best pants EVER....

Raise your hand if you are hard to fit in pants?!

Lord knows I am. I can never find pants that come up high enough over the booty without coming up to my bra in the front. I have a ghetto booty, but am short waisted. Not a good combo! I have looked everywhere for comfortable jeans and trousers and just have such bad luck.

I have always said that I am never going to wear skinny pants because Im short with a booty and thunder thighs and never thought I could pull them off. However, recently my favorite jeans are my skinny "diva" jeans from Old Navy. Typically ON doesn't fit me at all, but these seem just right. I am obsessed.

Because of my skinny jeans, I am in love with the skinny look and have always drooled over my friend Erin's pants so I bought them..... skinny black velvet corduroys from Anthropologie. They are great. I know that buying velvet in January in Texas seems crazy but come on people! they are way cute and were on sale! Tried to find a link, but no luck! (sorry)

Another pair of Erin's pants that I have wanted were her Paperboy khakis from Antro and I tried them on today while shopping for the other pair. I AM IN LOVE. I wanted the grey, and they didn't have them in my size so I am ordering them online.

Paperboy Always Trousers

These are amazing. Just the right amount of stretch, come up high enough in the back without covering my belly button. One thing is that they are too long, but nothing a trip to the tailor won't fix!

YOU NEED THESE. Trust me!!!

Speaking of..... I am in desperate need (ok, want) of these:

Happy last day of January (wow!)

-Andrea

Prayers needed...

Please send prayers to my dear high school friend Lauren. She was put in the ICU today with H1N1.

Thank you!

-Andrea

love is in the air....

No don't get too excited... It is just that Valentines day is getting near! I am not one to be big in to Valentines day, not because I am single or anything, but really why should one day be any more special than any other day when it comes to love? I say that you should show your love everything in everything you do!

Today a wonderful group from a local high school came to decorate the playroom at work (thats my office. man I am lucky) in valentines attire. There are die cut hearts in ever color EVERYWHERE. Paper chains in reds and pinks and bumble bees on the doors! I love it. Tacky but wonderful. So in the spirit of Valentines here are some of the great valentine crafts I have found....... ENJOY!

I did a version of this one for all my co-workers but it was just the heart and I hand stamped them!

Sewn Card

I LOVE THESE

Printable Valentines

Love Bird Sandwich

Bottled up Love

Lavender Sachets

Valentines Snow Globe

Burlap Wreath

Hues of Love Pennants

Fabric Wreath

Have a safe and happy weekend and treat everyday as Valentines!!!

-Andrea

list yourself Tuesday.....

Hope everyone's week is going well.... Just wanted to update you on how WW is going. I am now up to 5.8 pounds in 4 weeks. Going strong! Feels great.

Now onto the list of the day....

List all the habits you simply can't break.....

1. diet coke

2. showering in the morning (i will not be a functioning member of society if I do not shower in the morning)

3. biggest loser (I watch it religiously)

4. putting everything away in its place when I am done in the morning.

5. facebook (self-explanatory)

6. not letting hamper get full ( if there is enough to make a load, its going in)

I know there are more, but man this is hard. If I think of them... I will edit the post.

Anyone have any crazy habits that you just can not break?! I wanna hear them!

Food for thought....

source

-Andrea

if walls could talk...

So living in this older apartment has me drooling over all its "quirkiness." Some people like that brand new, never been lived in just came out of the box, fresh paint look. I do like that, do not get me wrong, but something about living in a place that that was built before my grandparents were born, has 15 layers of paint, hard wood floors and coziness makes me swoon and dream about everyone that has lived in this place. I think about the fashions this apartment has seen, the music it has heard.... oh daydreaming.....

Well, this weekend was none to exciting so I took on a project on a whim.... uncovering the pull on the cabinet in the hallway. It was quite the task. Please note the before....

I then used an exacto knife to score away the pull from the front of the cabinet and the bolt from the back of the cabinet. This was more difficult than I thought it would be, but wasn't sure why. I then forced the nail out of the center of the knob which is then when I realized there were about 10 layers of paint on top of this knob (hints the difficulty earlier). I then submerged the knob in a glass full of nail polish remover and let it sit over night. When I woke up, the paint (the 5 shades of white, the red, the tans, and lastly the green) easily peeled off the knob revealing.....

