Resolutions

I am totally stealing this from Neil Patrick Harris, but I liked it...

Ten New Year's Resolutions (in no particular order):

1. Read more
2. Become a gym rat
3. Get my inner Giada on
4. At least 8 hours of beauty sleep
5. Make my bed (failed at this last year :-)
6. Become a miser
7. Do more Bible Study
8. Be more social
9. Speak another language
10. Become obsessive compulsive with my apartment

2010

Memories of 2010:

New Job!

Joe painted us!

Kacie 30th dance party!

Pierre!

Spring Fling!

Dundee Day!

Vegas!

Brent's wedding in Florida!

Brent and Tamika home for Christmas!

5 Christmas's!

Awesome food at all the Christmas's!

Loan Paid Off!

Faux Fur Throw that I pet every time I use it!

Amethyst Jewelry!

KSB!

Black Swan

On Christmas Night Joe and I went to see Black Swan. I don't want to give too much away but it was pretty brilliant. I really liked it, although it was very twisted and dark. It was about a girl, Nina (played by Natalie Portman), who is obsessed with being the perfect ballerina. She gets the lead part in Swan Lake but her inappropriate instructor is not happy with her as the Black Swan. She also has an overbearing mother who is living vicariously through her daughter. Trying to be the perfect dancer and perfect daughter lead Nina to become obsessive and paranoid - convinced the new gal, Lily (played by Mila Kunis), is out to get her role...

I was freaked out through out the last half of the movie - grabbing and squeezing Joe's hand and arm tightly, but that only added to the brilliance of the movie. I definitely recommend you go see this!

Celeb Gossip

Hello my babies!

It's been a while! well, i don't have any thing mind boggling to write about today but want to keep this up.

So, i thought i would write about something i probably know waaaaayyy too much of - celeb gossip! it seems like there have a lot of break up this week in hollywoodland...

ryan reynolds and scarlett johansson - seriously!?! - this couple says they broke up because they never saw each other. i get that they want their careers to take off and they both have/had big movies (comic book movies, no less) and both named hottest male/female of the year, but really, why get married if you aren't going to be with each other. i get that your jobs keep you away for a while, but isn't that why you plan it out? some people are blaming blake lively - ick! (i'll talk about her a little later...)

dexter peeps - i don't remember their real names - but didn't she stay with him when he had cancer? weird. but she plays his sister on that show - maybe that was a tell tale sign. rumor has it he hooked up with julia stiles - after they broke up... not too bad of an upgrade - i however find him creepy plus he was way too convincing as the gay brother on six feet under...

courtney cox and david arquette - really who would have thought they would have lasted this long?

eva longoria and tony parker - i kinda thought they would make it - however those basketball dudes - girls just throw themselves at them. maybe it's the shorts?

xtina (that was for you joe ;-) and her husband - apparently they had an open relationship and she is bisexual? shocking this didn't work.

okay, i talked about the break up - now for the oddest hookups...

jake gyllenhaal and taylor swift - i think both of these people are trying to date everyone in hollywood! what an odd pair!

blake lively and ryan gossling - another weird couple. i am just not a fan of her's. i feel like she plays the same person in each role - a pouty, weird lipped gal

so, i guess all in all - we all need to be thankful for the one we have and don't take each other for granted.

happy holidays!

Last Christmas

Yesterday and Today

When's the last time you got out of your seat, danced, drank wine, sang, and even sweated a bit during the entire second act of a show at the Omaha Community Playhouse? If you prefer to sit still and not have fun when you go to the theatre, then you should NOT go to this show. However, if you enjoy Beatles music or just a fun time, then go out and see Yesterday and Today at the Playhouse. You get to request your favorite Beatles songs, bring in your drinks from the bar, encouraged to get out of your seat and dance, and even get to sing on the mic (well, I was one of the lucky few who did!). I love Beatles music, but I didn't even realize all the songs I knew or how much fun they were!

