Sunday, March 17, 2013
Couch Chicken
I'm sure everyone has come across this situation in their lives. You and someone else are sitting on the couch you both need to get up, but don't want to. This brings about a game I call Couch Chicken. Here is what happened: Charly just went down after giving up a hard fight of not wanting to clean up or go to bed. We were both ready to relax and watch some TV. I grabbed the remote only to be faced with a worst case scenario...there was a shirt in the way of the cable box. One of us was going to have to get up and move it or we will both be faced to look at a black screen for the whole evening. Which brings us to Couch Chicken. Who would get up? How long can you last? Who is the laziest? I thought for sure I could out last my wife. Well I was wrong! I broke and I broke hard. I thought, "oh she is pregnant I should let her rest." She got into my head. Amateur move Matt. Then when I got up for my walk of shame she showed me how much of a Couch Chicken pro she was and dropped this bomb...WHILE YOU ARE UP?! She is good! So I got up and got her some water. Then to rub it in when I sat back down I left the remote on the table. I am defeated.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Date Night
Although Holli and I are in desperate need of a date night, this is not a mushy post about me romantically wooing my wife. This is about a date I took with my other main squeeze Charly! Now don't feel bad that I am neglecting my wonderful wife. What prompted this Daddy-daughter date night was that Holli was getting a massage and needed the little munchkin out of the house so she could fully relax. And now that I think of it I went on a date with someone else while my wife stayed home and got naked while some dude with a beard named "Brad" rubbed her down!
Charly and I went to one of her favorite places for our date...the mall! To make it more fun I decided to let Charly do everything she wanted...well not everything, I didn't buy her everything she wanted. I know, I returned my #1 Dad mug. From our date you can get a glimpse into Charly's little mind and everything she loves.
First things first we had to equip ourselves with the necessary supplies: diapers, wipes, $5 bill from Mom (SCORE!), and our partner in crime... Rapunzel, who participated in almost everything. We started off our adventure in Nordstrom. Charly tried on some slap watches and looked at some pretty dresses, pretty expensive dresses, so I hurried her on her way with promises of escalators.
Next we walked through the whole mall and went on every escalator there was. No joke, every escalator. They are one of Charly's favorite things. We walked up some, sat on some, and of course Rapunzel was there every step of the way.
We then made our way to the carousel at the food court. After snagging some bourbon chicken samples we headed to the ticket booth. Luckily Mom remembered to pack our punch ticket. Charly decided she wanted to ride the white horse after sadly discovering that there was no yellow horse, and Tangled (as Rapunzel is often called in our house) sat on the horse beside us. We lucked out because you don't have to pay for inanimate objects so Rapunzel was free.
After a lot of hard work we decided we needed a little treat so we went to Godiva for a little smackeral. Charly picked out a little chocolate bird truffle which was delish.
After that we decided to move on to Charly's other indulgence...toys. I was nervous about this one. But she did fine. We had a little pep talk before we went in that we had to leave all the toys at the store and couldn't take them home. Then with more promise of escalators we were on our way.
Finally we made it back to Nordstrom where Charly saw someone getting make up put on. She asked if she could wear make up and we went over to ask. They were so nice. They let Charly pick out some lip gloss and put blush and eye shadow on. They finished it off with a little perfume which Charly also got to pick; Raspberry. Well I deleted the picture of her getting make up on by accident. I know, I already gave away my mug. I did however keep a picture of dressing up after.
Well there you have it - our first of many daddy-daughter dates. Maybe more detail than you wanted, but eh, it's my blog and you can stop reading whenever you want. Plus it has been a few months since we posted on our blog so you should be grateful.
The end.
Charly and I went to one of her favorite places for our date...the mall! To make it more fun I decided to let Charly do everything she wanted...well not everything, I didn't buy her everything she wanted. I know, I returned my #1 Dad mug. From our date you can get a glimpse into Charly's little mind and everything she loves.
First things first we had to equip ourselves with the necessary supplies: diapers, wipes, $5 bill from Mom (SCORE!), and our partner in crime... Rapunzel, who participated in almost everything. We started off our adventure in Nordstrom. Charly tried on some slap watches and looked at some pretty dresses, pretty expensive dresses, so I hurried her on her way with promises of escalators.
