I Love It

Wow...2 blogs in as many days...

I'd like to say I am super inspired to write but mostly it is a way to avoid going into the smelly room that belongs to my son and starting the "let's make this look like Better Homes and Gardens Is Showing Up" process of cleaning and organizing...

You see I have made a deal with myself...for every task that I totally hate doing but must do to make my house look awesome I get to do one fun thing...

So if I organize my desk...I get to lay out and read a book...

If I clean all the glass and glasses in the bar...I get to watch a movie

If I make my bathroom look like something on the Houzz website and not like someone vomited a Sephora store all over it...I get to read a few magazines...

stuff like that...

My reward for cleaning out the plasticware/tupperware cabinet was....a big ole glass of vodka...

So right now my meaningless and hateful task is polishing the silver tea set that lives in my dining room.

First of all I would like to say I don't even KNOW why I have the darn thing except for the fact it was my mothers.

I have never served tea in it...

And I seriously doubt I ever will.

I just can't see myself inviting anyone over for tea and then actually using the tea set...besides I bet the tea would be terrible.

It is horribly tarnished...

because I pretty much never set foot in my dining room...except for Thanksgiving.

In my next house I don't even care if I have a formal dining room...as long as I have a place for a table that will seat my family and a few friends...well, that's all that I need.

So my reward for polishing the silver is that I get to write a blog and escape for a bit.

So since I had my surgery I didn't do my usual "things I love" blog around the first of the year...I was too busy recovering and acting like Barbie.  But I got inspired by my blog heroine the other day when she posted about some things I love so I decided I would be the total groupie I am and do the same.

She gave an awesome prize to a random person who left a comment as a sweet reward.

I have no prizes.

Sorry...

but maybe if enough of you leave comments I might decide to have a random drawing and pick one of you for a prize...

maybe it will be that I serve you tea from my Mommy's silver tea set...

but I wouldn't count on it...

So leave a comment and let's see what happens...you can do it on the bottom here or on my facebook page.

So here are things I love these days...try them out...see if you don't love them too!

1) JENNY LAWSON!!!!  Yes, I totally love a person I have never ever met.  She is my hero.  A friend turned me onto her website and 30 seconds into reading her blog I promptly jumped to my Amazon account and bought her book.  It's on my iPad...it is therapy.  It reminds me I am not the only person who had a crazy childhood.  I also have the audio version because I just like hearing her tell her stories.

She was on Katie Couric (which totally makes her legit) but it's not just the funny stories she tells.  Sometimes she is very raw and open (about her anxiety and depression) and for me it is like having a warm blanket around me to know that crazy happens and you can still be amazing.

So here is one of my very favorite blogs she ever wrote...use it as a gateway drug to the rest of her stuff...and yes, thanking me for introducing you to the amazing Jenny Lawson...

http://thebloggess.com/2011/06/and-thats-why-you-should-learn-to-pick-your-battles/

Trust me...do not read this if you have liquid in your mouth or need to pee...once you have dipped your toe into the awesomeness that is her you should continue to read her blog:

thebloggess.com

And then you should order her book...it's called "Let's Pretend this Never Happened (A Mostly True Memoir):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399159010/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebloggess-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0399159010

And you should also buy her stuff...I have a Beyonce the chicken coffee mug and a shirt that says "Because Wine"...because wine...

I will never ever ever be half as good a blogger or writer as her but if you even sorta like what I write you will love her stuff too...

I am a huge fan...and I would die die die if she ever read my blog.  In my dreams we meet for tea (oh! there's a use for that tea set!) and wear silly hats and red dresses...if you read her blogs you will see why this is my dream.

Jenny Lawson....you are a goddess and I would totally serve you tea from that tea set if it was your hearts desire...

2) Flavored vodka and tonic...yeah, I mentioned this yesterday but I'm telling you it WORKS...it sounds like it won't but it does.  The other night I was out at a girl's night and Susu ordered blueberry vodka and soda but I asked for it with tonic.  GOTTESS tried it and said she liked the tonic too.  We are so simpatico.  (and I just have to mention that you know you are totally sister-wives with someone when they hand you the key to their car and let you take their car home because The Cutest Boy in the World wants you home and she wanted to stay...that is LOVE people...)
So try it...I sometimes add a bit more flavor using a flavored liqueur (I favor the Drillaud liqueurs to Schnapps)...it's also the bomb using the Drillaud peach and plain vodka and tonic...).  And if you are a gin drinker I made D'Nice a gin and tonic with a splash of St. Germain (elderberry liqueur) in it and she is now in love with that cocktail.  I'm bribing her with the promise of more for her decorating advice.

3) Summer tv shows that don't suck.
I totally love that my fav show of all is on during the summer : So You Think You Can Dance!  Message me if you want to discuss.  It takes the pain of missing Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones away.  And of course I am enjoying this season of True Blood.

I watch a lot of tv.  I don't have a man who drives a big ass truck in my life so I make do with television.

I'm also quite enjoying:
Top Chef Masters (Curtis Stone...need I say more?)
The Next Food Network Star (I'm pulling for Russell)
Devious Maids
Drop Dead Diva

and my favorite girls are getting ready to come back on: The Double Divas...OMG they are the bomb!

