In need of a spring shopping spree

I'm so tired of every single outfit I own.  It either needs to warm up enough to pull out all my summer stuff or drop a big load of cash at my door.  I don't really have any good long sleeved things that aren't sweaters.  Tired of my clothes, and since I'm broke like most everyone these days... I need your advice.  How can I spice up my junk without spending much??

Many Moods of Texan Bride (and me)

Texan Bride and I went to two movies Saturday.  That's not something we make a habit of doing, cuz well our lives don't let us.  If we had our way we'd be bums like we were this weekend all the time... dumb responsibilities.  While waiting for the previews to start we decided to do an emotional feet photo shoot.

The first pic is our feet in a regular old blah kind of mood.  Now here's loving feet, we're so fond of each other. :)

Here's excited feet.  Notice TB gets way more animated than I do.  This is not just a foot thing, this is an everyday sort of thing.  TB has always been a little more animated than me.

These are angry feet!  Don't mess with Texas feet!

Sad feet :(

Happy feet...woohoo

Well, I wouldn't say I don't show emotion at all.  I just don't get as animated or excited (ie loud) as my most loved Texan Bride.  I do love that girl. :)

The Farm Boy List

Thanks to The Spencer's I've got another fun list.  This one is all about the Farm Boy, who I'm slowly convincing to be a guest blogger.  Maybe by spring break I'll have him convinced.  For now you'll have to settle for me talking about him instead.

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?

House, Bones, or his XBox game

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
Ranch

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
I'm not sure... I can't think of much that he won't eat  He didn't like something my parents made over Christmas, but it was kinda fancy and had a strange texture.

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
He almost never drinks alcohol.  He usually orders Dr. Pepper.

5. What size shoe does he wear?
13 I think?  We haven't gone shoe shopping together yet.

6. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
John Deere stuff or old fishing gear

7. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Umm... a burger?

8. What would he eat every day if he could?
Fried pork chops, creamed spinach, and mashed potatoes n gravy

9. What is his favorite cereal?
I'm not sure, I know he'll eat cinnamon toast crunch

10. What would he never wear?
cowboy hat, He's a farmer not a cowboy

11. What is his favorite sports team?
The Packers

12. Who did he vote for?
Doesn't really matter now does it?

13. Who is his best friend?
He has several close friends, and like most guys not one particular one is his "best"

14. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Umm... cry, whine, buy clothes, diet, ask him 1,001 questions about farming  He has to put up with quite a bit

15. What is his heritage?
I don't know, German?

16. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake?
Cheesecake

17. Did he play sports in high school?
Nope, he was too busy with FFA

18. What could he spend hours doing?
working, farming, XBox- well maybe not hours

19. What is one unique talent he has?

singing, not that he'd admit it

Fun Giveaway!

This is a really cute giveaway. L.O.V.E. the pink scalloped board with a bow! I could totally put it to use in my classroom, or on my fridge, or a gift for my momma.... oh the possibilities.

Just for Giggles

The Name Game

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (parent's middle name)
Ann Patrick

2.NASCAR NAME:(grandfathers' first names)
James Paul

3.DETECTIVE NAME:(favorite color, favorite animal)
Pink Panther... oh wait that's taken... Pink Dog.. Doesn't have the same ring to it...

4.SOAP OPERA NAME:(middle name, town where you were born)
Ann Miami

5.SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning
The Green Coke

6.ROCK STAR NAME:(current pets name, current street name)
Holly Windhaven

7. PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on)
Billie Rural Route 1360... Not nearly as cool as my Rock Star Name

8.YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)
Black Tiger

9. STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy
Happy Mike & Ike's

The Zoo

Farm Boy and I went to the zoo Sunday afternoon.  We had a great time wandering around watching all the animals.  Farm Boy only got slightly annoyed with the "city folk" who had no clue what they were talking about.

Then he decided we should go in the bird and reptile building.  It was hot n stinky in there.  The very first thing we saw was this case with three lizards in it.  Then a man walked into the case with them and handed out dead mice to each one.  EWWW!

As you can see I wasn't real impressed with this.  Grossed out really, partially the actual sight of the lizards eating partially from the idea of that guy's job.  I couldn't handle the dead mice or pinch them with the little metal arm thingy so you don't get your arm eaten. EWWW!

And here's a random statue of an ostrich and Farm Boy.  Just because

Oh who am I kidding? It's just cuz I like looking at Farm Boy.

Valentine's Dinner

As I mentioned before, I decided to make flank steak, twice baked potatoes, salad, and Farm Boy's favorite dessert cheesecake.  All started well with the twice baked potato recipe and the marinade.  I loosely based it on one from Pioneer Woman, and partially did my own thing.  I mostly chose my own way due to lack of concentration during the trip to the grocery store.

It started well until....

The steak smoked.... smoked a LOT!  The vent fan is going full blast and yet the smoke detector went off.  More than once.  Farm Boy had to fan the smoke away from said detector to prevent it from continuing to shriek!  While I tried to speed up the cooking process.

All the while Holly's running around with her tail between her legs, whining in a way I'd never heard before!  I finally gave up when she took to cowering on the balcony.  Farm Boy had to take over finishing the meat while I took Holly downstairs, so she wouldn't have a heart attack or something.  Poor Dog!

