Merry Christmas!

Have A Wonderful Holiday!

See the snow?!

Not Me Monday

(Not Me Monday from MckMamas)

This is not going to be my shortest Not Me Monday post ever.

Because I am not headed off to Target, on this beautiful Monday just four days before Christmas. Not Me! I do not still have two people to shop for, so you know I wont be fighting through crowds and standing in line forever. Not Me!

But if I was, would you wish me luck? Oh and if you haven't yet, would you check out the Rainbow Cake I did not make, and was not proud of. I dont do bragging or anything...No, Not Me! ;)

"Rollin With The Homies"

So sad/shocked when I heard that Brittany Murphy had passed.

I'll remember her from being in these two of my favorites, she played great roles.

I Wish I Could Bake A Cake Filled With Rainbows And Smiles And We'd All Eat And Be Happy...

"Mmmmm El! Cake! Oohh I know that is my red velvet birthday cake! Oooh with that frosting! I cant wait!"

I had the cake wrapped up in my Moms fridge waiting till after presents, but of course she had to take a look. She thought she had it all figured out too! She gave a good guess though, red is the top layer and easiest to see since I was running low on frosting. But she didn't really figure it out till she cut her piece and then it was a round of "Oh My Gosh's!"

So I knew I had regular food coloring in stock, but I went to the craft store to see what kind of dyes they had for baking. I found some icing dye and decided to try that. It made each color super brilliant and bright, but it tasted like crap. I dipped a toothpick in the dye for the purple and blue layer, a little of that stuff goes a really long way. And I also think it made the cake a little mushy, because purple and blue were the softest layers. Anyways. I had major doubts about how the colors would come out after baking, especially after I stopped using the icing dye. I was not happy with the cake mix red I came up with, it was wayyyy too pink, but it was perfect when it came out! I was so happy. I totally thought I was going to have to whip up a batch of cookies instead or something but the cake turned out to be something I was proud to serve. I kind of wanted to call it the exciting cake because that's how it made everyone feel. I was excited to bake it and see how it would come out, I was excited to see how surprised everyone would be, and they were excited to see and taste such a beautiful cake.

I don't know why but sometimes things just don't go as I think they would. I don't know what I was expecting a frosting made with 80% cream cheese to taste like. But it was just a little too cream cheesy for my taste. And then I remembered I wasn't an only child, I have a sister who hates anything cream cheese, so I had to dump it. What a waste! $10 worth of cream cheese, butter, and powdered sugar down the drain. But perfectionist wanted her mom to have a cake that tasted as good as it looked, for everyone! So I whipped up a batch of my go to cool whip frosting. Oh but of course I didn't have enough pudding, and not nearly enough cool whip, but plenty of milk. Well, I made it work, I had to. Sure the layers of frosting in between were thin and the cake wasn't heavily frosted all the way around, but I was happy with it! And I couldn't believe that. Perfectionists sometimes doesn't like their own creations you know? But I kind of even surprised myself with the cake. I got to the picture after I started eating ha!

A Beautiful Mess

I'm doing it.

It may not be easy, it may not be fun, it may not be pretty, but I am doing it.

Its for my Mom's birthday, I decided to go all out and be a brave baker.

Attempt to make that beautiful Rainbow Cake.

(I stumbled upon it at MckMama's and I've also seen it here.)

My counter top, fingertips, and sponge, are all stained a rainbow of colors thanks to ever wonderful food coloring. You know what I call that? A mess. A beautiful mess.

What a beautiful mess, what a beautiful mess I'm in, spendin all my time with youuuu theres nothing else I'd rather doooo!

Sorry I had to.

So if the cake turns out somewhat decent, I will proudly serve it to my family.

If not, we'll just say I never spent hours slaving away in the kitchen trying to mix the perfect shade of cake batter orange.

I think it will turn out looking as good as the one in the pictured at MckM's.

Haha who am I kidding! Deep down we all know my version of Rainbow Cake will come out looking if not the same, very similar to what a Rainbow Cake created by a 7 year old with one arm tied behind his back would look like! Lets hope it at least tastes good!

