some help.<br />
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<a href="http://wishfulfillmenteveryday.blogspot.com/">Layla</a> is a witty, kind, and overall awesome girl. We "met" on Weddingbee, and have moved on to be Twitter/blog buddies. She's going through a rough time right now, but the good news is - you can help! Here's her story:<br />
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One month after her 30th birthday, Layla was diagnosed with early stage cervical cancer (1A Adenocarcinoma). She was extraordinarily lucky that it was caught early, and had a simple surgery to remove the cancerous cells.<br />
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Three years later, Layla was in horrible pain that affected nearly every aspect of her life. Temporarily uninsured due to a job change, she paid out of pocket last October to go to the doctor and make sure the cancer had not returned. Thankfully, it had not. However, her doctor believes that she has pelvic adhesions and Endometriosis due to the previous surgery, but it can’t be diagnosed until an additional surgery (laparoscopy) is performed. The doctor also found out Layla has cervical stenosis, which basically means her cervix has completely shut down due to the scar tissue from the previous surgery. These issues make her miserable most of the time, making simple things like going to the bathroom and menstruation horribly painful, and sexual intercourse impossible. He stated that if she wanted to have children one day, even sperm could not pass through her cervix, and she would have to have intrauterine insemination.<br />
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The doctor wanted to schedule surgery as soon as the insurance at her new job went into effect. Her company fired her the day her insurance became valid, ten days before Christmas, plainly stating that it was because of her health issues.<br />
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Fortunately, she got on her husband’s insurance, which went into effect February 1st. As soon as she could, Layla scheduled surgery for March 22nd. Then her insurance company dropped a bomb: because she went to the doctor (even as a self-pay patient) within a three month period prior to her enrollment date, they were considering her health issues to be a pre-existing condition, and would not insure any doctor visits, medication, or surgery for 388 days.<br />
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When you are in near constant pain and can’t work, 388 days is a long time to wait. The sooner Layla can have this surgery, the sooner she can return to work (hopefully with a nicer company!) and start living her life again. Her doctor has been nice enough to work out a deal with her if she can pay as a cash patient: he decreased the amount of her surgery to $4,000, and the cost of the anesthesia to $500, with additional fees for biopsies of removed tissue to be determined.<br />
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The problem is, Layla is unemployed due to this, has used her savings to pay for living expenses and medical bills, and has been denied loans for the surgery because of her unemployment status. She does not have close family, so she can’t ask them for help. Surgery is scheduled for March 22nd, and Layla and her husband are unable to secure a loan due to her unemployment. She needs some help, and she needs it in 2 weeks.<br />
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So, how can you help?<br />
<ul><li><b>Donate!</b> Use the button at the top right of this page, or <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5WUFQ5UR74B86">click here</a>. We're collecting money through PayPal, so it's totally secure. Any little bit will help us reach her goal of $4,000. </li>
<li><b>Bid on sweet eBay deals!</b> Several of us are putting up some items on eBay, with the proceeds going to Operation Layla. Need a <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260750094982">used iPod Touch</a> or a <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260750528079">pretty Coach purse</a>? Stop on by and check 'em out. Nobody is really bidding on them yet... so you could score some cool stuff on the cheap, AND help out someone in need!</li>
<li><b>Eat Carbs!</b> No really, we're organizing an online bake sale (drool) to raise some money for Operation Layla! More details on that to come. Why did I give up cookies for Lent?! *Shakes tiny fist*</li>
<li><b>Follow Us! </b>Follow the hash tag <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23operationLayla">#OperationLayla</a> on Twitter. Let us know if you want to get involved in any way! </li>
</ul>Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more updates!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-62247493602765628942011-03-05T20:38:00.002-05:002011-03-05T20:48:32.524-05:00I Surrender.Heeey guys. I'm back! It's been a long hiatus, but I promise I have an excuse. No, I wasn't mourning the loss of the Steelers, nor did I go into hiding.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok, maybe a little bit of hiding. That game sucked.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Truth is... I've been sick. At the risk of over sharing, I figured I'd tell you guys what happened. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This post is pretty detailed and not sunshine and rainbows. Just a warning. If you're grossed out when people describe health related crap, skip this post and <a href="http://cuteoverload.com/">go here instead.</a> Also, I'm not in the health field. I'm not a doctor, and any commentary I give on my experiences should not be taken as medical advice, blah blah blah. So, here it goes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It started with vertigo. If you've never had vertigo, be thankful. It's miserable, to say the least. My vertigo was caused by an inner ear virus. You know how after you've had a few too many beverages, and you stumble around your kitchen looking for some water at the end of the night (not that I've ever done that)? That stumbling can't-get-your-balance sensation is what vertigo feels like. Every time I would move my head EVERYTHING would spin. Fortunately, I'm not prone to motion sickness. I stomach spinning rides and balance issues pretty well, and I'm VERY thankful for that, because otherwise it would have been 398439 times worse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The vertigo lasted 2 weeks, and ended shortly after I had my wisdom teeth removed. <i>That</i> surgery was nothing. However, after the surgery is where my problems started.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The staff at the surgeon's office recommended I take multiple doses of Motrin to relieve any pain, rather than relying on the narcotic pain pills they prescribed as a backup. They told me to take 4 Motrin every 4-6 hours, depending on the pain. Well, I did that for a few days and BAM. Stomach ulcer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My doctor put me on Prilosec. A few pills later, and my ulcer was in check. Ok, great. I continued taking the antibiotic the surgeon's office had also prescribed as a preventative measure. I mean, I had open wounds in my mouth. Made sense to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, it so happened the antibiotic they prescribed was Cylindamycin. Ever heard of it?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A warning on Cylindamycin from the <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000672/">National Institute of Health</a>:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"....may cause a life-threatening condition called colitis (inflammation of the large intestine). Clindamycin is more likely to cause this type of infection than many other antibiotics, so it should only be used to treat serious infections that cannot be treated by other antibiotics."</div></blockquote>Hmm. Erm, so what do you think happened?<br />
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Once the antibiotic killed off all of the "good" bacteria in my intestines, a bacterium called Clostridium Difficile took over. I had developed a "C-diff" infection. I'm not going to post about the specifics of what this infection causes, but you can <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/186458-overview">read all about it here</a>. It obviously caused colitis, as well as all the horrible side effects that you'll read about if you Google "C-diff."<br />
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C-diff is becoming more and more prevalent. It is typically known as a nosocomial infection, and often picked up by people (usually the elderly) from long stays in the hospital. It's antibiotic resistant (yes, they treat an infection caused by antibiotics with <b>more</b> antibiotics. Whatever.), and hard to cure. I managed to get it as a healthy 25 year old, as a result of taking an antibiotic.<br />
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Combine the (what I believe to be) unnecessary prescription of Clindamycin from the oral surgeon, AND the Prilosec (<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10535637/ns/health-health_care/">which is believed to also be linked to C-diff</a>), and I was <i>le screwed.</i><br />
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My doctor treated me for it. It went away.<br />
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It came back a week after I finished my medicine. When it came back, it was three times worse. I had a fever. I was weak. I missed work for 2 days. They put me on a different antibiotic.<br />
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In the middle of my treatment, it came back. This time, it put me in the hospital.<br />
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The colitis was causing severe pain. My symptoms were back. I was sick, sick, sick. They had me on a clear liquid diet. The picture above was my breakfast for the first day. Clear broth, jello and apple juice. Gross.<br />
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I went to the hospital late Tuesday night. They released me on Friday. I'm doing better, and glad to be away from my dancing partner, R2D2.<br />
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Dear God, do I hate these damn pumps. I've never stayed in the hospital as a patient before. I've never had the joy of having an IV, either. But man, was this machine annoying! Not only would it beep and scream for NO reason, it just made sleeping and moving pretty miserable.<br />
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I'm now on MORE medicine for a longer period of time, and I'm really hoping the third time is a charm.<br />
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I'm tired, to say the least. I'm tired of being sick. I very rarely get sick, so this string of bad luck has me pretty down in the dumps. Suffice to say, it's also made me unwilling to post on here. I'm hoping to get back to normal soon, and enjoy our upcoming trip to Florida!<br />
