KC - Movies

This week at Windy Poplar's Kristin wants to know about movies. I am a movie junkie! I would much rather watch a movie as opposed to a TV show (unless it's Grey's...let's not get crazy here, hehe). Head on over and link up!!

1. What was your favorite movie as a child? The Little Mermaid, and it still is! Hah, I know every line and every song. When I was little I would spend the summer at the pool and pretend I was a mermaid princess and hang out in the deep end and dive down to the bottom and swim around like a mermaid and play with my imaginary friends. Let's just say I got really good at holding my breath for long periods of time and no one ever wanted to play with me... And when my mom took my to NYC for my 21st birthday we saw The Little Mermaid on Broadway - it was magical....ahhhh...:)

2. If you could live in any movie as your fictional world, which one would it be? Avatar living on Pandora. I know that sounds super geeky but I LOVED that movie and would be absolutely stoked if I could be a Na'vi (yes the tall blue creatures) and live in their world.

3. Have you ever seen a midnight showing, or hosted a movie release party? Tell us about it! I saw the midnight showing of the fourth Harry Potter movie - yes, I am that nerdy. I felt out of place because I wasn't dressed up like all the other kids :( but it was fun nonetheless!

4. What movie release are you most looking forward to this year? Eclipse (just one more week! And I'm planning on going to the midnight showing), Eat Pray Love, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (yes, this time I will be dressing up...).

5. Are you a theatre goer, renter, or wait-and-buyer? I'm mostly a theatre goer, me and Spence like to get out of the house - but now that we have netflix I watch a lot of older movies at home.

Hope y'all don't think I'm too big of a geek - but honestly, I wear the title proudly ;)

What are your favorites? What are you most looking forward to?

KC - Pets!! :)

Sorry for all the time that has passed without a post! We had a somewhat busy weekend and I had a broken laptop. Sad day. But not anymore! Allow me to explain with a mini weekend recap:

Friday was just a half day of work for me (yay) and then I met up with one of my closest friends Lindsey. We enjoyed a long, leisurely lunch at Olive Garden (love that place) and then spent the rest of the afternoon running errands. We decided to make a girl's night out of it since we were having entirely too much fun to stop anytime soon - so we cooked a delicious dinner - Lemon Chicken with asparagus and rice, with fresh fruit and sparkling wine for dessert! After dinner we were feeling exceptionally social so we got dressed up and went to a little cantina for some relaxing cervezas and musica. It was such a blast getting to hang with Linds and Ash for a night - we hadn't done so in far too long and it was definitely overdue. Saturday was a lazy day for the most part, however I did manage to get Spence to go with me to Hobby Lobby - we came home with some pretty great (and much needed!) finds :) We went out for some dinner and then Spence wanted to run to Best Buy. And don't you know he had something up his sleeve! We get there, he leads me to the computer section and tells me to pick one! He really is the best thing EVER :) Sunday was church, then my parents house for dinner, then I had to go babysit two little cuties for the evening.

So now it's my week off and I do happily have a computer to keep me occupied while my sweet Spence is at work. I didn't get it setup until yesterday morning because I have been too busy watching (and finishing) season 5 of Weeds, haha.

Anyway... moving on to other things. It's KC time over at Kristin's and this week it's about pets! Yay! I love my babies! Ok, here we go...

1. What pets currently reside at your house?
(If you don't have any now, tell us what you grew up with)
We have two dogs: Taz, an almost 3 month old Border Collie/Blue Heeler mix, who resembled a Tasmanian Devil when he was a wee pup, hence the name, and Nala, an almost 2 year old Australian Shepherd/Pitbull/Boxer/whoknowswhat mess mix, who pounced and played more like a kitten than a dog when she was a baby, so I called her Nala like from The Lion King.


