I'm a nerd!

In preparation for my new job in London, I thought I needed to "brush up" on my excel skills. I signed up for two classes and I'm at my first one right now. Don't worry...we're on a break....I'm paying attention. Although....I'm not sure what we're breaking from. So far we have gotten the lowest common denominators set up on their machines and opened excel. BREAK TIME!!
But seriously, I think the teacher is good...we just need to get going. Anywho. I sent Mikael the picture below and said, "look honey!! I'm a geek!!" at least for the next 6 hours....

Pesto Spaghetti Squash

In an effort to get rid of my cellulite baby fat, I’ve been trying to eat better and start working out. I like to cook but it’s always so much more fun to do it with someone else, so Mikael and I have started a NEW LIFE! Healthy eating, no less dessert, and working out. I’ve been doing a lot pinning and blog-reading and have been trying out new "skinny" recipes almost every night.

The latest and greatest is so healthy and delicious it’s shocking. I got it from theskinnyconfidential.com and it’s amazing (considering). I don’t know that I’ve ever really had spaghetti squash and if I have, I was 6 and hated it simply because it wasn’t mashed potatoes. So to have a meal made entirely out of vegetables, herbs and spices and actually LIKE it, was a surprise. Let’s be real, I’m from Texas. We like meat. Lots of meat. And the best part of this recipe? I had the smallest baby portion because this sucker fills you up. Takes me back to my highschool days where I started taking ADD medicine and went ana for awhile. Ahh, those were the days…but who has the willpower for that without a prescription? (whoopsies...!)

Try this out…it’s amazing. I didn’t totally follow the recipe but more just added what I thought we needed which was basically more of everything. But whatever. Still healthier than a big mac.

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

4 tablespoons store bought, all-natural pesto make your own pesto! It’s always better! Basil, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

1/2 tomato (I used 2 full tomatoes)

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

3 tablespoons parmesan cheese

½ lemon

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Fill a large pot with water. Add a dash of salt to water. Cut squash in half with a serrated knife and remove seed portion. Add to water. Boil and cook until fork tender. Allow to cool enough to handle. Use a fork going to lengthwise, scrape entire squash until you’re left with just the skin. Discard skin. While still warm, add pesto, cheese and salt/pepper and toss. Warm in a sauté pan in the microwave. Cook pine nuts stove top on low heat for seven minutes. Add nuts, a dash more cheese & fresh basil on top of spaghetti squash. Squeeze lemon.

Stay tuned........

Chunk

Mom? Do I look fatter than I did this morning?

Yes. Yes you do.

My nephews and niece are cuter than yours

That's right. I said it again. I posted it on Facebook and I would do it again tomorrow. My family is adorbs. Cutest little kids ever -- I mean, until I have some (DUH)**. First Jack came and I fell in love. I've never been so obsessed with anyone in my life. Until Chunk. Then I had to split my crazy nephew love between two people -- can't handle it!!! AND NOW ANNA? Oh my gersh. Can't handle it. I think my head will explode in March when we have two more Doak boys in the mix.

First my little Charlie Brown!

And then little Chunk. Sweet boy.

Beautiful Anna doesn't have a nickname yet, but I have no doubt she will! How could she not with that face?

Are you kidding? How adorable is he? Heartbreaker alert. This one is going to be T-R-O-U-B-L-E in highschool!

CHUNK! Just....a chunk. Look at his cheeks - are you kidding?

Such a cute toddler. So shy at first and then he gets so adventurous. So cute.

This is such a good baby and momma picture.

Seriously? Could he be any happier with his little mini pumpkin? Adorable.

And really? I mean, Chunk is certainly doing his party by just being adorable, but you've got to hand it to Anne for finding the cutest outfits EVER. Eat. More. Chicken.

I definitely need more pictures of my newest Anna. I haven't sufficiently shown her off to strangers and people at my office. I keep showing the same pictures. I can't WAIT to be in Bermuda for Thanksgiving to spend some quality time with her. I think it's safe to say hundreds of pictures will be taken. LOVE LOVE LOVE these little babies!! Life is just better when you have little ones around that you get to visit. I wish I saw them all more often - end of year resolution!!!! ;) Keep your blogging up ladies. I steal pictures on a daily basis and then brag about my niece and nephews that are cuter than anyone else's. XX!

**This will happen in 5+ years. Don't worry Mom.

Chop Chop!

I swear. Sometimes I think I can convince anyone of anything. Other days....no hope. I can't believe I got Mikael to agree to let me cut his hair. This took about an hour and I cut....ehhhhh....2 centimeters of it. Yeah girl!!! I think it's safe to say this wont ever happen again. Regardless, it was a FANTASTIC time for me. Not so much him. Oh well.

