Tiffany & Co.

Above: Remember the scene in Sweet Home Alabama when Reese Witherspoon's boyfriend blind-folded her and took her to Tiffany's when he wanted to propose to her? This is the Tiffany's it all happened at! She came in from the alleyway in the back of the store and stepped into this area on the first floor. I took this pic from almost the exact spot she would have been in. I thought I recognized it, but I asked a salesman just to be sure and he confirmed it! I love that movie, so that's why I thought this was kinda neat!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Below is the recipe that I promised to share two weeks ago after my mom and dad's birthday party. I had many requests for the recipe but kept forgetting to post it. It's very simple but so delicious. I received the recipe from Kendall's aunt Dawna. She fixed them once for a get-together and frankly I had to have the recipe. (Thanks, Dawna!) I wish I would have thought to take a pic of the 70 chicken enchiladas I made for the party bc you could see how creamy they are. (The other 70 were beef enchiladas and I just used the recipe off of the Old El Paso enchilada sauce can. It's hard to beat despite how common a recipe it is!) Enjoy!

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

2 1/2 c. sour cream, divided
1/3 c. chopped onion
2 T. butter
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 c. cooked chicken
1 small can diced green chilies
1/2 - 1 can of cream of chicken soup
A little milk, optional
12 flour tortillas
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, optional

Cook onions in butter until soft. Add chicken, 1/2 c. sour cream, chilies, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat until heated through. Fill tortillas with mixture, roll up tortilla, and place seam side down in a greased (or Pam'd) baking dish. In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining 2 cups of sour cream and half ofthe can of soup. I add some milk to this to get it thinned down to the consistency that I like. You can use less sour cream and more soup, or half and half, whatever you'd like. Spread the sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese (if you're using cheese), and bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes. Just make sure the enchiladas are warmed all the way through. (You can test this by sticking a knife in the middle of the dish and pulling it out. If it's hot, you know you're ready. If it's not, keep it in the oven a little longer.)

"Martha" Day

Above: Outside of Martha's Chelsea studio in NYC.

Below: Me in the audience after the show. What I would have given to explore the set! (We were quickly kicked out immediately after the show.)


On Wednesday morning we attended a live taping of The Martha Stewart Show. I've said it before a million times, but I'll say it again: I love Martha! This was the thing I was looking to the most during our trip to NYC. NYC is great, but being in the same room as Martha....!!! I could not wait to see her studio in real life bc on TV is looks so beautiful. And, not to disappoint, it was even more beautiful in real life! Sheer perfection. I love the color of all of the walls, so I'm considering repainting my office/craft room to match her studio. It's a creamy grey/khaki color. When her show (the "new" Martha Stewart show) first came on in '05, I researched and researched until I could find the name of the paint color and I finally found it! I've never forgotten the name of it and am only hoping I can still find it since her paints are no longer at Sherwin-Williams. Lowes carries her paint now and they have different names!

I have always been curious to see how a taping of her show works bc she's simply flawless! It was amazing to see like 20 people rush out on a commercial break, clean up the kitchen, bring out the new ingredients for the next several steps, fluff her hair and touch up her makeup, etc., etc., and be ready for the live show to start again. We were taught when to clap, for how long to clap, how loud to clap (start out soft and get loud, or vice versa, or a really loud, thunderous clap), etc. It was all so fascinating.

Below: Martha after filming ended. We weren't allowed to take pics during the show, but afterwards she took a couple of questions from the audience (no, I totally chickened out! I was all prepared too!) and chatted for a bit before we were kicked out. She was going to film another show later that afternoon that we could have stuck around for, but I was the only one who wanted to do that. Rats! Julianne Moore was going to be on it, and I'm guessing they were doing a craft since her craft room had stuff set out for a craft. (I missed seeing that episode since we were out and about the rest of the week.) During our show, she didn't craft. Rats again! Martha and John Baricello did make some little hand pies, her niece did a yoga segment with her, and a plants guy did a segment on carniverous plants. Nothing was overly exciting about any of those, but I did learn some tips for my pie crusts.


Anyway, it was all so beautiful and our time there just flew by. Martha is actually very pretty and TALL. I was so surprised by this when she first came onto the set. Her hair was very va-va-voomish and she just seemed so confident and "together." Duh! Isn't that what she's known for?! You can't tell any of this stuff by watching her on TV, though. I love her, but I gotta admit that I always figured that in real life she was probably very simple, "granola," almost kind of frumpy in terms of her appearance. I was wrong! She's pretty and has long, long skinny legs.

She has great taste and her studio reflected that. I'm so envious of her kitchen, but even more so of her craft room! Everything is perfectly organized and so cute! I'm not totally loving the baskets on the back wall. Last season they were pretty boxes of ribbons that matched the season. Still so PERFECT!!

