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Monday, August 29, 2011

Belle's Consigment

I wanted to SLEEP this weekend, but I didn't really need that. I needed to RELAX. I did sleep late Sunday which was nice.

So Conrad did the laundry and some carpet stuff (left from the hot water heater problem).

I went out to a consigment shop I had been eyeing for awhile. It's called Belle's and it's right near where we will be moving. So I went in and found a few treasures!

First of all, I needed a rectangular platter. I make a lot of desserts, cakes and breads in my loaf pan and I don't have anything I can put my baked goods on. I had been using a big round platter I had, but I've had my eyes open at garage sales and stuff for a rectangular one. So- I found this one and I loved it. It's SO pretty. $12


Then I spotted a little game table. It's really too small to be much of an end table, but I think in a game room (which will we will have soon) I think it's perfect! It even has ALL the pieces! ... it is chess, checkers and backgammon which I used to LOVE to play. The table and the pieces are wood and it's precious. I really liked it a lot. The chess part slides off to reveal the backgammon and if you slide the chess part completely off and flip it over, it's just plain wood that matches the table ... no one would even know it was a game table! Didn't need it NOW, but ... the lady explained since they were consigment things are here today and gone tomorrow. She did give me 10% off since I was going back and forth on it. Anyway, love it ... and Conrad and I can just sit on the floor in front of the TV and play. $40



Sorry bad lighting = bad pics.

Kah

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Today

Today is better
.... and pedicures make EVERYTHING better.

Kah

Friday, August 26, 2011

Absence

Sorry for my disappearing act. My life sort of got up-ended again ... and I haven't slept and I haven't felt like posting.

Thursday night our hot water heater ruptured and poured water into the laundry room. It probably happened during the day but we didn't see it until the evening, so we had to call the plumber and he was out there for a long time. I didn't go to sleep until late.

I popped into work on Friday and worked until I had to go home and help clean up the mess. Plumbers, believe it or not, DON'T travel around with new water heaters in their trucks. So he had to come back on Friday and why clean up REALLY when they are just going to track all kinds of stuff into your house? As I was doing that, my dad called and then the week really got rolling.

Some of you know, some of you don't ... but I have a brother in Austin who is in trouble. He has found himself on VERY hard times. If you want to know more, you can email me, because I don't feel ok just putting his stuff out here - but Dad called and asked in a roundabout way if I could go to Austin and check on some things- and I needed to go during the week. So I got in touch with my brother who resisted, and I had to call my dad back and say yes, but not when YOU want me to go, when HE wants me to go. The conversation did NOT go well and ended with me in tears, and packing my bags for Austin that MINUTE and Conrad being upset  ... it was a disaster. My brother called back, we agreed on the time my dad wanted and that was that.

I spent the weekend in tears. I was so upset with both my dad and my brother. I felt like my heart was cracking in half. Not to mention I have a husband too and I had to take his feelings into consideration. I think though - the ONLY person I haven't been WORRIED about is me and that is the WRONG thing to be doing. Because at the end of the day, it's me that's suffering. Not to say my dad, brother, family members are NOT suffering - but in this situation on Friday, I seemed to be the one who was being pulled in 4 directions .... and I was the one I didn't really take into account. I rushed around trying to make sure everyone else was happy. I was miserable ALL weekend cause my FL parents did not call me and I felt like ... they didn't know or maybe DID know I was upset ... and let it go by the wayside. So I called my dad Sunday and we hashed it out. But my stomache was just in KNOTS because after the screaming phone call in July with my brother...  I knew the next day I would be walking into something I really was not prepared much for. But I did it anyway. I do love my brother and I did want to see him.


Monday I went to work, left at 3 and hightailed it to Austin. It is a VERY sad and upsetting situation. That alone was enough to make me cry all week ... but it was really what transpired that did it for me. Things didn't get bad until Tuesday afternoon when we had our first argument. I literally could NOT say ANYTHING that did not send him into a rage. I mean a RAGE - it was like the phone call, only live in in color. It's hard to drive someone around and hand out money and advice, love and errands and have them tell you they hate you, to your face. When he popped into stores to run errands I would call Dad or Conrad and sometimes both and just SOB. I haven't really ever been spoken to this way before ... and it was hard to deal with. If I told him it was hard to deal with or reminded him I was sensitive, it seemed to anger him more. By the end of the day everything we set out to accomplish was done and so my dad would be happy and my brother would be better off, but WE were barely speaking. He would look at a spot over my head, on the wall and just speak monotone to me. It was a nice way to put me in my place and make me feel about 2 inches tall.

