a gal and her dog

Our Love Story

2012-02-13T10:47:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I did lots of relaxing and procrastinating of house projects, so at least I'm well-rested today!

In honor of Valentine's Day tomorrow, I'm linking up with Becky to share my love story.

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
It will be 8 years this May.

2. How did you meet?
Sean managed at a restaurant where my friend Erin worked in college. I was dating another guy who worked there and was at a party at my then-boyfriend's house when I first met Sean. He was a total goofball, but I'd never laughed so hard in my entire life. On the drive home that night, I called Erin and told her that I'd met Sean and he wasn't like other guys. I said, "He's like . . . " And Erin said, "A big teddy bear?" Then, I said, "No, he's the kind of guy that you marry." I called things off with the guy I was seeing and Sean and I were an item a few weeks later.

3. If married, how long have you been married?
We'll be married 3 years next month, and I can't tell you how fast time has gone by. I feel like we just started dating and now we're no longer newlyweds!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?

We were married in Galway, Ireland surrounded by a very small group of our closest friends and family members. I'll never forget our big day.

5. Do you have any nicknames that you call one another? Do share!

Ours are really silly and involve inside jokes, so I'll spare myself the embarrassment on this one!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

I love that Sean is funny, kind and smart. He really challenges me in so many ways, while still making me feel whole (totally cheesy -- I admit it!).

7. Tell us how he proposed?

My proposal was terrible. We'd been talking marriage for a while, and I knew that Sean was saving up for a ring. Well, one day, he called me and said that he was having car problems and was going to take it into the shop after work. I had plans for a girls' night that evening and was pretty bummed at the thought of him having a big setback like that.

Right before I left to meet my friends for dinner, Sean got home and handed me the "estimate" from the mechanic, which was close to five thousand dollars. I was staring at it in shock when he said, "I think I know a way we could pay for it . . . we could hock this."

I turned around and he was down on one knee holding an open ring box. I was so mad and confused when he started his whole spiel of how much he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Honestly, I couldn't really focus on what he was saying because I kept thinking, "Did he just say HOCK in his proposal?!"

He ended with "Will you marry me?" and the first words out of my mouth were, "I hate you!" Of course I said yes, but let it be known that tricking your girlfriend with a fake story about your car breaking down and a made up estimate is not the most romantic proposal story. Some of my sisters and my aunt were in on the whole trick and tried to talk Sean out of it several times, but he was certain that it was going to be just hilarious. (Please note, it wasn't.)

Thankfully, they'd made reservations at our favorite sushi restaurant, so my friends and sisters ended up meeting us there for dinner and celebratory champagne. It ended up being a very special evening and I guess that in the long run, it was totally a Sean thing to do.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
He's pretty good about getting me flowers and a card. We've done big years with jewelry and stuff, but as time goes by, we've gotten more relaxed.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
I'm a homebody, so I'd much prefer to chill at home on a Saturday night cooking dinner together and watching a movie than going out.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
I'd love to tour Europe with Sean one day. We got a small taste of it with our wedding/honeymoon in Ireland, but there's so much more I want to see. Plus, he's so much fun to travel with.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
There have been talks of trying out a new, low-key restaurant in town and maybe seeing a movie. I feel like we've stayed in and cooked for the past few holidays like this, so it will be a nice change of pace.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
No, I got Sean some candy and a card and I'm hoping for some flowers. We have some big things coming up that we need to save for, so we'll be keeping things small for a while.

13. Give us one piece of advice for keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Love isn't just about the fun, romantic things . . . it's about sometimes doing things that you don't want to do -- things that can be challenging and difficult -- to make your relationship work.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Running on Empty

2012-02-02T16:23:00.000-06:00

Goodness! Where has this week gone? I've been so exhausted after work each night that getting on the computer has been out of the question.

