Bad Eggs

I was requested to do this cute little pin and I have to say I was really excited to do it. Here is the link to the original:  http://pinterest.com/pin/200691727120741156/

And here is my version:

First things first, boil six eggs...and I have already messed this thing up... First things first, boil five eggs.

Put all of your ingredients and supplies on a TV tray in the living room while "Dance Moms" is playing on the TV. Yes, "Dance Moms" is required. Haven't you heard of ambiance? Ingredients include: mayonnaise, peppercorn, boiled eggs, mustard, and carrots.

Slice up a carrot and a little off the bottom of the eggs so they will stand up straight.

Cut a half inch off the top of the egg, this will be the top.

This hardest part is scooping out the yolk because the opening is so small. As you can see my first try ended up with a large hole in the bottom.

I suggest using a toothpick. It is a bit more time consuming but it doesn't tear and leave a large hole.

Mix your filling, throw in a sandwich bag, and cut off the end.

Assemble your deviled chick: put the filling in, add the eyes (I suggest pairing the peppercorns to make sure the size matches up). Cut your carrots into triangles for the beak and cut your slices in half for the feet. I put my extra egg whites at the bottom of the eggs that were weaker at the bottom so the filling didn't come out.

And that's it! Meet Howie, Nick, Brian, Kevin, and AJ.

Again, super easy and they came out so cute! Did you notice I kept my puns to a minimum?

From Geek to Glam

I love rearranging furniture, adding a new piece, or just improving my house. In fact, I've been doing this since I was eight. I would watch interior design shows and my mom would even let me decorate different rooms in the house.

was planning on making this post the start of a big project where I test a lot of pins from Pinterest out on my room.

As you can see my Dollar General curtains I got almost two years ago are no longer holding up. (There is a shocker). It was a temporary fix when we moved in and, well, temporary is relative. Curtains tend to add up, and being the frugal girl I am, I make a game out of finding good deals.

I found a pin on Pinterest where you can make curtains out of sheets:

http://pinterest.com/pin/200691727120720825/ 

However, unless you find $5 sheets (harder than it seems) it isn't really worth it. That being said, no pin tested today. I have started a fabulous makeover on my room, though. Here are some befores and afters.

Before 

After

I am not completely done with the makeover but I love how much brighter the room is, now. Also, look at the cool pattern of these sheets:

Also, look how much money I saved on this bedspread!

I love how the curtains and bedspread work together even if the blues don't match-up. 

My room is the 1980's geek that gets a makeover and everyone wants to be her friend!

Well she still has a long way to go until she is in the popular crowd. She is more at the point where she takes her glasses off and her hair down. Have I taken this metaphor too far? 

Please let me know if you have any pins you would like me to try out!

Radiated, Smoked and Mugged

The first apartment Aaron and I lived in when we got married had a kitchenette with no oven. I guess saying it had no oven is being repetitive since I said it was a kitchenette. I digress...

I became pretty familiar with using a microwave to cook (even more so than college) and one of my favorite recipes was a brownie in a cup. http://pinterest.com/pin/195273333819609268/  It doesn't match the real thing, especially the texture, but I love that you can make one serving at a time. 

Now that I have moved up to the glamourous life of teaching, I have an oven! I still overuse the microwave. That being said, I found a skinny recipe for a brownie in a cup (110 calories) http://pinterest.com/pin/200691727120727177/ . This is the only one I found without yogurt included. Not that I am against yougurt as a theory, just never have it at home. Here is how it turned out for me: 

Step 1 spill flour on counter.

Step 2: Pose spraying generic Pam in mug, include unpedicured feet in shot. 

Step 3: Look for a measuring spoon that equals a tablespoon. Question organization skills.

Step 4: Douple check recipe to make sure it calls for baking soda. It doesnt. Baking powder.

Step 5: No vegetable oil... hopefully butter will work. 

Step 6: Break the microwave by asking it to heat something for thirty seconds. Butter still cold. Microwave has smoke coming out. Told you we use it a lot.

Step 7: Ask husband to get spare microwave (who doesn't have a spare). 

Step 8: Leave microwave in inconvenient spot on counter instead of scooting it to the space designated for a microwave.

Step 9: Eat brownie. 

Step 10: Months later, finally move the microwave to remember you bought fruit that one time.

The verdict? If regular brownie in a mug has a rubbery texture, this is a tire. Wasn't very good. Sometimes, the calories are worth it. 

That's Not Her Style

 

This way-cooler than me lady is my birth-mother around my age. I think...

So I am dedicating today's Pinterest testing blog to her. Here are the pins...

Hair http://pinterest.com/pin/157555686939576327/

Makeup http://pinterest.com/pin/200691727120703390/

This is the before face of a tired teacher who took too many selfies, trying not to include the laundry in the background. Did not work...

 

Okay, starting with makeup. I was supposed to put black eyeshadow in my crease/ outside corner of my eye. Kind of looks like two black eyes. At least I'm givng a stoic face.

