New Furniture

My hubby and I have decided that it is time to replace some of our furniture. We have been shopping and shopping and finally found what we are looking for. We had a few pieces delivered last night. To tell you the truth, this morning when I walked down the hallway into the living area it almost felt I'd walked into strangers house. I couldn't believe what a dramatic impact new furniture can make. I love getting new furniture but it's also draining. You want to make sure you get the right piece for the right price at the right place. Wow, just saying all that makes me tired. It's almost like buying a new car. I love having a new car but the whole process gives me a headache. When I was younger buying furniture meant if I see something I like I'd buy it. Now I'm into researching my product and price (experience after getting burned). I'm older and I really research before committing myself into a purchases these days. I've slowed down and I take time to think about what I'm buying. This really does help weigh out the pros and cons to every big purchase. What are some of your tips when buying furniture? And have you ever made a big purchase that you have regretted?

MAD MEN

Check out what I came across....MAD KEN, LOL! That's hilarious. I love the wardrobe on this show. However, I find the plot a bit depressing. I know it's suppose to be a drama but I think we have enough TV series like this one. Where have all the fun shows gone? Everything on television is dark and gloomy. I like something that makes me laugh. We have enough to be depressed about these days. I wish we had a fun show like the Brady Brunch, Chips, Love Boat, etc. Something that you can watch as a family and forget the economy, politics, and stress of life. Anyone feel the same way?

Look at those retro dresses. Wouldn't it be fun if society began to dress up again?

HOLY COW!

The other day I was out shopping and I started feeling sluggish. My husband and I've decided to replace our living room furniture. I pretty much know what I'm looking for and now its just finding the "deal." We're in an economy slump, y'all. It's all about saving money where you can. We spent a good amount of time visiting some stores the other day and I could feel my energy level quickly dropping.

We decided to stop off and get a drink at McDonald's. I told my husband to order a large size drink and we'd share (soda is bad for your teeth). I was floored when he passed a large size coke to me. Y'all, this thing was enormous. I had to hold it with two hands because I was afraid it would tilt over in our console. Really?!! This is now considered a large drink?

I was so amazed at the size that I looked up some information. In the 1950's a serving of Coke was considered 7-oz.. Today, a small serving of Coke is 16-oz, a large Coke is considered 32-oz., and the child size drink is 12-oz.! We are giving our children nearly double the amount of cola as an average adult during 1950's. YIKES! No wonder America is so unhealthy. It's shocking to see how much more calories we are drinking and eating now. Why has America gone crazy with Super Sizing? Did y'all know that United States has the most cases of Diabetes and Heart Disease than any other nation in the world? What on earth are they putting in our food and why are the portions so big? I believe that I'll be packing an ice chest this approaching week of bottled water and a regular size can of soda in the trunk of my car. It's not a financial issue but more of a health issue. Next time a need a little pick-me-up I'll grab a can of soda from my ice chest and skip the 800 calories.

Tabasco

On our little vacay we stopped by the Tabasco plant. It was so much fun and really interesting. It was freezing that day so we were practically the only guests there. Normally it's really crowded so the tour guide gave us extra Tabasco sauce.

This is my hubby being silly with a massive over sized bottle of Tabasco bottle.

I found this really interesting. The barrels they use to make Tabasco comes from Jack Daniels. They buy them from the Jack Daniels plant and wash them out before they mash the peppers into a liquid form. Then they add salt to the peppers and wait for 3 years before they open the barrel. The salt settles on top of the barrel into a thick hard residue (almost like cement). Did y'all know that? I didn't. And I didn't realize that every jar of Tabasco sauce comes from this one individual plant. They supply the world's Tabasco supply from Avery Island, Louisiana. They also sell the pepper oil to candy and gum makers. The next time you purchase cinnamon gum you'll know that the oil came from Avery Island.

