Unexpected learnings.

I've learned a few things lately...  Maybe I can save you from learning them the hard way!  :)

There's nothing quite like coming home to a husband who's happy to see you.

Following that up:  those first 5 minutes usually determine the entire night.  Even if you're mad/sad/frustrated/worried, always make those first 5 minutes at home about something good.

All wounds can be healed with puppy kisses.

It is possible to love what you do even if you don't like working every day.

Sometimes too much good food is just... too much.  

Cleaning just a few things each day can make a weekend of cleaning much less daunting.

A good, healthy breakfast sets the stage for a feel-good-kind-of-day.

It's okay to want something someday even if you don't want that something right now.

Working from your couch in PJs with a {small} {one} glass of wine feels much less work-like than in dress clothes in an office. 

Doing something good for someone else often feels way better than doing something for yourself.

Some things really are bad.  Others:  they just need a new perspective and they're really quite good.  If not good, then humorous at least.  :)

And if all else fails, put clean sheets on the bed.  The world gets an instant 5 points when there are clean sheets.

Menu Monday.

The week ahead is a little crazy so last week I really wanted to get some homemade food in my system. 

Enjoy your week!

Monday:  Stuffed shells.  Alexia baguette.  Salad.

Grade:  A+.
Comments:  Love some stuffed shells.  They're gaining some celebrity amongst some of my Twitter friends, so try them out. :)

Tuesday:  Leftover shells. Salad.

Wednesday:  I didn't eat - had a stomach-ache.  I have no idea what Mr. Smith made.

Thursday:  Sauteed chicken for Mr. Smith, soy nuggets for Mrs. Smith.  Cabbage au Gratin, found on Eat.Drink.Smile. 
Grade:  A+.
Comments:  Do not let the name of that side dish fool you.  It is not healthy (2 cups of cheese) but it is quite wonderful (2 cups of cheese!).  It's great leftover.  Will definitely make it again.

Friday:  Bethenny Frankel's Slow-Roasted Salmon with Herb Vinaigrette, first posted here. Served again with sauteed spinach (EVOO, S&P, feta).

Grade:  A.
Comments:  We've made this before and loved it then.  And again.

Saturday:  My sister and her boyfriend came over for dinner.  Grilled BBQ chicken.  Grilled corn on the cob.  Broccoli salad, my mom's recipe.  Homemade french fries, recipe from Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Dish.

Grade:  A.
Comments: Homemade fries are great.  That broccoli salad is something I've grown up eating at nearly every family event, and it just feels like home when we eat it. 

Sunday:  Mrs. Smith - work dinner.  Mr. Smith - Beer Brats, from Bobby Flay, with sour kraut. 
Grade: A.
Comments:  Mr. Smith loves that I'm working so much this week because he gets to eat all sorts of food that I won't eat.  So... try this recipe.  He's been a happy man. :)

Broccoli Salad

One head broccoli

1/4 large onion or 1/2 medium onion

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup mayo

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp sugar

optional:  bacon

Chop broccoli into bite-size pieces.  Dice onion.

Mix broccoli, onion, cheese, and optional bacon in a large bowl.

Mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar together.

Stir mayo mix into the broccoli mix.  

Chill and serve.

Things that make me smile.

I just saw this fabulous little something at Hallmark and thought I'd share while enjoying a little me time at the mall.




This has always been my favorite quote from Alice in Wonderland. You know, before Alice became trendy due to the Tim Burton movie. She's always been my nearest and dearest Disney character.

Anyway. I do believe having this little lovely at my desk at work would bring a smile to my face every single day.

It's the little things, right?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I don't even know what day it is!

All day yesterday, I thought it was Thursday.

And today?  It's actually Thursday, and I can't believe tomorrow is Friday already.

To say I have had a crazy week is an understatement.

Busy all day at work.  Every day.  Working through lunches.

Then, Monday & Tuesday nights, I brought work home.  Working an extra 3-4ish hours each night.

Wednesday night I cleaned house like a crazy person. Floors, bathrooms, vacuuming, kitchen, the works.

And tonight:  more work.  Because I actually needed to be working last night instead of cleaning, but I just couldn't look at Emma footprints on the hard woods for one more minute.

Friday:  I have some champagne in the wine cooler and a peach in the fridge - bellinis are calling my name. 

source

Join me if you'd like. :)

My lovey.

I adore my husband.  Really, I do.

But like any good American bossy wife with a mild case of OCD, I manage to find a whole host of things that make me crazy.

Like all those mornings when I wake up first and come downstairs to clean up the remnants of last night's fourth meal.  (Usually a cereal box and empty bowl.)