Above: On the table above are all of the crafts from her craft line at Michael's which I ADORE. Each time there is a coupon for 40% off any item, I buy an item. My goal is to eventually have the entire collection. It's always changing, but there's many items that are there year-round. Some of the tools aren't so cheap, but they're good quality and always come in great packaging. She never stepped foot in the craft room during our show, but I am guessing it was for the next taping bc she doesn't leave this stuff out on every show.

So, to end this post, let me just say that it was the thrill of a lifetime to get to attend her show. Yes, I may have been one of the youngest ladies there, but who cares. I've been a fan of Martha's since late in high school. I admit it, I'm an old lady by heart! She's just so darn fascinating and a wealth of creativity. After the show we went to Macy's on 34th Street (which is the largest store in the world, btw, literally) and I bought some kitchen gadgets from Martha's line. :)

Wicked

One of the nights in NYC we went to a production of Wicked. I have wanted to see Wicked since it first came out several years ago. My first time in NYC we tried to get tickets but it was sold out for months in advance. This time, we got lucky. All I can say about it is this: PHENOMENAL. Wicked is the story of the witches of Oz, Elphaba and Galinda/Gilnda, beginning when they were little girls and ending at the point where the movie The Wizard of Oz begins. The Wizard of Oz has always been a favorite of mine, so it was only natural that I'd want to get the background on these girls. Every summer growing up, my BFF Jami and I would get together and alternate whose house to stay over at and watch TWOO on CBS. Back then, it was a big deal to get to watch it when it aired bc the video/DVD's didn't exist. LOL It became our tradition. So, Wicked was FABULOUS. It has completely changed my thoughts on TWOO. I could go on and on about it, but I won't since some of you are planning on going to see it when it comes to town. (At least I think it's coming to Tulsa, but I'm not sure...???)

Below: This is a view of the stage. Pictures were only allowed before and after the show, so this is as good as it gets. It was so detailed and "real." The center of the stage is a huge map of Oz and the big thing hanging down over it is a bat type of thing that would flap its giant wings.

Back from NYC

Above: The view of Manhattan from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building looking north. Bryant Park is the patch of green in the center of the picture. You can see the shadow of the ESB in the center of the bottom of the picture. I didn't realize that at the time I took this pic -- but cool!

We got in late last night from our week in New York City. We had much fun, however, it rained the last two days we were there. And, in a city where it's easiest to get around by walking for the most part, that made it a little yucky to deal with. I LOVE NYC. It's just so busy and there's literally nothing you can't find there. I was glad to get home, though, bc I missed KJ and Bee so much! I swear she's grown a foot and is talking up a storm compared to when I left her on Monday!

We were so busy the whole time that we were there, so I'm just going to post some highlights of the trip later.

"There's no place like home...."

MOPS

MOPS starts Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 9:30 at FBC-BA and I can't wait! I started going to MOPS for the first time last year (obviously, bc I was finally a mom) and it's just so much fun. It's basically a mommy group that meets for two hours twice a month. Childcare is provided. We just get together to enjoy breakfast/brunch, have a short devotional, and then make a craft. (And the crafts are always useful, adult crafts i.e. cute fabric-covered nightlights, pretty platters, etc. Not like popsicle sticks and Elmer's glue type of kiddie crafts.) I'd guess that last year there was probably a hundred women each week, give or take. (?) They do lots of giveaways, too. It's nice to just get together and hang out while you know your kids are being well taken care of. The ladies in charge of MOPS do a great job and I love seeing what each new get-together will bring. It's open to moms of babies birth through 4 or maybe kindergarten (??) This year's theme is "Adventures in Mothering" and I'm sure it's going to be a blast.

If you'd like to go or know someone who would, let me know and we can meet up! I don't always get to go due to my work schedule, but most of the time my depositions aren't until the afternoon so I get to go :) Much fun!

The Hat

This is Lola's new hat. My mom bought it for her the other day at Babies R Us bc Lola was getting impatient and fussy, so Mom yanked it off the shelf she was close to just to give Bee something to hold. Then she put it on her head thinking she'd yank it off like she does with all hats. Oh, no, she decided she liked the hat and, needless to say, we couldn't leave the store without the hat. Well, it's become a silly thing around the house bc she likes to wear it while she's playing. It's kinda cute, I guess. :) It could be much worse.

Below: That's Lola sitting in my lap reading one of her favorite books. (Thanks, Jami & Jaxon!) I luv the pictures, too, bc although they're from a modern Japanese illustrator, they look like old pictures that would have been in my old books as a kid.