What a beauty! This thing hasn't seen light in 50 years!

speaking of light. Casey was laying in it yesterday and had to snap pics of that!

***please note the crystal doorknob. drooling.***

Happy Monday!!!

-Andrea

Subway art...

Happy Friday!!!

Wow, I never thought today would come. I love my job but value my weekends. However, I have nothing exciting planned at all for this weekend in particular... hair cut/color, eyebrow threading, find new tennis shoes (asics i think. opinions?). You know, the usual catch up weekend!

I wish I were crafting this weekend. It's my fav. However, all my craft supplies are temporarily in storage so I have to live vicariously through other's projects. I have been saving a few for when I get my stuff back.

For example..... THIS amazing sign by Lil Boo Resolutions

Check her out! She has such amazing projects and ideas! Get crafty people!!!

What would my sign say?....

always smile

be in the

moment

act silly

help others

believe

live the life

you love

What would yours say?!

Have a fantabulous weekend.

-Andrea

List yourself Tuesday.....

So last week I started "List Yourself Tuesday" (see here) and it is time for the second list! I found it ironic when I stopped on this page, because I was just talking with my friend Jessica about how I am such a set routine in the morning.......

List all the steps you take in the morning between turning off your alarm and stepping out the door:

Yes, these are in exact order....

1. turn on shower

2. turn on TV to channel 4 news

3. get in shower

4. shampoo

5. conditioner

6. brush teeth (yes, in the shower, while the conditioner does it's thing!)

7. wash body

8. shave legs

9. wash face

10. get out and put pjs back on

11. sit on couch, watch news while checking email, etc.

12. lotion

13. untangle nest that is my hair

14. blow dry hair

15. plug in straightener to let heat up

16. feed cat

17. straighten hair

18. put all hair tools away in cabinet

19. put on makeup (which has its own routine... wont even go there right now)

20. deoderant

21. put on clothes (always picked out the night before)

22. put on perfume

23. make bed

24. make breakfast

25. gather purse, phone, ipod, workout clothes

26. grab lunch box (lunch is also packed the night before)

27. turn off lights and air/heat

28. lock up!

Good lordy.... nearly 30 steps!!!

and... i RARELY stray away from this order. OCD much?!

What about yall.... what are your steps?!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy Hannah!!!!!!!!! Lulu

source

-Andrea

Weekend recap & recipe....

So as I mentioned on Friday, I went out with my girls from NYC. It was like we hadn't aged 5 years at all... However, we do not party like we used to! hah! We went to eat Sushi then on to Pete's Piano Bar... oh that place is fun/tacky/perverted/interesting....the list go go on forever.

Interesting story actually.... So there were these Marines there, obviously married, and they were Drrrrunk. One of them kept petting my hair. (yes, like a dog) I am not even sure that he know what he was doing.... Well when we were leaving he leaned over to tell me how much he loved my hair and then.... im not even kidding..... he KISSED my hair! Needless to say we couldn't get out of there fast enough!!

I took the pics that I promised... however, I can not find the cord to connect that camera to my computer. I am sure it is in storage somewhere and just didn't remember to grab it. so... yea.... im sorry about that.

Saturday I then met the girls back in Fort Worth to introduce Jessica to Texas by going to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. She had never seen big cows, or longhorns, or pigs, or rabbits I guess because you would have thought that this was foreign! Hah! We had fun then watched tacky episode of Jersey Shore... tacky tacky.

Ok so enough with the boring update..... I have a new recipe to share!!!!

I always have a problem fitting in a healthy substantial breakfast in the morning because I tend to gravitate to those things I can grab and go... So last night while doing some researching I found a recipe for:

Oven Baked Oatmeal and Apples

• 
  
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 apple, skin on, chopped small
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of cloves, nutmeg and cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt (don't skip the salt!)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey or agave)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2/3 cup apple cider

Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together all ingredients. Divide among four two-cup ramekins. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Serve immediately. Can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave for 1 minute.