Before he knew what he was getting himself into

It's not THAT bad -- looks pretty straight, right? :)

September 11th, 2011

My 26th birthday!! I'm officially old. That is NOT good. My birthday weekend though, was awesome. Friday night -- dinner at old school Mama's pizza. Shooting back to your childhood is always a solid time -- add the family and my adorable nephews and it's a very happy birthday. I'm so grateful to have such an amazing family -- and here's the kicker -- I actually LIKE them all. What are the odds? ;)

Saturday I went to the pool with some friends. We barbequed, played beer pong, and drank some Doak Punch. (Oh, okay...technically it started as Bailey Punch...but I have now adopted it - BAM!) SUCH a good day! Later that night we all got dressed (me in obnoxious pink, right down to the shoes) and went to Katy Trail Icehouse. My favorite people were there. Unfortunately there were a couple people who couldn't make it that I wish could have (cough cough, my sisters....OKAY FINE. Amy wasn't in the same state and Anne has a newborn. Whatever. Nice excuses, ladies.)

On Sunday I woke up to a text from my mom wanting to take me out to brunch. EXCELLENT plan since I was already planning on a little Sangria action on the day of so my mom, Mikael and I all met up and had a little sparkling sangria. Besides the idiot who was playing terrible music at a ridiculous decibel - it was the same as the rest of the weekend -- amazing!

All in all -- awesome birthday. Thanks for everyone making it feel so special.

Jack + Lizzi = Mahem

I don't really have much to say about these -- I just think they are SO funny. I'm not putting them on Facebook because I look ridiculous -- but look at our faces. LOOK AT JACKS FACES! His expressions are absolutely hilarious. Glad to know I can make him laugh by acting like a total fool. ;)

Carni-Folk

I. love. the. circus. Colors, elephants, jumping, COTTON CANDY. I mean...what isn't to love.

[I feel it necessary to insert here that there is a part of me that hates the circus because of the poor little animals. I mean, no, lets be real...Edgar the Elephant does not want to stand on a podium the size of a pringle can and Ted the Tiger does not want to leap across benches like Liesel and Rolph from the Sound of Music. And lets be real, in order to get them to actually do those ridiculous things, not happy things happen. It actually is really uncool but another part of me wants to be a kid and pretend like that bad stuff doesn't happen. And you know what? I played the kid angle this year okay? Damnit, I deserve a little childhood experience.]

Back to the happy times.I thought it was going to be all kinds of ridiculous and atleast admitted the possibility of it being anti-climactic. Just in case, we decided to bring some party favors to make the experience a little more entertaining. A few bottles of champagne and whatnot later and we were giggling and running to our seats. These people, "Carni-Folk" as my friend and I called them...are crazy. CRAZY I tell you. It's like they have no bones. The tight rope walkers?? The trapeze artists?? $15.00 worth of cotton candy later and I was more hyper than I was when I was 8 years old, had a coke, 4 Fruit Rollups and a gallon of Kool-aid. I mean, it's so way fun. You better believe next year Graham and Jack are coming with.

[Side note: People who abuse animals are poopers.]

Attention Ladies!

I am obsessed with a new braid I've discovered. While I have always dug braids (messy ones in particular) I haven't ever seen this one. I've done the fishtail braids before which I also adore but you sort of have to have long thick hair to pull that one off (I believe that was popular when the infamous "weave" was around....). The latest? The waterfall braid. It's....absolutely adorable. You're welcome.

ALSO! While I'm on a hair topic, does everyone know about the "spin pins"? They're those little spiral pins that look gimmicky and dumb but are actually amazeballs. That is...if you wear your hair in buns. But a chignon? I know the Doak girls love our chignons for weddings and whatnot but they're a pain in the bum to make sure they stay! But now?...a solution to the age old problemo. For real...they're amazing. Only thing I'm really glad I did -- bought the mini ones. I have the finest hair in the world so I knew the ones that were 5 inches long weren't gonna fly so then I saw the minis. Again...another genius invention.

So stupid.

After having this sign hang above my bed for MONTHS, I was looking at it a bit more closely the other day. Notice anything absolutely moronic? Oh. Yeah. That's right -- it says GET'S. WITH AN APOSTROPHE. Ya kiddin' me?? WHAT DO I DO?! I like the sign but I feel like I have to take it down now. It's so beyond stupid I don't even know what to do about it. I'm totally baffled I didn't notice it before. I feel like my IQ just dropped a few points.

