High Five For Friday

I started writing this post on Sunday of last week because I was in such a good mood.

And as I write this right now (Thursday night) I'm STILL in a good mood.

I mean...I'm not going to lie...there have been some bad moods in between, but this has been a pretty darn good week.

Here are my 5 favorite things about it!

(1)  The obligatory autumn blogger outfit and then I didn't blog about it.  But I felt very bloggery and very autumny all day.

(2)  Boots!  The first day back in boots!  It's very hard to deal with how much I hate wearing jeans, but love wearing those damn boots.

(3)  Oktoberfest and goober Oktoberfest shirts.

(4)  Quilt season is finally here.

(5)  Accepted for graduation.  Wahoo!

Check out From My Grey Desk Blog for more H54F Posts

The Little Things

Sometimes, all it takes to make a perfect little night

Is a pair of jean shorts that are a size too big to make you feel smaller

A happy little shirt

A walk in the park

An updated spreadsheet

And dogs wrapped in quilts handmade by your mother-in-law

It really is the little things

Normal

Today, I had to interview my replacement at work.

I've never done that before, it was weird.

I just wanted to hug her and tell her what to say.

She did fine without my weirdness though.

But to prepare for my fancy interviewer day I wore normal clothes.

Which is different for me.

So much so that my boss announced it in our staff meeting.

Random segue to..."And Valerie is dressed normal today, look."

Cue laughter.

Not in a nasty way mind you, just a funny oh Val you're weird kind of way.

Just the way I like it.

I also walked into the kitchen and found my husband hand cleaning something I had gotten period blood on earlier this evening.

Aren't you glad you just read this blog?

Gross, right?

But I mean, what kind of dude does that?

I'm pretty sure I crumbled a little bit inside with embarrassment (I had warned him not to go into our bathroom and/or look in the sink, thank you) and yelled, that's so gross!

He responded with, "Why, it has to be cleaned?"

Oh dear, I love that little weirdo.

Sorry I'm gross.

This blog was pointless.

Are you sad you're friends with me yet?

Pointless picture of me drinking a cocktail.

My eyebrows look really good in that picture.

I'll stop typing now I promise.

Polka Dots Are The New Black

How obnoxious is that blog title?

But seriously...

This shirt matches everything.

Casual, work, fancy, blue, brown, black, yellow, red and on and on.

I'm a little obsessed with this thing.

And I probably wear it too much.

Get used to it everyone!

Top: NY&Co Outlet, Similar

Skirt:  Gift, Windsor, Similar

Shoes:  Payless, Similar

Necklace:  Gift, Etsy, Similar

Belt:  Thrifted, Similar



We're Really Moving

I came home for lunch Friday and Mike had started packing the house.

All of our books were packed away, bookshelves moved, and the entire guest room was broken down and packed up.

I was shocked.

One thing about living with a highly productive person like Mike is that things get done fast.

And with no warning.

And for a highly emotional person like me, that is sometimes not awesome.

Especially when it dawned on me that my silly little house tour posts were over for good.

Because our house is never going to look the same again.

Which sounds like a silly thing to be sad about, but I was.

I burst into tears this morning when I saw him packing our coffee mugs up.

I'm not doing great with this whole thing.

Your one and only tour of the guest room.  It was cuter before, I promise.

No more bookshelves and no more books.

30 seconds before this picture I was crying like a B over coffee mugs.

High Five For Friday

For the first time in a long time I actually had too many pictures to choose from for my H54F post.

That never happens.

Because...I'm kind of a whiner and Negative Nelly.

Not this week bitches!

Here are my five favorite things about this week.

(1) Turning off my week day alarm because I actually got Monday (Columbus Day) off.  That felt gooood.

(2)  Old friends coming to visit...it's been too long!

(3)  Spending an incredibly lazy holiday in pjs on the couch cuddling with my husband.  This never ever happens you guys.

(4)  Cocktail party success!

(5)  Realizing I can just curl my new short hair.  Duh.

Head on over to From My Grey Desk Blog for more H54F posts and have a great Friday!

val

Bloody Mary's

Last weekend we had another cocktail party.

And I was a really bad blogger and didn't take pictures of any of it.

Including one of my favorite parts: our party favors.

Mike had the great idea of making Bloody Mary's for people to take home as party favors for the "morning after".

They turned out pretty darn cute.

Because I'm too lazy to recreate what they actually looked like, here is the one I have saved for me.

I love mason jars.  And they sell them in packs of 12 at Walmart for like 4 bucks.  Score.

And here are the tags we tied on with rope.

Rope also from Walmart.  We're thrifty people.

And here is the recipe to make your own Bloody Mary mix.  

Delish.

Easy.

Cheap.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh tomatoes

1 lb. fresh carrots

6 fresh celery ribs

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

2 Tbs. horseradish root (freshly grated if possible)

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. finely ground Maldon or another sea salt

 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

3 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp. green Tabasco

1.5 tsp. red Tabasco

Tools

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Grater

Blender or food processor

Fine strainer

Wooden spoon

Large measuring glass

Instructions

Coarsely chop the tomatoes.  In batches, blend with any accumulated juices until completely pureed, and fine-strain into a large measuring glass pushing through all liquid with a wooden spoon.  You want about 2.5 cups of tomato juice.

Grate the carrots and coarsely chop the celery (leaves included), reserving any liquid.

Blend the shredded carrots and chopped celery in two batches with the reserved liquid and 1/4 cup of water per batch (if necessary) until completely pureed.

Fine-strain into the same measuring glass as the tomato juice, pushing through all liquid with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the veggie juice into a large glass jar, add remaining ingredients, secure with a lid and shake vigorously to combine.  The mix will keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.  Shake before each use.

*We doubled the recipe and it made enough to fill 10 of the mason jars.  We gave each away with a little vodka mini from the liquor store.  Cute, boozy, and homemade.  Perfect!

Recipe via Imbibe Magazine