Per Serving: 114Cal; 1g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 1mg Cholesterol; 328mg Sodium; 25g Carb; 2g Fiber; 15g Sugar; 3g Protein; Weight Watchers 2 points

Now I have breakfast in ramekins that I can.... GRAB and GO! Plus I get a serving of fruit before I even hit the door. Score!

Off to the Gym! Have a great Monday night!

-Andrea

Southern girl reunion....

In the summer of 2005 between by sophomore and junior year at Texas Tech I moved to New York City to take a "galleries and museums" class at NYU and to just get away, on my own. My mom and I packed 2 suitcases each and this southern belle moved to the big city in the north. I did not know what I was getting myself into. I was going to be here not knowing anyone and I was scared to death. After my mom left, I explored the city for a couple days alone before the class started.

The following Monday I found my way to class and thought I would be the only girl not from around there. Five minutes later we were all introducing ourselves and telling where we were from. I was astonished to find that out 0f about 15 students, everyone was there for the summer only except for about 3. Out of these girls I met two, that would be my confidants for the summer. Christanne (Christy) Gracey was from Fort Worth, Texas and attended UT in Austin, and Jessica Reeves, a Georgia peach from Macon. We were inseparable until it was time to leave.

Since then, Christy and I have remained really good friend since we live close. I spend all last summer with her! Jessica, on the other hand, I havent seen since that summer almost 5 years ago. However, she is in town this weekend! I can not wait for us to reunite. The three of us are going to eat Sushi together tonight and then hang out tomorrow. So excited.

Here are a couple pictures from that summer....

Jessica, Jillian, Me and Christy at Yankee Stadium

Caroline, Christy, me and Jessica going to see "Steel Magnolias" on Broadway

I will post updated pics of us 4 years older when I get them!

Have a great weekend everyone!

-Andrea

where did it go?

my dedication that is...

I have been in desperate need of a swift kick in the rear the past couple of days. I have been so swamped at work, that by the time I get home all I want to do is veg. That means I didn't work out yesterday. Bad Andrea! Ok I'm doing it! Off to the gym......

source

-Andrea

two point eight and another recipe.....

Last night was my first weigh in at WW and I did pretty well! I lost 2.8 pounds last week! not a lot, but it is a start and I sure am not going to complain! Just gotta keep on trucking to reach my goal.

Off topic, but I am excited to say that Hannah and I will be in attendance at the Taylor Swift concert when she comes to Dallas! Woohoo!

And because it was soooo delicious.....

Artichoke Pizza

1 large whole wheat pita

1 tsp. olive oil

1 0z. part-skim mozzarella

1/2 c. artichoke hearts

1/2 c. sliced tomatoes

1/2 Tbsp. grated parmesan

1/2 clove garlic, minced

italian seasoning, salt, pepper to taste

(ok so i added the seasoning and garlic, but i highly recommend)

1. Brush whole wheat pita with the olive oil.

2. Top with mozzarella, artichoke hearts, tomato, seasoning, and parmesan.

3. Bake at 400 degrees until done.

source

Weekend is almost here!

-Andrea

List Yourself Tuesday.....

On a recent trip to Barnes & Noble my best friend, Hannah, and I came across a little book title "List Your Self: List Making as the Way to Self-Discovery." It of course struck my fancy seeing as how I am a perpetual list maker... what I need to do this minute/hour/day/week/month, groceries, clothes to pack, people to call..... you name it, I have a list. Because of this, I thought that this would be easy peasy for me. So not the case. I opened the book once, and immediately shut it.

What is it about self-discovery that is so hard? It is so easy to tell other people how they are or how they should be, but as for ourselves we quiver and shy away from it. With this I introduce you to:

***List Yourself Tuesday***

Every Tuesday I will post one of the headers from the book followed by my list and I challenge you to join me on this journey to self discovery. Don't worry.... these really are not that hard and you may even find it interesting! Please comment with all the new things you learn about yourself!

Here we go......

List those possessions you are proudest of:

-High School and College diplomas

-My Child Life Certification

-Texas Tech class ring

-Car (paid off and well taken care of... 7 years old!)

