Hanging with the Pharr Side (of the Family)

Today we met Zach's family (his parents Bobby and Beverly, sister Erin, and grandma Momo) at Mimi's Cafe in LR for my birthday dinner (er, lunch) with them! Because I had signed up to nearly every restaurant for coupons throughout the year, I got at least ten of them for birthday. The down side? Most of them expire during the week after. As I got one from Mimi's and it's one of our favorites and we hadn't been there since the fall, I suggested we go there.

We started off with the spinach and artichoke dip, which is always delicious. I ordered the chicken tostada salad, which came with a muffin; I had a yummy banana chocolate chip that was more like dessert. My salad had corn, black beans, peppers, avocado, lime-infused ranch...just delicious. Then the waiter brought out this chocolate cheesecake pie thing with a single candle. I won't tell you what I wished for. ;)This is what was left. :)

The Pharr's outdid themselves, as always.
From Erin, I got a very pretty salmon-pink summery blouse and a bracelet.

At first, I wasn't sure about the back because I don't like to show it, but this one still covers!

Momo gave me one of her old crystal platters, a table runner her mama crocheted, and some baby pictures of Zach and pictures of the family.

~very lovely~

I get to share Beverly and Bobby's gift with Zach: reservations for afternoon tea at The Empress in Little Rock! I'm so excited!!

I love my "handsome and wonderful husband!"

All in all, it was a wonderful lunch, and I was so glad to get to spend quality time with my new family. It was especially great to see Momo because we haven't seen her since January at the Loretta Lynn concert. Thank you all for being so kind and loving towards me and for welcoming to your family! I love you so much and am so thankful to God that my family has grown. :)

Cake Balls = Heaven

And how do you make heaven, you ask?

Well, firstly, you pick a cake mix, and you bake it according to the directions.
Then you crumble it up. I used our chopper to get it very fine.

Next, you mix in frosting--your choice. At some point, you may have to use your hands. ; )

Stick the "dough"..."batter"...cake ball glob into the freezer for 30-40 minutes.
Using your hands or a melon baller/cookie scoop, form the glob into balls.
Return the balls to the freezer for several hours. (I went for 3ish.)

[Those are not my White Castle Burgers. Seriously. They're my husband's. I will claim the pie!]

Melt some kind of coating (chocolate, almond bark, etc.) and let your cake go swimming!

Through a highly scientific experiment, I found the best way to coat them was to stick a toothpick in, and dip and swirl them in the coating, using a spoon to coat the parts that didn't get covered. Then I used another toothpick to scrape off any excess and placed them on a wax-papered cookie sheet. (You can also roll them in sprinkles, colored sugar, nuts, etc.)
Finally, stick these little pieces of heaven into the fridge for 30+ minutes until the coating is hardened. (I twirled the toothpicks out.)
EAT. :)
These are so good, and the homemade peanut butter frosting I used gives them a fudge taste. It's a like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cake. This is how I like cake...not so cake-y. ;)

[Monica, one or more of these will have your name on it/them!]

And here is the delicious Peanut Butter Frosting I used:

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat butter, milk and sugar to a boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add peanut butter and vanilla and stir until smooth.

A Magical Find

Zach and I awoke to the sound of my French memo board crashing down upon the desk in our kitchen, knocking over all of my cookbooks, which knocked a bowl of candy to the floor. (I have pictured my memo board on here before.) Thankfully none of the dishes drying on the desk were harmed. The 3M hanging strips had separated somehow. : /

This afternoon I finished rereading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I HAD promised that I would start my paper on Shelley after finishing this volume (and a snack), deciding I would finish the series by the end of finals week. Of course, with an ending like that, I had to move on! When I opened Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I found this. :)

I completely forgot about this picture, although I use my bookmark from this night every time I read HP. It just made me soo happy. . . and WOULD have looked so charming on my memo board.

It WILL look charming on there when we move! (I don't want to risk it falling again and bending my pictures, cards, and recipes this time, so I took everything off for now.)

D-DAY!!

That would be [yearbook] Distribution Day. :)


Today, the second publication on which I worked this year [the 2009-2010 Scroll yearbook] was released!

