What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I saw WILW on learning to love and am excited to play along!

Here's what I'm loving today!

I'm loving the sunshine! We've had a weird winter where it snows, then it melts, snow then it melts and it seems to be a never ending cycle. The trees are starting to bud, so I'm hoping the warm spring weather is just around the corner so I can start jogging again!

I'm loving this song I heard at Forever 21 this past weekend. It's got the big band jazzy feel, but also the techno that makes you want to boogie!



I'm loving my bubble gum *scented* nail polish I picked up while I was at Forever 21.

I'm loving the book series Sister-to-Sister. The first book, Stuck in the Middle was a free Kindle book, and after reading it, I downloaded books 2 and 3.

I'm loving the Spring '11 catalog from Ruche.

What are you loving today? Head on over to this kind of love and link up!



P-dub's Sweet Cinnamon Scones

I made these scones for the morning after Em's bachelorette party. Cinnamon chips were incredibly difficult for me to find, I was only able to track a bag down after calling several grocery stores and one of them happened to have only one bag not even out in aisle, but in their back inventory.

The scones were delicious, however when I was making them, 3/4c of heavy cream was not nearly enough for me to make the dough stick together to form and cut them. I realized this after I put the crumb topping on and the dough was so dry I couldn't even cut the invidual scones out, so I put it all back in my mixing bowl, eyeballed more cream into the mix until it had the correct consistency. I ended up without the crumbly mixture on top, but I think it was a sweet surprise as you bit into each scone and got pockets of cinnamon sugar mix :)

And just for fun, a few photos from the night, it was an 80s themed party. I can't believe I'm putting this out on the interwebs!

Sweet Cinnamon Scones

by Pioneer Woman

• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 2 sticks (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Cinnamon Chips
• Topping
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1-½ teaspoon Heavy Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and baking powder. Cut butter into pieces, then cut into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cinnamon chips.
Mix together cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Pour into flour/butter mixture, stirring gently with a fork to combine.

Turn onto work surface (mixture will be very crumbly and falling apart.) Gently press together on the sides as you flatten (or roll, with a rolling pin) the top. Form either into a large circle or a large rectangle. Mix together topping ingredients, stirring with a fork. Sprinkle over the top of the dough, lightly pressing.

Cut into wedges (from a circle) or triangles (from a rectangle.) Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Serve with coffee.

My Happy List

I am sooooo happy for my newlywed friends Emily and Patrick! Emily and I have known each other since kindergarden; she was a bridesmaid on my special day and I was completely honored to be a part of hers. She looked BEAUTIFUL and the wedding went off without a hitch! Congrats Emily and Pat and many wishes on a blessed marriage!!

photos by madeline james photography

Happy List 3-7-11

The top thing on my happy list is that this past weekend, I finished a life-long goal of reading the Bible! So with this, I thought I'd give a quick update on my progress with my 30 Before 30 list!

1. Read the Bible

2. Purchase and learn how to use a a Canon Rebel or similar camera

3. Watch my sister play piano live in a concert at the college level

4. Run a half marathon

5. Make a fancy quilt

6. Ride a motorcycle

7. Visit Victoria B.C.

8. Play a round of golf with my husband - well on my way with this one. Hubster bought me a set of women's clubs!
9. Start and finish our downstairs decorating - We purchased furniture this weekend (it looks brown in the picture, but it's more of a charcoal color) and started painting last night!



source

10. Put together our wedding photo album

11. Successfully make something with rhubarb

12. Stop drinking pop  - I haven't had a soda since October

13. Get a massage

14. Go camping

15. Do 20 real push ups

16. Attend a cooking class

17. Ride a bicycle

18. Have a baby

19. Teach my husband to speak Spanish

20. Learn to make my Grandma's Queso Fresco

21. Go to a hockey game

22. Pay off my credit card

23. Watch all the Harry Potter films - I bought DVDs 1-6 and just need to sit down and watch them!

24. Eat fried green tomatoes - I watched the movie recently, does that count?

25. Learn to knit - Hubby's aunt taught me this one over New Years weekend. I've been working on granny square's!
26. Not eat out for an entire month - We are thinking April is going to be the month.