-My body (sounds weird but I worked hard for where I am and continue to do so)

-Tote bag collection

-Great- Grandma's opal and diamond ring (she left it to me when I was 3)

-Camera

-MacBook Pro (saved hard for both these)

-Education

-Friends (not possessions but I sure am proud of each one)

What about you?!

remember....

source

-Andrea

another yummy (and healthy!) recipe....

So last night after I got all settled in I wanted to try another recipe from Better Homes and Gardens that I had found..... Winter Garden Pasta.

This is a recipe that has just a few ingredients and super easy to make! I love it when healthy is disguised as delicious!!!

Winter Garden Pasta

8 ounces dried whole grain spaghetti

3 cups broccoli florets

1 14 1/2-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained

1 15-oz can white kidney beans (cannellini beans), rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package, omitting the salt.

2. Add broccoli to pasta for the last 3 minutes of cooking, drain and return to Dutch oven.

3. Stir in tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, garlic, salt & pepper. Heat through.

4. Stir in parsley.

5. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Makes 6 1-cup servings

221 cal., 2 g fat (1 g sat. fat), 2 mg chol., 313 mg sodium,

46 g carb., 6 g fiber, 13 g protein

(4 WW pts. per serving)

This would be super yummy to add some baked or grilled chicken!

Enjoy!

-Andrea

Hectic weekend...

Sorry I have been MIA this weekend... I got all moved into Cara's apartment. I will have to post pictures tomorrow!

To make up for it here is a link to Brown Eyed Belle's AWESOME giveaway..... head on over and enter to win!

BROWN EYED BELL GIVEAWAY

And because I want to be sure and post a picture of some sort every post....

source

Have a great week!

-Andrea

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome....

I was a nanny in college to the 3 most amazing children on the planet with such wonderful parents. All three of them are adopted, and two have special needs. Ashley is the oldest and shortly after her adoption, she was diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Her birth mother drank daily all throughout her pregnancy. This has caused many many challenges in raising Ashley.

What is upsetting about FAS is that is is the #1 leading cause of mental retardation among children and the ONLY one that is 100% preventable. In order to put a stop to FAS there needs to be more awareness! The lack of awareness comes from the fact that many children go undiagnosed unless adopted.

Ashley's mom has written a book Forfeiting All Sanity, raising a child with FAS chronicling the challenges of raising a child with FAS.

Our goal is to get this book out in the world to spread awareness of FAS.

We are taking pre-orders for the book. They are $11.87 including tax. Please email me at aeb41285@gmail.com if you would like one for yourself, your work, your school, anyone!

and just to pull at your heart strings.....

me and ash at my college graduation 2007

Thanks!

-Andrea

and i ask you my friends.....

source

I am.....

Cold down to the bone. I do live in Texas, correct?

I didn't go into work until 9ish this morning due to the fact that every which way for me to get to work was covered in ice and wrecks. Thought that it would be best to sleep in a wait until both were clear.

This afternoon, Erin and I unloaded a load of my stuff at Cara's apartment (my new joint!) I have come to realize that I have entirely WAY too many tote bags (I feel I will have to dedicate a whole post to that obsession later). I was able to pack all my bathroom and kitchen stuff into my bags and will now use them for clothes. Gah! I do love them.

So again I ask... How are you?

-Andrea

addicted.....

So.... I love my new iTouch, I'm talking, it must be in my sight/hand at all times or i feel naked. I listen to my music, read my books, check emails, track my WW points, have all my membership cards for scanning, and endless amounts of other things on it. I have no idea how I ever survived without it in my life!

However, today my addiction has reached a new level. It is my pleasure to introduce you to.....

Words with Friends!!!

Pay attention people.... this is serious! If you have an iTouch or an iPhone you can play Scrabble with other people that have them too! And the best part.... this app is FREE! You just can not beat that.... at this moment I have 3 games going with co-workers, its my turn and I have V,L,R,T,H,A,S. Thoughts?

If you have it/get it and want to play leave a comment and we will compete. :)

On another note, I re-joined WW last night and we are on our way to completing #1 of the "to do" list. I also bought new tires today (refer to yesterday's post) and even made it to the Gym!

