Over the Top

Yesterday I got the nicest award from from the lovely Mommy Gourmet. She took a little break from blogging, and I'm so glad she's back.  Check out her blog for some really delicious and creative recipes.  

In order to receive this award, I must answer the following questions with one word answers (I tried!) and then pass the award on to 5 other bloggers whom I believe are also "Over the Top!" (They will then repeat.) I love lists.  This is great. Here's what I got:

Your Cell Phone? bad
Your Hair? long
Your Mother? funny
Your Father? miss him
Your Favorite Food? everything!
Your Dream Last Night? creepy!
Your Favorite Drink? martini
Your Dream/Goal? happiness
What Room Are You In? living room
Your Hobby? cooking

Your Fear? sickness
Where Do You See Yourself In Six Years? mommy
Where Were You Last Night? home
Something That You Aren't? complete
Muffins? yum
Wish List Item? camera
Where Did You Grow Up? ann arbor
Last Thing You Did? email
What Are You Wearing? jeans
Your TV? excessive
Your Pets? nope
Friends? love
Your Life? fabulous
Your Mood? okay
Missing Someone? absolutely
Vehicle? SRX

Something You Aren't Wearing? underwear :)  jk...shoes?
Your Favorite Store? sur la table
Your Favorite Color? green
When Was The Last Time You Laughed? yesterday 
Last Time You Cried? awhile
Your Best Friend? hubby
One Place You Go To Over And Over Again? Meijer
Facebook? unfortunately
Favorite Place To Eat? 1913 Room

So here are the blogs I'm passing this on to. This is just a small selection of some of my favorite blogs and ones that I've just came to know :)

Tara @ The Life of Us.  She and I seem to have very similar taste in food and I always look forward to seeing her recipes and reading about her sweet family.  

Lucy @ Lucy's Kitchen & Lucy's Life.  Oh how I wish we lived closer.  I think we'd be real life buddies.  She not only has a love of food, but also a love of lists :)

Joanne @ Eats Well with Others.  Seriously funny blog with great recipes. Joanne is so unique and sweet.  I'm also jealous she lives in NYC.  

All Things Yummy. I actually just discovered this blog.  I am so happy I did though because she has some great recipes.  Go take a peek :)

SnoWhite @ Finding Joy in my Kitchen.  I'm so happy to have found this blog.  I love all the made from scratch recipes and have learned a lot.  Did you know you cook English Muffins on a griddle?  I always thought you baked them.  Nope!

Have a great weekend!!

February Goals

So I've decided to make a list of goals for the month.  I was inspired by Lucy, and since we share a love of crossing things off of lists, I thought monthly goals would be a good way to get me motivated.

1.  Start exercising.  I'm not even putting a requirement on here of how often.  This month if I start...well that's progress.

2.  Finish reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, and blog about it.

3.  Stick to our grocery and eating out budgets for the month.  This is where we struggle the most!

4.  Catch up on old Glee episodes, in preparation for the new season.

5.  Try to not buy more than 5 bottles of wine when hubby and I go wine tasting in Traverse City for Valentine's Day weekend.

6.  Decide if I want to do a garden in the backyard and start the seeds early or buy the plants.

7.  Finalize air and hotel plans for our trip to Italy this October! Does anyone have any hotel suggestions for Rome and the Amalfi Coast?

8.  Post things that I need to sell on Craigslist.

Well, I guess that's it for now!  Can't wait to get some things crossed off!

Have a great day!

My husband says I'm weird...

I've always had an aversion to eating breakfast foods.  Occasionally, I do get wild and crazy and I'll have an egg or two at home.  Mostly, I'll just eat it if we go out.  I do love Sunshine Skillets from Bob Evans once and a while.

But then I screw things up by ordering this to go with it.

Yep.  That's a salad.  I like to have a tossed salad with my breakfast when we go out.  It has nothing to do with healthyness or anything.  I just like them with breakfast.