And when it takes him a week to put away his clean laundry.  (How hard is that? I already washed it, folded it, and brought it upstairs?)

Or the fact that he refuses to wash the stemless wine glasses for fear that they'll break in his hands.  (This actually happens though, so I can't blame him.  I blame Pottery Barn.)

But then he goes and does something like this to make all that more than worthwhile.

The Stage:  Mr. Smith is working on Saturday.  He calls an hour before he gets off to figure out the "plan" for the night.

Mr. Smith:  So, what are we doing tonight.

Me:  Well, I thought we'd grill and stay home with the pups.  Delilah would want us home to play for her birthday.

Mr. Smith:  Oh, it's her birthday?  I didn't know.

Me:  Yeah, remember I mentioned it earlier this week?

Mr. Smith:  Oh yeah...

Me:  Yeah, I thought we'd get some champagne since she's of legal drinking age now.  

You know, dog years... she's 21.*

Mr. Smith:  I don't know.  I'm sad.  I don't want her to grow up.

And then my heart melted.

Love that man.

*Yes. My jokes are always that bad.

Menu Monday.

This week was a crazy one.  Work was rough and neither of us had alot of cooking energy, so forgive our lack of creativity.

I will be doing some recipe research this week in hopes to have an exciting Menu Monday next time around. 

Until then... :)

Monday:  Mexican.

Tuesday:  Leftover mac & cheese.  Mr. Smith added a leftover cheeseburger.  I added a spinach salad with ranch, croutons, feta, and bacos (those super-processed bits of goodness don't have real meat in them... SCORE!).

Grade:  B+.

Comments:  The food was actually pretty good.  The lower score had to do with the fact that I dropped my first bowl of reheated mac & cheese while pulling it out of the microwave and broke the spoon rest.  So bad attitude, really - not bad food.

Wednesday:  Mr. Smith cooked.  Grilled chicken for himself.  Soy nuggets for me.  Grilled squash and zucchini.  Fried okra and fried green tomatoes.  (Recipe first posted 10/09. Use same batter for okra and tomatoes!)

Grade:  A+.

Comments: TDF.  I didn't cook.  And it was delicious.  Couldn't ask for more.

Thursday:  Papa John's.

Friday:  Sushi.  From the grocery store.  Eh, we'll do it again, but not often.

Saturday:  Grilling at home and dinner on the deck for Delilah's Bday.  Mr. Smith - steak from the Farmer's Market.  Mrs. Smith - TJ's Salmon burger on a Nature's Own Sandwich thin.  Grilled squash and zucchini (tossed in S&P, canola, and Cavendar's then grilled in a grill basket).  Grilled onions, as posted on Kelly's Korner.  Grilled corn on the cob (pats of butter, sprinkles with S&P, wrapped in foil, grilled).

Grade:  A (Mr. S)/B (me).

Comments:  All the veggies:  fantastic, especially those onions... those were new and will be repeated.  Although Mr. Smith says his steak was fab, I am just not sure how I feel about the salmon burgers.  The first time I did ketchup, mustard, and typical "hamburger fixins."  This time I did Muenster cheese and dijon mustard.  Still not completely sold.  Will keep trying.  

 

Sunday:  Mr. Smith had a work party... bowling alley food!!  For me - Annie's mac & cheese.  I use greek yogurt instead of milk to thicken it up! 

Happy Birthday Delilah Belle!

Dearest Delilah,

You are 3 today.  I still remember the day we brought your little 1 pound 6 ounces teensy-ness home.  

All you did was sleep and sleep, and then wake up to run as fast as you could around the house.  Your food servings were about a tablespoon, three times a day, yet you always had room for treats.

Now you're a big girl, 7 pounds without your collar, and you bulk up to all of 8 when you're wearing your "necklace" as we call it. 

Your favorite things are snuggling with your mommy, playing with toys (only if Emma had them first), and some more snuggles.  

You're not a very good sister to Emma, but that's okay.  She loves you anyway.  

And so do we.

Happy 3rd birthday, sweet puppy!

Birthday List.

My birthday is coming up in August.  Honestly, I really do have everything I need, but to celebrate a year of a wonderful life lived, I think a celebratory wish list of a few things I'd love to have of my very own would be fun, no?  

source

A maid.  Seriously.  I would love to have someone clean my house and make it sparkle.

 

A bag.  You know, like maybe the LV Damier Azur Canvas Speedy 30.

 

from here.

