Preparing for Thanksgiving Dinner

This will be the very first Thanksgiving feast I prepare on my very own (yes, I am 40 years old, but I have many excuses- I have always worked in retail, others always cook, etc.).  So this is a big one.

Here is what I am thinking:

Ordered a nice, fresh, organic, free-range turkey. Yes, I know to remove the giblets and such from inside before I cook it.
I also ordered a pumpkin and amaretto cake. Yum.
I love cranberry sauce from the can- that is what I am sticking with.
I am excited to make some "veggie concoctions"- things with green beans, almonds and such.  This is where my creativity will come into play. Yeah!
My mashed potatoes will NOT have lumps.
My gravy will NOT be as good as Dad's. Deal with it.
My stuffing WILL be as good as Dad's (I hope). Because he will teach me how.
Jarrod will get to pick what kind of warm, tasty bread-like thing I make.  That will be fun too.

Most important, I can do it and there will be leftovers for days.  That is key.

Dinner will be served around.... oh let's 3PM or so.  Retail still. Must work that night.
Now, what about Christmas dinner..... Hmmmmm

Relaxation Does A Body Good

You can tell it's retail holiday time... I slept for over 9 hours last night and I still feel sleepy/lazy today (I'm sure the half a bottle of wine I downed before bed may have something to do with it too!)

Nothing very exciting to share these days because work consumes my time, but I can ALWAYS find some fun and thrilling stuff out there..... that is what life is all about.

A little more winery fun was had.  If you have not visited Acorn winery, I would recommend it. By appointment only, but great- and super friendly folks. 

Halloween was lackluster for me as I sat in a hotel working.  But it was fun to see all the kiddie pics from friends on Facebook.  Oh- and I ate a few bites of chocolate cake with my soup & salad for my celebration :)

Feeling so bad for the folks who were devastated by Sandy on the East coast.  I watched the tribute last night- Go Jon Bon Jovi!- and donated to help. How awful.  So glad all my East coast buddies are ok.

Loving putting the Summer wardrobe away and pulling out my fave jeans and boots.  So worth the cool weather.  And a good time to shop for more!

Another good thing about relaxing weekends..... facial, pedicure and massage.... ahhhh.... that's all.

New England Vacation

Wow- can you tell I have been busy (work)!? I have not posted for 1 month. Granted, 1 week of that month I was on vacation.  Here are some of the fabulous photos.

No particular order- just random of Peggy, Amy and Dottie in Boston, Concord, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Providence, Newport and Manhattan. So fun!

Mom on Broadway!

Mom & me at the Old North Bridge monument

Mom & her gourmet hot cocoa

Mom & me on Nantucket



Amy & me on Nantucket



Preparing for our Broadway show!

Jammies, TV & room service!

I'm joining the cast of "Twlight"!



Mom & her "Today Show" guys





 And we are ready to begin vacation....





 

Fall 2012 TV

Sooooo excited!  It's that time again:  FALL TV LINE-UP 2012!!!

Every year, I get excited for the new shows.... even though less than 1/2 of them stick around....
Let's just get to it-  my 8 top choices for new shows this year:

1- Mob Doc
2- Partners
3- Go On
4- The New Normal
5- 666 Park
6- Nashville
7- Emily Owens MD
8- Made in Jersey

I admit, nothing smashing or any really great hits (like Revenge and Scandal from last year!), but some fun options thrown in there.

Mob Doc- I love Jordan Spiro from an old fave- "My Boys" (RIP)
Partners- Sophia Bush moving on from "One Tree Hill" (also RIP)
Go On- Anything with Matthew Perry is good with me (nothing has stuck since "Friends")
Normal- Getting the most hype- banned in Utah!
Emily Owens- I really like Meryl Streep's daughter Mamy Gummer- although her pilots never seem to stick


Looks like most start on the 11th- soon!
And I would be remiss if I did not mention the return if some goodies this year (along with Revenge & Scandal)..... just to name a few:

2 Broke Girls
Parenthood
New Girl
Modern Family
Hart of Dixie
Good Wife
Up All Night
Big Bang Theory

Thank you, thank you, thank you.... DVR!!!!  Love, love, love my TV!!!
Oh- and the Emmy's September 23!

PARK CITY!!!!

Whenever people find out I own a (small second) home in Park City, they always ask if I ski.  And the answer is always no.  I started to love Park City because of the Sundance Film Festival held every January (which of course is still the main reason!), but over the past 3 years, I have come to love so much more.  I had one of the best weekends here last week and I was just thinking about what I truly love about it here:

PARK CITY!!!

In the Summer....

Sunshine and mountain air
Sushi  and martinis outdoors at Blind Dog (although I do miss the fondue from the winter)
Hot air balloons that lift up outside my window in the morning (like right now!)
Park City has a Whole Foods
Silver Mountain Gym & Spa with a fab outdoor pool and BBQ (love that smell while at the pool!)
Vanessa who does my luxurious facials at Silver Mountain
A great outlet mall
A Massage Envy
Kneaders for delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, breads, desserts....
Rides and fun at Park City Mountain Resort
Many hiking trails
Chipmunks and cute little critters everywhere
Park Silly Market every Sunday
Main Street Trolley
A do-it-yourself recycling center that make you feel like your are saving the planet one piece at a time
Many Summer concerts (although no Goo Goo Dolls this year..... sad)
Shopping on Main Street when it's warm.... and ending with Java Cow ice cream- yum!
Outdoor eating on Main Street on the temporary outdoor patios they set-up on the street
Art Fairs every once and awhile

Ok, I think that's plenty. I simply love it here.  Cannot get enough of it.  Guess it's good I bought a place here:)
Thanks Park City, Utah for making me smile every time I take the exit off of I-80.