27. Throw a baby shower for one of my girlfriends

28. Have a tea party

29. Get promoted to Construction Manager - I was recently promoted to project manager, just one step away from becoming a CM!

30. Buy a lotto ticket - I tried to buy one the last week, but I didn't know what to ask for! Finally on Saturday, I bought some at a vending machine. And it was no easy task since after I put my money in the machine, I realized the machine did not return change and I did NOT want to buy $20 worth of lotto tickets! Half an hour later, I finally got 2 scratch tickets, mega million ticket and my change back!

thoughtless thursday 2-24-11

For the last couple of days we have been getting blizzard warnings and when we woke up this morning, the snow finally came - almost a foot of it. So when I saw this article, I thought the pea coat would be so cute for Riley, Chloe and Bailey!


check them out on RoverDog's Etsy Shop!

Tiramisu!

I am co-hosting a bridal shower this weekend and the bride has requested tiramisu! I've made this recipe a few times and it never fails to please. Enjoy!


weheartit.com


Tiramisu
from  Mother's Best by Lisa Schroeder

Follow the directions exactly, use the thickest mascarpone you can find, and make sure you keep everything cold and in the refrigerator until mixing together, or it will be runny and won’t hold up on the plate.

6 shots of espresso (about 3/4 c; Love Note 1)
1/3 c brandy
1/4 c Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
4 large eggs, separated (Love Notes 2 and 3)
2/3 C granulated sugar, divided
1 lb mascarpone (two 8-oz tubs)
1 cup heavy cream
40 savoiardi ladyfingers (about two 7-oz boxes; Love Note 4)
Unsweetened cocoa powder and shaved chocolate, for garnish (optional)

1. In a small bowl, combine the espresso, brandy, and Kahlúa. Set aside.


2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk at high speed until very fluffy, pale yellow and stiff, at least 7 minutes.

3. Stop the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the mascarpone. Continue whipping until very stiff, another 2 minutes. (If the mixture starts to look curdled, stop mixing. If you continue to beat, you’ll end up with butter.) Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator while completing the remaining steps.

4. Wipe out the bowl of the electric mixer and add the cream. Whisk at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and sprinkle in half of the remaining sugar (you don’t have to be precise). Continue whipping until the cream holds stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture and return the bowl it to the refrigerator.

5. Thoroughly wash and dry the electric mixer bowl and whisk attachment and add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Increase the speed to high (don’t scrape the bowl or you could deflate the whites) and sprinkle in the remaining sugar. Continue beating until the whites hold stiff peaks.

6. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture (folding in a small amount of the whites at first lightens the mixture and makes it easier to fold in the remaining whites without overmixing, which would deflate the whites). Fold in the remaining whites and return the mixture to the refrigerator.

7. One at a time, dip the ladyfingers briefly (make sure they’re submerged) into the espresso mixture and place side by side in a 9x13x2-inch baking dish until the bottom of the pan is covered. (Make sure you dip for only a second – you don’t want the ladyfingers to be soaked to the center or your tiramisu will end up mushy.) Depending on how you arrange the ladyfingers, you should get 19 to 20 in the dish; you may have to trim a little off the ends of the ones in the corners.

8. Spread half the mascarpone mixture (about 4 cups) over the lady fingers.

9. Repeat another layer of dipped ladyfingers, followed by the remaining mascarpone mixture.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and wrap the dish in the refrigerator to chill overnight before cutting.

11. Cut the tiramisu into thirds lengthwise and crosswise to make 9 portions. Use an offset spatula to lift each portion onto a serving plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder and top with shaved chocolate, if desired (Love Note 5), and serve.


 
LOVE NOTES

1. If you don’t have an espresso machine, I highly recommend stopping at the nearest café to pick up the shots rather than using instant espresso. The flavor is far superior.

