out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

I don't really have anything to write about, but I don't want to leave yall' without anything to read. So here are a few things I do that are weird. Or cool. Ya know. Depending on how you view things.

I substitute flax meal for eggs in cookies and sometimes breads. Not cakes. One tablespoon of flax meal and three tablespoons of water. Let her sit for a minute, then just toss it in when you would the eggs.

I use a nail buffer on my toenails.

I clean my coffee pot with vinegar. 1 or 2 cups of white vinegar and 6 or 8 cups of water and brew with no filter (no coffee. duh.) Then pour out that water and run through clean water once or twice. Fresh as a daisy.

I wake up in the middle of the night and realize I left towels in the washer.

I freeze fruits and veggies that are approaching their shelf life. If you know you aren't going to finish your grapes before they wrinkle, freeze them. Eat them for dessert later. If you have half an onion in your fridge and you're about to head out of town, dice and freeze. Mexican dishes and breakfast burritos love frozen onions. And I love having them pre-chopped.

I file my personal emails. If you don't know about Google filters you need to.

In other news, you need to know about Micah | Michelle. Lovely couple singing simple and lovely songs. This morning I'm enjoying Sharpened in Time, a song about the joy of marriage. This is one to dance to in the kitchen :-) I'll leave you with a few lines...

We've got an easy kind of love. The kind that makes you say at the end of the day it's more than I deserve.

Not that it's never been work you see, but in this life somethings will be worth the effort.

It's been a long day

Posted by Sam , at Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Today was a long day. I left the house at 7:15 - a miracle - to meet a coworker for coffee. From there it was like boom, whack, watch out, slaaaammm, all day long. I was sweating by the end. Like actually sweating at work. From the stress of it all. Who does that?

And as I was pulling into my driveway at 7:15 tonight I thought...
Well, it's been a long day!
Well it's,
been a long,
been a long,
been a long,
Been-a-long daaaaayy!

You don't know that one? I first heard it in junior high when a friend made me a CD titled "Jigga J." It was full of showtunes and I loved it! This particular song is from a show called "How to Succeed in Buiness Without Really Trying." Kind of ironic in the context of my day come to think of it..

In honor of the fact that tomorrow is Thursday. And mostly in honor of the fact that tomorrow I will get my roommate back, I thought I'd share this little ditty with you.

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdGuje6Vrxg&feature=youtube_gdata_player

(Ps- Link isn't working. Just copy and paste for now.)

2pts to the person that can guess the name of the male singer!

Valentines Day

Posted by Sam , at Tuesday, February 14, 2012

What is the best part about Valentine's Day?

So many wonderful things to choose from!

Time with my bestie

Chocolate

Flowers

Love songs

And as if those four things don't make me giddy enough...

Heart shaped everything

Donuts for breakfast

I didn't eat any though

Yes I did. But only one.

Okay fine maybe I had one and a half.

The color pink

But this year I don't get to spend time with my bestie.

It's hard to be an auditor's wife, I tell ya.

But you know what?

It's harder to be an auditor so I'll keep my mouth shut and be supportive.

What happens when you don't get time with your bestie?

You replace it with equal proportions of chocolate, flowers, and love songs.

This weekend I made some delicious brownies.

But only baked them about halfway.
Serious fail.

They are still good with a spoon though.

Last night I tried to make shortbread.

I couldn't get the dough to form a ball.
Had to throw it out altogether.
Epic fail.

Then I tried to make "Bleeding Heart Cupcakes"

(Read: Chocolate cupcakes with strawberry filling and a strawberry buttercream frosting)

I didn't have the coupler I needed to put in the filling.

It kinda went everywhere other than the center of the cupcakes.

But I forged through.

Then I ran out of sugar halfway through the frosting.

But I had worked too hard and couldn't give up

so I went to the store and bought more sugar at 11pm on a Monday.

Don't judge.

The consistency of the icing suffered because of the time gap.

Whatever. It still went on top.

In summary, the cupcakes survived.