While my blogging ideas are running very thin, I'll tell you one thing -- I'm ready for some girl time tomorrow night. I'm having my mom, aunt and sisters over for dinner/wine/cupcakes/a movie. Very exciting stuff! I'm already plotting all of the delicious foods I'm going to whip up. These are probably going to have to happen:

Source: plainchicken.com via Hillary on Pinterest

In the meantime, I'm trying to decide how to accessorize my new sheer blouse (and then I SWEAR that I won't be boring you gals with Polyvore creations for a while -- deal?).

Here's what I'm thinking (and this little jacket from Forever 21 MUST BE MINE):

Sheer Blouse and Tweed Jacket with Ladylike Accessories by agalandherdog featuring a boucle jacket

The Internet Could Be Your Closet . . .

2012-01-26T14:28:00.001-06:00

Who else is obsessed with Polyvore? I can't stop making outfits. It's like having Cher's closet from Clueless at my fingertips.

Was that anyone else's dream or just mine? I also obsessed over her Jeep Wrangler until my parents finally caved and got me one, but that's a story for another day.

My favorite thing is playing around to put together looks from one piece that I buy. I don't know why, but I could stand in my closet for hours and not be able to throw together an outfit as easily as I can with Polyvore (plus this is way less messy than trying on 8 pairs of jeans and 5 scarves to find the right combo). I guess that's because you basically have the entire internet as your closet.

I got an adorable, striped top from Old Navy this past weekend on sale for $10 and knew it would be cute with my leather jacket, but got stuck on what else to add.

Well, I just hopped on over to my favorite site and played around until I found something that was perfect.

Here's what else I added to complete the look. I'm excited to wear something like this to meet my sisters for lunch and shopping one Saturday afternoon.

Old Navy Striped Top Weekend Outfit by agalandherdog featuring kate spade jewelry

W.I.L.W.

2012-01-25T11:59:00.000-06:00

It's Wednesday and you know what that means! This week I'm loving . . .

1. Pretty roses. I picked these up at the grocery store over the weekend and have enjoyed them all week.

2. Babies! I'm taking dinner to my friend Erin tonight so I can see that sweet little Emerson again.

3. Glittery nails. I tried out those Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips on Friday night and chose a fun gold glitter. They were pretty easy to apply and have made it almost a week with minimal chipping.

4. My sweet pets. It's a dreary, rainy day here in the Midsouth and I walked out of my bedroom this morning to get some coffee and found all three of our pets snuggled together on one couch -- well, this is the closest that Maddy, our Yorkie will get to Bruno, our Boston Terrier and Koji, our cat, but I'll take it. I was hoping they'd stay there long enough for me to sprint back into the bedroom to get my phone to snap some pics, and they did . . . too sweet!

5. Speaking of the rainy day, I'm really enjoying this one, and I think I put together the perfect outfit for it. Comfortable and cozy. I love that my office is business casual and I can get away with stuff like this (and these are just items like mine that I found on Polyvore -- my actual sweater was a $25 Marshall's find and my leggings were $10 from Old Navy).

Cozy Rainy Day Outfit by agalandherdog featuring long scarves

6. Bad TV. Well, let me clarify -- TV so bad that it's good. I'm mildly obsessed with Dance Moms, Jersey Shore and Revenge right now. Can't. Stop.Watching.

What are you loving this week? Go link up with Jamie and share!

Fashion Rentals?

2012-01-24T11:24:00.000-06:00

So, I was reading this article on Yahoo yesterday and wondered if these rental sites are a good deal or not.

I've seen several bloggers who use Rent the Runway to get dresses for special occasions -- which seems like a great idea -- and we all remember Jennifer Hudson's character using Bag, Borrow or Steal on the Sex and the City movie, so it made me wonder what the deal is with fashion rentals.

Since my husband and I don't make tons of money, I've never really gotten caught up in the allure of designer labels. I live in the suburbs, definitely not a fashion hub, and certainly don't do any trailblazing with my wardrobe (cute clothes and accessories are fun but my style is more comfortable/casual than straight off the runway). And honestly, if I had $800 burning a hole in my pocket, I'd buy a new oven instead of a handbag.