2. What is one really strange thing your pet(s) does?
Haha, they are two of the strangest dogs I've ever met but I wouldn't have them any other way :) Their personalities are just so big! Nala is definitely a free spirit and is so dang quirky, Taz is more subdued (unless he wants to play) and is very curious. Specifically, when I tell Nala to sit, she sits on my feet. Not beside them or in front of them, on them. I think it's her way of making sure I don't go anywhere, haha. She's also very coy - when she has a toy and wants to play, she'll put it right in front of Taz' face until he goes for it, then ensues an epic game of keep-away. When I take Taz with me in the car he puts his face right against the vent and lays his ears back in pure enjoyment. So funny and goshdarncute! They both like to "slap" and I find it hilarious. They're both super smart, too - that's not strange, I just like to brag ;)


3. Now fess up here: give us your nicknames for your pets (we KNOW you have them- and we KNOW they're good)!
Nala: NeeNee, NuuNuu, NaNa, TaTaWeeWee, TaTaNuNu, MeeMee, MuMu, Ed, Narley, my wittle girl
Taz: little baby TazTaz, TazTaz, Tazzers


4. Are your pets spoiled or not (grin)?
Bahaha.... most definitely! I treat them like I would treat my children. No, I do not tote them around everywhere with me or dress them up - but they are showered with treats, toys, cuddles, and "tisses", and get to sleep in the bed.


5. Insert pet pics here :-)

KC - Food & Recipes...yumm!

It is a sad day...my laptop died on Tuesday and it doesn't look like I'll be getting it fixed anytime soon :( So until then I'll be using my lunch breaks or running over to my parent's house to get my bloggy fix. Just so you know, my laptop conked out on me just in time for my full week off next week. Geeze...thanks a lot. Maybe it's a sign that I should be doing productive things instead of surfin' the net... (cue eerie music...) Hah, just kidding...moving on...

Yay, it's Kindred Connection time and it's all about one of my favorite things - FOOD! So without further ado...here goes:

1. What is your favorite ethnicity of food? Italian. Mexican. Mediterranean. Canadian. Hah, just kidding again. I can't choose, my tastebuds will wander where they may, and I'll happily follow along. :)

2. If you could eat only one meal for two weeks straight, what would it be? Rosa's bean and cheese burritos. Love 'em.

3.What is the "signature" dish that you cook? (you know, that always receives rave reviews and/or you get requests for the recipe - feel free to share the recipe!) I don't think I have a "signature" recipe yet, I like to dabble in a little bit of everything and am always trying something new - the recipes for my current, new hits are below! :)

4. Is there something that you just can't handle eating - like gag reflex? Nope, I'll try anything once!

5. Do you think that the Kindred Connection should continue through the summer, or take the summer off? Of course! If you find yourself short of time, maybe make it every other week :)

Tenderloin, Cranberry, and Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

via

Ingredients:
4 (4 ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, cut 3/4 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1 (5 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
1 medium red or green pear, cored, cut into wedges
1/4 cup dried cranberries
Salt
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

Honey Mustard Dressing:
1/2 cup prepared honey mustard
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
1. Season beef steaks with 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Place steaks in skillet; cook 7 to 9 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally.
2. Meanwhile whisk Honey Mustard Dressing ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Divide greens evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with pear wedges and dried cranberries.
3. Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt as desired. Divide steak slices evenly over salads. Top each salad evenly with dressing, pecans and goat cheese, if desired.

-- This simple (and healthy!) meal was utterly mouth watering! It took less than half an hour to make and tasted like something you'd order at a gourmet restaraunt!

Jalepeno Chicken

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breast (trim the fat)
Tony Cachero's Creole Seasoning
Sliced jalepenos (I use the kind in a jar)
Foil

Directions:
1. Season both sides of the chicken breast - but be careful not to overdo it! A thin "coat" on each side will be perfect.
2. Place on large foil square (you wrap in in foil so be sure the piece of foil is large enough to cover the chicken). Each piece of chicken gets its own foil.
3. Add 3-4 jalepenos on both sides of the chicken (more if you like a lot of heat).
4. Wrap and throw on the grill for about 20-25 minutes (be sure to flip it!).
5. Cut into it, make sure it's not pink (if it is, just throw it back on the grill). Put on a plate, add a little side of ranch dressing, cut a piece, dip into ranch (don't drown it in ranch, just a dip), enjoy!