If You're Happy And You Know It....

Clap your hands.... I know

But that's not what I am talking about today.  Talking about being happy and what makes you happy. I know I am kind of a dork, but I keep lists of everything.  To-do list, budget list, medical check-ups, friends I need to see/call, places I want to visit, movies I want to see.... pretty much everything.

2 of my my favorites- I track days I exercise and days I am happy. Of course, there is a correlation.  Usually days I work out, I am happy. Imagine that.  And when I get enough sleep. And when I eat healthy.  Just the way it is.

I was thinking about this because someone asked me what the "smiley faces" were on the upper right hand corner of my Franklin organizer pages (yes, I still use a paper organizer- can't function without it- can't use the electronic version that I should these days- paper still works for me).  That is how I "list" my good and bad days.  Smiley faces for the good days and frowny faces for the  days that were not that great or just down right horrible. 

The good news is, there always seem to be a ton more smiley faces than frowny faces.  I would say, on average, about 2-3 frowny faces a month.  Good news- it's August 26th and zero frowny faces in 26 days- that is a very good thing.  I have also exercised 18 days thus far this month. Another good thing.

The point is, we create our own happiness.  Yep, there are some things we cannot control, but for the most part, we make the decisions that create our mood, our happiness in life.  I guess I just choose to be happy.  As much as I can.  Music, movies, sunshine, my kitty, wine... all that helps too.

If you're happy and you know stomp your feet!!!! :)

More Vegas

Yep, in Vegas again....  seems like I have been here more often lately.  This time was also a combo of work and fun.  Work is over. Fun is here.  Just a quick update on the adventures thus far....In bullet point/question form as usual:

*  Why would a hotel elevator smell like mashed potatoes?
*  Is it a Vegas law that overweight girls must wear clothes 1-2 sizes to small?
*  Does a "long shirt" automatically count as a "dress" on the Strip?
*  Why aren't all Starbucks in the world open 24 hours?
*  Is it just me, or is Criss Angel over-the-top in love with himself?
*  Is there really such a thing as "dry heat" at 110 degrees?
*  What is the Sugar Factory thinking when they post pictures of "celebrity endorsements? The Situation?  Really?
*  Is it necessary for every casino bar to have a dancer's crotch at face level (bar top) after 10PM? Note to self:  shy away from those bars!
*  Following in Criss Angel's footsteps, while in the taxi, listening to Steve Wynn, can he really be involved with every single thing in Vegas and is he really "good friends" with every famous person who ever stepped foot on Vegas soil?
*  What is a "resort fee" anyway? I don't see any resorts on the Strip.

Ok, enough negativity:

*  Unexpected, the steakhouse at Treasure Island, TENDER, was delish!  Yum!
*  Criss Angel was entertaining- how DOES he do that!?
*  My first ROYAL FLUSH. Ever.
*  Cupcakes everywhere
*  Hotel gyms are still nice in Vegas
*  Never bored. Never.
*  TI has VERY comfy beds


Yep- still lots of fun to be had in Sin City.  Keeping it clean, my friends, but having fun with my ladies/

Some Pics...

Just some random pics from the past few weeks... or months....

John & Robyn's wedding in San Francisco

My 40th birthday party with Julie Hess

Deidra & Jarrod at my party

Andi & Mark with new little Noah Guitar Dewes

Some of my work team in Las Vegas

Christine Ellering, me and Lori Ellering in Wine Country

Just the grapes

Food, Grub, Time to Nosh

Yep, it's a food post.  It's what people joke about Facebook posts: here is what I am having for dinner.  Joke all you want- I have had some pretty awesome food adventures as of late.  Wanna hear? If not, don't read me :)

Let's start a few days ago....
Saturday in Wine Country with the girls
          Pork tenderloin and spicy corn at Dry Creek Kitchen
                    Ok, PT is a staple for me, but this one was amazing- spicy corn was a great accompaniment
          Cranberry, veggie & wild rice salad from Big Jim's Market
                    Unexpected gem!  Tasty
          Tortilla crusted tilapia with a little asparagus from the grocery store made at home
                     Cooked anyway, delish!
          Cheerios and organic berries & organic milk at home
                     Ok., simple, but how can you possibly go wrong here?
          Finally, happy dance.....   Whole Foods had Coconut Tapioca pudding tonight.....  yum, yum


I have not been this thrilled about food in quite some time. Healthy, delicious.  Good stuff. 
Great restaurants.  Fresh grocery stores.  Love it.
And I did mention the other day, I am obsessed with Kind Almond & Coconut bars. So good!

Yes, I am in love with my food. It could be worse...... Not as expensive as my shoes :)

A Little Bit of Everything

Finished up work, watching "Royal Pains" on DVR and pondering what has transpired over the past 9 days.  Good stuff.  Here goes:

* I still will never quite get over the goofy way planes must fly in & out of Orange County
* I don't believe, no matter how much I try, I will ever be as pretty as the people of The OC
* A girl can never have enough sparkling wine
* There really is not such thing as a bad cupcake
* Try new things-don't just say you will- trying actually makes life more fun
* Sleep is NOT overrated
* Believe it or not,Carl's Jr.has the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had- yum!
* Milk does a body good, but exercise does it even better
* This is nothing much better than fun in wine country
* I take that back....  watching Olympic gymnastics come close
* Play outside of your "comfort zone"- you never know how fun it really can be
* I confess that "Call Me, Maybe" is quite catchy... cheeky, but catchy
* Multiple compliments on my shoes never gets old

Yep, that should do it for now.  Just a small list of rambling topics that have been part of my life this past week or so.
Have a super, duper Monday.