I typically spend $25-$50 on a purse (usually at TJ Maxx or Marshall's) that I'll carry for a month or two -- maybe even three -- and then donate to Goodwill (unless I really love it and know I'll carry it again . . . which doesn't happen all that frequently). And although I used to swap out purses constantly to go with my outfits, I've gotten to the point where I try to find something neutral that will go with most of my wardrobe.

That being said, I enjoy beautiful things as much as the next gal, and from time to time will save up to buy slightly nicer pieces that are classic (mostly jewelry), but I saw the purses below at Bag, Borrow or Steal for around $30 a month -- which is typically what I spend on brands like Nine West or Ralph Lauren, and it got me daydreaming . . .

Tory Burch Jaden Tote

Kate Spade Kei Tote

Cole Haan Archer Bag

Michael Kors Hamiltion Messenger

So, Kate Spade and Tory Burch for the same amount I spend on Nine West? What do you think? Is it worth it to join these sites?

Or, is it strange to rent a purse that you have to send back? Have any of you ever tried them? I'd love to hear your take on the whole thing!

Lunchtime Weekend Recap and an Easy Corn Dip Recipe

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000-06:00

I went into this weekend with absolutely no plans and it was probably the best one I've had in a while.

Friday night, I debated trying to go out somewhere, but decided that a night at home to myself was probably just what the doctor ordered. I rented a few chick-flicks and parked on the sofa with a little wine and gave myself a manicure. Pure heaven, I tell you.

Saturday, I took Bruno for a 3-miler, met my sisters and aunts for sushi, ran a couple of errands and went home to work on a project I'll share later this week.

I made this for dinner at the recommendation of my sister Hope, and Hannah came over to join Sean and I for some wine, Yahtzee and a movie. The night ended with Hannah and I putting on Sean's childhood Halloween costumes and taking silly videos -- ones that will, unfortunately, never be shared with the public. I will say that he had a mouse costume from 3rd grade that fit me like a skin-tight glove. Amazing! Hannah decided that she'd had too much to drink to drive home and Sean was a gentleman and let her crash in our room with me while he slept in the guest bedroom. I sure do love that guy.

Sunday morning, Sean went to work and Hannah and I drug ourselves out of bed, got some really bad (but delicious) junk food from Sonic, ate and then climbed back into bed to watch TV and veg out until the afternoon. It was so nice to be completely lazy for a while.

We made up for the bad eating by putting in an hour of hardcore working out before helping get ready for my mom's birthday dinner that evening. I made a really delicious corn dip appetizer.

Easy Corn Dip

Ingredients:

2 cans corn (drained)

2 blocks cream cheese (I do neufchatel cheese to cut calories)

2 cans Rotel tomatoes

Several dashes of your favorite spices (I used Tony's, Emeril's Essence, Cumin and a Cajun Seasoning)

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients except for shredded cheese in a bowl and stir to combine. Pour into a dish coated with cooking spray and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until bubbling and serve with the scoop tortilla chips.

Then, for dinner, we had steaks, shrimp and lemon pasta, Greek salad, tomato tart and garlic bread with lemon squares for dessert. The meal was amazing and we went home full and happy. I was certainly sad to see this weekend go, but I'm looking forward to a busy and productive week!

Happy Friday!

2012-01-20T13:43:00.002-06:00

I have a weekend ahead with absolutely nothing planned. Can't wait to relax. And maybe bake something good . . .

It's My Monday

2012-01-17T09:28:00.000-06:00

Good morning! It's Tuesday, but since I was off yesterday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, it's technically my Monday. And as if it wasn't tough enough to get up this morning, I had an amazing long weekend, making it twice as hard to drag myself into work.

Friday, I worked from home to finish up writing projects and that night, I had my family over for dinner and some catching up.

