Wednesday, February 23

what do you get when a truck full of trash runs into a truck full of glitter?

Yes, the answer to the blog post title riddle is a KE$HA concert!!!

Just thought I would share with you some of the fun pics from last Satuday! I had soooo much fun glittering myself head to toe to ready myself for this concert!

Thanks for the tix, sisterrrr!!!
 With my boo.
 Get glam.
 Fun fact: I wore these same rhinestones in junior high! Yep, I have the same little baggie filled with these sparkly gems. And I wore them across my eyelids or next to my eyes just on my random day at school! Haha.
 We are rockstarzzzz.
 Hair and bodies --- SOAKING wet from the freezing sleet that rained on us outside in line for an hour!
 Stockings RIPPED ALL UP THE SIDE!
 Ke$ha with the glitter gun!!!
 She shot glitter into the air at us! It was all my wildest dreams come true!!!
 This concert was soooo high energy! It was a blast to be a part of! And it was at an intimate venue --- the Fillmoore, so we were close to the party! Lots and lots of fun was had!

And since this post is about glitter...take a look at my tinsel extensions I got last week! They are SO much fun!!!

Cheers! And glitter :)

twenties girl

I bring you my 4th book review of 2011 {I start school in June = free time is ending for 3 years, so I'm trying to pack as much fun reading in now!}. 

Last night I finished Sophie Kinsella's Twenties Girl. At first, I wasn't so sure I was going to like this book. But by the end, I adored the characters, and even found myself thinking about something in a new way. 

Lara Lington is a twenty-something girl looking to find meaning in her life. She thinks she's found it with Josh, a guy who seems perfect to her, but is there really love between them? She has risked everything by starting a business with her best friend --- who has abandoned her and left her in a mess! Lara is at her great aunt Sadie's funeral, an 105-year old woman whom she never met, when the Sadie's ghost appears to her in her 23-year-old form! For some reason unbeknown to Lara and Sadie, Lara is the only person who can see and hear Sadie. Sadie is desperately trying to get Lara to stop the funeral, saying she can't rest until she is reunited with an important necklace. Although Lara feels like a crazy person, she stops the funeral, making a ridiculous accusation as an excuse. This is the beginning of Lara and Sadie's adventure together. They make quite a pair, being completely opposite and always bickering. Along the way, Sadie shows Lara how love, fashion, and dancing was done in the 1920s. And a family secret is unveiled during the search for the necklace. 

If you like Sophie Kinsella, you should read this book. It's not as good as the Shopoholic books, in my opinion, but it's fun :) And it left me thinking about what types of personality and history can be hiding withing the mind of the uber elderly. Because although Sadie appeared uninterested in anything during her last years of life, inside was always her 23-year-old flapper-girl self, dying to go dance the Charleston with a sizzling man!

What have YOU been reading lately?
I'm really going to try to read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo now. I've tried twice and given up after 50 pages, but I'm really going to give it one final read! 

Cheers!!!

Thursday, February 17

spoiled...and i LOVE it!

Hey ladies {maybe some gents read this...but I'm guessing not...}!!!

I'm writing because I can't contain my excitement over my fabulous birthday!!! I turned 25 yesterday, and I have had such a fun week! On Saturday I hosted a Wine & Cheese party at my house, and it was SUCH a blast! We ended up with 30+ bottles of wine entered into our Wine Competition, and we tasted and tasted and tasted until the wee hours of the morning! It was oh-so-fun to host! I finally got to use all the neat serve-ware we got for our wedding 2 years ago that we haven't really needed to use thus far! Hosting that party really showed me how many fab friends I have who would take the time to come celebrate with me!

Then yesterday I got So. Spoiled. 

Tyler gave me the CUTEST necklace from Etsy! It's called Pure Luck by Natasha Grasso and I am in love with it! It will be my good luck for my 25th year - PA school and all! It's so dainty!!!

Then Tyler got me the perfect heeled clogs! Being on the shorter side of the height spectrum --- 5' nothin' --- I like to have some added heel when I go out, and I have been wanting clogs for months! My old Rocket Dog pair had to be retired after almost 10 years of loving wear and tear! They are black distressed leather heeled studded --- *squeal with love* They have traction on the bottom so I won't fall on my ass {hopefully} while frolicking and dancing in them!