Happy Hump Day!

-Andrea

you know it is going to be a good day when...

you wake up, it is 23 degrees outside (really cold to those of us in Texas) and you get ready for work only to find......

Oh well! Thank you Hunter for helping me change it!

Off to work!

-Andrea

Monday Monday.....

Katie Daisy Designs

6:00 came entirely too early this morning. My fault really, since I have allowed myself to sleep until 11:00a everyday the past week and a half, but man that was so worth it. It was like a weekend in high-school for 10 days straight. Oh it was lovely.....

Today at work was like any other day, the fun part was getting to watch Erin (my co-hort) eat that scrumptious pop-corn our hospital pops all (and i mean ALL) day long. I, on the other hand started eating healthy and getting ready for WW! I was very proud... I didn't cheat! This afternoon i even made it to the gym AND the grocery store.

Along with WW and working out more, I have made it a mission to start cooking healthy meals for myself for dinner and the following day's lunch. Today..... Greek Fusion Turkey Burger courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens! Delicious! I don't have a picture but the recipe is as follows:

Greek Fusion Turkey Burgers

1 lb. ground turkey breast, uncooked

2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/4 cup light tub-style cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon green onion, finely chopped

2 whole wheat pita bread rounds, halved crosswise

1/2 of a medium cucumber, cut into think bite-size strips

8 slices tomato

1. In a medium bowl, combine turkey, 1 teaspoon of the chile peppers, and the oregano. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill on grill. ( i just did it in a skillet since I don't own a grill and it was fine.)

2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon chile pepper, the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onion and 1/8 teaspoon salt.

3. Open cut sides of halved pita bread rounds to make pockets. Spread cream cheese mixture into pockets. Add cucumber, grilled patties, and tomato

*Makes 4 servings*

per serving: 272 cal., 6 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 58 mg chol., 473 mg sodium, 22 g carb., 3 g fiber, 33 g pro.

Try it out! Let me know what you think!!!

-Andrea

Back to reality......

Today was the last day of my time off which means back to work tomorrow. Not that I can complain, I do have the BEST job in the world. I really can't wait to get back and see my co-workers and patients. I sure am blessed!

With that being said, this means that it is time to get into gear and start losing those 40 pounds! I will be hitting up the gym, re-joining WW, and cooking healthy meals for myself this week. Just gotta get back in the swing of things. Know any really YUMMY healthy recipies?!

I am writing this post as my super great 14 year old (man i can't believe THAT) brother loads my car for me. I am about to hit up I-45 for a nice 4 hour drive back to the Big-D!!! Thank goodness for my iPod touch and my random collection of music.

Speaking of that iPod... I have become addicted to the Amazon Kindle application. It is amazing. Without it, i know there is NO WAY I would have read 2 entire books this trip! Woo! Here is a peak at what I have been reading.......

Easily Amused by Karen McQuestion

Murder Takes the Cake by Gayle Trent

Have a wonderful week and don't forget to leave me a comment with those recipes.....

-Andrea

Life is like a bicycle...

Good words of wisdom (and a CUTE print too!)

Yesterday's baking adventures were success! We planned to make a Chocolate Ice Box and Chess and baked Cherry Pies. We started with making the pie crusts from start from a recipe from the Peach Tree Cafe cookbook I received for Christmas. This was quite the task... cutting butter into flour, fluting edges, etc.... We made two batches, however one turned out drier than the other... its my first try, edible is all i was shooting for! First was the Chocolate Pie with hand whipped whipped cream. Next was the Chess pie which we are still not sure if we didn't cook it long enough or it just didn't turn out (regardless it was eaten and tasted fine) and lastly was the baked cherry pies just for Dad! Mmmm....

And I got to spend some good old fashioned time with Mom in the Kitchen!

Well it is my last night home in Kingwood before going back to Dallas which means back to reality and my 2010 "to do" list. Tonight, my Texas Tech Red Raiders play in the Alamo Bowl and despite the ridiculousness that was this past week I still love them (but will miss Coach Leach.) Stay on your bicycle that is life Tech and Wreck 'Em!

-Andrea