Thursday, July 29, 2010

Damsel

One quick thing before we get started. Miranda has been in Galveston this week with her job (punk) so that is why she hasn’t been posting anything. She isn’t a slacker and I haven’t forbid her from posting. She is just lying on the beach soaking up some rays and not thinking about us at all. We will now return to the regularly scheduled program.

 One thing that Miranda and I both love is shopping at garage sales, estate sales, yard sales, second hand stores, thrift shops, and the Downtown Mini Mall I & II on the square in Denton (they really are a category all their own). I would imagine that any given week I will wear at least 2 outfits from Goodwill.

 Miranda’s birthday was July 10th and she was going to come spend the afternoon in Bolivar after the early bird showing of Despicable Me. So where else would I go to find her a birthday present than Goodwill? I am just that good of a friend to try to find the perfect $3 gift for my best friend. I just love her that much!

I perused Goodwill for the perfect gift that just screamed, “Miranda!” and 45 minutes later I walked out with a skirt for myself and a new set of dishes, also for myself. Hey, I was fixing her dinner and taking her to a movie and she got to see me for a whole day- I didn’t want to spoil her. (Just kidding Maru, you know I love ya!) The skirt is great, but the real story here is the dishes.

 

When I saw these on the shelf my heart skipped a beat. They were beautiful, bountiful, and $12! $12 for a 41 piece set. I took a picture of one of the plates, sent it to JD, and then called my husband to see if I could buy them. The conversation went something like this:

 
Me: Hey babe, whatcha doin’?

JD: Oh, not much, just sitting here being ridiculously good looking. (It was something like this. I can’t remember exactly what he said.)

 
Me: Cool. So, did you get the picture I sent you?

 
JD: Um, yeah. Why did you send it to me?

 
Me: Well, there are some plates here that I really like and they are only $12! Can I get them?

 
JD: Sure, if you really want them.

 
Me: Thanks! [In a quieter voice] It is a 41 piece set.

 
JD: Wait, what? 41 pieces? Where are you going to put them?

 
Me: Thanks, babe! You’re the best! I love you! You are just too cute! I’ll call you when I’m leaving. Bye!

 
As I was standing in the check-out line the heavens opened and rain poured down. I took it as a sign of the Lord blessing my beautiful purchase. Then I had to load all the dishes into my Jeep in the pouring rain which some might mistake as the Lord’s judgment of my purchase, but those people just need to have a little bit more faith and perseverance.

So I got my new dishes home and immediately started playing with them and mixing and matching with my Fiesta ware. They go beautifully together! It was meant to be! The only color they don’t work with is the shamrock green- they clash. But that is ok because I have three other colors to play with!


 
They also go great with my aqua Bubbleglass. I l-o-v-e my Bubbleglass glasses. Here are the margarita glasses:



Aren't they so fun? They have tumblers and tea glasses and pitchers and beer mugs. Everything! And they come in a couple different colors too!I did some research on the inter-nets to see what I could find out about the pattern and the maker of my new dishes.



After some incredible investigative work I found out that these dishes were made in the 60’s in Ohio and the pattern is called Damsel. I kind of like that name, Damsel. (Note to the readers: At this point in writing this little story I did a Google image search for ‘damsel in distress’ not a good idea. I don’t recommend it.) I also discovered that one plate sells for $9! After some more research I discovered that my $12 buy is actually worth more than $100 easily!



So really I saved us money by buying these dishes. They are an investment. Of course if they are an investment it means that I would have to sell them to get my money back and that ain’t happenin’! So maybe we will just stick to the whole “saved us money by buying these” part.

 
Because I love them.


And never want to part with them.


Your damsel in distress (but not that kind!),

 
-Michelle





Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Action!

My husband is teaching himself how to rope and has gotten pretty dang good at it. He was practicing on a bucket last night after he got done riding his horse and that bucket didn’t escape once! I was so impressed! There was also a storm rolling in to the north of us so the sky was spectacular.


I was playing with the Continuous Shot setting on my camera which is where you just hold the little button (does that thing have an official name?) down and as long as you hold it, it takes pictures.

[Another thing that really bothers me is when it makes perfect sense to use the same word twice in a row in your sentence. It just feels so wrong.]

We got some really fun action shots of John Darrin showing that bucket who’s boss.
Ok, here we go...

So he starts building his loop...

Still building...

...and building...

...and building...

Then he takes aim...

And throws!

Gotcha you sneeky little bucket you!
This is all very impressive and I ooo and aah and tell JD how wonderful he is and handsome and rugged and tough. But this part isn't my favorite part. The thing that happens right after he catches the bucket is my fav. I think you will figure out why!


Mmm.


Mmmm.

Mmmmm.

Mmmmmmm.

Yummy.

And it's mine.

