Halloween is just around the corner

Halloween is my favorite holiday.  Mostly because it is also when I celebrate my November 1st birthday.  I also happen to be a card nut and really enjoy sending cards for untraditional card holidays.  When the two come together you get this...

I know it is super cheesy, but my wonderful friend Corinne, who is getting into photography (and is really good at it obviously) took these great pics of the dogs!

I uploaded the photos at Wal-Mart's photo department, added one of Bond and I from last years halloween party to make a super cute card for all friends and family!

Happy Halloween

The A to Z's of Me

Here are the A to Z's of me...

A. Age: 28. B. Bed size: Queen.  I think it is just right for us because we have room to sleep while still being close enough to cuddle!  Eventually I think we will graduate to King. C. Chore that you hate: Cleaning the bathroom.

D. Dogs: 2.  Bella a 3 ½ year old German Shepherd and Mo a 3 year old Black Lab.  They are both rescue dogs and so sweet….

E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE! F. Favorite color: Red. G. Gold or Silver: Silver in color, so white gold is acceptable.  No yellow please! H. Height: 5' 3" and ½ (the half is really important!)

I. Instruments you play: Zero, unless you count guitar hero (and I am not very good). J. Job title: Assistant General Counsel or Staff Attorney II K. Kids: None. L. Live: Oklahoma City, OK M. Mother’s name: Michelle N. Nicknames: Beth is a nickname, short for Elizabeth.  But I have sporadically been Bethie, Betharoni, and Bethum. O. Overnight hospital stays: None, that I remember anyways.

P. Pet peeves: I am not going to list all of my pet peeves, but here is a big one.  It drives me crazy when people don’t use their turn signals correctly.  This includes leaving it on when not turning making everyone wonder are they changing lanes?  And turning it on half way through a turn… thanks for letting me know here you have been!
Q. Quote from a movie: "I’m just a girl… standing in front of a boy… asking him to love her." (Julia Roberts in Knotting Hill). R. Right or left handed: Lefty.

S. Siblings: 2 full and 3 adopted.  My mom and dad’s marriage produced Claire, who is 27 and Laura, who is 23.  My dad and stepmom adopted Scout, turns 6 on Saturday, Jack, is 4, and Davie Lynn, 3. T. Time you wake up: Weekdays between 6 and 6:30.  Weekends without an alarm usually around 7:30 or 8. U. Underwear: Victoria Secret is my favorite brand. V. Vegetable you hate: Mushrooms. Texture and taste… Yuck! W. What makes you run late: My warm, comfy, soft, bed.  I hate getting up so mornings are hard.  Sometimes the dogs, no explanation needed. X. X-Rays you’ve had: Arm, sinus & dental Y. Yummy food that you make: Everything. Check out some of my recipes.  I make really great Christmas cookies so stay tuned for those!  Z. Zoo animal: Elephants and Monkeys

What are your A to Z's?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Its time for another installment from of What I'm Loving Wednesday courtesy of LittleDaisyMay.BlogSpot.com.




I'm Loving... So You Think You Can Dance!
This is by far the best dance show. Trained, amazing dancers, try out all over the country. Then during the competition there are these elaborately choreographed routines that give me chills!

I'm Loving.... OPI nail color You Don't Know Jacques.
When it comes to my hands I am usually a strict french manicure girl, but due to some nail breakage I have been doing colors lately. My most recent discovery is You Don't Know Jacques by OPI. It is this wonderful neutral color, but way more fun than a light, pink, cream color.

I'm Loving... My new lunch bag.
My Dad and Stepmom have recently moved to Florida and there is a Vera Bradley outlet store near by. This is great for me because I got this great new lunch box!

It holds so much stuff!

And as always, I'm Loving... The best husband in the world...Mine! (aka Bond)

What are you loving this week?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I love this blog and the idea of her Wednesday posts. So here is what I am Loving this week...

I am loving Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. This show is so amazing and inspiring. If you haven't seen an episode yet you should definitely catch the next one.

I am loving the Bachelorette. I know reality television can be really horrible and Bond really hates this one, but I am so addicted to this season of the show.

I am loving a fun new color of Essie nail polish called Plumberry.

And of course I am loving Bond, my wonderful husband of just over a year!!

Biltmore Chardonnay

On of my favorite wines is now for sale in Oklahoma! It is the Biltmore Chardonnay.






It is on of my favorites for two reasons. One, it taste good. Two, Bond and I took our honeymoon to the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina! It was so beautiful and interesting.  In addition to seeing the estate itself, we stayed at the inn built on the property, dined at several of the on site restaurants, toured and tasted at the winery.  I love historical homes and we did every tour of the house, including the roof top tour. Check out the view...






