2011 in Review

Can you believe another year has flown by?

I have taken the time to look back through some of my favorite posts and share them with you again for a second time.

We got married! It was an interesting adventure but we tied the knot. I still owe you a real wedding post.

Brandon's ultimate dream came true. He was called up on July 2nd. A dream come true and I got to be there for all of it. 

I got my job back. Then I left it again. But not a moment before I fell in love all over. 

I posted my first tutorial. It was a LOT more work than I thought. Now that I have a new camera I hope to be doing a lot more of these in the new year. 

I shared two of my favorite recipes. 

Lasagna & Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

I learned a lesson in marriage early on.

I cannot even believe all that I've been through this year. Especially all of the undeserved blessings. I am so thankful. Normally I get really sad between Christmas and New Years. The post holiday blues set in and we have to say goodbye to another year. Although this year as I look through all the wonderful memories, I become excited and curious as to what great things will happen in the months to come. 

Here's hoping 2012 is even better than 2011. 

Feel free to post your favorite moments of 2011 

in the comments below! I'd love to read them. 

Boogy Woogy BUGLE snacks!

I fell in love with this little delight last week when we received a bag of Christmas goodies. 

Although peak holiday baking season is over, you may be able to garnish your NYE party table with this dainty snack.

Ingredients: 

Bugles

Creamy Peanut Butter

Dipping Chocolate.

Fill your Bugles with peanut butter. I used a Ziploc bag, cut the corner off and used it like an icing bag.

Then dip the end of Bugle in Chocolate.

Lay on parchment or wax paper. 

Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. 

Enjoy.

Not joking here. The first pan was gone that quick.

So easy a cave man can do it. 

Christmas in Photos

Merry Christmas everyone! Here is a tiny recap of my holiday.

Blue Steel on Christmas Eve

My new camera

His new wheels

Scavenger hunt...

for his Blake Shelton tickets.

Christmas Day at Cades Cove, one our favorite places and annual trip we take each year.

Family photo and I am sporting my new posie from Nest of Posies that I'm in love with. A little Christmas gift to myself and I love all four colors I picked!

More than anything I enjoyed playing Balderdash with my siblings.   I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. 

Dog Dilemma Part II

It's time to update you on our dog dilemma, we aren't getting one [insert disappointed awwww here]. Over the past couple of days I would pretend we had a dog. I would be getting ready to leave the house and say, "c'mon girl time to go out," then she proceeded to fart around in the yard NOT going to the bathroom to make us late. In this pretend world where we got a dog she also chewed threw the cord of our Christmas tree lights, peed on a very important craft project and woke me in the middle of the night to go out.

That being said -- no dog. We are planning on getting one as soon as the 2012 season ends. This way we will have time to spend getting her used to us at our house. It will also give me time to find the most adorable dog ever. For now the only cute cuddly thing in this household will be the Mr.

I got some pretty cool new toys already for Christmas so I'm thinking that's what helped me change my mind, that and the terrible pretend dog we had.

Dog Gone Dilemma

Look at these cute faces.

I apologize in advance because now I have left you wanting one too.

If I haven't, it's because you already have an adorable slobbery hound OR you just got one in the last few days and have been posting sweet photos all over the internet. 

I'm not sure why the craving came about to add a member to our very new family this week. 

I like to think I'm logical in most of our major decisions, weighing the pros and cons.

We will be traveling quite a bit which makes me question how great of parents to a dog we would be.

On the other hand when Brandon is out of town on road trips we could snuggle up in bed and watch chick flicks or you can keep me company while I work on signs. 

Huge dilemma. 

Two years ago we visited a friend couple of ours in Texas. While we were there Brandon's buddy bought a Siberian Husky, the breed of dog Brandon has always wanted. I could see the look on his face and how bad he wanted a dog. I don't know who is cuter in this pic!

But we walked away and decided that we needed to wait until we lived together in the same place so there would always be one of us around for the pup.

While waiting, we enjoy these fur balls of the family. Brandon had/has a cocker spaniel named Simmone. He got signed shortly after and so his grandmother and granddad adopted her. She now lives next door and before Papa passed he had her spoiled rotten and WAY overweight. Poor girl. She still loves Brandon and knows she is his but she knows Papa isn't around and is still grieving. 

We have had a dog for as long as I remember. Schnauzers. This is Rudy. We got him on Christmas Eve 1997. He is still with us at my parents house. Sadly his hearing is starting to go among other things. I will be devastated when I get that phone call that he is in dog heaven. We also have another dog at home, Dozer, that's my brothers dog and my parents adopted him. 

