HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!!!
Have a safe, sugar-infested, spooky good time tonight!!!!!!
And of course, no Halloween would be complete without some Great Pumpkin!
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From the monthly archives:
October 2008
So apparently I must be ugly in person…awesome! And no, I am not fishing for compliments I am just irritated right now.
Preface:
When someone comes by my desk to talk with me I typically minimize all of the open documents on my computer screen because I deal with classified information. Anyway, what they usually see when looking at my computer screen is a picture of Mr. Mojito and me smiling back at them.
These are the three pictures I alternate between for my desktop background:
Anyway, back to the point of my post. I have literally had this conversation with a different co-worker every week for the past two and a half years and I just got the pleasure of experiencing it AGAIN! Male, female, it does not matter…
Co-Worker: What a beautiful picture!
Me: Thanks! We took it….[insert one of three responses depending on which picture is currently on my background]…at my home in Colorado…at the Dallas Arboretum for our engagement photos…immediately after our wedding ceremony!
Co-Worker: Oh, I did not realize that was YOU in the picture. You look so different…
Me: Well yeah, why would I have a random picture of a girl and Mr. Mojito on my desktop if it was not me?
Co-Worker: Yeah that makes sense…You just look nothing like that normally. Your hair is so blonde and looks nice, you are actually wearing makeup, and you are not wearing work clothes.
Me: So are you saying that I typically look bad? (and yes, I always ask this)
Co-Worker: No, no. That is not what I meant. I just…errr…did not even recognize you. You should dress like that more often.
EVERY.SINGLE.WEEK!! Seriously, do I look THAT different in person???????
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WOW. I am totally speechless. Thank you so much to everyone who entered my 100th Post Giveaway! AND thank you even more to those who chose to become a follower of my blog and even created a post about my giveaway! Your support means so much to me. I honestly had no idea this many people actually read my blog.
I had over 150 individual comments on my giveaway post and it took a long time to go through each comment, check to see if you follow my blog, and see if you wrote a blog post about my giveaway, but it was well worth it!!
Just a reminder, if you:
1. Left a comment on my giveaway post you were entered once.
2. Became a follower on my blog AND left a comment on my giveaway post you were entered 3 times.
3. Created a blog post about my giveaway, linked back to my post, and left me a comment letting me know you created a post you were entered 5 times.
I put everyone’s name in our Halloween candy bucket and had Mr. Mojito draw 5 names.
So the 5 lucky winners of a Stella & Dot Wishing Thread (thanks Michaune) are:
1. Be Thou a Knight
2. Sweet Simplicity
3. The Rest is Still Unwritten
4. More Wine Please
5. Mrs. in May
Please email me with your home mailing address and I will get your Wishing Threads sent to you!
Do not forget that if you can always purchase this beautiful jewelry from Stella & Dot online or if you are in the Dallas area and are interested in hosting a Stella & Dot party make sure to contact Michaune Malone at http://www.styleme.stelladot.com/.
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How did everyone do this week?
I have to give myself (and Mr. Mojito) a big pat on the back because this past week has been AWESOME! I have officially started Weight Watchers and I love it! It is so easy to follow and the best part is that you can still eat anything you want just in moderation. I created an Excel spreadsheet broken down by food group (dairy, protein, fruit, vegetables, carbohydrates, condiments, and meals) and it makes it so easy to enter the nutrition information and see how many points each food is so I know if I am staying within my points (I am allowed 18 points a day).
Also, Mr. Mojito and I completed our first week of our training plan. It is a 2 month training plan designed to get your body to run outside for a consistent 3 miles. Now, I know most of you can do this in your sleep, but if you remember I am a swimmer so I have ZERO running skills and I typically only run on a treadmill which is not as effective as running outside. So, completing this training plan will be a HUGE accomplishment for me. Once we finish this training plan, we are going to start training for the half marathon!
I also have to give a shout out to my dear blog friend Danica from the Chic Runner who gave me the motivation to start running outside again. THANK YOU!!
In other random musings:
Thank you for everyone’s comments regarding our wedding photos and how to display them. We bit the bullet and ordered a handful of photos last night. Once they arrive and I have them arranged I will be sure to post photos of the finished product. Hopefully you all will be able to tell me if it looks classic or ridiculous so please be honest!!