In case your not familiar with the Biltmore Estate, which has been featured in quite a few movies, here it is...






It currently sits on approximately 8,000 acres of what what originally 100,000 acres.  The house itself is 4 acres square foot!  It is full of amazing art and furniture and so worth the hike.  You have to make time for the grounds too, they are amazing...

It was wonderful to relax with a glass of wine and just enjoy the view (from our balcony)...

Every Biltmore wine we tasted was great, but I am enjoying Chardonnay's this time of year.  Stay tuned for more wine news as I prepare and plan for my trip to Napa Valley at the end of the summer.

Where is your favorite wine from?  Have you made a visit to the winery?

- Posted using my iPad 2

What I am Loving Wednesday

So my evening really got away from me and I can hardly keep my eyes open, but I wanted to let you know what I am loving this week.

I am loving new cook books and trying new recipes.




My wonderful sister gave me this new cook book and I think every meal I have made this week has been from a recipe in it, or based on one...stay tuned for lots of new recipes!

I am loving my subscription to Women's Health.




I order a subscription to Men's Health as part of Bond's anniversary present, and got myself one for half price! In the first issue I got a great new weight routine for toning my arms...they hurt so good!

That's all for this Wednesday...I have got to get some shut eye.

What are you loving this week?


- Posted using my iPad 2

Mango Sangria Anyone

When Bond became a vestry member at our church we also took on the task of revamping the young adults group. On Friday night we hosted our first event for the group. It's was just a simple get together at our home to meet interest people and get some feed back on the shape the group should take.

I planned a simple menu. Starting with a veggie tray, black bean salsa, chips, and crackers. Then Bond grilled turkey dogs and chicken sausages. Ending with white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. But the best thing I made was the drinks!







Ingredients
1.5 of white wine (riesling)
1 cup of absolute mango
2 cans of Jumex mango nectar
2 oz. Of strawberry pucker
1/2 bottle of champagne
Mangos
Strawberries
Cumquats

The night before you serve dice up all the fruit and toss it in a large pitcher. Then add the first 4 ingredients and let it soak over night in the refrigerator. Before serving add the champagne!







It's a great summer time cocktail! Share your favorite cocktail recipe or ideas on what fruits to try for this one?

- Posted using my iPad 2

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I found this on one of the blogs I frequent and love it! So I wanted to share the idea.







I'm Loving... The Royal Wedding Fever. I admit it, I can't get enough of all the shows about William & Kate, the wedding and reception details, the history, and the traditions. Thank goodness for TiVo, so I won't miss a second of the coverage on Friday!








The one below is my favorite...







I'm Loving... The Voice. I have only watched the first episode of the "blind" auditions, but I am really enjoying it so far, and really like a couple of the singers.















I'm Loving... The King's Speech. This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and highly recommend you check it out!







I'm Loving... The Victoria Secret Pink MLB collection.






Bond is a huge baseball fan and his team has been a Giants fan since 5 years old. I will be purchasing this to support his team...






And this to support my team...






I love this whole line of MLB wear and the collegiate collections. Check them out.

I'm Loving... All my Administrative Professionals. Today is Administrative Professionals day and the ones in my office are so amazing! Here's a pic of the gift they got today...







It's a Tervis tumbler full of tea, coffee, candy and a Starbucks gift card.

What are you loving?

- Posted using my iPad 2

Ten on Tuesday

One of the bogs I like, AdventuresInGrownUpness.blogspot.com, posts this idea of just listing the first ten things that come to your mind. So as I wait for Bond to finish his workout before dinner I thought I would give it a try...

1. Super excited to watch tonight 90 minute Glee! And then downloading the music I can't live without.

2. I was very bad with my eating habits over the Easter weekend and have now been back on track for 2 days, including two good workouts.

3. Our back fence blew down in a day of crazy wind. Bond and the neighbor propped it up as a temporary fix. It looks... Ghetto. We got some estimates and Bond and I will head over to talk to the neighbors later this evening about our options. Bond and I want to go with metal posts instead of the wimpy wood ones we have now...fingers crossed!

4. I need to add a blogroll to Attempt @ Balance. I just need to find the time...

5. There is an arts festival starting this weekend. Bond is on the board of a non-profit and has volunteered to work it's booth at the festival this Thursday evening. I am hoping to go too!

