Our Weekend....

was the most relaxing weekend we have had in a very long time. We did very little work Friday, just a bit Saturday morning and then that was it. The girls and I went to the meeting Saturday then came home and stayed in pajamas the rest of the weekend.
I woke up early Sunday and snuggled on the couch with my Papa Bear and we watched DVR'd shows (I watched, he napped). We slept most of the day and only got off the couch to refill our coffee cups!
I pulled up my big chair to the computer and watched "From Prada to Nada" on Netflix. The girls just played on the iPad, the Wii and cleaned their rooms.
Today Mom came over, we got tacos, I ran a little errand, then came home and watched "Anyone Can Play" on Netflix. One of the cutest movies I've seen in a long time!!
After this busy month this relaxing is EXACTLY what we all have needed as a family. It has been perfect!

Truth- A Jewelers Wife at Christmas

I just realized I have hardly posted anything this month. The truth is, we are just so, so busy. What is this time of the year like for a jewelers wife??

I woke up to my kitchen looking like this. It's for a sweet reason though. My girls decided to make Sugar Cookies from the recipe in our neighborhood newsletter...at 1:30 AM!

So my sink looked like this....

And my stove held flour dust....

I loved seeing their measuring spoons and sprinkles of dust on my counters.

They sure can make cookies, they're just not too good at cleaning up afterwards!

During this busy time for us, my bed usually always looks like this. I do, however, fix it right before we go to bed, only to mess it up again.

My dirty clothes pile looks like this....

And my clean clothes pile looks like this... not much of a distinction!

We live off fast food and coffee...

And any loose stones that I have are fair game for last minutes gifts for my husbands friends wives.

I got my new Southern Living in the mail sometime last week. Can't really tell you when, I check my mail about once a week or every ten days. Hopefully by February I'll have it read.

And this is what happens when you mix too little sleep and auto correct before coffee....

We were talking about putting bread pudding in the refrigerator!

However, not for one moment am I complaining. I am so very thankful for the work we have and that we have a reason to be tired. Too many people right now are suffering with out a job. I have been applying for jobs for a year and a half and have only been on ONE interview! So no, I am definitely NOT complaining, just a little tired! The good news is there are several Starbucks right around my home and we can always go fuel up!

It's Found!

My Chemistry final was Tuesday. I searched like crazy for my Chemistry notebook that contained all my notes and formulas from the entire semester. It was gone. Just gone. We looked everywhere. In the car, on every shelf in every room, every bookbag and back pack, in cabinets, under the beds, in the garage. It was not showing up anywhere. I filled up on coffe, parked myself at Starbucks and redid the entire semester by the study guide in one night. I knew eventually it would show up AFTER my test. I just didn't know where.
Today I found my Chemistry note book. In the bottom of a clothes basket. I have NO IDEA how it got there but that is the one place I didn't look. I mean, who would look there for a notebook?


I passed the class with a "B".

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Girls Day Out - Antiques and Trains

Yesterday, Friday, the 9th, Mom, the girls and I went to our favorite antiques store in New Braunfels, Red Rooster Antiques. I found lots of pretty goodies, but only came home with a depression glass vase. I was very disappointed that they remodeled and now the entire front room is all booths and tables and the actual floor space for displays has been reduced by more than half!
Anyway, I found really cute transferware plates. I would love to start a collection with them but I know it could easily and quickly become an expensive habit! That little Aunt Jemima was a old plastic syrup bottle and it cost $125!!! I was shocked! I thought $10-$15 tops!

I'm really thinking the next time I drive through New Braunfels I might have to run in to purchase these bottom two plates. I have no idea where I would put them but they are just so cute and I want them to come home with me. Really bad. Especially the one on the right, it reminds me of Doctor Zhivago!
After walking around Red Rooster we walked over to the Train Depot museum next door. CC and I had a scary experience there last year so we didn't really get to walk through and enjoy it, but this time we did.
In the room where the huge train display is, this sign was posted.

Thank goodness the man working there was much better than last time. He was an older gentleman that fit right in with his surroundings. He was fun to talk to!

Mom, CC, Lena and I walked back to see the trains. Last year there was only the caboose. This year there was the first engine, dining car, box car (that hasn't been opened yet) and the caboose.

It may sound crazy, but I have always wanted to be a train conductor. I know it's not realistic but I think it would be so very,very fun! I was giddy with excitement when I saw I could stand where the conductors stand and even pull the rope for the bell! It was FUN!!!

Mom even joined in on the fun!

We then walked over to the dining car. The dining car can be rented out for parties... such a neat and original idea!!

There was a CD player inside and several big band and instrumental CD's stacked beside it. It just looked like it would be so fun to have a party there.

I told Mom being in there made me want to take a train ride somewhere....anywhere!

Lena didn't seem to be enjoying it too much. She later told me she hadn't eaten anything all day and had a bad headache.

I was lucky to get one picture with Lena.... she is just not too into pictures. I think I may have scarred her by always having my camera on hand!

Mom really had fun in the dining car.

We walked over to the caboose. It was really neat. A sign posted inside said that if the conductors had to spend the night on the train they slept in the caboose. It also said the conductors would give signals by lantern to the those in the caboose to apply the break or speed up and slow down. The caboose was really neat, but like Lena said, it smelled like pee.

Me and CC. I usually don't have too much trouble getting a picture WITH CC. Taking a picture of her is quite a different story!

I loved this old wagon with old trunks piled on. It definitely gave a very nostalgic feel!

