This week

Well. My dad commented that I haven't written anything in awhile. So here's what's going on this week.

Sunday, Elyse and I went to the driving range, and out for lunch at one of our favorite pizza places, and got the most amazing salads. Random I know, but good. I laid out for almost 4 hours reading and got a nice sunburn.

Monday I bought more books and made some pretty sweet glitter wine glasses (more to come)

       

Tuesday was Sydnie's birthday, went out for supper at Cantina Laredo

Today was skype date home 

Tomorrow is Halloween and going to Kat and Justin's for movies and a lot of chatting.

Saturday is Aviation Day at Page Field Airport, Wisconsin vs. Iowa at noon, and ISU vs. Kansas St at 3:30

Sunday is Chrons walk for Team Jac-Attack at Lakes Park

Busy. Busy. Busy.

xo A

Just a spoonful of sugar...

Ohmygosh are you Mary Poppins? Where's your spoonful of sugar?

Every year my VP throws a Halloween party (and this was obviously my first one). Her house was amazing and decorated so cool/spooky.  I love the movie Mary Poppins so in decided to be her thinking it would be pretty simple. I bought a red trench/rain coat a few years ago and wore it one time. It made the trip with me to Florida, and is perfect.

I had a navy skirt, white top and black boots. So I only needed the parrot umbrella, bow tie, hat and carpet bag. My boss gave me a hat to use and I hot glued daisies and berries on it. As a new hire, Chicos gave us umbrellas on our first day (it was also rainy season) and I took full advantage of it. I looked around for a fake parrot to add to the end but ended up paper mâché-ing one (when's the last time you paper mâché? It's actually really fun...) and painting it. It turned out amazing!

       

                        

I bought some red ribbon for a bow tie and some jacquard fabric that I glued to an existing purse and had myself a nice carpet bag.

                       

                        

        

                                        

       

Happy Halloween!

xo A

Pumpkin carving at its finest

This week I invited some friends over to carve pumpkins. I attempted to turn the air down low so it would feel like fall. Fail. With that many people it stayed 76 most of the night. As per usual we get really loud, and the vaulted ceilings really played into our favor. The wood floors were clutch for cleaning up pumpkin guts though...

       

       

       

                                               

This is by far my favorite picture. Mitch and Winnie hard at work carving. Justin searching for a design in the book. And Murphy, playing 1992 Wheel of Fortune on Super Nintendo :)

          

                                    

So this is mine. That I freehand drew off a picture online. It's supposed to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid... Don't feel bad if you don't know, she's not really that great (just kidding I think she's pretty good but I watch the Little Mermaid more than I care to admit...).

       

And of course. The best part about carving pumpkins. The seeds! This year it got really late after everyone had went home and they were clean, so left them overnight to dry on cookie sheets/paper towel. Fun fact of the day - Apparently the Pintrest community says this is the way to go to get them really dried out. Most of us are to impatient to do that though.  

I put them all in a bowl and added 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil (It could be more or less, just enough to cover them lightly, also this was 3 pumpkins of seeds). I removed probably 1 pumpkins worth of seeds and put in a seperate bowl. So the majority I sprinkled garlic salt and normal salt, I didn't want them to get too garlic-y, and spread on a cookie sheet. With the other ones I set aside, I sprinkled dry Rach dip mix on them until they were coated and put on a different cookie sheet. I baked on 250 for 20 minutes, then stirred and cooked for 15-20 minutes, the ranch ones turned a nice golden brown so I took those out and cooked the salt ones a little longer.

They were amazing. All of them. I split them up and this is all I have left of the ranch ones...

       

Side note. It's obviously not as humid here anymore. And I was looking through my closet and found a few dresses I haven't wore yet. So this past week I told myself I was going to wear a dress everyday since it's going to start being too cold in the morning. I lasted 3 days. 

This one is my favorite, who said you can't carve pumpkins and still look classy?

                                              

xo A

Run Forrest Run

Turns out... I can run!

I signed up for a Beach Obstacle Course 5K in November with a few other ladies here and told myself I had 60 days to get back in shape. I started working out, but not really running. 

It scared me. 

Running.

So I started elliptical and weights and then eventually treadmill 2 weeks later. Epic fail. I got a little discouraged when I realized I only had a month left. I remember Lyndsey saying she did couch to 5K for a race she ran and really liked it. Well it's an eight week program so I put myself on the fast track.

Warm up. Run 1/2 mile. Walk 1/4 mile. Run 3/4. Walk 1/4. Etc. etc. for 30 minutes. Did that every other day for a week and began to swap Run 1/2 for Run 3/4 and then a full mile. And today a ran a full 2 1/2 miles without a break. I was pretty proud of myself considering I haven't ran more than one continuous mile since Sophomore track in high school.

