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Saturday, June 26, 2010

iPhone!


June 24, 2010

Here is a picture of me on my "new" iPhone at Grandpa and Grandma Jean's as taken on Zach's new iPhone (a 4g-so actually new) and sent to mine (his old phone). Makes for fun, fun, fun (AND more prompt journal posts)! Even though I've played with his for almost two years now, I'm still getting the hang of it. *lol*

Zach: What have I done? ;)
I guess now we will have to worry about me on our phone-less date nights.

Thanks to my in-law's for adding me to their plan so both my mother and I could spend less on our phones!!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Star Wars FINALLY


June 23, 2010
We FINALLY started watching Star Wars last night.
Now I know exactly what these characters--from my brother's bed sheets in the late 80s--do. *lol* (I already knew WHO they were, thankyouverymuch.)

These are THE sheets I remember; as evidenced by my search, there are many versions out there, but I know this is THE ONE. I took many a nap on the flat sheet...

Adventures in Babysitting

June 21-23, 2010

I've been having fun with this little boy this week.
We've watched lots of kiddo movies (including Up!), pretended to be zoo animals, read Alice in Wonderland, talked to the kitties in the house, played with the fishies (balls) in the boat (a plastic tub), and rang (er, rung?) around the rosey. (I still don't know what to do with that verb--HA!)
But, boy, what I would do to have half his energy, spunk, and amazement!!!

[This was taken at Lindsey and Sam's wedding last weekend.]

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

FIRST day of summer...really?!

June 21, 2010

In honor of the first day of summer (Can you believe it's only the FIRST day?! That's AR weather for you.), I thought I would post a picture celebrating the summer solstice, Stonehenge on the Salisbury Plain.

[Stonehenge really is NOT that impressive...much like the first time you see the Alamo. Much smaller than you think, less daunting. You can't even touch the rocks. :( ]

Bobby thinks he won free ice cream for guessing the correct high temperature for today. Now THAT is a great way to celebrate. :)

I really wish the picture of Stonehenge was straighter, geez.

And this picture below definitely summarizes a Southern summer! *hehe*

Monday, June 21, 2010

Happy Father's Day!

June 20, 2010

Happy Father's Day to all the dads, grandpas, uncles, and "other" fathers out there, especially all of my own! Thanks to all of you for what you have done in my life. Even though I miss my Daddy, I know he is celebrating this holiday in a far better place. Sadly I don't have any pictures from the last years of his life.

I tried to call my brother Matt's daddy A.J., who also had a hand in raising me, but I'll have to call back tomorrow. :(This is my father-in-law modeling his present from all of us. 8) We love you! Hope you had a wonderful day!
In other news, I am now afflicted with a rare condition known as Lego-shoulderitis. It occurs from frequent building and requires more frequent massages (which I HATE because they tickle *tehe*).

This is what happens when you love to organize and sort things and agree to help your husband organize his boxes and boxes, buckets and buckets, and tubs and tubs of Lego. I do like stacking all of the similar bricks, but it begins to wear on the body after awhile. Who knew?

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Presenting the Cooke's!

June 19, 2010 (The 19th is a sweet date!)
Yesterday we attended Zach's cousin Lindsey's wedding, where she became the bride of Sam Cooke at the Albert Pike Residence Hotel in Little Rock. :)

It was a lovely wedding.
I just loved Lindsey's dress and hair.
I really liked how the seats were arranged around the bride and groom and the four columns with the tulle-and-light arrangement overhead. I took lots of pictures of that!

Waiting to begin: family had to be there early for pictures. :)the balcony from which the bridal began begin the processional

The music was fun and personal--I mean, how can you not love a wedding with The Beatles?! It was especially sweet to see her sister Ashley, her matron of honor cry, while her husband Josh married them.
(I didn't get any photos of the ceremony because the flash would have spoiled the moment.)

Luckily my favorite sister-in-law borrowed my camera to get a picture with her cousin. I took pictures of Sam and Lindsey dancing, but you can't see them very well, so I decided to use this sweet picture on facebook. :)

first dance

It was also so great to finally meet Zach's cousins Ashley, Alexis, and Camille and their significant others and getting to spend more time with his extended family. They are all so sweet! I also was so happy to meet his dad's cousin, Linda Adams. (Zach said I was beaming when I met her, telling her how she taught me to cook. *lol*)

All in all, it was a great day! We've been married NINE months exactly!

Our best wishes and congrats to the happy couple, the Cooke's!