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Congrats to you for making it through this post! I'll have some cheerful stuff coming in the next week, including good times at the Lady Gaga concert. Side note: a special thanks to my Twitter pals for keeping me company at the hospital (through Twitter, of course), when K was at work. You guys gave me something to do at the hospital other than watch countless hours of reality TV. So, thanks!<br />
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Have a good weekend, all!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-74795974829342768452011-02-04T20:59:00.000-05:002011-02-04T09:41:04.705-05:00In case you didn't know...I'm a huge Steelers fan.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXsfBMBzwU6FF9yRVGl3xIYU50z9Wfxh3jLEo0A9WXWg2RFEmaOTfjtBmxn7pomzFrBkNE0G1f5JthNR4bnzr5q8djV-XZeDUSsMz442M88eS2bwerztUmemUT6fQA5QFReIaEPMYTFnv/s1600/180719_552895850768_64700088_31946359_2693525_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXsfBMBzwU6FF9yRVGl3xIYU50z9Wfxh3jLEo0A9WXWg2RFEmaOTfjtBmxn7pomzFrBkNE0G1f5JthNR4bnzr5q8djV-XZeDUSsMz442M88eS2bwerztUmemUT6fQA5QFReIaEPMYTFnv/s400/180719_552895850768_64700088_31946359_2693525_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVmBYXbbhdGWBFlfmI8iP6ixupZYzpTZXa6-UXXIflgrLP1ht1ToVqyiW7Ycob8vjKMWq8XsO_C_ZsLQc77ACdgxIg8GUOK3lhraS0lQ2FOdvISTr2IZGrPTN2A0REvt4yzoCpgTmNhVL/s1600/74440_599217751012_35101400_34762780_6590125_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqVmBYXbbhdGWBFlfmI8iP6ixupZYzpTZXa6-UXXIflgrLP1ht1ToVqyiW7Ycob8vjKMWq8XsO_C_ZsLQc77ACdgxIg8GUOK3lhraS0lQ2FOdvISTr2IZGrPTN2A0REvt4yzoCpgTmNhVL/s400/74440_599217751012_35101400_34762780_6590125_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-KNoTJcyE-qDVWd1Ne9DnXaLeA4KsmpReQmPnPfWiOqRn7RpSfOyuC-Tl_PPdB0Ssghnj1h7YrjxBy18K0Uv6VomaIM5_1TS_9_PQKBFXv-C-LzOo7ZS_HfyPawgc6fu_yJnsUjf1tl7/s1600/163479_552118134318_64700088_31941100_6625858_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-KNoTJcyE-qDVWd1Ne9DnXaLeA4KsmpReQmPnPfWiOqRn7RpSfOyuC-Tl_PPdB0Ssghnj1h7YrjxBy18K0Uv6VomaIM5_1TS_9_PQKBFXv-C-LzOo7ZS_HfyPawgc6fu_yJnsUjf1tl7/s400/163479_552118134318_64700088_31941100_6625858_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUm6uStC6FxKxAtfH6J6EWj7ElZTzoXY-RTpRRprqmsOfHiD8HviLmhhptBPEkFP28jLYWL0DwTQnzcZ9YxF3hY8-G6iIJrIwN7KB9VOi2QtlvjeOABTQ5NiqqqOdnXyFn6KTXiGNJMjm/s1600/149994_791289617207_10610607_43530373_1173667_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifUm6uStC6FxKxAtfH6J6EWj7ElZTzoXY-RTpRRprqmsOfHiD8HviLmhhptBPEkFP28jLYWL0DwTQnzcZ9YxF3hY8-G6iIJrIwN7KB9VOi2QtlvjeOABTQ5NiqqqOdnXyFn6KTXiGNJMjm/s400/149994_791289617207_10610607_43530373_1173667_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />If you're friends with me on Twitter, you already know this. Why am I such a huge fan of a football team?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8IqevrWkJ3P9Bv5kj6beTDX8risJJOfm14wL4vPGrKyf45Zf_UPFlkBRhZgIGTN9-7j01lxN4e_Ad6gxIK0PwRELKzHlgtICXEVS0MhjlVdyRvq5u6ujsOhPLESfu5BbvL8t3QT74ZYX/s1600/n64700088_30989431_6463066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm8IqevrWkJ3P9Bv5kj6beTDX8risJJOfm14wL4vPGrKyf45Zf_UPFlkBRhZgIGTN9-7j01lxN4e_Ad6gxIK0PwRELKzHlgtICXEVS0MhjlVdyRvq5u6ujsOhPLESfu5BbvL8t3QT74ZYX/s400/n64700088_30989431_6463066.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a bar in Florida, believe it or not.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br />Pittsburgh has a lot of heart. We're not a huge city, a glamorous city, or even a huge tourist destination. Pittsburgh has charm though, and it's home. I've lived here for 15+ years, and just recently, I've started to notice how much I really regard it as "home."<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5PhrLBGrprDQkXReMkDONhmGrjYCMhLWKUknNuiaQ3PttQjaCZCsjewwvjG6EQ5Lok54FU07JYjD69MeLp2TVwpYEx3SjvQq_i14EB75a7Q_wU9AkGvv7cHJCXa1hZw03BcNNyZjcBGt/s1600/n14214273_38631272_1539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5PhrLBGrprDQkXReMkDONhmGrjYCMhLWKUknNuiaQ3PttQjaCZCsjewwvjG6EQ5Lok54FU07JYjD69MeLp2TVwpYEx3SjvQq_i14EB75a7Q_wU9AkGvv7cHJCXa1hZw03BcNNyZjcBGt/s400/n14214273_38631272_1539.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last super bowl parade... this garage was obvi. a popular spot.</td></tr></tbody></table>I miss Pittsburgh when I'm away. I'm proud to live here. I hate the weather, but hey, you can't have it all. Unless you live in Hawaii. Then, I'm jealous.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8kXAhaFpIGFC9eDwsiGOfTfXK_1rWol45PErLKhtrLrgBBDSbce4XaNbF-C-MpwCLfxt69XcNQzp9sfvJOdLsubbV5DrvXKfYm2Gg-FYYRMwIbPMe4MX_dEKT6MlrEK-EvvTnvY5-Ni5/s1600/30441_10100367570986684_9314259_71479321_3869226_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8kXAhaFpIGFC9eDwsiGOfTfXK_1rWol45PErLKhtrLrgBBDSbce4XaNbF-C-MpwCLfxt69XcNQzp9sfvJOdLsubbV5DrvXKfYm2Gg-FYYRMwIbPMe4MX_dEKT6MlrEK-EvvTnvY5-Ni5/s400/30441_10100367570986684_9314259_71479321_3869226_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />In my mind, the Steelers represent Pittsburgh. When I cheer for the black and gold (or black and yellow - holy crap, Wiz Khalifa caused quite the debate), I'm cheering for our city! I'm also cheering because I love football. I think it's a requirement to love football in this city.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7fkKnhH6sUOhLsPwuB3EkBtry9WB9KU2j4f70EaoF5rr7WBXELCkWGLGz2TdENstQT3UwLwsH0B8OhYR6UoQJFQ9hGXKWcSPhIuSAzpCvU4nLXIHL1bw-wjV6h6Ub5kd5sJNyGUC6h1z/s1600/n64700088_30953929_6512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7fkKnhH6sUOhLsPwuB3EkBtry9WB9KU2j4f70EaoF5rr7WBXELCkWGLGz2TdENstQT3UwLwsH0B8OhYR6UoQJFQ9hGXKWcSPhIuSAzpCvU4nLXIHL1bw-wjV6h6Ub5kd5sJNyGUC6h1z/s320/n64700088_30953929_6512.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />So, this weekend, I'll be cheering for my city and our awesome football team. Go Steelers! Go Pittsburgh! Bring home lucky number 7!<br /><br />Who are you cheering for?<br /><br /><br />Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-26353776535038757182011-01-31T22:02:00.001-05:002011-01-31T22:04:51.562-05:00Not Without Coups, BabyHave you guys ever seen this show?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/P-BsjPjm2bo" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="640"></iframe><br />
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Seriously, how is that even possible?! I was getting a big FAIL in coupon cutting. I used to clip coupons, but I usually ended up throwing them away.<br />
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While I don't even understand how the people on this show are able to combine SO MANY coupons in one order... it does prove how lucrative clipping coupons can be.<br />
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Recently, I started really getting into the whole coupon clipping thing, in order to save some money on our grocery bill. I read the grocery store/Target ads and see what the weekly specials are. Then, I go through all the clipped coupons to see what kinda stuff I can score for cheap (or free!).<br />
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For instance, I had a coupon for $.75 off Crest toothpaste. I saw my local grocery store was selling them - 2 for $3. My grocery store doubles coupons under $1. $1.50 - ($.75 x 2) = BOOM. Free toothpaste.<br />
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I've been doing pretty well lately. I got 2 things of Dove deodorant for $.45 a piece. I bought organic milk chugs for $.25 a piece. Tuna salad kits for $.50. The list goes on.<br />
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One way I'm able to get some pretty valuable coupons is through the use of <a href="http://www.coupons.com/">coupons.com</a> and <a href="http://www.redplum.com/">redplum.com</a>. If you install the coupon printer, you can print out some legitimate coupons that'll save you a ton. Make sure your grocery store takes them though - some places won't take anything that is printed off the internet. Hasn't been a problem for me at my store or Target.<br />
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The other way I'm staying on top of the deals is this sweet website: <a href="http://www.hip2save.com/">Hip2Save</a><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://hip2save.com/"><img src="http://hip2save.com/banners/125.gif" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It's run by a deal loving mom - and she always has hints on the best places to score stuff for free, including the stores where your coupons can go far, or free giveaways online. She updates multiple times a day, so I tend to read it whenever I get the chance! Definitely check it out.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Do you guys clip coupons? My co-worker says clipping coupons is only for people over the age of 40. Disagree! I love saving money.</div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-52254481200895951842011-01-26T00:07:00.001-05:002011-01-26T00:11:20.170-05:00Saving $$$I'm on a saving kick. If we ever want to get out of our townhouse and into a single family home, we need to save for a decent down payment. Don't get me wrong, I really like our townhouse, but we already need more space. I'm also sick of dealing with people who insist on parking in our spots. Jerks.<br />
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So, in the spirit of saving money, we traded in both of our cars and bought one car. To make a long story short, K has a company car, so he really has little need for a car of his own. My car had a ton of miles on it because of my ridiculous commute to college (50 miles each way - twice a week for 2 years. Barf). Downsizing to one car reduced our monthly car payment and our insurance. It feels good to save... but it feels even better to drive a new car! I like new things. Especially when they save us money.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm_DHMMhxDy9OA2WuAF_4eG8hzfFOkjzLnZmE_RsENxhBAkNX7zdVXdfxJFH0zXCTpIMnEdKB1FZqQw0Xbv4uzwKsAulKN3pY8mIAX5KfN5bl_1dlvWhKz2Kv192bE_qWOiVWhleEWsVN/s1600/2011-nissan-rogue-reviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKm_DHMMhxDy9OA2WuAF_4eG8hzfFOkjzLnZmE_RsENxhBAkNX7zdVXdfxJFH0zXCTpIMnEdKB1FZqQw0Xbv4uzwKsAulKN3pY8mIAX5KfN5bl_1dlvWhKz2Kv192bE_qWOiVWhleEWsVN/s320/2011-nissan-rogue-reviews.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nissan-insight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2011-nissan-rogue-reviews.jpg">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We ended up with a 2011 Nissan Rogue. I've always loved this SUV, ever since my BFF in Florida bought one 3 years ago. It has a lot of room, but it's a crossover, so it rides like a car and it's not quite as large. Bonus: Nissan is running a 0% financing promotion right now. That's the main reason we went with this SUV, as opposed to the Hyundai Tucson, which I also really liked. You can't beat 0% ! Sorry, Hyundai.<br />
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In the spirit of saving and spending wisely, I've also signed up with <a href="http://www.mint.com/">Mint</a>. Mint monitors your spending and budgeting through your online banking and credit card accounts. It also keeps track of your loans and retirement accounts. Mint will use your account information to tell you when you've exceeded your budget, when your bills are due, and how to meet your financial goals. It's free and easy to use. I swear I'm not being paid to endorse Mint, I just really like it. Although, if Mint wants to throw a check my way, I'm not going to say no.<br />
