Put on some galoshes

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Get out in the arena people.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. - Theodore Roosevelt

Get Naked

So lately I have been thinking a lot about vulnerability. Duh, I have a huge obsessive crush on Brene Brown so it just comes with the territory. I have come to the conclusion I am only sorta kinda good at vulnerability. Turns out I am more of a flasher. I will generally show you my vulnerability but only for a second and I might spring it on you. Poor you....just leaves you feeling confused. Naked to guarded in 2 seconds flat. In an attempt to be kind to and love myself no matter what I am working on it. My recipe for this is to take a lesson from my Ruby. Go ahead and jump around in the puddles. Yes your pants will get wet and your outfit ruined. Yes you will have uncomfortable squishy shoes for a while, but the question to ask yourself...WHO CARES? Only be concerned with the ones who are willing to hold your hand and jump with you.

Enjoy your life, take risks, don't be afraid...be vulnerable.

Ok enough with the sappy stuff. Here is some cool shit I have made or done in an effort to explore my limits.....turns out I have none :)

For my sweet friend Ailea I helped throw a "book" themed baby shower. It was really fun and we sat around and laughed and sewed super cute onesies for baby Omotosho. A couple little things I contributed where these suppppper cute Very Hungry Caterpillar cupcakes and "This book Belongs To" water bottles. I am getting pretty good at buttercream icing. I am glad to add that to my repartee - how else am I going to get a husband if I can't make a perfect buttercream icing? The other cutie pie cupcake I made for my bible study girls.

I also had some of my delicious girl friends over for some delicious turkey made with the above potion, I mean, above Turkey brine. It was a labor of love and one well worth it. Best freaking turkey ever. Go make it. Really, make anything from this woman.

I am also kicking ass at my "do it - your 30 for God sake" list.

Thus far have nailed:

1. Eat a dozen doughnuts

5. Love myself even if I don't

10.Get another tattoo )

Up next: 10k, 1/2 marathon, and sing in public.........

First things first. Here is some stuff I made in January. I made this Salted Caramel Cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and candied lemon zest from scratch for my sweet mother for her birthday. The top picture is a blackberry cheesecake I made for funsies for my small group. They both turned out pretty good. The blackberry one turned out the best. Cheesecake is definitely a learning process. So learn from my mistakes: ALWAYS use a spring pan and don't mix the crap out it. Texture is an important thing to pay attention to. But lets face it whatever texture you get, it is basically cream cheese and sugar. It is going to taste good.

I also made some "Biggest Loser" whip cream. It was basically egg whites, cream of Tartar, and agave nectar. It tasted pretty good. It will definitely take some getting used to seeing as though it taste like agave nectar and not sugar. Next time I will just buy fat free cool whip :)

I knitted scarf number 2.Tahdah!!!!! Number 3 I am working on and am going to felt....stay tuned. I know you are trembling with excitement. PS - why do all of my pictures look so ominous?

My creative process has led me to some good introspection. As well as the fabulous Brene Brown. Please click on the pretty pink picture at the bottom of the post to experience her.Trust me: watch it, then watch it again. Absorb it. Be changed. Be different.

Sooooooo something I teeter back and forth about is how I feel about myself. Sometimes daily :) So I am clinging with all I have to my recent thoughts of myself. I really am proud of who I am, the choices I have made and where I am in my life. (Choices disclaimer: even choices I have made that I am not proud of are done with, lessons learned, and now are part of who I am. so onward and upward :) .)

I really am great and soooooo blessed. Sweet Jesus has lavished love on me to no avail and I have an onslaught of so many around me who love me well, challenge me, and let me be me. I have to see so many people in my day to day who struggle to like themselves and who have been so gravely mistreated and rejected. So I have to honor them. I must always hold my head up in confidence. I so many times want to hide, ignore things, justify blah blah blah. But if I look at myself with sober eyes. I am good. I was created so well. I am not perfect and have damaged myself and not believed in myself. I can only work on myself: succeed and fail and repeat.