Saturday, I spent all day repainting my guest bathroom. Remember back here when I painted it pumpkin and LOVED how it turned out? Well, the love didn't last very long and every time I went in there, I started to dislike it more and more. It just didn't fit with the flow of our house. I was tempted to put it back to the tan it was to begin with, but figured that would be a huge waste of time. I really debated what color to paint, but didn't want to risk picking another hue that I'd eventually end up hating, so I decided to go with one I'd already lived with for a while. I landed on the same sage-y green as our master bedroom/ bath and it's much more calm and neutral in there now and a definite upgrade. I'm done painting for a while, though. Six hours for a tiny bathroom is way too much work!

Saturday night, I made this King Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese and Sean and I stayed in and watched Money Ball. Great movie and Jonah Hill had a stellar performance.

= great night in

Sunday, I worked out with Hannah, ran some errands, scored some major deals at Marshall's and Sean and I had our sushi date night. It was great to get out for a nice dinner and some alone time.

Yellowtail carpaccio

Cheers to my handsome date . . .

This drink, called a Hummingbird, was unbelievable!

Yesterday, we slept in, went out for lunch, saw War Horse and I cried my eyes out for an hour straight. Another great movie! I came home, took a nap and waited for updates from my friend Erin since she was being induced. She had a beautiful and healthy baby girl and I can't wait to go and meet her on my lunch break today. We capped off the night watching highlights from the Golden Globes, which I DVRed the night before. Sean usually hates awards shows, but he took one for the team so I could squeeze in the big moments.

All in all, a perfect long weekend. I hope you enjoyed yours too and I can't wait to catch up on blogs this evening.

Daydream Believer

2012-01-12T09:17:00.009-06:00

Did anyone else love The Monkees? My sisters and I used to watch reruns at naptime and fight over who was whose imaginary boyfriend. (Peter Tork was all mine, in case you're wondering.)

Anyway, how is it not Friday yet? That's all I could think when I got out of bed this morning and now I'm daydreaming about the long weekend and my sushi date with Sean on Sunday night.

I got a really cute lace tank top from Old Navy last weekend that should be perfect for our night out. I'm thinking of pairing it with a simple black blazer, comfy flats, skinny jeans and pops of red to make it a little more fun. What do you think?

Wednesday!

2012-01-11T09:54:00.000-06:00

I'm back! The holidays were a whirlwind and I'm sitting at my desk (putting off the mountain of work that I need to do) wondering how in the world it's already January 11th?!

I thought Wednesday would be the perfect day for me to get back to blogging, so here I am and this week I'm loving:

1) L'Oreal Everstrong Overnight Repair Treatment.

here

I read about this on Megan's blog and scooped up a bottle at Target on sale. You put it in your dry hair before bed and it helps strengthen your hair overnight. I'm an every-other-day hair washer, so this is great for the off-nights to keep my hair strong. I apply it from the ponytail down and it has noticeably improved my hair in about a week.

2) The upcoming 3-day weekend. After so much time off of work over the holidays, it was a shock to my system coming back full time this week. Thankfully we have a long weekend to reward me for my first whole week back!

3) Baby Emerson. My friend Erin is due any day now and I'm dying to meet her sweet little daughter!

4) New workouts. Hannah introduced me to Winsor Pilates using a resistance ring last night and I LOVE it. I've done normal Pilates for years, but after trying it with the resistance ring, I'll never go back! Looking forward to seeing the results I'll get from adding this to my normal workout routine.

here

5) Pinterest. I've tried a mountain of new recipes lately that I'll blog about soon.

Source: pixelatedcrumb.com via Hillary on Pinterest

Source: tastykitchen.com via Hillary on Pinterest

Source: myrecipes.com via Hillary on Pinterest

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Hillary on Pinterest

What are you loving this week? Link up and tell us!

Happy, happy . . . merry, merry!

2011-12-25T13:29:00.000-06:00

I'm currently cuddled on my bed with Sean, Bruno and Maddy, just back from a long walk with the dogs, recovering from a ridiculously good breakfast with the whole family, looking forward to more shenanigans (and unbelievable food) this evening and feeling like the luckiest gal in the world. I hope you all have the merriest of Christmases and I'll see you all in 2012!

Hillary

Is It Really Stealing?

2011-12-16T11:37:00.000-06:00

I've got a moral dilemma for ya this lovely Friday . . .