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Have you guys ever used a website or program like Mint to monitor your spending habits? It's pretty eye opening! For one, we spend WAY too much money on food. We need to stop buying lunches and being lazy about dinner. My waistline would appreciate the effort as well.Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-75932652558805891732011-01-14T19:17:00.002-05:002011-01-14T19:31:44.837-05:00I survived!Well, if you've been following me on Twitter and reading a few of my blog posts, you'll know I was DREADING today. This morning, I had my 4 wisdom teeth removed (2 impacted on bottom, 2 down and ready to party on top).<br />
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I've never been "put under" before. That was my main concern. Forget the pain, forget the limited diet... I was just afraid of the sedation. I'm 25 years old, and definitely should have had these bad boys removed when I was in high school. Since I waited, they told me the roots were long and close to the nerves. That could possibly complicate things. I wasn't scared of the pain, but I was leery of the possibility of nerve damage. <br />
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I did really well last night and this morning. In true Type-A fashion, I prepared a bed for myself on the couch, and laid out comfy clothes. When I woke up this morning, I wasn't that nervous. <br />
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...I wasn't that nervous until they called my name to go back. Tears immediately. I'm a wuss like that. They hooked me up to a heart and oxygen monitor, and started a saline IV. I was flipping the heck out. So nervous, that when they hooked up the heart monitor, I was at 157 BPM! My heart rate is naturally high, but obviously not that high. Holy eff. I kept apologizing and trying to hold back tears. <br />
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Before I knew it, the doctor was in the room and putting the sedative stuff into my IV (im very technical, obvi). He told me not to be scared, that he's been put under plenty of times, and this kind of twilight sleep was the "only way to fly." When he said that, I remembered how freaked out I used to be about flying. I managed to conquer that fear, so maybe this wouldn't be any different?<br />
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The last thing I remember is the room starting to feel like it was moving. Then I was out. I remember groaning about it hurting at one point when they were working on me, but then they must have upped the numbing agent, because I was out again. I woke up again at the end of my surgery and remember them working and talking. No pain though. I fell back asleep.<br />
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When I woke up once they were done... I felt great! Like really great. I'm pretty sure I said "This stuff is amazing" at least twice to the nurse. I couldn't stop laughing and grinning. K helped me to the car, and I left 2 messages just screaming "PARRP" and laughing hysterically on two of my friends' voicemails. If you haven't read <a href="http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/09/party.html" target="_blank">this post</a> from Hyperbole and a Half, you are seriously missing out. <br />
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So here's a pic, 3 hours after surgery. Be careful, NO MAKEUP. Whatever, I don't mind embarrassing myself online (see below vlog post for proof). <br />
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<center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/2502.jpg"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/s_2502.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="210" /></a></center><br />
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Ew, i know. Honestly, not much swelling and zero bruising, probably because that place is amazing, and I drank a ton of pineapple juice. I read online that it reduces swelling. I believe everything I read online, so yeah.<br />
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<center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/2503.jpg"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/s_2503.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="200" /></a></center><br />
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I have company today too; the cats have been laying with me. K also took off from work to take care of me. Glad, because I would have been lonely!<br />
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<center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/2504.jpg"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/11/01/14/s_2504.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="200" /></a></center><br />
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So, that's my story. You guys were totally right, no reason to be worried at all! Talked to the doctor tonight, and he said I can eat solid food as long as it's soft. Chinese food, here I come!<br />
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhoneChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-7263682679069628832011-01-09T22:32:00.001-05:002011-01-09T22:43:54.823-05:00Vlog Fun!Ok... so, I'm totally jumping on the "dialect vlog" train, as several of my <a href="http://heartonhomestead.blogspot.com/">favorite</a> <a href="http://www.kjpugs.com/">bloggers</a> <a href="http://rufflesandtruffles.com/">have</a> already posted theirs! The idea is for me to read words and answer questions so you can hear how I speak. I'm from Pittsburgh and I've lived here for 15+ years, but I don't think I have much of a Burgh/Yinzer accent. You can be the judge of that!<br />
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Please don't judge me. A little judging is OK, just not too much. I have a head cold (dizzy when I move my head, ew), and I look pale as the walls in this computer room. Oh well. It was fun to do anyways! The cats and I wanted to say heeey so here we are:<br />
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<center><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/18609144" width="400"></iframe><br />
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There you have it! Did you suffer through the whole thing? I'm proud of you.<br />
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The words to read are: <b>Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught.</b><br />
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Questions I answered:<br />
<ul><li><b>What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?</b></li>
<li><b>What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?</b></li>
<li><b>What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you call gym shoes?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you say to address a group of people?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you call your grandparents?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?</b></li>
<li><b>What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?</b></li>
<li><b>What is the thing you change the TV channel with?</b></li>
</ul>So, now it's your turn! Yes, you! Join in on the <strike>embarrassment</strike> fun. Look at it this way, you're probably going to be less awkward and surrounded by less cats than me.Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-3586468262311118532011-01-05T21:19:00.002-05:002011-01-05T21:23:20.769-05:00A little Q&A<div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Michelle at <a href="http://lifewithacrazypup.wordpress.com/">Life With A Crazy Pup</a> has tagged me as a blog she reads, and has asked me to answer some questions! I will be returning the favor at the end of this post, so if I tag you, try and answer my questions <strike>so I don't feel like a reject</strike>. K? K.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>1</b><b>. What’s your biggest goal for 2011? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> I'd like to eat healthier. I've been loading up on the junk food lately, and I've gained 6 pounds since the wedding. Yeah, yeah, not saying I'm huge or anything, but I don't like the extra weight. I notice it, especially when trying to fit into my skinny jeans. Damn holiday food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. What are three songs on your “get pumped up” list?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> My "get pumped up" list always changes. Right now, I'm kind of ashamed of it. Mainly because Ke$ha's "We Are Who We Are" is on it. Gah, I can't help it. It's so catchy!! I also really like Firework by Katy Perry and Only Girl in the World by Rihanna. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>3. Do you prefer a night out at a bar or a night in with friends?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer: </i>Definitely a night in with friends. Nothing better than having people over/going over to a friend's house, having some wine/beer... in a setting where I can actually hear/talk to my friends, not get hit on by creepers, and not pay $5 for a Miller Lite. I'm getting old, I guess!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>4. How much time on average do you spend blogging per day?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> I read blogs almost every day, but actually writing posts? Maybe an hour or two on the days I feel like blogging. I spend a lot of time reading blogs (and comments) during the day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>5. If you could live in any time period, what would it be?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> I'd live in the 80's again... but this time as an adult! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>6. If you could drop everything and start over, what would you change?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> Oh man. Honestly, I probably wouldn't change anything. In my opinion, life is about learning and experiences. As much as I look back and cringe about certain times in my life - all of my experiences, good and bad, have made me who I am today. If I haddd to choose, I'd probably try not to be so awkward as a child. That'd be tough, considering I'm still pretty awkward as an adult.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>7. Would you rather have a personal chef or a personal trainer?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer:</i> I immediately want to say personal chef, which probably means I'm going to need a personal trainer. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>8. What’s your biggest pet peeve?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer: </i>One of my biggest is the sound of plastic bags rubbing together. When I have groceries in the car and the plastic bags smash together when the car goes around a curve... it drives me nuts. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, I'm weird. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>9. Why did you start blogging?