I love the feeling of accomplishment! My hubby and I moved to a new house almost a year ago, and I tell you, unashamedly, I LOVE MY HOUSE! Though, if I'm honest with myself, I have to admit that it's probably a bit more than we need right now. I just wanted to get something that we could grow into through the years.
However, I'm quickly learning just how long it takes to get "settled" in a new home. Don't get me wrong....all the boxes are unpacked, and pretty much everything has a "place". Understand, not everything stays in its place....did I mention our soon-to-be 2-year-old?!
My idea of being "settled" includes adequate furniture in each room, paint on all the walls, and a few knick-knacks or pictures strategically placed to draw the eye away from the flaws that you eventually get around to fixing.
Well, we are far from settled. There is still no dining room table, we need new furniture in at least 3 other rooms, I've only painted one room (and I don't like my color choice so I'll be repainting soon), and we have very few pictures hanging on the wall (the whole "strategically placed" concept is a foreign subject to me).
But I can finally say that I've accomplished a task which I consider HUGE! I installed shelves in one of my favorite rooms...my CLOSET! I have about 2 dozen pairs of shoes. I can't help it. Many of you may not know this about me, but I'm a shoe girl. I love shoes. I like funky shoes, classic shoes, boots, heels, tennis shoes, and flip flops. I buy them as often as I can. The problem? I don't buy nice clothes with which to wear these fabulous shoes! So I have a closet full of shoes that I rarely wear. And they have been piled in the floor of my closet for almost a year.
I went to Lowe's about 3 months ago and bought the supplies and tools I needed to install the shelves, and they have been sitting in my bedroom floor since the day I bought them. Until this week......
Monday night my 12-year-old niece spent the night with me, and we stayed up until almost 11:00 putting in the shelves. When we finally finished and put the shoes on the shelves, I felt like a glamour girl with a closet fit for a celebrity!
Next project? Fill my closet with fabulous clothes! I've got to give my shoes an excuse to come out of the closet! haha! Happy Shopping!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The best cookie in the world!
I am FAR from being a chef. I've always enjoyed cooking....I've just never been good at it. What I can do is follow a recipe. So I love to bake. There's no "little of this, little of that" garbage that those who can cook use to frustrate those of us who have no idea what a "little" is.
And since I am a self-proclaimed expert on cookies, especially those with chocolate in them, I try almost every recipe I can find. This is by far the best cookie I have ever had....and trust me, I've had a LOT! I must give credit where credit is due....and because I don't want to get in trouble for putting something on the internet that may be copyrighted....I got the recipe from watching Food Network: "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. I can only follow a recipe, not create one. This one came straight from Alton himself.
Try the recipe! Follow it to a T. I promise: You're gonna love it! And all your friends are going to ask you to make it again and again.
2 sticks unsalted butter -- real butter, not that stuff in the tub
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp kosher salt -- kosher is a MUST, not regular salt...makes all the difference
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips -- ok, sometimes I use a few more than 2 cups (can you ever really have too many chocolate chips?)
Hardware required:
Ice cream scooper (Alton recommends #20 disher, but I don't know what that is...just use whatever ice cream scooper you've got)
Parchment paper
baking sheets
Mixer
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 Tbsp milk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough (I usually chill it for about 30-40 minutes), then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. (Ok, this is my note here: mine have never taken 14 minutes...and pull them out of the oven before they look finished on top....if they look "done" inside the oven, it's too late) Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
ENJOY!!!!!!
And since I am a self-proclaimed expert on cookies, especially those with chocolate in them, I try almost every recipe I can find. This is by far the best cookie I have ever had....and trust me, I've had a LOT! I must give credit where credit is due....and because I don't want to get in trouble for putting something on the internet that may be copyrighted....I got the recipe from watching Food Network: "Good Eats" with Alton Brown. I can only follow a recipe, not create one. This one came straight from Alton himself.
Try the recipe! Follow it to a T. I promise: You're gonna love it! And all your friends are going to ask you to make it again and again.
2 sticks unsalted butter -- real butter, not that stuff in the tub
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 tsp kosher salt -- kosher is a MUST, not regular salt...makes all the difference
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips -- ok, sometimes I use a few more than 2 cups (can you ever really have too many chocolate chips?)
