Flowers 101

{spray roses and eucalyptus in a brass bowl}

{hydrangea, spray roses and eucalyptus in a silver bowl}

{hydrangea and winter berries}

{mariana roses and winter berries}

We've had a lot of visitors to the house lately, which has given me a nice excuse to put together flower arrangements. I'm always surprised by the endorphin boost flower shopping and arranging brings me, not to mention the joy I feel by just seeing the flowers on a table or windowsill.

For the past couple of weeks, I've gone to Central Market on Tuesday evening to pick up the prettiest flowers and greenery I can find for a total of less than $20 (tip: CM sells long-stem roses in all colors for $1 each on Tuesdays!). Then I go home after class and turn them into two or three sweet arrangements.

My favorites above are the two in bowls. I thrifted those bowls over the weekend in East Dallas -- the brass bowl is about the size of a salad plate, while the silver one is huge, bigger than a dinner plate. The bowls cost me about $5 all together. The bright green of the eucalyptus, the whisper pink of the spray roses and the lacy look of the hydrangea gives it such an antique feeling, and the colors are just right for spring. They look Easter-y to me, actually. I'm not usually a pink person, but this works.

A couple of tips from an amateur, if you'd like to try your hand at flower arranging:

• Get floral foam from your craft store. Neither of the bowl arrangements would be possible without floral foam to hold them in place.
• Use unusual containers. Vases are fine, but even when I use vases, I like to use a big leaf to go around the inside so you're not seeing stems. I have a basket carved out of a tree root I want to use (fingers crossed that it's waterproof) and a vintage silver gravy boat. I also hang on to interesting bottles to use as bud vases.
• Don't underestimate the power of greenery. Berries, ornamental grasses, curly foliage... I've even re-used hydrangea leaves, which are gorgeous, in arrangements with other flowers. The greenery adds texture, depth and interest that you can't get from blooms alone. It makes arrangements feel organic while hiding imperfections and gaps.
• When in doubt, monochrome works. I think people get themselves in trouble by trying to make colorful vases of flowers. Keeping more or less to one palette and adding interest by different types of flowers always looks classic and polished.
• Change the water and re-cut the stems. I've heard all kinds of old wives' tales about adding baby aspirin or a penny to the water to make the flowers last longer. Don't know if there's any truth to those, but I can tell you that clean water and fresh cut stems keep my flowers perky.

Let me know if you do try it! I'd love to see what you come up with. I'll keep posting my pictures too.

Recipe: Holly Jolly Biscotti

{pretty biscotti breakfast}

I've been battling a post-holiday head cold for the last week or so, and my meds seem to have rendered me completely A.D.D. Good for my blog (three posts in about a week's time?), bad for my work.

Clearly, I've decided to run with it, though, until boss-man calls me out. So in that spirit, I'm making good on a promise I made, oh, hmm, a month or two ago, to share a recipe with you.

A friend of mine pointed me to Texas Oncology's Holly Jolly Biscotti, which promises to be a "tasty and simple holiday recipe" showcasing "the peak-season flavors of Texas citrus and pecans." Not only that, but unlike virtually everything else I consumed between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2, it's not terrible for you. "Packed with healthy ingredients, this Italian-inspired, twice-baked cookie is a delicious and nutritious way to promote a good-for-you diet throughout the holidays."

Or in this case, AFTER the holidays, when most of us are resolving to regain our waistlines.

Texas Oncology has made it easy. Here's a cute recipe card (opens in a PDF) and YouTube video demo. You can also view the press release and a fact sheet on nutrition that lowers disease risk, if you're really curious.

I helped host a bridal shower for Abby last month, and several of Abby's out-of-town friends stayed at my house overnight. My first slumber party in far too long, and I had a blast. Knowing that the girls would be waking up and leaving at various times the next morning, I decided to make a bunch of biscotti ahead of time, along with fruit, granola, coffee and orange juice, so they could help themselves whenever they pleased. Easier than making eggs to order, don'tcha think?

A few notes: I goofed and grabbed grapefruits instead of oranges, but the result was still really fantastic. I chose to use 1 cu. AP flour, 1 cu. whole wheat pastry flour, and 1 cu. bread flour (instead of 2 cu. AP/ 1 cu. whole wheat), and I was really happy with the texture. Here's my big baker's secret: I made the dough a day before I wanted to bake the cookies, then wrapped it in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. While the flour absorbs most liquids right away (olive oil, juice), the eggs have to undergo a slower molecular process before being absorbed. I've started doing this routine with all my cookies, and the results are fabulous. (Comment if you have questions about this! I find it fascinating, personally.) The last note is that you really should wait the full 20 minutes or more before slicing the biscotti pieces. The chocolate needs to harden a bit first. Oh, and I used a chef's knife, not a serrated knife; I found the sawing motion of the serrated knife made the cookies crumble a bit, and no one wants to see a cookie crumble.