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer: </i>I originally started blogging to document my trip to Europe, and to recap my wedding before the details slipped from my mind. I really like the idea of being able to look back on this blog and remember things I may have forgotten about.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>10. What is the worst job you’ve ever had?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: normal; margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Answer: </i>When I was 16, I worked as a cashier at Target for 4 days. I called in on the 5th day and said "I won't be coming in. Ever." I hated it. I was previously a cashier at a grocery store... I quit because Target offered me a WHOLE DOLLAR more an hour. Needless to say, I went back to the grocery store. More money doesn't always equal greater job satisfaction. Lesson learned.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now it's my turn to tag! I'm going to pick a few blog buddies to answer my questions...</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jessica at <a href="http://heartonhomestead.blogspot.com/">Heart on Homestead</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maria at <a href="http://peachyplum.wordpress.com/">Procrastination Station</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Kristen at <a href="http://andnowlights.blogspot.com/">And Now, Lights</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">D.Marie at <a href="http://theworldaroundher.blogspot.com/">The World Around Her</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Emily at <a href="http://aleapbegins.wordpress.com/">A Leap Begins</a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">1. If you could move anywhere in the world, where would you go?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">2. What is one of your earliest memories?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">3. What's your favorite recipe?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">4. Warm weather or cold weather?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">5. What's your weirdest habit?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">6. How much time do you spend online in a day?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">7. How many states have you visited?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">8. If you won $20,000 cash -- how would you spend it?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">9. How do you style your hair on a daily basis? </span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">10. Who do you look up to?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hope to read some answers soon :)</span></div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-45974274271019557022011-01-04T22:05:00.000-05:002011-01-04T22:05:08.374-05:00Oh, Hey 2011.Well here we are: January of a new year. I'm honestly not looking forward to the next 3 months of frozen tundra type weather, but I'll manage. I'll actually have an easier time getting through it knowing that in April I'll be seeing this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mUsvuO2NKYFRWsfIxf5kxr6-AYwVnRiovAojRer6rs2tKXOJHPCn8CjrYOAaw3BTDsxAb8xW5X_fgwAQwcq1vEp2vUmUHQ1QFaOeESFBRLindoxoKOp3fZLTsfDakZMWUvdmEjNxzHFi/s1600/n64700088_30989408_5863211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2mUsvuO2NKYFRWsfIxf5kxr6-AYwVnRiovAojRer6rs2tKXOJHPCn8CjrYOAaw3BTDsxAb8xW5X_fgwAQwcq1vEp2vUmUHQ1QFaOeESFBRLindoxoKOp3fZLTsfDakZMWUvdmEjNxzHFi/s400/n64700088_30989408_5863211.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwDYMt9vRz7InRuV9FrdLsZcuDsV966cxmJYGLC4gMiNooNon5rkRQNMXMWeI8kV6tv_Qr_WOoy6IM9OELEt3JSmccX9yOxp6LCRwNZNeVC4Nx-hOtcXWDKEY5NBvKk5KtJyFOS0LGzdl/s1600/n64700088_30989451_7208130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwDYMt9vRz7InRuV9FrdLsZcuDsV966cxmJYGLC4gMiNooNon5rkRQNMXMWeI8kV6tv_Qr_WOoy6IM9OELEt3JSmccX9yOxp6LCRwNZNeVC4Nx-hOtcXWDKEY5NBvKk5KtJyFOS0LGzdl/s400/n64700088_30989451_7208130.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Yep, we've booked the annual trip to Florida! K and I will be flying down with our two friends, C and J, to spend a week with our Florida friend, W.<br />
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With all those letters, it's starting to look like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chicka-Boom-Anniversary/dp/1416990917/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294027767&sr=8-1">Chicka Chicka Boom Boom</a> up in here... especially with the palm tree picture. (hopefully someone gets that book reference... anyone? Bueller?). <br />
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I'm definitely looking forward to spending some time by the beach with K and our friends! I'm also looking forward to our one year anniversary trip in June. Planning is still in the works... but that's a story for another post.<br />
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As for New Year's Eve... how was yours?<br />
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We had a lot of fun. Lots of drinks...<br />
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Lots of food...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2HB0wsZxpfyCpkyoReJFgb0RUaXwQBA54f9rOdTv9N2QzqBJ5RuyfSYSPe4J4GuSKB2h8Yprq-xVlkB4BBJB6fbF3vk4D1aaNpOu3UlMlw5vEfp8ETFl5PNHsb-T9TgMxW5Cgm1L7E95/s1600/IMG_1723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2HB0wsZxpfyCpkyoReJFgb0RUaXwQBA54f9rOdTv9N2QzqBJ5RuyfSYSPe4J4GuSKB2h8Yprq-xVlkB4BBJB6fbF3vk4D1aaNpOu3UlMlw5vEfp8ETFl5PNHsb-T9TgMxW5Cgm1L7E95/s400/IMG_1723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
and a lot of unflattering pictures of me wearing a paper hat. Whomp whomp.<br />
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We had a blasty-blast though! True to form, the next morning I ate a Big Mac in under 2 minutes. Where would we be without traditions?<br />
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10 days until I get my wisdom teeth out. Boooo. I've been Googling everything I can about wisdom teeth removal. Seriously, someone needs to take the internet away from me. I don't have a new year's resolution... but if I did, it'd probably be to stop self-diagnosing online.<br />
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Hope you guys had a nice New Year's Eve!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-24847534397016510522010-12-31T08:07:00.000-05:002010-12-31T08:07:11.351-05:002010: Year In Review2010 was, quite honestly, an amazing year.<br />
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I graduated from college (with honors), after 7 long years. Obviously, I changed majors a lot.<br />
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I did everything backwards (job first, buy a house with boyfriend, get engaged, then graduate), but it all worked out in the end.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiuAOPkMjjQjQZKiIoswFLx0PtdZHPGYHy26qbXX79hUjNje6CUD5hZ77ezdrirjW-EiWGAPcMlkw4n9Hfj8TfvxthH1heCaMb_4DgOlkBH3Jtc-7B6qmMzN_DN2FzmhB_x8iSN5zrtXb/s1600/31425_536810715508_64700088_31547829_2762405_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiuAOPkMjjQjQZKiIoswFLx0PtdZHPGYHy26qbXX79hUjNje6CUD5hZ77ezdrirjW-EiWGAPcMlkw4n9Hfj8TfvxthH1heCaMb_4DgOlkBH3Jtc-7B6qmMzN_DN2FzmhB_x8iSN5zrtXb/s400/31425_536810715508_64700088_31547829_2762405_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please ignore my ill-fitting cap.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A few months later, we had a little event.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjcfSkeVb89XZTXLrH7nCCJWy1hZX_8ZB_I1KEhITqRpFxMuje3Y9AurImOr8LB5JZK2F-SGMuMlrMbN2NRa7ZIvoMaMM8Mp5qrKMreJ2AGzLa2dTJiMvQ2BTzFLWAtTzhlBaJtxpzr0X/s1600/20863_539842724338_64700088_31654905_1637253_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjcfSkeVb89XZTXLrH7nCCJWy1hZX_8ZB_I1KEhITqRpFxMuje3Y9AurImOr8LB5JZK2F-SGMuMlrMbN2NRa7ZIvoMaMM8Mp5qrKMreJ2AGzLa2dTJiMvQ2BTzFLWAtTzhlBaJtxpzr0X/s400/20863_539842724338_64700088_31654905_1637253_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Also known as: the best day ever.<br />
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Our wedding was everything I dreamed it would be. It was amazing to be surrounded by friends and family, and feel such love and support. I'm still so thankful to everyone who was a part of our day. I'm so happy and blessed to be married to such an amazing man. Love you, K :)<br />
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We went on an amazing honeymoon to Mexico, a county we had never visited before.<br />
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I went on several little trips, too. A short trip to Florida, to see a BFF and Jimmy Buffett. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIRzDhU5w-_66WZGg78uJaouvIeckDNsd5iZzDvmP153xNR-NhGAxJpWLs1wmE7FOBGPHqTh_QnySA-gslIsE-ued_r_HGgtd1YuSpVcVFJoWq4wjwXAv52CF4LWqEjFs8c0PH2kAut6i/s1600/25545_533802848298_64700088_31466255_181619_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIRzDhU5w-_66WZGg78uJaouvIeckDNsd5iZzDvmP153xNR-NhGAxJpWLs1wmE7FOBGPHqTh_QnySA-gslIsE-ued_r_HGgtd1YuSpVcVFJoWq4wjwXAv52CF4LWqEjFs8c0PH2kAut6i/s400/25545_533802848298_64700088_31466255_181619_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I wore that in public.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I took a road trip to North Carolina with bridesmaid M to visit some buddies.<br />
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Then I took the biggest trip of my life so far... Europe. Brussels, Belgium to be exact.<br />
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After a lot of traveling, I wrapped up the year right where I wanted to be: at home with K, our friends and family. <br />
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I'm blessed. I'm blessed and grateful to have had such an amazing year. I'm blessed and grateful to be married, to have traveled, to have graduated and to have a decent job. I'm grateful for so much this year, and I can only hope that 2011 is filled with blessings and adventures as well.<br />
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What was the highlight of your year? See you in 2011!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-12152173903769323652010-12-28T18:26:00.000-05:002010-12-28T18:26:15.955-05:00Merry Belated Christmas!Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We hosted Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at our house. Needless to say, I'm still exhausted and glad we're <i>almost</i> done entertaining. I say almost because New Year's Eve is at our house for the 3rd year in a row. Looking forward to fun times, but not looking forward to cleaning up afterward! I need 3 dishwashers I think.<br />
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Would you like a Christmas Eve tour? <br />
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Homemade cookies - I think I ate 75% of the 19 dozen I made. FML.<br />
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Our Christmas table... before it exploded with food.<br />
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I received awesome Christmas cards from some <a href="http://aleapbegins.wordpress.com/">fun</a> <a href="http://peachyplum.wordpress.com/">blogger</a> <a href="http://heartonhomestead.blogspot.com/">friends</a>, thanks guys! Their cards were mixed in with all of the cards from "real life" friends (haha), family members and Weddingbee buddies. <br />
