your daily quote

You know that place between sleep and awake; that place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I will always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.

Peter Pan

p-i-z-z-a

 
Did y'all ever watch this Mary Kate and Ashley sleepover video?  They had the most annoying cutest little song where they sing about pizza and spell out p-i-z-z-a like the entire time.  It kind of gets stuck in your head especially if you watched it 2,345 times during your childhood.  And more often than not I sing it in my head when eating/making pizza.  Anyway, remember when I told you about how I plan out our meals for the week?  Well, John and I really like pizza, like a lot.  And since Fridays are kind of special (you know, the whole not having to work for two days thing?) I've kind of designated Friday night as our pizza night.  And pepperoni gets sort of old week after week.  So here are some tasty looking (and healthy!) pizzas I found and thought I would share with y'all.

Chicken and Herb White Pizza (Mom, I thought you would like this one)

BBQ and Blue Cheese Pizza

Pizza Supreme

Four-Cheese Pizza

Turkey Alfredo Pizza

Herbed Cheese Pizza

Being a pizza expert of sorts, I have a few things to say about various crusts you can purchase.  No, I don't make my own...that's just too much.  I don't suggest generic brand refrigerated crusts (unless your generic brand is great) but ours isn't and since I'm cheap I've bought it multiple times hoping for different results only to find that it sticks to the pan or ends up really crappy. 

This one is pretty good.

I really like this one. 

And this one is really great too.  It requires a little more planning ahead (you have to let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before using) but not much.

(crappy picture but it's the only one I could find...Trader Joe's Pizza Dough and it's only $0.99!)

Do you guys have any delicious recipes that you like?

your daily quote

found here

hiking (in november)

So clearly, I have just gotten hold of our camera.  Because here are some more pics from months ago.  These are from a hike we went on in November, before John's birthday.  That's mid-November.  And yes, I'm posting them in mid-January.  Yep.

Right before Dixie tried to run after some fellow hikers.

beautiful overlook

whitewater rapids...I think...

late christmas pic

Remember when I said I would post a picture from our 2011 Christmas?  Well here it is.  A day late and a dollar short.  

This was right after we went to see The Nutcracker.  John was pissed at the self timer, Dixie was of course not looking at the camera and I was trying not to run upstairs and change into my PJs.  Oh the holidays...

soldiers' angels

While trolling PostSecret today I came across a link that connects you with a deployed soldier so that you can support them.  What a great idea, right?!  Here's the link: Soldiers' Angels. They are a nonprofit that connects you with a deployed soldier so that you can send letters/care packages/blankets/etc. to them.  I'm going to be honest, I think it's really easy to forget about our soldiers and what they're doing over there.  Which is very sad because they're sacrificing a lot to defend and serve our country.  They are truly amazing men and women and what better way to serve them?  We can send them goodies and things they need without it being a financial burden to us.  Or if you're short on money you can send them letters.  That way you're only paying for paper, envelopes and postage.  And you're probably making someone's day!  As I began to read more on their website, especially the testimonials, I was really moved.  So I adopted a solider.  Wahoo!  I've been wanting to do something like this (support our troops in some way) for awhile now and I just didn't know exactly how to go about it.  So, I'm not sharing this to guilt you into adopting a soldier or a "hey look at what I did", but in an attempt to just extend the information in case you feel like you want to do something like this too.  Here's to our soldiers!

your daily quote

One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.

Sigmund Freud

the girl with the dragon tattoo

 

We saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo today and it was FANTASTIC!  I mean, don't get me wrong it's dark, eery and there was a part where I thought I might throw up, so you definitely have to be prepared for that but it was great!  I thought they did the book justice, which I feel rarely happens when it comes to books made into movies.  You should definitely go see it but maybe you should read the book first, just because that's the way it's supposed to be, right?  I give the movie an A+.

Here's my review of the book.  I think seeing the movie made me want to move on with the next book.

tasty dishes

Here are some delicious dishes that I wanted to share with y'all:

parmigiano panko herb encrusted chicken breasts

braised brussels sprouts with bacon and beer

crockpot barbeque chicken

Enjoy!

your daily quote

(found here)

the hunger games

 

These books are AMAZING!!  Like, it took me a little over a week to read them all and I think the only thing that slowed me down was having to go to work.  But seriously, if you haven't read them you really should!  I'm a little pissed at myself for not picking them up earlier.  They're Young Adult fiction so you'll fly through them quickly.  Although, so that you're warned: the first is definitely the best, like "oh my gosh this is amazing holy cow" kind of awesome, the second is really good and the third is good in a "well I needed to read it to finish up the series and know how it ends, and yeah it was OK good" kind of way.  There you have it.  Get your paws on them now!  I mean, whatever...

PS-The Hunger Games movie is in theaters March 29 (yippee!!!)

miss america

Tonight I'm tuning into ABC at 9 pm to watch Miss America (and you should too)!!  We'll be cheering for Miss North Carolina, Hailey Best!!  I mean, seriously, doesn't she look amazing?  And she has the sweetest personality!  Go Hailey!! 

 (image borrowed form Miss NC facebook page)

Check out this cute video of her:

your daily quote

May you grow up to be righteous, may you grow up to be true. May you always know the truth and see the lights surrounding you. May you always be courageous, stand upright and be strong. May you stay forever young.

