Retiring...

Wondered where I've been? Welp - as much as I hate to do this...I am retiring this blog. I know, I know that is soooo silly and uncool. But, It just has a little too much baggage and information that I would rather people I don't know see. Understandable? Yep. So the growing pains have to stop sometime.

I do have a wonderful surprise for you...a NEW blog...with better attitude and better for me to just move on from the last few years that this blog has helped me overcome. Wanna look? Ok here it is...http://myfrizzlefrazz.blogspot.com/

P.S. I did transport a few of the makeover posts from here to there...so don't be alarmed. Catcha there :)

Mini Vaca Time

Time to pack. I'm headed South this weekend! I am very excited to spend time with the fam - plus it has been years since I've been. My suitcase is entirely to large for just several days...but I like to have options or items on reserve.

The official Biggest Loser was today. I am down 1.4lbs this week. Hardly in first - but still better than gaining. Next week should be a little better because I will feel like running!

Does food ever tempt you? I get home to a delicious meal cooked by my brother and his guy friends. I was super-proud. Stuffed porkchops (insides included sausage and cheese), rolls, rice, and corn casserole! Yum! I only had 3 bites of the corn casserole and a porkchop. Somewhat low-carb and that's the goal!

All is well in this country song of a life of mine! Be back next week!

-Ciao

{Shi}

My shoe obsession gets worse every day. My new fav store to stalk is Shi. Some of the styles are a little outrageous - but I still love to go in and try on every, single pair of heels in the place. Lookie!

Candid Picutre Moment

I was organizing my pictures into seperate folders for ease of use and look what I stumbled upon this jewel. I've said before that my house is like a barn...and here is a little proof. Some of my brother's frinds decided to crash. Guess they had enough and just plopped somewhere without any second thought. That night I just HAD to snap this candid moment. We have 3 couches and there was no one on the others. Thankfully they are thoughtful enough to try to leave room for others. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten a good laugh. Oh, and I love the "bling" shinning in the picture. Haha.

Low Carb

It's amazing how creative I become when doing a low-carb diet. Instead of settling for a hamburger patty topped with cheese, a masterpiece was created. Well, maybe not a 'masterpiece' but something yummy. Keep in mind that the fridge and pantry are always empty as well.

Dish name: "Thank God I'm Not Watching My Calories"

Ingredients: Scrambled hamburger meat, veg-all (however much you like), slices of onion, chili powder, salt, pepper, sour cream, topped with cheese!


**********************************************

My sickness symptoms has now moved in my respirtory system. It's not real bad - but I can tell it's there. Nothing Mucinex isn't helping with. So, going to the track tonight was out of the question. Plus it's entirely too hot outside. Instead, I am going to clean house, begin packing for this weekend, research student loans, and go to bed early. Hey, at least I'm still being productive.

***********************************************

Update on the Bigest Loser Contest: Wednesday will be the official weight in - but so far I've only lost 1lb. Puft. That stinks!

Poop

I feel like poop. My nose and lungs are achy. I am not out for the count...but I could certainly be better. I have no energy and keep sniffing. So much for keeping up with my running schedule! My symptoms keep going from one thing to another. When is this going to get better?! And truly I would like to know what "this" is.

I plan on getting in bed in about 15 minutes. It will be at about 8:30. Rest is good when you aren't feeling well - so I guess I will try this angle.....

Shoooping!

Me and my cousin had a fun day of shopping - and looking at wedding dresses. We found the best one for her. She will pick it up tomorrow. I also bought 2 super-cutise shirts from Express! I did splurge a little bit...but it is worth it.

Question: Is it real? haha.

Wow. How long has it been since you have watched Saturday Night Live? It's been YEARS for me. I am watching a re-run and thinking that I would do some naughty things for a bag of popcorn (ok, maybe not 'naughty, naughty'). Since I am on a diet and we are out of snacks...I am having to settle for a sugar-free snack pack.

Mary Kay?

