twenty ten. resolutions. bring it.

I honestly can NOT believe this year is almost over. The older I get (and obviously, more mature I get), the quicker time flies. This year has been a complete roller coaster, but I'm so glad God granted me the ride. (don't worry...the year in review is coming...shortly.)

2009 was the very first year that I seriously maintained and kept most of my New Year's resolutions. I feel very accomplished with this. And it is inspiring me to make some awesome resolutions for twenty ten. For a recap of last year's... read here. In 2009, I ran a marathon. I did it!! Even now, two months later, it is still hard for me to believe that I actually did it. But I did! Twenty ten is going to be a crazy year with the elections and everything, so I don't think I'll get a marathon in this year...but I'm going to run a couple halves. In 2009, Burgess and I officially launched Shortcake for 2! We did a few craft shows, learned a lot, and launched our own Etsy site. (http://shortcakefor2.etsy.com). I think twenty-ten will be even better for us and our little business. But most importantly, I'm so loving the fact that I get to do something I love with my most favorite person in the world (my sister...in case you were wondering). In 2009, I made a career move and I'm loving every minute of it. I left Cincinnati and the horrible memories/experiences that were there and threw myself back into the wonderful world of Indiana politics. I love my fundraising job. I love working for the Chamber. I love being back in Indy.

Anyway...the twenty-ten resolutions are exciting--for me at least. Are you ready for this? Here we go:
#1. Learn how to sew. I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I'm so stoked about this. If you know me, you know I'm a slave to fashion (hello...Vogue and InStyle are literally my moral compass). I'm so excited to be able to make my own clothes, design my own look, and just make awesome wears!! I'm going to tackle the sewing machine this weekend for the first time and make a stellar t-shirt blanket. I literally have hundreds (maybe not that many) of t-shirts from high school (Go Dragons!), travel softball tournaments (Indy Attack baby), and Purdue (Boiler up!). I can't bring myself to get rid of them, so I'm going to sew them up nice in a blanket. Stay tuned for pictures.

#2. Travel more. Adrianne and I are already planning a rad road trip this summer. We're renting a Winnabego and driving to some of the most random places in the US. I'm so excited about this! Don't worry, we will have a video camera to document all of the most random moments of our trip. This is probably the thing I love best about Adrianne--most of my most funny and random memories include her. I love that she's in my life--she's literally one of the best people in the world. And a super friend. We are also planning a trip to some place relaxing after the November elections. I wanna go to Vegas--neither one of us are gamblers, but we are shoppers. And we love laying out by the pool. And we've never been to Vegas. So there you go. Also, my cousin is studying abroad in Hong Kong next fall. I'd love to go visit her...I want to go back to Asia so badly and I would love to spend time with my Katie while doing it!

Which leads me to...

#3. Reconnect with my family. If you know me at all, you know my family (Hicks side..holla) is crazy. Hilarious in a "I can't make this stuff up" kind of way. Do to family drama and circumstances beyond my control, we've all become very disconnected. So I'm taking it upon myself to bridge the gap. Katie and Ali have recently come back into mine and Burgess's lives and it couldn't be sweeter. I have this great vision for twenty-ten: to reunite all the Hicks Girls (there are 8 of us for goodness sake) and all the Hicks baby boys (8 Hicks Girls = 5 "Hicks" baby boys. Seriously. I must be destined for boys...). I pray that the Lord grant me the patience and forgiveness and serenity to accomplish this.

#4. Make a name for myself. This is vague. And I don't really know what it means...but this is just on my heart to do this year. Stand out. Be the woman that God created me to be. I have so many creative ideas in my head...and I know that they were put there for a reason. So I just need to do it. I'm an outspoken individual. It's high-time I made use out of that. I have so many opinions. It's about time I made them known (to people outside of my friends and family). This is just my prayer for twenty-ten...we'll see what God does with it.

What about you?? Any resolutions for this awesome new year?

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mini photo shoot

My girl Kaitlyn Meeks (who is one of the best photographers in the land) came over last week to snap some photos of my crochet wears. I really want to get some "professional" pictures of my stuff and I knew Kaitlyn was the girl to do it. (I personally feel you are more attracted to things if the pictures are good.)

While Kaitlyn was over, she snapped some pictures of me and Yankee (aka the Doodlebug). I LOVE how these turned out. It's funny--as I look at these pictures, and then look at pictures from this time last year, I feel I've changed so much. So much in my life has changed, but I didn't think I looked any different. Wow...the hair is long!!

Anyway, thanks Kaitlyn for being so great.

xoxo

Kelby

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Twilight Party!

Call me 13. Call me a teeny bopper. Call me whatever you want. I don't even care!! But I LOVELOVELOVE Twilight!! Love it. Love the books. Love the cheesy, stupid movie. Love it! (IF you don't believe me, read here.) The best part? My friends not only support this addiction of mine, they encourage it. And they lovelovelove Twilight too!!