Bob Dylan

this week

I've pretty much been consumed with this all week.  

So that's why I dropped off the face of the earth.  I probably won't return until Friday or Saturday at the earliest.  I haven't made a legit meal since Sunday.  The house is kinda messy.  And I haven't worked out (eek!) all week.  To be fair, I've been sick too.  So that kinda accounts for the not working out, right?  If you haven't read these books you need to, like...NOW!  I'm a little pissed at myself for not reading them earlier.  Now it's off to bed and I'll begin reading the 3rd book tomorrow (during nap time).

be still

Be still, and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

(found here)

2012

So I don't do New Years resolutions because honestly, they're overrated and I always seem to fail at them.  So why set myself up for failure year after year?  Exactly.  So this year I came up with a plan in October/November. It was to go through the holidays enjoying the food that you enjoy once a year but not go insanely insane with the consumption.  I mean there was definitely a level of insanity, no one in their right mind eats that many sweets and carbs just 'cause.  So I balanced it with some fruits and veggies and a constant amount of exercise.  Then around the start of the new year (read: holidays are over, this did not begin just because of January 1) I would go back to healthy ways and working out more consistently.   So...yeah, great.

Then I came across something one of my friends posted.  She accepted a challenge to list 5 things she didn't hate about herself.  Before I went to bed that night I decided to do the same in my own (personal) journal.  And it.was.tough.  Now I don't hate myself but it's really hard to list 5 things that you don't hate about yourself.  You don't want to be vain.  You don't want to be self-righteous.  It was awkward and hard.  And I hated that.  It shouldn't be hard to list things that you like about yourself, right?  Try to do it.  And if you can and it comes easy then I'm real proud of you, like really. 

So here's my list of things I don't hate about myself:
1.(to borrow a phrase from my friend) my ability to sense others' needs and feelings
2. my honesty/bluntness
3. my sense of style and what looks good/doesn't look good on me
4. my patience
5. my sassiness

And after being upset about how long it took to come up with those things I declared that 2012 will be the year that I will (and I say this in the most selfless way possible) learn to love myself.  I mean I can be pretty stinkin' hard on myself and I'm willing to bet that a lot of you can too.  And I think it's probably just not worth it.  I mean, what's the point?  Yes, we push ourselves to be better people and to accomplish more but I know I push myself beyond that point and that's not cool. I came across this awhile ago on Pinterest and it kinda stuck with me.

Soooo that was a deep post.  I don't like going too deep on the blog because I like to keep it lighthearted and whatnot but I just felt like sharing that with y'all.  I encourage you to list 5 things you don't hate about yourself, just in your head or on a piece of paper or whatever...you don't have to post it to the world unless you want to, which is cool too :)  Here's to 2012!

your daily quote

Enjoy the blessings of this day, if God sends them; and the evils of it bear patiently and sweetly; for this day only is ours, we are dead to yesterday, and we are not yet born to the morrow.  But if we look abroad, and bring into one day's thoughts the evil of many, certain and uncertain, what will be and what will never be, our load will be as intolerable as it is unreasonable.

Jeremy Taylor

20 new year's resolutions

Love this post.

20 New Year's Resolutions for 20-Somethings

nerd

So I got a KINDLE for Christmas!!  Yay!!  And I'm pretty much obsessed with it.  Also, I'm really cheap, which means that I will completely be taking advantage of the free classics that Amazon offers.  And the books under $3.99 section.  Here are the books I've downloaded today:

1. The Age of Innoncence
2. Walden
3. The Woman's Bible
4. Dream Psychology Psychoanalysis for Beginners
5. Uncle Tom's Cabin
6. Anna Karenina
7. Daily Strength for Daily Needs
8. Persuasion

I had to make myself X out of the Amazon tab on my browser so I would stop looking at books.  An overwhelming meltdown was looming because there were so many that I wanted and not enough time to read them!  With that said, are there any books you recommend?  Any cheap or free books that you like on your Kindle? 

I have a Kindle gift card and I will eventually buy books but I want to save the gift card for something good.  Probably The Hunger Games trilogy or something.  And I hear that you can share books with other Kindle users and get books from your local library...can I read up on this on the Amazon page?  Does anyone have any directions or helpful hints?

Also, I checked my Goodreads site and I read 41 books last year.  41.  Holy cow.  Here's to topping that in 2012...

your new year's quote

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself.

Neil Gaiman

(found here)

christmas, new years and everything in between

Sorry it's been weeks since I last posted!  The past few weeks have been filled with:

• family
• friends
• hugs
• love
• presents
• kisses
• cookies
• Christmas decorations
• HUGE meals
• never ending snacking
• good books
• sweet time spent together
• football
• driving
• wine
• champagne
• movies
• late nights and late mornings
• and no pictures to prove any of it...we're awesome at that

Alas, it must come to an end.  Not all of it, but most of it.  We had a wonderful Christmas in Tennessee with John's family!  Thanks to everyone for the sweet time together, the delicious food and thoughtful gifts :)  We then hustled on up to PA to prepare for my family to come in for New Year's.  We were able to squeeze in some great time with them!  Thanks to y'all for driving all the way up here to spend a few days with us, thanks for the food you brought and the sweet gifts :)  We are so incredibly blessed to have such great families and friends!  You all are wonderful and I hope you had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  Here's to a fabulous 2012!!