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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

Tomorrow night I will be here....

In the great city of.....

With my wonderful parents....

And my sister.....



While travelling with these three crazy dogs!


Mr. Bojangles (Merg's dog)

Shelby girl

Prissy Pants Hamilton

To celebrate Christmas!!!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Yummy treats....

First, let me start by saying that I am in much better spirits this week. I think watching my Love and Lovebug open their Christmas gifts from me on top of doing some Christmas baking helped push my blues away!!!!

Below is an A-Mazing recipe that I found last year (yes, I was living under a rock since this has been around forever). I actually remember when I worked in the pharmacy in CVS in high school that one of our customers brought us this treat and I LOVED it, but could never remember what it was. Well....last  year I found it!
Saltine Cracker Toffee!!!!!!

Amazing, you seriously must try this. It is a sweet salty combo that is ridiculously easy to make. I think in total I spent 30 minutes makes 2 batches of this stuff.

Here is the recipe:

40 ish saltine crackers
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 400 degress. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Align your crackers in a single layer to cover the cookie sheet.
In a pot boil your butter and brown sugar. Once you have it boiling, let it boil for 3 minutes. Stir the whole time so it doesn't burn.
Next, pour this carmal/toffe mixture over your crackers and spread to evenly coat each cracker. Stick the pan in the oven for 5 minutes. It should get bubbly and hot.
Once out of the over, immediatly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the entire pan. I let mine sit for a minute or two after that. Then you can spread the chocolate to cover the entire pan.
Let sit for a few hours until the chocolate sets, then break into whatever size piece you would like.

Not my picture....I'm lazy sometimes :)
Warning: This stuff is addicting! Seriously. I've seen it called crack on a few sites.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Confessional Friday

I'm linking up with Leslie over at Blone Ambition today for her Confessional Fridays. 
  • Right about now most everyone and everything is getting on my last nerve....don't know if it's because I'm cranky or people are just annoying this time of year (probably both)
  •   I may or may not have had sweet tea and half of a chocolate orange around 9 o'clock this morning :)
  •  I truly really do love my friends, honestly I promise I do, but right now a couple may be part of my irritation
  • I spent most of yesterday at work goofing off and not working....whoops!
  • I'm officially the Grinch (or maybe Oscar the Grouch) whichever, and I am not too upset about it at the moment
  • Lately I could eat cheese dip and chips every night for dinner....yum!!!!
Hmmm....this list seems kinda negative, let's hope the weekend sweeps my grouchiness/blues away. It is Christmas and all

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Christmas Traditions

Every family has their own set of traditions for the holidays...these are mine.

Christmas Eve:
Growing up we went to the children's Christmas Eve service until we grew out of that and then we would go to the midnight service. The midnight service was my favorite because at the end we all lit candles, they turned out all of the lights, and we sang "Silent Night". It was the most magical and best way to bring in Christmas and the birth of Jesus. We've moved around a lot these past few years so we haven't  had a set church in awhile. This year however, since my parents moved back to their home town we will be going to the church my dad grew up in!
Then we went home, had ham biscuits for dinner, and opened the presents from each other

Christmas Day:
We've never had a "set" routine for Christmas Day. The biggest tradition is that my sister and I always sleep in the same bed Christmas Eve night. I believe this started when she was around 6 and "Santa" ended up bringing her bunk beds in her room so my parents convinced us to sleep in the same bed that night. Then it kind of just stuck! My sister and I would stay up late under the covers with flashlights playing cards until we fell asleep. Now we just wake up whenever and are lazy. We usually cook a big breakfast and now that my sister and I are older my mother fixes Poinsettias for us to drink (Cranberry juice and champagne).

Random Traditions:
  • We make sausage balls EVERY Christmas. To use it isn't Christmas until we have these.
  • My aunt used to always make my dad Martha Washington balls for Christmas. Since her passing I have taken over that tradition and have to have these every year.
  • Cokes in a glass bottle...enough said!
  • The It's a Wonderful Life village has to be put up before it is "officially" Christmas
This Christmas is going to be a little different from all of our others. My parents moved back to North Carolina so my sister and I will be travelling up there with our three dogs to spend Christmas with them. The thing I'm looking the most forward to is spending Christmas with my grandfather and great aunt. I can't remember the last time that I got to spend Christmas with them.

So there are some of our family traditions. What are some of yours?


My greatest weakness

Disclaimer- this is to no one in particular, just venting in general

So I have a major weakness, or flaw, in my personality. Some may disagree and say that it's a good thing the way that I am, but lately I would have to argue that.

My greatest weakness in life is that I am too nice.

I was rasied to follow the Golden Rule ~ "Do unto others as you would have done unto you"
I truely live and breathe by this. I treat others with respect and kindness and never shy away from helping them no matter what it may be. I have a major problem with saying "NO".

However, lately this has been a huge burden on me in that I feel like it is taken advantage of. Just because I will help you does not mean that you should come to me with EVERYTHING that you need. Yes, in part it is my fault because I don't say no. However, that is another flaw of mine that I know I need to work on. I just have this fear that I will dissapoint someone by saying no, therefore I try to always help. (Maybe I need some therapy to break this thought process)

I try to be the best at everything I do and therefore others see this and just assume that I will do things better than them. So, instead of sucking it up and doing things themselves, they ask me to help them. Again, this is partly my fault for not being able to say no, but come on people! How are you ever going to learn to do things if you constantly ask me to do them?!?!?!?

