Sicky McSickerson

That's me.

At least I have some time to work on those Thank You notes now.

Have a great weekend!

Go Steelers!!

Another one bites the dust!

In case you haven't heard the news, Domino is no more after the March issue.
It wasn't my favorite, but it's kind of sad to lose another design magazine.

*of course, the picture is from Dominomag.com - which will only be up for a little while longer.

Tag!

I'm it again!

Linda tagged me with a new questionaire, one I haven't seen before! Here are the rules:
THE RULES:
Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.
Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people will be tagged.

So, here we go!

Make a list of things you can see without getting up:Um, a computer, my work phone, calculator, orange glass full of pens/pencils/scissors, stapler, tape, lots of pictures/comics I've pasted up, calendar, orders to process.... desk stuff.

What were you like when you were five? Incredibly outgoing. And very talkative.

What are you wearing now? Brown pants (that have a slight black herringbone in them), black patent loafers with gold buckle/chain thing, black cowl neck sweater (and black under tank b/c it's cold!).

What color is your bedroom? A gray-blue-green. Restoration Hardware's Silver Sage.

What’s the last thing you read/are currently reading? "3rd Degree" by James Patterson. I love murder/mystery books!

Do you nap a lot? Nope, it makes me groggy. I could doze off at work but I wouldn't be there much longer.

Who was the last person you hugged? Chris

What’s your current fandom/obsession/addiction? Finding cool, yet not too expensive vintage silver trophies for my mantle

What was the last thing you ate today? A bite-sized Snickers and a bite-sized Milky-Way. But before that was the Orchard Harvest salad from Panera Bread (it has good stuff in there, and with a vinegrette on top, isn't too bad for you!)

What was the last thing you said aloud? No, that's not my order. (To my boss)

What websites do you always visit when you go online? Yahoo (email), my blog, and various other blogs depending on the time I have.

What was the last thing you bought? Lunch (I'm getting so many in common with Linda!)

What are you listening to right now? Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow duet over the piped in music that comes out the speaker of my phone. Usually the songs aren't that cool.

What movie are (or were!) you most excited to show your kids? Sleeping Beauty. Better hope it's a girl!

If you could have any super power, what would it be? Reading other people's minds!

What is your favorite weather, and why? Sunny with a brisk breeze, about 75 degrees. I love fall. (Once again, totally agree with Linda on this!)

What time do you usually get up? 6:45-7:00

What is your most challenging goal right now? Paying bills

Say something to the person who tagged you: I love your site Linda! You always have something there that inspires me and makes me think!

If you could have a house–totally paid for, fully furnished–anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be? Only one?? Okay, I guess I'd pick a cliff, over looking the beach and ocean in Cabo.

Favorite vacation spot? Cabo. Yes, it was a great honeymoon!

What is your favorite children’s book? I'm not sure on this one....

Name one thing you just can’t resist no matter how bad it is for you: Once again, only one?? I'd have to say #1 on my list would be candy!

If you could meet anyone famous - dead or alive - who would it be? Benjamin Franklin


Okay, so I will tag Jenny, Lindsey, the Introverted Wife, Krista, Amy, Tracy, Melissa, and London Bride

Honest Scrap: Part Deux

I was tagged again by Krista at Canadian Bride, and since this Monday morning hasn't been particularly inspiring as of yet, I thought I'd bring you all Honest Scrap: Part Deux!

So here goes:

• I'm a white wine girl. There are a few reds that I'll have a glass or two of, but I much prefer white. Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are my favorites.
• I've been informed that I have a definite Texas accent. I didn't really think I had much of an accent, but evidently I do. But I think I'm okay as long as I don't start turning one-syllable words into two-syllable words. (And people, that can happen. Ask one of my college roommates - "Jee-ill", aka "Jill")
• I'm a dork - I love the "Ghost Whisperer" on TV. But I'm really still pissed off that they killed off her husband, brought him back as a ghost, and then had him take the place of another soul in another man's body. I get that David Conrad would like something more challenging to do, but the storyline is a little stupid. Plus, I want them back together. And the whole "I lost my memory" thing is frustrating. Let's get back to whispering to ghosts to get them to cross over and save the world!
• I can have quite a potty-mouth. Usually when I'm mad or frustrated at something. Not something I go spouting off in public, but sometimes, in the car all by myself, it feels a little good...
• My birthday is coming up in two weeks, and I'll be 33. I think I've stopped counting, though.
• I don't own, nor have I ever owned a pair of Cowboy boots. Everyone thinks that if you're from Texas, you're a cowboy. Now, I'm not saying that I don't like boots, I just haven't had the money or made them a high enough priority to pony up the money for a cute pair.
• I do like country music though. I started really listening to it more a few years ago when I decided that they played the same 4 crap songs over and over and over on the other stations. At least country music gave me something different. Now, though, I realize they also will play their "favorites" quite often, but it doesn't seem to be as bad as the other stations. I still will flip around between several stations, but I think country is my fave.
• I have definitely decided to cut my hair off. It has really annoyed me the last week or so.
• I wish sometimes I could go back and "re-live" my wedding and reception. I had such a good time, and everything went so well. I worked on it and planned for it for so many months, it's a shame that it was all over in one awesome night!
• The older I get, and the closer I get to having kids, the appeal of small town living grows for me. I'm not saying that I'd want to live out in the middle of nowhere, close to nothing, but a nice small town that is within an hour or two of a bigger one would be nice. They seem to have a real sense of community, which is nice.