I used to eat rice for in the morning as a child and my mom couldn't handle it.  So, she created a recipe for me with rice, scrambled egg, and sausage.  I loved it. Especially with soy sauce on top. Sometimes I didn't eat the egg though, and that really irritated her. 

Then there are days at home when I think I should eat something healthy for breakfast.  So I choose Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.  But...then I regress and put parmesan cheese and black pepper on it instead of butter and brown sugar.

My husband says this is very weird.  He actually kind of gagged.  I think it's great. Maybe when we have kids they'll grow up to love oatmeal with parmesan cheese and brown sugar.  Now, that's even too odd for me...

If You're Bored...

Today for my weekly writing assignment Mama Kat told me to write about 10 things to stave off boredom.  This is what I do when I'm bored. It's a strange mix of things that would probably cause boredom for most people.  But it works for me!

1.  Blog...duh!

2.  Organize finances online.  Yes.  I actually think this is fun.  Stop laughing. 

3.  Read a good book or magazine.

4.  Snuggle with someone.

5.  Make lists of things you should be doing.

6.  Organize the fridge.  I see a pattern here.

7.  Watch trashy television that you DVR'd.  Some options are Real Housewives, The Jersey Shore, As the World Turns, or Teen Mom.  I could go on but it would reach even more embarrassing levels.

8.  Work out.  Now I'm not ever really that bored.  But if you are then that's a good option :)

9.  Cook something special.

10.  Clean.  I actually like to clean some things and it makes me feel super accomplished once it's done.

Well.  That was very Martha Stewart/Jerry Springer of me. Hmmmm...I should see someone.

What's in a name?

Hello, I'm Ashley. I don't really have much of an opinion about my name.  I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.  I've never really felt much like an Ashley though.  I've always wanted to be named something fun like Lucy, Sophia, or Vivi.  I particularly like the name Dottie.  I guess I like names from the 50's. Aside from Dottie, because I think she'd kill me, I think I'd name my girls those names if I ever have them.

 

Anyway, I found out yesterday while on Facebook that my name was the 2nd most popular name the year I was born, in between Jessica and Jennifer. I think my mom lied to me when she said she named me that because no one else named their kids Ashley.  Clearly they did.  Kind of odd considering it means "ash meadow".  I was hoping for something like lovely, spirited, most beautiful on Earth.  But no...ash meadow.  Oh well.

 

Mama Kat said in her instructions to explain why I was named my name. Well...there is a very nice reason and evidently the real reason which is really...charming.  My family owned a German restaurant in Ann Arbor for years.  It was on Ashley Street.  When my mom decided that's what she wanted to name me she told my dad that it was to honor the restaurant. However, she tells me that she named me after her:

That's Ashley Abbott from The Young & the Restless.  My mom tells me she loved her in the soap as soon as she saw her and always wanted a daughter named Ashley.  This is my mom:

This is how our conversations went when I was little:

little Ashley:  "Dad, why was I named Ashley?"

Dad:  "Oh, cause Mommy thought it would be nice to name you after the street the restaurant was on."

little Ashley:  "That's nice"

Mom walks in the room and whispers to little Ashley:  "No it's not, I named you after Ashley Abbott, from Y&R.  You're going to love that show when you're older too."

little Ashley:  "I'll stick with Dad's story."

Mom: "Be thankful, he was going to name you Percy if you were a boy."

Oddly enough, I love Y&R and I also have a secret desire to name one of my kids Percy.  I think Percy and Dottie would be cute.  You?

To see more reasons people are named what they are check out Mama Kat's blog!!

Have a great day!!

New Year's Resolutions

I am actually planning on sticking to these resolutions/goals this year! 

1.  Lose 25 pounds by August 1st. That's roughly 1 lb per week...doable I think. I want to look like her:

Lovely.