-- Spencer loves this. It's super easy and super tastey! I usually serve it with mixed veggies. My old roommate Kelly taught me to make this, and it was love at first bite!

I forgot I never posted my Ratatouille recipe from a few weeks ago! Ugh, bad Nicole! I will do that next week, or maybe tomorrow! Sorry :( but I promise it's super delicious!

What about you? Have any great recipes I just have to try? ;)

In the beginning...and other randoms

Have any of you lovely readers ever asked yourself, "Why did I start this blog?"...or maybe wondered why someone else started theirs? Well if you've ever wondered that about me, today's your lucky day 'cause I'm gonna tell ya! I know, I know - super exciting right? Haha, well...to be completely honest, it's also today's topic over at Windy Poplars - yay for stories! :)

What made me want to start my blog...

My BFF Jennie of course! (That girl can get my to do just about anything! haha) She had started blogging and had told me about it and it sounded interesting and fun - but mostly like something I would genuinely enjoy. I thought about it for a while before I finally jumped on the wagon. I have enough time (correction: had), it is a good way to keep in touch with family and friends, and it's a great way to meet new people.

I took baby steps at first, mostly using it as an accountability tool between me and Jennie, but not long after it turned into more of a journal. I used to journal often back in middle and high school but when college rolled around I stopped...not really sure why. Anyway, I'm back to "journaling" through this blog and really enjoy it - and I think my family (which is 7-15 hours away) appreciates it, too. :)

So there it is, short and sweet. I love that I get inspiration and ideas about so many things (all the way from food to family to fashion) from fellow bloggers and have the opportunity to share my ideas (however few and far between they may be) with others.

Now on to randomness...

• Did I tell y'all I bought my wedding dress? Because I did :) about 2 weeks ago when we girls made the trip to Austin for Muddy Buddy. I love it and found it at the first shop we went to (we missed my first appointment because we were running late, the traffic was terrible, and so was the weather - but who cares because I found THE dress at the "second" appointment - divine intervention? Maybe...).
  
• This weekend is three very special people's birthdays - Spencer, my Mom, and my good friend Lindsey's little girl Parker. Spence and I are flying to Houston Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with his parents and best friend. Since we won't be here to share it with my momma, we're going out to dinner Thursday with my parents to make up for it.
  



• I made Ratatouille last night with tortellini and pesto for dinner. It was simply AH-may-ZING if I do so say myself! I will post the recipe and some pics tonight or tomorrow. It's an easy dish and is great in summer or winter - plus it's all vegetables! Nothing but lots of vitamins with a dash of olive oil and salt! :)
  
• I started marathon training this Monday. Like I said in the last post, there are a lot of changes taking place; so, instead of doing the Rock'N'Roll Marathon in December, we're shooting for October 23 to run Chosen: Marathon for Adoption in New Braunfels - T-minus 20 weeks!
  
• Mother Nature brought me a little present yesterday...she seems to bring the same thing every month, thanks a lot MN! Hehe, but in return for my not-so-sweet gift, my wonderful fiance brought me some very sweet gifts - cookies and 2 chic flicks! We watched "Valentine's Day" last night and it was super cute! Such a great cast! And tonight or tomorrow night it'll be "Dear John".
  
• I have a wonderful fiance who is constantly putting my needs before his and his love for me blows my mind every day. I feel so blessed that one day I will get to call him my husband.
  
• And I think that's all the randomness I have for now.

Hope all of you are having a wonderful Wednesday!!!

KC - Vacation

With the begininning of summer comes everyone's favorite thing - vacation! That's what Kristin's topic is this week over at Windy Poplar's...