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Christmas Day was fun, and as always, a mess of wrapping paper and goodies.<br />
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Can you spy some of my gifts? a Nap snuggie(!), Kate Spade perfume (smells amazing), the Glitz and Glam makeup set from Sephora... someone was paying attention! <br />
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I may have been extra good this year, because I was also spoiled with my <a href="http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10776301&cp=1872494.2496935">Kate Spade wallet!</a> Woot! <br />
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The pets had a nice Christmas too... mice, catnip and bones galore.<br />
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The Christmas tree is coming down Sunday after the New Year's Eve/Winter Classic festivities. Have I mentioned my husband is VERY excited about the Winter Classic hockey game at Heinz Field on New Year's Day? Hopefully it stays cold enough for the game - it's warming up here this weekend (a rare occurrence!).Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-42530271795804265052010-12-18T11:45:00.000-05:002010-12-18T11:45:13.984-05:006 months ago...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWqw7uct_tjmGnuAtjwd0IFbp6yEHC3xAspGa-wbJi_qJO4rcDyJkx_zVSzJY_iB7g3N5ocouEgET9lDGR_HoCziexC0LuQKPEJlkeQqDTEx1tSqMZt5IYhkTdHVe9Z7xSk5cCFWODtuC/s1600/c%2526k-073_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPWqw7uct_tjmGnuAtjwd0IFbp6yEHC3xAspGa-wbJi_qJO4rcDyJkx_zVSzJY_iB7g3N5ocouEgET9lDGR_HoCziexC0LuQKPEJlkeQqDTEx1tSqMZt5IYhkTdHVe9Z7xSk5cCFWODtuC/s640/c%2526k-073_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I married the most wonderful man I've ever known. <br />
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Happy 6th month anniversary husband, I love you!<br />
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I viewed this slideshow after getting back from our honeymoon.<br />
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It brings a tear to my eye every time!<br />
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<a href="http://tonyurbanphotography.com/?p=3440">http://tonyurbanphotography.com/?p=3440</a><br />
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It's set to our first dance song. Enjoy!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-78214233217925895802010-12-15T20:19:00.000-05:002010-12-15T20:19:51.589-05:00Pet Gift ExchangeChewy, Olive, and Sadie participated in <a href="http://kjpugs.com/2010/11/kitty-canine-a-go-go/">kjpugs' 2010 Kitty & Canine Gift Exchange!</a> We were paired up with <a href="http://krazythinker123.blogspot.com/">Megan's</a> kitties Raven, Tiger and Spaz. Megan's cats must have emailed our pets to see what they wanted, because they LOVE their gifts!<br />
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First up, Spaz's present to Chewy.<br />
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Chewy got a Loofa Leap wand toy!<br />
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Thanks, Spaz!<br />
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Next up... Sadie's gift(s!) from Raven. Sadie must have been extra good this year!<br />
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Out of focus... but look at this pure excitement. It's a squeaky cow!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">*runs to bed* wait... there's one more? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFw9v4gfNXTfPMl32WBJJQY3xOU9VM6NXyqKqRosvbiqQJ9U4oVX5t-a3Y6E7HOi8VFg_akmSYveKF8Iw3GAKJ27Kq8qEMMKsIk2QzkKSehP8TvrKS01fLUP5JGbc8yuHHDCj1TJrxumOE/s1600/IMG_1578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFw9v4gfNXTfPMl32WBJJQY3xOU9VM6NXyqKqRosvbiqQJ9U4oVX5t-a3Y6E7HOi8VFg_akmSYveKF8Iw3GAKJ27Kq8qEMMKsIk2QzkKSehP8TvrKS01fLUP5JGbc8yuHHDCj1TJrxumOE/s400/IMG_1578.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">TOY SNOWMAN! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLUVLjV_chz_qWMa656CnIuAplVCzJRdgM1IOFohOPtks8rOjr01FAJS-GEhYyxdT0DycHSm0hilj1sP02x8fOYzQ6yqHk41daSPxjTzaTHtp0RI85ynU0Br1etM5zdj0TXnH8p2IsgdH/s1600/IMG_1588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLUVLjV_chz_qWMa656CnIuAplVCzJRdgM1IOFohOPtks8rOjr01FAJS-GEhYyxdT0DycHSm0hilj1sP02x8fOYzQ6yqHk41daSPxjTzaTHtp0RI85ynU0Br1etM5zdj0TXnH8p2IsgdH/s400/IMG_1588.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, it was Olive's turn. She got a catnip-stuffable mouse with some catnip from Tiger! Ohhh boy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLy1eaYUcbw5CvUArfuJQrl8TbxmeFyO8Aa5nn5jXDEF1_Vmk4T-TIyI9wFlRSIf2Y9_og11FQjsy_ml8xbweaZeTAHshFTssXvSLoIFUWdkXAkEAnl9IE-PQqs3duqHn53XyRBDkfpsP/s1600/IMG_1594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLy1eaYUcbw5CvUArfuJQrl8TbxmeFyO8Aa5nn5jXDEF1_Vmk4T-TIyI9wFlRSIf2Y9_og11FQjsy_ml8xbweaZeTAHshFTssXvSLoIFUWdkXAkEAnl9IE-PQqs3duqHn53XyRBDkfpsP/s400/IMG_1594.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This toy was popular with everyone. K couldn't even stuff it with catnip without Chewy going nuts and spilling it on K!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYBQigR3Af8OgsZb3lW8-ErTsnid4D7NFvrPKBWFu9X-Dlr_zRe8YzS2IQZglUEq3wFtQWtvoM64bHs2GY-jWH8i49KeoLeOAFUG_92EaE7WD7D5nOJFpEg8qechRQYBjVe0hG27nNVBK/s1600/IMG_1598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlYBQigR3Af8OgsZb3lW8-ErTsnid4D7NFvrPKBWFu9X-Dlr_zRe8YzS2IQZglUEq3wFtQWtvoM64bHs2GY-jWH8i49KeoLeOAFUG_92EaE7WD7D5nOJFpEg8qechRQYBjVe0hG27nNVBK/s400/IMG_1598.JPG" width="396" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ8rbx5zyG_j7bWLvAKqJj8iEJLCQuThBHzMpM3P8XmwQrvPYvcZG8b5syLQJ0Udq5oQ55-_Am3NPfLijB71tTlb66ncBg08Yv3phC1UjLGQTkLWiNc6meiUZkR4z93fvfcvnfjYjAxJU/s1600/IMG_1603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ8rbx5zyG_j7bWLvAKqJj8iEJLCQuThBHzMpM3P8XmwQrvPYvcZG8b5syLQJ0Udq5oQ55-_Am3NPfLijB71tTlb66ncBg08Yv3phC1UjLGQTkLWiNc6meiUZkR4z93fvfcvnfjYjAxJU/s400/IMG_1603.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Olive loved the toy too... but Chewy stole it. No surprise, I don't call him Bad Kitty for nothin'!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, it's safe to say the animals are excited for Christmas! They broke into a TIED Petsmart bag and stole a feather toy I was saving for Christmas yesterday. Yep, they're ready.</div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-28575968526031127422010-12-13T20:47:00.001-05:002010-12-13T20:58:40.037-05:00Eating Better, Shopping BetterI'm making an effort to cook foods that are good for K and I. We have a tendency to be lazy, and go with convenience over quality. I do cook homemade meals during the week, but fast food also makes an appearance usually twice a week - paired with eating out on the weekends. Convenience doesn't always equal savings either - $20 here and $20 there for dinners and lunches add up. Fast.<br />
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So, to start, I'm attempting to make better decisions in buying groceries. Tonight, I did pretty well. Here's my grocery receipt:<br />
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Quart 2% milk - $1.09 (We use it mainly for cooking).<br />
Gorton's grilled filets of fish - $4.00<br />
Sargento cheese sticks - $3.50<br />
Sliced white mushrooms - $2.69<br />
Zucchini - $1.41<br />
Red peppers (2) - $2.90<br />
Sweet Onion - $.86<br />
Brown Rice - $2.00<br />
Organic couscous - $3.29<br />
Black Jewell butter popcorn (no hydrogenated oils) - $3.49 <br />
All natural boneless pork chops (4) - $3.71<br />
Turkey tenderloins (2) - $8.30<br />
All natural boneless chicken breasts (3) - $5.79<br />
Pasta Sauce (all natural) - $4.99 <br />
Simply POM juice (by Minute Maid) - $3.00<br />
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<u><b>Total: $51.02 </b></u><br />
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Pretty good, right? That's enough for 5-6 dinners (of course using a few things I already have).<br />
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I wish I could develop a menu using mostly/all vegetables. They're obviously really good for you, but beyond that - they're freakin' cheap! <br />
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Tonight, I sauteed the mushrooms, red peppers, zucchini, and onion in a little of my <a href="http://www.oliviersandco.com/olive-oils/basil-specialty-olive-oil-3.html">basil olive oil</a> with some spices. I cooked the brown rice on the side and served the veggies over the brown rice. Still very delicious and pretty healthy!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wM7o0Pwb_mIZrH17vKw_jhNiHZbe_V4j4yeMSEYl6E32CJW4SpEFgxvMRmHLP0msCtdixecXua5d_1E928C3tJUModhNnh3ZvB2VT7ju5Jnsg1jwNdgU-Lk169Qqd3nej-ZLyM_taPD/s1600/photo%25288%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi69wM7o0Pwb_mIZrH17vKw_jhNiHZbe_V4j4yeMSEYl6E32CJW4SpEFgxvMRmHLP0msCtdixecXua5d_1E928C3tJUModhNnh3ZvB2VT7ju5Jnsg1jwNdgU-Lk169Qqd3nej-ZLyM_taPD/s400/photo%25288%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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The turkey, pork, and chicken will make up 3 more meals. I'll serve whole grain pasta with my pasta sauce. The frozen fish will work well with rice. I'll probably serve the couscous with the pork (?). I buy frozen steamfresh veggies like it's my job - so I'll be using those this week too. My freezer is packed with them! The popcorn is a yummy snack, as are the cheese sticks.<br />
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I'm also currently obsessed with Greek yogurt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLJvm1AWYJB8tXJNHZt6GOikKgKiKLZQFq5n041kSxFZoHGR9J94YVR4aZX2qyUVhRtuE7btnlMaXBoR73WYtyFwYRRM0N1u1P17qCUIZDb2MzvySzxL-zQgYEJjIiKfU4zZHW4Yt1LHQ/s1600/photo%25289%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLJvm1AWYJB8tXJNHZt6GOikKgKiKLZQFq5n041kSxFZoHGR9J94YVR4aZX2qyUVhRtuE7btnlMaXBoR73WYtyFwYRRM0N1u1P17qCUIZDb2MzvySzxL-zQgYEJjIiKfU4zZHW4Yt1LHQ/s400/photo%25289%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Strawberry, pomegranate... even caramel (which is pretty good!).<br />
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This yogurt tends to fill me up more than regular yogurt. I love mixing granola with it!<br />