My parents gave me a CHI hair straightener! SO amped to use this pretty baby!
They also outdid themselves and got me this oh-too-perfect messenger bag from Mimi Boutique! It feels like butter. ADORE! It has been years since I got a new purse, and I am so excited to do the purse transfer! 


To my dear Purple New York & Co Purse: You have been so good to me! I am putting you in the duffle bag of bags to rest for a while! This is not goodbye --- I'll be seeing you!

My sister got us tickets to go see Ke$ha this weekend, and I cannot wait! It's going to be such a glittery, dancy good time! We all went to dine at Vesta Dipping Grill - a restaurant downtown I have wanted to try for over a year! It was so delicious! I got this grilled mango tofu steak and it was to DIE for!!! Added bonus --- our waiter told us that I was sitting exactly where Fergie sat when she ate there a few weeks ago! How's that for a fab 25th birthday??? 

Aaaand in the history of Feb 16ths, I'm not sure it has ever been so beautiful here in Colorado! Over 60 degrees!!! :)

Cheers!


Tuesday, February 8

snow, myfitnesspal, and toms

Happy Tuesday! 

If you're in Colorado, you woke up this morning with a soft blanket of fluffy snow covering everything in sight! The puppies woke me up early so I pulled on my boots and hit the shovel. Evil Neighbor Naggie was shoveling outside, too. That betch. On a more positive note, on mornings like this morning, I'm pretty thankful we have a small patio to shovel off, and maintenance to do the front for us! 

I want to share with you a REALLY neat website I've started using! It's myfitnesspal.com, a free calorie counter/diet and exercise journal! For years I have kept a little food/exercise journal. I keep it in my purse and I find it useful to track my eating habits. But this website is awesome! It took like 5 seconds to make an account, all they need is an email address, and it's totally free. You enter your weight loss goals, and it gives you a calorie/day allotment, but it never suggests under 1200 calories. It has a huge food database so if I enter that I ate a "Wasa cracker", I can choose the exact kind and it knows the nutritional information on it. So neat! And it also calorie estimates for energy expended. Like this morning, I put in that I "shoveled snow" for 13 minutes, and it said I burned approximately 83 calories! Neat! And as a funny little perk, you can also add friends on it. A couple of girls from my work are on it, so we can see when someone has done an activity or met their weight loss goals, etc. It's motivation to see when someone else just logged a work out! Anyway, I have been finding this website really useful, and I hope you do too!

Lastly, I wanted to share with you a cool giveaway a fellow blogger is doing. Elizabeth over at Musing Experiences is giving away a pair of Toms! How neat :) I've never had Toms, and I'd *LOVE* to win a pair! They are for such a great cause! The pair I like are the Pomegranate Corduroy ones! They're cute!

Hope everyone is staying safe and warm in all this weather! I am thankful for my home and my living space heaters {puppies} today! My heaters even smell good because they got baths last night!

I am going to have a get-things-done-around-the-house kind of day. Prepping for my big Wine & Cheese party I'm hosting this Saturday! My birthday is next Weds, so I'm having a birthday/Vday party and I'm so excited for it! I got the CUTEST black sparkly poofy skirt strapless party dress yesterday! Can't wait to show you pictures :) Also some On Demand Yoga is on the schedule, and making a Spinach Quiche! Ambitious, I know. 

xoxo
Cheers!

Monday, February 7

recipe time!

Hey friends!

So it has been a while since I have shared some recipes with you, and I tried out a few this week that I KNOW you'll want to try! I usually share recipes from Cooking Light, and these one's aren't so much light, but they are on the cheesy/delicious side {from Taste of Home}, and you can practice portion control with them ;) I HIGHLY recommend you make the Roasted Asparagus with Feta {my new favorite side dish!!! Low cal, too!} and the Enchilada Chicken Pizza --- so yum, and a nice deviation from the normal pizzas we make! Oh, and should I mention it has a cheesy stuffed crust? Divine.

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups 

Pepperoni Lasagna Roll-Ups Recipe
Photo by: Taste of Home
  • 3 Servings
  • Prep: 25 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients

  • 3 lasagna noodles
  • 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 24 slices pepperoni --- definitely use Turkey Pepperoni to lower the calorie count on this dish!
  • 3 slices Swiss cheese, cut into thirds
  • 1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • You can really add in whatever you have in your fridge! I added goat cheese because I only had a little ricotta cheese, and I used Monterey Jack cheese instead of Swiss because that is what I had on hand!