I was shopping at Marshall's recently with my sister Hannah when we spotted a gorgeous purple sweater (only $19.99!) that was perfect for our mom for Christmas. We found a nice scarf (only $16.99!) to go with it and went to check out.

I asked the clerk if I could get a gift receipt, but she was new and told me she'd have to get someone to teach her how. She was distracted by my request and apparently stuffed the scarf into the bag without ringing it up. When she told me my total, I thought it sounded low, but didn't think much of it and told her not to worry with the gift receipt (the store was busy and about to close and I was ready to get home).

I looked over my receipt in the parking lot on the walk to the car and realized that she hadn't charged me for the scarf. Hannah and I laughed about our luck and headed home, but in the car we started talking about whether or not it's stealing when that happens.

I mean, we could have easily turned around and walked back in the store to pay for the scarf, but chose not to.

What do you think? Is it really stealing? Or just lucky that we essentially got a scarf for free?

I'd love to know what you would have done if you were in our shoes.

Love This!

2011-12-15T11:17:00.000-06:00

If you're a True Blood fan, you'll probably get a kick out of this. I know I did.

Now, I'll let you get back to your Thursday. I've got about a million things to finish up before Christmas, so I'll be back when I can.

Flannel Shirt

2011-12-08T13:03:00.000-06:00

I bought a plaid flannel shirt at Target last night and was trying to think of how I would wear it this fall/winter. I feel like I'm in a wardrobe rut, so I'm making an effort to be smarter about clothing purchases -- ensuring that I can throw together multiple looks with the same piece.

Thanks to modern technology (via Polyvore) I came up with a couple of outfit ideas (using items similar to things I already have in my closet).

Flannel Shirt by agalandherdog featuring buckle belts

What's your favorite way to wear this trend?

What I'm Loving Wednesday -- Grocery Store Edition

2011-12-07T10:33:00.001-06:00

This time of year, there are treats around every corner, and the grocery store is no exception. Here are a few things currently gracing my refrigerator and pantry shelves and forcing me to clock extra miles and time on the elliptical:

1) White fudge covered Oreos. My mom used to buy these when we were kids and hid them so we wouldn't eat them all. Now I'm debating doing the same thing to keep them safe from my husband. So good!

here

2) Chocolate covered cherries. This is another one I can thank my mom for. I didn't care for them growing up, but I can polish off a box in no time now.

here

3) Fudge covered Ritz crackers (noticing a trend here? You dip it in chocolate, I'll buy it!).

here

4) Apple cider. You can always find new ways to use cider during the cold months. I'm mulling over this, this and these to try.

here

5) Silk nog. This stuff is soooo good. When I looked at my cart full of all of the ~~junk~~ treats above, I knew that I couldn't justify the full fat, full calorie egg nog, so I thought I'd be slightly healthy and give this a day in court. The verdict -- Sean and I both love it!

here

So there you have it. And when I'm whining in January that none of my clothes fit, you are all welcome to remind me of this post!

What are you loving this week? Link up with Jamie and let us know.

How Would You Like $10?

2011-12-02T14:13:00.001-06:00

As my Friday gift to you, if you aren't already signed up for Rue La La, please do so using this link and you'll receive $10 just for signing up!

here

Christmas Wishlist

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

This time of year has me wrapping up -- both shopping and the gifts themselves -- and I always stumble onto more things that I want for myself than I find for others. Does that happen to anyone else?

Bueller?

Well, here are a few things I'd LOVE to find under my tree this year (hint, hint, Sean):

1) A pretty Art Deco necklace to match my engagement ring.

2) Another David Yurman ring to stack with my little pearl one.

3) Martha Stewart Pie Keep.

4) New charm for my charm bracelet.

5) Some faux David Yurman earrings. Sean splurged for the Petite Albion blue topaz ring for me a few years ago, but if he spent what the earrings cost now (when I'd rather spend the money on a new oven) I'd kill him. These $24 knock-offs would fit the bill, though!