2. Separating eggs require care and caution. If just a drop of yolks gets in the whites, they won’t whip up. That’s because the yolk has fat, and just a little fat, oil or soap (even residue on plastic containers) can keep the whites from whipping. To ensure the whites stay pristine, crack an egg into a small bowl, scoop out the yolk with your (clean fingers, and place it in a separate bowl. Then dump the egg white into its own bowl. Repeat with the remaining eggs. This way if a yolk breaks during cracking, you’ll only have to toss out one egg, not the whole batch. By the way, whites whip best when they are at room temperature.


3. This dish is made with uncooked eggs. Although the risk is very low (about 0.005 percent according too the American Egg Board), substitute pasteurized eggs if you’d prefer.


4. The best ladyfingers for this recipe are very dry and crisp. They’re often called savoiardi and are imported from Italy. If you can’t find these and your supermarket only has soft, cakelike ladyfingers, you will need to let them dry out in the oven first. Moist ladyfingers will soak up too much liquid and the tiramisu will be mushy. To dry them out, arrange them on a baking sheet and place in a 250F oven for about 20 minutes, until brittle, flipping each one over halfway through.

thoughtless thursday 2-17-11

I have Maui on the brain. We are really hoping we can fiNaLLy go on our honeymoon this spring.

weheartit.com

I finished the Old Testament last week and now that I'm in the New Testament I can't seem to put it down! Wow, wow wow!


weheartit.com

I am going to an 80s themed bachelorette party next month and I need some serious help with my outfit! The only thing I know about the 80s is the awesome music from that decade! This is one of my favorite songs, which coincidently was the song my parents for kissed to according to my mom:

Happy Valentine's Day!



valentine's day 2007

Happy Valentine's Day! In Spanish, there are a few names for today's special day: Feliz Día de San Valentín - Happy Valentine's Day;  día de los enamorados – day of the lovers; and día de amor y amistad – day of love and friendship.  Today, Steele and I are going take advantage of Qdoba's special BOGO for a kiss :)

qdoba.com

 

Go Red for Women

I have this awful fear of wearing the color red. It dates back to when I was in 8th grade, we had a Christmas band concert and were told to wear Christmas colors. I wore a red sweater and while I was backstage, a fellow band member started singing "KOOLAID" while waving his hands back and forth. I was MORTIFIED! From that point forward, I didn't dare wear the color until last year when our company sponsored the women in our region to attend the Go Red for Women convention. I had a minor meltdown before the event, dreadfully wore my red top for the few hours and immediately took it off and happily gave it to my aunt.

This year, we are fortunate enough that my company has sponsored us to attend the event again and rather than have another breakdown, my husband suggested I wear red, but tone it down with a sweater or vest. He went shopping with me and helped me put this oufit together - gray slacks, a red sequened top and a white cardigan.  For once I actually feel great wearing red!

Also, I wanted to say thank you for all the wonderful comments on my last post! The doctors were pretty confident the mass was benign, but I opted to have it removed because it was starting to get uncomfortable. Just a reminder that if you see something out of the norm, be sure to have it checked out!

Happy List 2.6.11

I am so thankful this weekend.  I had a biopsy done on Friday morning and everything went very smoothly.  Aside from feeling like I was punched in the surgical area and a few side effects from the pain meds, I feel so blessed.  My husband has been absolutely wonderful in taking care of me and I seriously could feel the power of all the prayers and well-wishes from our family and friends!

I must be super duper excited for the Super Bowl because as I was waking up from the surgery, my conversation with the nurse went like this:

Me drowsily to the nurse: "Is it over?"

Nurse: "Yes, we're all done!"

Me: "Oh my gosh, I was dreaming about what appetizers I was going to bring to the Super Bowl party!"

Nurse: "I know, you were telling us about this artichoke dip - it sounded delicious!"

Ha!