I went to this show after having an unusually stressful day at work. I was very crabby, but super excited to hang out with two of my favorite girlfriends, Casey and Kacie, for happy hour. Once I met them at the 1020 in Dundee, I totally left work at the door, and we had a fun time chatting, drinking good wine, and eating some yummy (however later learned somewhat potent) bread with garlic dip. Afterwards we went to the Glass Harmony Holiday Art Show/Sale. This was either the third or fourth year I have gone. I have bought glass ornaments in the past as gifts, but never bought one for myself. I decided to get one this year. I LOVE it! The Show/Sale just happened to be at Omaha Community Playhouse, and Kacie is a part of their buzz team, so she gets tickets to some of the performances there. She suggested since we would be there, that we all go. Unfortunately, Casey couldn't stay for the show, but hung out with us until the show was about to start.

Yesterday and Today was in the Howard Drew theatre, which is my favorite theatre. It is small and makes you feel intimate with the cast, but I don't ever feel cramped, which is good for my weird claustrophobia. It was decorated in 60's psychedelic themed props (see pics) and the musicians were dressed like the Beatles in Chuck Taylors. The main three guys are all brothers and they started the show as a tribute to their father and they reference him a lot in the show, which is sweet. One of the guys even has a bass violin thingy like Paul McCartney (I think that's who played that). All of them have kids named after the fab four, too.

Thanks Kacie for the ticket! This was a super fun time and a great way to start off the weekend and the start of December!

Burger Joints

i enjoy a good cheeseburger. my mom always likes to tell the story of on a trip we took to new york when i was 8 or 9, i ordered a bacon cheeseburger for almost every meal. i think back then, that was the only thing i knew i would like - my palette has matured a bit more since then, however, cheeseburgers are still one of my favs...

lately omaha has seemed to explode with different burger places. i have been to most of them and decided to review some of the places i have been.

fuddruckers - i think my ultimate favorite burger place. their burgers are juicy, the buns are toasted, you can get bacon on them, and then you pick out your toppings. they also have ranch and warm cheese sauce - bonus! their fries are just okay - i like that they are seasoned, but i am not a huge fan of wedge potatoes. and their prices are very reasonable.

burger star - i ate there tonight! my friend eric and i tend to go their quite a bit - it's a good middle point between our two homes. and their burgers are really good. i think they are a bit more messy and greasy. BUT there are two things i enjoy about this place - their bacon and the variety of toppings. their fries are not the greatest, but i do think they are getting better than when we first started going there. they also have other sides, but i have never tried them.

smash burger - i enjoy the quality of the burger and the fact that they have guacamole as a topping and fried pickles, haystack onions, and veggie frites. their smash sauce and smash sides are definitely the best in town, but the price is a bit more expensive than other places.

five guys - i have only eaten here once and feel like i need to go back to give them a fair shot. i didn't really enjoy this place. i started off wrong by ordering a regular bacon cheeseburger, which has two burger patties. i am not a huge fan of a ton of meat - i enjoy a little meat and lots of fun toppings. they do offer a 'little' burger, which must be a one patty burger. when i got my burger, it was super greasy and i some how ran out of bun and still had burger and toppings left, so it was extra messy. also, their fries are no good. just bad. i do like that they have different toppings to put on your burger. but if i go back, i may seriously think about ordering a bacon cheese hotdog instead of a burger.

red robin - this used to be my favorite place - guacamole burger, fries, red robin salt, and ranch... yum, yum! but i think i just overdid it there, so i haven't really wanted to go there. it is a bit more expensive and you can't make your own burger, but they have a burger for everyone's taste.

well those are some of the burger joints i have been to. what about you? what place do you like or recommend? what don't you like?

Burlesque

I decided to try to start writing reviews of the movies I see... it's my blog, so why not?

Last night, my very sweet boyfriend offered to take me to see Burlesque - he had no desire to see it but knew I wanted to - what a guy!