Next we walked through the whole mall and went on every escalator there was. No joke, every escalator. They are one of Charly's favorite things. We walked up some, sat on some, and of course Rapunzel was there every step of the way.
 |
| Blurry iPhone picture, boo |
We then made our way to the carousel at the food court. After snagging some bourbon chicken samples we headed to the ticket booth. Luckily Mom remembered to pack our punch ticket. Charly decided she wanted to ride the white horse after sadly discovering that there was no yellow horse, and Tangled (as Rapunzel is often called in our house) sat on the horse beside us. We lucked out because you don't have to pay for inanimate objects so Rapunzel was free.
After a lot of hard work we decided we needed a little treat so we went to Godiva for a little smackeral. Charly picked out a little chocolate bird truffle which was delish.
 |
| Charly deserves some props for holding her candy while I take a picture and not eating it |
After that we decided to move on to Charly's other indulgence...toys. I was nervous about this one. But she did fine. We had a little pep talk before we went in that we had to leave all the toys at the store and couldn't take them home. Then with more promise of escalators we were on our way.
Finally we made it back to Nordstrom where Charly saw someone getting make up put on. She asked if she could wear make up and we went over to ask. They were so nice. They let Charly pick out some lip gloss and put blush and eye shadow on. They finished it off with a little perfume which Charly also got to pick; Raspberry. Well I deleted the picture of her getting make up on by accident. I know, I already gave away my mug. I did however keep a picture of dressing up after.
Well there you have it - our first of many daddy-daughter dates. Maybe more detail than you wanted, but eh, it's my blog and you can stop reading whenever you want. Plus it has been a few months since we posted on our blog so you should be grateful.
The end.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
"I'm gonna be on my birthday"
The title of this post is the response Charly gave the week of her birthday when anyone asked her how old she was or how old she was going to be. We tried for a long time to get her to say "I'm going to be two on my birthday", but somehow the 'two', the only necessary part to that answer, was missing every time.
So now that it has been one month exactly- hey everyone! Charly turned two! We had a fun but laid back day doing some of Charly's favorite things, including riding the carousel at the mall as well as the escalators AND eating at Chik Fil A. We had cupcakes with a few friends that evening so we could sing Happy Birthday (still one of her favorite songs) and blow out her two candles, which she couldn't wait till the end of the song to do, so we re-lit them a few times. She loved it all, but to this day, when I ask her about her birthday, she talks about the scary cow at Chik Fil A. Hopefully some good memories snuck in there too!
Charly is a vivacious, fun loving, sassy, contemplative, picky, energetic, silly, stubborn, and completely awesome two year old. She is smart as a whip and surprises me all the time with the things she says. I love that little stinker to her core- and not just because she is my kid, but because she is her. One hundred percent, thoroughly awesome person.
I've seen this idea floating around Pinterest- to make a birthday interview video each year of your kids. Since Charly is so chatty I figured we'd start this year- and here it is, unedited and not the greatest quality. I think I translate most of what is hard to understand, so hopefully you can understand. Here it is!
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| She was trying so hard to figure out how to hold up just two fingers... we never quite got it right |
So now that it has been one month exactly- hey everyone! Charly turned two! We had a fun but laid back day doing some of Charly's favorite things, including riding the carousel at the mall as well as the escalators AND eating at Chik Fil A. We had cupcakes with a few friends that evening so we could sing Happy Birthday (still one of her favorite songs) and blow out her two candles, which she couldn't wait till the end of the song to do, so we re-lit them a few times. She loved it all, but to this day, when I ask her about her birthday, she talks about the scary cow at Chik Fil A. Hopefully some good memories snuck in there too!
Charly is a vivacious, fun loving, sassy, contemplative, picky, energetic, silly, stubborn, and completely awesome two year old. She is smart as a whip and surprises me all the time with the things she says. I love that little stinker to her core- and not just because she is my kid, but because she is her. One hundred percent, thoroughly awesome person.