I didn't get to go to the release party because I had a meeting with a professor, but I picked up one after I got off work. Then I had to wait until I had gone grocery shopping and cooked supper to even look at it. *lol*

It was worth the wait. It is astoundingly beautiful and feels like a magazine. I am impressed with how the entire thing turned out, cover to cover. I am also pleased with the two sections of which I was editor, Student Life and People. I wasn't as hands-on with SL--it was mostly turning out ideas--but I organized People on my own, and it was rather difficult with how few people turned out for portraits. But I love it!

[And, yes, I was a good staff member. I am in it! Second person on the first row. :]

Congratulations to Emily Gassman, editor-in-chief, Ms. Polly, and the rest of our staff!!

Once Upon A Dream...

April 26, 2010

[photo courtesy http://www.seattlemet.com/blogs/culture-fiend/page/8/]

Zach and I went to see the Moscow Festival Ballet's Sleeping Beauty. It was gorgeous. :)

We got a little lost in Act 2, thinking Princess Aurora had already awakened. *lol* I really liked the wolf. He just tickled me.

I loved the scenery and the costumes! These in this picture are even more elaborate than the ones from last night. It made me wish I had taken dance...and piano...and painting. I really belonged in a finishing school as a little girl?

There were a lot of little girls running around in frothy pastel dresses and tiaras (so sweet)...the little girl in front of us actually paid a great deal of attention and was constantly asking questions. AND people were dressed up as if they were at the Met, and not UCA. That always tickles me. :)

send me a postcard, drop me a line

April 26, 2010
I just had to tell my dear sweet Pearl (a.k.a. Monica) thanks for her well wishes! I love cards, and I am so sentimental. I keep every one I get, and everyone she gives is a treasure.

Here is a picture of the Good Luck card she gave Zach and I at the beginning of the month for his thesis defense and my comprehensive exams . . . and this is the Congratulations card she sent me for passing comps and my thesis defense. Notes like this are rare, and make me especially happy.

Monica, thank you for always being so supportive and encouraging and knowing that your friends can reach their dreams and achieve success despite the odds. I hope you know that I believe in you, too. Always. I love you and admire you so much.

[Between Monica and her pal Stacy and me, we could start what my aunt Lura calls a card ministry!! That would be awesome. ;]

SHE BANGS, SHE BANGS

I got bangs!!
They are very Rory-esque. :)
And much better than my curled-under ones from eighth grade. *bleh* Remember those?

The Courier reprinted our wedding announcement photo with the wrong announcement, and the girl whose picture should have been in the announcement had perfectly curled bangs in junior high. AND I always wanted to mess them up. ;)

I'm sorry for my messy appearance. I had to get up E-A-R-L-Y this morning to copy my thesis, and I didn't shower because I did that late yesterday afternoon. Then, after my hair appointment, the wind blew it all helter-skelter.

Thanks to the lovely Casey Riley at Wyck's for making my hair shiny again!

Yep. I'm a silly mongoose.

I really DO like kids...I promise!

[photo courtesy http://failads.com/world-without-crazy-screaming-children/]

April 25, 2010
Old Chicago needed this sign last night. It's loud enough on a quiet night. *sigh*
A table of multiple screaming children will cure any form of baby fever.
If your child is an instigator, PLEASE remove him or her to the lobby or outside...or leave him or her at home with a babysitter. Do not inflict your poorly-disciplined kiddos on others or at the cost of corrupting well-behaved children. There are so few in this world.

I do mean this in jest. Kinda. ;)


(Bad karma? I'll risk it. Our theoretical children will probably be hellions.)

Avatar: Let them eat cake?!

What is going on in the world?! This is just creepy, Kroger. Creepy Kroger.

Master Ashley : )

As of April 23, 2010, I am officially a Master of Literature!! I passed comps AND my thesis defense!

I really cannot believe it. It took so much to get here. I am in shock that I passed everything, especially that last essay on comps, and that my thesis turned out so well. It was an emotionally-draining project.