At the end of the tour you can visit the Tabasco Country Store. Good night! Do they ever have so much Tabasco paraphernalia in there. I've seen the catalog but I wasn't prepared to be overwhelmed with so much Tabasco goodies. Y'all, they even have Tabasco flavored ice cream. They have two flavors, original and Jalapeno. My favorite was Jalapeno.

Check out this chandelier made from empty Tabasco bottles.

I bought these really cute sack cloth kitchen towels. I'm a big fan of sack cloth towels and to make my day....they had Tabasco bottles that are Mary Lake Thompson!!! I couldn't resist the combination (had to have them).

I purchased these little Tabasco goodies for two of our neighbors. I ended up making my own little gift bag for them. This is how it turned out. * Note to all my Yankee friends....those are not baby lobsters. They are Crawfish.

And a visit to Louisiana wouldn't be complete without a box of Aunt Sally's pralines.

Vacay photos

Ok, here are some of my photos from our vacation....

Here's the little Cajun cottage we stayed at. Our friend, Lyn, owns a B&B outside of Lafayette, Louisiana. We love to stop in and see her at least once a year. She's so cute and I love her Cajun accent. She makes the best breakfast too. She delivers our breakfast every morning by leaving a basket full of yummy warm things on our porch. She has a about 4 cottages located on her beautiful property that are filled with antiques and antique furniture. We stayed in the smaller cottage for two.

Here's our little Cajun cottage.... It's much prettier during the Spring/Summer months. It was so cold all the flowers and trees are pretty much dead in these photos. But I still think it's cute.





Here's our living room

Our kitchen/breakfast area

Our bedroom

Our Bayou view...I love the old antique Annabelle lamp posts.

And our yummy breakfast

That night we ate at one of our favorite Cajun restaurants, Prejeans. They have the world's best Gumbo. They make it out of a dark roux and duck. To die for....That's my hubs in front of a gator.

I'll have to post more over the weekend. There's way too many pictures to post right now. Hope y'all like my photos.

I'm back from vacay!!!

I literally have been home for 2 hours. I've unpacked and started the mountain of laundry. Oh my goodness...the word fun can't even begin to describe what a good time we had on our little vacay. We ate ourselves silly with some of Louisiana's best Cajun cuisine, pralines, and even toured the Conrico Rice factory (best dirty rice in the world). For those who aren't from the region, dirty rice is type of rice it's not actually dirty y'all. We toured the Tabasco factory at Avery Island and even stopped by a plantation down in New Iberia. I have all sorts of stories and about 200 pictures. But I'll have to post those later this week.

I just logged on and saw that my good friend, Jill, over at peeptoepumpsandpearls just tagged me. I love getting tagged and reading others because you get to really know some of your fond blogging buddies. Here goes:

Rules:

1.) Answer 5 questions with 5 answers


2.) Tag 5 other bloggers

Question #1- Where were you 10 years ago?

1.) I was living in Eugene, Oregon and working for an insurance company. I was dating a wine salesman and often attended wine shows. I made a lot of friends in the wine industry while I lived there. I didn't realize until after I moved to Oregon that the Pacific Northwest has huge wineries. My favorite winery in Oregon is Duck Pond. The property is gorgeous and they have a fantastic Pinot Grigio.

2.) I remember celebrating Y2K at home. Again, I was in Oregon and it was cold and rainy that year (when does it not rain in Oregon, ha). I didn't feel like going out because it was so cold and instead watched movies in my pj's. I ordered in Chinese and was in bed by 9 PM. I was leaving for Seattle the following day and needed my rest.

3.) I purchased my very first car on my own. I bought a brand new Toyota Corolla (my first grown up purchase). It was black and had grey upholstery. I had it shipped to the dealership because a lot of the cars sold (new) in Oregon do not have A/C. The summer months are very mild in the Pac Northwest so you don't need A/C. However, I'm from California and my family lives in the Sacramento Valley so I would die if I were to ever visit them in the summer (not unusual to get up to 115 in summer months). Thank goodness I did because I moved back to California and kept that car for another 2 years. I wouldn't have survived those summer months without A/C.