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What do you do to eat healthier?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">By the way... I may or may not have had 3 double stuffed oreos for dessert. I fail. </span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-77957091236836811992010-12-12T20:31:00.002-05:002010-12-12T20:39:58.962-05:00Weekend RecapHope everyone had a lovely weekend! I attended my friend's ornament exchange party on Saturday - and it was lots of fun!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsueM9ny11nTRkvuvThulAzK16pwJUatDCkmO8Yj4xkgfx8Yz3l5iNTck7CQATDIbZ5azp5SL2u4JAem9yOX2pQNePMbsZ4OO6l0VJE1i1_AT5UmPUeJaXLJGvH7vlyglM6qjqdZTi0Ofk/s1600/IMG_1361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsueM9ny11nTRkvuvThulAzK16pwJUatDCkmO8Yj4xkgfx8Yz3l5iNTck7CQATDIbZ5azp5SL2u4JAem9yOX2pQNePMbsZ4OO6l0VJE1i1_AT5UmPUeJaXLJGvH7vlyglM6qjqdZTi0Ofk/s400/IMG_1361.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdak-2ge7RcborZLOkP0Y6GMfnyyU6PhkyZG26xmZH6gTJqjx9NECNnBMoStiq1mnl7PEzFcWWViujloGQvHqzYKwepoxgmQIWXpYP575_gTiUUZRfGfUxlPign4IMORegaKruoQ_ThkP/s1600/IMG_1420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdak-2ge7RcborZLOkP0Y6GMfnyyU6PhkyZG26xmZH6gTJqjx9NECNnBMoStiq1mnl7PEzFcWWViujloGQvHqzYKwepoxgmQIWXpYP575_gTiUUZRfGfUxlPign4IMORegaKruoQ_ThkP/s640/IMG_1420.JPG" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the ornament exchange, everyone purchased an ornament, wrapped it, and we each pulled a number. The first person to pick would unwrap an ornament. The second person could either unwrap an ornament or steal an ornament that has already been opened. Nobody could steal an ornament that had been stolen more than 2 times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I, of course, stole this ornament from my friend. What? Sorry... I have a weakness for shoes and I'm OBSESSED with this ornament now!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGVFlNjpS6sYHdWxt9I_R6FpwHkBHahmaHUGO8HCZDwnQ2zibVSD56kFW__7Ix9vhM90P5Eo1rYtcqR2_39b4xBf2qSnFhtYKuRZ-e-hd_KeOjcUk6HpFa_AS8JNKQBIa2h42FwqfY2nS/s1600/IMG_1520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGVFlNjpS6sYHdWxt9I_R6FpwHkBHahmaHUGO8HCZDwnQ2zibVSD56kFW__7Ix9vhM90P5Eo1rYtcqR2_39b4xBf2qSnFhtYKuRZ-e-hd_KeOjcUk6HpFa_AS8JNKQBIa2h42FwqfY2nS/s400/IMG_1520.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I mean... look at the inside:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6m_YJNWX56j_1Etu-gT7P0dOwUuj1Pw7BijPix4V_-MXEdO-fLEzeAtTvkBlSetstaE_RlWU0mTNhpDK_KwRdKRTNhE9cryX1DVZZw7fSw2U48AeUKfr6qBswFDd-xuReoIMYQRdOQsz/s1600/IMG_1523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6m_YJNWX56j_1Etu-gT7P0dOwUuj1Pw7BijPix4V_-MXEdO-fLEzeAtTvkBlSetstaE_RlWU0mTNhpDK_KwRdKRTNhE9cryX1DVZZw7fSw2U48AeUKfr6qBswFDd-xuReoIMYQRdOQsz/s400/IMG_1523.JPG" width="266" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"All I want is peace on earth and really cute shoes!"</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So true. So true.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other news, we got our floor in the entryway to our house redone. Here's what it looked like before:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLC0Uo5LaDoQoBZMCukGYdG3qKkTVawhEevaCoCE5FTePxPocDmTUl_n3anOtMRce2rpZEQ0TrwbtTjRGHwLDfa1KZo9K7r-mrKm61RIAV0dxi1i2Qwath6oTBIMJ1PHP_-OWYvlg_1n_/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLC0Uo5LaDoQoBZMCukGYdG3qKkTVawhEevaCoCE5FTePxPocDmTUl_n3anOtMRce2rpZEQ0TrwbtTjRGHwLDfa1KZo9K7r-mrKm61RIAV0dxi1i2Qwath6oTBIMJ1PHP_-OWYvlg_1n_/s400/IMG_0292.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>It was cheap vinyl that has probably been here since the house was built. See how it was starting to peel up?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafEye6LdZ3ob0EvuV4WWXORfap80SH-_Qg1mzjRZRPzp1TT6C3L_QpFUOm73ZVRM5MRHWn0bF9_Lmz6DFaYEG2Y5BTGIIHj-MzO0ImdbSWVAZs0PNpC-KUA_k27youQQOcrmzAkiP784k/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjafEye6LdZ3ob0EvuV4WWXORfap80SH-_Qg1mzjRZRPzp1TT6C3L_QpFUOm73ZVRM5MRHWn0bF9_Lmz6DFaYEG2Y5BTGIIHj-MzO0ImdbSWVAZs0PNpC-KUA_k27youQQOcrmzAkiP784k/s400/IMG_0288.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Well, I caved to K's wish to get wood laminate installed. I really didn't want to spend the money (and DIY is not an option with us, we are NOT handy people!), but it turned out so well - I think it was worth the investment.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWMPzqzxztSvQcKZ5tal5NlPaXS0bhSlgGMLiZT9H5v-FodiW_hltJcw860M3z52biYcsBHNUV9W5KdJYepy1sN2885sptn_L49XeNY5AlakMqLHmq7yHONOlG1vWgPINTDj4zfWChBbH/s1600/IMG_1516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnWMPzqzxztSvQcKZ5tal5NlPaXS0bhSlgGMLiZT9H5v-FodiW_hltJcw860M3z52biYcsBHNUV9W5KdJYepy1sN2885sptn_L49XeNY5AlakMqLHmq7yHONOlG1vWgPINTDj4zfWChBbH/s400/IMG_1516.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Qs5g0tnIheC9n9RRiSR3BQcbkuaVtoooJRGwP9sOE8e3svu4Idq9G12Fbn1Fdtd3Vum2GTl6oI8Ymm2JnH1s-p45yFWoq8StIgprTdgj8qcPrAWwF_sc40MZ62S1teJd2P2WtzsfjLtC/s1600/IMG_1515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Qs5g0tnIheC9n9RRiSR3BQcbkuaVtoooJRGwP9sOE8e3svu4Idq9G12Fbn1Fdtd3Vum2GTl6oI8Ymm2JnH1s-p45yFWoq8StIgprTdgj8qcPrAWwF_sc40MZ62S1teJd2P2WtzsfjLtC/s400/IMG_1515.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Hopefully when we try to sell our house in a couple of years, it'll impress a potential buyer!<br />
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Hope everyone has a nice week! I have a final on Tuesday, and then I'm free to forget about school until mid January!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-43092115382859120092010-12-05T22:25:00.000-05:002010-12-05T22:25:17.817-05:00All I want for Christmas (is to lose my wisdom teeth?)Ugh. I'd like to lose them without the pain and fear... if at all possible. Not realistic, I know. Instead, January 14th (or doomsday, according to me), I will be freaking the hell out because that's the day I'll be getting these 4 jerks removed.<br />
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I've never been put under sedation before. Even though this will just be "twilight sedation," I'm still scared big time. What if I don't wake up?! I know, such a stupid fear, but it still freaks me out. <br />
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Wishing for spontaneous tooth disappearances aside, I thought I'd jump on the Christmas list train and share my Christmas wants!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DSY7DabZLR9NGE-GQsAWYdl_cFxTTNKD4s4fP8RF-FF0fKW4MIQpBc4bu4DmbvTdq5lniTUGHNV9j1DAub4tNapUb6umUbXklICncCLATrIjAoCR6rg9Oj1jHsxHoUkj_cL_lUSeTpm7/s1600/P273549_hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DSY7DabZLR9NGE-GQsAWYdl_cFxTTNKD4s4fP8RF-FF0fKW4MIQpBc4bu4DmbvTdq5lniTUGHNV9j1DAub4tNapUb6umUbXklICncCLATrIjAoCR6rg9Oj1jHsxHoUkj_cL_lUSeTpm7/s320/P273549_hero.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P273549#">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In case you didn't know, I am OBSESSED with makeup. Obsessed. The amount I spend on makeup is shameful and embarrassing, at best. I need to write a makeup post one of these days, only because I have tried SO many brands of various products. <br />
<br />
I love Sephora, and one of the reasons why I'm such a fan is their liberal return policy. Use something a couple times and hate it - even after you've thrown away the box and receipt? Return it to the store and they'll give you an in-store credit for the retail price. Helps me to not worry about wasting money on something I end up hating, ya know?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I really want the above gift set. It's $39 and has allll kinds of goodies to try out. I put the hint out to K (and by hint I mean shopping list with kit name and price), so I'm hoping to find this under the tree for me this year!<br />
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I'd also love these socks:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NOwaDhWzcMZLBG_Ho9s_Lu0OdoKdRD9yAcl9X4ocFczAWhF1hmQNntrC_hyLnLPvrCL09cVRbiXw3Iq-n0GXPmWv79bBDCdmFT_mFRxb70REzqSFqEMBhubQIF4NcbuBdnaKkblRYE5D/s1600/nap+socks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3NOwaDhWzcMZLBG_Ho9s_Lu0OdoKdRD9yAcl9X4ocFczAWhF1hmQNntrC_hyLnLPvrCL09cVRbiXw3Iq-n0GXPmWv79bBDCdmFT_mFRxb70REzqSFqEMBhubQIF4NcbuBdnaKkblRYE5D/s320/nap+socks.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.brookstone.com/nap-socks-3-Pair.html?his=2%7E46337%7E2%7Eroot_category%40kwd%7Enap&bkiid=searchResults%7CC4CategoryProdList1FDT%7C6765825">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>They're Brookstone N-A-P socks, and they are heavenly soft. I've never owned a pair, but I've drooled over them in the store multiple times. 3 pairs for $20, and my feet will be grateful. Hey -- we keep this house at 64 degrees at any given moment. It's cold in here! K likes the gas bill to be low, so cozy socks and blankets are how I survive!<br />
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On to the more "wishful thinking" items...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd8Y6I4zfoQD8nIN1fd9Mqve3IwHwwh0W_M900VKU9RN8GqMK4q3PpZRw12yT7Ge91SB0WEPlPrgdNur94PpYjk7PGIbmxDALcpdUkkTqNQu86e3E_6c54kkmTGi4kfuRfX02rRWNXWhD/s1600/wallet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd8Y6I4zfoQD8nIN1fd9Mqve3IwHwwh0W_M900VKU9RN8GqMK4q3PpZRw12yT7Ge91SB0WEPlPrgdNur94PpYjk7PGIbmxDALcpdUkkTqNQu86e3E_6c54kkmTGi4kfuRfX02rRWNXWhD/s200/wallet.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10776300&cp=4335762.2065599">Source</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Kate Spade. You yummy little pancake. Why do I have such a weakness for your lovely items? WHY? This purdy wallet makes me happy. I want! It can be used as a clutch too. See how I'm justifying? For $140, I'm going to have to justify a lot... though I wouldn't protest if my husband bought it for me. Just sayin'.<br />
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Now for more wishful thinking: <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrYh6W2spLSDY1C3bj8DDhJpmB7Xl1_Ulyp1L_DG40N9IzmgqXnTm_BRguW0Fc7wb9eZx_lbPLGR0KE9HXB03Zd63aebqj0WSoXAbmcYmIM9nzEJ9SfQFEEaJuzW_1jgJvxCYz3uD0lh2/s1600/boot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrYh6W2spLSDY1C3bj8DDhJpmB7Xl1_Ulyp1L_DG40N9IzmgqXnTm_BRguW0Fc7wb9eZx_lbPLGR0KE9HXB03Zd63aebqj0WSoXAbmcYmIM9nzEJ9SfQFEEaJuzW_1jgJvxCYz3uD0lh2/s320/boot.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2836785">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I know it's overplayed, but I wouldn't mind a pair of UGGs. Why not? Well, I could never justify purchasing these for myself. $180 for boots? Outrageous. However, I did spend that much on my wedding shoes, which although fabulous - will only be worn on the most special of occasions. I could probably get some use out of these, considering my backyard occasionally looks like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYNClbqlTFizmsDfV77zlkUEbXXukb31Kg4eBBEC1ldZKfDQsbyoWCGqhDFaw7HQ27YdoVUN8y007tmSW6EMH9zU64tc9L2mlhJ39hxWgW6psI-4qjxHFcwu1p2Dj17rnRPLwZ0lwaSyr/s1600/17969_532693581278_64700088_31441035_4522398_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYNClbqlTFizmsDfV77zlkUEbXXukb31Kg4eBBEC1ldZKfDQsbyoWCGqhDFaw7HQ27YdoVUN8y007tmSW6EMH9zU64tc9L2mlhJ39hxWgW6psI-4qjxHFcwu1p2Dj17rnRPLwZ0lwaSyr/s400/17969_532693581278_64700088_31441035_4522398_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
What "wishful thinking" gifts would you like for the holidays?Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-42447593142038947502010-12-02T20:05:00.000-05:002010-12-02T20:05:17.179-05:00Secret SantaToday we had a little "Secret Santa" party at my office- with gifts under $10. It was really fun, and a great way to get into the holiday spirit! <br />
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I got my co-worker gifts from New York & Company while out shopping on Black Friday at midnight.<br />