Here are some more pictures:
cousin Alexis cutting the bridal cake

so rich

father-daughter dance

Erin and Sayer boogies.

This groomsmen stole the show dancing to "Beat It!"

garter toss (Lindsey threw her bouquet from the balcony, so I didn't get any pictures.)

farewell with sparklers

wedding dress+fire=not safe=Run!=Ashley gets no pictures of the bride and groom= :(

They rode away in this carriage-sooo sweet!


Saturday, June 19, 2010

Zelig

[photo courtesy http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_poster/zelig_1983.htm]

This film was a lot of fun and a great way to end a day of feeling like pooh (sinus issues).
We've never seen anything like it...
Woody Allen delights me (as does this Polish poster). :)

Friday, June 18, 2010

Getting Dolled Up

June 17, 2010

I had lunch with my Mama at Moe's today (SCORE for a $4 meal for two that included a Joey Jr.!), and she looked so cha-cha in her purple I had to take a picture.
She thought she was overdressed. ;)
Isn't she cute?!
But don't ask me wear she learned to pose like she's at a pageant or on the red carpet. :)

Then I went to get my hair trimmed.

Jennifer at Abella Salon and Boutique did a wonderful job. It didn't hurt that she is my best friend's cousin, and we could just chat away. She is so sweet, has the most adorable kids, and her salon is cute, cute, cute. (Think hanging glass windows between stations and big fancy silver-framed mirrors on black walls.)
I stopped back by to see my mom and visited with her a little longer since I had to hurry to my appointment after lunch. She's taking great care of my peace lily from Daddy's funeral. (Hobie kept trying to eat it, and it didn't get enough light in our old apartment. I waiting to get it back once we have jobs and are settled somewhere again.)

P.S. Zach and I are having a date night tonight! We're going to get snow cones and go on an adventure! I just hope he feels better...

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Chocolate Love: Just 2 of My Favorites

[photo courtesy http://jenniesaysrelax.com/?tag=mass-media]
June 16, 2010

I finally broke into my second and last candy bar from my birthday basket Zach gave me. :)
(I devoured the white chocolate one ages ago. Well, "devour" is not the appropriate word. I had enough restraint to eat tiny pieces here and there over a number of days--my plan with this one, too.)

This is so so so good.
One of my favorites. It's up there with the Milky Way (regular and Midnight), the Crunchie, and any white chocolate bar (including cookies and cream, although I could do without the cookies).
That reminds me that I STILL haven't tried Milky Way Simply Caramel. Unbelievable.

Anyway, Monica and I picked up our first Chocolove bars during my senior year at Whole Foods (formerly Wild Oats, which was a much better name if you ask me). I later bought the Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate and kept it in my desk in Dr. Fowler's office for ages; for some reason, I was too scared to eat it. I fretted I wouldn't like it, and, as I felt the same way about the Green Tea Kit-Kat's Zach brought back from Japan on his China trip and was proven correct i.e. Green Tea Kit-Kat's = ICK, I think my caution was justified. Although I believe it has since expired, I still have that ginger chocolate bar. Nuts I am.

On that first trip, I think Monica got the Raspberries in Dark Chocolate and shared with Rose and Emily who LOVE raspberries and chocolate. My best friends in high school largely disliked chocolate, so I was blessed to find like-minded individuals at UCA. Score! :)

There are many reasons this is one of my favorites:
1) I LOVE dark chocolate.
2) I LOVE the orange peel. I once made rustic biscotti with orange zest and cornmeal, and those twice-baked biscuits were so so so good. I love the texture the peel adds to the chocolate. I tend to let it melt in my mouth until the peel is exposed, and then I savor the subtle orange flavor the zest provides.
3) I LOVE that this chocolate bar includes poetry! Hello, Food Heaven for English Majors! Zach and I would sell these puppies at our Literary Bakery. Monica and I collected our wrappers when we lived together and posted them on the refrigerator.

[http://eatnvegan.com/?cat=6]
The poem in my birthday orange bar is by none other than Billy Shakes! I present you with SONNET 20:"A woman's face with nature's own hand painted,
Hast thou, the master mistress of my passion;
A woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted
With shifting glance as is false women's fashion;An eye more bright than theirs, less false in rolling,
Gilding the object whereupon it gazeth;
A man in hue all hues in his controlling,
Which steals men's eyes and women's souls amazeth.
And for a woman wert thou first created,
Till Nature as she wrought thee fell a-doting,
And by addition me of thee defeated,
By adding one thing to my purpose nothing.
But since she pricked thee out for women's pleasure,
Mine be thy love and thy love's use their treasure."