2.  Eat breakfast.

3.  Eat at least one vegetarian meal per week for dinner.

4.  Eat at least 5 vegetarian meals per week for lunch.

5.  Start viewing sweets as a privilege not a right.

6.  Start trying to get pregnant by the end of this year.

7.  Finish a guest bedroom, bathroom, and bedroom in our unfinished basement.

8.  Finish flower bed outside this summer.

9.  Workout at least 3-5 times per week.

10.  Go on a Mediterranean Cruise/Italian Vacation this summer.  Has anyone ever done this? I need major advice please!

This isn't an option for me.  Can you remind me of that in 3 months when I've gained 5 pounds instead of lost it?  Thanks so much :)

Well, now I'm off to cook and clean my butt off for a party that we're having on Saturday.  Can't wait to go out tonight for New Year's!  

Check out some more writing assignments and resolutions at Mama Kat's awesome blog here!

Happy New Year!!!!!

Decade in Review

The lovely Lucy over at Lucy's Life did a wonderful post about her decade "in review".  I was amazed that she could remember all that so I thought I'd give it a try. I had such a hard time thinking of everything, but I'm so glad I did! Although I'm sure I missed a ton, this is nice to have :)  

2000:

• Started my Sophomore year of high school.
  
• Went to a bunch of NSYNC concerts.  
  
• Was that all I did???

2001:

• Turned 16 in Disney World.  Magical :)
  
• Got my first car: a Ford Escort in Blue.  I loved it!
  
• Went to see Dave Matthew's Band at Comerica Park in Detroit.
  
• Continued my love of NSYNC by seeing them on the "Pop Odyssey" tour....twice
  
• Started my Junior Year of high school.
  
• Found out about 9/11 while sitting in my German Class. Horrible day for America.

2002:

• Went to NYC for the first time and saw "Rent" & the "Lion King".
  
• Went to Germany to visit an exchange student friend of mine for 2 months. We went to Paris, Amsterdam, and my favorite, Norway.
  
• Started my Senior year of high school.
  
• Very confused about where to go to college.

2003:

• Graduated High School.
  
• Saw Bob Dylan & the Grateful Dead in concert as a graduation gift from my uncle.
  
• Decided very very late to go to Grand Valley State University.
  
• Lost my Grandma "Oma".
  
• Started College.
  
• There was only one girl in high school who I really had a hard time getting along with...she was my "suite-mate"....unexpectedly.
  
• Went in to the dorms "blind", but met my wonderful roommate, Kerri, who I am still friends with now.
  
• Met my future hubby and had a little crush on him but thought he was too "country" for this Ann Arbor girl.
  
• Started dating a different guy who was the total opposite of me...some good, mostly bad :)
  
• Went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon with my Mom and LOVED it!

2004:

• Developed my fear of driving in the snow after having to drive the 2 hour drive home from college for the holidays that actually took 6.
  
• Went to my first rodeo with my future hubby and some other friends.
  
• Snuck away to Chicago for the first time to visit "different guy".  We fought. But, I did fall in love with Chicago!
  
• Decided that my major in college was to be "Hospitality & Tourism Management".  I loved it, but I wish I would have thought of something a little more practical.
  
• Got really into my love of cooking and baking.

2005:

• Ended relationship with "different guy".
  
• Started dating the love of my life in August.  Best move ever.
  
• Lost my Grandpa "Opa".
  
• Went to NYC for 2nd time with my cousin and aunt during Christmas time. So cool!

2006:

• Turned 21 while at Disney World/Caribbean Cruise with my roommate, Heidi.  
  
• Moved out of college apartments and rented awesome historic house with friends.
  
• Got engaged in October to my love.
  
• Mourned the 10 year death of my dad.  Miss him everyday.
  

2007:

• Moved into Hubby and I's first apartment.
  
• Graduated College.
  
• Got married to the love of my life in October.

• Blessed to have a new family with two brothers, a mom, and a dad :)
  
• Went to Punta Cana on our Honeymoon and had the most relaxing week of my life.