Wednesday was ok I guess. I dropped my brother off, and cried almost all the way back to Houston. I came straight to work and got here about 1. I got home and was looking foward to going to sleep around 8 - and instead we had a rain storm (first in like 8 months) and the electricity went off til midnight. The house was HOT, the mosquitos were out and I could not sleep.

Went to work exhausted on Thursday and got through it - and now it's Friday. I slept 9 hours last night and feel better, but not great. My brother texted me some good news from Austin, so that was good ... but I am still a mess. My arms and legs ache like I have the flu. My tailbone has been sore for some time, but now it's like SCREAMING in pain ... my shoulder which hurts sometimes was flared up. I have like these sores RIGHT on the inside of my nose. My mouth had little raw places but now is full blown raw- I can't eat or drink much. My head pounds and my eyes are permanently (at least for now) red and puffy. I am an absolute mess. Emotionally I can't feel much worse. I feel like the insides of me have been scraped out with a knife.

I'm having a REALLY hard time and I don't care much about decorating or recipes or building this house. While cute pics of Blanca make me smile I haven't been taking any. This blog may either be me ranting for awhile, or just ... quiet ... because I feel like my spirit needs to be quiet. I try to talk to people, if they inquire .. or text or worry for me ... I call or email people ... and sometimes the responses just make me want to run away. I have found I have 2 family members I can really count on to like take calls or talk to me whenever ... and I have 3 really great friends that will listen and mostly stay quiet OR be outraged for ME which is what I need. I am sure there are sides to all the stories. If you put the entire family in a room we would see the same thing, in 50 different ways ... but I take things harder than most people ... and I am NOT doing well. Not even a little bit. I'm not even going to pretend I am ok. Conrad wants me to go to the doctor and talk some stuff out. Maybe I will.

No one understands that I look at baby pics of him or whatever and I see that kid still when I went to Austin. Even when he is hollering at me, I can see his little soccer picture and the sweet boy he used to be and sometimes still is. I am trying to hold on to that, keep my compassion, try to STOP being so sensitive, and this weekend I need to be all about me. I need rest and peace and whatever else I want. I look like I'm 10 years older than I am. Dark circles and all that ... I just need it to STOP for a little while. My mind races a 100 miles a minute.

I pray a LOT. I wake up praying and fall asleep praying and pray all day long. I could sure use some extra prayers if you have time. For me, for him and for my family. We are being eaten alive by stress. I can't even describe it, although I have tried.

Kah

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Cracker Barrel Chicken N Rice

Cracker Barrel Chicken and Rice is my FAVORITE meal. I love it. They only make it on Saturday's and I am lucky enough to get it a few times a year. The other day I was thinking CB food is SO SIMPLE surely I can make this myself ... it's not a gourmet restaurant. So I went online and found a lady with a You Tube video who told how to make it. She had a comment from an actual CB worker who added more information ... and so I decided to try it.

Tuesday I went to my water class, but I decided to set the crockpot and get it going, so that it would be ready by the time I went to bed, I could still go to class and we could eat it on Wednesday.

So in a crockpot I put in 2 cans of cream of mushroom, 2 cans of cream of chicken, 2 lbs of chicken tenderloin pieces and 1 small can of those chopped mushrooms. I set the crockpot on HIGH for 4 hours and walked away. Later that night, I turned it off, let it cool down, put in a bowl and put it in the fridge and went to bed. (I also used low fat soup ... so this dish wasn't too bad!)

Wednesday when I got home- I boiled up 2 bags of boil in a bag rice. In a skillet, I sauted very very thinly minced onion - maybe 1/4 cup, in some butter. When the rice was done, I took it out of the bag and dumped it in with the onions and butter. I turned it way down on low and added about 1/4 cup of chicken broth and let the rice sort of soak it all up - for about 20 minutes; while all that was going on, I had put the chicken mixture in the oven to slowly heat up. (chicken in the microwave heated up is GROSS).