By the time Holly and I got back the detector was going off again, but the meat was done. Yay!  I held the door open while Holly stayed as far out in the hallway as her leash would allow.  When we finally got the smoke cleared and the table set, we sat down and enjoyed a really great tasting meal.  It's definitely not a meal I'll repeat in this apartment, but maybe when I live in a house or have easy access to a grill.

I highly recommend throwing some stuff in a marinade and seeing how it turns out.  Plus twice baked potatoes, well worth the extra effort!  We didn't end up having the cheesecake until Sunday, but it seemed to be a hit as well.  I think for my first attempt at all three recipes it was more of a hit than a miss.

Beginning the weekend celebrations

We'll start with Thursday, because Texan Bride and I started a day early.  We still had work Friday, but knew we wouldn't see each other w/ Valentine's craziness.  We decided to totally pig out in the kitchen.  Here's just a little taste of what we enjoyed.  We eventually pulled ourselves away from our multitude of dips to watch TV.  All in all a great evening!

Friday as you know Farm Boy surprised me by showing up a day early!  I do love surprises!  He had these adorable things with him.  A sweet little pink teddy bear with the year of our first Valentine's Day.  He also has entrusted me with the lives of these lovely tulips.  Hopefully I won't disappoint and kill them within the first month.  That wouldn't be good.

He said he really wanted pink ones, but I like the red.  I love that he remembered my favorite flower from way before we started dating!  He's got such a great memory.  Holly had to learn pretty quickly that she's not allowed to think about touching this plant!  

Tomorrow I'll post about how I almost smoked us out of the apartment Saturday and how Farm Boy found it really amusing how little some of the city folk knew about animals while we were at the zoo.

Surprise!

Last night about 9, I was on the phone talking to my mom.  I originally called to make sure the cheesecake was supposed to be the way it looked, then we continued to blab about everything else.  Just as we were nearing the end of our conversation there was a knock at the door.  Seeing as I know very few people in this town, all of whom call instead of showing up I freaked a little.  However, when I looked to see who it was I had to scream.  It was Farmboy!!  He's great, he left work the minute he could and drove straight here, no stopping.  He'd made up all the junk about basketball games and meat competitions.  When I get around to it I'll post the pictures of what he brought with him.  Have a great Valentine's Day, I'm going to go cuddle up n watch a move w/ FB!

Need Ideas!

OK, as you all know next weekend is Valentine's Day.  Farm Boy will be here for dinner Saturday, all day Sunday, and will have to go back home Monday by lunchtime probably.  Unless I beg, plead, cry, in which case he might stay til 2.  Maybe Holly and I can gang up on him with our puppy dog eyes.

Anyway, I need some ideas.  I have a great dinner planned thanks to Pioneer Woman's flank steak and my Great Aunt Lois's cheesecake recipes.  So Saturday is good, but I don't know what to do Sunday.  I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen, but I think we both want to stay in instead of trying to mess with dining out.  Any delicious, fairly quick or easy ideas?  Also we may need to get out of the apartment at some point over the weekend, maybe. :)  Any great inexpensive ideas for our amusement?  I thought about the Fort Worth zoo, if it's nice outside.  Well please comment and give me suggestions!

Valentine's Day update!

Farm Boy is coming!!  I couldn't be more excited.  I was whining, which I do fairly well, about not getting to see him until March.  That's when he surprised me and said he was coming down after the competition on Saturday.  I was hesitant about him driving so late and he said, and I quote, "No amount of sleep deprivation could keep me from you, dear."  Isn't he the sweetest!  I think the dear was a little sarcastic addition, but that's ok.  He makes me giggle when he calls me dear.  We were talking about pet names the other day, mostly because neither of us are super sappy.  I had a hard time trying to find something to call him when we first started dating.  We have a couple for each other, but I won't bore you all with that.  Well I'm off to disinfect my house, cuz I caught what my snotty kids had, and it hasn't been much fun.  Wishing you all a healthy weekend!

Sick kids

Apparently there's quite the bug going around our school.  Yesterday I only had 11 kiddos, then one threw up in my trash can after lunch.  Luckily he made it to the trash!  Today 3 of those are back but a different one is sick, leaving me with 4 gone.  It's hard to get much done when you have 4 to 6 kids missing.  On the bright side, it's been kind of quiet in my class, except for the coughing.  We've got parent/teacher conferences Thursday and Friday, so hopefully they will be healthy by then.  Hopefully I'll be healthy then. My throat's a little sore, any miracle fixes out there??

Bummed :(

Farm Boy and I have been talking Valentine's Day plans for the last couple weeks now.  We're still undecided.  He may have to take his FFA kids to some competition, or is it his welding kids?  Did you know they actually have welding competitions?  This was news to me, anyway he may have to work on Saturday!  What stupid man came up with the idea to put any sort of competition on Valentine's Day?!  We all know it was definitely a man not a woman!  With him working Saturday we may not get to see each other at all.  Personally, I've never been so wrapped up in celebrating the holiday exactly on the day.  This may stem from having to do birthday parties at least a week early or a week late, as to not interrupt other family's Thanksgiving plans.  Anyway, it's not the missing out on the actual Valentine's day that has me bummed, it's the idea that if we don't see each other that weekend it will be mid March for spring break!  I don't want to wait til mid March!  Ugh, living 6 hours away is no fun!  Let's all pray for all his lil buggers to tell him, "heck no we're not competing we're spending the day w/ our girls."  Cuz if they said that he'd get to come here, YAY!  OK, I'm off to grade a huge stack of papers. I'll let you know what the final Valentine's decision is, but for now I'm bummed.