Add some silver in the middle, and white in the inner corner. Throw some eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, and we're done. (Is my  right eyebrow always higher than the other one?)

 Okay I decided that since I don't have bangs, I'll just go with a faux hawk. I first tried this pin, which was intended for a toddler.http://pinterest.com/pin/319826011012258399/

Didn't look anything like a Mohawk

Then I split my hair into four sections and braided each braid. I tried making the braids looser and put into a bun...

Nope nope nope...

I ended up twisting the braids together and pinning the sides.

Here is the look. Definitely couldn't get the "Billy Joel" look like my mother did.

Makeup turned out okay. You know, as long as no one looks closely...

Hair-- Multiple fails. 

Flip Your Wig

The 1940's is my favorite era for beauty and glamor so I thought I would test out a "1940's hair how-to" pin from Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/pin/161355599124308689/

When one is taking a "before" picture, one must take the most unflattering picture possible.

 First step was to pin the first two sections of my hair. And curl the rest of your hair.

Now you are supposed to let one of your first sections of your hair and curl it back, pinning it with a bobby pin. First half of the section worked out fine. I could not get the second part. So I stared at it until it knew who was boss.

Again... Several attempts...

Ugh....

If you look at each side by itself... It kind of works...

Finally got it...

Threw on some lipstick and eyeliner and I called it a day.

I am wanting to start a blog series where I test out different pins. I know it isn't completely original but it gives me a good excuse to actually attempt the pins on Pinterest. Judging by my first attempt... This should be interesting...

Unqualified Advice from a Twenty-Something

A lot of advice articles have been going viral. Most of them are written by barely twenty-something's, or have titles that are controversial but the article says exactly what the reader believes. As a twenty-something, I feel like my advice is pretty much comparable to a twelve year-old's with better grammar. That being said, here is a dose of unqualified advice from a twenty-something:

Aaron and I have been dieting since school started in August. We aren't to our goal weights yet (thanks, Christmas) but so far, between the two of us, we have lost four pant sizes and seventy-seven pounds.  

 Here is a seventy-seven pound Dachshund for a frame of reference.

I'm not telling you this to brag (although it is nice to slip that piece of good news somewhere in here) but to say I struggle with this point I am eventually going to get to. 

There has been a trend where everyone claims everyone is beautiful. And however nice that sounds, repeating it over and over again doesn't make it true. Although society's definition of beauty changes based on what era we are in, not everyone is going to fit in the cookie cutter definition of beauty.

It is instinctual to judge people based on looks and the sound of their voice. In fact, it takes a millisecond to decide if someone is trustworthy or not. That isn't necessarily something to be ashamed of, it is just biology. I  understand we need to be aware of how we present ourselves. 

But why do we value ourselves on how we fit in a size two or how well we can contour our face rather than other character traits, such as intelligence, kindness, or integrity? I'm not saying you need to pick one trait or another. Don't run out after not showering for weeks and yell at people to accept you because you have a masters degree. 

Please bathe. 

I would be offended if all a person could say about me is that I am fashionable or know how to apply makeup. I would much rather someone praise how I stick to my beliefs, or that I am clever, or kind. 

How about for your New Years resolution, in addition to losing the equivalent of an obese Dachsund puppy off your waist, focus on a character trait to improve. Let's make 2015 a year where we focus less on the packaging of the gift and more on the content. 

Christmas Post

There is something special about sunrises. I am saying this as a person who doesn't appreciate mornings, otherwise. A sunrise is like a page is being turned and new words are waiting to be written for the day. Aaron and I found ourselves witnessing one yesterday and if sunrises are special, a Christmas sunrise is that much more so. I tend to witness Christmas morning sunrises and I was glad yesterday was no exception. 

We were driving to Lubbock's airport to make our journey to Round Rock. I was reminiscing about past Christmases, and missing the Christmas magic that came standard with being a child. Christmas will never feel like it did when we were children but hopefully we wil be able to see it through our own kids someday.

Our plane ride was pretty exciting. I was certain we sat next to Tom Selleck, but Aaron said it was a 5'8" man with a hispanic accent. In the middle of the flight, we heard a sudden yell from a man two rows behind us and an announcement asking if there was a doctor in the house. Fortunately, there was a doctor and a nurse and through careful eavesdropping, I discovered that the man experienced his first siezure. It didn't last very long and the doctor talked to him throughout the duration of the flight. He seemed to be okay and fortunately it isn't a very long flight. 

It was so nice seeing my family, eating too much, and giggling half of those calories off playing white elephant afterwards. 

My mom is on the board of directors for a professional theatre company in Austin and we saw one of their plays today. I always get so nostalgic for the theatre whenever we see plays. In a perfect world, I would love to start a community theatre in Seagraves. Maybe someday. You know, when I suddenly find myself with free time. (I should probably delete this paragraph so no one can hold me accountable for this statement).