What a night.

Somewhere amidst the month that was February I turned a year older. I have come to embrace aging after all we all grow wiser and more beautiful with each passing year correct? That may be my own warped perception, but I am sticking to it.

This year during my birthday week I happened to be excessively busy and the last thing I wanted to do was work a concert for one of Komen’s celebrity ambassadors who was in town. I love Candy Coburn as a person, and she is a great musician I always enjoy listening to her, it would have been one thing if I was simply going to her concert, but I had to WORK an evening two days before my birthday. Why you asked did Lindsay and I have to do this and no one else from the office, I asked myself the same question. I have this really bad habit of never saying no, so I agreed to work. I had to cancel dinner plans with a friend and as my co-work and friend Lindsay picked me up from my apartment at 6pm to head down to Cains in order set up for the event I went kicking and screaming. As a side note, when Lindsay called to tell me she was outside my building to pick me up she said “bring you camera you never know if there will be a picture opportunity”. I thought that was silly for her to ask, she knows this sister does not go anywhere without her camera especially to work events. Anyway I grab my purse and my camera and huffed and puffed all the way down to her car.

As we drove over to the venue Lindsay was on the phone with Candy’s manager spelling the names of Aaron (Lindsay’s husband), Matt (we all know who he is) and myself; which didn’t seem odd to me, because anytime we work an event we always get extra tickets for Matt and Aaron in case they want to swing by. However, on that same note, I knew there was no way Matt was going to come down he is not the biggest country music fan around. But at least it was a nice gesture by Lindsay to think about them. When she got off the phone she said “well since you know what is going on now I guess I will fill you in”, little did she know I had no idea what was going on. She said Matt and Aaron were meeting us for the concert.

Long story short, I didn’t have to work the concert it was all a set up. Matt and Aaron met us for dinner then we all headed to Cains where we got our VIP tickets and hung out with Candy on her tour bus

before watching a great concert.


Half way through the concert Candy pulled me on stage and we had a happy birthday sing-a-long.


It was a birthday celebration I will remember forever!!!

What a wonderful evening, shows one never knows what is around each turn in life. I have the world’s best friends that beats all.

Missed a month

So I sit here today the first day of March, realizing I missed almost an entire month of blogging yet again. The past two weeks have been a bit of a blur between two surprise birthday parties, three days spent at the hospital with a grandfather in ICU, a huge report due at the office, two parties I made cupcakes for, and a grandfather that passed away. I feel as though I have just run a marathon without a metal to prove it.

The month of February started with a snow storm to beat the record books and ended with a sad good-bye to a loved one. What a month, a month I am sure I will remember forever. But I here to tell you I am getting back in the saddle and am hopeful the month of march will be a bit more calm. Here is a short list of items I hope to accomplish this month............

1) Relax
2) Plant an herb garden at Matt's (he does not know his backyard will soon smell of basil and cilantro)
3) Take more pictures
4) Blog more often
5) Pick up training for a half
7) Relax (oh did I mention that already)

Happy 1st day of March Ya'all!

Can it be that she is 4 today?

This little princess turned 4 today and I can hardly believe it. I have been there every year to celebrate with this precious angel I am sad to say as she turns 4 I will be in Tulsa and she will be in Houston, but we will reunite again soon. Auntie Jen loves you Hope!!

Happy
Obedient
Playful
Entertaining


Animated
Beautiful
Inspiring
Gift
Adorable
Intelligent
Light of our life

Remarkably sweet
Innocent laughter
Cute
Kind hearted
Eager to learn
Yippy (well maybe that is not a word that describes a person but that is what I say when I get to see her)!!

Love you sweetie!!

Is there a baker in your life?

Because it is the weekend, because there are few things that make me happier than baking and because for some reason people keep asking me for birthday gift ideas for women in their 30’s, I thought I would share a few great gift ideas for the baker in your life.