*Ring Ring* AMANDA! You just won $100 worth of Mary Kay products. Go to the website and pick out what you want. I'll meet you whenever you want. Congrats! YAAAY! We had a facial party a few months ago for my cousin who is getting married next summer. The MK rep was wonderful and we had a fun time. I have never used MK products until that night. I loved the products - but since I am not a money tree...I could only buy some foundation. Until...I won $100 worth of stuff. Take a lookie:

1. SatinHands Kit (The BEST stuff eva)

2. Cosmetic pads

3. Satin Lips lip balm (lip treatment that exfoliates) and lip balm

4. Eye primer - to keep my shadow on all day

5. Beach Bronze lip gloss

6. Moonstone and Lilac eyeshadow

I am so excited about all this! :-) Thank you Dawn...and thank you Mary Kay!

My Charmed Life

I got my luggage tags in the mail today! How cute are they? I absolutly love these. Big thanks to Patty and Chris at My Charmed Life for these beauts. AND a HUGE thanks to Jo Jo for all her cool bloggy give-aways!


I will get some good use out of these. I will also know where to point them when everyone is jealous!

The Biggest Loser

We started "The Biggest Loser" at work yesterday. Whoever loses the largest percent of body weight wins! Guys and girls in the same pot. We have 5 weeks until the competition is over. I am very excited about this because it will be gREAt motivation. On top of that...there is about $400 cash for the winner. I think I can do this. Seriously. I may have to be carried to the final weigh in due to weakness, but hey, it's $400 bucks!

What my strategy you ask?

1. Low Carb Diet

2. Water or water with Crystal Light

3. Lots of running

With only two days into the competition I have stood my ground. I ran a mile and walked a mile yesterday. Today I ran a mile, and walked a mile again. I had a hamburger patty for supper. And lunch...take a lookie:

A few cherries. Pitiful, sad, and everything YOU shouldn't do on a diet. But the competition is fierce and I'm all in ba-bay!

P.S. Now off to belly dance and practice in the mirror for some mo' exercise :-)

Re-Raxing

This weekend was relaxing. I was able to catch up on missed sleep and also get some exercise in. It was pretty uneventful - which was actually "planned" so I count it as a win! Although I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow - I am thankful that I have a job. The weekend will be here before I know it.

Remember "Art on the Rocks" that I mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, it's this Friday and I haven't found a dress yet! AHHH. I must shop this week....

Green Faces

Do you ever just want to do silly girly things? Well, my cousin and I think it is so much fun to do facials, massages, manis, pedis, and the like. It is always refreshing to girl talk with a green face! haha. Do yourself a favor and take time to do these kinds of thing. It is fabulous!

Farewell Friend

Farewell my little friend. It is time for school to start back and our intern has to return to Auburn. She and I became friends as she was inducted into the 'Hot Bod Quad.' We have 4 cubes, so it is easy to socialize and become close to your surrouding boxmates. I thought it would be fun to have her a little going away party yesterday. Obviously, my them was orange and blue for Auburn. Only for her...Roll Tide Roll. If you will look closely to the left you will see a swag I made for her! I was in such a rush making it and decorating the next morning that I didn't take a closeup. But it was precious. It had pawprint, tigerprint, and tons of orange, blue, and white ribbon. AU signs were attached with closepins! We will miss you little miss :)

Here she is just a' posing in front of her alma matar backdrop.

Red and white make for a 'Bama Attack!' Michael thought it would be fun to attack at different times during the day.

The members of the Hot Bod Quad. The fourth was taking the picture.

One more thing...

Oh, AND I am back in action with my wedding tales blog :-)

New Toy!

I got an iPod. A little behind the times I know. But still...it's very exciting. I went with the iPod Classic so I can downlad movies. The nano is 8g but the classic is 80g. Not a bad upgrade for $50. So, tonight I will be downloading songs.

My friend and I have started jogging and are running in some type of "thon" on August 16. That is just 2 weeks away! I was able to run one mile without stopping today. Tomorrow...it will be 1 1/2 miles. A lot to do in a little bit of time.