Without further ado, the recipe and my photos:

Holly Jolly Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients	Yields: 24 to 26 biscotti
3 eggs ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour	1/2 cup of sugar 2 tablespoons orange zest 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, olive oil, orange juice, and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, orange zest, baking powder, and salt. Add dry mix slowly to wet ingredients until mixture forms a ball. Turn out dough mixture onto a well-floured surface and knead a few times. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips in alternating batches until evenly distributed.
Divide dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a log about 9 inches long, then press flat until it is about half an inch tall and 3 inches wide. Transfer logs to baking sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks for 20 minutes.
Using a serrated knife, slice each log on the diagonal into ½ inch pieces. Return to oven and bake on each side for about 10 minutes (approx. total of 20 minutes). Slices should be golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.

{ingredients; umm, yes, that's a grapefruit, not an orange. whoopsies.}

{dough with the mix-ins}

{preparing dough for overnight refrigeration}

{two logs, shaped}

{the thickness of the logs}

{baked biscotti logs}

{sliced}

{baking cookies for a second time so they'll be golden on all sides}

The girls ate every. last. piece. Even the baggie I had set aside to give to my neighbor. Given that most of the time when I host 20-something females, they hardly touch the food, I take that as a very good sign! Now maybe I should make another healthful batch to help me kick this cold...

World Traveling

{cup of apple tea on my desk}

One of the hidden benefits of Brad's and my jobs is that we have the opportunity to scratch our itch for wanderlust by traversing the globe. We'll log plenty of miles over the next 30 days in particular... I'm leaving Sunday for a four-day trip to Vancouver for a meeting. The next day I head to Europe and Africa for two weeks with Brad for his job. A couple of days after I return from that trip, it's off to Chicago and then New York City, then I have my fingers crossed that I'll be able to go to Japan for a product launch.

While visions of four continents in 30 days dance in my head, I know I'll look forward to some quiet time in November. That time of year makes me crave pumpkin spice lattes, cable-knit blankets, hats... Trite, perhaps, but oh so satisfying during cozy autumn weather. Brad and I also celebrate our anniversary and his birthday during the fall, and we typically go to his parents' house in San Miguel de Allende for Thanksgiving.

What are your favorite fall traditions?

I think we should get back together.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder…

Is it true? After two months of a Wholly Surrendered blog famine, have you missed me?

Don’t worry, I’m still around and kickin’. I’m not sure what to blame the lag on: school assignments, work chaos, or laziness. Anyway. I’ve just been so distracted. But I hope you'll take me back. I've been doing a lot of thinking and, well... there may still be a spark between us.

Whatdya say, give me another chance?

Thanks to those of you who are still following me. Don’t lose hope! I know I have lost at least one follower, but I guarantee I will be back to my blogging self soon.

You know, really… I think I can blame the anti-blogness on not really feeling like myself. I know I’ve blogged before about that, but even though I absolutely am LOVING my schooling, I still don’t feel like I have found my outlet. I’m searching… God is great and He knows me. He understands my complicated heart even when I don’t.

I receive a free Bible email every day, and I have gotten in the nasty habit of “Marking as Read” when I see her in the old Gmail inbox. I have struggled through feeling distant from the Lord, and with the help of some dear friends, I’m getting back on track and reading. Many of us likely know these verses, excerpted from today’s email… What words to live by:

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3:7-11

Word.

Thanks for sticking with this complacent blogger! I’ll try to be more consistent about updating. And I realize this wasn’t much of an update. So I’ll bring you fairly up to speed with some photos from recent weeks (since early April).

Celebrating with my priceless friend Caroline at her bachelorette! She’ll marry her love Todd on June 6.

This was formerly Brad’s junk room. After 1.5 years of trying desperately to ignore the mess in that room while keeping the rest of my home clean (the Gaultneys have different definitions of what “tidy” and “clean” mean), I went Medieval on it and cleaned it like the bizness. I’ll wait for the “after” pictures till next month, when I plan to paint it. I'm thinking cool gray, with white and yellow (and fuschia?) punches.