2008:

• Moved out of our first apartment and bought a house.
  
• Lost my job two days after closing on house...
  
• Fulfilled a dream and started a new "job".
  
• Celebrated our first anniversary by going wine tasting in Traverse City.

2009:

• Started Blogging.
  
• Did tons of home projects.  You can see some here and here.
  
• Joined an Episcopalian church nearby.
  
• Got baptized.
  
• Celebrated our second anniversary by going to Washington State and Vancouver on Vacation.

2010:

Resolutions to come tomorrow!

Picture Tag

A couple of days ago I was tagged by the fabulous Mommy Gourmet to post the 6th picture in the 6th folder under pictures on my computer.  So I went a looking and here is what I found:

This was a bonfire that I went to last year with a friend of mine from college.  A family friend of hers has it every year and we always go.  This fire is SOOOOOOO big!  Here is what happens when people on the expressway see the fire:

The fire department comes and makes you spray down your barn so it doesn't catch on fire.  Then they stay and admire the greatness of a giant bonfire.  Ahhhh.....country life.

So thanks for tagging me Mommy Gourmet!!!  I would really like to see what everyone has in their picture folders so I'm tagging all my readers.  

Have a great day!!

Happy Girl

After last week's very pessimistic post about things that I am sick of, I thought I would take another one of Mama Kat's suggestions and write about 10 things that make me happy!

1.  Having a house makes me really happy.  I love to keep it clean.  Yes I know I'm an oddity.  I like to decorate for the seasons and change things up too. Mostly though, I just like knowing that it's mine :)

2.  Blogging make me really happy.  I totally didn't expect to get such joy out of blogging when I first started.  It really has been something I look forward to everyday.  It's nice to have a way to document my life and I like that friends and family who I don't see all the time can read to keep up me!  And of course, I like all the blogs I read and the new "friends" I have met.

3.  Cooking.  This should be obvious.  I love cooking!  I like to make things for people as a sign of affection and my hubby loves it too.  Lets get real though....I mostly just like to eat.

4.  Gardening has recently became something that I really enjoy.  Since having a house I have loved getting to know different flowers and watching what everything turns into!  Here's a picture I took this morning out the window, because the weather isn't so good here today:

5.  I really like to read.  I come and go with how much I actually read, but when I get into a book I can rarely put it down.  I don't know why it takes me so long to actually start one.  I don't have a favorite but I am still really enjoying reading the series I wrote about here.  

6.  Babies also make me really happy.  I don't have any yet, but nothing can make be smile faster than a squishy little baby.

7.  Traveling.  I don't do it much, but when we do go somewhere it is so exciting!  I travelled to Europe for 2 months in high school, and I still have super fond memories of it.  I would love love love to go to Italy or back to the Dominican and lay right here:

8.  Menu planning makes me happy and also keeps me sane.  I know it's really weird that I would add this but I am able to save money this way by not wasting and make more unique and varied meals because I actually have time to plan them.  I also really hate going to the grocery store, so not having to go all the time makes me happy too :)

9.  My friends and family.  It sounds cliche but they really do make me so happy everyday. Whether it's my mom or my girlfriends, I love spending time with all of them.

10.  And the best for last.  My hubby.  He makes me the happiest.  I love all the time we spend together, especially the boring couch snuggles where he lets me watch all the Jeopardy and Real Housewives I want.

To check out what makes others happy or more assignments go see Mama Kat here!!!

Have a great day!!!!

Sick Of

So today I decided to do an assignment from Mama Kat. I'm listing 10 things I'm sick of because I wanted to be a Debbie Downer today :) Just kidding, I'm not in a bad mood at all, but hey it's kind of nice to write down what you're sick of. I wrote it down now I'm moving on! Okay here's me complaining.

I'm sick of:

1.  Flies.  As I'm writing this one flew past my head.  We live in the country and they are everywhere!  Seriously, being originally a city girl this has been the hardest thing for me to get used to.  Maybe if I dressed up like this I could scare them away.