I've seen this idea floating around Pinterest- to make a birthday interview video each year of your kids. Since Charly is so chatty I figured we'd start this year- and here it is, unedited and not the greatest quality. I think I translate most of what is hard to understand, so hopefully you can understand. Here it is!
Friday, January 25, 2013
What's not to love? 30 things I love about Matt, on his 30th birthday
Matt turns 30 today! I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, banana pudding for dessert, and I'm even cooking shrimp for him for dinner. I don't even like shrimp.
Despite that, I feel like I should have done a little something more to commemorate 30 years of awesome life. But we're moving, and I'm pregnant, and blah blah all those things I keep meaning to blog about. I thought about getting pictures from every year of his life and posting those, because if this blog needs anything it definitely needs pictures of his hair frosted from the late 90's. But then on our last visit to see his parents we were a little preoccupied with prepping for his sister to return from surgery and I forgot to dig up some pictures. So instead, you get a list of 30 things I love about Matt. Let me also note that I had this idea before his very sweet post for my birthday, so although I feel like a bit of a copycat, I can assure you the idea was my own. Not that it matters, that would be a pretty great thing to copy anyway.
So, without further ado, why I love Matt:
1. He has amazing eyes. Seriously. Those sparkling eyes Charly has? Yeah, they came from Matt. Mine are blue too, but his have the sparkle.
2. He has a great sense of humor. I don't know how he comes up with the stuff he comes up with, but it keeps me laughing and keeps life interesting. I don't think I'll ever get bored with him around.
3. He makes family a priority. Matt works really hard, but I definitely know he values family time. He leaves for work at 6:15 every morning because if he can beat traffic and get there sooner, he can leave sooner and also beat traffic home, which means more time with Charly and I. It is a pretty big sacrifice for someone who isn't a morning person, and I really appreciate it.
4. He also keeps in touch with his siblings and parents- and I love that. Once again- values family.
5. Matt works hard. Definitely makes family a priority, but that doesn't mean he doesn't work his buns off when he is working.
6. He is easy to talk to. Matt has a way of being able to make conversation with people he doesn't really know that I totally admire.
7. He doesn't really like driving long distances, but he always does it because he knows I hate it. That is love.
8. Maybe this doesn't need mentioning here, but you guys know he can cook right? Yeah, my man can cook. And he likes it. I feel totally special when he plans a nice meal or dessert for me. What girl wouldn't?
9. Matt is creative. In different ways than I am, which is awesome. Food ways- yeah, he can totally make up a dish from an idea he had. He can rock out a ridiculous poem when the mood strikes. And don't even get me started on the songs he makes up for Charly. They are imaginative and so entertaining.
10. Matt somehow keeps up with tons of news that I know nothing about. We never watch the news, and we don't really watch sports at home, but he keeps up with all of it. I wish I were better at that.
11. He is a very involved dad. Matt is so great at playing with Charly and engaging in her crazy little imaginative world. She loves when he comes home and instantly drags him to her room to play every day.
12. Matt indulges my crazy. I can get super obsessive when I lose something, or get crazy buyers remorse (or regret things I didn't buy), and a whole load of other crazy. Somehow he puts up with it and loves me still.
13. He is very laid back. We work well together because of this. When I stress out, he is a calming influence. On the rare occasions when he needs a calming influence I try to be that for him too.
14. Matt is very forgiving. He isn't a grudge holder, and I'm thankful for that every day.
15. He likes adventure. We aren't very adventurous in our suburban life anymore, but he does encourage me to be more adventurous and is always coming up with little day trips we can take as a family or new restaurants to try.
16. He has good taste in music- and introduces me to new stuff all the time.
17. Actually, he has good taste in general. He knows my taste and is great at picking out jewelry or clothes or home decor.
18. Matt stands his ground. He is definitely willing to compromise, and does all the time, but when something is important to him he definitely holds firm- like not playing the Boot Scootin Boogie at our wedding, or not naming our children anything crazy.
19. I love how Matt isn't very self conscious. This is a weakness of mine- viewing situations based on how it may appear to others or what people may think, but Matt just lives and does. How great is that? I want to be more like that one day.
20. Matt doesn't complain about doing things around the house. He may not love cleaning the bathroom (who does?) but if it needs to get done, he'll do it.