Our kindred, dearest friends, the Gahms – AKA The Wanderlusters. We visited them in Breckenridge as they travel across the globe for one year. (Steph, I owe you pictures. I'll do a FB album soon now that I've found my camera cord and can post!)

Then some more dearest friends got ENGAGED! Here’s a photo of them about a week before Zach popped the question to Abby. We celebrated her birthday Cajun-style with a crawfish dinner.

My older brother Matt got MARRIED! Somehow I was so caught up with emotion that I didn’t take photos of the blessed event, but here’s a snapshot of me and my mama. Isn’t she gorge?



Here’s a picture of me and Brad from a recent trip to New York City. Times Square! Thanks to those who made recommendations on what to do and see, especially Erin!

The Greening of the Gaultney Homestead

I’ve blogged before about my desire to be an eco-friendly, vegan goddess. I really do aspire to live simply, without clutter and the distractions of excess. But I know myself well, and a vegan (or even vegetarian) I will never be; and with everything that is going on in my life –

• Busy job
• Three demanding classes in grad school this semester
• Church commitments
• Maintaining a happy marriage during a season when time together is a rare commodity

– I know it will be a challenge to go balls-to-the-wall “green.”

(If you’re like me, you just kind of cringed at my use of the phrase “balls-to-the-wall.” I can’t help but get a mental image.)

(You probably just did too. Ha!)

I never made an official New Year’s resolution out of my desire to greenify, but I guess it really was early January when we began to implement easy changes to help the environment and our bodies.

Eat.
For one thing, Brad and I started a sort-of diet. I call it a sort-of diet because it’s not necessarily that we’re eating only certain foods or restricting ourselves, but we have taken steps to eat healthier, less processed stuff, and I’m cooking a whole lot more. We now shop pretty exclusively at Central Market (my Mecca), and buy a lot of fresh fish, tons of produce, raw nuts and seeds, organic dairy, whole and sprouted grains, and the like. It’s definitely ‘spensive, but when we’re not fighting colds, allergies, and flu (?!), we feel tons better than we used to. And I try to buy the most local products that I can. I wouldn’t call myself a locavore, but I’m moving in that direction.

Drink.
Brad probably wasn’t thinking about the impact on the environment when he took up his latest hobby, but he has begun homebrewing. This is really great for the environment – so much better than buying beer and wine at the store – because of the carbon impact of the manufacturing facilities and shipping heavy glass bottles. So far he has made a wonderful batch of Amarone wine, using my art as the label for his bottles, and two batches of beer which are also QUITE good!

Home.
We’ve given up our dependence on paper towels. ::: cue applause ::: I have been a huge Viva paper towels fan since college. If you’re going to buy a paper towel, I have to say that is the most durable, absorbent brand around, and I love how they don’t have stupid doodles of strawberries or puppies on the towel. Just pure white. But we ran out of paper towels a few weeks ago, and I decided not to replenish! This is one change Brad is still struggling with, but I honestly haven’t missed them. I have tons of cute and functional dish towels and rags that do the job. I’d like to think the money we are saving on paper towels offsets our Central Market grocery bills, but… that's probably a stretch.

(In other paper-related news, I've decided to get behind Sheryl Crow's "one square" campaign and use only one square of toilet tissue per restroom visit. That may be TMI, to use a passe phrase, but it really is very do-able, and a good cost-saving and eco-friendly strategy! I thought it was silly when I first heard of it, but now I'm a believer.)

We’ve been recycling for a while now, but I have ramped up my diligence in that area. It’s pretty eye-opening to see how much waste there would be if we weren’t recycling. We fill up our bin at least once a week. (Dallasites, you can sign up here for the city's free recycling program.)

I could write a little more about some of the changes we’re making, but I think I’ve covered the biggies. For the hardcore greenies, this list probably doesn’t look like much, but it’s a start! We’re just trying to be better stewards of God’s earth and our bodies, His temple.

Psalm 24:1 – 5
The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

for he founded it upon the seas and
established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.

He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication
from God his Savior.

This. is. JEOPARDY!

Confession: I'm a nerd. But then you probably already knew that.

Ever since I was old enough to read, I have LOVED the show Jeopardy. I also happen to be quite good at it, if I do say so myself. :-)

I actually went on vacation to Los Angeles to watch the taping of three Jeopardy episodes in 2004. My timing was perfect... I saw Ken Jennings become the first Jeopardy contestant to amass winnings of over $1 million! I saw him win the million! They film three episodes per day, so I saw him on his 29, 30 and 31st days on the show. I wanted to take the qualifying test, but sadly, the process of waiting, taking the test, interviewing, etc. would take hours, and we had tickets to Universal City.