Not Me Monday

Christmas shopping for others, means I did not stop to look at the $5 holiday shirts Target was offering. Yes $5. But no, I did not come home with two of them, plus a sweater. I am not looking forward to wearing cute outfits for Christmas, and the days before! No, not me!

I do not have a fatty cat, nor do I have a red velvet choker with white fuzz made for cats. A cat looking like she has full blown Christmas spirit? So not me!

I did not drive all the way to the mall, only to come home with one lousy gift. One lousy coffee cup (its not really lousy, its got beautiful red roses on it and I know my grandma will love it). But still. Why would I waste the gas, time, and outfit? Exactly. It took me longer to get there and park then it did for me to pick out and pay for the mug. One store, 10 minutes, then back home. Feeling unmotivated, overwhelmed, and not in the mood to deal with the crowd of shoppers? Not me!

So the other day I met up with my Dad at Starbucks for a drink before I had to go in to work. I told him to give me a minute while I stared up at the menu. (I'm team Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf) I probably looked lost or like I was trying to read a foreign language. Well I finally decided to go for a caramel apple spice. I've always heard alot about Starbucks holiday drinks but never tried one. Not love it? Not me! It was not too sweet! I loved the taste of sweet apple juice with extra sugar mixed with milk, carmel and some more sugar topped with whipped cream. Hold the drink in my hand and pretend to sip it and then throw it away before walking in to work?

=) Not me!
One more thing, while googling carmel apple spice, I stumbled upon these.
Tell me these are not cute, I tell you your crazy! Oh and Don't forget to stop by MckMama's!

;)

I went shopping.
With no shoes on.

I wore grey sweats with holes in them.

No makeup on.

Click Cliiiiick Cliiiiiiiiiiiick Cliiiiiick...

That's the sound of me going broke finding the perfect present,

adding it to my cart, and "checking out."

Online Shopping, I love it.

Its replaced blogging! I'm finding great deals on gifts I know the recipient will adore. I feel bad for my mom who is not so computer savvy and the only thing online shopping can provide for her is frustration lol! I'm glad I'm good with computers. It makes it easy, actually almost too easy because if I keep finding such cute stuff I'm going to be in big trouble after Christmas when I realize I spent all my money on the world wide web!

(all images via google)

Your Really Lovely Underneath It All

So far, there are only two boxes under the Christmas tree.

Smart man that he is, BF recognizes a shoe box in a heart beat, which is why I came up the idea to cleverly wrap the pair of shoes I bought for him for Christmas. If you live under a rock and don't drink Dr Pepper weekly, then you probably didn't know that 12 cans of soda come in a handy rectangular shaped box. I had two of these boxes on hand. Perfect, one for each shoe. So, their wrapped and tied together with pretty ribbon and I am taking full credit on this soda shoe box idea heh! He'll never guess he's getting a pair of shoes since their wrapped separately! Good idea self!

TMI

Giving you fair warning.

I'm definitely not one that sleeps in the buff, no naked sleeping for me. However, I do keep my "pajamas" minimal. Booty shorts and ok hold on before I get started is there any other term out there better than booty shorts? Because its not really my favorite thing to say and it kinda makes me laugh when I hear myself say it because for some reason I pronounce my "o"s higher pitched than any other letter in a word. So. Please make me aware if there is a better name for that type of underwear. I could go for an increase/rearrangement in that section of vocabulary. Anyways! So that's what covers my behind every lovely night of beauty rest. I just really dont like to be super covered when I'm sleeping, it feels so constricting and I'd rather feel my blankies and BF on my skin, not socks. So top half, tank top or shirt. Everything sounds good right? Wrong! Did you forget what month and season were in? Don't worry, it took me a little while to catch on too, I was sleeping in bras and underwear only to wake up in the middle of the night to search for one of BFs hoodys and a pair of socks. That is precious sleep time wasted, which is why I plan on being one step ahead of that coldness! Sleeping in a thermal and socks but bottoms? I toss & turn a ton and like to do so freely; sweats would only prevent this, I think. Leggings may be too thin though. Hmm....Don't tell Christmas, but I really miss Summer! Well I think I'm done complaining about being frigid...still don't know how you living in colder places survive sleep through the night ha!