They could be way better, but they could also be worse I guess.

Either way, they satisfy my need for chocolate and other sugar on V-Day.

And the donuts didn't hurt either...

So let's get to the point already:

1. What is YOUR favorite thing about valentines day?

2. What is your favorite love song?

("Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx is currently tickling my fancy)

Glee

Posted by Sam , at Thursday, February 02, 2012

OH BOISE!

There are few things I love more than a fantastic song.

Did you watch Glee's tribute to Michael Jackson this week?

I didn't think so.

Stop what you're doing and watch this.

Smooth Criminal

Glee music is flat out amazing.

Allow me to share another.

What is better than Lea Michele? Lea and Idina.

I Dreamed A Dream

Last, but not least

We Are Young

I hope you're grinning ear to ear like I am :-)

Ok okay... you need an encore?

Try "Valerie" or anything with Mercedes

Enchanted

Posted by Sam , at Friday, January 06, 2012

It just makes me smile. A lot.

Please tell me you've seen it.
If you haven't I'd be happy to have you over to watch it again :-)

And if you want to see how this little dandy of a movie is a direct parody of some of the most classic Disney movies of our time, take a scroll through this little blog.
http://stratoblog.wordpress.com/tag/enchanted/

Disclaimer: I didn't read any of the words, I just looked at the pictures, so I shouldn't be held responsible for the test in that link.

Read some of the lyrics to this song. I swooooon...

How do you show her you love her?
How does she know that you really, really, truely love her?
...

It's not enough to take the one you love for granted
You must remind her, or she'll be inclined to say...
"How do I know he loves me?"
...
Well does he leave a little note to tell you you are on his mind?
Send you yellow flowers when the sky is grey? Heyy!
He'll find a new way to show you, a little bit everyday
That's how you know, that's how you know!
He's your love...
...

You've got to show her you need her
Don't treat her like a mind reader
Each day do something to need her
To believe you love her
...
Well does he take you out dancin' just so he can hold you close?
Dedicate a song with words in
Just for you? Ohhh!

He'll find his own way to tell you
With the little things he'll do
That's how you know
...

Because he'll wear your favorite color
Just so he can match your eyes
Rent a private picnic
By the fires glow-oohh!

That's how you know he's your love

Christmas lyrics

Posted by Sam , at Saturday, December 24, 2011

Wednesday night I was out shopping with Julie at Barnes & Noble. She turns around and says "is this about to be a flash mob?" Sure enough, there was a crowd gathered that, in my claustrophobia, I had failed to see.

Turns out, they weren't flash mobers. They were just carolers. Except they were uninvited and a little sneaky, so maybe that makes it a flash mob. Anywho, they opened with the Carol of the Bells. A wonderful caroler's tune :-)

I love listening to and thinking about the lyrics of Christmas music...

Silent Night

Silent night! holy night!

Shepherds quake at the sight

glories stream from heaven afar

heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah

Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night! holy night!

Son of God love's pure light

radiant beams from thy holy face

with the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Luke 2:8-19

Angels We Have Heard on High

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,

Come on adore on bended knee
Christ, the Lord, our new born King

Joy to the world

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King;
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing...
No more let sins and sorrows grow,
nor thorns infest the ground;
he comes to make his blessings flow
far as the curse is found...
He rules the world with truth and grace,
and makes the nations prove
the glories of his righteousness,
and wonders of his love...

Christmas. What a wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

distracted

Posted by Sam , at Thursday, September 22, 2011

No no no, I can't work right now. I'm busy.

Josh is singing to me!

Through my earbuds. But whatever...

.

you tube

Posted by Sam , at Saturday, September 03, 2011

Ya know how most things remind me of songs? Like the phrase "once in a blue moon" or the stairs in the museum in Texas? Well sometimes things remind me of YouTube songs like Friday. A few days ago that happened. Someone at work said something that made me think of an old favorite: Montgomery Flea Market. Do you know that one? Oh you don't? Puh-leaze watch the first few minutes of this. It's so good!