6) Finally, perfume is always a safe bet.

What's on your Christmas list this year?

20 Things About Me

2011-11-25T09:00:00.001-06:00

1. I'm one of six girls and I can't imagine my life without all of my sisters.

2. All of us have "H" names -- Heather, Hillary, Haley, Hannah, Hope and Halston. Some of my sisters think this is annoying, but I think it's pretty cool.

3. I got married in Galway, Ireland almost 3 years ago. My husband and I were going to go there for our honeymoon, but my mom made a joke about the whole family making the trip for the wedding and we jumped on the chance. It was the best day of my life.

In Galway after our ceremony

4. After we got married, my husband Sean and I rented a car and drove down the southern coast of Ireland visiting Cork, Killarney and Limerick. I drove the whole time on this trip and driving on the left side of the road was nerve-wracking. I'm making Sean drive when we go back -- which I hope will be sooner rather than later.

Sean and I in Dublin for St. Paddy's Day

5. We have two dogs -- a Yorkie named Maddy (for whom this blog is named) and Boston terrier named Bruno -- and a cat named Koji.

6. I worked at a prom dress store in high school and I LOVED working in retail.

7. In college, I got a job at a local hospital where I worked as a nursing station secretary and telemetry clerk (watching people's heart rhythms). I worked the evening shift from 3pm-11pm, which fit well with my class schedule and allowed me tons of time to do homework.

8. It took me 6 years to finish college -- I changed majors a lot!

9. My first major was psychology, then I switched to sociology and then to pre-med. That's when I took Physics (twice) and knew that I wouldn't be attending any medical school in the near future. I loved reading and writing, so English it was!

10. After graduating from college, I had no idea what I was going to do with an English degree and I looked for a job for 6 months. I went on countless interviews for the craziest positions (one of which was an organ donor representative where I would have been on call 24/7 to coordinate organ harvests from the recently deceased -- glad I didn't get that one).

11. My first job out of college was selling newspaper ads for our local paper. I hated it more than you'll ever know.

12. I'm thankful for that newspaper job, because it led me to my job now -- Sr. Marketing Writer for a major non-profit. I love my job and can't imagine working anywhere else.

13. Because I write, proofread and edit for a living, typos drive me crazy. I try to double-check my posts, but it's really hard to catch things when you write them. Weird.

14. I got my hair cut last October and decided to get bangs for the first time since I was 6. Bad choice for me. I'm taking lots of vitamins hoping they'll grow out soon. They are currently down to my chin. Remind me never to do this again.

15. I've had super-long hair most of my life. I cut it to my shoulders in high school right before senior pictures and I think my mom cried. I haven't cut it short since.

16. Both of my parents have red hair and ended up with four red-haired daughters (two are blond). Despite what some people might assume, I've never hated my hair color. I always thought that it made me special and my sisters and I get stopped everywhere we go.

17. I'd choose cold over hot any day. I'm hot-natured and so is Sean so we keep our house pretty chilly. This is why we also have an obscene number of throw blankets available for guests.

18. My first venture out of the country was to Cancun for my senior trip. I hated being away from my family and cried practically every day. I'm fair-skinned and didn't drink back then, so there really didn't seem like much else to do aside from geting drunk and laying out. Plus the humid weather made my hair unbelievably frizzy, so I doubt I'll be going back.

19. I love to travel and hope to get more chances in the future to travel internationally. So far I've been to Mexico, Ireland and China. Random mix there.

Hannah and I shopping on Huaihai Road in Shanghai

20. I started blogging almost 2 years ago as an excuse to make myself write more often -- for fun. It took off from there and, although there are days when it's the last thing I could bring myself to do when I get home from work, I love it.

Dear Charlotte Russe,

2011-11-23T16:30:00.002-06:00

I've dismissed you in the past, thinking that only tweens shopped in your stores. Well, I owe you an apology because you just made me a very happy gal. I stumbled onto your site from here and fell in love. I'm a scarf whore . . . I admit it. And you had these three beauties on clearance sale:

$5.99 each!