A coffee table book.  The Roald Dahl Treasury.

source

A little blue box.  There are a variety of things I would love to find inside it. :)

1, 2, 3

A backyard makeover.  My lovely, very old trees make it nearly impossible to grow things, like grass.  Our backyard is just a disaster, and I don't even know where to begin for fixing it up.  I would love someone to come do it all for me because whenever I think about doing it ourselves, my head swims.


 

A pair of sunnies.  Ray Ban Aviators specifically.

Like I said... I will be a happy girl whether I get none of this or all of it, but every special occasion deserves a list, no?  Yes.  Most definitely.

Menu Monday.

This week started out in detox mode.  I was so tired from the weekend of pizza and Mexican and movie popcorn and unhealthy food that I really just needed to get back on the healthy track.

So you'll see the first three meals were heavily skewed in the lettuce direction, and every single meal included something "green."  Nothing wrong with that, right?

Monday:  Healthy Tacos from Skinnygirl Dish.  (Buy the book! It's awesome!)

Grade:  A.
Comments:  These were fantastic and super easy to make.  I will definitely always use this recipe now instead of buying the mix because I always have the spices in her recipe on hand.

Tuesday:  Big salads.  Romaine, strawberries, feta, croutons, toasted pecans with Lite Ranch for Mrs. Smith. Romaine, diced chicken breast, carrots, cucumbers, Bacos, tomatoes, croutons, Kraft Tangy Tomato Bacon dressing for Mr. Smith.
Grade:  A.
Comments:  This was so light and refreshing.  PS:  Don't burn the pecans when you're toasting them.

Wednesday:  Guacamole Salad, originally from Barefoot Contessa, shared by my dearest Budget Savvy Bride.  We omitted the tomatoes and included corn as BSB did.  We also put the mix (sans avocado) over tortilla chips with a little cheese and warmed them in the oven, then topped it all with avocado, sour cream, lots of lettuce, and hot sauce.  Also - leftover ground turkey and Quorn crumbles from our Monday's tacos.
Grade:  A+.
Comments:  Yummy, filling, and well balanced.  I loved it.

Thursday:  Whole Wheat Buitini cheese tortellini Muir Glen cabernet marinara, fresh spinach, and sauteed artichoke hearts and zucchini, inspired by Healthy Tipping Point.  Salads.

Grade:  A.
Comments:  If you're going to do this, get 2 boxes of pasta. My Kroger only had one, and we were both a little hungry afterwards, but everything had a great flavor and was packed with veggies.

Friday:  Mrs. Smith - leftover guac salad.  Mr. Smith - grilled burgers.
Grade:  A-.
Comments:  This is fantastic leftover, but can't do any higher since it's the second time I'm eating it this week. :) 

Saturday:  For me, a grilled-out-celebration for my dearest bachelorette, Miss Sarah Elizabeth.  Mr. Smith will have spaghetti with meat sauce, a very-loved and very-missed culinary delight he's missing out on whilst married to a vegetarian.
Grade: n/a
Comments: For me, it was all about fun and the lovely company I was with.  Mr. Smith was a very happy man with his spaghetti, and he has plenty of leftovers for the next few days lunches.  :)

Sunday: My mom is in town helping my sister move, so she came over to cook for the Smiths and my sis and her boy.  Beer can butt chicken for everyone else, Boca spicy chicken sandwich for moi.  Creamed corn (fresh off the cob!), homemade mac & cheese, fried okra (fresh from the farm!).
Grade:  A+.
Comments:  My mom is an amazing cook, and I enjoyed every bit of this.  And, as I finish up, I'm eating leftovers the leftovers for lunch.  Yummy again.

True Vampire Love.

I hereby dedicate the rest of this week to the men on my "list."  Mr. Smith is well-aware of said list, and he's got one of his own.  (All blondes.  The man knows what he likes.  Thank goodness I find myself naturally of the fair-haired varietal.)

My list, however, could not be more diverse.  I've already shared my number one Love List man with you.  He has a mighty big decision coming up, and I am sure to blog about it.  And how it will affect my our life and future travels.  Mmm hmm.

Each of my Love List men are of a different category, and I will call them as such.  First up, in the #3 spot:  THE VAMPIRE.

 

See the one on the left.  That's Jasper.  

"Oh, and the one who looks like he's in pain--that's Jasper..."

That Jasper.  Newest to the Cullen family.

And you can show me a million pictures where is makeup is weird and his hair is crazy, but the baseball scene from Twilight will lead me to forever love my dearest Jasper Hale.

Who's with me? 

(Or, who's harboring not-so-secret love for another vampire or, perhaps, {gasp} a wolf?)