Sooo, in honor of the New Moon movie coming out this week (btw, we all have tickets to the New Moon premiere in Indy on Wednesday. Yup, two days before it opens. That's how we roll), I hosted a Twilight Party at my home last night!!

I got TONS of ideas from random internet searching, and the party was awesome!! Everything was red/black/silver themed. Included the punch.

We had chicken enchiladas for dinner (recipe courtesy of my sister!)...because that's a meal that Bella served Charlie one night.

I made sparkly red apple cupcakes to go with the whole apple/Twilight book cover theme. They are delish (Red Delicious and just plain yummy).

No party is complete without party favors!!! (Seriously. I don't think I've met a theme that I didn't love!) I made red/black flowered gloves for everyone, along with bright RED lipstick and nail polish. The gloves are in case anyone ran into Edward or any of the Cullen gang. They are, after all, cold vampires. One must wear gloves to keep warm.

I know, everyone is on Team Edward. I, however, am on Team Emmett. Love me some Emmett. Plus, I have three favorite scenes in the Twilight movie.

#1. When the Cullens are walking into the cafeteria for the first time.

#2. When Jacob and Bella are on the La Push beach and he says, "It's just an old, scary story."

#3. Thunderball. When Rosalie whispers to Bella "That's my Monkey Man." LOVE IT!

Mandy, however, is on Team Jacob. So she was sporting her La Push gear.

Addie is edible art. Always the artist, that girl.

Sarah loves Thunderball too!!

And Lily, sweet Lily, is Renesme! Isn't she so stinking cute holding that apple?! Good to know Sarah is starting the Twilight obsession early!!!







I think it has been decided that this is the FIRST annual Twilight party. Sweet!!!! So excited for all of the movies and the movie premiere tomorrow! Holla!!!

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Our Etsy site is up!!

http://shortcakefor2.etsy.com.

It's up. It's running. You can buy stuff on it. It's ah-mazing!!!

We will be posting more pictures throughout this week...but this is a great way to get a jump-start on your Christmas shopping!! Don't forget...ANYTHING can be customized in a color that you prefer! We will work with you to make sure you are in love with your item!

We're just two sisters who love to make stuff. :)

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26.2 miles. On foot. Here we go.

Finally, some pictures of the marathon! Sorry, some of them are not the best. And if you want the full recap of race day... read here.

Packet pick-up/Expo day. Bib #9874! woohoo! (everyone who was working at the Expo were Marines. It was so neat! They would walk past my dad and say "oo-rah sir!" I love it!!)

This is what 26.2 miles looks like on a wall. Yup, looks far even here.

Miles...the Marine Corps Marathon mascot.

How cute is he!?!? Dad was stationed at miles 17 and 19 (the Memorial Mall). Mom was at miles 10, 16 and 22. It was great! The first half (13.1 miles) I felt great...but I definitely needed the motivation from miles 16 on. It was so fun looking for the yellow signs and finding my parents. If you ever have anyone you know running a race, go out and support them! It does more than you could every imagine!

This is at mile 10. I'm still smiling. I felt GREAT here!!! Little did I know how the remaining 16.2 miles would be.

After the marathon. Using my Dad to help me stand.

Post marathon, waiting for the metro. I'm smiling but I can barely move. I'm gripping on my Mom for dear life.

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Washington DC and Baltimore

Yes, I chose to run my very first marathon in Washington DC just because of all the sights. I lovelovelove politics and I lovelovelove this country and I lovelovelove DC. I love the fact that I can go see these monuments and get choked up and feel tons of emotion. I love that these monuments were built in honor of people who loved this country so much that they were willing to make HUGE personal sacrifices for it. I hate that the average American citizen has lost this feeling of pride and patriotism for our homeland. Our motherland. Our country. So DC is a mecca of sorts for me. It feels amazing being so immersed in our culture while you're there. Everywhere you turn, everywhere you look, you are 100% surrounded by American pride. And I absolutely love everything about it. I joke with my sister that DC is her Disneyland. But I think that holds true for me as well. If you cannot have pride in your past, you cannot have pride in your future. You cannot know where you're going until you know where you've been. And that is what I love so very much about DC.

I flew out to Baltimore the Wednesdsay night before my race. Mom and Dad were staying on Fort Meade (thanks to my Dad for being D.O.D. it's a perk.). On Thursday, we took the metro into DC so that I could see some of the sights. Mom's family is from Virginia--some live in Fairfax and very close to the DC area. It had been awhile since I had been a tourist in our Nation's capitol and I was so excited! There were just a few sights I wanted to hit. I had to go see the WWII memorial. My granddaddy was a WWII vet--Battle of the Buldge where he earned his Purple Heart. He passed away last fall and his death is still very fresh. My family is tried and true American soldiers and I love that. Granddaddy was Army. Poppie, my Dad's dad, was Navy. Mom and Dad were both Army. Patriotism isn't an option for us. It's in our blood. And I love it. I have some very vivid memories of my Granddaddy talking about Army stuff. He didn't talk WWII a lot, but he always had a hat on or a pin or something representing his love of this country. I cannot tell you how proud I am that my granddaddy served our country in the war. One of my memories from his funeral was the playing of Taps, and everyone saluting his casket. Or the Army medallions on the corners of it--one of which my Mom kept. So going to the WWII memorial was the first thing I wanted to do. I wanted to see it. I wanted to go to the kiosk and search for my sweet Granddaddy's name. I wanted to read the quotes engraved on the limestone that spoke of a level of patriotism that my generation is quickly forgetting.