21. He likes TV. And so do I. Maybe this is silly? But either way, we enjoy watching TV, and we enjoy watching it together. I love to put Charly to bed and find something we can enjoy together, whether it be Parks and Rec or Downton Abbey or Top Chef or American Pickers.
22. This is something I love and that I am completely jealous of. HIS SKIN! It is so beautiful. And clear and flawless. Curse my danish, acne prone skin! And please bless my children can all have skin like his!
23. I love that Matt loves my family, too. We both got pretty lucky in the in-law department because our families are both awesome, but I love that Matt loves spending time with my family. Despite our quirks and flaws, he loves us. Heck, he's one of us.
24. I love his smile.
25. Matt loves my goodies, and that makes me feel good. And by that I mean actual goodies, as in desserts that you eat. Geez.
26. He listens to my ideas (and sometimes rants), as far out or weird as they may be sometimes, and doesn't judge. Usually.
27. He loves fun. And people that love fun are fun to be around and fun to love.
28. He laughs at his own jokes. It makes me laugh.
29. He is willing to paint the walls in our apartments because it makes me happy. It doesn't make that much sense to a lot of people, since apartments are temporary and all, but he obliges. What a guy, right?
30. I love Matt because he is who he is, all of it. Awesome things and flaws and crazy things and all the things about him. I just love him.
How about you guys- anybody have a reason they love Matt or a fun memory to share? It'd be fun to have some in the comments!
Despite that, I feel like I should have done a little something more to commemorate 30 years of awesome life. But we're moving, and I'm pregnant, and blah blah all those things I keep meaning to blog about. I thought about getting pictures from every year of his life and posting those, because if this blog needs anything it definitely needs pictures of his hair frosted from the late 90's. But then on our last visit to see his parents we were a little preoccupied with prepping for his sister to return from surgery and I forgot to dig up some pictures. So instead, you get a list of 30 things I love about Matt. Let me also note that I had this idea before his very sweet post for my birthday, so although I feel like a bit of a copycat, I can assure you the idea was my own. Not that it matters, that would be a pretty great thing to copy anyway.
So, without further ado, why I love Matt:
1. He has amazing eyes. Seriously. Those sparkling eyes Charly has? Yeah, they came from Matt. Mine are blue too, but his have the sparkle.
2. He has a great sense of humor. I don't know how he comes up with the stuff he comes up with, but it keeps me laughing and keeps life interesting. I don't think I'll ever get bored with him around.
3. He makes family a priority. Matt works really hard, but I definitely know he values family time. He leaves for work at 6:15 every morning because if he can beat traffic and get there sooner, he can leave sooner and also beat traffic home, which means more time with Charly and I. It is a pretty big sacrifice for someone who isn't a morning person, and I really appreciate it.
4. He also keeps in touch with his siblings and parents- and I love that. Once again- values family.
5. Matt works hard. Definitely makes family a priority, but that doesn't mean he doesn't work his buns off when he is working.
6. He is easy to talk to. Matt has a way of being able to make conversation with people he doesn't really know that I totally admire.
7. He doesn't really like driving long distances, but he always does it because he knows I hate it. That is love.
8. Maybe this doesn't need mentioning here, but you guys know he can cook right? Yeah, my man can cook. And he likes it. I feel totally special when he plans a nice meal or dessert for me. What girl wouldn't?
9. Matt is creative. In different ways than I am, which is awesome. Food ways- yeah, he can totally make up a dish from an idea he had. He can rock out a ridiculous poem when the mood strikes. And don't even get me started on the songs he makes up for Charly. They are imaginative and so entertaining.
10. Matt somehow keeps up with tons of news that I know nothing about. We never watch the news, and we don't really watch sports at home, but he keeps up with all of it. I wish I were better at that.
11. He is a very involved dad. Matt is so great at playing with Charly and engaging in her crazy little imaginative world. She loves when he comes home and instantly drags him to her room to play every day.
12. Matt indulges my crazy. I can get super obsessive when I lose something, or get crazy buyers remorse (or regret things I didn't buy), and a whole load of other crazy. Somehow he puts up with it and loves me still.