4.) I had my first major adult relationship break up. I was a long way from home and had to make a huge life decision on my own. I believe those hardships helps make you stronger and more mature when you handle them on your own and not under the influence of others. You really evolve in character.

5.) I began a career in insurance that lead me to take a position back in California (where I met my husband). This year was the stepping stone to my future of where I am today. It was a hard year but good year (a lot of growing up).

Question #2- What is on your "TO DO LIST" today?

1.) Laundry

2.) Check e-mail

3.) Pick up mail from post office

4.) Start dinner

5.) Clean out my car from road trip

Question #3- What 5 snacks do you enjoy?

1.) Chips and Queso

2.) String cheese

3.) Grapes

4.) Popcorn

5.) Ice Cream

Question #4- 5 places you have lived?

1.) San Francisco, CA

2.) Eugene, OR

3.) New Orleans, LA

4.) Austin, TX

5.) Houston, TX

Question #5- 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire? The first thing we would do if we were billionaire's....we wouldn't tell ANYONE. Money divides relationships. It's a powerful thing that if used properly can help lives but it can easily destroy lives too. We wouldn't stop working but would use the extra to enrich our lives as well as others. Again, we would never reveal the amount of money we had to ANYONE.

1.) After I tithed my 10% I would donate 20% to my our favorite Christian charities (medical missions).

2.) I would invest in future business adventures (anonymously) that would help fund community outreaches to help people in need in our area.

3.) Become 100% debt free and use my income to work for others. Money gives you the opportunity to bless those who you normally wouldn't come across. I would have the ability to travel to other parts of the world to give hope to the hopeless. New hospitals, medicine, medical procedures, schools, housing, clean water, etc... So many people who need help across the globe. Again, we would anonymously donate.

4.) I would want to build my own plantation style home (small version). I would want a home where I could entertain guests, bless them with Southern hospitality, raise my future children there, and create a Godly family heritage that I could pass down to future generations (make many wonderful family memories). I remember vividly my grandparents house all the way down to the old cracked candy dish. It's the little memories that become the big things you desire most in life.

5.) Selfishly, I would want to buy my Mercedes SUV and perhaps my other dream car...1955 T-Bird. My father use to own a classic car business and I fell in love with a 55 T- Bird he restored.

I tag.....

Blonde Episodes http:blondeepisodes.blogspot.com

Turley Times http:turleytimes.blogspot.com

A Different Kind of Southern Girl http:adifferentkindofsoutherngirl.blogspot.com

At Home with Libby http:athomewihtlibby.blogspot.com

Simply Country Chic http:simplycountrychic.blogspot.com

On Vacation Y'all!

Hubby and I are heading over to the cottage in Bayou Country (Louisiana). We are looking forward to filling our tummy's with good Cajun food, visiting with some old friends, and relaxing while listening to some live Zydeco. Hope y'all have a fantastic weekend! Will post when I get back.

"Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!" (Cajun for Let the good times roll)

HOOKEM HORNS

Tomorrow is the BIG game between Alabama and Texas. I just wanted to take a moment to say....

HOOKEM HORNS!!!

GO TEXAS!!!

His secret chicken affair....

How do you know when you are getting older? You begin to talk about your health. When I was younger I remember hearing my older relatives talk nothing but health issues. Who was in the hospital, what type of medications they were on, the pains and aches in their back, and of course, who recently died. I would think to myself...being old is the pits. All you ever talk about is health.

Now that I'm in my thirties I've become more aware of my health and others around me. I'm a little obsessed with health these days. I'm constantly reading the calories, trans fats, sugar, preservatives, etc. on the packaged food at the grocery store. I've made it my mission to eat whole food grains and produce (organic). And to cook more healthy meals at home rather than eating out. My husband on the other hand hasn't fully gotten on board with the healthy eating habits. No, he's actually been putting weight on rather than taking it off. He was born and raised in New Orleans. And everyone knows that nothing can kill you faster than a Louisiana diet.