From the WWII memorial, I had to see Lincoln. Being a Republican, this is a sight that every elephant-loving, conservative must gaze upon. I also wanted to go to the Capitol. Spending as much time as I did in and around the Indiana legislature, I wanted to go see it on a grander scale.

Dad was (and is) still recovering from his knee replacement surgery in August. So he let me and Mom just go off on our own to see some things while he rested or read a book (or tried to locate a Starbucks for me!).

Walking from the WWII memorial towards Lincoln.

My mom, her cousin Deborah and I golfing. The golf course where we played had some AMAZING views of the monuments from just about every hole. It was a great pre-marathon destresser.

WWII Memorial with Washington in the background.

Since we were staying at Fort Meade, Baltimore was only a hop, skip and a jump away. I had never spent time there and I love exploring new cities. So we went down to the Harbor for the day. I was carbo-loading but also wanted some serious seafood! (I HEART crabcakes!) While we were there, I shopped (shocking!) and then we toured the USS Constellation, which was a ship used during the Civil War for anti-slave trade. I love history and this ship had 4 levels that you could explore. I loved it!

Me and my dad. Love this man.

Me and my mom with the USS Constellation in the background. I love that we are fun travel buddies!

My Granddaddy's picture at the WWII memorial. He was so handsome. (I cried.)

We love selfies!

At the WWII memorial. Gotta represent the Promised Land :)

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This would be fun....if it wasn't for the running :)

So I did it. Yesterday. I ran in my very first marathon. 26.2 miles. I decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon because it ran through Georgetown, DC, around most of the monuments and ended at Iwo Jima. However, the only monument I actually REMEMBER seeing was....Iwo Jima. I was in my own little running world and didn't really notice the sights. With one exception. At mile 25, I remember looking to my right and seeing the Pentagon and the looking to my left and seeing the white stones at Arlington Cemetary. And I started crying. And I don't think I stopped until the Marine handed me my medal that the very end said "Congrats ma'am. You did something I couldn't do. How does it feel?" (Oh and I cried a little bit more when I finally met back up with my parents and saw the tears in my mom's eyes!)

This was definitely the most physically challenging thing I've ever done. Running 26.2 miles is a feat, for sure. But the morning after--and trying to move--is definitely a feat as well! I felt great at the split (half way point...13.1 miles). Honestly, I felt fantastic. I had an awesome frame of mind at that point, I had my fantastic running playlist on my iPod (Party in the USA took me through mile 14.) I felt great. I only wish I could have continued that through the second half. I saw Mom at mile 10. She and Dad had big yellow signs that said "Go Kelby" and I knew when to look for them!! I then saw Mom again at mile 16--by that time I was craving a banana! She knew I'd probably be hungry so she had one ready for me. Dad was just a little bit down the road at mile 17 (Mom camped out at the Lincoln Memorial and Dad ran both sides of the Memorial Mall). Mile 17 was when the trouble started. I had been having some minor back pains starting at mile 9 or so. But it just kept getting worse. Mile 17 was where I met my wall--face first. My back starting going into spasms, tender to the touch and painful with each step of my foot hitting the pavement. I've been an athlete all my life, but have never had pain like this. Needless to say, the next 9 miles were brutal. I saw Dad again at mile 19. He hooked me up with my last Gu, which I took in between mile 20 and 21. And that mile--20 to 21--was the longest mile of the race. It was Beat the Bridge (which I did! OORAH!) and it was the only mile that felt like a mile. After the bridge, and coming off of mile 21, we did the loop in Crystal City. I knew Mom was planning on being at mile 22, but I didn't see her until 23. I was in some serious pain at that point, but there is nothing like knowing that you are only 3 miles from your goal! After Crystal City, we looped around the Pentagon and up through Arlington again. I tried to summon everything I had for the last mile, but knew the last half mile would be crucial. There is something to be said for loud crowds, because they really do carry you through! Oh and right as I was running up the hill, with Iwo Jima in the background, I saw one of the yellow "Go Kelby" signs and saw my dad with his camera out! (the tears were flowing at this point). So I just took off and the best feeling was crossing that finish line.

I didn't have the time I wanted--I was on track for it at the split--but finishing with the top half (I was 14,441 out of 30,000) is good enough for me. Especially for my first marathon. Mom and Dad kept asking me how it felt, and honestly...it still hasn't hit me yet. I can't believe I just did that. I can't believe I accomplished that. I simply cannot believe it. I know I have the medal to prove it, but I can't believe it. I also cannot wait for the pictures to post online because I tried my darndest to smile everytime I saw one of those photographers.