Okay, so like last time, I'm not going tag anyone in particular. But if you would like to do this too, consider yourself tagged!!

Have a great Monday!

For all the Dallas area brides out there....

Monkeying around

Baby things are too cute. Seriously, some of them are so cute it hurts!
Chris' boss had a baby last week, and she is decorating with a theme of monkeys. I know she already has a monkey blanket, but I thought I would look into other cute monkey things that would be fun gifts.

The monkey towel! Actually, this is a strong contender. It's cute and practical.

This is new, it's a soft lightweight monkey with a pacifier built into the top/back of it's head! It's like a stuffed toy and pacifier all in one.
Bath-time fun with squirties!
This sock monkey is really darling. And they come in 3 sizes from small to as big as your toddler.
And it's cute that it co-ordinates with these soft blankies.

I'm not sure, but I think these blankets have an animal head on them and then roll up to kind of look like a stuffed toy? But they're cute in this box together.
Artwork is a great gift as well. I thought these two canvases were nice.


And clothes! These hats, booties, and onesies would be sure to be a big hit! The hat and the booties are my favorites.




I thought this would be a good way to start off the weekend with a smile!

All of these came from www.shopbabybliss.com . They have plenty of other cute baby things as well, not just monkeys!

Honest Scrap!

I was tagged by Miss Shugarman from the Sweet Wife to tell 10 honest things about me!
So here goes:

• 1. I don't drink coffee. I don't like the bitter taste. And yes, I've tried a cappuchino - still tastes like coffee. I am an admitted Diet Coke addict.
• 2. I need - *REALLY NEED* - to start working out again as my clothes are starting to get too tight. In fact, and this is honest here, folks - I ripped the inside lining to a pair of pants the other day by bending over. Yeah. That's a good feeling.
• 3. I really wish I could open my own little store. That would be my ultimate dream someday. And if I do, I would want it to be as awesome as Red in Fredricksburg. I think they took my dreams and made them into reality.
• 4. I don't have that many close friends anymore, and I really wish I could meet more! Most of my good friends that I used to have either A) moved away B) have lost touch C) or both. I'm really close with my sisters, which is great! But I really wish I had a great girl friend to gripe with!
• 5. I kind of feel like a dork telling you about my lack of really close friends... but seriously! Where do you meet new friends when you're 32? And not a Mom? Needless to say, that's why you all out there really cheer me up, and I really appreciate it!
• 6. I'm not really that close with my Mother-in-law... we don't quite see eye to eye on most things.... and that's all I will say. Luckily, Chris and I agree on most things.
• 7. I am a total night owl. It's really hard for me to wake up early. If I could set my own schedule, it would be: wake up at 8:30 AM and go to bed around midnight.
• 8. I used to be a history major when I was first in college, before switching to Interior Design. I wanted to be a high school teacher.
• 9. I have hypothyroidism, which means that my thyroid doesn't produce enough hormone. I've been on medication since I was 17. While I will admit that it makes me a little more prone to gain weight easily, I don't believe that it is why I'm heavier than I want to be. That's because I haven't really exercised regularly since the wedding, and I ate too much over the holidays. An underactive thyroid will not cause you to be fat or obese.
• 10. I am seriously considering chopping off my hair! At least to about my shoulders. Right now, it falls just under my bra strap (and that's when it's dry). I'm just kind of tired of it. It doesn't really have any "style" to it, and it gets in the way a lot.

Okay, I'm supposed to tag 5 people, but I'm just going to leave it open - if you'd like to tag yourself, be my guest!!

Chicken or Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

I posted this over at EAD Living last month, but thought I would share it over here. This is a really great soup for a cold evening. And it could be made "healthy" if you used fat free evaporated milk and reduced sodium chicken broth.