Friday is Halloween (yes, I know you know this already), but that means that I will be dressed as a food condiment in a little over 48 hours…seriously, Mr. Mojito?????
Mr. Mojito was able to get rid of one computer virus only to discover that my computer was infected by another one…awesome!
AND, THIS IS HUGE NEWS, I may have found a dining room table. I have been eying a few from Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel for some time now, but I thought all of them were too long for our dining room. Well, after creating a template out of paper and laying it on the floor I think the table may just fit. We are going to look at Crate and Barrel this weekend to determine a wood finish and then order it YAYAYAYAYAY.
UPDATE: Tonight at midnight is your last chance to enter my 100th Post GIVEAWAY for some amazing Stella and Dot jewelry!!
Happy Wednesday everyone!
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I have yet to order ANY of our wedding photos because I am just not sure what I want to do with them. Over the past year I have purchased frames of varying sizes and shapes. Originally I planned on using these frames to make a photo collage of our wedding photos. However, after I mentioned this idea to some of my friends and co-workers most said that it was tacky and showed a lack of personal humility. Most suggested buying one photo from our big day instead.
So, fellow bloggers, what do you think? Is it tacky to have a large display of wedding photos? If you were to walk into someone’s home that has a wall filled with memories from their special day would you think it was overkill?
I want to come up with a happy medium. I want to display our beautiful wedding photos but I also do not want it to seem like a shrine to Mr. and Mrs. Mojito.
Help!!!!
In other news, I am the lucky recipient of a new computer virus that decided to attack my computer on Sunday evening…awesome. Mr. Mojito has a few tricks up his sleeve so hopefully he can send it back into oblivion.
We are going for another training run this evening and I am so excited! Who would have thought that I would be excited about going running? Certainly not me!
And last I will leave you with a silly Halloween joke someone just sent me at work:
What do you call someone who puts poison in a person’s corn flakes?
A cereal killer.
HAHAHAHHAHAHHA…funny right? Errrrr…or not?
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Dear future dining room table,
Are you out there? I have been searching for you FOREVER and I am sick of this game of hide and seek. If Mr. Mojito has to eat dinner one more time on our living room couch he may divorce me. This situation is getting dire and I could use some help. Please be a good sport and show yourself already!
Dear missing area rugs,
Why can I not find you? I thought I was very clear when I said I would like to get a puppy in the near future and I need your help protecting my new hardwood floors from doggy toe nails. You are delaying my happiness. Let’s figure this out, OK?
Best,
MM
Did I mention I need a dining room table and some rugs?!?
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Since I cannot eat chicken I would make this with fish (tilapia or halibut), but it looks delicious!!
Spiced Rum-Sugar Chicken With Mango Mojito Salsa
INGREDIENTS
4 large boneless chicken breasts, skin on
For the Marinade:
1/2 cup brown demerara sugar
100 ml water
50 ml dark rum
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small red onion, chopped finely
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 scotch bonnet peppers, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon allspice (Pimento)
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 pinch salt
For the Mango Mojito Salsa:
1 large ripe mango
2 scallions or spring onions, chopped finely
1 mild green chili pepper, seeds removed and sliced very finely
1 lime
1 tablespoon white rum
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped finely
Directions:
1. Place all Marinade ingredients in a pan and bring to a gentle simmer.
2. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the sugar from catching then leave to cool completely.
3. Cut three or four deep slashes through the skin side of each chicken breast. Pour over marinade, making sure that all the chicken is well coated and that the marinade has penetrated the slashes. Leave for at least 3 hours, or ideally overnight for the flavours to develop.
4. When nearly read to cook the chicken, peel the Mango and cut the flesh into ½ inch dice. Add the scallions / spring onion.
5. Grate the lime zest and add to the Mango, along with the chili pepper.
6. Squeeze lime juice and stir into the salsa with the white rum and mint. Refrigerate for one to two hours for the flavours to develop.
7. Preheat grill.
8. Remove chicken from the marinade, scraping any extra marinade off.
9. Place remaining marinade in a pan and heat gently.
10. Grill chicken breasts for 5-7 minutes each side, until cooked through.
11. Serve chicken with reserved spiced rum sauce and the Mango Mojito Salsa.
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We had such a fun-filled and productive weekend. Some highlights:
Friday:
1. I came home to our new Restoration Hardware chair and ottoman YAYAYAY!!!
2. Mr. Mojito and I went on our first run on our training plan and I can still feel my shins! I cannot wait until we have completed the first part of the training plan and can move on to the next one!