My husband turns 40 this year and all of sudden it has become my mission to make sure he breaks some of those unhealthy eating habits and start weening him off fried food, french fries, and chocolate (pretty much in that order). Knowing that he isn't getting enough fiber in his diet I've began forcing him to drink a glass of fiber in the morning. It's almost like getting a small child to take his/her medicine with the look of disgust on his face. He usually tries to run off before I pour the glass but I've caught onto his escape route and road blocked him. His mother, my MIL, did a horrible job making him eat his fruits and veggies. Now it's like a WWF wrestling smack down to get him to eat anything vegetable like. It was either broccoli or fiber. He chose the fiber supplement.

So, this has been going on for almost six weeks now. I began cooking and packing his lunches. I even included healthy snacks. But for some reason I noticed my hubby has been putting on a few pounds. At first I didn't notice right away but when he was working in the yard I noticed his favorite T was fitting a little snug. Then at Christmas his new shirts were also a bit tight. How on earth is he gaining weight when he's eating more healthy meals I thought......

Over the weekend my hubby and I ran some errands. Now I have given up fast food for nearly 3 months but sometimes will stop by to grab a drink (if I'm out). This weekend we were driving down the street and I noticed I forgot my bottled water at home. I told my husband to stop by the local Popeyes a few blocks away. He tried to talk me out of it. I got frustrated with him and told him to go through the drive thru because I was thirsty. Again, he tried to talk me out of it. Finally I asked why he was trying to keep me from getting a drink from the fast food eatery. He decided to turn into the parking lot and get in line rather discuss it any longer.

Here's what happened.........

We pull up to the window to pay and wait patiently for my drink. When suddenly a pimpled face teenage boy sticks his head out of the window, "Hey, we saw you pulling in so we put the chicken on the fryer for you. Your number 2 will be ready in a minute."

My husband (who turns white) gives the kid a stern look. Obviously the kid took the cue because he immediately looks uncomfortable as he peers over to the passenger seat at me. At this time I lean over the console to get a better glance of the boy.

Me- "What? Chicken!" I peer into my husband's deer in the headlights expression. "You've been eating Popeyes fried chicken this whole time?!!!"

I turn my focus to the now intimidated boy's face as he begins to turn red and sweat. "Tell me, how often does my husband come through here?"

He looks at my husband and says with a question, "twice a week?" My husband gives him a little shake of the head as to not tip me off but it's too late. I'm onto them.

I point the boy, "You better not lie to me. Save yourself, because he's already up in his neck in number 2." He sheepishly smiles and disappears behind the glass window.

"Blank Blank Blank." I call my husband by his full name. "I don't believe you've been eating all that fried chicken. What have you been doing with the lunches I've been sending with you?"

My husband's demeanor quickly changes into pride as he says, "I'm not lying to you when I say I've eaten them."

Me- "Are you telling me you ate the chicken and the lunches I've sent?"

My husband puffs his chest up and smiles- "Yup, I ate the lunches because I knew one day you would ask me and I could say I did without lying."

This is my life, y'all.........

My 1st Award for 2010.....

I just received my 1st award for 2010 from Kori over at http://blondeepisodes.blogspot.com/. I love this award!!! It's so cute and I feel so honored to receive it. Kori follows over 500 blogs!!! Yes, I said 500 blogs. That's a lot of blogs. I feel so privledged to have met her this year. She is such a sweetie and has one of the best blogs I follow. It's really retro and she always has some interesting posts. I suggest stopping by and visiting her if you get the chance. She's so cute.

The rules after receiving this lovely award is to pass it onto someone else you admire. I'm going to pick Jill over at http://peeptoepumpsandpearls.blogspot.com/ (I wish I knew how to only put the link by name but I still haven't figured that out yet). I chose Jill because she has become a really good blogging friend this year. She has an adorable blog and she is a wonderful person. So, Jill I'm passing this award off to you.

Two amazing gals that I've met while blogging this year. You both make me smile.