Book Club- Can you feel the excitement?!?!?

Update 10/15/08: We've chosen "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen for our first book club book. We'll be meeting on November 5 to meet and discuss. I've already finished the book and really recommend it to anyone who wants a different type of read than you're used to. Join us for the meeting if you can!! (Don't you want to fly in for this, Sus??)

So I've been wanting to start a book club for a while. I attending a couple of book club meetings when we moved to McKinney a couple of years ago, but after attending a few times with NO ONE speaking to me, and perhaps EVERYONE looking at me like I was a psycho as I went around and introduced myself, I decided that the McKinney Woman Book Club was not for me. Boo. So I continued to read the books that they were reading (they picked really good ones!) and just didn't attend the meetings.

A couple of months ago, I went to a restaurant and there was a group of ladies who were talking about the books that they wanted to read that year, and drinking a lot of wine. I seriously contemplated going over and sitting down, introducing myself and simply announcing "I'm in serious need of a book club. I'm not leaving." But then I thought back to the looks I received in the last book club I was a part of, and decided against it. Boo again.

I'm close with several gals in my life group and they know of my book club-craving angst. Yet one of these friends, who shall remain nameless, is so scared that I'm going to try and drag here into this book club thing, that she told me that she's only ever read one book in her entire life. She's lying. I got it out of her that she's read AT LEAST three books!! I digress.

So last week I went to my Tri Delta Alumnae meeting and just happened to mention that I wanted to start a book club, and three girls around me were like "ME TOO!!!" So I'm happy to report that there is officially a book club in the making here. I've gone ahead and selected four books, from which the other girls will vote on which book they want to proceed with. For those of you out there who secretly want to be a part of my book club, here are the initial selections. Has anyone read any of these? Any favorites? Any suggestions for future reads?

1) Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

2) Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

3) Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi

4) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

I would LOVE it if you wanted to offer an opinion and read along with us!! Seriously, I'm one of those HUGE dorks who loves stimulating book conversation. Or, a good reason to get together and drink wine!! It will also give me an excuse to make the cake balls I saw on Jennifer's blog, and have been wanting to try ever since!

Looking forward to the good reads!! From one book club-crazed girl to all of you guys- make it a wonderful day!! :)

Ugly Cake

So, I have some news. I'm not perfect. Wait, what?!?! You already knew that???

Well, further incriminating evidence of my imperfection has come to light. Boo.

A couple of Saturdays ago was Brian's 29th birthday. (He swears its the last one he's ever going to celebrate, but I digress.) We've been on a tight budget for quite a while, and so there was no expectation of any big presents or anything, but I've always insisted that birthdays are BIG deals, no matter what. (Note to all friends out there- birthdays are freaking big deals. Don't forgot it.) Anywho, I started out the day well enough, waking before Brian and watching TV in the living room until he woke up. And then he woke up. We had breakfast, watched college game day, etc. He got on the phone with his Mom and Dad for a long convo and CRAP!!! I completely forgot to tell him Happy Birthday!!! As soon as I realized my error, I ran out into the garage where he was on the phone, screaming "Happy Birthday!" at the top of my lungs. As if screaming it louder would overcome the fact that I'd forgotten for the last 2 hours.

So we go on about our day, we talk about what he wants to do that day, what kind of cake he wants (CRAP!! I'd forgotten to get the stuff for his favotrite cake!!), etc. So I go to the grocery store and get all the stuff for strawberry cake plus the stuff he wants for dinner. I come home, and start whipping up the perfect strawberry cake (except it's not- this is the cheap recipe that doesn't require 2 pints of fresh berries, variety of unusual ingredients, etc. This is the cheap substitute.)

Because we've only been in this house for a short time, I've not had the chance to really do a lot of cooking in this oven. So even though I put the cake in for two minutes less than the shortest recommended time, the edges were very crispy. So I cut the edges off (and ate them- don't judge me.) and waited for the cake to cool. Once cool, I started icing the cake. And I don't know where I went wrong. The icing was just not working with me. It stuck in all the wrong places, pulling bits of cake off, and then I couldn't get it to stick in the ragged nooks and crannies (where I had chopped of the crispy edges.) You know how you start with a vision of how something is going to look, and it just doesn't end up that way? Well, once my cake was iced, it was not the picture-perfect birthday cake.

So, I decided to add sprinkles. That's what everyone does when their (insert pastry good here) isn't looking so good, right?? I went for red because it's Brian's favorite color. What I got was a poor excuse for a birthday cake. Don't judge me.



Now, I know my friend Susan is laughing hysterically right now, because she's apparently great at this stuff. She competes in this stuff, people, and I know right now she is thinking "How does something end up looking that bad? Remind me to NEVER let Kelli near my kitchen!"

Anyhow. So I make Brian the ugliest cake I've ever seen (ok, maybe not the ugliest, but it does look like the cake you made when you were in the third grade and decided to make your mom a cake for her birthday!) AND I forgot to get him a card when I was at the grocery store.

I suck. I know. I'm the worst wife- and the worst baker- there ever was. The cake, I'm sad to inform you, was not great. It tasted like it was out of a box. Which it was. Because, let's say it together, I'm the worst wife ever.

But I think Brian may have liked it. :)

Don't judge me.

Fours

Four, Four, Four......

Stolen from Jennifer Y.'s blog (who always has the best chain blog posts...)