Hardware required:
Ice cream scooper (Alton recommends #20 disher, but I don't know what that is...just use whatever ice cream scooper you've got)
Parchment paper
baking sheets
Mixer
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 Tbsp milk, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough (I usually chill it for about 30-40 minutes), then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. (Ok, this is my note here: mine have never taken 14 minutes...and pull them out of the oven before they look finished on top....if they look "done" inside the oven, it's too late) Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
ENJOY!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
National Lampoon's European Vacation
My mom & dad, along with my brother and his wife & daughter, are all traveling through Europe over the next 3 weeks. And I can't help but imagine the Griswald family from National Lampoon's when I picture my family in places like Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, and London. My brother will be bringing home a BMW (color me jealous!), and my sister-in-law will be visiting her sister, whose husband is stationed in London for a few years. My sweet little 8-yr-old niece has already seen more of this world than I have in my (ahem, no comment) years.
But my parents!!! That's what tickles me! I'm sure this would never happen, but I just picture my dad in Germany, wearing those terrible little....do they call them knickers?--the little green overall shorts?...and drinking several of those HUGE mugs of German beer! And my mom....now she's been overseas before (Italy and Japan, I think)....but the French have a reputation for being quite rude, a concept that is completely foreign to Southerners! Especially someone as sweet and polite as my mother.
I'm very excited that they all have this opportunity. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear all the stories. It's kind of given me an itch to go on vacation myself. Wonder what Jamaica's like this time of year!
But my parents!!! That's what tickles me! I'm sure this would never happen, but I just picture my dad in Germany, wearing those terrible little....do they call them knickers?--the little green overall shorts?...and drinking several of those HUGE mugs of German beer! And my mom....now she's been overseas before (Italy and Japan, I think)....but the French have a reputation for being quite rude, a concept that is completely foreign to Southerners! Especially someone as sweet and polite as my mother.
I'm very excited that they all have this opportunity. I can't wait to see the pictures and hear all the stories. It's kind of given me an itch to go on vacation myself. Wonder what Jamaica's like this time of year!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Why "See the Lilies?"
Why?? My 22-month-old son hasn't entered the infamous "Why? Why? Why?" stage, but I can't seem to leave it. Why haven't we sold our old house yet? Why does my husband insist on arguing with me about how long my son's hair is? Why is it that 30 mintues after I mop the floor, my dog Lola suddenly has the urge to "do her business" in my house?!? Why? Why? Why?
I guess there's always a reason to ask why. Last week, however, the ever popular "Why do bad things happen...Why me?" was the only question I was asking. I went to my Ob-Gyn for my 12-week check-up, and he couldn't find my baby's heartbeat. This is my second miscarriage. The first happened last year, when I was only about 6 1/2 weeks along. This time, however, we had already seen our baby's heartbeat on the sonogram at my first doctor's visit. Needless to say, I was crushed.....no, devastated. I've spent the last four days trying to make sense of it.
When I was in college, I wrote a song called to "To See the Lilies". In short, here's the message of the song: All of us love those mountain-top experiences in life. But it is only the valleys where the lilies seem to grow, the flower of peace. Could that mean that we only understand peace when we allow God to lead us through trials? Perhaps...
But I still wonder why...I guess I always will.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
I guess there's always a reason to ask why. Last week, however, the ever popular "Why do bad things happen...Why me?" was the only question I was asking. I went to my Ob-Gyn for my 12-week check-up, and he couldn't find my baby's heartbeat. This is my second miscarriage. The first happened last year, when I was only about 6 1/2 weeks along. This time, however, we had already seen our baby's heartbeat on the sonogram at my first doctor's visit. Needless to say, I was crushed.....no, devastated. I've spent the last four days trying to make sense of it.
When I was in college, I wrote a song called to "To See the Lilies". In short, here's the message of the song: All of us love those mountain-top experiences in life. But it is only the valleys where the lilies seem to grow, the flower of peace. Could that mean that we only understand peace when we allow God to lead us through trials? Perhaps...
But I still wonder why...I guess I always will.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
did i really do this?
I think I actually did this! Welcome to the 21st century Lisa! I created a blog. I'm not sure why...just seemed like a fun thing to do, instead of going to bed at 10:00. That would make way too much sense. I think I'm just going to do this for my family right now. See what they think of it.
I mean REALLY!!!! Like I don't have enough to do already....chase after a soon-to-be 2-yr-old while my pregnant belly gets larger and larger and larger....do I really have to wait 6 1/2 more months!?!
Tell me what you think would be fun to see on this blog (mom, that's short for "web log" which is kind of like an online diary that you let other people read). ok, here goes, i'm gonna post it now.
I mean REALLY!!!! Like I don't have enough to do already....chase after a soon-to-be 2-yr-old while my pregnant belly gets larger and larger and larger....do I really have to wait 6 1/2 more months!?!
Tell me what you think would be fun to see on this blog (mom, that's short for "web log" which is kind of like an online diary that you let other people read). ok, here goes, i'm gonna post it now.
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