God is good to me - He has good plans for me - I lack no good thing. I look to the future with great anticipation. I have no shame. I have to fear. There will be things that suck, are hard, break my heart, and on and on. But there will be things that change me for the good, excite me, surprise the hell out of me, fill me with joy and life. So today let us lean into the discomfort and be vulnerable and honest with ourselves: God is good to me - He has good plans for me - I lack no good thing.

Happy birthday to me

First things first. Here are some December creations of mine:)

Monica and I went to one of those follow the leader painting classes. You get to drink while you paint. It was really fun :)

I also made this scarf for Robin. It was the first thing I have ever knitted. Miriam you are next.....be warned :)

I made this silly thing for Katie for the 30th birthday. Don't worry, I got her a real present too :)

This is my favorite thing I have cooked so far. They are cinnamon sticky buns. It was freaking delish. Follow the link (aka click on the pic) to the recipe, then make it, people you feed it to will be so thankful.

OK so today I am 30. Its a new 30. I look great. I feel great. I am great.

As you know I have been challenging myself. I am making stuff, cooking stuff, doing stuff. I love it. Life can be so full of, well, life! I don't want to miss any of it. I do want to spend some of it sleepy eyed on the couch watching old Will and Grace episodes, but overall I really want to enjoy it all. Yes - there will be tears, pain, and shit days, but its when you let those times stop you that you lose sight. Acknowledge them, deal with them - but be full of JOY!!!!! Don't miss it.....

So in an attempt not to miss it I want to compile a 30 for 30 list. I am gonna need your help. This month I want suggestions of 30 things I need to experience/d0 in my 30th year. Here is what I have come up with so far.

1. Eat a dozen doughnuts (which thanks to Cindy, I am signed up to do at the Krispy Kreme Challenge)

2. Run a 10k

3. Run a half marathon

4. Lose 30 more pounds

5. Love myself even if I don't

6. Play my guitar and sing - in public.

7. Go to Africa (on my way to Rwanda in July....)

8. Read more (gonna shoot for at least 6 novels - like actually finish 6, I tend to just start them)

9. Go to a speed dating event - I have always thought these looked hilarious and have always wanted to try one

10.Get another tattoo (Get over it mom :)

Ok - so there is a start. 10 down - 20 to go! I'll keep you posted.

Get it posted...because its a blog. HA!

Sail away...

My grandmother is amazing. She really, really is. She is beautiful, sweet, a mean cook, and just all around cartwheel wonderful. She has been married to my grandfather for 57 years. She amazes me and I can only hope to be like her one day. She showed me these little red fake flowers at Thanksgiving that she didn't know what to do with. I took them and made a wreath for her.

Bonus for me, one of my little 8th grade bible study girls came over and made one for her mom. We were precious. Here is the one I made. Can't wait to give it to my grandmother. Its real pretty :)

As I said my grandmother is a wonderful cook. She hijacked (she couldn't help it) my dishes for Thanksgiving and asked me to just bring cranberry sauce. All I had to do was open the can and put it in a dish.

However I did make this yummy CROCKPOT CHICKEN SALSA the other day, just for funsies, and have been nothing short of inhaling it since then.

Make it, eat it, love it.

Ps - I added corn - always a good idea.

I also made this phenomenal

PEPPERMINT POPCORN

for my bible study so they would like me :)

Totally worked.

Here is some enlightenment for you for the day :). I looooooooooove getting stuff done. I love finishing (Don't be dirty Robin....ok go ahead), I love to look at a handwritten note and seeing the scribbled away tasks. Even better - deleting digital post-it notes from my desktop. Neeeerrrrd. I love it.

Even though I have this zippiness about myself, getting to a zen place can sometimes be a real pain. I mean for those of you that know or live with me you know there is a perfectly worn place on the couch where my rump rests. But even when my rump is resting my mind isn't. I am working on it. Life is but a blink. The list can wait, the beach can't.