Coco & Lola

This afternoon after church, Kendall got called into work unexpectedly so Bee and I were left alone all afternoon. Ugh! So, after our traditional Sunday nap, she decided it was time for a snack. Here she is trying to get into the pantry. That's Coco at her feet. Lola luvs horses, so Coco is probably her favorite toy of all. Her Mamma Patsy bought it for her a few months ago and she just luvs her. (We added the yellow bow on her tail ourselves. We had to make her a little girly.) And, as you can tell, once Lola got her snack, she decided Coco needed one too.

Happy Birthday!

For the past two weeks my aunt and I have been secretly planning a surprise birthday fiesta for my mom and dad. Dad turned 60 on Sept. 11 and Mom turns 50 this week. Since they were both big birthdays we thought it'd be nice to help them celebrate with 65 of their closest friends and family. It was sooo hard to fib and fib and fib! I'm a terrible liar so the past several weeks have been stressful for me bc I was trying to keep my stories straight and buy supplies and hide them (since my mom is at my house several times a week babysitting while I go to work). It all worked out, though, and almost everyone that was invited showed up! (Despite rain all day.)

I chose a fiesta theme, and since the lady we were hoping could make all of our food wasn't available, I volunteered to do it myself. I tried to handle the bulk of it since that's just my nature to try not to burden anyone, in this case, my aunt. I ended up making 140 enchiladas (lol)-half beef & cheese/half chicken sour cream, two sweet corn cakes, salsa, guacamole, and homemade vanilla ice cream. Aunt April did a huge pan of Spanish rice and two cheese dips. Reasor's did a WONDERFUL job of making the strawberry-filled birthday cake; it was so moist and delicious! And, Kendall works with a Hispanic man at the golf course, so his wife made 4 dozen fresh-that-morning homemade tamales. So good! However, I do not want to eat enchiladas anytime soon. I was up until 2:30 in the morning making them. Now my house smells like an onion and beef. I had the windows open in the whole house all day today just trying to air it out. Yuck! I really do love, love, love cooking and baking, so really this just gave me an excuse to do what I love for people I love with all my heart.



Mom and Dad were both so surprised so everything went off perfectly. Especially when my mom realized that the reason we weren't answering our cell phones all day was bc we were setting things up, not bc we were lying in a ditch due to the wet roadways and rain. (Which is what she thought! My poor brother was in charge of getting mom and dad together and out of the house at the same time to head to the party and he tells me she was literally freaking out thinking we were in a car crash.)



Below: "Surprise!!!!"






Below: Nothing more fun than making grown adults (and a few kids) do paper towels-between-the-legs relays. Sooooo funny!

Below: The delicious white cake with strawberry filling and whipped icing from Reasor's. Delicious! I'm totally going back there for my next cake.

Below: And, naturally, Bee had to help blow out the candles.

Below: Here is the stack of invitations I made. It literally took me about 10 minutes to come up with them once I found the picture of this Mexican man and his lady love on the Internet. I had bright lime green envelopes left over from my wedding -- I knew I'd find something to use them for eventually -- so the idea of bright colors and a Mexican couple became the theme! They were my inspiration bc I thought they were cute and funny. I put four on a page, then the information on the back. I then went to Kinkos and had them printed on white speckled paper, then ripped them instead of cutting with scissors, then burned the edges. The goal was to make it look like an old photograph. I was pleased with how they turned out. I think burning edges of stuff will be my new "thing." Kinda fun! I loved this little Mexican couple so much I ended up using them throughout the party for the centerpieces and gift bags.

Preschool

On Monday, Lola started preschool at FBCBA. She's going on Mondays each week to allow me to get some office work done. It would be much easier if I had a traditional job where I go to work and then come home at the end of the day. However, with the type of career I have, that's not the case. There is always a transcript (or ten) to be worked on, and being that it's my job to get every word spoken VERBATIM, it's just hard to do with a little kid goofing off. So, enter preschool.

Lola had met her teachers last week during Open House, and although we kept talking about her starting school, she really couldn't care less. She's a little familiar with FBCBA bc that's where she goes while I attend MOPs upstairs twice a month. She likes all the bright colors and bugs and butterflies on the walls of the children's area. They serve as a great distraction once she realizes she's about to be dropped off. :)

Below is a pic of her as we were heading out the door. More than anything, she was fascinated with her lunch box. She kept stopping to set it down and point out all the animals and do their noises. Then a fight would ensue when I'd pick it up and head for the door. Then I'd let her carry it again. Then she'd set it back down to look at the animals. On and on. We finally made it to the car and to school. However, I forgot to pack her an extra set of clothes and a blanket to nap on. I didn't realize this until I had already dropped her off. I'm not used to this routine obviously. It all worked out though bc I never got a call from the school informing me of a "situation" that required her needing the change of clothes, and her sweet teachers said nap time wasn't a big deal either bc Lola wouldn't nap unless they held her. WHAT?! She knows better than to try that at home... Next week I'll be prepared. Let's just hope I don't forget to take the snacks bc it's already my turn to provide them. That wouldn't be good.