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I got her this cute ruffles wallet (the silver one in the middle):<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlDSuTfrDQa_EDwAVaEZ-4IVWl3IRl9iqxb60rnKuNGdH-VQ7pDY8Bv1YRxvNb-1LV23k7DCX82VZ1QKHVX14AVhPP8gQv-IXVAipC6LGOLEuCfLbSAmnCpW3o2F-RbW0e4kySujLhxFE/s1600/08256459_965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlDSuTfrDQa_EDwAVaEZ-4IVWl3IRl9iqxb60rnKuNGdH-VQ7pDY8Bv1YRxvNb-1LV23k7DCX82VZ1QKHVX14AVhPP8gQv-IXVAipC6LGOLEuCfLbSAmnCpW3o2F-RbW0e4kySujLhxFE/s320/08256459_965.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=prod2720067&categoryId=cat170012&FLCat=cat70094&addFacet=1002%3Acat170012">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>...and a pair of sparkly earrings. I ended up spending almost exactly $10 (it was just over with tax), because NY&Co was running a 50% off sale + extra 10% off in the morning on Black Friday. Gooo me!<br />
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My friend at work had me for Secret Santa, and she got me some awesome gifts!<br />
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These are my absolute favorite candles of all time. Forget Yankee (which never smell as good when they burn, IMO), <a href="http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=10935734&cp=2484529">Slatkin & Co</a> candles from Bath & Body Works are the <b>best</b>! They must be 90% oil, because they make my entire house smell <i>uh-maz-ing</i>. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hytb8pHcoBDpTn43XAs7s2MZkVok8XhL2ATVrIcHTTkh3IIXFXntWsqJbTMow5tVGWeA81loyo807QRnM1KGEZfDryAaao32OaE39dsjY1-qqTrwGl-9oznJLqu5z78aAihkGCb9YSg8/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hytb8pHcoBDpTn43XAs7s2MZkVok8XhL2ATVrIcHTTkh3IIXFXntWsqJbTMow5tVGWeA81loyo807QRnM1KGEZfDryAaao32OaE39dsjY1-qqTrwGl-9oznJLqu5z78aAihkGCb9YSg8/s400/IMG_1336.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Try them. I promise you'll swoon. They make awesome gifts. They're also often on sale for 2 for $20 in the store.<br />
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She also got me the most amazing socks ever (also from Bath & Body works):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAtY6vjErBxLWZZ09lfLsjfN2HbFspVRZ8ZNSjPvlSHLCLLOXr2y6FOQInsTid6SKjJsqmxOdmGjkA1JqRTWQCw1ErOX-EeQl0LUYf7RpBeY9QghH13qZ4xX4X5yfSE4oNKKHpFLl1wCk/s1600/IMG_1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwAtY6vjErBxLWZZ09lfLsjfN2HbFspVRZ8ZNSjPvlSHLCLLOXr2y6FOQInsTid6SKjJsqmxOdmGjkA1JqRTWQCw1ErOX-EeQl0LUYf7RpBeY9QghH13qZ4xX4X5yfSE4oNKKHpFLl1wCk/s400/IMG_1335.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10768248&cp=2484529.10896266">These socks</a> are infused with a pretty scent and Shea butter. They're super cozy, they make your feet soft and smell nice (bonus), and they have little skid-proof pads on the bottom. Win, win, win! Apparently, the scent and Shea butter only last after a limited number of washings, but I am totes lovin' them right now!<br />
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We all brought in some stuff to share for lunch too. I made my Pepperoni Dip. Seriously guys, this stuff is a crowd pleaser every time... and it's SO easy to make!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><u>Pepperoni Dip</u></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 bricks of cream cheese</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cans of cream of celery soup (trust me on this)</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 packages of pepperoni (sliced).</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Combine in a small crockpot. Cook for 3-4 hours on low. Stir occasionally. </div><br />
It's gooey, pepperoni goodness. Thank me later ;)Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-46178291239322826032010-11-29T19:41:00.000-05:002010-11-29T19:41:53.280-05:00Black Friday, and I've got Christmas fever.I'm happy to report that Thanksgiving was amazing! The food was wonderful and we had a great time with our families. I pulled off cooking everything without a hitch... well except for one minor hitch (though at the moment I thought it was a HUGE deal).<br />
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I cooked the bird upside down. <br />
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When I put the bird in the oven initially, I obviously wasn't awake. I set it on the roasting pan breast side down. <br />
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When I pulled out the bird after 2.5 hours I realized my error... and almost passed the hell out.<br />
<br />
So what did I do? I googled that ish faster than you can say "thanksgiving pizza." Turns out, it's FINE to cook it that way. In fact, many chefs recommend cooking the bird breast down side for the first few hours, because it makes for juicer white meat!<br />
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So, I flipped the bird back upright, based him with butter, and cooked him for another hour on a higher temp.<br />
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Let me just say... best. turkey. EVER. Best error/fail ever! I'll always do it that way from now on. I wish I had pictures, but I was too busy to take any. I'll make it up to you below... I'm warning you now, the rest of this post is Christmas overload.<br />
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I'm in FULL Christmas mode over here! Black Friday really set me in gear; my friend L and I went out at midnight Friday morning and shopped til around 6:30 AM. I know it sounds (completely) crazy, but I got almost all of my Christmas shopping done! Listen, I don't stand in lines for hours outside of stores... so I'm not over the edge - YET. <br />
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This weekend was also pretty eventful in that we got a lot of decorating done. I was all about it on Friday (obvi, I didn't waste any time). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyOOmx7H2mtle94LoWVTmd6vHZ3TjJfcNuAegDWjDOQwzQiLgqOqs2xa3knwrk9v5PWow4PLmhVhKtMeywYPdpb-WC4bHEN-x8wjeI1-6fSXi2OzUV1opwEp72d1WgExazTInz_yOdSM-/s1600/IMG_1297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyOOmx7H2mtle94LoWVTmd6vHZ3TjJfcNuAegDWjDOQwzQiLgqOqs2xa3knwrk9v5PWow4PLmhVhKtMeywYPdpb-WC4bHEN-x8wjeI1-6fSXi2OzUV1opwEp72d1WgExazTInz_yOdSM-/s640/IMG_1297.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Ok, Ok, so the tree was already up. We put it up last weekend. Before Thanksgiving. Shameful, I know. Now that I have that off my chest, how about taking a peek at my favorite Christmas ornament?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiathr_cl1zUmDUERy2X6Czl4MiANII9G_PUSzE6ABX8p8N8JbUoFMu1FBdUQ-Razhgd-Z-xLSqjHNApJC6WWQfH8F2iSH9fU8nH7YIreaaP6LbGB3BMkRCTGuVYZqk1MIWoMI4VKn9q01P/s1600/IMG_1306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiathr_cl1zUmDUERy2X6Czl4MiANII9G_PUSzE6ABX8p8N8JbUoFMu1FBdUQ-Razhgd-Z-xLSqjHNApJC6WWQfH8F2iSH9fU8nH7YIreaaP6LbGB3BMkRCTGuVYZqk1MIWoMI4VKn9q01P/s400/IMG_1306.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why yes, that is a Fraggle Rock ornament from 1985. My parents bought it for me when I was born. How awesome, right?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our "First Christmas" ornament. It's a s'more, if you couldn't tell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DTIlZqD4efICG6fw3STTEK6c2B_eeGKgVIDUAFcBhN0vgV06AlAOdFddNw7El1wY7gwSTOwvFBxoRCRJiKhKZ-X6KhMOTcmLbICKtT1fxxDOidukz0sHh0AekzpCOre_w7dUpZWUeqME/s1600/IMG_1301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DTIlZqD4efICG6fw3STTEK6c2B_eeGKgVIDUAFcBhN0vgV06AlAOdFddNw7El1wY7gwSTOwvFBxoRCRJiKhKZ-X6KhMOTcmLbICKtT1fxxDOidukz0sHh0AekzpCOre_w7dUpZWUeqME/s400/IMG_1301.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>While we're at it...<br />
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In other news, I did manage to be crafty this weekend.<br />
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Yes... me! Crafty!<br />
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I had been looking everywhere for a new Christmas wreath. No such luck. Couldn't find one for under $40 that I actually liked. So I made one.<br />
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It was so easy. All I did was buy a plain (fake) wreath for $4 at Michael's, along with some little holiday bulbs from their $1 bin, berries, and some ting-ting type stuff for a couple bucks a pop, and voila! Wreath magic. <br />
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I decorated everywhere in our house. I even decorated in our downstairs bathroom.<br />
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</a></div>Speaking of my bathroom, is this weird?<br />
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See that picture? I had nowhere to put it in our house. So into the bathroom it went. Now, if you "use the facilities" you get a smiling picture of my bridesmaids and I. I find it amusing :)<br />
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K and I worked all day yesterday to get the outside of the house done. I'm not going to show you the whole outside of the house though... because it's sadly not done yet. We still have some things to replace and finish. However, I will say that I was VERY happy this evening when I went outside and saw this:<br />
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THIS just happens to be my favorite decoration EVER. This is my ice cube frosty, and we bought him for the first Christmas K and I shared together. Sadly, when I plugged him in yesterday he didn't light up all the way. I had a mini-frosty meltdown (pun intended). I hoped that he would magically come back to life... and guess what? Well you already know because you just looked at that picture. FROSTY LIVES.<br />
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I'm back to school this week (booo) so posting may be light this week. I hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving! Anyone else already preparing for the holidays?Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-15492432711789871672010-11-23T19:04:00.000-05:002010-11-23T19:04:25.434-05:00Giving Thanks and Cooking the Bird<i>Life can change for people in an instant, and unfortunately I was reminded of that today. My dad's best friend, who was also a close family friend, passed away. It's heartbreaking, not only for my dad who lost his long time friend, but more importantly -- his family. I felt the need to preface this post about Thanksgiving with this: give thanks for the people you love, and let them know you love them, because like the song says... "</i><i>life is short but sweet for certain.</i>"<br />
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Have I mentioned I'm cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 8 people this year? This will be the third year in a row, and I swear I've got this whole process down to a science. I LOVE to cook, and Thanksgiving is the ultimate in cooking adventures. <br />
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Excuse the mess on my kitchen table; this was a picture from my first year of Thanksgiving cooking (2007) -- and my kitchen was a disaster area! I'm much more professional now (I even have a schedule of tasks -- I'm type A, duh), and I have time to clean up after myself and even watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which I LOVE.<br />
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I get the majority of my recipes from the Food Network. I freaking love the Food Network; I could watch that channel until my nose starts leaking butter (Paula Deen, anyone?) Here's my menu:<br />
