We have reached the winter of our [dis]content

This is the view from the office entrance this morning.  Very pretty and serene.  With that pretty and serene setting comes boredom.  Winter is very slow for us here in the construction world and it gives us plenty of time to get to all those projects and vacations we're too busy to take on during the busy season.  I, on the other hand, have done absolutely nothing in the way of getting some of my projects done.  I'm redecorating my office at home and have yet to get around to actually painting the room.  Last weekend I went as far as to get the paint out of the garage and put it in the house so it could come to room temperature.  I felt like that was a big enough accomplishment for the time being.  You could say that I'm something of a procrastinator.  Anyway, so hopefully sometime in the next month, I'll get that bad boy painted the lovely grey color I've picked.  Or maybe I'll just hire a painter.

On the plus side of my procrastination in painting, I have rekindled my love of reading.  I started the Game of Thrones series some time last spring and got stuck somewhere in the middle of the second book.  I'm happy to say that I'm now in the middle of the third book and plowing through that with my usual gusto that has me finishing books in one evening.  I like to think that I am responsible for keeping printing houses in business.  I haven't quite gotten on board with the whole e-book thing yet.  I really enjoy flipping an actual page.  It's somehow soothing to me.

I've also finally started catching up on my Netflix queue.  I'm currently watching the nip/tuck series based on a recommendation from Courts. It's very addictive, extremely dark, and quite gruesome.  I love it!  I can only watch a few episodes at a time, though.  Too many hours of that show, and you start feeling a bit creepy.

So, that's what I've been up to.  Holing up in my house with a mug of tea, reading and watching television.  Sounds pretty lame, but I couldn't be more satisfied.  It's nice to take a break from going out for a month or so.  Plus, it's too damn cold to leave the house!

I'll leave you with my favorite picture from the internet today.  I'm not an Obama supporter by any means, but I think his wife has great style.  This quote was all too easy to relate to!  Happy Thursday!

Hey, Whatcha Been Doing?

It's been a busy month with Christmas, New Year's Eve, friends in town, and (of course) a round of the flu.  Let's start with the most recent events.  Last weekend me and my girls piled into the car and headed west on I-64 to view the Princess Diana exhibit at the Frazier Museum in Louisville.  We started the day off with a brunch at Hillbilly Tea downtown.  My BFF Beth and her friend met us there and we proceeded to eat our weight in delicious food and tea.  I highly recommend it.  I got the Hillbilly Deluxe (pictured below) which featured scrambled eggs with herbs, a Cream of Wheat pancake, and hashed potatoes.  It was excellent!

After brunch, we headed to the museum to catch the exhibit.  It was just okay.  It was neat to see her wedding dress and clothes, but overall the exhibit was a little underwhelming.  We still had a great day overall, though.  It's always fun when the five of us get together for a little girl time!

Next up, Riley got a new toy.  It's a duck.  It quacks.  I love it, he loves it, we all love it.  Man, that furry beast is spoiled.  But he's so sweet, so he deserves it!

We had a mini-ice storm last week.  It didn't affect the roads or anything, but it did make the trees really pretty.  I must say though, I'm already over winter.  Bring on the sixty degree temps, spring colors, and flip flops!!!

The beginning of this month marked a momentous occasion for my baby bro, Will.  He took his first flight alone to Florida to meet our dad.  I got to walk him to the gate and watch him board the plane.  He was excited to be flying on his own "like a man."  I was excited for him, too, but that didn't stop me from shedding a few tears when I said goodbye.  You're such a sap, Sissy.

Back up to NYE...I had a few friends over to ring in the new year since we couldn't really figure out what we wanted to do.  We had a great time, despite lamenting over how quickly the last year flew by.  I scaled back on the food since I had just thrown my annual Christmas party the week before and was a little burned out on cooking.  Simple finger sandwiches, a cheese platter, a few dips.  Nothing terribly fancy, but definitely yummy!  Please also note the awesome napkins Beth got me for Christmas.  So true, right?!?

My favorite part of Christmas is that almost all of my best friends from high school come home.  Most of them I only see once a year, so it's always a blast catching up and engaging in a few shenanigans together.  I miss them like crazy, but at least I have a place to crash in some great cities.