Awww...

Here's a pic of Lola giving her cousin Seth a little sugar. The second pic is them laughing about it. Makes me laugh every time I see it.

Martha, Here We Come!!!

Anyone who knows me knows what a huge Martha Stewart fan I am. I feel like she has paid her debt to society after serving her prison sentence, so don't even start on what a criminal she is. I'm so over it! I think she's a genius. Anyway, a couple of months ago I requested tickets to a live taping of her show during the week we (me, my mom, and aunt) are going to be in NYC. Well, yesterday I got the news that they accepted our request and we got tickets!!! I couldn't hardly go to sleep last night for being so excited! I can't wait to see her set. It is the most beautiful TV set of all. I almost painted my living room and dining room the same color. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she will be doing a craft that day. Usually she has a celebrity guest on, and I can't wait to see what she'll be doing that week! No matter what, I am stoked that I will get to see her in person and experience a morning on her show! I have to come up with a good question to ask her in case they do a segment of "Ask Martha" and hopefully I can talk to her! Laugh all you want, but Martha rocks!!!!!!!!!!!

The Latest Trick 'Round Here

I think the title of this post speaks for itself. That's a baby blanket around Lola, and then Kendall swings her from front to back. (Kinda fast, I might add) She laughs nonstop every time he does this with her. It always reminds me of that ride at the fair that's a big pirate ship with mermaid bodies on each end.

The second pic is my attempt of an action shot of Lola in motion. It's really exciting to lay on the floor and let your husband swing your one-year-old directly over you. He promises me that he's got a death grip on the blanket -- not for my sake, but for hers!

Why We Call Her "Bee"

I've had a couple of you ask me why I refer to Lola as "Bee." Well, in case you're wondering, it's simply bc Lola's middle name is Blake. (Which is also Kendall's middle name.) At the hospital, I remember having Lola propped up on my bed in her Boppy and I just remember staring at her in amazement of oh-my-goodness-I-have-a-baby! I remember feeling so happy to finally have her here. All I could say was, "Thank you, Jesus, for Lolabee!" It just came out. It's become somewhat of a little jingle that I often repeat to her. Sooo corny, I know. Trust me, I know. However, as a parent, I've learned you begin to make jingles/songs for lots of everyday things, so this was just the beginning. (Kendall even has his own jingle for Lola too. His goes like this: "Angels danced the day you were born, doot, doot, doot, doot, doo-doo." He's going to kill me for telling on him! LOL)

So, ever since then we've referred to her as Lolabee or Bee. Writing out B-E-E just looks nicer than "Lola B." as if B. was her last initial. And, being that I'm a court reporter and basically spend my life spell-checking and wondering, "How's that spelled?" or "Is that all one word," or whatever. Fellow reporters know what I'm talking about. However, having said that, don't expect this blog to be correct all the time in terms of punctuation and grammar. Sometimes, in my own writings, I just DON'T CARE!

Wild Saturday Night @ Our House

Saturday evening we were at home just relaxing and hanging out. Kendall got home from work late in the day so we ate supper altogether and goofed off for the rest of the evening. I love those kinds of days. Don't have to leave the house all day, no makeup, funky clothes that would get me easily nominated on TLC's What Not to Wear, having the time to bake, taking my time to enjoy my housework...I know that sounds crazy, but I really do enjoy cleaning. Anyway, Lola helped me bake a cake and these pics are her having fun wearing my oven mitts. I posted the cake recipe earlier, and it's awesome. Nothing fancy, just simple and delicious!

Later, KJ and Bee sampled my homemade pineapple-grape popsicles. And, despite Bee's face in the picture, she really did like it!

Toll House Cake

The following is a recipe that I recently made for the first time and it is delicious. Kendall and I are nuts about this cake! I don't even remember where I came across it bc I collect recipes from the back of boxes, newspapers, websites, friends, old cookbooks...wherever. It is so good that this recipe has been added to my personal cookbook of favorites. That's a big deal! It tastes just like a gooey chocolate chip cookie. Deeeee-lish!

FYI: You'll need a 12-oz. bag of mini chocolate chips to divide between the topping and the cake batter. It would probably work okay with regular morsels, but I've never done it that way.

Toll House Cake

Topping:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. butter or margarine, softened
1/2 c. chopped nuts (I skip this, though, bc I don't like nuts AT ALL)
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips (save the rest of the bag for the batter)

Cake batter:
1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine, softened
1 t. vanilla
3 large eggs
1 c. sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch pan. To make the topping, combine all topping ingredients, except for nuts and chocolate chips, until crumbly. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Set aside. To make cake batter, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in the remaining bag of chocolate chips. Spread into pan. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until done.