I'm not sure of the details yet. I only know the date. Scary huh?

Second Letter

I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL! Waaaa hooooo! :-) Now, I must meet with my advisor. Sweet, sweet, sweet escape!

I want to kiss whoever discovered the "Dollar Menu"

Can you guess what this is? This is my lunch. E-v-ery day. Some think it is strange that I eat a snack wrap *grilled w/ honey mustard* for lunch. C'mon it's just $1 and it's not that bad. Admitting that it is delicious is a little far-fetched. But, my savings account thanks me for it. A weeks worth of lunch is $5 opposed to $24 for ordering a combo of McDonalds menu. AND the saved calories. Some laugh, some say I'm being too frugal, some make jokes about "where ya gonna eat lunch today?" but that's OK. I am still breathing and my belly gets just enough to get me to suppertime. It may be a little extreme to only go to McDonalds vs. Burger King...but now it is a habit and part of my daily routine. The window workers would miss me and miss the little chuckle they get when they see me at the drive through. Hey, a gals gotta do what a gals gotta do right?

Need a New Dress

I attended my first belly dancing class today. It is going to be a very unique experience. My arms and legs were burning! I will continue through this month and will hopefully continue.

I need your help! I must find a fabulous dress. Art on the Rocks is coming up in a few weeks. It is a fashionable night and I must look snazzy. Not over the top. Prom dresses are not welcome. Just something modern and classy. $$Money$$ wise it doesn't need to be outrageous - but it does need to be made from a well-know designer or from a well know store. I would hate to be interviewed and asked where I bought my dress, shoes, and jewlery and have to answer 'ROSS' or 'KOHLS'! So, let me know if you see or think of something hott!

Ciao,
Shakira

Aahhhh! Got a Letter in the Mail

I come home from work and check the mail - of course to see if I have been accepted to Grad School. And I see this:

Ok...deep breath. It's not an admissions letter, but it does let me know that they have received my request and it also tells me which pre-reqs I will have to take once accepted.

Not too shabby. Look at all of them A's and B's! :) Well, except for the C in MIS...that was my lazy semester and it was well worth it.

All I will need is 4 hours of science and an ED410 class (Teaching of Reading) to start Grad School. Whew! I was thinking that I may need more. Now I just have to stalk my mailbox for a few more weeks until I receive an acceptance letter!! One step closer....one step closer...

My Second Job

This is my 100th post! Whoa. I just realized this.

I also realized that I have a HUGE second job. That my friends, is keeping up the house. You can chuckle all you want to. But this is serious. See what happens when everyone is gone during the day...and droves of people hang out on the weekend...what you are about to witness is not pretty. My second job is a toughie. This beast of a house is ridiculious. Considering that we are fairly clean, and clean up after ourselves DAILY you wouldn't think it would become a big deal. Welp - here is what I get to work with just tonight...

First I must celebrate!

I brought this African Violet back to life using leftover coffee. I wish I had a before picture. It was completely dead. Dead brown flowers and leaves. Now look!

This is the clean laundry

This is the dirty laundry

The room is completely broken in

The jungle

The house is spotless one day. The next a train wreck. There is no such thing as just clean. I had to forgo walking to tackle this.

My brother and I have struck a deal. I will wash and fold his clothes, and he will fix my car! My battery is corroded and it will not start. I thought it may be the starter so I called the car shoppe. Come to find out it would cost $450ish to fix! Dad says that the battery just needs to be cleaned! YES! So, my brother is going to do that tonight. Done deal :)

Cobbler is the bomb

How nice it is to have a few off days from work. I actually have a little time to get things done and so things that I love. Otherwise, I don't have a lot of time to enjoy. My friend Jamie brought some pears from her tree. Pears are not a fruit that I just eat to be eating them. They were about to spoil so I decided to make a Pear cobbler! Yuuuum. I have never tasted one, nor attempted to make one before. Well, I did. And it tasted GREAT!