Burlesque was pretty stereotypical - poor, young lady trying to get of her small town and make it big. I wasn't a fan of the opening part - pretty cheesy (and for those of you who know me, I enjoy a little cheese in my movies, but this was over the top, even for me). The young girl finds a burlesque shop on one of her first days, enters in, falls in love with the dancing and music, and wants to work there. Cher (owner of the club) won't really listen to her or give her a job, so Christina decides to wait the tables on her own. The bar tender digs her, so he lets her continue and she starts working there. Eventually Xtina is allowed to start dancing in the shows, only because Julianne Hough gets knocked up. Mean Kristen Bell doesn't like that everyone loves Xtina so much and tries to sabotage her show, but only makes her more in demand as she starts singing all the songs instead of lip syncing... The club is in financial hardship, but Cher doesn't want to sell to McSteamy... McSteamy digs Xtina, they hang out every once and a while, much to the dismay of the bar tender/roommate/Twilight guy. However, the bar tender/roommate/Twilight is engaged, but likes Xtina. He and his fiancé break up over the phone (she's in New York). So he and Xtina get it on that night and continue to. Fiancé shows up, says all these mean things about Xtina, she leaves, goes to Stanley Tudcci's (i have no idea how to spell his last name), some dude answers, he lets her in, she then gets a call from McSteamy, to whom she goes to. Twilight dude comes looking for her, she's gone, but Stanley Tucci realizes he's going to stop having one night stands and asks that dude to lunch. Xtina goes to McSteamy's and realizes he is going to build a 20 story building with windows where the Burlesque building is because it's the "best view on the Sunset Strip". Xtina figures out how to save the club, she makes up with vampire dude... all is good at Burlesque.

The movie was fun, but it was no Chicago or Rent (:-) by any means. My favorite parts were that Alan Cumming was in it and they had super sparkly, glittery, pearly, feathery costumes. Xtina's hair and weird chicken legs along with Cher's non-moving face were the worst parts. At one point, Cher was supposed to be crying and really upset, and you could hardly tell because her face didn't move!

I give the movie a C+. Plus only because of Alan Cumming and the glitter. :-)

Thankful

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because everyone gets together to enjoy the company and eat good food. It's a day where we think about the good things in our lives. In honor of this holiday, I am going to share some of the things I am thankful for (these are in no particular order, just as they came to my head)...

1. A loving and supportive family. With my job, I get to work with and observe several different family systems and I have come to learn how truly blessed I am to have these loved ones in my life.

2. A wonderful, understanding boyfriend. He just gets me and I am so appreciative of that. I love him wholeheartedly.

3. My job. Not many people can say they love what they do, but I am one of those people!

4. My health. After the year I have had, you might not think I would be, but I have learned it could be so much worse and I am so thankful for healing.

5. Friends. I love that my friends and I don't do the "typical" things, but we are eccentric and eclectic and have SO MUCH FUN together! I can't stop laughing when I am with them.

6. Glitter and sequins - they always make me smile and feel better

7. Cookiefest - making cookies, drinking wine, and hanging out with my favorite people - nuff said!

8. The Olympics - although it's a competition, the idea of all these countries coming together for the sake of sportsmanship and get along (for the most part). Also, everyone's journey to making it to the olympics is so inspiring and interesting.

There is sooo much more, but this is just what I can come up with off the top of my head. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Christmas

oh snap - two posts in one day!!! how lucky can one be?!?

so i did it... my christmas decorations are up! except one of my garland swags is not lighting up. it does this every year, i go out to buy a new one and then it lights up... i think it knows when i am planning to get a new one! i kept the one i bought last year, so if it doesn't light up by thanksgiving, then i will change it out. i also put up some chinese lanterns with purple christmas lights in them, but half of the stand doesn't want to light up either. so as with the garland, if it keeps not working, i will swap it out...

it doesn't really feel like it should be holiday season yet. i don't know why, but i am just not ready for it to be that time of the year.