13. He is very laid back. We work well together because of this. When I stress out, he is a calming influence. On the rare occasions when he needs a calming influence I try to be that for him too.
14. Matt is very forgiving. He isn't a grudge holder, and I'm thankful for that every day.
15. He likes adventure. We aren't very adventurous in our suburban life anymore, but he does encourage me to be more adventurous and is always coming up with little day trips we can take as a family or new restaurants to try.
16. He has good taste in music- and introduces me to new stuff all the time.
17. Actually, he has good taste in general. He knows my taste and is great at picking out jewelry or clothes or home decor.
18. Matt stands his ground. He is definitely willing to compromise, and does all the time, but when something is important to him he definitely holds firm- like not playing the Boot Scootin Boogie at our wedding, or not naming our children anything crazy.
19. I love how Matt isn't very self conscious. This is a weakness of mine- viewing situations based on how it may appear to others or what people may think, but Matt just lives and does. How great is that? I want to be more like that one day.
20. Matt doesn't complain about doing things around the house. He may not love cleaning the bathroom (who does?) but if it needs to get done, he'll do it.
21. He likes TV. And so do I. Maybe this is silly? But either way, we enjoy watching TV, and we enjoy watching it together. I love to put Charly to bed and find something we can enjoy together, whether it be Parks and Rec or Downton Abbey or Top Chef or American Pickers.
22. This is something I love and that I am completely jealous of. HIS SKIN! It is so beautiful. And clear and flawless. Curse my danish, acne prone skin! And please bless my children can all have skin like his!
23. I love that Matt loves my family, too. We both got pretty lucky in the in-law department because our families are both awesome, but I love that Matt loves spending time with my family. Despite our quirks and flaws, he loves us. Heck, he's one of us.
24. I love his smile.
25. Matt loves my goodies, and that makes me feel good. And by that I mean actual goodies, as in desserts that you eat. Geez.
26. He listens to my ideas (and sometimes rants), as far out or weird as they may be sometimes, and doesn't judge. Usually.
27. He loves fun. And people that love fun are fun to be around and fun to love.
28. He laughs at his own jokes. It makes me laugh.
29. He is willing to paint the walls in our apartments because it makes me happy. It doesn't make that much sense to a lot of people, since apartments are temporary and all, but he obliges. What a guy, right?
30. I love Matt because he is who he is, all of it. Awesome things and flaws and crazy things and all the things about him. I just love him.
How about you guys- anybody have a reason they love Matt or a fun memory to share? It'd be fun to have some in the comments!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Mod Striped Tunic (and linking with Project Run and Play!)
I have projects and birthdays and Christmas and baby and moving and New Year stuff to talk about, but for today I'm just posting about Charly's birthday outfit that I made. I am in love with it. It might be my favorite thing I've made ever, and you guys, I MADE MY SISTER'S WEDDING DRESS last year. So yeah. I love that dress, but gosh darn I just love Charly's new mod striped tunic. And it took a WHOLE lot less time than the wedding dress, so maybe that's where it pulls ahead.
Anyway, why don't I just show you?
I got the fabric- a $2, 2 yard remnant with maybe a little (lot) of a moth ball smell- from a thrift store about a year ago. I've been staring at it ever since trying to figure out what I'd like to do with it. I love the funky colors, but I usually wear stuff a tad more conservative so I knew I wanted to make it into kids clothing. I'd thought about some sort of sporty jacket, but ugh, zippers. And somehow, suddenly, whilst I was doing some other birthday sewing for Charly, I connected the dots between my thrifted fabric and the Sunki dress pattern from Figgy's (which I already owned and had sewn up once before, and I'd definitely call it a tunic rather than a dress for lengths sake) and BAM. It was written. It must be made.
The Sunki does have a zipper, but since my fabric has a little stretch I decided to alter it slightly by removing the seam allowance for the zipper and cutting the back piece on the fold, making it one whole back piece rather than two sewn together with a zipper between. The knit I used is a stable knit that holds its shape well, which is why I felt confident using a fabric that was very different from what the pattern recommended And I'm so glad I did. A zippered tunic on a two year old just doesn't seem very practical to me. This one pulls over her head easily and is totally easy to wear. Plus pockets! Oh how this kid loves pockets! It makes for a rather chic little play outfit I think.