Would I run this marathon again? Probably. Would I run a marathon again? Definitely.

Semper Fi. Oorah.

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These are a few of my favorite things...

I love when friends share insights with me. Recipes, deals they’ve found, a book recommendation, mothering advice. Whatever! And when I find something that I love or can’t live without, I love to tell others about it too. So, every once in a while, I’m going to use this blog to share my stuff…they might be old favorites, or new discoveries. Here we go…

Wholly Guacamole. This is the BEST store-bought brand of guac I’ve ever tasted. This coming from a girl who loves to make my own. I never by the nasty stuff in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. BUT…My mom found this brand first, and then, to my delight, I found 100 calorie packs of it. Also, you can freeze the packages for use a little while after the package expiration date. It is SUPER YUM. I think I found it at Target. And, to go with it, try Baked Tostitos Scoops. I had sworn off baked chips after the whole Olean-additive thing a few years ago, but these baked chips taste like the real deal, and the Brown household has switched to them entirely. Try it!

I have quickly become a HUGE fan of Cooking Light magazine. I try new recipes a couple of times every week, usually for dinners. This morning I made their Cinnamon Rolls, from the October 2009 issue (currently on newsstands), and they were awesome! They took most of the morning to make, what with waiting for things to rise and such, then punching the dough down and waiting again, but they were well worth it and only a little over 6 grams of fat per roll! Take that, Cinnabon! (And my hips thank me!)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE listening to podcasts. I am a long-time listener of Manic Mommies. They are two hilarious moms from Boston. I found them when Wyatt was just a few months old and I would listen to them while taking walks around our neighborhood in Martinsville. Now I listen to them in the car (WITH my headphones on!) while Wyatt listens to Elmo repeatedly on the car speakers. So, they are my oldie that I would highly recommend. But my new one is the Meal Makeover Moms. (OK, I’m quickly realizing that many of my favorite things revolve around food. Oh well! ) Again, two moms that talk about making recipes that their kids will eat but are also nutritious. I made their Berry Good French Toast Friday morning for breakfast. It’s basically just French toast with a jam-like topping. I let the topping simmer while I was having my morning coffee, then whipped up the toast, and it was done. Wyatt and I loved it! Good stuff. I’ve also made, from these same Moms, Grab & Go Breakfast bars. They’re basically homemade granola bars. Another goodie! (On a side note, the two ladies talking on the podcast remind me of the SNL skit with Molly Shannon & Ana Gasteyer doing radio show “Delicious Dish.” Once I realized this, I thought some of their dry comments were hilarious!)

My new favorite time-waster website: www.etsy.com. It’s basically a community of websites on which people sell handmade items, supplies and/or vintage items…those are the three criteria for selling on the site. Kelby and I will have our own etsy site up SOON to sell our stuff, but in the meantime, I find myself just searching for things…fabric, notions, clothes I long to buy, ideas for my own projects, etc. Check it out!

New favorite late-night snack: popcorn with a dusting of shaved chocolate on top. I don’t really just crave regular old microwave popcorn, but Adam eats it often. I need a salty-sweet combo and so I shaved just one small square of chocolate over my still-hot popcorn one night and it was FABULOUS! And it seriously didn’t take much chocolate at all. A little bit of salt, and my new fave snack was made. Have a 100-calorie pack of popcorn, and it still fits within a healthy diet!

And finally, I have discovered a boxed wine that is yummy! Don’t turn your nose up at the box! It stays fresh and lasts longer! It’s the White Sangria Wine Cube (also from Target! Another one of my faves!) and it comes in 4-bottle size cubes and 2-bottle size cubes. The 2-bottle size is cute and small, and I’ve started giving it as birthday or hostess gifts, and they are always enjoyed by all! There are other flavors, but I haven’t tried any of the others yet. The White Sangria is delish!

Let me know if you try any of these things and what you think!

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tonight. it's the night.

Two Tulips GRAND Re-Opening tonight!!!!!!!!!!

Come one, come all. Oh and we'll be there too with our latest stuff!

It's the Shortcake for 2 DEBUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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the.great. divide. (part 1)

Ok I've kept my blonde mouth shut long enough. It's time that I take a stance and speak for all the single ladies out there (insert Beyonce's song here)....


Single girls vs. Married girls. The final showdown.
(But does it have to be??)


So my roommate Adrianne and I have had numerous discussions on this very topic throughout the years and I have taken it upon myself to set the record straight on some issues, clear the air on others, and offer some insider knowledge to the public. We will be covering a few topics today...and more to come later (I'm thinking about writing a book....NY Times Best Seller baby!)


Before I launch into this--here's some background. Yes, I'm a single, upper twenties lady. My roommate is also a single (as in not married), upper twenties lady. We both have successful careers. We both have college degrees. We both have traveled and have many life experiences. We both have beautiful nephews and love them dearly (although Adrianne's is still baking...) We both are independent and have taken care of ONLY ourselves since graduating from college. We both have friends (some of them mutual) who are married, have kids, buying houses, etc. Adrianne and I both rent (and are content doing that!). And we both have made signficant life decisions...most of which have not been celebrated due in large part because they aren't the typical get married, have kids, buy a house life decisions. We're not bitter people...we're just annoyed. And with that knowledge...here we go...