2.  Hearing about Twitter.  I don't care if people have it and there are some I even like to read. However, I think it's getting a little out of hand.  I don't need to know when you pee.  I don't think it's meant for all that.

3.  Hearing about the economy.  The more we hear about how bad it is, the more we worry. The more we worry, the more we don't spend money.  It's a vicious cycle.

4.  Tanning.  I'm in a wedding in a little over a week and the dress currently matches my skin color.  I never seem to have a problem tanning quickly, but for some reason it's not going so well this time.  I don't really like to tan and this is becoming very unfun.

5.  Texting.  Are you sensing an aversion to technology here?  I just think texting, like Twitter, is getting out of hand.  I don't think people talk anymore. I also think texting an entire conversation is a lot of work.  Why not just call me and we can discuss it in 5 minutes instead of spending 20 minutes typing it out. Oh, and have you heard of sexting?  I saw it on the Today Show the other day. Hmmmmm....is all I have to say to that.

6.  Not being able to go the the beach.  It's still a little cold here.  But not for long!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7.  Feeling like I need to lose weight.

8.  Having giant cravings for things like this:

That's a peanut butter pie in case you were wondering. I think about them 24/7.

9.  Wanting to plan a vacation but not having the funds to actually do it because of annoying car/house things.

10.  Not having projects done in our house.  I want our bedroom to look like this:

There you go! I'm officially a big complainer! I promise tomorrow I'm going to have a very positive post :)

To check out more assignments go to Mama Kat's here!!

Have a great day!!

Crazy Eights!

I was so excited to have been tagged by a wonderful blogger Tierra!  I have enjoyed reading other peoples' 8 things so it was fun doing one myself.  Thanks 

8 Things I’m Looking Forward To:

Getting our bikes fixed so we can go riding together and discover new parks

Going to the beach on Lake Michigan this summer

Redecorating our bedroom

Planning some kind of a vacation to take within the next year

Being a mommy (in a couple of years!!)

Making a 101 Goals in 1001 days list

Researching more about adoption

Planting a vegetable garden next year

 

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

Traded some books online

FINALLY got my Christmas decorations organized in the basement

Worked

Ate dinner that my sweetie made for me :)

Ate frozen corn out of the bag.  I know how completely foul that sounds, but I’ve always liked it

Had my lovely neighbor help me pick out which new pictures to put in my bathroom

Blogged—Duh!

Looked into taking a cooking class where I live

 

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:

Sing without hurting people’s ears

Get motivated to lose weight

Have a baby now

Stop eating sweets

Run a mile without stopping

Commit to washing my face everyday and actually stick to it

Talk to my dad

Go to Culinary School

 

8 Shows I Watch:

Jeopardy!!!

Two and a Half Men

The Big Bang Theory

Cash in the Attic

Big Love

The Food Network (I watch like all the shows!!)

Top Chef

Real Housewives --- Kelly Bensimon makes me really mad!!  Team Jill all the way J

I am also supposed to tag 8 people but I think a lot of people have already done this so I am tagging you if you haven't yet!

Have a great day!

What Makes My House a Home

I am so excited to be participating in Lucy's House a Home Giveaway!  Not only do I love the idea for the post, but the prizes are fantastic too.  Anyone reading should definitely go check her blog out.  It has full of great recipes that I have tried and many other fabulous tips too!  

Okay so on to the assignment!!  We are supposed to blog about 10 things that make our house a home.  You can take pictures, write, whatever! Here 10 things were very creative, mine not so much :)  But lets just get on with it!

1.  Our Kitchen
The kitchen is where I spend a giant amount of my free time.  If I'm not actually cooking or baking I'm thinking about cooking or baking.  This kind of attitude really does a lot for a girl's rear end.  But, being in the kitchen makes me happy so I'll settle for a little junk in the trunk.