  

I won't forget Buoy. My sister and her husband's beautiful black lab who loves visiting grandma's house to play with Rude-man and Doze. He also enjoy's long car rides, walks on the beach, chasing our cat Posh, and rawhide bones. 

But apparently this isn't cutting it.

Here we are two years later living in the same place and married. 

I'm torn. 

Truthfully I'm not sure how this story ends. 

Busy Schedules

I find it a perfect time to share this piece of our life.

I had this misconception that once we got married things would be easier. I realize that in fact its going to be harder. We are now a unit a team but both of our lives constantly tug in opposite directions for reasons of work and family. We will be spending several days away from one another through baseball camps/conferences, family functions, and through the 2012 baseball season.  Let the crazy schedules begin. We have four trips planned over the next four weeks, only one of which I am not going on.

Brandon's workouts are underway and before we know it we will be packing for the sunshine state. I often wonder if its worth it the next few weeks to even get settled at our house. Things like install a kitchen pantry, paint and put the doors back on kitchen cabinets, etc.

This season especially might be a suprise for me. I've never lived with Brandon through the season. I would just visit every three to four weeks over the weekend. The last three years I've known him, except for this past season, he has spent the entire season in one city. Stable. At this level chances of being called up and sent back down from St. Louis to Memphis are likely.

I'm starting now preparing for the phone call coming at any minutes notice telling me I need to pack our unfurnished apartment and meet him in a different city. Just like that uprooted. To make things worse I have a slight case of puppy fever but I'm hoping that passes soon. I'm not to sure I want to throw another variable into this crazy chaos just yet.
   

Ten Randoms 'til Christmas

In no particular order:

I got a part time job until it's time to leave for spring training. I am so thrilled.

We have only bought a few Christmas presents, meaning two maybe.

I'm on my way home to see all my family for my little brothers graduation from MIZZOU. Congrats little bro and to Mom and Dad for having four {MIZZOU} college grads. We hope we've made you proud!

I switched my etsy shop to STORENVY www.laurendarlings.storenvy.com

I hope it snows while I am home.

I'm having a sleepover with my two favorite kiddos for Christmas tonight and they don't know yet. They are going to freak!

I miss my Mr .... already.

I made Chicken Tortilla soup last night and it was amazing. I shocked myself by how good it was. I'll have to share that recipe soon. Brandon ate three bowls so obviously he loved it.

I miss having a live tree at Christmas.

I take my blog way to serious. Its just a blog. =)

Chex-mas Cheer {A Recipe}

I've been hit by Christmas fever! 

And so has everyone else. The stores were a disaster this weekend. 

My fault for not going earlier in the week.

Anyway..I spent an evening in the kitchen, made homemade broccoli cheese soup and red velvet whoopie pies (separate post). Then I made some Chexmas Cheer, I want to share this concoction with you here.

There may be a recipe somewhere online just like this, but I honestly didn't use one and just threw it together.


Chex-mas Cheer

Ingredients

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 stick of butter/margarine (1/4 cup)

2 cups Chex rice cereal

2 cups cinnamon Chex cereal

2 cups popped popcorn

1 cup dry roasted peanuts.

Confectioners sugar aka powdered sugar

Dash or 2 or 3 Cinnamon

Holiday sprinkles

First melt the white chocolate chips and butter for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.

Mix cereals, popcorn, and peanuts in large bowl.

Pour melted butter and white chocolate mix over the dry ingredients. Stir to cover all pieces. 

Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Mix.

Repeat again with only powdered sugar. 

Add sprinkles to your discretion. The more the merrier.

Pour out on a pan covered in wax paper or foil to dry. 

Package for giving if you haven't eaten all of it yourself. 
I etched PEACE on the side of this jar from the dollar store and embellished with some Christmas colored ribbon. My first ever win on a blog giveaway was this etch all cream from I {heart} Nap Time. This is the first time using it and now I am obsessed.  I quickly realized I should have used the words COMFORT & JOY cause any food or snacks going in this jar will probably provide both.

Anyways...consider yourself warned is delicious. 

Or as Fergie would say, D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S! 

Linking up here:

Last time..I promise.

Another name change here.

To start the new year.

Everything all the same.

Shop name = blog name. 

Less confusion for me.

And hopefully you.

Having some symmetry between the two.

Good idea right? Right. 

My new shop over at Storenvy.

I am loving making signs.

I hope you like my products too.

More to come soon. 

Here's to the new year and new beginnings.