Enjoy!

This is one of my all-time favorite soups! It’s different in that it uses evaporated milk, plus it’s super easy!

Here is what you’ll need:

• Approx. 1 lb of either cooked chicken or turkey
• 2 cans chicken broth
• 1 can evaporated milk (not sweetened)
• 1 box of Wild Rice (I like the fast-cook kind)
• 1/2 of a white onion
• 1 stalk of celery (or more, if you prefer)
• 2 to 3 carrots (or more, if you prefer)

Cook wild rice according to box (this usually takes abou 15 minutes) - set aside when finished. While rice is cooking, chop up celery, onion, and carrots and add to a pot with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Saute for a few minutes until onions start to become clear.

Cut up chicken or turkey and add that along with the 2 cans of chicken broth to pot. Bring almost to a boil. When soup is hot, slowly stir in the can of evaporated milk and the wild rice you’ve already cooked.

Cook a little longer, stirring occasionally, to heat up the milk and rice. You can add more salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasoning, or my very favorite for this soup - Cavender’s Greek Seasoning (this is hands down, one of the best seasoning blends around!!). I usually add about a tablespoon or so.

This recipe is great after the holidays when you have leftover turkey, but is so easy to make at any time!

Red in Fred

Fredricksburg Texas, that is.
I recently found the site for this store and was blown away! I think I could have some serious love for this place! I love their mix of old and new - traditional and modern.
And they're having a sale!
If you've ever wanted an Eames rocker - it's on sale! And they will ship.





I am loving these "LOVE" pillow cases. They are $75 for a set, and come in black/white, hot pink/white, light blue/white (as seen above!), and beige/white. I am thinking I need a pair of these for my bedroom...
All of these pictures came from their site and blog - RedinFred.com.

I'm thinking Fredricksburg might be the destination of my next weekend trip...

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

Guys and new technology...
This would be my husband trying out our new underwater capable digital camera in Cabo on our honeymoon! LOL!

So not to be too technologically un-savvy, I've updated my little blog here with a new look! Thank you to Linda!!
I've also added labels to my posts, and have tried to go back about a month or so and add them to my older posts.

Current Obsession

Right now, I'm kind of obsessed with these:

I saw the above picture over at Nibs last summer, and it's just stuck with me. I love the look of these grouped together! They would look great on a mantel or console, either plain as they are, or holding some flowers or branches.




I don't know that I'd really want to invest a lot of money into them, but the 3 above are real antique silver from here .

I guess I need to make a trip to Canton sometime!

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Also, I want to thank everyone for their kind words last week.
The week is over. And all is better - even if I don't have all my ThankYou notes done yet.... almost, but not quite!

Have you ever had one of those weeks?

You know, where you just feel like poo? And you're not sure where to start at to "fix" it?
I've been staring down a stack of unfinished Thank You notes. Yep, from my wedding. Almost 2 months ago. I've also become dissatisfied with a couple things around the house, namely the disorganized office, the stacks and stacks of old mail that needs to be sorted and filed, and the cheap and ugly bamboo shade I bought for the kitchen. Stupid, I know. But I needed something over the window to help block some of the drafts. We can't really afford a new window right now, so I thought this would help. Whether it does or not is up for debate. But I've come to really dislike it, and it really bothers me.
With Chris gone to Canada for business, and no wedding stuff to plan or think about, I'm finding my mind racing and my thoughts going all over the place! All of a sudden, the things that never really bothered me before are entering my thoughts. It's like, with nothing big or major to focus my attention on, I'm focusing it all over the place!
Well, I've come to the conclusion that I'm no Martha Stewart. I'm not some superwoman who can go about chores happily all the time. In fact, sometimes I'm downright lazy!!
So, I've decided to just try and take it one small step at a time. So I don't tackle the mounds of mail all at once tonight. I can catch up on laundry and Thank You notes (which really should be my first priority). So I don't go out and find some fabric and sew a new window shade for the kitchen. I'm not really sure what kind I really want anyways.
With work becoming busy again (hooray!), it's hard to cram everything that I'd like to accomplish into the evenings - from catching up on everyone's blog, to Thank You notes (yes, I've been putting them off).

Ugh. So please excuse this little mess of a post! I actually was going to post about the piles of mail and maybe do a before and after (you know, talking about organization and all that)... but the camera's batteries were dead. So it will wait for another evening. And maybe I'll finish those Thank You notes instead!

One of my favorite wedding pictures

I know I've been MIA for a while, but I promise to get back to normal soon!