1. What is the most recent vacation you've been on?
I had an amazing "mini-vacay" to Austin this past weekend for the Muddy Buddy race with some great girlfriends! Check out my BFF Jennie's post about it! But as far as a "real" vacation, it was in February on Valentine's weekend when my "then-boyfriend" (now fiance!) took me on a surprise trip to California...you can read about it here.

2. What is the destination of the vacation of your dreams?
Haha, well my highly unrealistic one would be to spend 6 months to a year traveling around the world. But on a more realistic dream scale... I've always dreamed on going on an African safari (I love the raw, wild beauty of it - oh, and the fact that there is literally danger around every corner)...

and touring Eastern Europe (something so remote yet so romantic about this part of the world)....

3. Do you have a favorite place you vacation to regularly?
I don't really consider it a vacation because it's where my family is and where I was born, but I go to New Braunfels at least 3 times a year. It's a great Texas Hill Country vacation spot - especially in the summer when you can float the river! It's right between San Antonio and Austin so there's always something to do.

4. Vacation preference: beach, city, or mountains?
Honestly, it depends on my mood. Sometimes I'm feeling very beachy, and other times more mountainy. I never really have an urge to go to a city, but sometimes I think it's nice - especially when it's NYC for your 21st birthday! Haha.

5. Have you ever vacationed with a group of people (other than your family)? If so: How did you coordinate it, and would you do it again?
The only group I've "vacationed" with was for a study abroad class. Our schedule was pretty much planned out for us and they allowed us to break into small groups in our free time to do our own exploring. I enjoyed it very much, but have not done a group trip since. I've heard group trips can be a lot of fun as long as it stays between around 6 people, otherwise it's too hard to make everyone happy :)

Kindred Connection Party :)

It's that time of week again for Kristin at Windy Poplar's Kindred Spirit Connection Party! I love the questions this week, so fun!! If you wanna join that party, head on over and link up :)

1. How do you most like to entertain during the summer (pool party, picnic, cookout, etc.)? - Or if your situation doesn't allow for entertaining right now, what do you look forward to being able to host?
I live in an apartment right now, so my only option is to grill out at the pool. It's fun, and lucky for me Spencer is a grill master! We have a blast just hanging out, getting a tan, and eating some yummy food.

But what I most look forward to is having a house of our own. I absolutely can.not.wait!! I hope to have a wrap around porch and giant patio in the back. Perfect for summertime cookouts. I'd also like to have an outdoor fireplace/fire pit for mini bonfires and some s'more roasting! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!! Eeeek - seriously can.NOT.wait!! :)

2. Do you have a favorite summertime dessert?
Gelato. Not just any gelato. Real Italian gelato. The summer I spent in Italy I had this delicious treat at least once a day (okay...I'll admit it... 3 times a day on the weekends). It is sooo amazing. I've tried some gelato stands and shops here but it just isn't the same :( but that doesn't stop me from getting it! Haha.



3.What is your best outdoor summer date idea?
Twilight picnic and then laying out and looking at the stars. I just love to stargaze, I think it's so romantic to share your feelings under the sparkle of a marvelous sky.



4. Share any outdoor decorating tips/ideas you have...
I don't have an outdoor area at this time :( We have an itty bitty patio with one barrell of flowers I planted the other weekend. I love those flowers :) But the best tip I have is to make it relaxing. I love sitting outside spring through fall and watching time go by. Big, comfy chairs (pappasan anyone?), a fire, the smell of flowers drifting through the air, and a canopy that could only be designed by the most awesome Creator is all I need :)


5. What will we find you wearing most in the summertime?
A swimsuit. I love the water, and although there's not (ok, hardly....ugh, barely...fine, zero) water in West Texas, that's not gonna stop this girl! I am a bona-fide lounge lizard. I will lay out by the pool and soak up the rays. And any weekend I can make it, you bet it'll be a river trip! But during those times I cannot don my suit, you can find this girl in shorts and a cute tank. When temperatures reach over 100 most summer days, the less amount of clothes you have on the better.

KS Connection Time :)

Wednesday is a double whammy with Kelsey's Wishful Wednesday and Kristin's Connection Party, but I love them both! :) So here we go with Windy Poplar's CP...

