It should have been me.

From 100 Layer cake

  The blogs and the celebrity news shows are all abuzz with this royal wedding. I can definitely get behind it. They're royalty, for goodness sake!

I had a Prince William crush. A fairly recent one. If only I had been born and raised in England, I think sometimes, I'd be a princess! But don't tell my husband.

Who out there is going to have a viewing party and eat Engagement Ring Pie?

Want to watch it free on the internet?
Click here, type in your e-mail address, and you will recieve a link to the Royal Wedding Channel on Youtube.

Sometimes young couples live in weird places.

Our street is truly a freak show.

I gave this one girl advice once, Get a big dog, 'cause as a young couple you might live in shady places. This is clearly our case. You simply cannot rent for cheap, with a yard, and close proximity to the highway without really distancing yourself from weirdos.

 I just stepped into the kitchen and caught a glimpse of the strange man in the blue truck burning a piece of paper out of his window. I call him strange for this reason, and for the deductions that I have made about him:

1. His sole job is to pick up and drop off the individuals across the street.  

• said individuals are unrelated, I think, and range from jittery skinny white woman to, young African American male, to maybe a transgendered or Gothic male (undetermined at this point). 

     2. He arrives and honks, sits in the truck for at least a half hour, they board, then he leaves. This makes him also their alarm clock?

• He mostly picks them up one by one.
• Sometimes they are in street clothes, sometimes a uniform. Burger King, I think.

     3. After he leaves, he come backs like an hour or two later. Or half an hour. Anyway, he shows up at least 3x a day.

SO either he is a pimp, or their chauffeur. Either, I would hate my life if I were him and burn paper out of my window for fun, too.

That's not the only freakish thing about Marion Street.

Sometimes the city will contract out complete a$$es to  fix things, and in doing so, they make big piles of dirt and asphalt on both ends of the street. So if you didn't park on a side street a head of time, ya now, 'cause sometimes we can all use the excercise, then you are trapped until they move those but CAT machines out of the way.

 and then maybe they'll just saw into your driveway...

 And JUMP INTO IT! While a torpedo tube appears in your driveway????

   I long for the day when moving is over and we are settled for good. In a prime location. And I can finally buy the Eero Saarinen Tulip Table. I really hope that will be within the next year, after the condo that we're about to move into.

Happy Easter!

We are all bunnies today.  The Hubby had to work, but we had Easter breakfast at this quaint little inn called Biscuitville. This was my first time inside one. I've only driven "thru."

 

 I am thinking that this will be dinner.  Just kidding, this pic is a year old and the carrot is long gone. Maybe you can find another of its stature at the Atlanta Farmers market.

 I go google-eyed for vegetables.

By the way check out these cool Easter crafts from not martha.

And these cakes baked in eggshells!

And surprise Easter eggs! and the chocolate version!

My mind is blown. I cannot craft for at least a couple of months because my life is in boxes. There should seriously be a craft café nearby so I can get my fix.

just my luck

It's just my luck that I  miss a very important call because my phone fell into that hole beside my car seat and I am asleep on the couch.

so I will set my alarm for seven o'clock in the morning and return the call.

...and I will practice the conversation all night.

Goin' to the Chapel

I think this video would be a good inspiration for an engagement video, or photo shoot.

So simple.

(Just ignore the bittersweet undertones about your girl marrying some one else. But if you like unrequited love and letting go, then listen to Adele's Someone like you right after this).

Reunited

and it feels so good.
Hubby is home again.
Why did five days seem like eternity?

Good thing is, though,
he hay have found us a (very) little condo less than three miles from a Prada and Barneys outlet. And he says the Harry Potter ride at Universal is amazing.

I can never be a military wife. What would I ever do if he deployed for a year? There was talk about reenlisting in the navy and army a a few months ago, but I'm so glad it didn't realize itself into fruition. I love my country's freedom and all, but I love cuddles more. I'm selfish, have we met?

Besides who would clean up after me?

P.S. We're still in town for a few weeks if you need a good dog-sitter. I know just the man.

Update

My mother informs me that she does not cut the wrappers in half diagonally. She wraps them whole, eliminating the doubling up and ensuring that they are tight.

Oopsie.

Did I mention that I cook by experimentation and vague memories?

Once again, here's a link to step by step wrapping by someone less novice than I.

Clearing out cupboards=Spring Rolls

   We still haven't done a big grocery shop in a few good weeks, as we're still trying to eat all the food in our cupboards. This was so we don't
1. Pack & take it with us, and 2. Throw good food out, and 3. have to go to the grocery.

So finding two spring roll wrapper packs gave me an extra challenge .

I tackled it head on and made Filipino lumpia, and fresh Chinese style spring rolls. YEAH-YUH.