Point #1. To all of our married friends....we love you. Let's just state that fact. We do. We love the fact that you found that one person who you will be spending the rest of your life with. We love the fact that you had a beautiful wedding and wanted us to be a part of that special day. We are geuninely happy for you.


BUT...yes, its a big but...


...just because we are not married does not mean we aren't complete. We are whole just being ourselves. We don't need a man to complete this picture. We don't need to be "rescued". We are playing the hand we've been dealt...and right now, that hand is to learn to be content with just ourselves.

In fact, you yourself were single once. Remember that fact. When you were single, did you like it when people would say "Don't worry, you're time will come?" Did you like it when people would ask "Why aren't you married yet?" Did you appreciate it when people would try to set you up with any single guy that crossed their path....whether or not he was quality or not? I'm guessing no. Remember that. (And if we had the answers to these questions....we'd probably be married already.) Oh and just because marriage was your answer, doesn't necessarily mean it is OUR answer. We're different people. We don't have to live the same life you do.

Point #2. To our friends with kids...we absolutely ADORE your children! We do! We love squeezing them and loving on them and showering them with gifts and spoiling them rotten (and then sending them home). If we didn't, we wouldn't offer to babysit. We wouldn't have visited you in the hospital when you had them. We wouldn't have thrown/attended your baby shower and gotten you gifts and cried when you told us you were pregnant. I just want to make that clear.

BUT....

...because we do not have kids, means we can be spontaneous. Don't punish us for this. Because we do not have children, we can go out for drinks with our other friends who don't have kids on the fly. We can take long weekends for one-tank-getaways. We can stay out until the wee hours of the morning. We don't have to schedule "friend time" months in advance.

This is not a contest between us. I (and yes, I'm speaking for myself here) long for the day when I have children. To have something that loves you unconditionally, that you created, that is solely your responsibility...yes, that is something that I cannot wait to have. But until that time...my dog Yankee will have to do. (And by the way, the day I brought Yankee home was a very big day for me. I'm not making the comparsion that its the same as bringing your child home from the hospital...but for me, it felt that way. Recognize.)

Please note...this does not refer to our nephews. In our eyes, our nephews are our hearts. We live for them. They take priority over just about anything. Seriously and literally.

And speaking of children....it hurts our feelings when we're not invited into their lives. You are our friends. We love you and we love your children. But we sometimes feel like we're not included in things, simply because we do not have children. We want to be involved in their lives.

Point #3. Celebrate our freaking life decisions, just as we celebrate yours. I have to quote Carrie from Sex and The City on this one...

"Think about it. If you are single, after graduation there isn't one occasion where people celebrate you. Hallmark doesn't make a 'congratulations, you didn't marry the wrong guy' card. And where's the flatware for going on vacation alone?"

All I can say to this is...Amen. A-freaking-men. When you got married, we got you presents for our showers, your wedding, etc. When you got knocked up, we got you presents for your showers (multiple), etc. When you bought your first house, we got you a housewarming gift. Well hey...congrats.

Celebrate. My. Life. Decisions. Too.

Celebrate the fact that I lived by my very own self for the first time in my life! Celebrate the fact that I bought myself a puppy who relies on me for attention, food, shelter, love, etc. Celebrate the fact that I found my dream job and am busting my ass to succeed in my career. Celebrate the fact that I found a church that I feel comfortable in and am getting involved in. Celebrate the fact that I found something that I'm talented in and am making a name for myself in. Celebrate my life too. I celebrate yours...the love needs to be reciprocated.


lovelove

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what you've always wanted to know.......or not.

It's one of those days today. I have a horrid (yes, I said horrid) cold and my head feels like its in a cloud. So I'm trying to do as many mind-numbing exercises as possible. And now you get to reap the benefits of that. Here's Kelby's Senseless Survey--everything you could have possibly wanted to know about me. And a BUNCH of crap you don't care anything about. Ready? Set. Go!