But for the past two years the producers decided to make the contestant test available online for a very limited time. I knew about it, but for some reason didn't take the test.

Today was an "ice day" here in Dallas, and after watching news coverage of dozens of cars slipping, sliding, and stopping on iced-over roadways, I opted to stay home. Jeopardy came on at 11 on CBS, and I seized this rare opportunity to watch one of my favorite shows! After answering 90 percent of the questions correctly, Brad sent me the link to the registration for THIS year's online test and told me I "didn't have a choice." He would make me take the test. (What would I do without him?! He's my cheerleader -- err, yell leader?)

Guess what: The test was today!

What timing! Of all the days to be home, to watch Jeopardy, to show off my trivia skills for my husband... and the one day that they're testing is TODAY! They offer this test for only 10 minutes in the entire year, and today was the day! So I registered and received an email saying I needed to log in within 30 minutes before the test at 8 p.m., or I would be disqualified. I remembered RIGHT before the test was about to begin... I was preparing to watch LOST and then realized it was test time.

So I logged in, and the questions started firing! Each question was on the screen for 15 seconds, and I had to TYPE my response in (not multiple choice, people!). Then the screen would change to the next question. There were 50 total questions, and the entire test took about 10 minutes. I knew the answers to 31 questions without a doubt, and there were 19 questions I either passed on or guessed. Not my best performance, but those questions were tough!

I'll never find out my score, and I doubt I'll get invited for an audition interview. There are probably thousands and thousands of people who take this test, and only a few are selected through a random selection process to audition. But I am still somehow excited to have finally taken the qualifying test for this show that I've loved for so long!

Crazy Eights

In March 2007, Brad and I boarded a flight to Seattle, where he planned to propose to me. We sat on row 8 of our plane. At the time, Brad – a math and science guy – was very interested in the biblical significance of numbers, and I asked him if the number 8 meant anything. He told me that in God’s word, the number 8 is often used to signify a new beginning… which ended up being exactly what that trip was for our relationship. :-)

How very appropriate that as we begin a new year, I was tagged by Martha to talk about a series of eight things. Here we go!

8 TV SHOWS I WATCH
1. LOST
2. Top Chef
3. Project Runway
4. Mad Men
5. Barefoot Contessa
6. Passport to Europe/ Rick Steves’ Europe
7. The Office
8. 30 Rock
9. House

I watch too much TV! I know I added two extra, and I could probably think of 10 more shows to add to this list.

8 FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
There are SO many, but these were the first that came to mind:
1. Texas de Brazil (Dallas – special occasion place for carnivores)
2. Los Barrios (San Antonio – cheese enchiladas and margaritas!)
3. Longhorn Café (San Antonio – best greasy cheeseburgers on the planet)
4. Black Friar Pub (Dallas - cheese fries and beer!)
5. Toulouse (Dallas – so French, with delicious foie gras)
6. Trudy’s (Austin – great memories)
7. Café Madrid (Dallas – tapas)
8. Deep Sushi (Dallas – Deep Ellum)

Honorable mention goes to Grimaldi’s in Dallas for the coal oven-fired meatball pizza I had a couple of weeks ago and haven’t been able to stop thinking about!

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED TODAY
1. Woke up too early on a day off (Happy birthday, Dr. King!) when one of Brad’s colleagues telephoned him at the crack of dawn.
2. Ate mom’s sugar cookies for breakfast, then felt compelled to go on a speedwalk/ run with Brad and my hand weights.
3. Scoured the house for garage sale items and amassed them in the formal living room (it never gets used anyway!)
4. Enjoyed vegetarian platter at Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill with Brad.
5. Bought a tea table and a new console table at World Market.
6. Re-wired entertainment center (around our house, Brad builds things and keeps up the outside, but I do the electronics), then tidied up.
7. Shopped for rugs online and determined I had already spent too much money on home stuff for the day.
8. Practiced shooting the Walther PPS.

Veggie Platter from Fadi's

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO
1. Toning up my arms before Matt and Brittney’s wedding on May 2!
2. Starting grad school this week… and finishing it in two or three years. :-)
3. Going on a Mediterranean cruise in October 2009.
4. Being a mom someday.
5. Finding a new home and getting new furniture.
6. The rest of my life with Brad (too corny?).
7. Meeting up with my Kindred and her hubs on their year-long sojourn.
8. Retirement. Is that a bad sign?