I probably could have ran longer but some tool that I met at the pool when I first moved in, came in to workout and turned on The Bride of Chucky. I hightailed it out of there.

On a side note. It's gorgeous here. And I have the windows and lanai door open. Absolutely wonderful fall weather.

xo A

Kitchen. Check!

Last night a bunch of people came over and we had snacks and carved pumpkins and a few of the girls baked. But more importantly Justin brought a ladder to straighten out my sign in the kitchen so it wasn't hanging off the edge ominously.  I bought some accents to go next to it and it turned out really good!

I think I need to switch the white vases, because the left side looks a little shadow-y and too much gloss/vase. Or maybe something tall. We'll see. I got a really good deal on everything at Old Time Pottery which happens to be in my backyard (dangerous).

Pumpkins to come soon.
xo A

Zombie Transformation

Fort Myers ZombieCon 2013 - Back in Time. Can I just say, Sweet As Hell?

My boss loves doing gory make-up, so I went over to her place Saturday afternoon and she did an AMAZING job. I was actually a little scared of me. It's a combination of latex that you peel and cover with blood, and re-apply, and peel and cover with blood and green/grey eye shadow and black/green face paint and fake blood and mallo powder for the hair (its magical powder that literally keeps your hair however you touch it)(seriously too good it took me 2 days to wash it all out)
Thanks LE for this $5 sample dress that is laying in a heap on my bathroom floor. To get it in prime zombie form, I ripped out them hem, rubbed coffee ground all over it, dried it to fray, and cleaned my lanai (it gets really dirty from all the rain) Then took a straw, sucked up some blood and got some pretty sweet blood splatters.

So from start to finish. here goes.

 This is a pretty classic scene from Walking Dead

 This dude had a sweet face wound but I was trying not to be a creep

 This lady approached me and asked for a picture. Her face has a plastic piece that makes it look like her mouth was blown away so you can see the teeth.

 This was an actual child. Sitting motionless. Actually a lot creepier than the other people, because I thought he was going to lunge at me.

I removed my arm wound before we even left downtown, the others weren't long after...Thanks for going with me Justin!

Needless to say, I had blood dripping from my mouth for a solid 2 days.

xo A

Oktoberfest

First of all. I've never been to an Oktoberfest before, and after this weekend, I'm not sure why I haven't. I love Oktoberfest beer. And food. And carnival rides. And dancing.

Let me also say when you pay for things in "tickets" it makes you forget it's actually real money, and you spend a lot. Who in there right mind pays $4 / 4 tickets for a ride on the Ferris wheel?

                                             

                                

Schnitzel sandwich smothered in gravy and mushrooms.

                                

Sausage sandwich with onions and peppers

                                               

                   

Syd and I were channeling our inner children (I mean we pretty much always are) and decided we needed those plastic blow up things you win at carnivals. I was lucky enough that someone set down that BA blue/purple hammer getting beer so it became mine. And after I had thoroughly annoyed everyone hitting them, Syd won that mace and basically killed everyone. The bottom right picture is me attempting to smack Justin, needless to say I got pummeled.

       

Definitely going back on Friday.

xo A

Everyday I'm hustlin'

I'm pretty certain I got hustled at the dentist today.

First of all I didn't feel well this morning, then I had to go to the dentist this afternoon so the day wasn't looking great to start with.

The dental hygienist was nice enough, but kept lecturing me on flossing everyday and the importance of doing fluoride. Well A.) no one flosses everyday B.) I have nightmares about fluoride and brushing my teeth with spit in the 1st grade and those cups of bubble gum fluoride. Sick. After she's done, she does compliment me on my teeth, I think everything is grand.

The dentist comes in and puts on a smiley face acting all girly with me (barf. I'm not here to be your friend, just put your hands in my mouth and let's get it over with). <choice word> tells me I have 4 cavities. 

uhhh Excuse me?!

Yeah the filling you said was chipped must be fixed and you have 2 other fillings that need to be replaced.

Errr so this all happened in the last 6 months? I literally have not had a cavity in 8 years.

Well probably not but your other dentist might have had them on a "watch list" and that's why they never said anything. Also you should get a night mouth guard because you clench your teeth.

Ohhhhh k 

So do you have anymore questions?

Err I guess not.

Ok well <girl that openly admitted she did awful in chemistry> is going to write up your estimate.

                                         

Blah blah blah 73 for this one, 90 for these two, only 33 for this one, and I added the night guard.

-wait. $323?!!!  HAHAHAHA. <straight face> not getting that.

I mean I have one and..