And then, I spotted them . . . the thick braided belts in black and saddle brown that I've been searching for for years (or was it just months? Oh, who cares!).

$5.99 each again!

Finally, the stars aligned and with a coupon code (3DAYBFF11) I got the five items above for $30 (with shipping!).

So, like I said. Charlotte, I owe you an apology. I've been served.

Sincerely,

A very happy Hillary

Wednesday!

2011-11-23T09:11:00.000-06:00

It's the best day of the week, made even better by the fact that it's my Friday and I get a 4-day weekend. The cherry on top is that we just got an email from our CEO that we can leave at 2:00 p.m. today (instead of 4:30 p.m.), woohoo!

I covered my bases on the deeper things that I'm thankful for (the things that really mean something) on Monday, so I thought I'd just hit on fun things today. This week I'm loving:

1) The Fireside scent from Bath & Body Works. I have several candles and finally plugged in one of the Wallflowers this week and my house smells heavenly!

here

2) Spray tanning. I used to be a sunless tanning addict, but after our wedding I decided that my money was better spent elsewhere. Well . . . I went again with my sister Hannah and I'm hooked! We both got monthly unlimited plans and I can't wait to go after work. I do the lightest color, which is really the most this fair-skinned redhead can pull off without looking like Snookie, but I just love not having to worry about my pasty legs.

3) Ultrasoft sweaters on sale at Target. $9.99 for a cardigan? Yes, please! These are the softest sweaters ever and I'm seriously debating swinging back by after work to pick up a couple more. Sale ends today, ladies.

here

4) Fage Greek yogurt . . . with cherries or honey. Breakfast of champions!

here

5) My new stick vacuum. I picked this Bissell 3-in-1 up at Walmart after a recommendation from Erin and I LOVE it. It was cheap (hello, $19.88!), it's perfect for quick touch ups and since it isn't cordless, I don't have to worry about charging it. I've used it almost every day since I got it . . . and I'm now realizing how sad my life is that I'm this excited about a vacuum! Oh well, who cares!

here

6) I mentioned before that I'm going to spend all day Friday decorating for Christmas, but I didn't mention that I'm also having a cookie bake-off, because isn't that what the holidays are all about? Cookies? I'm starting with these. Don't they look ridiculous?!

here

What are you loving this week? Go link up with Jamie!

Thanksgiving Outfit

2011-11-22T13:30:00.003-06:00

We're having Thanksgiving dinner at my sister Haley's house this year since my parents' house is mid-remodel. I like to be kind of dressed up, but still comfortable so that when I eat too much -- which let's face it, always happens -- I'm not rushing to change into sweats after. I think the new dress I picked up at Target last week should fit the bill, with a little splash of blue thrown in here and there to keep the look from being too boring.

What are you wearing this Thanksgiving?

I'm back!

2011-11-21T09:11:00.000-06:00

After a humbling/depressing/stressful/overwhelming two
weeks . . . I'm back.

And instead of dwelling on the things that made the past two weeks -- well, the past two weeks -- I'm going to kick off this wonderful Thanksgiving week by highlighting what I'm thankful for:

1) I'm thankful that so many of you (along with friends, coworkers and family members) chipped in to make sure this little girl could get the surgery she needed. I was seriously floored by the outpouring of generosity.

We raised more than $670 and Sophie had her bladder stone removed, got all of her vaccinations and a teeth cleaning. I can tell she feels SO MUCH BETTER and now we're just looking for a new home for this sweetie.

2) I was also thankful to learn that Sophie LOVES going on walks. She's a little bit hyper, so I thought I'd try and take her on Bruno's usual walk Saturday morning, but figured she wouldn't be able to keep up for the whole 2-3 miles. Boy, was I wrong. She was in heaven and was running laps around us the whole time! We even went for round two yesterday.

3) I'm thankful for a house that I'm proud of, a job that I love (even when it can be intense at times), a family that is there for me no matter what and a husband who truly is a partner. I'm incredibly fortunate, and sometimes get so stuck in the day-to-day issues that I forget how lucky I am if I just take a few steps back to see the bigger picture.