All mine!
Gotta go cool off now,
Dueces,
Michelle

Monday, July 26, 2010

Diary of a Sane White Lady

- I like to take notes on completely white, unlined paper. I cringe when I have to write on paper with lines. I don’t know why. It started in college when I would be taking notes in class and had to do free-body diagrams in Mechanics of Materials. Ever since then I have been writing on plain white paper.

- I love taking notes! I miss that part of college. I would have my blue, red, green, and black pens as well as my sharpies and would create the most beautiful and organized notes ever. This made my soul happy.

- I'm kind of a nerd. Oh, one Christmas my grandma (Hi Grandma! See you Sunday!) got me the coolest calculator ever! It was a TI-89 Titanium and it could graph and... nevermind. Let's just stick with I'm kind of a nerd. No need to give you proof. 

- $10 bills are my favorite. Whenever I get cash-back I always ask for it in tens. They make me smile.

- I like to think about where words came from. Like ‘please’. I mean think about it: If you want something really badly you would plead for it. You would offer a plea. So if you really wanted it you might offer up multiple pleas. Or you might just say, “Please.” My head is spinning.

- Or the word 'instead'. If you are going in someone’s place you are going in their stead, or if you shorten that, you are going instead. Too cool.

- I have no idea if either of the last two things that I have told you are true. I like to think they are. There are so many words out there that make NO sense at all and that is annoying.

- Like raze. If you raze a building you are actually demolishing it, while if you raise a building you are building it. That is just crazy talk.

- Or discombobulate. “To throw someone into a state of confusion.” While this word appears to make perfect sense, it seems like the opposite of discombobulated would be combobulated, which doesn’t exactly sound like an adjective used to describe someone out of the state of confusion.

- I hate all things coffee. I have never ever ever ever ever tasted anything that had anything to do with coffee that I even remotely liked. I can’t even stand the smell of it. Smells like skunk.

- John Darrin loves all things coffee.

- I don’t know how we live together sometimes.

- How is it possible to have a runny nose and a stuffy nose at the same exact moment? I don't understand it, but I am currently living proof that it is completely possible.

- Engineers are weird.

- Musicians are weirder.

- Artists are the weirdest.

- I am an engineer, my husband is a musician, and Miranda is an artist.

- That is why we all get along so well.

- John Darrin and I think that Miranda should marry a cowboy. We think it would be good for her.

- Does anyone know any single cowboys? :) Sorry Maru, I will stop now.

- Enjoy your Monday, people!
Michelle

(Please send all cowboy applications (including pictures) to: countrychickcitychick@gmail.com... Ok, I'm done. I promise!)

Friday, July 23, 2010

Fiesta-In-Your-Mouth Tacos


I like to cook.  I get my cookin' talents from my Mom and Mimi.  I thought everybody's mom cooked like my Mom until I started going to other friends houses and tasteing their Mom's cooking.  Basically, my Momma's cooking beats your Momma's cooking, I should put that on the back of my car.  Anyways, I come from a big family of six and over the years of living the house I've had to figure out how to go from cooking for six to cooking for one.  My friends and roomates have been happy that normally I still cook for six and then feed whoever is around, and if nobody is around I just freeze the rest in individual portions.  


Okay, so onto the fab tacos...I found this recipe in Real Simple and then put my twist on it.  Stuff you need...


-Pkg Frozen Corn
-Bag o'Spinach
-Cilantro
-Lime
-Extra Firm Tofu (found near the Fruits and Veggies by the herbs and stuff.  You may be thinking "What! Tofu! Psssh, thats only for silly hippies or health food yuppies."  No, people who wear shoes and who don't run a zillion miles a day eat it also!  You can substitute chicken, but you should try the tofu.  It's yummy, actually looks like chicken, and you feel more world traveler-like when you eat it.)
-Season Salt (Lawry's, b/c all the cool kids use Lawry's)
-Chili Powder
-Cumin (If you've never used this before once you smell it you'll be like "So this is the spice they put in every Mexcian dish!")
-Salsa
-Tortillas
-Feta Cheese
-Olive Oil




Okie doke, get the tofu out.  Take it out of the package and put it on some paper towels and then pat it until it's drier, won't be totally dry but won't be sopping wet.  Yes, it looks quite odd and non-appetizing, just trust me...


 

Alrighty, in a big skillet (b/c you are going to add a lot of stuff) heat up about a Tbsp of Olive Oil on Med-High heat.  After, it gets warm put the tofu in.  Now it's consistency is kinda like scrambled eggs, use your spatula to start cutting it up into little cubes or whatever shape you want.


Now, start adding some flavor, put like a tsp of chili powder, tsp cumin, tsp of season salt in there and keep stirring.  Prob, let it cook (keep turning them every so often) for a few minutes.  

Now add some corn, about two to three handfuls.  You can always add more.  Let that cook through about 2-3 min's.  