Oooo laaa laaa, look at this chrome beauty. Can you imagine the number of cupcakes that could be whipped up in this high performance mixer. That happy baker in your life will be starting up their own bakery before you know with this little gadget as their sidekick.


What baker can survive in a kitchen without a flour sifter? The best way to thoroughly combine dry ingredients for baking is via a flour sifter.


Frosting….my one and only love! Just kidding, kind of, the mirror does not like how frosting looks on me, but my hips sure love it. What better way to stay insulated during these cold winter months than with frosting. Every baker needs a frosting decorating kit, whether they are a cake lover or a cupcake lover a good set of decorating tools is a must in any baker’s arsenal.


I found these super cute cupcakes on the Bakerella site and these silicups would be perfect for the job. These nonstick, reusable beauties would be a great addition to any cupcake lovers kitchen.


Oh boy, check this powerful tool out!! I think this sweet machine may end up on my want list. This cake decorating machine makes ever creation a masterpiece with the simple push of a button. It is an electric cutter that quickly trims sheets of gum paste, fondant or frosting into the perfect shape you choose.


I better stop there, I might just get carried away.

Dress for the ages

I am trying to dig out from under more snow than I would ever like to see again in Tulsa and looking for a cocktail dress to wear to a wedding coming up next month. Why do you look at me with that strange smirk on your face, you don’t think snow and cocktails mix well? You may be right, but as I am stranded by massive snow drifts I figure I might as well make myself useful and find a dress. Yes, I could be working on a ginormaous report I have due next month for work, or I could be working on an inventory project for my second job, but instead I chose to fire up my computer and do a little shopping.

This month of love could not slip by without talking about shopping, more specifically fashion and clothes. However, I am not a typical girl in that I don’t like to shop unless I am on a mission for something specific, then I love it. This month I am in fact on a mission for something specific, a cocktail dress for an upcoming wedding. Hold onto your hats, it is not my wedding; we are attending the wedding of our friends Carolyn and Jack, remember I talked about them last month. Anywho, I have been searching high and low for the perfect dress, I have it narrowed down to a few choices, feel free to weigh in. Remember it is for a wedding, in the evening, at the end of March, and I will have a man straight off the cover of GQ as my date.

I fell in love with this dress the first time I saw it, I love the asymmetrical ruched overlay strap on the one shoulder. Black is a huge seller for me as well, it hides....well the fact I eat too many cupcakes.


This dress whispered simple elegance to me. The ivory satin would not be as forgiving as the black dress above, but I would be willing to workout a little bit harder to make sure all my cupcakes were no longer sitting on my hips.


The color of this dress......dynasty, is what caused me to fall in love with it. I love it's elegant design with the crisscross bodice and bow on the side.

The herb I love

I have been snowed in for more or less 4 days so what better time to talk about gardening than in the dead of winter right? Well let me explain more clearly, because I do not love gardening, but I do love home grown basil. Actually at this point, being buried alive under way too much snow for the town of Tulsa, I think I could find a love for gardening, I could fall in love with anything that required warmer temperatures, sunshine and NO snow! But during this month of love I will stick to the herb I love the most, basil.
I stick basil in just about anything I can……………

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup


Basil Mint Grapefruit Sorbet


Tomato Basil Bruschetta


Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Salad


Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Pizza



The next basil inspired yummyiness my kitchen plans to prepare is Blackberry, Lemon and Basil Gelato. Gelato makes my heart skip a beat, to add basil may just kill me. But I will die a happy woman. If I make it through my first taste of my upcoming Gelato venture I will share all the details with you.

Love ya,
Jen

Ernie

Ernest, Ernie, Pops……………all the names my grandfather answered to. Many words come to mind when I remember this extraordinary man who was born this day 1914 in Montrose Scotland.

Integrity

Valor

Service (505th Unit during World War II)

A family man


Love

Quiet

Avid gardener

Son

Brother

Husband

Dad


Grandfather

Friend

Man of few words

Patient

Hero

A man that will forever be in heart


Love you and miss you Pops!!