4) I'm thankful for the upcoming 4-day holiday weekend and the chance it's going to give me to slow down, spend time with the ones that I love and try out a couple of new recipes.

5) I'm thankful that I'll be decking the halls this Friday (after a midnight Target run, of course). You may have thought that after last year's fiasco, we'd avoid Black Friday like the plague, but once we heard Target was opening at midnight it was game on!

We've learned some valuable lessons and are going in there like old pros this year.

What are you thankful for this week?

Sad Day

2011-11-09T11:21:00.001-06:00

This week has been very sad because a dear friend of mine's mother passed away unexpectedly on Monday. This is a horrible thing for anyone to go through, but my friend is expecting her first baby in just a couple of months, so as you can imagine, this is extra tough.

I'm taking care of her mother's dog Sophie until we can find a home for her, and Sophie needs surgery to remove a large and dangerous stone from her bladder. We're trying to raise the money for this surgery so my friend can focus on grieving right now instead of financial burdens.

So if any of you out there would like to make a small donation to help out a fellow blogger and an animal in need, you can visit this link to give through Paypal.

Thank you all and please keep my friend and her family in your prayers right now.

Chicken and Pumpkin Enchiladas

2011-11-07T09:14:00.000-06:00

Another great weekend come and gone . . . another delicious recipe that I thought I'd share with you lovely ladies. I found this one via Pinterest from this blog, but I'm reposting (with a few, very small tweaks) so I'll have it handy for future use. I can see this one continuing to be a fall/winter favorite around our house.

Chicken and Pumpkin Enchiladas

Here are the players:

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 jalapenos, diced

2 cups chicken, cooked and diced (I used rotisserie)

1 can diced green chilies, 4 ounces

1 tablespoon ranch dressing mix (I have a habit of throwing this into most of my recipes)

1 can pumpkin, 15 ounces

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

10-12 corn tortillas

1 cup Queso Fresco, crumbled

Romantic scented candle, optional

You might also need the assistance of two eager Sous chefs to help you dispose of the rotisserie chicken skin . . .

And, P.S., don't be jealous of Maddy's new Jersey Shore-approved Sammy Sweetheart sweatshirt:

She's the sweetest bitch you'll ever meet.

Anyway, preheat your oven to 425 degrees and coat a 9x13 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, melt the butter, add the onion and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes). Next, add the jalepenos and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken, green chilies and ranch dressing mix and stir everything to combine.

While that is heating through, combine the pumpkin, heavy cream, chicken broth, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk to combine and spread a little bit of the sauce on the bottom of your 9x13 pan.

Take your corn tortillas and fill each one with around 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Wrap and arrange in casserole dish, seam side down (I used 12 tortillas during this step). Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce, and crumble your Queso Fresco on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until warm and bubbling. While this step is happening, you should definitely enjoy a delicious Mexican beer:

Preferably in a cute monogrammed coozie:

When this dish of bubbly goodness is finished cooking, it will look like this:

And you'll be in pumpkin heaven. Even if you aren't the biggest pumpkin fan, you'll like this recipe. I can't wait to check out more recipes on SP's blog.

Stats

2011-11-04T09:35:00.001-05:00

Do any of you fellow bloggers ever check your Stats tab? I was messing around yesterday and saw a list of search keywords that had been used on Google that resulted in someone coming to my blog. They included:

a gal and her dog
my big fat gypsy wedding dresses
a gal and her dog blog
agalandherdog
gypsy wedding dress
fat person in cropped leather pants

Now, from this information, I've learned a couple of things. Apparently my review of the TV show My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding was extremely popular?

And for some reason -- that I CAN NOT figure out -- someone searched "fat person in cropped leather pants" and stumbled onto my blog. This is perplexing for the following reasons

1. I am not a fat person
2. I have never owned a pair of cropped leather pants
3. I have never discussed a fat person in cropped leather pants.

I've been laughing nonstop at this! Amazing!

Happy Friday!