So then, I just simply but the rice mixture on the plate and then put the chicken and gravy on top and it was SO GOOD. It tasted JUST like CB! I am so stoked. I have this anytime I want now !!!



Kah

Friday, August 19, 2011

The Republican Race

Introducing ...

your TEA-vangelical candidates

Bachmann

Coyote Killin' Perry

HA! How funny is THAT? I heard that phrase this weekend on Meet the Press- and I thought it was the most clever thing I had ever heard. MAN I wish I could come up with this stuff ... I totally wish my job was just to sit around and come up with clever sayings like that.

Kah

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Villian

How did we all miss this classic movie, The Villian???

Were we all living in a hole? I've never even heard of it.

Uh ....


Yes, that is former California governor, and resident Baby Daddy, Mr. Maria Shriver, AH-nold ... cast as a cowboy. I don't ... I don't know who the Hollywood casting director was, but I hope they never worked again. I hope they are now a manager at Chipotle. THAT is ridiculous!

Conrad spotted this at a recent window shopping trip to Target. Good news though, this movie can be yours for $5!

Kah

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Transformers

I have transformed ... into a 36 year old.


Kah

Sunday, August 14, 2011

My birthday

Good morning! I'm old.

My birthday was really great ... thanks for the calls, emails and Facebook posts! I enjoyed hearing from everyone!

My friend Debbie took me to lunch on Monday - yum! Kelley took me to lunch on Friday - yum! Kelley also brought me back 4 stamps from her trip to Grand Cayman - with pics of the Royal Wedding on them. I was a tad obsessed with the wedding and watched it over and over for two days - I am going to have them framed. So excited about that!

My SC parents sent me some $ - and I've decided to buy a Pampered Chef pizza stone with it. I've wanted one FOREVER and have never really just buckled and bought one. But now I will!

The FL parents sent me a donut maker. It's SO cute and I busted it out last night and made Conrad and I some sour cream donuts with powdered sugar and they were SO good. (I will have a post soon on those).

Sherry at work gave me some beautiful yellow baking dishes. A big one and a smaller one - and Vanessa got me a portfolio - a girly one- with an H on it. SO CUTE. My boss has a similar one - black leather with a giant pink A on it and I  have been jealous of it forever. I typically glare at her in meetings, because I want it so bad. HA! Just kidding ...

Really BAD pic of my new donut maker!

Girly Portfolio

Yellow dish - the smaller one, the larger one is on the bottom
After work I met Conrad at Mia Bella and we had a great dinner. I decided to shake it up and go for the whole wheat pasta with mushrooms and tomatoes -and two GIANT meatballs. It was SO good! Then I turned in my coupon for the FREE bottle of champagne and Godiva dipped strawberries. O.M.G. - I have never tasted anything like that! Conrad and I are actively looking now for meltable Godiva chocolate (hello donuts!) ... and I figured out that I do like champagne, it just has to be EXTREMEMLY dry. Good stuff man! GOOD STUFF.


On top of spaghetti .... all covered with cheese .....

My all, My Everything, My GODIVA

It was a great day - thank you all for everything!

Kah

Friday, August 12, 2011

August 12th

If you can't wish yourself Happy Birthday, then who elsse can? 36 years on the planet - it never seems to get any easier. However, I am happy!

Hopefully Conrad will take me out to a yummy dinner tonight. That restaurant I told you about a month or so ago- Mirabella over in the Vintage Market - they give you chocolate covered strawberries and a bottle of champagne for FREE on your birthday. So that's where I'm campaigning to go!

Kah

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Nail Shop

The other day, as I was heading out of town, I realilzed I needed a pedicure - but my normal place was too full. So I drove around Tomball for a bit and I found a place called Aloha Nails. I LOVE THEM. Totally gonna be my new place. First of all they were QUITE reasonable, they had a ton of people working and it just had a nice vibe about it.

You know what else is SUPER cool about this place?

The little girl's pedicure chair!