Last night we went out to celebrate! We never really got to celebrate Zach's defense or even taking comps, so we wanted to have a really good time. We had a nice dinner and drinks (had multiple mojitos because of the great week I had and I'm really into mojitos now!), popped into Target for a bit (because we LOVE Target), and went to see Date Night. (We had a buy 1 ticket, get one free coupon. ;)

All in all, a wonderful celebration!

Earth Day should be every day.

We try to celebrate Earth Day every day, not just April 22nd.

*Slumberland*

Zach knew how bad my pillows were--flat and lumpy. I have one feather pillow, a relic from years ago when my mama replaced all ours with feather ones, and this lone feather is accompanied by two fluff-stuff pillows. : / He has a memory foam pillow, which I always use whenever he's out of town...and sometimes I sneak naps on it.

So, when he saw some memory foam pillows on overstock.com, he ordered some!

I hope that means I'll have a very restful night. I need it! :)
(I also got in a new issue of Better Homes & Gardens, which makes me very happy.)

Freak or Geek?

[http://nerdgirltalking.wordpress.com/2009/09/08/tv-shows-on-dvd/]

Man, why did they cancel this show?!
It's sooo good!

I just love Jason Segel (a.k.a. Nick). I just love the little smirk he makes in the opening credits (which are brilliant). I just love him even though Zach says his face looks like a derriere when he makes that smirk. ; )

The Weir Parents! And Millie?! Just bless their hearts.
And the eternally smiling Cindy, where would Sam be without her?
Where would we be without Neal and Bill's antics?
Or Seth Rogen, appearing every now and then?
And Harris Trinsky? I love the 'stache.
Did ya know Linda Cardellini played Lauren, who almost broke up Corey and Topanga? *gasp*

(I could do without Kim or even Daniel--the whole track 1, 2, 3 thing was *argh*.)
(I loved the Matt Czuchry cameo, however. Geez. He sure looked pale.)

I tend to forget all the characters' names and call them by their real names because, let's face it, this show helped launch a lot of careers.

Where was I in 2000? Why wasn't I watching this?
Probably because NBC just wasn't on in our house back then. :(

I could go on and on. And on.
I'm pretty sure I was a geek. ;)

[I had to post this pic because I couldn't find a pic with everyone in it. So I had to go collage. :]

Cadbury Caramel Eggs = Heaven

April 20, 2010

[photo courtesy http://yumeezy.blogspot.com/]

I love these. :)
Not only did my husband give me EIGHT in my Easter basket, but he also got SEVEN on clearance the day after Easter. I am so happy.

But he's a little disgusted by how I eat them.
He calls me Germy.

I like to unwrap them carefully to expose the tip-top of the egg, using the foil as a kind of napkin to keep my hands clean. Then I carefully nibble the chocolate so that it doesn't break in half. Once there is a nice hole, I use my pointer finger to scoop out the caramel, a la Winnie the Pooh and his honey. : ) I used to try to vacuum the caramel out, but I would end up with it all over my face. Finally I eat the chocolate egg shell.

I just love the caramel...it's my favorite part: so thick and so sweet. I wish I could just buy a tub of Cadbury Caramel and eat it. I do enjoy Cadbury chocolate A LOT, but the caramel is my favorite (just as the honeycomb in a Crunchie is my favorite in that candy bar). I finished off a 1/2 gallon of Edy's Caramel Delight ice cream in about 3 days because I loved the caramel so much. Yummy.

Branson's Titanic has gone to the dogs!

[photo courtesy http://www.titanicbranson.com/titanic-dogs-molly-carter.php]

April 19, 2010
We kept seeing billboards about this tribute on the way to and from Columbia. HI-LARIOUS.

Mizzouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

April 18, 2010
Welcome to the University of Missouri a.k.a. Mizzou!

The campus is gorgeous. :) But I am pretty sure I would be lost as a goosey there. This picture definitely reminded me of England, which is not a bad thing. (Sorry for the poor picture quality...this was taken through the windshield. *lol*)
The downtown was pretty cool. We dined at The Pasta Factory, which was really yummy and was cozy, and then picked up some customized cookies at another place, Hot Box Cookies. Pretty sweet idea = you pick the dough and mix-in's, and they bake it while you wait. AND they deliver!
Zach felt he did well on his interview. :) Please be praying for him as we wait to hear back from them. I know he would love to get this job! (And I wouldn't mind living and working there either!)