Lets talk stripes for a minute, shall we? I haven't sewn stripes maybe ever, but I have watched enough Project Runway to know that matching your stripes is one thing that will make your garment look professional. People are always stressing about matching stripes on that show. The side panels of the Sunki pattern screamed "diagonal stripes! on the bias!" to me. So that's what I did. I cut those panels on the bias and tried a feeble attempt at matching such a variegated stripe, with it's sister diagonal striped piece, on a curve. Surprise! It worked. Marvelously. And somehow, unintentionally, the stripe on the sleeve lines up pretty well also. I feel like a rock star for that.
Speaking of Project Runway, I follow a blog series called Project Run and Play. It is totally fun- they have bloggers compete each week in designing kids clothes based on a theme. Each week they have a winner, and one person is voted out of the competition. They also have a sew along for anybody who wants to sew based on the theme and submit pictures of what they created. Each week they pick one look from the sew along pool (which is open to anyone) to win a prize that week too. Anyway, I've never participated in the sew along before. I thought about doing it this season, but then moving, and baby, and family stuff... just didn't seem like a good time. But hey! I JUST finished this tunic, and the theme this week is stripes and polka dots, so I figured why not, ya know? Just this one? So, for the first time ever, I'm linking up a project of mine to blog land. You can check it out, and all of the other sew along-ers projects, here. The turban style headband was a later addition to bring in some polka dots, and I have to say, I kinda think it makes the outfit. Too bad she'll only wear it when being bribed with fruit snacks. Actually, that is the only way I was able to get her to stop playing, change clothes, go outside for pictures, AND wear her headband. The girl just loves fruit snacks.
Oh, and don't worry, it only smells like moth balls if I have to steam iron it, which is good, because Matt just about gagged while I was pressing seams while constructing it. Luckily this knit is wrinkle free- probably thanks to a high polyester content:) The seventies got something right!
Anyway, why don't I just show you?
 |
| Gah, those baby blues! I can't believe she is 2! |
I got the fabric- a $2, 2 yard remnant with maybe a little (lot) of a moth ball smell- from a thrift store about a year ago. I've been staring at it ever since trying to figure out what I'd like to do with it. I love the funky colors, but I usually wear stuff a tad more conservative so I knew I wanted to make it into kids clothing. I'd thought about some sort of sporty jacket, but ugh, zippers. And somehow, suddenly, whilst I was doing some other birthday sewing for Charly, I connected the dots between my thrifted fabric and the Sunki dress pattern from Figgy's (which I already owned and had sewn up once before, and I'd definitely call it a tunic rather than a dress for lengths sake) and BAM. It was written. It must be made.
 |
| Figgy's sends a label with each paper pattern you buy. I pretty much love how pro this makes it look! |
The Sunki does have a zipper, but since my fabric has a little stretch I decided to alter it slightly by removing the seam allowance for the zipper and cutting the back piece on the fold, making it one whole back piece rather than two sewn together with a zipper between. The knit I used is a stable knit that holds its shape well, which is why I felt confident using a fabric that was very different from what the pattern recommended And I'm so glad I did. A zippered tunic on a two year old just doesn't seem very practical to me. This one pulls over her head easily and is totally easy to wear. Plus pockets! Oh how this kid loves pockets! It makes for a rather chic little play outfit I think.
Lets talk stripes for a minute, shall we? I haven't sewn stripes maybe ever, but I have watched enough Project Runway to know that matching your stripes is one thing that will make your garment look professional. People are always stressing about matching stripes on that show. The side panels of the Sunki pattern screamed "diagonal stripes! on the bias!" to me. So that's what I did. I cut those panels on the bias and tried a feeble attempt at matching such a variegated stripe, with it's sister diagonal striped piece, on a curve. Surprise! It worked. Marvelously. And somehow, unintentionally, the stripe on the sleeve lines up pretty well also. I feel like a rock star for that.
 |
| Blessed stripes |
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| The polka dot is subtle, but I kinda like that. |
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| Fruit snack fiend |
Oh, and don't worry, it only smells like moth balls if I have to steam iron it, which is good, because Matt just about gagged while I was pressing seams while constructing it. Luckily this knit is wrinkle free- probably thanks to a high polyester content:) The seventies got something right!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Tribute to my Wife
Holli turns 26 today. With Charly’s birthday the day before it is hard to keep from lumping the two together. I’m sure people who are born the day before or after Christmas feel the same way. So I thought I would send a shout out to my awesome wife via the interwebs.