Granted, this appears to be from the "Fair Youth" group, but I'll take it! Now if only we can make it to Conway for the Shakespeare Theatre!



[http://scienceblogs.com/neurotopia/2009/11/friday_weird_science_oxytocin_1.php]
Dublin Mudslide is my FAV-O-RITE.
I mean, how can you not love "Irish Cream Liqueur Ice Cream with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Coffee Fudge Swirl?"
And it is the perfect (and, might I add, long-awaited) reward for reaching a very difficult goal--learning to swim! Now, I can't exactly swim very far, but I did swim some on my own, and Zach agreed with me I had earned the treat I was saving. *lol* :)

P.S. I just had to put this picture, although it is low quality. Some rat breeders decided to be clever and name their litter after Ben and Jerry's flavors. But how could no one want Dublin Mudslide?!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Rice Flower and Shea: MMMMM!

Who knew this would smell so heavenly? :)
AND I (well, my mother-in-law) only paid $5.

[But I am really confused as to why this is in an old-school style bottle?
The body spray wasn't in the new bottles either.
Moreover, why is this labeled as a classic scent? It does have a rather lovely neutral smell.
And I definitely disagreed with their top eight scents because they included fragrances that haven't been out very long...]

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

A late "Thank You" is still a "Thank You," right, Mrs. Manners?


I can NOT believe it has taken us almost the full six months since our reception to get the rest of our thank-you cards in the mail.
I'm so ashamed.
Mrs. Manners and Emily Post can flog me now. :(

Of course, I was made to understand that you had six months after receiving them to get them out.
(Our ninth month anniversary is Saturday, and it will be six months since our reception on Sunday.)
So we are still within our limit.

The reason why I am ashamed is that I remember making the comment that I did not understand why it would take up to six months to send out thank-you cards...

And I still don't.
It probably took less than 30 minutes to write these last few.

Technically we still aren't finished with thank-you's because, evidently, there is still one more present left to pick up, and we haven't decided what to give our parents to thank them, though we have some great ideas. *tehe*
Fortunately I love cards! :)

Monday, June 14, 2010

Fairy Cakes are much better than Cupcakes...the way the Flurry was SOOO better than the Creamslush, Sonic!


[photo courtesy http://elizabethjamescakes.co.uk/index.php?module=gallery]

Did you know that cupcakes are often called "fairy cakes" in England?

Daily I am affirmed in my belief that England is one of the most charming places in the world to live. :)

A common shape that "fairy cakes" take is in the form of a "butterfly cake." These are created by scooping out the middle, filling it with icing/cream/jam, and splitting the scoop in two to top the cake like wings. Finally you dust with powdered sugar. So precious, so sweet. I would have loved this as a little girl!

I'm not much of a cake eater, but, in learning to decorate them more professionally, I have become obsessed with cakes of all sizes and shapes and flavors.

Check out these popular bakeries in England:
The Hummingbird Bakery (which serves American-quality cakes) http://hummingbirdbakery.com/
Crumbs and Doilies http://www.crumbsanddoilies.co.uk/home.html

There is also something called "fairy bread," which is toast covered in butter/margarine/honey that is then sprinkled with jimmies, colored sugar, or what you will. It is found more in Australia, and, while I think I would find it disgusting, I know US kids who flocked to ketchup of every color in the rainbow would love it!

In other news, whilst stumbling across these cake tidbits (that makes me smile), Zach was snuggling next to me in our living room during the Italy vs. Paraguay game. He always likes to stretch out across me and hold my hand, but usually I move if I'm working (er, playing) away on Edgar.

Not today. He simply put Edgar atop his lap, and I continued business as usual! He said he didn't want me to go. :)

This last picture is when he finally just turned Edgar around and held onto him while I scrolled. *hehe*


P.S. I'm getting an iPhone (Zach's old one) soon!

If you can't handle pets, you probably shouldn't have children...

June 13, 2010
I can only handle one pet, and he's the hobiest Hobie I've ever seen.
I love all the babies in the house, but I live to spoil this one.

Thankheavensthepharrsarehomefromcamping.

:)

Lego Lifer

June 12, 2010

Zach's summer project is sorting and organizing all of his Lego for when we move.
I've been helping. (Sort of.)
Well, I've trying finding certain pieces, and I assembled tackle boxes yesterday.
Then I had to take a nap.

*le sigh*
Even Hobie is overwhelmed. ;)