What I Got For Christmas...

(to be sung to the tune of "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth)
(like a student of mine sings-with two missing front teeth and a SEVERE articulation disorder- "Ah I ont or Twistma i my oo ront eef i my oo ront eef i my oo ront eef")

What I Got For Christmas is...
A tea kettle

a back scratcher

and a car bluetooth

What I Got For Christmas is
lots of books and moneies


And now I want to wish you a belated "Erwe Twistma"

Picture Me This

It's amazing what you have time to do when you don't have the work! I have lots of little posts going on so scroll on down.
Yesterday my friend, Jessica, and I went exploring and photographing. Here are some of my favorites.

SupaStar!

Coby was on Good Morning Arkansas this morning showcasing his talents. He has done this once before and gets better every time. Today he showed how to make creme brulee in a chocolate bowl. We started it last night so there would be bowls ready. Have you ever had a balloon coated in chocolate explode in your kitchen? I have! (I have also had 100+ pounds of beef tenderloin carved in my 7 square foot kitchen.)Ahh the life of a chef's wife. Really though, I'm not complaining. Who wouldn't want their personal chef? (it's not always like that though ;).
Here is a picture of the chocolate bowls post balloon pop.

And this is the link to the recipe.
Also. Do you have a Silpat? They are wonderful! We use it for everything. Forget foil, Pam, and parchment paper. Coby poured hot melted sugar on it last night, let it dry, then peeled it off. Great for baking everything from cookies to fish. You can get them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Buy the real thing. They have some other brands that are cheaper but the actual Silpat is worth the extra money.

That Brown Dog!

How could something so cute....

Be such a booger?


Did I mention that he got into the trash the other day and hid (human, not dog) biscuits all over the house? We found them in the couch and the closet!
He is usually a fairly well behaved dog (with some mental health issues). I think all the Christmas excitement went to his head!

Embroider-er

Just some quick pictures of some Christmas presents I "enhanced" with my embroidery machine.
Coby's grandfather, Papaw, is always the hardest to buy for. He is retired and likes planes, golf, and pool. He has very limited eye sight (ie one glass eye) so the typical book is out of the question. We are sure he has about a bagillion golf balls and ties and shirts and slippers. So what to get? I ended up embroidering some golf towel for him. Some thing personal that I know he doesn't have. I think they were a hit!

I also found these kitchen towels at Target and embroidered them for some of my friends. (Just their names, I'm not quite to the level of appliques yet.)

Bringing Humor to the Holiday!

I was definatly a fraidy cat when I was little. I found out the tooth fairy was a fraud when I lost my first tooth and was to scared to go to bed so my mom caved. I also have a picture of me on the Easter Bunny's lap with with costume head on the other knee (I'll have to find that picture when I am at my parents today). I mean really, it is a genectically mutated rabbit. But, I was never really scared of Santa. Come to think of it though I don't have any pictures of me with Santa. I guess my parents didn't want to take a chance that might turn out like these...

See more "Sketchy Santas"

Christmas Eve Eve!

I am really lacking inspiration to blog lately. A lot going on but nothing overly exciting. I offically started Christmas break on Monday and don't go back until the first of the year. Monday was spent cleaning the house. I mean CLEANING! The dogs got baths, the bathrooms and kitchen scrubbed, floors swept, mopped, and vacuumed. The majority of Christmas shopping has been completed for weeks. I am the queen of online shopping. I had a few things left to get and went out yesterday. I was dredding it because of the crazyness 3 days before Christmas (why I shop online). Suprisingly it was not bad. I lucked into front row parking spaces at all the stores. I will say that Target had NO, NO ONE, cart in the store. I had to wait for someone who was leaving and snag their cart. Other than that the experience was quite pleansant and productive. I also went a got my car washed an detailed. It's like a whole new car (it hadn't been washed in a year, no kidding).
Since I am off for the next two weeks I feel like I should do some real cooking. I cook a few times during the week normally but it's a rushed, half-hearted meal because I feel rushed. So far this week we have had spagetti and meatballs and fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Tonight is roast with potatos and carrots. The rest of the menu consists of a shrimp gumbo casserole, manicotti, and enchalitas. I plan on making a double batch of these and freezing it.
Our Christmas plans are as follows. Christmas Eve at my parents then church. Christmas morning at Coby's brothers house for breakfast. Christmas day at my parents, and Christmas night at Coby's parents. People always say how lucky we are that our families are both here so we don't have to travel and we are. But we also feel obligated to be everywhere because we all live so close but I wouldn't have it any other way. When we got married everything just feel into place. Both of our Christmas traditions fit together like a puzzle, neither family had to change anything. Busy but fun.
Well I think the rain has slowed so I need to make it to the grocery store for some chocolate pecan pie fixin's. Sorry for the boring post. Maybe next time I can post Christmas presents!

