Cutest. Kitty. Ever.

Okay. I know I am on the verge of turning into a crazy cat woman. HOWEVER, check out this picture of Mollie. How adorable is that little smile? He must be dreaming of chipmunks.....

Happy Birthday. My Kitchen Rocks.

Here are some pics of the new crib! For those of you who also follow my facebook page....I apologize for the double pictures! I love, love, love my kitchen! I have never had all new appliances before, so I feel very lucky to have them here! Plus I have a gas stove. Yahoo! Call me crazy, but I just think a gas stove cooks better. I also have a ton of cabinet space. I am somewhat limited on wall space, though, so I couldn't fit my baker's rack in the kitchen. (Okay - well....my mom's loaned-to-me backer's rack.) This posed a problem b/c this is where I have always kept my collection of cookbooks. And I do use my cookbooks on a pretty regular basis, so it doesn't make any sense to keep them anywhere BUT the kitchen. At any rate, I solved this dilemma by stashing them in a cabinet above a prep counter! Genius, huh?

I also want to give a shout out to my cousin, Sarah, who turned 18 today! Yahoo! I hope your day has been wonderful! We are blessed to have you in our lives.

Moving Update

Today is day 3 of the move. My sprits remain high even though the temperatures are abnormally low and I'm really, really tired. It's not easy for a type A personality to deal with clutter, but I think I've been pretty chill. My mom may disagree with me, though.... The downstairs is pretty much finished except for hanging some pictures. Today I tackle my bedroom and (hopefully) finish the loft and bonus room. Tonight will be the first night at my house! You won't see any posts from me until Wednesday, because the cable guy doesn't come until them. So don't worry that I'm trapped under a mound of cardboard ... at least until Wednesday!

My Sister Rocks!

So my sister ran in the Walt Disney World marathon on Sunday. Yes, that's right. 26.2 miles. I am sooo proud of her! I have a whole new respect for people who can run marathons! It was her first full marathon and she did a great job. Mom & Dad went to Florida to cheer her on in person and dad got some really great pics, thanks for the "sports mode" on his camera! What makes it even better is that she ran for my cousin, Sarah, who has leukemia. (Amanda was a part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training.) My sister is amazing. With a capital A. Seriously. I'm in awe of her!!

A funny side story.... When I talked to the fam after A finished her marathon, my mom complained because her hands were bruised from all the clapping and it was really hot in Florida. Ha ha. Seriously? That mother of mine is a hoot!

Superstar Barbie!!

So guess what I saw when I walked into work this afternoon? Yep! Superstar Barbie! The very same one that I blogged about yesterday! So weird! Apparently Mattel is re-releasing several "vintage" Barbies from the 70s. How am I old enough to have had toys that are now "vintage"??? Seriously. It just makes me sad. At any rate, she looks ALMOST the same as I remember her except for the pink boa. I thought the boa was feathery. Now it's made out of some kind of tulle material. It probably was and Mattel had to change it so it wouldn't be a choking hazard or something. But I don't like it. I think it makes Superstar Barbie look a little trashy.....

Public Service Announcement

People, when making a purchase....either for yourself or for a gift.....keep the following in mind:
1) Keep your receipt.
2) Give a gift receipt.
3) Keep your receipt.

If you don't do #1 or #2:
1) Accept the fact that you may not be able to return said item.
2) Look at this as a great opportunity to regift or donate.

I remember that I received 3 Superstar Barbies one year. Did my mom take any of them back? No! They were gifts. So I kept them. And, damnit, I was still a happy kid!

This message has been brought to you by the Grumpy Retailers Association. :-)

Resolutions Schmesolutions

Ah 2009. The new year stretches out in front of us so full of promise! Every year we make silly resolutions that we seldom keep. Except for my oh-so-disciplined mother, who pointed out to me this morning that she does indeed keep her resolutions. Well, mom, that's great. But I'm a little more flawed. So I've decided to make some resolutions that I will actually keep. Here goes:

1) Eat more cheese. I love cheese. When the fam was out to dinner a few nights ago, I overheard someone say, "I can't imagine a world without cheese!" I feel exactly. the same. way. One of the best parts of working in the grocery industry was that I got to attend 2 weeks of classes to become a "certified cheesemonger"! So much fun! I try to get a new cheese every time I go to the grocery store. So not only do I want to eat more cheese in 2009, I want to make sure I keep track of them all in my "Cheese Lover's Journal". (Yes, one exists, and I actually bought it!) By the way, if you need me to help you make up a cheese plate, I can do that!

2) Spend more time with my family and friends. I don't want to not do something because I have to work the next day. I want to do a better job of keeping in touch with friends who live far away.

3) Stop rolling my eyes at my mother. I've already broken that resolution, but from this moment on I vow to be better. Promise!

4) Take more bubble baths. I love bubble baths. Almost as much as I love cheese. I lived in my house in Erie for 13 months and didn't take a bubble bath once. Something about sitting in a 70 year old tub that so many other butts have sat in just gave me the willies. But I'm moving into a brand new house in 14 days! Brand new! The first booty to rest in that tub will be mine...and I plan to take advantage of it!

5) Read more books. I read every single day. Even if it's only for 10 minutes before I go to bed. I love love love books. Love bookstores. Love the library. In 2009 I want to go to the library more often. And maybe not buy quite soooo many books.

6) Not feel guilty of sleeping in. I swear I have one of the best beds in the world! Crisp cotton sheets, a fluffy down comforter, lots of pillows! There is nothing like a nap in the middle of the day. So decadent!

Of course, if I'm going to eat all that cheese, I probably DO need to balance it with some real resolutions, like eating lots of fruits & veggies and exercising more often. Someone told me that the Hilliard YMCA is pretty close to my new house, so I'll probably join. But I'm not going to go into specifics, because then it will be in print and I may be held to my comments! At any rate, I definitely want to be healthier in 2009. Now where did I put that cheese knife?.....

Happy New Year!