6. Bond has a special lunch tomorrow that doubles as a graduation from his leadership program. Unfortunately I couldn't rework my day to be there. But I am very proud of all his efforts just the same.

7. I have the worst and most random taste in television. Right now I am enjoying Property Virgins, but I have been known to watch many of the shows on the CW and ABC Family.

8. Black Swan came out to rent at red box today! I have big plans to watch it this weekend.

9. Bond's mom gave us a huge bag of candy on Easter, and of course I had already bought some too. So now I have so much Easter candy and I can't stop eating it! (See my prior post on the love I have for Easter candy)

10. I have to admit I am gonna check out The Voice tonight. I am not sure why, but i am intrigued. Is anyone else interested in this one?




- Posted using my iPad 2

First Anniversary

So I haven't written since last week, but I had a very busy weekend! The best part of which was Bond and I's first wedding anniversary! I can't believe it's already been a year.

Since we went out with some friends to watch baseball on Saturday night we didn't do much activity wise to celebrate on Sunday. we did gifts, paper is a traditional option for the first anniversary. I got Bond a subscription to the Wall Street Journal (a paper) and Men's Health. Bond got me personalized stationary. Pictures to come!

Bond did surprise me with breakfast in bed! Then after some normal things...church and grocery shopping, we went to brunch, just the two of us!

Later in the afternoon Bond had a meeting for a leadership group that he is involved with. For me this meant a nap! On the way home Bond called and picked up pizza for dinner. The evening plans included pizza, wine, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (a necessary purchase).

The wine was a special bottle purchased on our honeymoon at the Biltmore Estate, North Carolina. We shared a bottle on our honeymoon and I remember it being really great, which is why we purchased another bottle to bring home. My opinion has changed. After this weekend I think it may possibly be the best chardonnay I have ever had!

For dessert I ordered a surprise from the bakery that created our three tier wedding cookie cake. I got the top of the cake recreated with 6 huge and delicious, chocolate covered strawberries.





It was delicious! Bond gave me the most amazing first anniversary!

- Posted using my iPad 2

Eat Pray Love

I recently finished Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. I had put off reading it because it was so popular. My mother-in-law loaned me her copy. She had loved the book and even thought the movie was pretty good. I normally do not have time to read much between my 2 book clubs so I added it to the ever growing stack of books I will read one day. Then I found myself with 3 weeks before my next book club meeting and nothing to read. So I picked it up.




Once I started reading it I couldn't get enough. The book chronicles a year of the author as she travels through Italy, India, and Indonesia on a quest to find balance. The journey of discovery is wonderfully written as a conversation between friends. I found myself marking pages and passages to discuss, then realized I was not reading it for book club. But I kept marking pages, there was so much I wanted to discuss. The author takes on love, relationships, religion, travel, food, yoga, and more in a way that opens a discussion about the topic with the reader, but does not impose a viewpoint.

My only criticism of the book is how hungry I got reading it, especially when she is in Italy. Other than that I can do nothing but recommend you pick it up immediately if you haven't already.

I have plans to discuss this book with some friends who have already read it, over Italian food and a bottle of wine. I also plan to watch the movie.

Have you read Eat Pray Love? If so do you have any recommendation for discussion topics? Stay tuned for discussion details.


- Posted using my iPad 2

Easter Candy

I must have dessert.  I figured out a long time ago that I need something sweet after a meal, and it usually has to be chocolate!  So I always keep individually wrapped treats in the house so I can limit myself to just 1 (or 2 or 3). 

Lately I have been having Easter candy for dessert every night.   I bought it as soon as it showed up at the local grocery store.  Easter is my absolute favorite candy holiday!  Has been for as far back as I have memories.  Growing up I remember dying eggs for fun and eventually eating them all, but my parents only hid plastic eggs.  So on Easter every egg we found was full of candy!  We also got an Easter basket every year with a small gift and more CANDY!  The bigger candy was usually in the basket, and of course included a chocolate rabbit.

My top 5 Easter Candies:

1.    Cadbury Crème Egg

2.    Brach’s Malted Milk Eggs

3.    Cadbury Mini Crème Eggs

4.    Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs

5.    M&M peanut butter eggs

Are you sensing a theme??? 

What is your favorite candy holiday? and Why?

30 Truths

I did not write these, but thought they were funny and true, or maybe funny because they are true?  You tell me...


1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

12. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

13. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

14. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

15. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

16. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.
17. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

18. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

19. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

20. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

21. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

22. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text or change the music selection on my ipod.

23. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

24. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

25. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

26. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

27. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

28. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

29. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

30. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!