Uncle Will and baby Eli cuddled up together on Christmas morning.  That little chunk of a baby is getting so big and it makes me cry!  I want him to stay little and snugly forever, but that's not exactly how it works.  C'est la vie.

Finally, Riley got to see his favorite person in the world, his Uncle Jed.  I am not kidding, he goes crazy over this guy.  Maybe it's because he gives the best hugs in the world.  Just a theory.

This month has flown by without much fanfare, but that's how January goes.  Next month brings Riley's 8th birthday, Valentine's (meh...), and the Super Bowl.  I could care less about who wins this year.  The Raven's quarterback is a murderer and I couldn't tell you the last time I watched a 49er's game.  So yeah, I'll be concentrating on the food and booze wherever I watch the game.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and a relaxing January.  Until next time!

First, you roast the mallow...

Lately I have these incredibly strong cravings for s'mores.  Maybe it's my inner nature girl yearning to go camping, hiking, and do all that outdoorsy stuff I never get around to doing.  Somehow life gets in the way of me getting to Red River Gorge.  I crave it all the way down to my bones, but now that fall has passed and the weather is finally turning cold, I'm less than inspired to go tromping around in the woods.  Let's just say that I'm a fair weather nature fan.  So, the next best thing I can think of to satiate my desire for the woods, is to create a little camping experience in my kitchen, hence the s'mores.  

Check out that giant Hershey's bar.  Mmmmm...chocolate.

Thank god I have a gas stove or else I'd be roasting these marshmallows over my fireplace.

Not the prettiest creation, but they were delicious nonetheless.

Despite the fact that I've eaten s'mores twice this past week, I've still managed to lose a few pounds.  I've finally gotten back on track with Weight Watchers after about a month long hiatus and am starting to lose again.  I'm not holding my breath though, the holidays are here and it's only a matter of time before the giant box of Godiva truffles gets delivered to our office as a gift from our paper salesman.  After that, all bets are off.  Goodbye, smaller pants!  Anyway, hope your holiday season is as filled with yummy treats and those you love as mine is!

Long Time Gone

Yes, I  do realize that as of today it has been exactly two months and two days since my last post, but you have to forgive me!  I've been really busy.  And sick.  And out of town.  But mostly just sick.  I started out the month of October with a visit from old college friends.  We went to Keeneland, had dinner at Malone's, tailgated and went to the UK game and had an all around blast.  It was so much fun that I barely even stopped to take pictures.  I managed to get a few shots of us at Keeneland and a couple at the game, but that's about it.

Pretty much the day after everyone left to go back to their respective cities, jobs, and much calmer lives, I came down with what has been the most on going illness I've ever had.  It lasted longer than my case of mono that I had last year.  Up until about a week ago, I still had swollen glands and a sore throat.  I am just now finally getting back to feeling 100%, just in time for the holidays!

Despite being sick as a dog, I did get to recover a little bit beach side.  Every fall I have a convention for the Kentucky Ready Mix Concrete Association in Naples, FL.  Because I am on the board of director's, I'm lucky enough to have an expense paid trip down south to enjoy some sun, great food and drinks, and of course spend some time with my colleagues.  I won't say that I felt awesome during that week, but being sick in 80 degree weather makes it more motivating to get out of bed.  At least I could take a nap on the beach.  One of the days I was feeling well enough to have a frozen drink and even go paddle boarding.  I did really well on the paddle board, but honestly, it was kind of boring.  But here's a video if anyone wants to see my paddling expertise!

Mango daiquiris make even the sorest of throats feel better. 

Who can stay in bed sick with that kind of sunset???

As for the rest of the month of October and all of November, I spent a lot of time meeting new people and not taking any pictures at all.  With the exception of this one, which is now one of my favorites.

That's my little brother, Will, and he is the most important person in my life.  He is what I am thankful for, because if you know me well, you can imagine what a brat I'd be without him.