2.  The Food in my Kitchen

I love the set up and functionality of my kitchen but let's get real, it's all about the food.  So, I present to you the messiest place in my whole house:

Sometimes it's really clean in there, but that just means I need to go shopping :)

3.  China

When we first got married I thought the idea of china was a little old fashioned.  Then we went and registered and I fell in love.  Hubby wasn't quite convinced, but I think he saw the little twinkle in my eye and indulged me.  Our china sits in a little white corner cabinet that I painstakingly refinished.  It was so much work, but worth it.

4.  Our Couch

This is not only the most comfortable couch in the entire world, it holds a lot of significance for Hubby and I.  It is the first major purchase that we made together and something that we both loved.  We looked and looked and would go back to the store to make sure they still had it. Shortly after we got engaged we bought it together.  It is a great place to relax and the end of the day.

5.  Our Entertainment Center

This is what we see when we sit on our couch.  We love to watch movies and yes too much TV (gasp!).  The mantle itself is a big reason why we bought the house.  It is an old piece of petrified wood that the previous owners sawed down to make a mantle.  I love it and I think it gives our newer house a little bit of charm.  I think Hubby loved it because he knew we would need a big TV to fit the space.

6.  Pictures

I love having pictures all around our house.  It allows me to see friend and family everyday that I normally don't and adds some of our personality to our house.  My Hubby is a huge UofM fan and we got some engagement pictures taken at the "Big House".

7.  A Favorite Saying

We received this little plaque from the place that we had our wedding.  I love it and I think it is totally true!

8.  Books

I really love to read both books and magazines.  And blogs!!!!  This is something we usually do right before going to bd.  It's super relaxing!  While I read about girls who grew up in a castle hubby reads about business.  I don't think that's very relaxing, but to each their own.

9.  A Flower Garden

No I did not take this picture now.  It was from last year, unfortunately.  I can't wait for it to look like this again though!  I think a yard is the first impression of your house and I really love to take care of it.  Hubby mows it and I like to mess around with the flowers.

10.  Love

I know.  Totally cheese.  But I guess most of all we make a house our home.  If we didn't share it together, I think it would just be a box :)

Ok now post your own 1o things and go on over there!

Have a great day!!

Playing Hooky

I recently found this really great blog called Mama's Losin It.  She posts a writing assignment every week.  You can check out what others are writing about here.  Since I couldn't think of anything to write about today I thought I would pick one of her "assignments".  The one I chose was:  If you could go back to one day in your childhood, what would it be?

I had to think about this for a little while.  I knew it would be something about my dad as he passed away when I was 11.  He was sick for a long time and I really wanted to write about a time when we did something together and it didn't seem to me that he was as sick as he really was.  Then I remembered one time when I was in school and we "played hooky".

I think I was in 3rd grade.  I don't remember the exact year but I know that I had been in school for a little while when the secretary came down to deliver a message.  It was always exciting when she came because everyone wanted to know who got to be so important that the secretary had to come all the way down the hall to our class just for them.  Were they in trouble?  Did they forget their lunch?  Did they have to go home?  I had never gotten a special message and was really hoping it was for me.  Even if I was in trouble, I thought it would be cool to get one.  

So, to my total surprise it was for me.  I was hoping and hoping that it wasn't something dumb like I'd forgot my lunch. She said that I needed to get my stuff together and that my dad was waiting to pick me up.  Of course, at first I was worried that something was wrong, but the secretary told me nothing was wrong we just had to go somewhere. To this day I don't know if she knew what my dad was up to or if he told her a fib.  I got to my dad's big Suburban and he had this total "shit-eating" grin on his face.  He was a big jokester and always up to something.

I got in the car and he said that we were playing hooky and not to tell mom.  Ha!  Talk about a dream come true for a kid.  That day we went to A&W and had hotdogs that they brought to your car.  We each had giant rootbeer floats and sides of fried mushrooms.  My favorite.  The rest of the day we spent at the park fishing and looking at cool rocks.  It wasn't that we did anything extravagant like an amusement park, but it was so fun spending the day together when nobody else knew about it.