Well then I was singing the song in my head and periodically laughing to myself out loud thinking about how my coworker would do a fantastic remake of this song when my bestie sent me a new you tube video and it reminded me of another classic. The Little Lad Dance. You don't know it? Its instructions on how to do the dance from the Berries and Cream commercial. Still no? Goodness you need to get out more.

First watch this:

Then watch this.

Okay. Good stuff, right?

Now please bear with me here cause this last one is for all you KU fans out there getting excited about the game on Saturday. You'll. Love. This.

I have no words.

Friday

Posted by Sam , at Friday, July 29, 2011

It's Friday Friday Friday...

Yesterday was Thursday, Thursday
Today i-is Friday, Friday (Partyin’)
We-we-we so excited
We so excited
We gonna have a ball today

Tomorrow is Saturday
And Sunday comes after...wards

I'll spare you the rest. I'm starting to lose my sanity over here, kids.

Long story short. This was last Saturday:

Today is Friday.

Lots has happened in between

But I'm on my 65 minute lunch break so we'll have to chat later

Lookin forward to the weekend.

Tay-Has

Posted by Sam , at Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Oooo kay doh kay. I'm overdue on my blogging.

Here's the rundown:

I got busy at work and am trying to keep my head above the water but it's mostly a good thing even though I'll miss my friend that is leaving a lot. She's been a great mentor.

The sis-by-law got engaged. That would be the hubs younger sister. December wedding. Countdown! I'm in charge of keeping everything on time and organized. Maybe someone didn't tell her about my habit of tardiness. Shhhh!

Aaaand I went to the great state of Tay-Has. Doncha know that is Texas is spanglish? Well. It. Is.

I went to visit a sorority sister, Laura (and her wonderful bf, Jared). We've talked about her before. That's how much I like the girl. She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and I've always been considered an honorary roommate of hers wherever she lives. Not sure which is more of an honor, but ya know... I also got to see another sister, Kristen. She also lives in Texas and has a passion for teaching and mentoring pre-teens. Love love love that. And love her cause she's sooo full of life and excitement.

Anyway, we had a wonderful laidback weekend. So much so, actually, that we don't have many pictures. It was mostly dinners, drinks, pool time, IKEA (more on that later), a fab dessert-slash-breakfast (yes, it can go either way), and a museum.

At the museum there was this rediculous exhibit that was a room fuuuuull of balloons. We're talking like 10 feet tall and probs 200 square feet. Laura and I made it like 4 steps in long enough to get these pictures and then got our claustrophobic selves out of there before we stopped breathing. We made it outside and were okay again. Well, we were fryyying in the sun, but we were okay. :-)

I wanted to do the solfege on the musical stairs... you know the "do, so, la, fa, mi, do re" from the Sound of Music? Yeah there were musical stairs and I wanted to do it. But I didn't.

Funny that the Sound of Music just came on my iPod shuffle after I typed that. Oooh so fun.

Mom and Dad's music

Posted by Sam , at Thursday, July 14, 2011

I just love it.

How could I not?

A few days ago "Desperado" came on the radio in the car.

My pal got to listen to me sing along to the entire song.

He loves when I sing in the car, dontcha know.

It was follwed by "Boot Scootin Boogie"

I was a complete gonner.

I said "SING ALONG!"

He said "I don't know the words"

Poor kid, he doesn't know a lot of lyrics to a lot of songs

But I was all like "You don't have to! Just figure it out!"

Because really, the words to that song just roooollll off your tongue.

Like an offer rolls off the tongue of an auctioneer. Duh.

Just now "The Longest Time" came on my Pandora.

Heyooooo buddy! You know I was lovin it!

I'm totally a toe tapper at work.
And a chair dancer.
And a hummer.

Sometimes I hum to the music when I have my headphones in.

Or hum in the elevator in the middle of a song playing in my head.

It's perfectly normal.

Everyone does it.

Besides, no one can hear me.

That's what I tell myself.