Ok, Ok, so it's not the most beautiful thing in the world. But looks are deceiving. Dont'cha wanna bite?

Recipe: You should know by now that I don't really measure...but here goes...

What you'll need

6-7 pears peeled and sliced

Syrup or Karo

butter

sugar

brown sugar

vanilla

Cinnamon

Bisquik mix

Flour

Make the fruit filling by adding about 1/2 flour, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1tbsp vanilla, a few squirts of syrup and 1/2 cup butter. Mix and add fruit.

Put filling in bottom of a pan in oven on about 375 for 10 minutes

Mix Bisquik according to box. Roll out on floured surface. Cut into strips.

Get filling out of the oven, and layer with strips of bisquick.

Pop in oven for about 30 minutes or until browned.

Add sugar and melted butter on top once out of oven.

Top with vanilla ice cream or pet milk for a tasty treat! Quick, Easy and fun!!

The Closet Studio Design

Inspired by the cluttered disaster of my closet and a day off from work came the idea of doing a makeover! Clutter, clothes, and hangers have always stressed me out. I thought it would be fun to actually design my closet. It is an inexpensive way of creating a getaway and getting organized!

This is the canvas. No form of organization what-so-ever. My clothes are all over the place. No wonder I can never find anything and I want to stay as far away as possible!






Here are my Pizazz tools!



$1 Vinal Tablecloth

My favorite scrapbook cardstock pages

Cute Stickers

Thumbtacks

Ribbon

3 Woven Baskets

3 Tin Cans

3 Glass Jars

Ceiling Hanger Hooks

Labeling Tags

Metal Shower Curtain Rod

Pizazz Project #1: Picture Box Makeover

Adding Scrapbook pages, ribbon, and labeling tags adds character to the once drab black box.

Pizazz Project #2: Cute Jars - Ribbon always does the trick.

Pizazz Project # 3: Art - Just because I like it!

I found some old picture frames. Inside a put a glittery bird sticker in the center of a scrapbook page and wa-la.

I have a shoe fetish! It is crazy. I ran out of room to store all of my shoes...sooo...it was time for a little creativity. I tacked scrapbook art on my walls. Next, I added wall hooks to hang some of my wedges and heels. And, my stilletos found a new home hanging on hemp string that was hung under my shelving. On the otherside I added my mirror for a backdrop and used an old closet shelf for more heels and it works perfectly.

The metal showerod was used to hang my skirts above the dresser. Hemp string and clothespins hang items that I love, but don't get a lotta lovin' for a display and ease of use. The vinal tablecloth was tacked along the back wall for a pop of color. The nester would be proud of this mis-mistreatment.

A green handbag houses wires, cables, and cords neatly. The picture boxes, tin, and a basket hold odds and ends.

AT LAST! The final masterpiece! The cute jars sit on a white shelf, extra clothes are in the woven baskets, and 'office' supplies are in the tin. Yes, my bras hang on my door - so they are in the way of the picture :)

Before & After Full-Effect

{The Beautiful Maine}

Maine is stunning. A romance novel, a salty body scrub, a mysterious foreign country. These are the words that could almost describe what it is like. The crisp summer air tickles the skin while the smell of seafood hits the senses. People are kind and funny. It is a place of free-spirits that embrace life and enjoy life outdoors. Cargo shorts and thin cotten shirts keep cover while sporty sandals protect the feet. The European style shopping centers are quaint, and in between shops you can peek at the sea where yahts and kayaks drift into the sunset. The air is thick with folk music and laughter. Seagulls fly above off the shore. It is fairly quiet and peaceful and the streets are not completely full. The thunderstorm this particular weekend brought the rain, but it was welcome. The bars are full of happiness and home-brewed beer as people talk about how wonderful life is. Northern accents are everywhere sprinkled with a few thick Boston words. Lobster is abundant and floating restaurants atop boats invite views of sailboats and tugboats alike. Lighthouses send a historic message about U.S. coastal defenses and are very beautiful....