8 THINGS I WISH FOR
I think I answered this in the last question, no? Maybe the question here refers to material things? If that’s the case, I feel a little materialistic answering… but this is Dallas, so here goes:
1. Mortar and pestle
2. Slicing tools – a rasp for zesting citrus and a mandoline
3. Meat thermometer
4. A really nice camera, and the skills to use it
5. Hermès Kelly Bag
6. Apple laptop (mine got stolen, and Brad uses the Mac we replaced it with for his work)
7. New house or apartment (long story)
8. Chanel perfume (I love her, and the scents are quintessential France)

I also wish Brad and I could move to Paris.

8 SONGS I JUST LISTENED TO
That would be the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. Amazing movie, if you haven’t seen it, and equally good soundtrack! It awakens the Indian belly dancer in me and makes me “shimmy,” a la Fit TV.

8 MOVIES I LOVE
Well, aside from the aforementioned Slumdog:

1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Le Scaphondre et Le Papillon, en français)
2. There Will Be Blood
3. No Country for Old Men
4. Sabrina
5. Beauty and the Beast
6. Any movies by Wes Anderson or Christopher Guest
7. Amadeus
8. When Harry Met Sally

I’m desperate to see Revolutionary Road! Have any of you seen it?

8 PEOPLE I TAG
No pressure. These taggings are good for me, because otherwise I probably wouldn’t have blogged for another week and this is good motivation... but I realize not everyone wants to let me tell them what to write. Don’t feel obligated, but I tag my friendly bloggers to write on these same topics whenever they're lacking motivation for original content:

1. Abby
2. Alison
3. Erin
4. Janette
5. Jashley
6. Jennifer
7. Meagan
8. Stephanie

Honest to Goodness

My wonderful and much lauded cousin Martha nominated me for the Honest Scrap blogger award! Read her list here. I don’t have her gift for brevity, so please bear with me on this long post as I list for you “10 honest things about me that you possibly do not know.” And make sure you read to the end, because I may have nominated YOU for the same task!

1. I am a wannabe vegan radical. For some reason I fancy myself a total earth mother, who makes frosting with arrowroot powder and agave nectar and coconut milk instead of butter and sugar (like this blogger does), advocates fair trade and lives super sustainably by making my own clothes and recycling my toilet water and maintaining a compost pile. But alas, I’m just not. Texas de Brazil is my idea of a special occasion dinner, and that’s as un-green and anti-vegan as it gets. I do want to live in a teeny tiny energy-efficient home, and to really serve others in my community. I just ordered a book on Amazon called Irresistible Revolution, and I think it’s going to help me figure out how I can live like a radical in my everyday Jesus-loving life. I’m pumped.
2. I was an overachiever in high school. I was vice president of student council, president of the National Honor Society, a National Merit Scholar Finalist, member of Thespian Society, member of Quill and Scroll, Varsity cheerleader (I quit before my junior year), yearbook editor, newspaper editor, even a member of the vocabulary club! And I’m sure I’m leaving stuff out.

A SACS Lion from age 5

While I don’t look back on those days wistfully (as in, “those were the days”), I do have good memories of high school. On the other hand, part of me wishes I had done less, because I kind of got burned out for college involvement. And on that note…

3. I love the University of Texas and will forever bleed burnt orange, but I don’t think I had an authentic college experience. I graduated early, and didn’t get involved in much except Communications Council (for one year), a student magazine and a free speech group. I also got involved with my church, but not until pretty late in the game. And I worked all through college, so that limited my ability to do a lot. However, God allowed me to have an amazing friend-for-life roommate in college, so I’m grateful for that. I graduated with highest honors, but I regret not taking full advantage of those rare years of being an undergrad.

Me and some of my favorite Longhorns :-)

These next few kind of go together…

4. I sometimes wonder what life would be like if I were still single. Don’t misunderstand me – I’m so GLAD to go through life with Brad, and I don’t regret marrying him for a second. I want to be really clear about that. I thank God every day for him, and for orchestrating everything about our meeting, dating, engagement and marriage the way He did. One of my top goals in life is to be an amazing wife to Bradford. My point is, I always thought I’d be at least 30 before I got married, but I met the man of my dreams at age 20! Just for the sake of curiosity, I sometimes think about what life would be like if I were in Paris and working as a journalist, or living in North Africa and working as a Peace Corps volunteer. Truth is, I’d probably still be right where I am, doing exactly what I’m doing. But it’s funny.