Favorite Color: Pink, obviously. However I love turquoise, orange and black as well.
Favorite Car: 2003 Corvette (the year I was a Princess and got to ride all over town on the back of it. holla.)
Favorite Movie: Oh here we go....actually no, I don't feel like diving into this mess. I have several based on genres.
Favorite Hobby: I do love me some crocheting. I know that makes me sound like a grandma...but I don't care. (Speaking of, Kels--tell me what colors you're doing your living room in!!)
Favorite Song/Singer: my FFOMC--Dierks Bentley. Although I do love me some Gwen Stefani too.
Favorite Book/Author: Harry Potter. Twilight. lovelovelove
Favorite School Subject: history for sure.
Favorite Vacay Destination: the beach. I don't care where. beach it up.
Favorite Food: Salads with extra ranch dressing.
Favorite Restaurant: I have a new love of Japanese steakhouses. Apparently, I have a hidden talent of catching food flying through the air in my mouth. Who knew?
Favorite Animal: I love me some flamingos and elephants. And of course my pooch Yankee.
Favorite Store: NORDSTROM. Hands down.
Favorite Celebrity: Oh gosh. I love Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. And I love Gwen Stefani as well.
Favorite Childhood Friend: Annie Harsh and Melissa Goodlett. Gosh, those were the days.
Favorite Childhood Memory: Strawberry shortcake phones with my sister. Oh and chili con queso fights with her :)
Favorite Baby Name: nope, not revealing this. Last time I did, it got stolen.
Favorite Person in my Life: Wyatt, my two-year old nephew. Life is so much more fun with him.
Favorite Possession: my iPhone, just because without it, I'm completely lost.
Favorite Fast Food Restaurant: Taco Bell.
Favorite Comedian: Ellen
Favorite Holiday: is my birthday a holiday? if not, then Christmas fo sho.
Favorite Number: 2.
Favorite Hard Candy: the little baby Gobstoppers.
Favorite Month: duh, September. My birthday month.
Favorite Flower: tulips or pink roses. or white roses.
Favorite Ice Cream: mint chocolate chip
Favorite Smell: guys who smell good, clean laundry (Apple Mango Tango), campfires and fresh cut grass
Favorite Drink: Chubby Pickle. :)
Favorite Cartoon Character: the blue PowerPuff girl
Favorite Kind of Pants: jeans. more specifically, my new skinnies.
Have Any Pets? Yes, Yankee my 6lb YorkiePoo. (also known as the Doodle Bug)
Have Any Children? Nope
Smoke? Cigars occassionally.
Drink? sometimes. I'm a tequila girl..what can I say?
Exercise? Yes. Marathon training and P90X. holla.
Like to Cook? When I'm in the mood.
Play An Instrument? does the recorder count?
Dance? Oh yes.
Write? duh, why else do I have this AWESOME bloggity blog.
Ski? does it count if you fall down the mountain while wearing skis?
Do You Wish You Lived Somewhere Else? Nope. Indy is heaven.
Enjoy spending time with your mother? Yes!
Sleep with a fan on? Yes! A habit I've had since college and I can't seem to break.
Want to get married? Only if I can dance down the aisle like the JKWeddingDance video. I'm just saying.
Have you laughed until you cried? Actually all the time around Wyatt. Last time was Sunday at Cheesecake Factory when he was growling and then making himself choke. And then laughing about it. Oh gosh, I'm cracking up just thinking about it.
Met someone who changed you? Absolutely.
What were you doing at midnight last night? Blowing my nose.
Name something you CANNOT wait for? to be rid of this cold. (how's that for shallow?)
What are you listening to right now? People chatting it up in the hallway.
Last time you saw your father? Saturday.
Most visited webpage? Facebook fo sho.
Do people think you're weird? Probably not weird...but awesome.
Are any of your friends mad at you? Oh probably. It's a day that ends in "y" so it wouldn't surprise me.
What's one new thing you'd like to try? getting my freaking tattoo.
Are you a bully? ha! I'm not sure if I can answer this....
Do you type fast? Heck yes I do! Keyboarding class in high school was the best class I ever took!
Do you get mad easily? depends on who and what. but generally....kind of. again though, it depends.
Who's your best friend? Ambra and my sister.
What's the longest relationship you've been in? 6 months
Your ex and you? I'm done.
Maybe I should...go run.
I love...life. Wyatt. My family. Jesus.
Do you like getting hyper? I like when I have energy, which I don't right now.
I don't understand...The support for this stupid health care reform.
I've lost respect for...people who don't defend themselves.
I get annoyed when...people leave price tags on gifts, don't use their turn signal.....
Are you neat or sloppy? Organized chaos.
Do you have medical problems? yes.
Have you dated someone older than you? yes.
How much older? 7 years.
First surgery: tonsils my junior year in high school
First piercing: my ears when I as 5
First best friend: Hannah Van Vleet
First sport you joined: softball baby. The summer I was 4.
First pet: Muffin the hamster.
First vacation: oh gosh, I don't remember
First concert: hahah Randy Travis with my sister!
First crush: celebrity? Kirk Cameron.
First car: Haans, the Volkswagon Gulf. Oh how I miss you sweet Haans.
If your house was on fire, the first thing you'd grab...Yankee!!
First thing you notice when you look in the mirror: Dang, my hair is getting so freaking long.
Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
Big Mac or Whopper? Big Mac
Coke or Pepsi: Coke
Beer or Wine: oooh probably beer
Coffee or Tea: is it sweet tea? is the coffee Starbucks?
Summer or Winter: summer
cats or dogs: dogs
Boxers or Briefs: boxer briefs :)
rain or shine: rain actually.
Morning or Night: how about super early morning when it still looks like night?
Silver or Gold: Olympic medals? Gold. Jewelry...silver. Unless its ghetto gold.
Sunset or Sunrise: Sunset
Oldest, middle, youngest or only child: Youngest.
Indoor or Outdoors: outdoors
Got a Speeding Ticket: once. shoot.
Failed A Class: oops.
Screened Your Phone Calls: I'm a big fan of the screen.
Eaten Food off the Floor: 5 second rule.
Cried During A Movie: Try naming a movie where I HAVEN'T cried in.
Had Your Heart Broken?: Yup.
Had a good feeling about something: all the time. I'm a positive person :)
Pulled an all-nighter: More in recent past.

whew. that was fun. and killed a half an hour.