1. What is your cultural heritage, and is it a part of your life (eg. do you celebrate your cultural holidays, or have special traditions or food that comes from your heritage)?
   German. We do love our potato salad and deer sausage - yumm! Other than that, we don't celebrate any cultural holidays... Although you can thank Germans for Christmas trees, we did come up with the idea. We also hide a pickle ornament in the tree and whoever finds it first gets a special treat - crazy Germans ;)
   
2. Give a short description of your vision for your blog.
   It started as an outlet just for me and kind of as an accountability tool for myself to keep up with my goals for the new year...but now it's changed more into an outlet and a place to get to know others with similar interest. I love that I can get great advise, fun ideas, and feel like part of a "community". That's really not much of a vision as it is what it is sort of statement, haha. But I hope for it to continue in this direction :)
   
3. What is one thing you are really enjoying about spring?
   The sunshine and the warm weather and pleasant evenings it brings!! I'm also excited to plant some flowers this weekend! Any suggestions?? It's my first time!
   
4. Do you have an idea to share about something we could do today to bless our husbands/boyfriends to let them know they're special?
   Take them on a date - maybe his favorite restaurant or grab whatever his favorite guilty pleasure is (MickeyD's?) and a "man movie" and enjoy it together. If you really dislike something he really likes, and you do/eat/watch it anyway, he'll feel the love.
   
5. Are you involved in any social club (garden club, dinner club, book club, etc.) - or would you like to be?
   I am not involved in anything right now, but would just love to be! Especially a book or dinner club. I love reading and cooking. Unfortunately I live in an area where you kind of have to make your own fun...but that's not to say something won't crop up! I know a lot of it is actually getting out there and looking, but I've been so busy lately it's hard to find any time. Hopefully this summer will bring a less hectic schedule and more time to do things I enjoy :)

Well, Happy Wednesday all!! Hope everyone is having a bright, sunshiney day!! :):):):)

Kindred Spirits: Week 2

I know, I know...two posts in one day?? But I couldn't help myself! I just LOVE Wishful Wednesday with Kelsey and found another place to get connected and couldn't resist! Kristin over at Windy Poplars hosts a Kindred Spirits Connection Party (this is week 2, I missed week 1) and I couldn't resist! I love the idea behind her blog and everything about it. If you love connecting to other bloggers and enjoy gardening, crafts/decorating, faith, travel, cooking, style... you should most definitely check it out! :)

Questions for the week:

1. What is your favorite vacation spot?
   Oh how can I pick just one? If it's just to lay back and hang out then definitely Caye Caulker off the coast of Belize. I loved island time and the islanders! It was so relaxing and so much fun.
   



2. What are the three qualities that you most admire about your husband (or if you're not married, what are the three qualities you would most desire in a man)?
   The three qualities I admire in my soon-to-be husband are 1. His unconditional love for me. I'm not perfect, I make mistakes, am moody, have "bad" days, whatever, but he continues to love me regardless. He won't let us go to bed angry and is very persistent about talking it out. He also never raises his voice at me, which I really appreciate. 2. His sense of humor. We just "get" each other and if we're not laughing about something, it must mean we're asleep. 3. His faith. He is an amazing spiritual leader and makes me a better person because of it.
   
   
3. What has been a meaningful Bible verse to you this week?
   "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
   - 1 Corinthians 10:31
   
   
4. What is your favorite color (or colors) and why?
   It usually changes with my mood, but I always enjoy yellow because it's such happy color. Then it's purple...don't really know why, it's just a color I've always enjoyed :)
   
   
5. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you in the last 24 hours?
   We had our Women's Bible Study last night and one of the girl's is definitely the class clown, and boy did she have us rolling with laughter for a good 30 minutes with her witty jokes.
   

It's been a busy week of wedding planning and appointment making, but I'll save all of that for a post later this week - until then - Enjoy living your beautiful lives loves!! :):):):):):)