A life filled with chalkboards

After I finished my cabinets and BEFORE I started on the quilt in question, I decided I had to do something about my refrigerator. It was that ugly almond color and so boring it made me want to down a bottle of wine and pass out (sorry Mom) just so I didn't have to look at it. So my solution to everything? CHALKBOARD PAINT. Sort of. I have this thing with chalkboard paint and chalkboards in general. They're the sh!t. It can be really clean but messy all at the same time. BRILLIANT. And now you can buy paint so anything (yes, anything at all) can be a chalkboard? GENIUS. I could have a chalkboard stapler or a Chalkboard iphone cover (ooo...I should market that one). I initially wanted to have a whole wall in my apartment be painted with chalkboard paint. I figured, what better way to entertain people when they are drunk and at my house? Major flaws in that plan were A. while my landlord is chill, he might not be totally cool with my sanding the texture off the wall and B. people really don't come over to my house (sad face). I still plan on doing this in a future home of my sometime. Maybe it's not until I have kids (......) but it's going to happen so prepare yourselves.

So I get to thinking. How can I do chalkboard paint without painting my refrigerator? I mean, lets be real...my landlord would really be pissed. Solution? Chalkboard contact paper. Didn't even know it existed but I'm going to say it improved my quality of life by about 3% which in the grand scheme of things is pretty significant. So I got to covering. It took all of 20 minutes and I lovesss it. Everyone else might think it's cooky, but I don't care. Maybe this is why people don't come over...?

Jump back, Martha Stewart

So...I guess most people work better when they are busy (right?) but I REALLY work better when I'm busy. If I don't stay totally on top of being busy, having a new project, etc. I fall in to this terribly lazy slump and I don't do anything. Literally. I come home from work, and sit on my couch. I THINK, "I should clean" or "I should start that new project" but I don't. It takes some big event (or irritation) to get me out of my lazy-coma. About a month ago I had such event (that's a whole 'nother story) and decided I needed some more...productive...ways to spend my time. PROJECT!!!

Dialing landlord: "Hey, this is Elizabeth from 4105. Question. Do you care if I paint my kitchen cabinets? Let's be real...they're heinous." [27 year old kid who works for Dad (my landlord) and has really no authority at all]: "Um, no. I don't care. Josh (his 29 year old brother and even LESS authority)? Do you care if someone at 4105 paints their cabinets? No. That's cool" "Great. THANKS!

By the way...we need to talk about my appliances...but first things first..." And scene.

So...no one tells you how much of a pain in the a$% it is to paint cabinets. I thought, yeah...it will take awhile. Take off the doors, paint the insides and outside, put them back on...but, no. I have the smallest kitchen ever and I wanted to kill myself half way in to it. The only thing that kept me going was I wanted to start on a new quilt (why yes I AM 82 years old...thank you) and I promised myself I couldn't start on that until the cabinets were done. My energy for completing this project really tapered off at the end but somehow I managed to finished it. [Disclaimer: When I use the word "finished" I mean it appears to be finished. There may or may not be a few doors that haven't been painted on the inside. Shh.]

So seriously...it looks like I'm living in a different apartment. It was so heinous it was embarrassing. I guess I should also mention I did my bathroom at the same time which is why it was more of a beating than I thought. Next on my apartment improvement list: jimmy my appliances so they break and can be replaced. I think they were purchased in 1967.

Welcome, Chunk

Oh my goodness! So how have I NOT posted a blog since my sweet little nephew Graham Haymond was born. Worst Aunt ever? NO. BEST Aunt ever. I haven't had time to post a blog because I go and visit my little Chunk (I think that nickname is gonna stick...) every single day. Well. Not every single day...so maybe I'm not the BEST Aunt ever but I'm working on it. And I probably don't have an excuse for my lack of posting but whatever. I try.

I think Mom and Dad have been using the last 5 weeks (I can't BELIEVE he's already 5 weeks) to adjust to being parents. They have certainly had sleepless nights and some setbacks but they have weathered them all pretty darn well. Anne, as we knew would happen, has dressed Graham in a variety of outfits. As expected...the best dressed 5 week old little man I know. Okay...best dressed kid I know actually, but I feel like I'm tooting my own horn a little bit when I say that because he's a Doak. That's right...while he might have Robinson on his birth certificate (eye roll) ...I'm pretty sure he still came out of a Doak tummy (don't argue), so...I'm happy. However I feel compelled to say that the Robinsons are a chill group. Anywho. Not MUCH to report here...(I mean, besides the birth of my second nephew) but pictures really sum it up much better. How adorable is he? Go on...you can congratulate me all you want. Alright, go!

Baby Making Day

Exciting day!! I'm in the waiting room at Medical City not so patiently waiting to meet little Graham. Anne seems to be doing pretty well. She started the pitocin around 10 or 10:30 and it's about 2:00 now. She hasn't progressed which isn't great news, but the contractions are good, strong, and consistent. THAT is a good sign! Hopefully when the doctor comes around at 3:30 she can tell us that Anne has moved forward. We are all crossing our fingers to avoid a c-section because it's not what Anne wants. She looks adorable though which she will appreciate later. Who looks this cute when they are in labor? Very happy soon-to-be Momma. Anyway. I'll update later - hopefully when Graham makes his appearance. ;)