What's on your happy list this week? Be sure to grab the Happy List button and link up!

thoughtless thursday 2-3-11

I received this in an email this morning and thought it to be very inspirational! Happy Thursday folks, the weekend is almost here:)

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee!

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up; she was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose. 

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.  In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you see.'

'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.  Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.  Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter.  “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I?

Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? 

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes their way.

Fun Fridays! 1-28-11

Wednesday night, hubby and I ate pizza, watched Fried Green Tomatoes and finished up those bridal shower invites!  I saved the template originally thinking I was going to send them out as Valentine's Day cards, but thought they would be perfect for Em instead :)

be sure to link up if you want to join along with fun fridays too!

thoughtless thursday 1-27-11

This weekend is my husband's bday! The only thing he asked for was to play pool. I think I'll also bake him his favorite cake in the whole wide world - funfetti :)

photo source

  

be sure to link up to thoughtless thursday too!





Wednesday Blog Hops!

Happy Wednesday friends! I hope your week has been great, we're halfway to the weekend! I've been working on my girlfriend's bridal shower invitations, and my sweetheart hubby has been helping me put them together! As soon as we finish them up I'll have to share photos.


Here's a couple blog hops for you to link up and make friends and find new blogs:)

Happy List 1-16-11

After searching for a church to call home over the past two years, last Sunday, we attended a new church (new to us :) and we think it may be the one! And bonus, it's about 2 blocks away from our house so we can walk there when the weather is a little nicer! I'm very excited to meet new people and continue to grow in our faith.

The way we heard about the church, besides driving by it everyday, was several months ago, my mom had recommended I check out their woman's Bible study but I never got around to going. When we went to the service last week, in the announcements they had mentioned the woman's Bible study was starting their new session. So, Tuesday I went to the Bible study and there were about 10 of us in there. I loved it because there was a wide range of ages in there, from freshman in college to 65+ years old. We will reading out of the book, Having a Mary Spirit.

My ukulele arrived just in time for our next class and it was fun to play along with my new toy! This week we covered chords. I'm really looking forward to learning different strumming patterns.  Right now I'm kind of just making spastic strumming motions :)

We had our company holiday party on Friday night. This year, it was at a beautiful winery, a 100+ year old brick building.  I spent most of my time in the cellar talking with the owner about where they get the grapes, how long they let the wine sit in the barrels before bottling and other fun facts.  We had casino games, and at the end, I almost won a prize that was meant to go to the youngest employee, but there was someone else that had me beat! Oh well, it was a fun time and beautiful location.

What's on your Happy List? Be sure to grab Mamarazzi's button and link up!

thoughless thursdays 1-13-11

So....I signed up for a beginner's ukulele class! Our first session was last week and though we didn't play, we covered a lot of fundamentals about how to read music. I suckered 2 of my other friends to join the class too!  I've been practicing all week and can play Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Hallelujah, and Forget You (by Cee Lo Green, you know - the song Gwyneth Paltrow sang on Glee!)! I've been renting this barbie pink kids ukulele until this baby, which is en route from the islands, arrives - SO STOKED!

Kala KS-15S Soprano Ukulele

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I can't believe how fast the holidays went by! I spent my vacation doing A LOT of baking, reading (I'm about halfway through the Bible!!), crocheting and knitting, watching Hallmark Channel movies and taking care of my momma after her having surgery (she had an incredibly smooth recovery!).

I hope you too had a wonderful holiday season with loved ones!

Christmas Card 2010 from www.shutterfly.com



pumpkin roll

My friend had a ton of frozen pumpkin puree from Thanksgiving she wanted to get rid of so we had a marathon baking session and busted out FOUR pumpkin rolls! I always avoided making any type of jelly roll; they seemed so difficult. Not at all! The hardest part is while rolling, worrying about whether the cake would break. We made a game of it, cheering "go! go! go!" while the other was carefully rolling.  But really it doesn't matter, broken or not it all still tastes the same in the end - delicious!

