Wednesday, November 30, 2011

the day has come

i feel like it's been a year.
wait, it has. almost.

but finally i am able to show the basement finale.
da da na naaa!
carpet.


remember this?
the top right carpet won.
it's easier to see the diamond pattern once you get more than just a tiny square.
but the picture above shows a better color sample.
the one below looks more brown and it's not.


new and no more mauve.
we're thrilled.
and i told ronnie that this means it's
DECORATION TIME.
here are my ideas.
 this is my favorite part.

to recap the steps
please follow along:

the beginning
clear the clutter
paint the walls and trim
rip up old carpet
install new carpet

enjoy.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

mid mess

all day yesterday i pretty much cleaned house
and put up christmas decorations.

i'm not quite finished.
boxes are out and poinsettias need to be bought.
be we're getting there.
tis the season.


Monday, November 28, 2011

the season of parties - part 2

another monday.
i took today off. 
i thought we would be traveling home from illinois.
instead, i'm decorating for christmas.
but just like last monday,
i'm going to share another appetizer recipe.
a favorite of my co-workers.

pizza dip.
you will need:
one 8oz pack of cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce
2 tablespoons chopped green peppers
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 package diced pepperoni

mix together cream cheese and italian seasoning.  spread mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozarelle and 1/2 cup parmesan on top of the cream cheese. spread the pizza sauce over the cheese mix.  top with veggies and pepperoni. sprinkle with remaining cheese.
bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

serve with baquettes or crackers.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

happy thanksgiving


time to eat.
pass the turkey.


ronnie ended up being sick and we didn't make the 7hr drive to illinois.
we're taking it easy here and just making the 40 minute trip to warrensburg instead.
i hope everyone is spending time with loved ones and enjoying the holiday.

okay, now it's time for pie.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

signs of seasons

how do you know winter is around the corner?
the cox's busted out our doggie sweaters.
duh.





i hate that my favorite season is so short lived.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

bride to be

lindsay's bridal party and the moms hit the road for camdenton, mo so lindsay could meet a dress designer she hoped would make her wedding dress.  she found her on etsy and fell in love with her vintage style and budget friendly prices.

the boutique was lovely and small.  we had the whole store to ourselves which made trying on the dresses personal and easy.


here are a lot of the dresses linds tried on and didn't pick.





but finally we found THE ONE.
which of course, i cannot share.
the only thing i can say is that its ivory
and i freaking love it.
the boutique owner took lindsay's measurements and is going to make one custom for linds.
she should have it in 100 days. 
let the countdown begin.

here are the girls. (minus kass)


the girls and the moms.


it was a good day.
and a great day for linds.

Monday, November 21, 2011

dinner party


we were invited to a dinner party on friday night and it was a lot of fun.
the girls got to try out some recipes off pinterest.
i made smore bites.
linds made vodka pasta.
and alexis made feta and bacon stuffed chicken
um, yes.
it was amazing.

i think we were all feeling pretty proud,
and pretty grown up.



Friday, November 18, 2011

reasons to be happy


Pinned Image

1. my bff got engaged last night on her birthday and it gave her a reason to celebrate - - something it was lacking after last year.


2. i'm going to a dinner party tonight with two other couples.  food, convo and perhaps some game time.
i'm in charge of dessert... what to make?

3. breaking dawn is in theatres.  i've been waiting forever.

4. i'm traveling again this weekend to go wedding dress shopping with linds.

5. H&M opened on the plaza.  two point two seconds away from my office.


and that, my friends, is why i will be having a great weekend.


Thursday, November 17, 2011

reading material

i read a lot.
it's a nightly ritual.
30 mins before bedtime.
and i love it.
recently, i haven't be IN LOVE with the books i've been reading.
i finished the road and then spoken from the heart.
i didn't really get into either of them.
i even went back and reread breaking dawn for the third time in preparation for
the movie release this weekend.  lame, i know.
i finally splurged and ordered three new books online.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

Firefly Lane

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

anyone read these?  liked?  disliked?
while i wait, i've been reading blogs.
people's day to day life stories.
last night,
a friend of mine tweeted one of her new blog faves, so i spent the evening
getting to know her and her struggles.
and once again i'm reminded of my blessings.
a book [or blog] can change your mood.
change your mind.
change your thinking.
and that is why,
i love to read.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

weekend travels

on friday i mentioned that i was headed down south.
four girls and this little guy made a 6 hour drive with lots of talking and not a lot of crying.
thank god.


i am in love with mauri's house.
in. love.
it's older with lots of charm.
i tried to take pics but got lost in conversation.


or i might have gotten lost in all the kiddo cuteness.
karis's cousin was there for the weekend too.
just call her snow white.


and here is our lovely host,
full of southern charm.


we didn't do a whole lot.
we only made it outside once.


and even then,
we needed wine to help motivate.



and all too soon, we were on our way back home.
but it was a good break and i'm glad we got to share in another girls weekend.



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

cough cough

i'm sick.
and last night, ronnie offered to run to the pharmacy and make dinner.
how sweet.
i was presented with this...


mac n' cheese with a hotdog and a side of halls and chloraseptic.
even though this meal is probably better suited for an 8 year old boy
i appreciate the gesture.
and the meds.
plus i ate it all.
because of course, this isn't the kind of sickness where i'm throwing up and not hungry.
no, i still have my appetite.
which is really stupid, because i think if i have to be sick i might as well lose a few pounds at the same time.
but, i'm not that lucky.


happy freaking tuesday.

Monday, November 14, 2011

the season of parties

there are lots of holiday parties headed our way...
what do you need for all of them?
a tried and true appetizer.

here is one of my faves:
2 tubes of pillsbury crescent rolls
2 packs of 8oz. cream cheese
2 packs of ranch seasoning
1 bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflour (or you can use fresh)
other assorted fresh veggies
(i normally use bell peppers and carrots)

spread the crescent roll dough out on a cookie sheet and bake as directed.
let cool.
boil the frozen veggies until done.
let cool.
soften the cream cheese and add the two ranch packets to it.
mix well.
spread the ranch cream cheese over the cooled crescent sheet.
chop up all the veggies (add salt and pepper to taste) and spread out over the cream cheese.
cut into squares.

wah lah -
veggie squares.



Friday, November 11, 2011

just the girls

4 girls (and 1 little man)
going to visit 2 girls
waiting in dexter, mo
6 hours away
so we can have 3 days together
with countless amounts of fun.

we're leaving soon and on our way.
girls weekend.
no husbands allowed.

pics from previous trips to D, MO




in case you can't tell, this is the place where the make-up comes off and the comfy clothes goes on.  it involves long talks, wine, games, lots of memories...

and i can't freakin wait.


Thursday, November 10, 2011

a sneak peek

ronnie and i took family photos over the weekend.
just us and our kids.
we're using them for our xmas cards this year, so i can't share them all.
but here is an outtake with mr. louie:




what did i wear?

banana republic navy shirt-dress

brown bow belt - also from BR.

steve madden boots with argyle knee socks.