A) Four places that I go to over and over: PRstore, Christy Stout's house, WalMart Neighborhood Market, McFBC

B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): Lindsay Stout, Melissa Lester, Old Morgan and Mom

C) Four of my favorite places to eat: Luigi's, Banana Leaf, Studio Movie Grill, Gran's house

D) Four places I would rather be right now: in bed (took this from Jennifer- good call!), Bahamas, the lake, getting a massage (Also from Jennifer)

E) Four people I think or who I'd like to respond: Hmm. Christy Stout, Ashley Coleman, Ashly Gann and Nikki Cole (but this one's doubtful b/c she hasn't even started her blog yet!!)

F) Four TV shows I watch: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Army Wives, Psych

Okay... Your turn!

The Wedding/ Vow Renewal

So we have truly been blessed through the life group that we joined this time last year. We have grown to love these people who we just happened to be grouped with (well, actually, I'm sure God put us together, knowing that we would grow together, laugh together, challenge each other, cry together, hurt together, etc.)

A truly hysterical member of our group has been Nikki Cole and her husband, Kelly. This lady makes me laugh until I cry at things that would normally be so mundane, and I count myself blessed to know her.

Anyhow, Nikki and Kelly eloped 5 years ago. They lived in Mississippi at the time, and about 3 years ago decided to have a vow renewal to celebrate with friends and family. Well, along comes Hurricane Katrina, and ruins the whole thing!! Nikki was still thinking that they could pull it off when Kelly drove her by the church they were going to use for the ceremony and pointed out that it was no longer there.

Fast forward 2 years, and Nikki and Kelly are chatting with the life group about how they never got a wedding ceremony, and Nikki never got to where her dress, etc. Someone came up with idea to throw them a wedding celebration!! Amanda took it from there.... (Another life group member, Amanda is a detail-oriented wedding nazi. No, I'm kidding, she's a detail-oriented wedding angel. With a loud voice when you're not paying attention.)

So this past weekend was the wedding, and we spent Friday night setting everything up, and then had a girls' night with mani/ pedis, wine and brownies.



There's Nikki, Jae and Amanda showing off their gorgeous nails.



There's Debbie G who did all of our nails and Christy. Holler. (She got some straight-up black nail polish, which looked way chic. I commented on how good it looked in front of Johnny- her husband- and he looked at me as if I was the one who had coerced his sweet wife into painting her nails black, and I should be punished for said offense. I am here to set the record straight, Johnny. Sorry to rat you out Christy... It was her idea!!! And in fact, she brought her own nail polish for the occasion!! I still think it looks fab-o!)

Anywho. We had a blast!! The next day was the wedding/ vow renewal.



Here's Brian Belflower, our life group leader, conducting the ceremony for Nikki and Kelly (who looked great, by the way!!) If you've been following the days that I've mentioned, you'll have noted the irony that Dallas was, in fact, feeling the affect of Hurricane Ike on Saturday night when the ceremony took place. Luckily, no churches were blown away here, and the show did go on!

The whole weekend was a wonderful reminder of what blessings God has provided for all of us. What wonderful friends, what wonderful leaders, what wonderful spouses. I feel like I speak for all of us when I say that despite trials and tribulations that we all feel from time to time, everything melts away when you get to witness the sort of love that we did this weekend. Two people who've been married for 5 years, and are still willing to stand up and do it all over again. They know how life can beat you down, and they're wanting to stand up in front of everyone and say "I choose you. I choose this life we have together, even when it's hard. Even when I don't like you sometimes. Even when everything else tries to get the better of us, I choose us."

I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Nikki and Kelly, thank you for allowing us to share in your joy.

You've got to try this!!!

So I have a (new) obsessive past time for boring, lonely lunches at PRstore!! (First it was tetris, then it was Facebook, then it was blog stalking, then it was streaming shows on hulu.com and now its www.yearbookyourself.com!)

Check this out!! How hot am I??!??!



I know, right?! How is it possible to look so smokin'?!??! AND, check out my rockin' hubby:



Oh yeah, he's a hottie. So this is my new 'bored at the office' past time. Be careful, there's a chance that once I've run out of family members, I may pull your photos from FaceBook and start using those. I've already done my mom's...




Sweet action! So beware! And go to www.yearbookyourself.com to have a little fun of your own!!

Baby Fever!!

So, I have baby fever. Not a big shocker to those of you who spend ANY amount of time with me, but there you go... Although it's not time for Brian and me to have kiddos yet, it's still something I think about on a daily basis. You know- the "will I be a good mommy?" and "what would we name him/ her?" or "would s/he be more like me or more like Brian?" and of course "please, God, don't let me have an ugly baby!!" (This sounds very shallow, and I'll admit, it is shallow, but I don't want to be one of those moms who says "Look at my kid!! Isn't he precious?!?!" And everyone else is thinking "Holy cow, does this lady have eyes? Can she see her kid?") Truly, as long as s/he's healthy, I'll be happy!!

In the meantime, I spend as much time with my friends' kids as I can. My friends are great parents, and I'm currently enjoying being the cool "aunt" (better than "mom's friend") and being able to spoil their kids rotten. And teaching them things they probably shouldn't know... ("Madison, see if you can spit in that washer board hole without hitting the board!") Hehehe.

So I got to spend most of the weekend with our fabulous friends, and here are some shots of their precious children!!:


Me and Joey Stout (for some reason I can't get this picture to rotate...)


Joey and me again


Madison Luedke on the playground at church- this kid LOVES the playground.


My friend Amanda's other child, Brandon... oh wait, that would be her husband, Brandon.