I love my mother's lumpia so much that she made it for our reception, and I wrote about it here. Every time I visit she gives me frozen plastic baggies full and I take some out when I need something fried.

So here is her recipe (as tweaked by me):

Ingredients:

• 1tbs of canola oil
• 2 cloves minces garlic
• 1/2 pound ground turkey or lean beef (I used half and half turkey & meatless crumbles)
• 1 Package egg roll wrappers, the frozen kind work best, pictured far left 
• 8 oz or so of green beans, finely chopped
• 3 Grated carrots
• 2 tbs Soy Sauce, I use Toyomansi

Find this stuff at Asian food stores. The soy sauce is with the Filipino food, and the rice wrappers are with the Chinese or Vietnamese foods. And, yes, there is a difference.Or get it here. The ones on the left are frozen and the ones on the right are dry. 

Preparation:
1. Heat a large sauce pan over medium  heat, and throw on the garlic until it smells good but not burnt.
2. Brown the meat.
3. Add the green beans. They should be chopped like this:

Add the grated carrots and and soy sauce. Cook till veggies are soft, making sure soy sauce is equally distributed.

The next part is really important.

Drain! Soggy filling makes soggy eggrolls! Unless you like that.

And the filling looks like this:

I like a more veggie to meat ratio, so I could have probably used more green beans.

Now the rolling:

Start by cutting the wrappers in half, diagonally.

I used two triangles per roll, so they will hold up.  You may lose a few. I always do. But fry them and they're fun to crunch on.

Use a tablespoon to portion out the filling. More or less, if that's how you roll (ha ha!).

this one's a lil fattie

Use a spoon to push them back in there and have a bowl of water (with or without flour or cornstarch) to wet them and get them sticky.

Roll it over, fold the corners, and roll towards the point. Use that water!

No one can get them as tight as a mom who's made thousands of  lumpia. Your first ones will be a little loose.

My mom puts them in the freezer right away, in baggies or Tupperware. This helps them set and are easier to take out a fry when you need them.

I made about 15 fat ones. Hers are a bit thinner and tighter. A thing of beauty.

Fry these on high, 'till the wrapper turns golden brown.

For a dipping sauce:

Break a clove of garlic into white vinegar. Simple as that.

Add soy sauce and sesame seed oil to taste.

I already had these ingredients so this meal cost me nothing but an hourly wage! Wait, I had to buy carrots. So make that less than $2, and I worked for free :p

 And now the fresh spring rolls!

I basically tweaked this recipe from about.com:

This vegetarian Chinese-style spring roll recipe uses shiitake mushrooms and soy sauce for a very Asian flavor. You can also learn how to wrap spring rolls by following my illustrated step-by-step instructions here.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 green cabbage, chopped into thin pieces
• 2/3 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1/2 cup snow peas, sliced into thin strips
• 3/4 cup shiitake or portabello mushrooms, sliced thin
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• one bunch fresh mint
• spring roll wrappers (the dry ones)
• water

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients (except for wrappers and water) in a large mixing bowl, stirring well to coat the veggies with soy sauce and sesame oil. Submerge spring roll wrappers in water until pliable one at a time. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons in wrappers. Place two or three mint leaves on top and wrap your spring rolls. Serve with a dipping sauce.

I left out the mushrooms and snow peas because I didn't have any. Subbed steamed bok choy for cabbage, and dried chives for fresh scallions. I added sesame seeds and a sliver of  of fresh ginger to each roll. Then I let rice vermicelli noodle soak in hot water, 

 add them to this mix:

For the dipping sauce, I added peanut butter to the above sauce recipe. Make sure you pull each dry wrapper off the stack before wetting it. Or you'll have one big chewy rice ball.

 And these babies are going to a potluck tomorrow!

I only bought bean sprouts and bok choy, so that's another $4. I grow mint in the yard.

I'm loving this empty cupboard challenge!

Just a feeling...

Long distance would never work between my husband and I.

Every phone conversation ends slightly annoyed.

 We only work well when we are in close proximity.

How does anybody do it???

And I Love how you can Google Image search "Couple fight," and find a bunch of these:

uh oh. Awkward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come to think of it, I'd rather be slightly annoyed any day.

Miss you Hubbs!

Cheers!

Bully, you're cut off! [from here]

Congrats to my Hubby's promotion!

He just found out and called me so I am sharing the news! Right about now, I'd say he's arriving to Daytona beach, where he'll nap after waking up at 6am and driving all day.

He is securing an apartment this weekend down there. Soon we'll have a new address. But he must call for my approval, of course ;)

I am still searching for a job. I've got my company trying to transfer me, and a resume service looking over my stuff. Fingers crossed, searching continues!