So with all of that said. Grab a beer, grab a man and find your beach.................

As per usual

I underestimate myself. Even Cindy on our run yesterday pointed it out. I am stronger then I let myself know. This could be coming from all of The Biggest Loser we watch but - its true. I am claiming my "can do" attitude! (Insert self-help eye roll here - I am even doing it). Saturday's 5k is gonna be my bitch.

But seriously I can do so much more than I give myself credit for. I am able. Not everything comes easy but I can if I keep trying. For instance. I taught myself to knit last weekend. I had to restart my scarf 4 times. But now I am like a knitting machine...... (I am sure at some point you will all get a scarf or knit panties from me,or I am taking requests). I love it.

HELPFUL HINT: for all you anxious annies out there, knitting is awesome. It is great therapy for any typeA controlling busy bodies like myself.

Side note: Please don't let this happen to me (if you can email me the grammar issue below you will get a special prize).

I also made this last week:

I have 2 dogs who poop...a lot. So I am in constant need of a plastic bag. Now I have a sleeve of them hanging on the back door. Very convenient and sorta cute. For your own poop bag organizer please click on the picture.

I have also been thrashing around in the kitchen. Making all kinds of tasty shit. Here are the recipes I have made so far this month....all delish..... make them or come over and I will make them for you. Pick a picture and go to the recipe. Do it now.

"Sometimes you don't" bars, Zucchini Fries, and Creamy Parmesan Chicken.

There will be a special Thanksgiving edition to me thrill ride of a blog with 2 super recipes..... Try and get some sleep before now and then.

So I have been busy, no not in THAT way.... I have got to get married......anyway, I have been busy...doing more than I thought I could. So don't hold back friend - try, fail, succeed, ENJOY LIFE!

Exciting Disclaimer: I did everything (except for running) in my Pajamas.......Nothing holding you back now....

I made stuff

Okay! October has drawn to a close and now I get to tell you what amazing things I did this month. You know me - overachiever :) I exceeded a couple of my goals. I crafted twice and made 2 recipes. I am getting so wild in my old age. Constantly pushing the envelope...

I made a wreath. I am actually proud of it. My mom came over and said "the wreath on your door looks just like you" - meaning = how cool that you found a wreath at Target that suited you so well. It was so fun to say it looks like me because I made it! Wreath meet my friends. Friends meet my wreath.

You gasped with amazement at the beauty didn't you? I should probably start taking orders.

I also made one of those wine cork boards (example below), I obviously drink a lot of wine because I still have a lot of corks left. So 2 things to be proud of.

Ok on to the kitchen...... I made 2 really yummy recipes. I made these for a breakfast meeting. They were delish. The really fun thing is I froze a pan so I could pull them out and heat them up throughout the week so I could have a yummy healthy breakfast. I tweaked the recipe a bit too. I did cheddar, added minced garlic, and cut the eggs with egg whites :)

I also made these amazing little treats for my bible study...there were none left. I was pissed.

Lay the pretzels on a cookie sheet. Top each pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo candy. Bake in the oven at 250*F for 4-5 minutes (no longer).When you remove them from the oven, the Rolo will still be in the same shape as when it went in the oven. Place a pecan half on top of the Rolo and press down a bit. Top each of the Rolo with one pecan half. Place the entire baking sheet in the freezer for about 5-7 minutes to allow the Rolo to cool. They are like crack.

Ok on to the learning! I got to go to a fancy shmancy wine tasting and I learned what my favorite wine is....Its a barbaresco :) If you want to know about it, click the link. It is yummmmmmmmy. I want it all the time now.

Ok, so that was me in October. I had so much fun doing and tasting all of these things. I feel like I have spent so much time in my life sitting around (literally) shoulda coulda woudaing during commercial breaks. No mas!!!!! Watch out! I am a doer.