If Santa Claus Is Coming To Your Town

Tell him I wouldn't mind a new laptop.

Any of you out there bloggin on some terrific electronic device?

I'm not.

Maybe Santa or BF can change that! Brand, speed, portability, blah blah!

I'm not picky but not a millionaire so that's what I'm working with!

Any recommendations let me hear them!

Let There Be Lights

BF has been working crazy hours so its just been me myself and I. I would have waited for him to help but he's been real tired from work and since I haven't, I decided I'd have a go at it alone. And after all that complaining about not having any decorations up days ago, I figured today would be the day to change that. So I hauled out all the boxes and decided to go crazy. Well not really I wasn't up on the roof with 50 strands of lights or anything. I'm a clumsy girl so I stay away from ladders; all work was done by me reaching & tippy toes. By the way, round of applause to the husbands/men out there who are single handedly responsible for the Christmas light duty, because trust me, its alot harder than it looks. Or maybe it was just that way for me ha! Did I already say I was clumsy? I managed to give myself a really nice burn on my wrist, I guess we have some hot bulbs! I'm a baby when it comes to pain but it was seriously comparable with an oven burn! Anyways, can you tell from my cheap phone pics, I was out there from sun to sundown, finishing right before it got too dark, I think it looks good! We do colored bulbs across the top and white icicles. BFs gonna be so surprised when he pulls up to a bright house!

How Bout Them Apples

See my "Blogs I Read" List

Whatever is the name of it,

There you will find some awesome recipes and my personal favorite apple desert.

But let me give fair warning....

Its incredibly delicious and too easy to make.

If you think you can handle all that...

Go on!

Show Us Your Life!

This week at Kelly's Korner, its Show Us Your Life- Christmas Trees!

I think ours went up on Wednesday...J was working and I got bored watching the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show with the dog and decided to put up our fakey! Our house looks a little more merrier, but not nearly as good as some of the entries on Kelly's site. I would loveee to have enough time, money, and cute decorations to make my house look like some of the ones on there! Four trees in one house how amazing. Christmas trees in nursery's make my heart melt. I saw this on a blog I follow and my jaw dropped, and stayed like that for a good minute while I processed the fabulousness! The one Kelly has in her little girls room is pretty adorable too!

Please excuse my teeny phone picture and naked tree! Ornaments...Were working on it!

P.S. Does Christmas time bring out baby fever? I see babies in bows and Christmas outfits and think nothing but I want one! Not lying my mom literally pushed me past all the newborn red & green onesies at Kohls the other day! So cute! But not my time =) Guess I'll have to ooooh and awwww at the babies on blogs I follow instead haha!

Joy To The World

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Yes, The Poor College Student That Has Been Waiting Since August Finally Received Her Financial Aid Check.

Bells Will Be Ringing! Although At First, It Was Not Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas,

It Has Now Become The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year. So Let It Snow! Here Comes Santa Claus!

P.S Like My Chrismas Song Collection? It was hard work. Not. Thanks Google list of Christmas songs!

Yayyyy! Wait, I'm not a shallow money lover or anything! Just I spent a fortune on books this semester and it really threw my whole budget off so I've been having to notspendanymoneyonanything pinch pennies just to put gas in the car/buy groceries/bills, etc! Sooo this check is much needed, highly anticipated with the holidays coming! (Don't worry, I know the real meaning of Christmas and all that! Six pound 9 ounce sweet baby Jesus =) Talladega Nights Anyone?) But I just love picking out the right presents for everyone! So it arrived not a minute too soon but in perfect time for me start, (yes start I now finally have $$) my shopping! Yayyyy! I am now in full on Christmas mode, not that money is everything its the only thing but with cushion in the bank I'm just not nearly as on edge which in turn leads to higher levels of Christmas cheer wooo wooo!