On to lighter things, like cold weather cocktails.  I've been in the mood to nest these days since the weather is starting to look a little more like winter and the days are so much shorter.  A week or so ago, Courts came over for spiked cider that I had sitting in my fridge since Halloween.  Don't worry, it was the prepackaged, premixed kind from Daily's, so it wasn't spoiled.  It was pretty good considering it came from a bag, and it made me feel festive enough to put on Christmas music.  And that says a lot, since I don't particularly care for Christmas.  I'm an old Scrooge, what can I say?  I did manage to take down my Halloween decor last weekend (goodbye, Halloween Bear!) and put up the ten to twelve pieces of Christmas decor that I own.  I don't put up a tree and I don't really even put up garland, but I do have a few pieces of cherished decorations that have to go out every year.

After all of the holiday cheer I participated in this weekend, I needed a holiday beverage to go with it.  I decided to make spiked hot cocoa.  Don't judge me for using the powdered kind, I jazzed it up a bit.  After adding some extra cream to the milk and powder, I spiked it with Bailey's and Kahlua.  It was quite yummy!

Lots of marshmallows.

Generic, because that's what was in the house.

So that's pretty much all that I've been up to since the last post.  Nothing too life altering.  Just some nasty virus and some holiday cheer.  I don't plan on doing anything but curling up in my pajamas and reading the rest of Clash of Kings, so I don't know when I'll have anything interesting to post again.  But at the very least, my annual Christmas party is coming up, so there will be plenty of fun and exciting stories and pictures to share from that!  Happy Holidays!

A Post Brought to You From My Overflowing Closet

Ahh, fall.  My favorite time of year.  Football, changing leaves, football, crisp weather, football...I love everything about it.  With the arrival of my favorite season comes the semiannual running of Keeneland.  There is nothing more Lexington than getting all dolled up and heading to the track for a few Bloody Mary's and trifectas.  More often than not, I only win on the drinks, but I still will throw a few bucks towards a well named pony.  The best part of Keeneland (you know, besides the whole beauty of horse racing and supporting our state's economy) is people watching.  By people watching, I really mean checking out all the other outfits!  So in the spirit of Lexington's best dressed event, I thought I'd share some of what is going on in my fall wardrobe.  I'm all about scarves, a pair of flats and a well fitting pair of jeans.  It's my seasonal style go to outfit.

But there is something I need to come clean about...  I'm a scarf junkie.  I have a serious problem.  But the first step is admitting you have a problem, right?  So I'm taking that step.  Without further ado, my scarf collection...

I know, it's ridiculous.  So ridiculous that you can't even see all the scarves because they're covered up with other scarves.  I told you I have a problem.  And don't even talk to me about the shoes in the background.  That only shows the tip of the iceberg, the other 3/4 are in another closet.  But I digress...

Riley is thinking "Seriously, Mom, enough with the shopping."

So anyway, this post is coming across as way too superficial, but my point was to hold myself accountable for my addiction and to quit pinning cute outfits on Pinterest that lead to shopping.  And now you all are my witnesses.  So next time I tell you "I'm looking for something to go with blah, blah, blah," interrupt me!  Tell me no!  Remove my debit card from my wallet!  (Hahahaha, good luck with that...)  But really, just be my friend and tell me that I don't need anything else to put in my closet.  Not that I have the room. Old houses are notorious for having small closets...

So on that note, I'm off to decorate for Halloween (another great part of fall)!  I've got to get it done tonight because this weekend is going to be crazy, off the hook, insanity!  Stay tuned for details!  Happy weekend!

Finally found my camera cord

So...I finally found my camera cord.  It was in my laptop bag.  I don't know why I didn't think to look there in the first place.  Oh well, whatever.  So here are some of the pictures from Mary and David's wedding weekend.  We had a blast, and I'm glad I got some great pictures to remember it by.  Enjoy!

Courts and I at the rehearsal dinner

The groom to be with most of our crew

The girls before the wedding.  Please disregard the nasty bruise on my arm.

Delicious wedding cake

Best groom's cake ever!  Gotta love Kentucky bourbon!

The beautiful bride and company

Sending them off with a sparkle!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Go Cats!

So, I can't find my camera cord...