Directions

  • Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine the ricotta cheese, chives, oregano and basil; spread 1/4 cup over each noodle to within 1/2 in. of edges. Top with pepperoni and Swiss cheese; carefully roll up.
  • Place seam side down in a greased shallow 1-qt. baking dish; top with spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 3 servings.
This recipe was simple and really yummy! It'd be fun to make with kiddos of you have them :)

Nutrition Facts: 1 roll-up equals 410 calories {can be lowered by using less cheese and turkey pepperoni!}, 22 g fat (13 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 894 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 23 g protein. 


Roasted Asparagus with Feta 

Roasted Asparagus with Feta Recipe
Photo by: Taste of Home
  • 6 Servings
  • Prep/Total Time: 25 min.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

  • Arrange asparagus in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
  • Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with tomatoes and feta cheese. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.
This dish was DELICIOUS! I couldn't stop eating it! And at 72 cals/serving, you can afford to eat however much of it you want! Dig in!

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (5 ounces) equals 72 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 5 mg cholesterol, 103 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. 

Enchilada Chicken Pizza 

Enchilada Chicken Pizza Recipe
Photo by: Taste of Home
  • 6 Servings
  • Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) frozen bread dough, thawed {we use the pizza dough packets}
  • 4 ounces string cheese
  • 2/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1/2 cup enchilada sauce
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions

  • On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 15-in. circle. Transfer to a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Cut string cheese in half lengthwise; place around edge of pan. Fold excess dough over string cheese; pinch to seal. Prick dough thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in oil for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add the chicken, green chilies and taco seasoning; cook 2-3 minutes longer or until heated through.
  • Spread enchilada sauce over crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and chicken mixture; top with Mexican cheese. Bake 18-20 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Yield: 6 servings.
Higher in calories, but a meal stunner! And use skim cheeses for a lower cal option!

Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 519 calories, 22 g fat (10 g saturated fat), 82 mg cholesterol, 1,309 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 35 g protein.

Let me know if you make any of these recipes!
Cheers!!!

the art of racing in the rain

Well here I am with another 4am book review for you! My 3rd read for 2011 --- feeling good about my track record so far!

I don't think I've ever read a book that is once as beautiful yet heart-wrenching as is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 
This novel is told from the perspective of Enzo, an unnaturally intelligent dog who has human-like emotions. Enzo's master is Denny, a race-car driver who has incredible skill when it comes to racing his car in the rain. Enzo tells his life story, and the lessons he learns, beginning at his days of puppyhood and ending at his death. He tells what it is like to be a dog, to be a witness to the things people don't think about dogs witnessing.  He explains how he can take race car driving skills and apply them to life situations. The love he has for his family, Denny, Eve, and little Zoe, is unlike any love I have ever read about. It's not the love of a great romance, but the relentless and pure love that a dog feels for his family. 

I basically wept during the entirety of the book. I cried because of the simple beauty in how this dog perceived things and how he wanted so badly to protect his family from all harm. I cried because of the inability he, or people for that matter, have in controlling life's torrential elements {like when Eve gets sick}. I cried at the end, at the maturity and wisdom this dog had garnered during his lifespan on Earth. 

The book lends us some serious words of wisdom, and here are a few I want to share with you:
"People and their rituals. They cling to things so hard sometimes." --- Enzo reflecting on people's tendencies to grasp for what we know during times of stress.
"But a racer should not be afraid of the rain; a racer should embrace the rain. I, alone, could manifest a change in that which was around me."    &
"Is it possible? That which is around me does not affect my mood; my mood affects that which is around me." --- Enzo realizing that by changing his mood and energy, people, in turn, regarded him differently.
I think you all know how much I love my dogs, and I know I have some dog lovers as readers of my blog, too. As much as I already care for my dogs, I now view them a little differently, perhaps more reverently, than before. I wonder what they are thinking and how they would judge my actions. I think about how human interactions would be different if we had the listening and supportive skills a dog has. The ability to set aside ones personal interests and truly be there for each other. That is perhaps the reason why dog-owner relationships have the potential to be so special. Because we can't get the same thing from anyone but our dogs, who love us for being us, and who see us at our worst --- and yet, they love us still. I promise you will not be disappointed if you read this book. You should get up and go to the bookstore or library first thing in the morning and get this book. 


Cheers to great literature that forces us to think beyond our usual perspectives!

PS --- A friend lent this book to me about 24 hours ago. It's a quick, lovely read :)