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the Twilight bandwagon...

I didn't want to do it. I really didn't want to do it.

Let me start this post by reiterating that. I did not want to jump on the Twilight bandwagon. Seriously. I mean, I love me some Harry Potter. I do. And I thought that if I started reading Twilight, I'd be cheating on my favorite little wizard. Little did I know what Twilight would open my eyes too.....

It started innocently enough. My roommate has all of the Twilight books (hardcover) on her bookshelf in the living room. They just look so pretty all matching and in a row. And then I saw Rob Pattinson (hereby known as RPatz) on E!. Now don't get me wrong...due to the fact that I am an HP lover, RPatz will always be known as Cedric Diggory to me. The hottie from Ravenclaw who was killed by Voldemort (I'm not scared to say his name) at the end of Goblet of Fire. But there he was on E! talking about being a vampire, and I was suddenly intrigued. (Or maybe it was just his sexy British accent that got me....hard to tell...) And then of course, there is the fact that all of my very professional, twenty-something friends are OBSESSED with The Cullen family....their obsession was bound to be contagious.

So I caved. I walked my happy butt over to our bookshelf, took down the first book-Twilight-and began to read. And I couldn't stop reading. Wait. Let me clarify. I was not obsessed after the first book. Heck, I was not obsessed after the second or third books. But the fourth book...Breaking Dawn....wow. That's where it began.

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. So Twilight. Wow. A very good read. Seriously--Stephanie Meyer is a talented writer and she makes you want to keep reading. And for some reason, she makes you want to be a part of the Cullen family. Twilight was good. New Moon was better. Eclipse was slightly annoying. Breaking Dawn was unbelievably fantastic.

So yes, I'm a Twilight junkie now. My calendar is marked for November 20th, when New Moon makes its theatrical debut. Heck, I may even start a Twilight podcast--you laugh, but it could be a worldwide sensation.

Oh wait..one last comment. The movies. Twilight was kind of a cheesy movie. I loved it, don't get me wrong, but its cheesy. Or maybe its just Kristin Stewart who's cheesy. Yes, that's probably it. Not the world's greatest actress--she kind of makes Bella look like a tard. But RPatz. Damn. Thank you for casting him as Edward Cullen.

And I'm not going to lie.....I want to be Rosalie Cullen. She's kind of a badass and I love that.

"It's just an old, scary story Bella."

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could I be any more horrible at blogging? seriously people...

Wow. I'm a horrible blogger. When Burg and I decided to start this thing last year, I figured I'd be blogging nonsense non-stop. Not the case. I apologize to you five readers or so. My bad. I'll get better.

Life here in Indy is good...great even. I love my job. I love living in Carmel. I love living with Adrianne. I love being able to go home for dinner or meet my sister for lunch. I love being near teh people I love the most and who have shaped my life and me. I don't miss Cincinnati one tiny bit. I miss people. The Hills for one. I miss going to church with J and Laura and playing with Graham and Gibby. But I don't miss living in the Nasty. I rarely think about it. And when I do, it's only to wonder why I went there in the first place. Oh well. No regrets.

Adrianne and I went to Canada a few weeks ago. Good times, my friends, good times. I experienced my first casino and quite honestly, not that impressed. I got bored with the slots--mainly because I couldn't figure them out. What can I say, I'm a blonde? It was definitely a fun place to people-watch though. I saw some stressed out faces at the quarter slots. Yikes. The best part about the casino--lunch. Delish food in a booth where Addie and I literally watched True Hollywood Story (Patrick Dempsey) for an hour. Yes, I realize we could have done that back here in Indy...but we wouldn't have felt as cool.

The Chubby Pickle was everything I thought it would be, and more. And the drink The Chubby Pickle...equally delish. Simply amazing. And thank you SASsy for dedicating a song to me. I mean, it was Pottymouth Princess which I'm sure speaks volume of what people think of me...but I don't care. Thank you Danger. Thank you.

My experience with a Chubby Pickle. Hands down one of the best drinks EVER! Like a Bloody Mary, but instead of tomato-based juice, they use clam-based juice. Sounds disgusting...but its basically heaven on earth.

It was a SASsy night, fo sho.

At some club after the show. A club that when we went in, we were literally the ONLY people there. And I went to the bar to get a drink, turned around to hand one to Adrianne and couldn't find her. Only to look around and realize homegirl was the only one on the dance floor. And loving every minute of it.

The D and P at the Chubby Pickle.

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Changes. Ch-ch-changes!!!!!