I Hear Those Sleigh Bells Ring-a-ling!

It is officially Christmas at the Smith household. The tree is lit, the stockings are hung, there is adequate taunting of who got who what for Christmas, and the dogs are steering clear any time they see the camera come out (they are frequently submitted to reindeer ears and Santa hats in hopes to get a good Christmas card).
This year I decorated EXTRA early. I am usually stand my ground on the whole "no Christmas before Thanksgiving" but this year I swayed. Coby took the decorations out of the attic before he left for the opening weekend of deer season.
-side note, deer season...does this phrase only make sense in the south? it makes
it sound like it is the "Season of the Deer" which I'm not so sure the deer would
agree with. i guess same goes for duck season.
Anyway, he took the decorations down and I had an entire weekend to myself to drink holiday Starbucks, watch lifetime, and make Christmas. I'll have to admit it was nice to get it done by myself. I really enjoy decorating and Coby pretty much despises it. He will hang ornaments (all in one area, close together, with out much thought as to get it over quickly) to appease me but I know he is not enjoying it. So...I have found that I enjoy doing it myself, the way I want to. Then he admires and ohhs and ahhs when he gets home. It's also been nice to have the tree up a little longer this year. More time to enjoy.
I also made our stockings this year. I wanted them to have our names on them. All the ones I found that I liked were super expensive. So I talked Coby into letting me get a new sewing/embroidary machine. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! The stockings are a little uh, homemade looking but that's what makes them so great. Right?

Dog Montage

This is how Tasso fell asleep in the car on the way home from Hot Springs. His head wedged between the seats.



What I find most every morning when I get out of the shower.


Both dogs competing for attention in the "not big enough recliner".


Chox being pitiful after Coby and Tasso left him for a weekend of hunting.


Sweet boy Tasso.

Martha, don't be jealous.

I was off for Thanksgiving Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We had Coby's side of the family's Thanksgiving on Wednesday evening, went to my parents on Thursday, and then headed to the lake Saturday and Sunday.
My parents wanted me to bring dessert and the sweet potatoes. I decided to do it up big time. Every thing from scratch. Cut my own apples (AR black apples to be exact), made my own crust, and used REAL pumpkin! Everything turned out well. The apple pie was a bit dry but live and learn. I'll add some apple juice next time. There will be a next time because I found this all very enjoyable. If you have never made your own pie crust I urge you to do so. It sounds intimidating but is SO easy (esp with a food processor).





Sorry the set of pictures is incomplete...the pumpkin pie was gone before I could snap a photo.

Use the 4 pack for $1

Thursday night I helped my sister-in-law, Karla, chaperon Evyn's 12th birthday party. It was of course a slumber party of 12 squealing, hyperactive girls and one very unhappy 7 year old brother.
Things they did, and did not do...
DID... eat cheese dip, pizza, chocolate fondue, and ice cream cake.
DID NOT...re-enact the the 1985 movie "Clue".
DID... play a crazy game called "I hate Skittles".
DID NOT...sneak boys in and hide them in the closet.
DID...decorate monogrammed pillow cases.
DID NOT...smoke cigarettes under the porch.
DID...play flashlight tag.
DID NOT...drink parents boxed wine.
DID...call boys to find dates to winter cotillion.
DID NOT...run down the street topless screaming "Happy New Year".
DID...talk us into taking them to roll said boys houses.
DID NOT...have the one with the biggest breasts dress-up in her Sunday School clothes to buy beer at the gas station.

All in due time I guess.

Monsters In My Closet!

I took the time this Friday to attack the clutter (i.e. mad mess) in our closet. You see, we are VERY blessed to have such a large closet in this old house. In fact it was one of the MAJOR selling points. But, at times, it gets out of control. I last did closet purge a few months ago and it stayed fairly well organized until a few weeks ago. Apparently when we decide that the organization has been lost we go all out. I mean, go big or go home right? So I spent ~3 hours cleaning/organizing/purging our closet on Friday. Here are the results.
(note the amount of hangers left when clothes are sorted and given away)
BEFORE and AFTER

Nothing says Halloween like Elvis

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays. All about fun with none of the added pressure. Friday night I went up to Coby's work to take pictures at their Halloween party. What a fun group!
Some of my favorite costumes.









Saturday I deep cleaned the house while Coby did this...

I also finally got my Halloween decor up. It's taken so long b/c of all the rain. We had some people over for chili inbetween trick or treaters but I failed to get any pictures of actual people.



Lastly here is Coby's early Christmas gift. He can't say I never got him anything nice.