Books I've Been Reading

Hello everyone.  I hope you're all having a great Friday.  My New Year's Resolution this year was to read at least 25 books.  With work and other commitments, I felt that two books a month was easily doable.  However it's only April 1st and I've already read 10!  Perhaps we should up the number to 40?  Here are some of my favorites so far:

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schafer and Annie Barrows

The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell

I'm trying to read different genres and would appreciate any recommendations that you have!  Have a great weekend!

Update on my life

Hello to all.  I know it's been a long time since I've posted and I wish I had a great reason for that but to tell you the truth I really don't.  For the past couple of months, I've felt like I really didn't want to talk to anyone or be around people.  I've always been an introvert and have had to push myself to be extroverted but lately I just haven't been wanting to make the effort.  The last couple of months have been tough on me physically (with the introduction of migraines and just all around weakness), emotionally (trying to deal with hurt feelings), and spiritually (trying to wait patiently for God's answers to my questions).  I must admit I have done things I'm not proud of to deal with the pain but I think I've finally made a decision to trust God fully.  There are things I can't control and worrying about those things won't really improve my life or make me a better person.  People will do what they want to do and no amount of pleading will change that.  I don't want to get into specifics and I hope you won't ask me for them, but I just wanted to let you know that I am still here and I hope to bring you updates on some books I've been reading very soon. 

Hope everyone has a great day and great rest of the week.

Website Wednesday and Free Friday: 2/23 and 2/25

Hey everybody!  I have been sick this past week so I'm going to have to combine my Wednesday and Friday posts into one.

I must admit that I love to read entertainment news so I often log on to Entertainment Weekly's website for updates on my favorite TV shows, reviews of movies and celebrity gossip!

I'm planning on spending the weekend resting and getting over this bug.  I just finished reading The Help so it's time to find something new to read.  Perhaps a trip to the library is in order? 

Have a great weekend!

Monday Meanderings: Cruises

Hello everybody! Hope you had a great weekend.  Mine was very relaxing but I woke up this morning with a super sore throat and stuffed sinuses.  Hopefully this will go away soon!

My hubsy and I have been on 3 cruises in our 5 years of marriage. We promised ourselves we wouldn't become cruise people but there are some many pros and not many cons! 

Here are my top ten reasons to go on a cruise:
10. You only have to unpack once.
9. Towel animals!
8. You don't have to make your bed!
7. Awesome food.
6.  Everything (besides drinks) is included.
5. No set schedule.
4. You don't have to worry about getting in an argument with your spouse about how to get somewhere.
3. They take you to great locations.
2. Fun entertainment at night.
1. You can go bowling while sailing the high seas!

Going on a cruise is definitely something you should try at least once!  We love it and hope to someday go on one to the Mediterranean (maybe for our 10 year anniversary).

Have a great Monday!

Free Friday: Lazy Weekend

Hello everyone!  This week has been pretty crazy (thus the late blog post).  Philip is in Dallas this weekend helping his firm catch up after all the crazy weather they've had. 

Right now I'm staring out the window of our office looking at the house they are currently building right behind us.  It's amazing how quickly they can put up a house that lasts for decades.  My cat Swarley is keeping me company although I know he would rather be outside eating grass and chasing bugs.

Since Philip is out of town, I've been pretty lazy thus far.  Last night I got Rosa's and watched some TV.  Today I'm doing laundry and cleaning up around the house.  Later this afternoon I'm planning a trip to Central Market.  Unfortunately in Austin we don't live close to one so we don't get to go as often as when we lived in Dallas. 

Because we had company in town last weekend and weekdays are always busy for us, Philip and I will be celebrating Valentine's tomorrow night.  I'm planning on making shrimp and pasta for dinner. I still haven't decided what to make for dessert.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, I received two cds and a book from Philip. The two cds were Josh Groban Illuminations and Switchfoot Hello Hurricane. We have seen both of them in concert and really enjoy their music.  The book was The Help  by Kathryn Stockett.  I have been wanting to read this book for a really long time but the queue for holds at the library was way too long.