I pride myself on the fact that I am a nice person. I try not to be mean or cruel or rude or hateful towards others and am so glad to be who I am and that I was raised the way that I was. I just wish that others could look at things the way that I do and realize that life can't be lived by others doing everything for you.

I'm planning on 2012 to be a different year in many ways (more to come on that in another post), and one of those ways is going to be changing how others treat me and how I want to be treated. Wish me luck on that one!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Miscellanous Monday

  • Well...unfortunately the Walton Raiders did not win the State Championship on Saturday. They did play their very best and I am so proud to say that I am a Walton Alum
  • I spent 5 hours Christmas shopping on Saturday and still haven't finished :(
  • I'm sitting here drinking coconut water with mango dreaming that I'm on a tropical beach with no worries
  • I did a specific diet last January that helped kick start my weight loss...I've been thinking about doing it again after the holidays. I'm not having trouble maintaining my weight, but I am having trouble losing more weight. We'll see....
  • I've never had such a hard time buying Christmas presents before. Maybe it's because I'm trying to not spend too much money this year and therefore have less options? Maybe it's because I've really realized this year how pointless material things can be
  • The biggest thing I'm looking forward to about Christmas is my mom's(my dad has made them too) sausage balls! They are a Christmas tradition in my family and they are amazing! (definitely won't help the weight loss though)
  • I'm looking forward to the new year. Not my actual New Year's Eve plans, but to start fresh and have a new take on the year
  • Even though I'm looking forward to the new year, I am NOT looking forward to the birthday that comes with it. I hate my birthday!
Ok, I'll leave you with those for now. On to start this week and hope it goes by quickly. No plans for the week to look forward to so I'm guessing it will go by slowly. Happy Monday!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Way Down in the Valley....

Way down in the valley
I heard a great noise
It was the mighty mighty Raiders
Justa beatin' them boys....

I loved high school. I grew up in a small community where it felt like family. My senior year of high school our football team made it to regionals but didn't get to state. Well....come Saturday afternoon they will be playing the Grayson Rams for the title of state! I am so proud to be a Walton Raider Alum. I may have graduated almost 10 years ago (gasp!), but still feel the pride and am blessed to have gone to such an amazing school. GO RAIDERS!!!!!!


Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Bah Humbug!

I'm trying. Really really trying. My house is decorated. I'm drinking peppermint mocha creamer in my coffee. I have a Christmas themed desktop background on my work computer. I have Christmas music playing on Pandora. There are Mint M&Ms on my counter......but I can't get into the Christmas spirit!

I'm in a major funk. I don't want to do anything. I'm blah and no fun to be around :( I'm not really sure what brought this on. It could be work, could be the stress of Christmas, could be that I have a dreaded birthday coming up (yuck, I hate my birthdays!), who knows?

I usually love Christmas and being able to decorate. Especially since I have a house to decorate my own way this year, but alas, I'm not excited.

I'm in such a mood that I have no appetite (which isn't really such a sad thing, I still have lbs. to lose).

Who knows...... All I do know is that I'm just blah blah and more blah! So just call me the Grinch. Hope everyone else is feeling the Christmas spirit.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Miscellanous Monday


  • I killed a scorpion in my house this weekend. Yes, a scorpion. I'm hoping it was tucked away in a box that was kept in my parent's basement up in the mountains and I won't see one again
  • I can now only fall asleep if my wind/cricket sound machine app is playing on my iPhone
  • My favorite part of Christmas is buying Christmas tree smelling candles and car fresheners
  • I can't stand Walmart...I hate when I go to Target and then later remember I forgot something, so I stupidly decide to run across the street to Walmart. Never a good decision
  • I'm a bad fur momma sometimes. When Shelby doesn't want to come inside I have to bribe her with a "treat"...then I don't always give her that treat (she needs to lose weight), mean mean momma!
  • I've only bought 3 Christmas presents and have NO idea what to get anyone this year
  • I'm not at all in the Christmas spirit, but want to decorate more
  • I saw an awesome make-up tutorial about gold glitter eyeshadow and really want to try it, but don't know when or where I would wear it :(
That's all I've got, Happy Monday!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Home Sweet Home

Back in September I decided to rent this amazing house in a neighborhood that I have LOVED for some time now. This house is perfect for me and my sister and our three dogs (yes, three, and one is almost 80 pounds!) I've finally got it looking almost like I want it to. Of course there are a few little things I still want to do (like draperies), but all in all it's ready and comfy cozy. I just took these pictres so you will see it decorated for Christmas as well. Enjoy!



 Looking from the kitchen
 Looking from the dining room
 The dining room


 My room from the hall
 My room from my bathroom
 Right side of the bathroom
 Left side of the bathroom
My huge closet!!!

I love living here and the area I'm in. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Confessional Friday

I'm linking up with Leslie over at A Blonde Ambition today
  • My temporary roommate bought Mint M&Ms, and every morning this week after feeding the dogs I have grabbed a few and eaten them on my way back up stairs...at 5 in the morning!
  • I use my second sink in my bathroom as a clothing dumping ground
  • I love Christmas and all the decorations, but for some reason am not really looking forward to Christmas this year 
  • I haven't cleaned the huge garden tub in my bathroom ever...I've lived in my house since September (granted, I haven't used it yet either)
  • I read other blogs everyday, but am horrible at updating mine
  • Almost every article of clothing I own is from Target....
  • As much as I would love to have someone special in my life...at the same time I've been by myself for so long, that I think it would be really strange and weird to have someone to lean on and depend on at all times, if that makes any sense??
 That's all I've got! I'm going to take pictures of the house this weekend, so look for that soon! Happy Friday :)