If you want to laugh your ass off and learn something at the same time check this out:
"Drunk History" on Comedy Network (Tuesdays maybe?)
my kids and I love it...we laugh our heads off and I can promise you I will never forget what the Haymarket Riot was all about...and if you watch it you will know what that is...

Now these might make you scratch your head but if you really know me you might get why I love them:
Ink Master (yes, tattoos...no I won't get one but I am strangely attracted to Dave Navarro)...Spike TV
Top Shot All-Stars (guns...and men...me likey)...history channel Wednesdays
Bar Rescue (it's fun and you learn new cocktails)...Spike TV on Sundays

4) Argan Oil...I put it on my hair, I put it on my face...it rocks.  Get any kind...use it...

5) Palmers Dry Oil...you get this at the grocery store or drug store...it's cheap...it's this amazing oil you rub on and it sinks in and you are soft and smell nice.  GOTTESS and I are OBSESSED.  It helped us survive the dry air of Arizona.  It's helping my scars go away.  My friend PrettyCyndi got me hooked when she suggested it and all I can say is that it will forever live on my bathroom counter and I always have a spare in the cabinet.  It is the best moisturizer ever.  I have the lotion and soap too.  Good stuff.  I might not have the name exactly right but I am too lazy to go and look so just go to the lotion section at the store and look for a white box that says Palmers and get the oil.  You will love me for this.

6) My housekeeper's green sauce.  My incredible housekeeper Su is from Mexico. She made me this sauce and then taught me to make it.  It's sooooo good...it's just green tomatillos and jalapenos.  That's all...you just remove the husks from the tomatillos (try 10) and a throw in some jalapenos (2 for mild...5 for good heat...7 for sun-searing scorch)...throw them in a pot and cover with water. Boil until they are good and soft.  Let cook 20 minutes.  Put into your blender.  That's it...just blend and done.

Mix with sour cream, cilantro and avocado for a dip...

I"m addicted....

My kids love it on the pork tacos I make...they are super easy too...

Take a pork shoulder (pork butt roast...boston butt roast...) and cover with garlic salt and lemon pepper and brown well on all sides.  Throw it into your crock pot and cover with Goya Mojo sauce (in a bottle...HEB has it as does other stores that carry Goya products). Turn the crock pot on low and let cook all day.  Remove most of the juice (reserve about half) and then take two forks and shred the meat right there in the pot...add a bit of the juice back to keep it moist.  Serve in tortillas (we like corn) with the green sauce and some orange onions (carmelize a sliced sweet onion and once it's nice and brown add about 1/4 cup orange juice and let the juice simmer away).  Delicioso!

7) My 4-Runner I call Beyonce.  Ok, not everyone is in the market for a new car but if you are...go test drive one and fall in love.  I lurv her...

8) Unexpected containers.  I like decorating "silly" but fun...so right now my mouthwash is in an old Jim Beam bottle that is the same type of bottle that they used for the "I Dream of Jeannie" bottle...you can get them on eBay all day long.  It's way more fun to get your mouthwash from a liquor bottle.

I use my silver trays as little organizers for my bedside and perfume bottles because I am not a "serve canapes on a silver tray" kind of person.

I use old bar glasses to hold my make-up brushes and pencils.

And I have a glass compote bowl that holds my kids water flavoring stuff (Mio, crystal light, etc)

A waterford bowl that holds my hair rubber bands...

9) Flavored olive oils and vinegars.  If you have one of those shops that sells flavored olive oils do yourself and favor and start indulging.  It will vastly improve your salads and cooking.  If you need suggestions just message me.  JayVee and I love the chipotle olive oil mixed with the chocolate vinegar on a spring salad...awesome.

10) Fairy Drops waterproof mascara...it works and makes your lashes look amazing.  You can get it on Amazon.com...it is the best waterproof mascara EVER...I can swim in it and survive JayVee's spin class in it and not look like Alice Cooper...

11) Caruso Steam Hairsetter...finally! rollers that curl my hair and it works...and it doesn't damage my hair.  I had one 15 years ago and you had to add salt and stuff but now you just fill the little steamer up and steam the curlers and put them in and voila you have Heidi Klum hair...

12) Thinkgeek.com...I love this website.  I bought GOTT his birthday gift from here and I got GOTTSON and awesome soccer chair that looks like R2D2.  My favorite umbrella EVER is the light saber umbrella...if you are a geek you need this stuff...

Now here is my "Hall of Fame"...these things will always be favorites:
1) Angel Perfume
2) Mary Kay Timewise products
3) Michael David wines
4) Lululemon tops for exercise class
5) Jay-Vee's spin class...I feel sorry for those of you who don't belong to the HRC...
6) lingerie...
7) George's Pastaria...I could eat there every night....

Ok so now I need to return to the silver polishing and step away from this.

Try this stuff...I promise you will like it...

And leave a comment because you never know...I might just invite you over for tea and then a drive in Beyonce and then we can have flavored vodka and tonic when we get home and watch Drunk History...

And maybe I will even make you a salad...or let you have some green sauce...

Inspiration Song: "I Love It" by Icona Pop...cute little song...fun stuff...

Bye Darlings...I truly love all of this stuff but if you do nothing with this list at all be sure you go and read thebloggess.com...I have RoyBoy to thank for helping me find her and she is my inspiration...and let me know what you love!

And I forgot one more thing I love...I love all of you who read this!