3. Next was dinner at La Duni and then drinks with friends at Vino 100 in Uptown. Yummy!
Clearly I need to learn how to use the settings on our camera because I take horrible pictures! BUT you can click on each photo for a larger view with more detail.
Saturday:
1. We installed the new cabinet knobs in our 2 bathrooms and kitchen. Thanks honey! I plan on uploading some pictures tomorrow when the lighting in the kitchen is better.
2. We hung up some photos and pictures in our entry way. Now all we need is the mirror to get delivered and a rug.
3. We fulfilled our civic duty and voted! Have you voted yet?
4. We cleaned our entire house…thank goodness we are both VERY clean and organized people or else cleaning the house would be a huge chore.
5. I wrote some guest blog posts for Elizabeth Anne Designs.
6. Saturday evening I met up with Princess Tartini and Sweet n’ Lo for dinner and wine. Love you girls!
Sunday:
1. Cowboys game!!! Thank goodness we FINALLY pulled our act together.
2. I also went to Northpark mall to shop for Mr. Mojito’s birthday presents while he spent his afternoon tutoring.
3. On the way home from Northpark I hit up the grocery store. Butternut squash soup is on the agenda for tonight’s dinner.
4. Mr. Mojito was kind enough to stop by my second home (that is Restoration Hardware for those of you who do not know) to exchange a lamp shade and towels on his way home from tutoring (we originally bought chocolate brown towels but they got discolored in the washing machine so RH said we could return them for new ones even though they are over a year old!…did I mention RH has the BEST customer service?).
5. After Mr. Mojito returns home from tutoring we are going to go for a run as part of our training plan. Woo hoo!
6. We will end the night with a relaxed dinner at home and a late night movie!!!!
I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!
Thanks to everyone for your comments and advice regarding our future puppy! We are still deciding on what we are going to do, but I will be sure to let everyone know once we decide.
AND, do not forget to enter my 100th Post GIVEAWAY for some amazing Stella & Dot jewelry!
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I cannot believe I am even about to utter these words, BUT Mr. Mojito and I are actually considering NOT getting a Cocker Spaniel…GASP!
I have had Cocker Spaniels my entire life and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. However, we are concerned that we may not be able to fully take care of one like we should so we are considering getting a smaller dog that would be better for the type and size of our house. So, we are highly considering getting a Yorkshire Terrier. I am still so torn on what to do. Both dogs are so precious and loving. Both require constant grooming. BUT both ARE NOT the same size and that is the issue. Honestly, I think I will love any dog that we get and I could always get a cocker spaniel later in life when we have a house that is more conducive for one. Cockers have always been my first love but that could be because I have never had any other type of dog. Sigh…
Advice and suggestions are welcome!
My puppy Bogart looking adorable!
How cute is this face?!?!?
Also, Life in Germany is also hosting her first GIVEAWAY!!!! She is giving away some beautiful, hand-carved German Christmas ornaments…the are AMAZING and I really hope I win. Make sure to check out her blog!
AND a huge THANK YOU to Naturally Caffeinated Family for my “Red Puffy Heart” Award. It made my day!
Happy Friday everyone!
UPDATE: My good friend Princess (who works with me) just sent me a message saying, “I think someone just farted as they walked by my desk and then let out a sigh of relief.” Needless to say I am STILL laughing out loud!!!!!!!!!!
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Ever since Mr. Mojito was a little boy, he has loved Peanuts comics and Snoopy in particular. Now, we both love this famous comic and the small life lessons included in each strip. You can always count on these comics to bring a smile to your face and remind you of the great things that can be learned from a boy and his dog.
And what better way to end this classic comic strip than with Charlie Brown and Snoopy sitting together on a dock…
BUT what if everything you know and love about Charlie Brown and Snoopy is a lie? What if THIS was meant to be the final strip? What if THIS was the life lesson Charles Shultz wanted to leave his fans with?
Hmmmmm…Ponder and discuss.
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my 100th Post Giveaway!!!
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