You wish you could be like me.

"I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am.

And what's worse, I can't seem to stop saying things

anything and everything I think and feel."

We are so alike, Maria and I.

Friday night ramblings

Posted by Sam , at Friday, June 10, 2011

Brown butter strawberry banana bread

Today was much cooler than the week of 100 degree weather we've been enjoying. And because it was cool, and rainy, and Friday, and because I saw a musical last night, today was a rather quiet day for me. These don't happen very often, but they are the kinds of days when my extroverted self is content being less than obnoxious about it.

I have a playlist called "Casual" with Norah, Colbie, Matt Wertz.. you know, the causal sort of music. Aptly named, right? That was playing for me today.

And because I don't have a lot to say tonight, I'll just leave you with a few pictures of things that have consumed my time lately.

My dying hydrangeas. I got one pretty bouquet out of them.

And the baking of cake pops -wine in hand- with Julie and Katherine.

Alphabet

Posted by Sam , at Wednesday, June 01, 2011

Update on the Nutella Krispies: Not that great. The recipe didn't work out so I tried to tweak it but it didn't come out quite right. I'll keep you posted if I'm able to perfect it.

In the mean time, because my mind latches on to random things, and becase Nutella has a facinating effect on the brain, I'm curious...

What alphabets do you know?
I know:
English
Spanish
Greek
Italian
most of the military
and part of the French... (although I accidently toss in some spanish letters every once in a blue moon)

Blue moon... you saw me standing aloooone... without a dream in my heaaart... without a love of my own

Songs. They just happen to me.
Yesterday and today I got caught humming outloud.
I always think its just in my head but its not...
Oh well.

My 7th grade science teacher, Mr. Holm- There is no S. People would always call him "Holms" and I would cringe. I was weird like that even at the ripe young age of 13- anyway, Mr. Holm always used the military alphabet. He also called candy pogey-bait and refused to eat it. But I say with a fun name like that, what kid wouldn't love it?

TTFN. That's Tango, Tango, Foxtrot, November.
Although it was originally Tigger's way of saying Ta Ta For Now.

Josh Groban

Posted by Sam , at Friday, May 27, 2011

*Sigh*

There are few things in this world that I enjoy more than a powerful, clear, vibrant voice. Josh's just gets me. Every. Single. Time.

I first saw Josh Groban in concert was 2/11/2004. I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't know that date. Don't judge, okay? My mom took me for Valentines. I'll spare you the details but the short version is that we had tickets in the last row but we ended up watching from the first row. Dead center. Orchestra pit. And I don't think I breathed at all during that performance.

When I went with the hubby to see him this week I found that I was even breathing to the melody of the song. That's how much it gets me, people. It's intense. And I love it. I was completely jealous that a girl from the audience got to sing The Prayer with him. And I so desparately wished I could still sing beautifully. Maybe I'll take up piano...

My phone died before I could get any good pictures, but this is what I got.

And this is what the KC Star got.

I'll leave you with this video

*Sigh*

PS- Also thoroughly jealous that my sorority sister, TravelerKate, got to go up on stage with him. Kate, you would.

Sunny day playlist

Posted by Sam , at Monday, May 09, 2011

Did you know I work in a library?
I do. And its quiet.
The kinda quiet where occasionally you'll get blast emails coming from the office manager saying
"shhhhh! people are wooooorking!"
And then I want to vomit.

So Pandora is very important to me, you see.
And after listening to my 40 free hours on Pandora, my iPod is very important too.

And today I'm wishing I had a playlist or station titled "Sunny"
It would hold things like Carrie Underwood's Play On, Rascal Flatts, Eagles' Hotel California as well as some songs from the 60s, some stuff by LFO, and who knows what else.

So tell me folks, what would be on your summer playlist? I'll add your favs to mine.