A Perfect Cake

He loved "The Office" inspired sign, he was cracking up, but more than that, he loved the cake. I cut him a huge piece and it was gone in like that. I was pleased with it too. I think I could say it was one of my best baking's ha! I couldn't go all out on gifts for him this year so I wanted the cake to be as close to perfect as possible. So not bad for using two different sized pans. Marble cake with my favorite frosting that I use on most of my cakes...

Super Yummy Super Easy Frosting

1 sm. box chocolate/vanilla/whatever flavor instant pudding

1- 3/4 cup milk

cool whip

Those are the ingredients and since the recipe is in my head, just go with whatever looks good for yourself! I wanted a thicker consistency for the middle filling, so I think I only added about a cup of milk or so, then mixed in enough cool whip to my liking. With the vanilla pudding, I added more than 1 cup of milk and lots of cool whip, because it needed to frost the whole cake. I love this frosting, well that's what I call it because that's what I use it for mostly, but honestly its good for anything sweet, its yummy even by itself, it tastes like mousse you know? And really any flavor pudding, I like chocolate for cakes, vanilla is good with berries! You wont be sorry you tried it =)

Dear December

Dear December,

Please slow down, don't go by so fast.

We were meaning to put the lights up right after Thanksgiving but time just passed.

I'm not sure but I could be experiencing symptoms of NCDE. (NeighborsChristmasDecorationsEnvy) Theirs look great and J and I made a pact to get ours up right away-they will be cuter anyway tomorrow!

December, I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet. So if you could just not go by so fast I mean does the 14th really have to be 2 weeks away? Because that is basically here and after that 10 days til Christmas? Give me a break! December do you know what the mall looks like the week before Christmas? Obviously not! But I do! I have not only shopped but worked there too, and December I plan to shop there soon, I mean as soon as I get my check, which is actually not soon at all, which is why I repeat, I need you to slow down. December I hope your getting all this. (deep breath) Look December, you stress alot of people out with your final exam dates. You don't need to create more stress by speeding away, you don't need to tell me the 6th is in however many days its in.

December, I know you want to sneakily creep into your second and third week way before I can get all my decorations up and have any shopping done. But if you just please slow down, and just give me a little bit of time to get organized and decide what I'm getting who and where I'm getting it from, and enough time to study to do well on my finals, oh and time to get my Mom a birthday gift. See December? People have alot going on! Soooo if you would just slow down, yours truly here would totally appreciate it. Thanks D, I'll even make some Christmas cookies if you let me...

P.S. I'm posting this as written on the 1st even if its not take that. I'm slowing December down in my mind if no where else.

P.S.P.S These are adorable.

Tuesday's List

Love From Texas, Tuesdays Listthis week:
TV FAVORITES! Here's mine:

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Definitely one of my favorites, wish there were more episodes!

Gossip Girl. I was pretty obsessed with the books when I was a teen so I'm not surprised I like the show so much. What is surprising is that I can get the BF to tune in! All that drama just sucks you right in ha!

I get all my news from E! News.

Reality TV. My guilty pleasure. Sometimes I'd rather see the craziness of people on cheaply made shows rather than a deep CSI type storyline. The best of the worst that I can not get enough of? Tough Love, For The Love Of RayJ & Dr.Drew Sex Rehab all on Vh1. And I've always been a fan of Bravo's Real Housewives.

Thursday Night Funny TV: The Office, 30 Rock, Its Always Sunny In Philadelphia. My comedy section, look forward to this night of laughs!

Any show on Food Network. The one channel I never get to watch. Ohh the things you do for love! When BF is not home I get my fix by watching Ina, Giada, Paula D & Sandra Lee with no break in between ha!

Shows on HGTV, TLC, & Discovery, etc: Spice Up My Kitchen, Cake Boss... Even a good nature show or documentary!

Thats pretty much our must haves & DVR list! Throw in some UFC, football & basketball and that's basically TV for us!