 3:30pm

UPDATE:


He sends me these picture messages with the classic, Wish you were here.

Daytona Beach

soon enough.

All our ducks in a row

from my friend's baby shower. it's a boy!

   

So far the transition into living in another state is going well. We have about a month left here and we've started the process of packing very early. We've discovered that banana boxes are the a mover's best friend. So waxy, and sturdy and have handles. And free. Shawn's called every grocer in town and made appointments to get these babies. (I recall from working in my father's fruit store that tomato boxes are ideal too. Lids & handles.)

   Lots of things are packed. Things we don't use everyday, like fancy glassware & dinnerware, and books we wonder why we've held onto in the first place. Winter stuff, if not already donated to Goodwill.

   Craigslist has been good to us. Sold the couch! Dresser, you are next. As if my clothes don't already live on the floor.

   I've stopped cooking a lot. My plan is to use all the ingredients in the fridge & cupboards, leaving less to toss out at moving time. Other than for eggs, milk, and some fresh items, I have haven't gone grocery shopping in about a month. Our meals are interesting, though. Lately, I'm making lots of Asian dishes because I've found two packs of spring roll wrappers and rice noodles. Last week it was Mexican, 'till I ran out of beans. We swore to keep it up until we're down to an onion, which we'll just have to batter & fry.

One really weird phenomenon is the going away party. Multiple people have asked us, "Are you having a party?"

 Um, as if are we throwing ourselves a going away party? Now my understanding is that one doesn't throw themselves a going away party, or a surprise party or a shower of any sort. I mean, I think birthday parties are acceptable. And people pay for their own weddings.



But, no. And no, we won't slip your birthday celebration into our going away party either. (Yeah, someone actually implied this.)

  If we had time, money and a clutter-free (I just choked with laughter) house, we wouldn't do that anyway. We've played host countless times.


That's what friends are for.

Now, its time to find out who's been really paying attention?

Partying among boxes marked "fragile?" I think not.

 The fact that we haven't locked down where we're going to live or where I'm going to work is reallllllllly, realllllly,  on our minds. Yikes. If I allowed myself to think about it for more than 2 minutes, my brain might explode. Then I'd have to clean the floor for the fifth time today.

In it together, though, right?



On a lighter side of things-

  This weekend was my friend's baby shower, which is an eye opener for those not in baby mode. I mean there are 21 different types of newborn diapers. Swaddlers, Snugglers, Cruisers, Sensitive. OMG. I am out of my element, I am thinking.

But I play it off real cool and talk about babies when my only reference is the 85lb dog I've had for about ten years. Kinda the same?

So

If you like duckies, this segment is for you.


One talented lady hand made this cake. One day this will be me.

It was delicious.

All my loot.

I contemplated photoshopping the bed head. Don't say this blog ain't real.

  There's my friend on the right, due in three weeks... one of my first friends when I moved to Greensboro. Four years ago we were concerned with which club to go to.

And now were both married to guys named Shawn/Sean (who actually have the same middle name, too. Weird).

Bride Wars.

from [here]

Finally seeing  Bride Wars last night with a friend,


I have concluded a few things:

1. This movie was everything I dislike about the wedding industrial complex.
2. Liv is a very bad attorney. (Seriously, did she forget that she signed a contract? Her negotiating skills suck!)
3. That guy who plays Van in Reba is even more enjoyable than on Reba.
4. I'm so glad Shawn & I did what we did. (That one girl didn't even marry that guy. Sheesh!)

But,

5. Since the movie was really about friendship, I found it endearing.

from [here]

Friends are good. I wonder which friendships I will carry to  our new home?

Is that why you're crying?

Get out of the grass?

Nature has started its assault on us. If I leave the house, it has to be in a bubble, which soon  becomes hazy and difficult to see in.

The cat got let out of the bag and everyone at work knows I'll be leaving them. Yesterday, a small group of us  had a little sentimental moment and someone asks me, "Is that why you're crying?"

I said, "No, I'm always crying."  

Not even a 40 count bottle of Zyrtec can stop the water.

Tomorrow moderate oak pollen. Geez.

Happy Bridesmaid

  Seeing as how I never wore those David's Bridal gowns ever again, I firmly believe a short dress will look equally stunning beside your wedding gown and in photos. I just hope  a happy teenager is wearing my old gowns to prom.  Brides, please be kind.

Here are some dresses and accessories that I would happily volunteer to buy, if I were ever a bridesmaid again. Twist my arm, please.

find it [here].

Sorry so small, but click on the link to see more detail.

These are becoming addictive. I just may make inspiration boards themed for every day errands,  let's say, "grocery list," or "what's for dinner."

I am thinking about one especially made for hubby. I will call it, "Do the dishes."