Yes, it's been awhile since I've updated. But change is in the air and I feel the need to tell you all about it....


I'm moving back to Indianapolis! YES! Finally! I've put in 3 years here in Cincinnati, and it's been 3 years too long. Honestly, it's been rough. Hell actually. Yes, I've grown, made friends, had to learn how to do things on my own...blah blah blah. But I haven't enjoyed it. Yes, there are a few happy memories of Cincinnati...but just a few. I overheard my mom saying this to someone at church a few weeks ago..."I moved away {Vermont} when I was her {me} age. But I never had to experience half of what she's gone through." Pretty much sums it up.


Anyway, to focus on the good news....I've been trying to get back to Indy for a year...and FINALLY I am!! I have accepted a Political Fundraiser position with the Chamber of Commerce in Indy. Yankee and I are moving to Carmel to live with Adrianne again! And I'm seriously the happiest I've been in a long time! The D and the P reunited once again! And to kick-off and celebrate our move in together...we're planning our 2nd One-Tank-Getaway next weekend to Windsor, Canada! We're going to hit the casinos and then go and see my friend's band at a little bar I like to refer to as The Chubby Pickle....ok that's actually the name of the bar. Pictures to follow, I'm sure......


{Followed the next weekend by going to the New Kids On the Block concert...HECK YEAH! I may just crimp my hair, tie my shirt in a knot on the side, and wear 4 pairs of bright neon socks to celebrate the occasion!}


In the words of famed Bon Jovi (and Jennifer Nettles)....who says you can't go home????

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Randomness

(I can NOT get this post to include paragraph breaks.  Sorry!  I'm still trying to figure Blogger out...)

I love my house at the different seasons for different reasons…in a week’s time, I’ve gone from being able to barely see the road through the trees because there weren’t any leaves, to now being able to see nothing but green.  I love it!  So, I’m sitting here with the windows open, listening to the birds and sipping on coffee (oh, and trying to block out “Thomas the Tank Engine.”  Wyatt LOVES Thomas, but he and his friends are starting to get to me!  :))

This week has been super-busy, but I feel like I didn’t really get anything done.  Recap:  in case you haven’t seen, Kelby has started a “30 Days of Burgess’ 30^th Birthday” pictorial on the blog and Facebook.  It’s really clever and yet slightly embarrassing all at the same time.  But, I look forward to jumping on Facebook to see what pics she’s come up with every day.  I’d forgotten about many things, but apparently my birthdays are well-documented in my old scrapbooks, which Kelby ganked at my parents’ house, so it’s all out there for the internet world to see.

Apparently the library takes a hiatus from storytime during the month of May, so I was left with trying to be a little more creative with my free time with Wyatt this week.  SO…Tuesday I thought we’d head south to the Indy Zoo because they had special priced tickets and we could both get in for the price of one adult.  And I was thinking it’s still the school year, NOW is the time to go.  Um, NO.  We drove all the way down there only to drive by the zoo and see it PACKED.  PACKED.  I expected school buses for field trips, but the first lot was overflowing into the 2^nd lot with cars.  It was a madhouse!  Poor Wyatt.  I had him all excited to see the “eleshants” and polar bears, and then all we did was drive by.  And it didn’t help that the elephants were out on that hill overlooking Washington Street, so Wy could see them when we drove by.  Now what?!?  I mean, since it’s been a year and a half since I lived around Indy, I don’t even know where the parks are or anything.  And I didn’t feel like going to the Children’s Museum because it was such a dang nice day.  So, we went to the mall for a little bit, and then headed north to Trader’s Point Creamery, just because I’d been wanting to check it out.  Another disappointment.  There wasn’t a cow to see or anything.  Just some barns with a little cheese shop.  Aargh!  So, we sat in a parking lot so I could think about what to do.  We called a friend who has a farm in Thorntown.  She was my zoo-back-up!  Luckily, she was home…they have horses, cows, sheep, dogs…Wyatt fed a baby calf, petted horses…finally!  Not a total waste of a beautiful day.  And I got to catch up with my friend.  (But, Wyatt did keep asking about “eleshants!”  He he!)

I’ve started going to a Bible study at church on Wednesday nights that I’m loving!  I’d forgotten how great it is to have real discussions with other Christian ladies.  And since I “need” to read this book to be part of the discussion, I’m actually reading something other than magazines.  YES!

Last night Wyatt had a “photo session” with our friend, Kelsey.  She’s wanting to get more practice taking pictures for her budding photography business, so we met her at Prophetstown State Park so she could follow Wy around.  That was fun, and I have no doubt those pics are going to be awesome!  (*Check her blog out at http://kelseysutherlin.blogspot.com/)

Looking forward to the weekend…NO plans tonight, Farmer’s Market Saturday morning, down to Jeff & Maren’s for dinner Saturday night, and Mother’s Day Sunday.  We’re thinking about going to breakfast before church Sunday for my mother’s day meal.  Oh, and I’m going to try to get my garden planted this weekend.  I love spring.

Happy Friday!

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