Then dump the whole bag of spinach, if you love spinach you might even put some more in.  It will prob be overflowing from the skillet but spinach cooks WAY down.  Also, throw in a big spoonful of salsa, and a handful of cut up cilantro.  

You can't really mess this up.  Keep stirring all of this together until the spinach cooks down.  Once, the spinach is looking good you're pretty much done.  BUT at this point you need to taste it and if it doesn't have enough flavor do a spice shower of all the spices and taste again.  OH, and you can squeeze some lime juice in there to give it some zest.  It should look something like this...




See doesn't the tofu look like chicken.  While this is cooking you can heat your tortillas so they'll be nice and warm.  My Mom taught me a trick of wrapping them in a moist paper towel so it steams them while they're heating up.  Top your tacos with salsa and feta cheese and Viola!  You're done! End product will look something like this... 
OPEN
CLOSED 


The tacos are so magical when you close them they change the color of your plate.  Bon Appetit!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Colton Wayne

Last Saturday my sister-in-law, Candace, asked my mom to take some maternity pictures for her. I of course invited myself along to join in the fun because that is what I do.


I am the type of person who will do whatever it takes to get the invite to join the fun, or I will just invite myself along. And I am not so proud as to turn down the “pity invite” either. I will take what I can get. I can’t tell you how many times I have done this to my dad. (He has totally caught on by the way, but plays along to make me happy!) It goes like this any given Friday:

Me: Hey Papa Bear, what are y’all doing tonight? (I know full-well what they are doing because they do the exact same thing every Friday.)

Papa Bear: Oh, probably going to eat at Ernesto’s.

Me (excited): Yum! That sounds like a lot of fun!

Papa Bear: Yep, what are y’all doing tonight?

Me (pitifully): Oh, I don’t know. We don’t have any plans really.

Papa Bear (chuckling): Well, I suppose you could join us if you would like to.

Me (exultantly): Aw, thanks for the invitation Daddy. We would love to!

And then I call Mom and tell her that we are going to dinner with them because Pa invited us and she laughs because she knows exactly how it all went down.

Wow, I got sidetracked. Back to the original story- Candace, baby, pictures.

Candace is the most adorable pregnant thing ever. She broke 100 pounds for the first time in her life during her pregnancy. She has 6 weeks to go until little Colton Wayne comes to meet us. I couldn’t be more excited.


While taking pictures of Candace is incredibly easy because she is so photogenic, taking maternity pictures is not always easy. In my opinion they can get very awkward, very quickly. For example, the painted belly:

"This is my impressionist painting. I call it 'Baby Love Trees Ariana'."
Or the listening to the belly approach:

"I can hear the ocean. And look! A seagull feather!"
And the worst of all-- half-dressed, completely inappropriate, shots:


Sometimes there are no words. Well, besides "EWW!" "Yuck!" and
"I will never be able to watch The Little Mermaind again."
And I have to throw this one in there. It is a category all its own:

"This is my baby, and my baby, and I just done shot this baby!"
(I got all the pictures from awkwardfamilyphotos.com, you should check it out sometime.)

Luckily, Candace has better taste than these people and is just precious. Here are some of my favorite shots of her.




Just look at that belly!!







I mean really, that belly looks fake! It looks like she is trying to steal a watermelon! I love it! Congratulations again to Jason (Bubba) and Candace! I am so excited for you two!


With baby fever,
Michelle

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Living in HP

I went to Starbucks yesterday morning and saw this flyer.  Automatically, I thought it was talking about Highland Park and Starbucks partnering up.  This is evidence that I have definitely been living in the Uptown/HP area for awhile, ha!


Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Details

I love details in things. You know when look at a drawing or painting or sculpture and you see the minute details that the artist thought so important that they took the time to create and it just blows your mind? I love those kinds of details, but they are not my favorite kind of details. My favorite details are the ones in nature. The ones that when you take the time to stop and look at them, you think, “It was one heck of an artist that created this.” On top of that, this was created by one heck of an artist who cared enough to take the time to create intricate details all around us. Just awesome.



I also love attempting to capture details with my camera. Whenever my mom looks through the pictures on her camera and sees really up-close pictures of random things, she always knows who the culprit is. I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of some of the beautiful details in my life. Enjoy!

Some freshly picked okra from our garden. Look at the fuzz!

A little mushroom growing in our yard. I love the fringe around the outside.

More okra, this time in our garden after a nice refreshing rain.


A little bug crawling on a beautiful sunflower.

Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigolds, could it be, stop and see, how beautiful they are.
(Name that movie!)

Lovely wild plums at dusk. Simple. Beauty.

Miseur Grasshopper (French accent). Not necessarily beautiful but still very detailed and cool.

My favorite. Sublime.

Stop and smell the roses,
Michelle