i am getting excited for cookie making party, though! a few years ago, my friend Kacie invited myself, Eric, and Casey over to make some cookies and drink some wine. the first year casey had to leave early - to go dear hunting??? or something like that... well, we made the cookies and drank the wine and had a grand ole time. i think stuffed crust pizza and the movie elf were also involved for the inaugural event. ;-) This was when the legend was born! Now, every year we get together - kacie has the ingredients and we bring the wine. ryan has joined our group and i think we invited matt after he married kacie (he wasn't invited prior to then, even though we were doing this at his home in his kitchen...). inappropriateness is not only allowed, it's expected and encouraged. there's usually something penis and boob related and ginger people doing explicit things to one another. we do not discriminate either, some of the ginger people lose a limb or get decapitated, but we still decorate them - only when they fall on the floor is when we bury them. by the end of the decorating, the lithuanian booze comes out and sometimes chairs get broken or eric passes out - all in the name of cookie making party! expect anything! can't wait for it again this year!

Holidays

due to limited funds, i have decided to make most of my gifts this year. since i am pretty sure i only have one reader, i don't mind sharing what i am thinking about making...

i started out thinking that i could make bracelets for everyone, but that is a bit boring, and i don't think of myself as boring. so i did some research and found some fun angels i can make out of dishcloths. BUT then i started watching YouTube videos on how to make resin jewelry - which looks like it could be hard, but want to look more into it - i see this type of jewelry for sale all over etsy.com and at the afternoon. my only worry is that they recommend doing it outside due to the fumes, but hey, i have big windows! but i guess we will see if i can find all the items needed to make these creations and then see if they fit into my budget.

it's also very hard to find dignified homemade gifts for guys. they all look like things 5 year olds make. so i am not sure what to do for the guys in my life... if my faithful reader has any ideas, i would appreciate it!

discipline

kinda a heavy topic tonight. just finished another financial peace class. i think the biggest thing i am learning is that i struggle with discipline. not in all aspects of my life - i got to work, pay my bills (usually on time :-), attend church, meet deadlines, etc... however, i STRUGGLE with saving/not spending money, following a diet, exercising, staying organized... i also noticed i start a lot of projects, but hardly ever finish them - paintings, craft projects, learning to play the guitar, reading books... i know i need to maintain discipline more in my personal/private life, but i get overwhelmed and don't know where to start, so i don't do any of them. OR i will start one thing, then decide i want to add another area i want to focus on, so then the first thing falls to the way side. i really need to find a way to make myself more accountable. i have found that if i have someone who tries to help me be accountable, i tend to get pissed off if they call me out on my short comings or i will just lie and not admit i failed.

well, i guess admitting it is my first step... stay tuned to see if anything more becomes of this...

Too Early???

Is it too early to put up my Christmas decorations? I have more time to do it on this Saturday since I am on call for work on the Saturday after Thanksgiving... I might just do it...

BOO BOO BOO!!!

SHOCKED! ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW! BOO AMERICA!!!

DWTS

i'm going to try to blog more. i do like to do it, i just forget... tonight's topic - dancing with the stars. will bristol go home??? she did well last night but so did everyone else. i wouldn't be sad to see jennifer gone though. i don't know why she bugs me so much, but dang, yes she does. i like brandi, however i think she looks hunch backed at times. kyle is my fave! he's just fun! and he's with my favorite pro - lacey!

i think with an outfit like the one above, i am destined to be on dwts! oh wait, just one prob, i'm not a star... hmm - gonna work on that...

Making Hummus

cookiefest 2009 edited

holidays

i can't believe the holidays are almost here! crazy! so excited!

waiting...

Text

Trying to blog from mms. I am getting techy!

bobsled

I don't really get bobsled - is is luge for bigger men? Why is it on the same track, seems like it should be on a bigger track.
But I do think it's coolthere is a former husker compeing!

blackberry

Sending from blackberry

First Post

Starting this to learn how to do it from my Blackberry... Who knows how it will evolve...