Pumpkin Roll
from Eat Live Run

3 eggs, room temp
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

for cream cheese frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
4 T soft butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs and sugar together with a Kitchen Aid on maximum high speed for about ten minutes. When done, the mixture will be very thick and very, very pale. Add the lemon juice, vanilla and pumpkin and stir gently.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined.

Pour the cake batter onto a sheet tray (or jelly roll tray) that has been greased and lined with wax paper. Spread out the batter evenly and bake for fifteen minutes, or until golden.

Let cool on the pan for about ten minutes and start your frosting.

Whip the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed for three minutes or until creamy looking. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip on high for another six to eight minutes. Set aside.

After you have cooled the cake for a few minutes, turn over the sheet pan and gently peel off the wax paper. Spoon the frosting on top of the cake and spread out. Starting at the far edge, roll up the cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour before serving.

**this cake freezes beautifully, making it super easy to just cut off a frozen slice whenever you have the urge. Just be sure to wrap it completely in plastic wrap and then again in tin foil.

Secret Santa 2010

Last week, I received this package from my Secret Santa that I had signed up for on Simply Stacie.  I love the candle so much and was thrilled she sent Mary Kay goodies - it's the only makeup I use!  Thanks Michelle!

Other fun stuff we've been up to:

I got this super cute necklace from my SIL and her Mister for my birthday. I wear it all the time!

I helped my sister bake her first pie on Thanksgiving!

We drove over to the Apple Cup. It was about 10 degrees out and our team lost BUT it was so worth it to be there cheering for our Cougs!

I made this cowl to send as a gift to one of my other SILs for Christmas.

And we put up our Christmas tree. We bought new ornaments this year and have yet to find a tree topper to go with it that we like. Side note - I NEED to get rid of that old lamp I got in college!!

There has also been a lot of baking (recipes and pics to follow) and going back and forth watching Elf and The Holiday!



cookies in a jar - cranberry white chocolate oatmeal

These cookies are a recipe I found for cookies in a jar on Launder, Fold and Repeat. I'm hoping to gift the jar for Christmas this year and I wanted to make sure the recipe would turn out. One year I found a chocolate chip cookie recipe and gave a handful of cookies in a jar to a few of my friends and I was super dissapointed when most of them reported back that the cookies had turned out tough. I'm glad I did a practice run on these, the recipe was great! I love the combination of cranberries and white chocolate.

Christmas Cookies in a Jar, adapted from Taste Of Home via Launder Fold and Repeat (makes ONE quart-sized jar)
18 Servings

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup dried cranberries (I used Craisins)
1 cup vanilla or white chips

Additional ingredients (list these on a tag, or email me for the PDF of the label)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Using a quart sized glass jar, layer (use a canning funnel!) the white sugar, followed by the brown sugar. Tamp down between each layer to create a clean line. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour gently into jar and tamp down gently. Layer in the oats, cranberries, and white chocolate chips, tamping between the oats and cranberries. Cover and store in a cool place for up to 6 months.

To prepare cookies (provide these instructions to the recipient!): Preheat oven to 375. Pour cookie mix into a large bowl, stirring to combine. Beat in the butter, egg and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes until browned, cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

This was a really simple meal that came together quickly. I really liked it because it didn't have too much tomato (too much tomato, especially in a sauce, tends to give me bad heartburn), it had a nice crusty top, and the parsley made it taste so fresh. 

photo by food network

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

from Giada de Laurentiis

1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)

1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish (I used a casserole dish). In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

My Happy List: 11-21-10

What a fun week it has been!!

 

We went to two concerts - Little Big Town AND Sara Bareilles (this was a treat for my upcoming bday)! Sara Bareilles was so incredible, I am amazed how beautiful her voice is! Her opening acts were really good too - Holly Conlan and Cary Brothers.

We have started painting the ceiling in our basement and I'll be very happy when it's all over! Super stoked for this next week. My birthday, Thanksgiving, Black Friday, that's when the holidays really begin for me! We had a bit of snow this morning, it was a cold 27 degrees out!

What's your happy list this week?