We were back by the time I was supposed to be home from school and my mom had no idea.  I remember making up some story about what we did at school that day and my dad was grinning from ear to ear across the room.  Like he knew it meant as much to me as it did to him.  It's funny how such a little thing can mean so much when your little.  Thanks Daddy, miss you!

Have a great day,

Picture Mosaic

Today I thought I would do something I found on Facebook. I have a Facebook account, but really I rarely go on it. I feel like I have to choose my internet hobbies carefully, otherwise I'd spend the whole day online. Between blogging and couponing, it takes a lot of time! So, my cousin did one of these mosaic things on Facebook the other day and I thought it was super neat. Basically, the idea is that you answer these questions with pictures. First, here are the questions:

1. What is your name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What is your hometown?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. What is your favorite movie?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What is one word to describe yourself?
10. How are you feeling right now?
11. What do you love most in the world?
12. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Now, drumroll please....brrrrrrrrrrrrrdrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbrrrrrrrrrr...(that was my drum roll in case you couldn't tell). Here it is:


Now, I thought I would answer the questions with like...words. If you know me in real life you probably know the answers based on my pictures, but everyone else probably doesn't. 

Okey doke.

1.  My name is Ashley (the pic is of Ashley in Gone with the Wind...duh!)

Note:  I was really named after Ashley on "Young and the Restless".  I know.  I know. 

2.  My favorite food is seafood.  

3.  My hometown in Ann Arbor.  Home of not one but two Wholefoods, Plum Market, Trader Joes, the best Farmer's Market ever, and Arbor Farms.  Oh yeah, and UofM. When my mom bugs me to move back home, those are the things I think about.  Yes, I can be bribed with grocery stores.  Read here if you want to hear me rant more about my battle with them.

4. My favorite color is green.  

5. My sort of favorite movie is Dirty Dancing.  But really, I like lots of movies.

6. My favorite drink is a Bloody Mary.  In college when people would be getting intoxicated off beer, well, I was drinking Bloody Mary's with olives and celery.  

7. My dream vacation would be Rome, or really anywhere in Italy.

8. My favorite dessert is whipped cream.  As in whipped cream by itself.  Plain. Yum.

9. One word to describe myself would be happy.  Also, wierd.  Just look at the picture...it's a direct reflection.

10. Right now I'm feeling tired.

11.  What I love most in the world is love.  I know it's cheesy, but true.  You should see Love Actually if you haven't, it's really sweet.

12.  I want to be a mommy when I grow up.  

Okay, if you want to do one of these on your blog just go to:

http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

It's really fun.  Have a great day!!!

Welcome!

So I decided to make a blog...

I've been kind of resistant because I was unsure how much I actually had to write about. However, in reading others I think it would be neat to have a "diary" of sorts.  Also, it would be nice to comment without seeming like an anonymous creeper.  So welcome to my little life in West Michigan.  If you've ever met anyone from Michigan and they want to tell you where they live they hold up their hand (like a mitten) and point.  It's really quite characteristic of a true Michigander.  Or is it Michiganian?  Whatever. 

This blog will basically be about all things that I love.  I'm a married 20-something girl living in a 50's housewife's body.  I love to cook, bake, be at home, and think about eventually having a baby. I'm originally from Ann Arbor and although I live in West Michigan, my Ann Arbor ways have followed me.  Somewhere between 10 and 20 times a day I ponder what it would be like to have a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  This would be both a blessing and a curse.  I love to play the "grocery game" which I'm sure I will tell you about in a later.  "Grocery Game" and Whole Foods are NOT friends.  However, I still proudly sport my Whole Foods green bags around Meijer.  Maybe I think that one day a developer will see it in Meijer and think we need a Whole Foods too.  A girl can dream.  

Thanks for reading!!!!