The first thing I noticed of Holli was her looks. I know that may make me seem shallow, but it is the truth. I first met Holli at freshman orientation at SVU. They divided everyone into groups as we rotated around to the various activities planned that day. Since I arrived late after being lost in the back woods of Virginia (who knew Virginia was so rural?) I decided to find the most attractive girl and Join her group. When I saw Holli it was like one of those slow-mo, glowing, fuzzy, shaking her hair, basking in light kind of things. You know the kind you see in 80’s teen movies. Maybe it wasn’t quite like that, but in my head right now that’s how it is. After that I think the rest of the girls looked like Gollum (not to offend anyone who was there. I’m sure you looked lovely). So I spent the rest of orientation trying to impress her by only reading half a man for all season and acting like I read the whole thing. I know I’m cool.
Apparently I needed to read the whole thing, because I didn’t impress her enough and we were just friends for the next 3 years. The next thing I noticed was that Holli is a free spirit. She has a fun loving side to her and she marches to the beat of her own drum.
We both lived separate lives. We both dated other people and had our own groups of friends, but every time we hung out we always said, “We should hang out more”, almost as if there was some force trying to pull us together. We both resisted, which was good because I had a little growing up to do.
Apparently the force that was trying to bring us together had enough and a fateful Sunday evening at a church event I made the most important lie of my life. I said, “do you want watch season 1 of arrested development. I own it and we can watch it at my place.” I did not own it, but thought for some reason I felt compelled to tell her I did. She said yes and I made a trip to Wal-Mart the next day.
I didn’t quite intend for this post to be a chorological story of how we met, but I’m too far in and now I’m going to roll with it. So you can stop reading if you want.
The next saga of our relationship I like to call the “what are we?” phase. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and I had all but sworn off the female race. I was deeply depressed and not in exactly a good place to be starting a relationship. The next thing I saw in Holli was her patience and compassion. Patience is an essential quality that anyone who would marry me would need. To this day I still have no clue why she stuck with me through that particularly dark period of my life, but she did and I am grateful. As I slowly fell in love with her and slowly let go of that past relationship, Holli was my beacon of light and she has been ever since.
As I got to know Holli better I realized we were perfect for each other. It was like I was a puzzle piece and had been looking for the right match and one day it just clicked. I learned how artistic and creative she was. I realized how smart she was. I saw how excited she got about certain things like fabric and articles about domestic violence (I don't get it). The best of all and I think this is one of the most important parts of a relationship, she made me want to be a better person.
I also remembered the day that I knew I wanted to marry her. I remember we were apart and I wanted nothing more than to be with her and I knew I would never be happy unless I was with her. I was sold, 100% in. Holli on the other hand wasn’t so sure. I kind of tested the waters and we had talked a little bit about marriage, but she wasn’t sold on me. To her defense I was still a little rough around the edges, so I don’t blame her.
So I decided if I wanted Holli I had to man up and ask her to marry me and hope for the best. She doesn’t know this, but I had an “if she said no” speech ready. Luckily I never had to use it and threw it away.
Now that we are married I find myself falling more and more in love with my wife. So much so I have forgotten about my secret Canadian family…just kidding. But seriously Holli is the most amazing woman, everyone who knows her looks to her as an example of the kind of woman they want to be. She is a wonderful mother and wife and friend. And with a husband as crazy as I am she deserves some kind of medal. So on my wife’s 26th birthday I want to say that I love her and can’t wait until we are old so I can really let my crazy out!
Apparently I needed to read the whole thing, because I didn’t impress her enough and we were just friends for the next 3 years. The next thing I noticed was that Holli is a free spirit. She has a fun loving side to her and she marches to the beat of her own drum.