Well, hello!  It's been awhile!  What have you been up to?  Me, I've been ridiculously busy.  You want pictures, you say?  Well, tough!  In the madness that has been my life for the past month, I have somehow managed to lose my camera's USB cord.  I have some pictures, but they are all from my phone and of low quality.  That will have to do for now.  So let me fill you in on what's been going on....  Since I last wrote, Mary has gotten married, UK football has started, my fantasy team is in the top half of my league, and I started back at UK to get a second undergraduate degree in accounting.  So, needless to say, I've been swamped.

Let's start with Mary's wedding.  To sum it up, we laughed, cried and partied our tail ends off!  I have never seen Mary look so beautiful and fixing her dress before her walk down the aisle was one of the more special moments of my life.  I wish I could upload my pictures from the reception, because there are some great ones!  It's a miracle I actually have my camera after that night, seeing as I left it at the reception and didn't realize it until later in the wee hours of the morning.  Let me just go ahead and thank the wonderful Lexington Country Club staff for finding it and keeping it safe until Sunday morning.

Next, football.  Football is my favorite sport of all time and the reason that fall is my all time favorite season.  We started this tailgating season out with a bang!  For the first tailgate I made turkey chili and cornbread for the game.  We had tons of other food, not to mention cupcakes for Courtney's 31st birthday!  They were super cute, until the Tupperware turned over in the car on the way there and they all got smeared.  Whatever, they still tasted delicious.  Although, the Cats are having a horrible season, we still all get out there to eat, have a few beers, and root on our favorite team.  This year we have a new addition to our tailgate crew, my friend Rachel's sweet 3 (almost 4!) month old son, Tripp!  He might be the cutest thing I've ever seen, and having him around for tailgates is awesome!  He's such a good baby!

Continuing with all things football, my fantasy team is actually pretty decent this year.  I'm crossing my fingers that I make it to the playoffs with no more injuries this season.  Either way, it's fun to play and it gives me an excuse to watch football all day on Sunday instead of studying.

Studying...let's address that really quick.  I am NOT used to have to do school work anymore.  It has been a huge adjustment going to class, being on campus, and having to study on a regular basis.  First of all, I am almost as old as one of my teachers.  Then to add to my feelings of old age, one of my classmates called me ma'am.  Man, was that a hit to the ego!  But I'm enjoying learning new things and having a different routine twice a week.  As for the studying, that one has been tricky to figure out. Not only am I not used to coming home from work and having to do work instead of whatever I feel like, I've forgotten how to study at all!  My first round of test were these past two weeks, and I didn't do as well as I would have hoped.  At least now I know what kind of time commitment I need to set aside for school work and I know my next set of tests will go much better.  And, hey, it's not like I'm doing badly, I'm just not acing everything.

So, without further ado, here are some terrible pictures from the iPhone of what's been going on the last month or so.  Hope you enjoy!

I'm redecorating the office (very slowly) and this was my very first DIY project from that process.  I painted my old shelves that have been in my life since childhood a very light mint color.  The color scheme for the office is grey, mint and yellow.  It should look pretty good when I get finished, but it's going to be awhile.  It's gotten put on the back burner since school started.

Late night drives with the roomie in the convertible.  The weather was absolutely perfect for a few weeks towards the end of August, and since Sexy Lexi (my dad's Lexus SC430) is getting ready to be relocated to his house in Florida, I borrowed it so I could spend some quality time with the top down.

Sunday Funday with my girl Alison at one of our college haunts, Two Keys.  I'm not going to lie, I felt like it had been about a million years since I'd had a beer there!

My first two tomatoes from my experiment in vegetable gardening!  I didn't ever get around to eating them, so who knows how they really turned out...

Happy birthday, Johnny D!  Courtney threw a great surprise 40th birthday party for her husband a few weekends ago!  We had an absolute blast and the birthday boy was definitely surprised!

Yes, those are break and bake cookies.  Don't judge me.  I hate baking.  Please note that there are nine missing.  That is because my rotten dog decided to help himself to a few when I hopped in the shower while the oven was preheating.  I should have known better than to leave them out.  Bad dog.

First fire of the fall season!  Nothing better than the smell of a fire pit on a cool fall evening.  Add a glass of red, and you've got the making for a perfect night!

Well, that's all she wrote, folks.  Until next time, have a great rest of the week and go Cats!