Couldn't you just DIE?! It's pink and it's little and it has a giant pink teddy bear head on the top. I loved this chair. I don't want to rush out and have a baby or anything --- but I for sure want to see some little girls having a super fun time in it. It was empty this night - but I bet on Saturday's it's packed!

YAY Aloha nails!

Kah

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Precious Baby

The baby's daddy was out of town some last week and she was PITIFUL.


Of course, I, her MOTHER, was out of town too - but she didn't seem to care much about that! I left Tuesday for Indianapolis and Appleton, WI - and came back on Thursday. I don't even know if she was gone. Conrad left Thursday morning - came back on Sunday ... and she has barely been able to pick her head off the floor.

If you look closely, you can maybe even see a tear in her eye. LOL

Kah

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Garage Sale Haul

I went out this morning and brought back quite the haul. First of all it was HOT - but I decided to devote a couple of hours to it anyway. I have finally learned after five years in the area, the place to garage sale is Magnolia. It's a nice little town, not to far away and mostly has acerage houses, and people with money --- and so they have GOOD stuff. I drove around for two hours and only hit about 6 sales but I got such great stuff ... usually I would drive around for a hour, hit 12 sales and get hardly anything. These sales are spaced farther out - but SO WORTH IT.

First I hit up a small sale and she had some good books. First is a Readers Digest with cool, short stories on America - stuff like How was Monopoly Invented? It's a good bathroom book or a guest room book - just interesting information, trivia, with nice pics. It was a $30 book I got for $1. Conrad will enjoy it. I also got two books with novels condensed into 1 book - so essentially 8 novels, all current books by great authors. Both books were 10 cents each. SCORE. (pardon the doggie feet in the picture)


I also got this pretty coffee mug for 10 cents. I like big mugs because I can eat soup with them. I only have 2, and 1 is Christmas and you KNOW how I feel about that! So now I have 2 normal mugs and 1 Christmas.


I also found a few Christmas items. SUPER cute snowman ornaments. NEW with tags. Each one was $3.99 - and she let me have all 3 for $1. I like to use these in either the baskets I put together for the girls in Conrad's office at Christmas OR I can use them for decoration on wrapped packages. I also found a Rubbermaid wrapping paper/tissue paper/gift tag organizer. It's still in plastic, never used. I think they run about $20 and I got it for $2. SCORE!



At one sale I got a cute orange shirt. It has a tank (not shown) and then over shirt. It was $2 and the tag says it came from Cato's. I took this pic before I washed and ironed it, but trust me, it's cute. It has little pilled up decorations all over it. Very cute. Nice with black capris.



Next up - I found a box of stamping stuff. She has 32 stamps here all from Stampin' Up and another stamping club ... and she had included 8 pads of various inks and a stamp cleaner. It was all in a box for $3. Some of these stamps have $10 price tags on them. I'm not a stamper. I don't really "get" it but it was too valuable to leave behind. So I bought it - and I'll post it on Ebay to get WAY more money back. It could go for as high as $100.



..... and finally my big find. This is a double fruit bowl/ with a bird and crystals. I really loved it. It's a coppery metal color. I might paint it, but for now I like it just fine. In the new house I'll put it in the kitchen and use it maybe for fruit or onions/peppers ... for now I will just put it on a shelf or something. I don't have the counter space here. I paid $10 for it - it's a really substatial piece and I love it. LOVE IT. It's so heavy!



So that was my haul and I think I did well. I spent $19.30 and I know all of this stuff is worth more than that! I think I got some good deals. That's all that matters!

Kah

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Cube Decorating

Yeah ...


Ready for football season. I've cleared away all my "work nonsense" - and printed out a BEAUTIFUL Dallas Cowboys schedule for 2011 - complete with little squares to mark their wins and loses. No, at this point I do NOT wish to hypothesize on which side will be more full. I'm not going to think about it!


For now, I revel in my blue and silver.


GO BOYS.


Kah

Monday, August 1, 2011

Cuteness

We went to Dallas a few weekends ago to see Conrad's sister and BIL and family off ... on their journey to El Paso. At their (now old) house, you pulled up next to the house, for the driveway.

We would load into the cars and go off to dinner every night -- and this little sad face would always watch us pull away.  LOL

Kamden's window was JUST doggie height enough.


Kah