-HAH! Nope.

It really does help. You can pay it in two payments

-I do not need a piece of plastic to sleep with in my mouth

You just really never do know what you're stressed about, could be your job or family or friends or even financial troubles....

-no.

Ok so when would you like to schedule these appointments for?

-hah! I'm not scheduling them today

Oh uh, ok, well the longer you let them go the worse they'll get.

Sometimes I think I shouldn't be let out in public.

I literally felt like I was in a bad dream, or an auto parts store where I go in to get new windshield wipers and they try to sell me all this other stuff that I "need" for my car. Like the time they wanted me to buy blinker fluid. ha kidding...

Hustled.

Time for a second opinion.

xo A

Front license plates are for losers.

So now that I've got only one plate. WTH do I do with that front piece of junk?

       

Do I leave it and get a vanity plate? I found a sweet silver/platinum/mirror plate that said OSU, obviously I'd get something different but I really like this one I found on etsy but in burgundy. I mean not super girly...but no man would have it.

Does this make me a target? At least in didn't get the plates that said Lee County....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78412314/license-plate-tag-aluminum-personalized?ref=shop_home_active

Or do I attempt what the forums say of buying plastic/rubber things and trying to remove the frame, fill the holes and paint it. In the off chance (ok real big chance) it turned out horrible, I could always put it back on.

Suggestions? Thoughts? Ideas?

xo A

Fore!

Today I went golfing. Yes I have clubs. Not sure why everyone finds that so hard to believe.

                                     

                                     

I donned my polo and boy was it hot. First hole I used my driver and I never used it again the rest of the day. Just me and my 7 iron & putter (and Mitch's sand wedge once and the pitching wedge)

A. The sand sucks. 

B. I can't drive.

C. I can hit straight, but not very far.

A 64 for my first time, I'd say is a good thing. The other 3 were 58-62 scores.

Next time I need a hat, sunglasses, and more water. Maybe a glove. And my own golf balls.

xo A

FYI for all you haters, I only lost 1 ball on the last hole. But found 1 along the way so it totally makes up for it.

Bowling

After another upsetting Cyclone lost, I went over to the Cape to go bowling.

My name was Single.

On account of the bowling alley was a gold mine for guys. It also happened that I threw an awesome game...

xo A

Plates.

So this happened today. I still don't know how I feel. I hated getting Wisconsin plates. But now I feel attached to them. So I'm going to leave the front one on. Come at me Florida.

                                        

xo A

Errr actually I looked and that's illegal. So I guess this is where we part Wisconsin.

On a semi bright non-bright weird note. I got a vanity license plate for the Chiefs without asking...too bad no one is #28

Stop messin' around!

Oh this week has been full of highs and lows.

"I'm really good at standing"

I started out on a challenge to listen to only Big and Rich for a week. I lasted until 5:30 Monday night when I worked out.

I've got the greatest friends who give the world's best advice.

Even when I'm being an idiot :)

Skype is one of the best inventions. I love seeing everyone at home.

The headphones I bought last week were supposed to be compatible with my Shuffle. They weren't. So I listened to "Shout" about two more times before I finally removed it from my songs.

How's your day going?

-ugh. I'm really frustrated with Excel right now, it's not sorting right, but my boss just gave me twizzlers and I love sugar so I'm doing a lot better now.

Geez

-I can usually be bribed with sugar

-....well that would be creepy, I mean unless you're into that

I mean I figured you'd be into it seeing as how you like to go to the beach with young men, slurpee cups, and cheap alcohol

My car title came today! Thanks Carsen :) 

Not sure I've fully come to the realization that I will have Florida plates soon, or rather A Florida plate.

This is real real now.

Real real.

On a happier note I accomplished to make hash browns that weren't undercooked or burnt. The trick? Forget about them...almost, until you can smell them, then flip and voila! There were a lot more but I was hungry.

       

Oh weekend, what do you have in store for me?

xo A

Schnitzel

Today was Jimmy's birthday and he chose German for supper. The menu was full of...schnitzel.

WTF?! 

Pounded meat? Pass. 

The menu online was pretty small but I decided on soup and dessert. After working out, I met everyone at the Austrian German Restaurant, and saw the full menu.

                                              

Schnitzel Heaven.

Pounded meat filled with cheese. Yes please.

                                             

We all ended up getting something different and taking bites of a lot of different schnitzels. (I mean seriously how fun is that to say?) and got to try some spaetzle. Delish.

                                                

  

And on top of that. The dessert! Apple streudal.

                                             

Plus a Roman candle in Jimmy's... :)

                                             

Best part? Tomorrow leftovers. So many people are going to have food envy.

xo A