Happy 6th Anniversary to My Best Friend and First Husband!

Six years ago, this is what Tasha and I were doing: helping Stephanie O'Kelley get ready to become Mrs. Rocky Cole.

That is, we WERE helping until we were sent to visit Rocky and the groomsmen and ended up chatting to them for a long time...until Steph sent Momma Sue to get us back. (We had good reasons for staying...the boys thought they lost the ring.) ;)

There are so many good memories of that weekend, but I think my favorite was standing on stage and looking at everyone bawling their eyes out, myself included, because we were so happy for you guys. :)

Stephanie and Rocky, you have both been wonderful friends over the years, and being together has only made you better. Never would I have imagined my best friend growing up would marry the little boy with whom I used to play wedding. I think things definitely worked out for the best when I decided to pack up all my crap and move away from him...and closer to her! *hahaha* May you have many more years of happiness. Happy Sixth Anniversary!!


(Hey, in Hollywood time, you've been married 30 years at least. Bring out the pearls!)

Oxford American, not Conway American

This issue has made me so happy! After knocking over my glass of Throwback Pepsi (unfortunate because it's no longer available), breaking one of my beloved sweet tea glasses, and getting soda all over Zach's Lego beach house, I needed it. I love it, but I love food, so it hasn't been difficult to love. : )

Now I really want to make some guacamole (mixed with sour cream--that's the way I like it!) or stuffed bell peppers. Mmm...

And, yes, I placed one of our potholders there, as if it's casually pointing at the magazine. I mean, really, you guys should be reading it.

(And, if I'm not mistaken, thanks to Alan and Judy for those nice red potholders. They keep our hands from getting roasty-toasty!)

The Best Book You're Not Reading: The Hunger Games

April 15, 2010

[photo courtesy casacamisas.wordpress.com]

I presented for the fourth time in the Fourth Annual UCA Graduate Conference. My paper was on Suzanne Collins' 2008 The Hunger Games. It is an amazing adolescent read, and I recommend it to everyone. It is a book that you literally cannot put down! I also enjoyed the sequel, 2009's Catching Fire, and I cannot wait for Mockingjay, which is being released this year. AND I really want a Mockingjay pin!

My paper examined Katniss's actions of self-silencing, resulting from the loss of freedoms in Panem as embodied in the Hunger Games, in Foucauldian terms of discourse and punishment. Wow. I can't believe I just typed that; moreover, it's hard to believe that I wrote a paper on this...or that I understood Foucault enough to write a paper on this. *haha*

It was not a good day. I had next to zero sleep, and my allergies were in full form. I wasn't too nervous until the first presenter started, and then I panicked that my paper was too short. *lol* My paper was originally 30 pages long, and I cut it down to just over seven. That is quite an accomplishment in itself, yes?

Ironically, I felt most confident regarding the questions that were asked. (This is usually the part I fear!) I hope that is a good omen for my thesis defense next week...

I wore my suit for the first time to the conference. I have lost some weight...and I am not sure how! (But I'm not complaining!) My skirt rotated around while I was walking across campus, which was a little embarrassing. It was so humid and hot yesterday, I melted as soon as I stepped outside. Here are some photos taken after the conference. (Notice how my hair has fallen flat, and my makeup has melted away=ick. :( )

Holly's Home-cooking at the Country Kitchen

[photo courtesy http://www.conwayark.com/az.php?business=h]

Today I went to eat lunch with Doctors Fowler, Rogers, and Coleman. It was my annual reward for working on Slant, and it was a lot less awkward than last year. ;) Man, I love me some Holly's! There's nothing like home-cooking!

Last year, I wanted to go to Holly's for my birthday dinner. Unfortunately, Holly's is only open from 11 to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. (Yes, Holly must make enough in three hours to stay closed the rest of time.) I had to settle on a birthday LUNCH. :)

The Best Show You're Not Watching: Parenthood

April 13, 2010

[photo courtesy post-gazette.com]

PARENTHOOD, NBC, 9/8 CENTRAL
The Braverman Family will remind you why you loved The Family Stone. AND it has Lauren Graham!