<ul><li><b><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brined Roast Turkey</a> </b>- I've used Alton's recipe and method for brine for the past couple of years and I've NEVER had such delicious, juicy turkey! It's so easy, and it seriously makes ALL the difference in the world. We also buy a fresh farm raised turkey every year from a local orchard. Definitely worth it!</li>
</ul><ul><li><b><a href="http://www.emerils.com/recipe/8047/Caramelized-Cane-Syrup-Sweet-Potatoes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Caramelized Cane Syrup Sweet Potatoes</a> </b>- I like them so much more than a casserole. Emeril knows what's up, yo. </li>
</ul><ul><li><b><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/southern-cornbread-stuffing-recipe/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Southern Cornbread Stuffing</a> </b>- I made this for the first time last year and it is amazzzing. Notice in that picture above that I used STOVE TOP for the first year? Blasphemy! (said my co-workers). Now, I make it the old fashioned way. You know, with an entire stick of butter. </li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Homemade Mashed Potatoes</b> - I have my own recipe. Basically, golden potatoes, roasted garlic (processed into a paste) and tons of cream. Oh, and you have to use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-Good-Grips-Potato-Ricer/dp/B00004OCJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1290555150&sr=1-1">potato ricer</a> or a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Oxo-1071478-Good-Grips-Food/dp/B000I0MGKE">food mill</a> if you want good mashed taters. TRUST.</li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Green Bean Casserole</b> - The traditional kind -- although I may add some fresh mushrooms for a little extra somethin'.</li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Corn </b>- With herbs and butter.</li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Cranberry Sauce</b> - In the can. Ocean Spray. Yeah, I know... but we love it!</li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Biscuits</b></li>
</ul><ul><li><b>Pumpkin Pie and Pecan Pie - </b>K's family makes these - not me.</li>
</ul>I'm also thinking about making a cherry crisp, just because it sounds delicious. <br />
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A couple of weeks ago K and I bought a new dining room table. This is amazingly awesome for us, because we've had the same table and chairs that I bought from Wal-Mart when I was 19. They were hammered, as you can imagine. More importantly, the table only fit 4 people max. <br />
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So, we bought a new set and I'm in loveee. It's all decked out for Thanksgiving. When I say "decked out" I mean borderline tacky. That's how I roll with the holidays though -- go big or go home!<br />
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Tomorrow will consist of shopping. cleaning the rest of the house, brining the turkey and prepping food for Thursday. If I don't post before then, have a fantastic Thanksgiving! I'll report back with my Black Friday purchases (yes I'm a crazy person, and I go out at like 3:30 AM). Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-6199283495595577582010-11-19T19:39:00.000-05:002010-11-19T19:39:45.881-05:00It's been awhile (again!).I'm not going to make (a lot of) excuses for being MIA recently. School and work were keeping me busy, as well as various mini-getaways and such with K. <br />
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I'm also kind of weird in that if I feel pressured to do something, I sometimes pull away and avoid doing it. I felt like I was pressuring myself to write, even if I didn't feel like it. So I stopped updating for awhile. Now I feel like it again, so here I am. Amazing story, right?! Anyway, on to the updates.<br />
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I've been to a couple of Steelers games lately. Oh, how I love tailgating for Steelers games! We had a lot of fun last week, even though we lost. Boo. Can I also say I'm glad Jeff Reed is gone? I know a lot of people think he's the world's most amazing kicker EVER, but I was never impressed. Watching him blow a 26 yard field goal sealed the deal for me last week. Not to mention that he manages to get himself into all kinds of trouble off-field... which annoys me. I digress.<br />
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I love Pittsburgh. It has a special place in my heart. Steelers games are a celebration of our awesome city and team, and celebrate we do! <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">No words for this. Yes, that dog is wearing a dress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKX7R3guDovvvd3kOK1lsCFelw6y6SqKKbtRwhW-kSjpwmLqMObfzeCBR4ZiGTCsdzh5ieapjG2bJPNSgfSN-QO1w9qrC2-1W_5nOTSYe3XWUf828x-grbMV00wAFpXWekWN98Ui3Twg9/s1600/149273_599217042432_35101400_34762767_183233_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKX7R3guDovvvd3kOK1lsCFelw6y6SqKKbtRwhW-kSjpwmLqMObfzeCBR4ZiGTCsdzh5ieapjG2bJPNSgfSN-QO1w9qrC2-1W_5nOTSYe3XWUf828x-grbMV00wAFpXWekWN98Ui3Twg9/s400/149273_599217042432_35101400_34762767_183233_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As my friend M dubbed this... the Yinzer taxi. Not our ride, unfortunately.<br />
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A few weeks ago, K and I went to a bed and breakfast north of here for his birthday. It was pretty fun, and totally different from anything we've ever done before! It's a huge, old fashioned mansion. The rooms are huge, and each one has a different theme. You dress up and go to a really formal dinner there, and you also get a large buffet breakfast in the morning. Despite being the youngest people there, we had a pretty fun time!<br />
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There was a complementary fruit/snack tray in the room when we got there...<br />
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As well as a bottle of champagne!<br />
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Well that's all I have for tonight! K and I are going to grab some sushi, and put up our Christmas tree! I KNOW it's not even Thanksgiving yet.... but I have the Christmas fever. Seriously, I can't wait to decorate this year! I almost bypassed decorating for Thanksgiving, but since we always have the family over here for dinner, I figured that might be kinda weird for people who aren't me. <br />
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Any fun weekend plans? I'll be sure to post a picture of our Thanksgiving/Christmas decor fusion sometime this weekend!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2927207007701844324.post-75689098971355133222010-11-02T19:20:00.001-04:002010-11-02T19:22:28.413-04:00Halloween and Other Things<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>For Halloween, I went as Sookie Stackhouse from True Blood (K and I LOVE this show!).<br />
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My friends C and J went as Snooki and JWOWW from Jersey Shore<br />
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And K... K went as his favorite animal EVER.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFdOPGEJ4sT2mmaLvsG5lcPT5n_18OKChVzzC5luKRCu5m2VSez2KwTCNzCYXmrGIfPEDvs9bSWJCSQ6YLnOkW_JQ0aCaxlykT-sIrlsll9XMn1kUIVLPcrGzFB1g1rH9TNBgosXoMWFl/s1600/74268_546438511328_64700088_31829762_1364540_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFdOPGEJ4sT2mmaLvsG5lcPT5n_18OKChVzzC5luKRCu5m2VSez2KwTCNzCYXmrGIfPEDvs9bSWJCSQ6YLnOkW_JQ0aCaxlykT-sIrlsll9XMn1kUIVLPcrGzFB1g1rH9TNBgosXoMWFl/s400/74268_546438511328_64700088_31829762_1364540_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Yeah. He's a frickin' cat. Ohhh husband of mine. You are a unique one! His costume was outrageous. There was spandex, a tail and a v-neck t-shirt. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6hsW8zSwp0KfgrAVPQdtNdTcWoBs4JibvxfG-a7eAGPE1XeDgbC8pdquP4JUhkYLu56LaXHA-mDVxTERSEtWYMctKh0m8WROxNxx5IOyuAvBh-JB8OJiY8WbuTLVi-aS6I_s14KjR_19/s1600/75710_546438621108_64700088_31829766_2635775_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>A good time was had by all! We danced, drank amazing spiked apple cider (One gallon apple cider, 1/2 - 1 cup of butterscotch Schnapps and Captain Morgan to taste. You'll thank me later), and laughed a lot.<br />
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Yesterday night, I decided to make Haluski. My boss gave me a super easy recipe, and I was so excited to make K one of his favorite meals.<br />
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All you need is two cabbages, two onions, one cup of water, a stick of butter and salt & pepper. Slice up and combine everything in a stock pot. Cover and cook for 90 minutes on medium. Once caramelized, add in cooked egg noodles, some more butter and there ya go!<br />
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Don't ask me for a picture. I can't post it. <br />
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You see... later that night, I woke up at about 3 AM. SICK. As in hugging the toilet bowl sick. You get the picture. I don't know why! Maybe it was the haluski. I know when I woke up I felt like I could still smell cabbage in the air... which made me bolt for the bathroom. I'm sorry, is this TMI? I can't even tell anymore, I just ramble stuff off to anyone who will listen.<br />
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Anyways, I was so sick, I didn't get to sleep until 5 AM. Still have no idea why. After I FINALLY fell asleep K and I awoke to this at 6 AM:<br />
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Rihanna's "Disturbia" BLASTING full volume from our spare bedroom/computer room. <br />
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We both awoke in a panic. K jumped out of bed and staggered into the other room to find this:<br />
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Sitting by the computer keyboard, staring at K like "What? So I turned on the jams. Get over it."<br />
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Don't even ASK me how Bad Kitty figured out how to turn on the music. Just don't. I don't even recall having iTunes open. All I know is that he was hungry, and apparently eager to get us to wake up. My poor neighbors probably really appreciated his attempt at an early morning dance party. <br />
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Oh, and after all of this, I managed to vote this afternoon. I swear, I vote every election... and I still get grilled by the little old election ladies like I'm a 15 year old trying to sneak in a vote. I know I'm small, but I swear I'm old enough to vote. I also get carded every time I order a beer in a restaurant, but I don't get carded buying a handle of Captain Morgan and wine at the liquor store. Hmmm....<br />
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Did anyone else vote today? Who is excited for all of the political TV ads to be OVER? This girl is!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290308551769111478noreply@blogger.com7