I guess I better get back to that laundry.  Have a great weekend!

 

Website Wednesday: Mod Cloth

Happy Wednesday everyone! 

When I normally surf the web, I tend to spend my time perusing sites with articles or playing games. When I shop online, I tend to gravitate towards Amazon or eBay instead of clothing sites. With that said, I have found a website with the cutest clothes, accessories and home goods.  It's called Mod Cloth.  Although I usually don't wear vintage or indie clothes, their dresses are so gorgeous and very affordable. Their home goods are eclectic and a little kitschy but in a good way. 

Here are some of my favorite items from their website:

This dress reminds of summer and window shopping.










I could see someone wearing this to the beach!



I love empire waist dreses and the pleats.


















A jewelry organizer that you'll be happy to display!



They do offer gift certificates (wink, wink) if you're interested.  Have a great day!

Monday Meanderings: Galveston

Happy Valentine's Day!  As I was thinking today about what to post, I was reminded that 5 and a half years ago, I married my valentine in Galveston TX.  I grew up in Kingwood (a suburb outside of Houston) and visited Galveston often.  I love the ocean and could spend all day at the beach listening to the waves crash on the shore.  When thinking about a place to get married I naturally turned to Galveston.  We got married at The Tremont House and it was gorgeous! 

Some of my favorite places to visit in Galveston are:

1. Moody Gardens- A family attraction with an aquarium, rainforest and private beach
2. Moody Mansion- A historical house (built in 1895) with gorgeous furnishings and architecture
3. Magic Carpet Golf- A fun place to play mini golf with dragons and huge conch shells to play through
4. The Strand- The main street in downtown Galveston full of shops and restaurants

Some of my favorite restaurants in Galveston are:
1. Shrimp N Stuff- Delicious, fresh and inexpensive seafood.
2. Willy G's- Great for a date night.  Seafood at its finest!
3. La Kings- A confectionery with the best salt water taffy ever.
4. Mario's Ristorante- A great pizza place.

If you are ever in Houston, please drive down to Galveston.  You won't regret it!

Free Fridays: Family Time

Hello Everyone! I hope you're having a great Friday so far.  I've had a pretty crazy week and I'm so ready for the weekend. 

On Wednesday night I made some banana bread from this recipe.  Instead of having to wait for your bananas to ripen, you bake them in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until the peels are black and the insides are cooked and mushy.  I was quite hesitant but the bread turned out wonderful!

Today my sister and her husband are coming into town and I'm very excited about their visit.  Tonight we're eating at Trudys. They have some great adult beverages and their food is delicious!

Tomorrow we're going to the UT basketball game.  They are playing Baylor so it should be pretty exciting. 

On Sunday we're having our Small Group over to our house.  Philip and I will be presenting the story of our lives.  What a great way to preface Valentine's Day.

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Website Wednesday: Goofing Off

Hello everybody! I hope you're having a great week so far. 

Update: I ended up not getting bangs with my haircut this weekend.  I still love the haircut and am very happy with the results.

Because it seems like the whole country (including the great state of Texas) is under piles and piles of snow and you can only do so much indoors, I thought I would share some websites I go to when I need to kill some time or make myself laugh!

1.  Mental Floss-  This website has great quizzes (everything from state capitols to Saved by the Bell) and some interesting articles on things you always wanted to know (from the origins of the Ponzi scheme to the history of nutmeg).

2. Dear Blank Please Blank- This website is a collection of short, (usually) anonymous letters submitted by the site’s readers to vent frustration in their lives. I must warn you that this site is very addictive!

3. Cake Wrecks- This blog collects examples of really bad professional cakes.

4. Awkward Family Photos-This website has strange, humorous and disturbing family portraits.

Are there any websites that you find strangely addicting? Hope you have fun surfing the web!

Monday Meanderings: Austin Eateries

Happy Monday everybody!  Since this is my first post about traveling and places I like to go, I thought I would start close to home and tell you about some of the restaurants I like to eat at in the Austin area.  Because the Hubs and I live (pretty far) north of Austin, we don't often make it downtown to eat.  When we do we always have a great time and promise to do it more often! 

