Wordless Wednesday

Party!

It was time! After a hiatus caused by cancer and unemployment, we got back on the party train! We have kick ass parties, and usually do so quite regularly. This was our first one since being "back" and it was a blast. We had old friends, new friends, red friends, blue friends.... People who came in and made themselves at home and people who had to have their very first tour! (Yay for tours! I credit my old days working in the dinosaur museum for my love of giving them) The one thing that I did not do this time was take pictures. It's odd for me, but I just didn't get it done with all of my busy-ness visiting and tour giving. Luckily, trusty BFF, pro-to-be, Curly Jen swooped in and saved the day. She took a ton of great shots.... I love every picture of me and Mindy and here I am giving her a hug/strangle hold (why do I always do that?)

John was listening intently to someone and looking handsome.
Jen and I were sexy.
I love our friends :)

More here. If you want her to come shoot your party, you should totally ask her about it. She's pretty awesome.

Macarooned

I've been following fun friend Jessica's new blog where she and her sister-in-law attempt to re-create tasty snacks assigned as missions from their mother-in-law, who is a chef. In the interest of playing along, and hoping to add a new treat to my repertoire (OK, maybe I can't call my mini cupcakes from a box mix a repertoire), I decided to try to make macaroons! I knew right off the bat that I would include chocolate chips in my version and gathered all of my ingredients.
Macaroon is a fun word to say, and husband chanted "macaroon, macaroon, macaroon, I like to make macaroons!" or some variation each time he passed through the kitchen. This was a super easy recipe and a snap to make. I even multi-tasked by drinking a beer while I mixed my ingredients.
One thing I immediately wished I would have done was use mini-chocolate chips instead of regular sized ones. I eagerly awaited them to come out of the oven and give them a try. I had never had a macaroon before so I had no idea what to expect. They were yummy! I wished that I would have cooked them a little less. I cooked them for 19 minutes, but I think 17 would have been better.
I was all proud of my baking skills and patting myself on the back for my culinary mastery when my lovely friend Sarah showed up with these:

Hers had orange zest in them and were a little moister than mine and they had frosting! Last night I was quite certain that hers were way better but in a sober taste test this morning I've concluded that while her baking skills are superior to mine, the recipes are equal. Although next time I will definitely use the mini chocolate chips. ..and I might also try adding some craisins....

♥PLATE IT, ATE IT, GRADED IT.♥

scale: 0 (not at all) to 5 (very)

Cupboard to table time: 30 minutes for the first batch, 20 for the second

Difficulty: 1

Deliciousness: 4

Impressed Husband factor: 5 (partially for the number of times we got to say "macaroon")

Leftover-friendly: 4

As good as Sarah's? no, but I will try again :)

Fashion Friday!

I had two outfit options this week, but decided to go with this one because it shows off something that there is a fair amount of in my closet: Altered stuff. I wanted a pair of cool baggy capri trousers but most of them are cut weird. They flare under the knee or something. So I purchased this pair of long pants at Goodwill and chose them for the way they fit from my waist to my calf and then promptly brought them home and chopped them off and hemmed them. and I love them. They are cute with boots or heels of as shown here with fancy socks. Also a DIY item in this outfit? The necklace. I recently found it in my jewelery chest and remember putting it together from an old chain of Nana's and some random pieces from other jewelery. I made the clasp out of a cute little ball. I altered the belt too. I was one Steph got me a long time ago. It's gorgeous, but too small to sit low like I like to wear my belts. So I carefully cut it in a place that made sense with the design and added a piece of elastic the same width as the belt. You'd never notice if I didn't point it out.

The socks aren't altered, of course, but remind me of the striped pair that I wore when I was cast as the Dodo bird in our 8th grade play.

Happy Birthday Scabby Fever!!!

I love you because you're so classy.
PS: Last time Eddie Spaghetti was here, this was us. Wanna re-do?

Wordless Wednesday

Lucky

I believe in lucky pennies. I find them everywhere. I always pick them up, and for two reasons. One, my grandma used to say that if you didn't appreciate small wealth, you didn't deserve big wealth. That always made sense to me. Two, come on! they're lucky pennies! Why would you pass it by and let someone else pick up the luck!? It surprises me sometimes how many times I find them. and I always get super excited. They're everywhere. This weekend I was walking down the front stairs and glanced down to see that they seem to be sprouting from the moss in our sidewalk. Lucky indeed.