check me out!

For those of you that didn’t know or may have forgotten, I used to work at Viking Range Corporation. Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve never heard of it; I hadn’t until I accepted a job there. Living in Greenwood and working at Viking was one of those existential moments in life that I never saw coming but opened so many interesting, wonderful and delicious doors for me.

So needless to say, when I was offered the chance to write an article for Portico Jackson about the Viking Cooking School in my town, I totally jumped at it. So if you simply cannot get enough of me, go check me out in the February issue – on newsstands now (I think)!

give it to me straight

I like my blog. It’s fun to me. But sometimes I feel like I’m posting to an empty room. Fellow bloggers, do you ever feel that way? Not fishing or complaining, just saying…

Jenny recently attended Alt Summit, a conference for bloggers (would that not be the most fun ever?), and she recently posted about how to grow your blog, something I am always keen to do. She had some great tips, so if you’re interested, go check her out (not to mention her blog is one of my favorite ones in internetland). With that in mind, I’d love to get some feedback from you out there. What’s your favorite blog? What do you like about my blog? What could you do without? What can you not get enough of? Is something stale or totally lame? Come on, tell me. I can take it. I promise!

And if you have a blog out there and would like to do a guest post, let me know! We can give shout-outs to each other! Follow me, too! Duh.

I can’t wait to hear from you all!

Here's hoping you have a totally rad weekend. I don’t know about you, but pay day cannot come soon enough. Seriously.

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* A Spotbot. But I'd need it to be a lot bigger.

* A new purse. Mine is literally falling apart at the seams. Seen any you love lately?

* Some of these Peanut Butter Snickers Brownies (photo from there, too!). Oh my, I think I'm getting lightheaded...

* A totally glammed up closet like Made By Girl's.

* The perfect rug at the perfect price (that last part seems to be where the hang-up is).

What's your wish?

cheaters, cupcake edition

Last night I dreamt I was on Cupcake Wars on TLC. I think my mental note of all the extra frosting and cake mix in my kitchen crept into my subconscious. Or maybe I was just looking for an excuse to use my new stand mixer.

Anywho, in my dream I secretly brought in boxed cake mix and canned frosting. It wasn’t malicious or sneaky or anything, but that’s just how it happened. When I presented my creation to the judges (it was the “taste” round), they totally busted me and were super mean. The mean French guy judge slapped a piece of paper and a pen in front of me and demanded I write down my recipe. I made up some cockamamie story about how I’ve been making them homemade for so long, I don’t even think I could remember everything to say. Sure.

Needless to say, I was mortified AND disqualified AND kicked out of the competition before the presentation round. And the unopened box and cans of Pillsbury products are like proverbial snakes in the grass.

I woke up this morning still embarrassed and just feeling really bad about it. So, I decided to come up with what I WOULD bring should I ever make an encore appearance.

With the Superbowl fastly approaching (like I care – I just like the food), I think these football cupcakes with cookies & cream filling would be most enjoyable.

Or for a healthy (it’s fruit, people) twist, these Banana Cupcakes with Vanilla Pastry Cream look so inviting.

I’ve always wanted an excuse to make Joy the Baker’s Brownie Bottom Ice Cream Cupcakes.

If the world were my oyster and calories were a non-issue, I’d eat a Red Velvet Cupcake every day. Every. Single. Day.

What would the cupcake of your dreams be?

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* New throw pillows for my living room. I LOVE this dragon pattern. Raaaahhrr!!

* To become a famous blogger like Joanna and have thousands of followers! (hint, hint...)

* Some great photography of my favorite city in the world.

* That my dogs hadn't destroyed nearly every single pair of tights I own.

* A friend with an Anthropologie discount.

What's your wish?

2011 golden globes

I LOVE an awards show. OK, not so much the show (unless it’s hosted by Ricky Gervais!), but I’m glued to any red carpet coverage. I even kind of like the Golden Globes the best because it’s movie AND TV, and it looks like all the actors are having so much fun going from table to table during the commercial breaks. How much am I dying to be a seat filler?

Now to the important stuff. Dresses. Here are my faves (photos from Red Carpet Fashion Awards):

Emma Stone. Maybe it’s because I think she is just great, but I thought she looked so lovely Sunday night, even though I miss her red hair. You can’t tell from this picture, but her dress was backless. She rocked it.