Pie Night

April 12, 2010
Because my thesis defense is going to be next week, the only time I left this...
...was to make this!
Semi-Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
2 refrigerated pie crusts
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 small bag of frozen mixed veggies
1 large can of chicken [tear chunks with fork]

Preheat over to 425 degrees. Heat soups and milk. Add onion, garlic, mixed vegetables, and chicken. Heat to a boil.

Unroll one pie crust in pie pan. Pour in soup mixture. Unroll other pie crust over the top, crimping edges. Pierce the top with a fork. I like to make a pretty design. :)

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown!

This was actually very good! I combined a lot of different recipes to get the flavor and veggies I like. I don't like mystery sauces, and Paula Deen's recipe used the soups--I thought the cheesy flavor would be great. Zach wanted green beans, corn, carrots, and peas in the pie, and most recipes only call for carrots and peas (and sometimes corn), so I decided to use the mixed veggies. We didn't want a lot of chicken, so used canned chicken. I am hesitant to use canned meats, but I didn't want to go through the mess of boiling a chicken breast and freezing the leftovers.

AND we had apple pie for dessert! *lol* I guess we are a themed household.

But, geez, does anyone know how to cover the pie crust edges with foil to keep them from burning? Or to get refrigerated dough to crimp?!

Sweets for the Sweet

Bobby and Beverly were so sweet to send us a Valentine's Day card with a Valentine's Day gift (card). :)

After debating about what to do for dinner and what to cook this week, we finally decided to go to Cracker Barrel and use their gift. (We had to eat dinner because 1) we were hungry and 2) we had to go grocery shopping--and you should never go grocery shopping hungry!)

After dinner, we probably spent 20 minutes trying to find a treat with the remaining balance. But the only we could find was candy--and that is the LAST thing we need, especially after the Easter clearance sales. ;) (Candy Addicts Anonymous, right?!) I finally suggested to Zach we buy the Moon Pies we had been craving and save the rest of the card for another dinner.

[photo courtesy http://southernfoodette.blogspot.com/2009/01/rc-cola-and-moon-pie.html]

2 dinners = awesome
Thanks for making our weekend great, whether we were with you or not! We love you!!

A Rivermarket Saturday

April 10, 2010

We spent the day at the Rivermarket with Zach's parents. Even though Zach and I were both struggling with our sinuses, it was a lot of fun:
We had lunch at Flying Fish and wandered down the street. [The Arkansas Literary Festival was going on this week, so I saw some people from UCA.]We checked out the park. It has awesome playground design, but we got nervous watching those kids climb all over it! *lol*We ended with drinks at the Saucer. Our waitress must have lost one of my beer slips, or they neglected to scan one because my record only shows 49! So I had a fire sale Rolling Rock. It better reflect that now, or grrr...We found Zach some dress shoes for his interview. By this point, I was worn out, especially after my earrings kept getting caught in my scarf. So we decided to head home after stopping by to see my mama...where I finally got some new sunglasses there! [Mine were somehow destroyed in my purse.] I never buy expensive ones because I know that as soon as I do, they will be ruined while my cheap Walmart one's last and last. Zach says I look like a bug again. ; ) After dropping into K-mart and Whole Foods, we came home and sat on the couch all night. : )

Friday Contained?

This is how my morning started: spilling laundry detergent all over our bamboo basket for which we have YET to write a "thank you" card (sorry Joe & Beth). Not only did it spill all over our pretty hamper, but it also covered the clothes I was about to wash--bad idea when you have to share a machine with 300 people and you have no idea if the bubbles are going to be overflowing--got on the quilt and sheets, and dribbled on the floor...
...and this is how my night ended: SAVE YOUR CHICKEN BREASTS! We stayed in this evening to watch Serendipity and used a KFC [keep from cooking] coupon to get a pink Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure bucket of chicken. While I find it sweet, it also cracked. me. up!