In the meantime, I am working on some recaps of my wedding for EAD . This is one of my favorite pictures from that day. Can you tell I'm a daddy's girl??

Cute Hamptons cottage

The weather here in Dallas has been beautiful today! But I know that's not the case everywhere, so I thought I would share some really bright and sunny pictures of a cottage up in the Hamptons!

Isn't this gateway so pretty?? How wonderful would it be to walk through this every day?

Yellow is a dominant color in this cottage. I'm sure by now you've all heard that it's going to be THE color for 2009, according to Pantone. I'm usually not a huge yellow person, but it's fun in this setting.




My mom would have killed me if I had just left my surfboard like that!


I have always wanted to do a striped room like this! I think it's so chic. This bathroom is so bright and cheery - there'd be no problems waking up in the morning here.


This guest bedroom is just classic. Red, Gray, and White. I love the details of the headboards and lantern, it reminds me of my entry mirror which I also painted red!


I hope these pictures brought a little sunshine into your day! All of these pictures can be found in House Beautiful. (Which is now my favorite magazine, at the moment)

Okay, I'm on the bandwagon too...

Update: Recipe Review
This was actually pretty good! It was very filling, although I might have added a little lemon juice or something as it was a little bland. But, I didn't use any of the salt the recipe called for.
It does take a little time to make, it's not super quick to make, but it wasn't too difficult either. I think it would have been a little quicker if the chicken was already cooked, or if you used a rotisserie chicken.
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At the beginning of every year, millions of people make it their resolution to lose weight. And every year, I always think it's kind of silly. I mean, if you need to lose weight, then you should just do it - you don't need to wait for the new year. But this year... yikes. I'm one of them!

After the wedding, Chris and I kind of went through a food-free-for-all. We didn't really watch what we ate, or how much we ate, and we totally indulged in all the holiday goodness there was to be had. We also didn't exercise. So, we've been noticing clothes that are fitting tighter, jeans that are uncomfortable, bellies that are protruding just a little more than they used to! Really, this was brought to the forefront of my mind today because the dress I'm wearing is much tighter than it used to be only 3 or 4 weeks ago! Since Chris is in Montreal on business this week, he doesn't realize that when he comes home, we're going to be eating much healthier! (But don't feel too sorry for him, when he went to buy some new pants, he had to go up a size - and he was so bummed out about it).

I'm going to start trying out healthier and low-cal recipes. I like to think that usually when I cook, I try to be pretty healthy anyways. But it never hurts to really put more focus on it and trying to keep those calories down when you can. Tonight I think I'm going to try something like this Chicken and Broccoli casserole from Cooking Light:

I love regular Chicken Divan, so we'll see how this stacks up in comparison. I'm hoping to find recipes that are healthy and low-cal without TASTING low cal! Recipes that Chris won't even realize are low-cal and healthier (you know, other than vegetable soup).

I may also get myself to the gym.... but to be honest, maybe not as I have a lot of things to do tonight!!! But if not tonight, then definitely tomorrow! Just being honest here...

Goodbye Cottage Living....

It is with great sadness that I have to bid farewell to my favorite magazine, COTTAGE LIVING:

I just got the notice yesterday that as of the Nov/Dec 2008 issue, it will no longer be published. Instead, I'll get SOUTHERN LIVING for the remainder of my subscription. Boo. I like SOUTHERN LIVING, but it's no COTTAGE LIVING.
Chris didn't seem to really understand why I was so upset. So, I had to explain to him why I loved COTTAGE LIVING so much. First of all, compared to SOUTHERN LIVING, it focused more on design. And not the super high-end multi-million dollar mansion type of design, but more humble smaller house design. They're motto was that bigger wasn't always better, and they celebrated smaller spaces and homes. I loved them for that. Also, even though the name sounds kind of "country", they really had great style - lots of very modern things mixed up with older stuff, which I *love*. Every issue had something in it that I really really liked. Take the above cover, for instance. Who would have thought to go and get the little pieces of wood that they cut off of the trunks of real Christmas trees (when you buy them, so they can absorb water), and make ornaments out of them by stringing multi-colored twine through them??? I wouldn't have, but COTTAGE LIVING did. And it looks fab.

I am really going to miss this magazine. *Sigh*

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Sorry, I've been MIA. Just before Christmas, Chris' grandmother went into the hospital, so we've been tied up there, along with all the usual holiday fun. She is doing much better now, but is still in the hospital, at least for a couple more weeks.

I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful holiday, and that Santa was good to you this year!
More to come soon!