Olivia Wilde. She is just so, so, so beautiful to me. Not classically beautiful like a Catherine Zeta-Jones, but strikingly so. Almost like a Siren in Homer’s The Odyssey. I bet they all looked like her. I didn’t realize at first, but her dress is actually chocolate brown. My first inclination was a little “eh” on the hair, but I think if it had been any more fixed, it would have been too much.

Carrie Underwood. I’m totally over her music. Pretty much over her in general. But she is typically perfection on the red carpet, and this is no exception.

January Jones. Who names their kid January? Anywho, I LOVED THIS DRESS. Yowzaa! Loved it from the moment I saw it. JJ is usually pretty daring on the red carpet and sometimes it’s too much for me, but she knocked this one out of the park. Get it, girl.

Anne Hathaway. My girl crush du jour (Scarlett totally let me down with her dress). Talk about red carpet perfection. I want her stylist. She always looks AMAZING, and I am speechless. And I really think we could be friends. She seems really down-to-earth. Love you, Anne!

Who’s dress was your fave? Who did I leave out that you adored?

long weekend ahead

Hooray! It's finally the Friday of a long weekend!

Kell and I are likely going to nest on the couch in front of a fire and watch TV the entire time. But if you feel like being productive, I strongly suggest you make some of these Brown Butter Mixed Berry Muffins. Don't let browning the butter intimidate you; I'd never done it before this recipe, and it happens exactly how the directions describe. Go forth and conquer!

Have a great weekend, my friends.

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* This awesome Beatles photo to hang on my wall. I love that their clothes are so timeless (just like their music).

* Red hair a la Emma Stone in Easy A (hysterical movie, by the way…).

* That I were going home to a warm pot of chili instead of a cold sandwich for supper.

* To cover my entire dining room ceiling with antique tin tiles like these.

* That I flossed regularly. Perhaps this calendar would help me remember!

What's your wish?

looking ahead

I have a birthday this year (Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise).

It’s a big one.

It’s a round number that ends in 0.

And it shall be henceforth referred to as the Birthday That Must Not Be Named (or not referred to at all).

And I’m aware much of the Earth has reached said birthday and lived to tell the tale. But I haven’t yet, and I’m dreading it. Let me mourn my twenties in my own way.

Now that’s out of the way, since my last birthday, I’ve been thinking about how to make this one feel special and less evil. I want to feel spectacular, young and totally hot. I’ve always wanted to be a redhead; maybe this is the year I take the plunge? Or perhaps I should go somewhere awesome like Darby did. Her birthday trip to Italy looked amazing.

You may ask why I’m already thinking about this, but isn’t it much more fun to look forward to something than to dread it? I come from a family of worriers, so I know that to be true. Time stops for no man (or woman), so I have to embrace it and look forward whether I like it or not!

What do you think I should do?

eat your words

I typically hate a New Year's resolution. Aren't they all kind of a joke now? Have you ever kept one? Ever known someone who has? The significant changes I've made in my life haven't even come to fruition at the beginning of the year. It just seems to work better for me to hit rock bottom first, whatever month that might be.

But a food resolution? Well, I think I might can handle that one. As long as it doesn't have to do with eating less. No? Ok, we're good.

I recently stumbled upon this article in the Huffington Post, my new favorite news site (don't really know why - Arianna Huffington bugs the stew out of me), listing out 11 food resolutions for 2011. Some I'll never do, like learn to can or start a garden, but I love the idea of Meatless Mondays (much to the chagrin of my carnivore husband) and hosting a dinner party, and I can totally see MK mixing up her own homemade cleaning products. Maybe I could even learn to make something from scratch? And we could all afford to waste less.

Did you make any resolutions this year? Break them yet?

story of my life

I totally need this. Sounds like someone out there gets me.

Thanks, Joanna, for sharing!

wish list wednesday

What am I wishing for this Wednesday?

* A vegetable peeler. How do I not have one of these? I've been eating my carrot sticks with the skin on them. Is that weird?

* To not have frizzy hair. Just once. OK, more than just once...

* Some nude pumps. These are just about perfect. And for nearly $700, they better be.

* To see MK's ring! Yep, they're tying the knot!

* This so stinking cute dog calendar. I LOVE the different captions for each month!

What's your wish?

cheers

Here's to 2011!

I hope your 2010 was great and your 2011 is even better.