1. Hut's Hamburgers-  This fun diner has very good burgers.  It's decorated with college pennants and signed photographs of celebrities that have dined there. Next time I'll definitely have to try a milkshake!

2. Home Slice Pizza-  This restaurant serves delicious NY-style pizza with thin crust and a very thin layer of sauce. You can create your own pizza and I enjoy adding ricotta cheese in the mix. There is always a line out the door but the food is definitely worth it!

3. Hey Cupcake-  This airstream trailer sells the best cupcakes I have ever had.  They are big enough to share but cheap enough to buy one for everyone in your party.  If you are feeling extra daring you can even have them inject a shot of whipped cream in the middle of your cupcake!

4. Matt's El Rancho- I think the sign says it all!  They are known for their "Bob Armstrong Dip" or "Bob" for short.  It's queso with guacamole and taco meat.  I'm not a big fan of avocados but the guacamole gives the dip another layer of flavor without overpowering the cheese.  Their enchiladas are delicious and definitely worth a try!

5. P.Terry's-  This burger stand has very tasty hamburgers.  You can tell they are freshly made and the shoestring fries are delicious!  I have heard that the veggie burger is wonderful too.  Just looking at this burger makes me want to go back again! 

If you're ever in downtown Austin, be sure to stop by these restaurants.  I promise it will be worth your while!  

Free Friday: Snow Day!

Happy Snow day everybody!  The top picture was taken at 11 a.m. after most of the snow that fell over night had melted.  The bottom picture is our back patio full of cat paw prints!  Philip and I are both staying home today.  Unfortunately he can work from home but I'm hoping we can go out to eat tonight to Rome's Pizza just down the road.

The plan for today is to finish reading True Grit and The Book Thief under a comfy blanket with lots of hot chocolate! 

Last night we had some friends over for dinner and I served beef enchiladas and mexican rice.  For dessert we sampled dark chocolate with orange, chili and sea salt.  I had never tried dark chocolate with chili before.  It was smooth with just a kick of heat. 

I'm going to get my hair cut tomorrow.  I'm always tempted to try bangs but usually I just chicken out! I'll let you know how it turns out.

Sunday night we're going to a Super Bowl Party at a friend's house.  I'm not to interested in the game but I always enjoy the commercials and the great food everyone brings to the party.  

I hope everyone has a great weekend!  Try to stay warm whereever you might be.

Website Wednesdays 2/2

Hey!  I love reading food blogs/websites for inspiration and recipes.   Here are my top 5 food websites:

1. The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman is a great cook.  Her recipes are simple and delicious, although definitely not low in calories. I have tried her lasagna, enchiladas, cinnamon rolls, and chicken parmigiana. 
2. Bakerella
Bakerella, definitely known for her cake balls, has some cute and fun posts about baking. I am always in
awe of the things she does with cake mix, icing and chocolate melts.
3. Rachael Ray Food
I have subscribed to Rachael Ray's magazine in the past and really like her recipes.  Sometimes it can be a little difficult to find some of the ingredients but overall a great site for recipes.
4. Food and Think
This blog, "A Heaping Help of Food News, Science and Culture", is great for learning all about food from all over the world.  The subjects of the posts are varied and can include anything from the history of doggie bags to the reasons why some people eat dirt.
5. Joy the Baker
This blog is new on my list but her recipes look delicious and she has a great writing style and sense of humor.

Do you have any food websites you like to visit?  Now get out there and start perusing the web!

My New Blog

Hello everyone!  I have decided to give blogging another try.  I'm hoping to get into a routine so that I will be more likely to keep up with it.  I'm planning on doing theme posts throughout the week, along with random ones, to give it some structure and form.

Monday Meanderings (trips I have taken and places I enjoy going)
Website Wednesdays (websites I have found that I like)
Free Fridays (plans for the weekend/weekly recaps)

I hope to add more in the future but I think this will give me a good starting point.

Thanks for stopping by!