And as we were walking back to the car I snapped a picture of Mom and Lena.

We had a great time just spending time together. I have been so bogged down and busy with school that I have really had zero time to relax and enjoy myself. I told Mom and the girls that after my finals were finished this week I wanted to go to Red Rooster and waste time. We did just that. And we had a blast!

WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES & CREME FUDGE - SUPER EASY

Lena and I found a super easy, super good recipe for White Chocolate Cookies and Creme Fudge in my new Southern Living Cookbook. Being as easy as it is to make, I'm not sure if it's good we found out about it!

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk

2 (12 oz) packages white chocolate morsels

1 (7 oz) jar marshmallow cream

3 cups coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies

(about 25 cookies), divided

Pinch of salt

Directions-
1.) Line a greased 9" square pan with aluminum foil; set aside.
2.) Combine first three ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a boil, then cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add white chocolate morsels, marshmallow cream, 2 cups crushed cookies and a pinch of salt. Stir until melted.

3.) Pour fudge into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cookies over fudge, gently pressing cookies into fudge. Cover and chill until firm (about 2 hours).

4.) Lift uncut fudge in aluminum foil from pan. Remove foil and cut into squares.

It doesn't get more simple than that!! And it was so delicious!

I'm linking to Foodie Friday, stop by and visit to find more delicious recipes!

Hello December!

Yesterday was one of those rare perfect days where we did absolutely nothing but relax, rest and have fun. I woke up early and while everyone was asleep I finally opened my new Southern Living Cookbook to read through it. I've had it over a month now and yesterday was honestly the first time I've had a moment to open it. I love, love, love reading my cookbooks from front to back, so I made myself some coffee and got to reading.

We also had rain yesterday off and on all day. I LOVED it! It was the perfect weather for staying inside in pj's relaxing!

I let the girls rest and play and have a day off. I did manage to clean my restroom, tub, toilet and all, and wash, fold and put away about 4 loads of clothes. For me that is relaxing. I am always so busy and hardly ever at home. So, when I get a chance to stay in and clean it is really a treat for me!
I also cooked a little lunch that turned out pretty good. I'm all about fast and easy right now. I bought 3 bags of pasta and 2 cans of chicken meat.

I made the pasta according to the package directions and then drained and added the chicken.

I topped it with some Parmesan cheese...it was so good!!

Toby also took the day off....he made himself comfortable on our new throws. Mom has this exact red one and she said her Bella just took it over and claimed it. We can use our throws but if Mom tries to use her Bella attacks her. I told Mom she should have bought one for herself!

Lena found a recipe in my new cookbook for White Chocolate Cookies and Creme Fudge. I didn't plan on leaving the house because of my day prior, but she was so excited I couldn't tell her no. To my surprise it was probably the easiest dessert we have ever made and it is so darn good!!! I'll be posting the recipe later today.

My December 1st....was CRAZY!!

It started at 7 am. I was supposed to wake up at 6:30 but slept in. Micah (the new cat) had an appointment to be neutered. We were supposed to have him there between 7-10. Charlie woke me up meowing at 7, I threw on clothes, brushed teeth and hair, woke up CC and we took Micah in. I came home, ate a quick breakfast and by 10:15 was out the door on my way to school. After school (12:15) I left with Emil around 1 pm to run errands. We got home about 2:45, I took a 30 minute power nap and was back up to go pick Micah up at 4. We got home around 5 then CC and I left to Austin for some things at 6:30. We didn't get home until 11 pm. I logged on to pay Mom's Wal-Mart card and the online server was down so I had to load back up at 11:15 to drive to Wal-Mart to make the payment and avoid late charges. I swear this computer is costing me 10x what the original cost was!! We finally got home around 12:15 am, warmed up some TV dinners and went to bed. I was exhausted!!! And that is why I planned to NOT drive anywhere yesterday, I made the exception for Lena's fudge ingredients!

However, in Austin I did just make it by the skin of my teeth to the absolute best cupcake place around, Cupprimo! I seriously will drive to Austin just to get their cupcakes...they are THAT good!!

I called around 8:50 to see if they were still open and if they had any cupcakes left. She told me what they have and I told her just give me one of each, about 5 cupcakes. She said, "Well, we have a special, buy 6 get 6." I said that we fine, we could give some to Mom and her friends. The sweet, sweet owner waited for me to get there from the mall and had the cupcakes all boxed up for me!

There were two boxes total, she gave me EVERYTHING they had left!!! Oh my goodness....they are so good!! CC and I each ate one of the way home. With all my running around I did that day I didn't take time to eat beyond breakfast and I was so hungry (not that it would kill me to miss a meal or ten!)
CC ate the Pumpkin Choco-Chip. She gave me a piece of her cake, it was so delicious!

I ate the Snickerdoodle.... it's probably one of my new favorites. It's not too sweet and you really get the Snickerdoodle taste...unbelievable how good it is!

My Papa Bear is a hard core, true blue dark chocolate fan. He is always wanting a chocolate cupcake with raspberry filling. Well, they sent home a few Razzle Dazzles with me, white chocolate and raspberry. This is also one of my favorite cupcakes from Cupprimo..and it is now his favorite! I was shocked when he asked me for a Razzle Dazzle yesterday!! He choose it over the one chocolate they did send home with me!!

It's rainy today again. I am so in the mood to make some good soup. It's supposed to get really cold this coming week. Cooler weather always makes me want to make borscht. It's always one of my favorite soups to make. Nothing says "cold weather" like a big bowl of warm borscht with sour creme!!!