Work is called work

Posted by Sam , at Thursday, April 14, 2011

Last week was a rough week at work for me. And the week before that. And most likely the week before that but my memory doesn't go that far back. In my mind this is due to a number of things:

People are mean
I've had very little to do
Uncomfortable situations- one after another.
I've been sitting at my desk alllll dddaaaayyy looooong. And I'm NOT a desk person.
Managers that stress me out.

Last Friday when they were doing the driveway I went home at lunch to check on the status of things (yes, that's the Project Manager in me coming out) and I was in a terrible mood so I changed out of my work clothes and started doing housework and yardwork determined that I will not go back to work! You can't make me! Well at about 1:45 the rebel in me wore off and I went back to work. Kicked my heels around for the afternoon. And left work at 4:45. Don't tell on me, please.

I was telling a co-worker friend of mine about this grouchyness and he said, "yeah, sometimes we forget that it's called work for a reason." Guh. Humility check.

Here I am, singing...
There's gotta be something better than this,
There's gotta be something better to do.
And when I find me something better to do,
I'm gonna get up, I'm gonna get out
I'm gonna get up, get out and do it!
There's gotta be some respectable trade,
There's gotta be something easy to learn.
And if I find me something I halfwit can learn,
I'm gonna get up, I'm gonna get out
I'm gonna get up, get out and learn it!...
(Sweet Charity. Never seen it. But love the music.)

complaining about grass being greener on the other side of the fence, so to speak. What is the other side? I have no idea. If you have a brilliant thought let me know. Aaaanyway... the picture for me is a little less dirt v. grass and a little more...

Green grass v. greener grass. Not as bad as my woeful songs and unending complaints let on.

On a different but related note: In my experience, privacy fences don't work well with dogs. They just go CRAZY because they can't see what's on the other side of the fence. My poor sweet pooch who is usually just a big sweet playful lug goes nuts-o on my inlaw's privacy fence. He chews on the wood and foams at the mouth. It's crazy and scary. So Mack-a-poo and I have a lesson to learn together: be content on our own side of the fence.

And work is called work for a reason.

fetchel treat: Green Tea Chai Latte

Posted by Sam , at Thursday, April 07, 2011

One of our pastors has a 3 year old who, according to Kevin, is always asking for fetchel treats. This is his toddler-speak way of saying special.

On this rainy April morning I went for a jog (miracle) and on my way to work decided to treat myself to one of my favorite treats: a green tea chai latte only from LatteLand. My fantastic wedding florist Bridget Kelley of Ornamental Petal introduced me and I'm totally hooked (Bridget? Are you still out there? Your website is gone and I'm worried). And if you're thinking that Starbucks has the same thing, sadly, you're wrong. They have a green tea latte. Critical missing piece: CHAI! Starbucks' version tastes like grass IMHO. Don't tell them I said that though. I love the Bux, but not for this fetchel treat.

Anyway, warm, cozy cup in hand, I'm now going to focus for the rest of the day.

Now playing in my head: These are a few of my favorite things...

PS- On an unrelated note, if you read this will you please follow me so I can know who's out there? I'd like that bunches. Please and thank you.

focus. focus. focus.

Posted by Sam , at Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Houston, we have a problem.

I can't focus at work today. Did you see right through that comment already? Okay fine. I haven't been able to focus at work for about four months now. It's not for lack of something to do this time though. It's just plain problem-child-ness. I even took the time to play with my the camera settings on my computer, find an "aqua setting", set the self-timer, and take a picture of me twiddling my thumbs.

It looks like the lights are off, but they aren't, thats just me being cool.

This week in Junior Achievement we talked about jobs and how they help us get the things we need and want more to come on that later but what I want now is to go play outside in the sunny-ness.

Ok. Back to work now. Nose to the grindstone! Thank you, Pandora for keeping me company yet again :-)

Speaking of Pandora, in Junior Achievement the other day a little girl started singing out loud. I told her she should try singing in her head. "I do it allll daaay long!" I told her.
Currently playing in my head: "So this is love... hm..hm..hm..hm... so this is loooove"

the beginning of the end.

Posted by Sam , at Monday, February 21, 2011