"So happy togetherrrr..."

5. I want babies sooner than four years from now (but I’m going to wait). Brad and I adopted the “five year plan” when we got married. We want to travel the world and finish grad school before other obligations enter the picture. I’m totally committed to the five year plan, but I have a twinkle in my eye for my babies. I can’t wait to meet them someday (Oct. 2012! Ha!).

6. I think Jesus is going to come back before I have kids. Maybe it’s the Christian school influence, but I have ALWAYS thought the second coming of Christ would happen before the next big milestone. I remember being in first grade, and Mrs. McGann told my class that in third grade we get to take achievement tests. I remember thinking “Third grade?! That’s so far away! Jesus will definitely come back before then.” We also lived near the airport growing up, and any time I heard the roar of a plane taking off, I thought it was the rapture. I thought Jesus would come back before I got married, and now I think Jesus will come back before I have kids.

7. Sometimes I want to move back to San Antonio. As much as I’d like to think I’ve got my stuff together up here in Dallas, visits to San Antonio and Boerne make me remember how much I miss my friends and family. It will probably get worse once baby Gaultneys enter the picture, but I know the Lord has us here for a reason, and we have commitments in Dallas that will keep us here for several more years. I really do love Dallas, and I’ve made amazing friends here… I just wish it weren’t a five-hour drive to “home.”

A dreamy picture of SA's Riverwalk, which I have visited probably three times in my life.

8. I have a long memory, sometimes to a fault. The good news is, I will NEVER forget your birthday. If you ask me to pray for something, I will NOT forget to lift you up. However, it also means I know which of Brad’s Corps buddies came to our wedding and didn’t give us a gift. And it means if you ever gave me a backwards compliment, I made a mental note. I hate that about me. Oh well.

9. I’m jealous of blondes. Gah, who knows why this is? Some of my very dearest friends are blonde (Sharkie, Dubey-Lew, Meago, Meggo, just to name a few), and I don’t have any problems with them at all, but other than that, I have this weird jealousy of blondes. Maybe it’s because there really is some buy-in to the “blondes have more fun,” adage, especially in Texas. But I’ve made it clear to Brad that he is not allowed to think blondes are pretty. I understand him saying that Anne Hathaway is attractive, because good night, I even think she’s a sex monster. But Kate Hudson? Carrie Underwood? That girl who dances on the table in the Bacardi Mojito commercial? NO. Not allowed.

Screen shot of the infamous Bacardi Mojito commercial

10. I’m actually really shy. That surprises some people. But yes, I’m a definite introvert, and most of the time I’d rather read a book or watch Bravo TV at home than go to a party.

So now I would like to take a moment to pass the torch to some of my fellow bloggers (including a blonde): Abby, Meagan and Stephanie. I’m tagging you because I love you and can’t wait to see the 10 things you’ll write about. :-) Now get bloggin’!

O Christmas Tree

I finally have a working cord for Brad's camera, so I thought it was time for a picture post. :-)


I love our dinky little Christmas tree. We got it shortly after our wedding last year. It's a four-foot, pre-lit guy, and we decorated it with these really beautiful ornaments we got for the wedding.


I like the way I wrapped presents this year: black, white, silver and red. That big tube in the back is not wrapping paper... It's an oddly shaped gift in a tube.

I think my favorite ornament is the funny pink bird at the top with the teal feathered tail. Many of you know my affinity for birds (not real birds -- just in decor, fashion, art, etc.). This was part of a really exquisite set of "ornaments for newlyweds." The bird is supposed to symbolize "happiness and joy." (Interestingly enough, a goldfish that came with the set is supposed to symbolize "Christ's blessing." ...?)

Brad and I started a tradition during our first Christmas together that we would make our tree topper each year. Last year was a lot of fun: a red paper plate cut into a star shape, lots of doodles, and some gold paint. This year was wood scraps glued together and bound with wire, with a message written on the back.

And here are a couple of pictures from our anniversary two months ago. Since I had never been in a limo, Brad surprised me and rented one. In the limo he also had our wedding cake, champagne flutes, wedding video, and a CD he bought me. We drove to a restaurant in Terrell, about 40 minutes outside of Dallas, where he and I first talked about marriage. What a romantic stud I married!

Having too much fun...