P.S. For long-time readers, you may remember my previous #3 as the serial killer/the pointy eared Trekkie.  He's teeters in and out of his #3 spot, but I just saw Eclipse so for now he's out.

Blog Sale: Dresses & Skirts.

This was intended to be Day 1 of the Blog Sale, but screwy ole Blogger deleted it.  Oh, and they also won't allow me to approve comments.  I digress.

Cleaning out my closet - it's time for some things to go. Some are too big, some too small, others are just ready for a new home.  All are great condition, some barely worn.

Email mrs smith 909 {at} gmail {dot} com to let me know what item you're interested in.  Ask questions, too, if you'd like.

Add $5 to each price for shipping.

I'll send you a PayPal invoice once you say you want the item.  Payment must be received within 24 hours.  US residents only.  All sales are FINAL.

**And forgive my poor excuse for an at-home mani.  It's awful.

SOLD! Navy Pink Seersucker Strapless Dress - $15

Size 6

This dress is a few years old, but it has only been worn 2-3 times.  Still in great condition.

The Limited Red Shirt Dress - $20

Size 6 (Fits a little snug for a 6.)

These photos do the dress no justice.  I just adore this dress, but it was purchased during my big diet.  Never buy a dress you adore during that transition phase.  This dress cinches at the waist with the belt (or with your own) and is SO flattering.  I loved this dress...

Merona Black/White Seersucker Halter - $15

Size 8

This dress was worn a handful of times.  I adore it, but it's now too big.

Blue Floral Halter Dress - $15

Juniors Size 9/10, Fits like an 8

This was purchased for a friends' wedding at Dillard's and worn once.  So cute on.

SOLD! Green/Brown Double V-Neck Dress - $20

Size Medium-ish

I ripped the tags out of this shortly after buying it - super itchy - so I'm not sure of the size or designer, but I know I was a Medium/Size 8 when I purchased it.  It's super comfortable and I got several compliments on it before it was too big.

Adrianna Papell Burgundy Halter Dress - $50

Size 8

I wore this once while on my college homecoming court.  Oh the memories.  :)  It's too big now but I've held on to it thinking I would wear it anyway because it's just so pretty.

SOLD! MICHAEL Michael Kors Grey Pinstripe Pencil Skirt - $20

Size 8

Very flattering, very cute.  Wore it a handful of times, now it's too big.

SOLD! The Limited Brown Trumpet Skirt - $15

Size 0

Not sure what possessed me to believe this would fit me, but I'm not a 0.  It's super cute - I wore it once.

Blog Sale: Jackets, Tops, Shoes.

I was going to start out with a full post of all dresses and skirts, but Blogger deleted it.  The whole thing.  After I spent an hour putting it together.  Hopefully I'll have the energy to re-do it all tonight.  Whiney whine whine.  

So... BLOG SALE.

Cleaning out my closet - it's time for some things to go. Some are too big, some too small, others are just ready for a new home.  All are great condition, some barely worn.

Email mrs smith 909 {at} gmail {dot} com to let me know what item you're interested in.  Ask questions, too, if you'd like.

Add $5 to each price for shipping.

I'll send you a PayPal invoice once you say you want the item.  Payment must be received within 24 hours.  US residents only.  All sales are FINAL.

SOLD! Banana Republic Navy Pinstripe Blazer - $25

Size 4

I wore this once.  I like it, and the lining is oh-so-pretty... but I just don't know what to wear it with.  It's a problem that I hope you will not have.

SOLD! Pink Striped Oxford Shirt - $5

Size M

Good shirt but I just don't wear it.

Ann Taylor LOFT Red Cropped Jacket - $20

Size 2

Worn once.  My office is pretty casual, so I just don't find the opportunity to wear it.

Antonio Melani Embellished Camisole - $15

Size 6

Worn a few times with a suit.  Very pretty.  Too big for me now.

The Limited Striped Button-up Shirt - $10

Size Small

Great fit, super lightweight so perfect for summer into fall.

The Limited Belted Shirt - $10

Size M

Great fit, very flattering.  Too big for me.  Worn once, maybe twice.

SOLD! H&M Yellow T-shirt - $10

Size S

It's fun and casual - I just struggle wearing yellow.  It's the pale blonde in me.

White 3/4 Sleeve Blazer - $15

Size 4 Petite

Again, too dressy for my business casual office.  Worn once.
(And they asked if I was going to an interview.  Oops.)

SOLD! BCBGirls Sandals - $15

Size 8

Never worn.  Would be great for the pool.

Strappy Wedges - $15

Size 8

Worn once.  They're fairly easy to walk in for the heel height.