We both lived separate lives. We both dated other people and had our own groups of friends, but every time we hung out we always said, “We should hang out more”, almost as if there was some force trying to pull us together. We both resisted, which was good because I had a little growing up to do.
Apparently the force that was trying to bring us together had enough and a fateful Sunday evening at a church event I made the most important lie of my life. I said, “do you want watch season 1 of arrested development. I own it and we can watch it at my place.” I did not own it, but thought for some reason I felt compelled to tell her I did. She said yes and I made a trip to Wal-Mart the next day.
I didn’t quite intend for this post to be a chorological story of how we met, but I’m too far in and now I’m going to roll with it. So you can stop reading if you want.
The next saga of our relationship I like to call the “what are we?” phase. I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and I had all but sworn off the female race. I was deeply depressed and not in exactly a good place to be starting a relationship. The next thing I saw in Holli was her patience and compassion. Patience is an essential quality that anyone who would marry me would need. To this day I still have no clue why she stuck with me through that particularly dark period of my life, but she did and I am grateful. As I slowly fell in love with her and slowly let go of that past relationship, Holli was my beacon of light and she has been ever since.
As I got to know Holli better I realized we were perfect for each other. It was like I was a puzzle piece and had been looking for the right match and one day it just clicked. I learned how artistic and creative she was. I realized how smart she was. I saw how excited she got about certain things like fabric and articles about domestic violence (I don't get it). The best of all and I think this is one of the most important parts of a relationship, she made me want to be a better person.
I also remembered the day that I knew I wanted to marry her. I remember we were apart and I wanted nothing more than to be with her and I knew I would never be happy unless I was with her. I was sold, 100% in. Holli on the other hand wasn’t so sure. I kind of tested the waters and we had talked a little bit about marriage, but she wasn’t sold on me. To her defense I was still a little rough around the edges, so I don’t blame her.
So I decided if I wanted Holli I had to man up and ask her to marry me and hope for the best. She doesn’t know this, but I had an “if she said no” speech ready. Luckily I never had to use it and threw it away.
Now that we are married I find myself falling more and more in love with my wife. So much so I have forgotten about my secret Canadian family…just kidding. But seriously Holli is the most amazing woman, everyone who knows her looks to her as an example of the kind of woman they want to be. She is a wonderful mother and wife and friend. And with a husband as crazy as I am she deserves some kind of medal. So on my wife’s 26th birthday I want to say that I love her and can’t wait until we are old so I can really let my crazy out!
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sugar cookies for the self-proclaimed cookie snob
Hi, I'm Holli, and I am a cookie snob. I'm also a lazy blogger, but, you know. Stuff and things and life happens. But cookie snobbery... I like my cookies soft. I'd eat 'em under-done a million times before I'd eat 'em over done. It's just my thing. Chips Ahoy? Ugh. Why would I ever...? NO. I have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe from my mom that involves tons of butter and can only be made in mass quantity, but I'll share that one another day. This one is also a recipe from my mom, one she's made as long as I can remember, and I'll never make another sugar cookie recipe. They are not only soft, but they are also just the right amount of sweet, you know? You slather frosting on these bad boys (the cream cheese variety if you have any sort of self respect), so the cookies themselves don't need to overwhelm you with sweetness, and these are perfect. We made them with Charly recently and she loved cutting them out and choosing sprinkles for each one.
If you are jonesing for another delightful Christmas treat, don't forget about our super easy fudge recipe I shared last year! This year we tried a new variation with toffee bits on top. Delish! I've made a few batches (and eaten my fair share) already this year. It isn't Christmas without the fudge!
Soft Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup softened butter
1 cup softened butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 c sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Directions
Cream together butter, egg, sugar, milk and vanilla. Slowly add flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Roll out dough between 1/2-1/2 inch thick (thicker cookies = softer cookies). Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool before frosting.
Cream together butter, egg, sugar, milk and vanilla. Slowly add flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour. Roll out dough between 1/2-1/2 inch thick (thicker cookies = softer cookies). Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool before frosting.
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| Charly enjoyed making them. I guess Charly thinks cookie making = no shirt |
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| And eating them! |
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