Last Saturday night Amy hosted our monthly Girl’s Night. It’s become a tradition that every November we make Christmas crafts at her house and bring a favorite holiday dish. Amy made a homemade buttermilk pie... Yummm! For crafting Amy made Christmas gift tags and I painted and embellished snow cottages. I got the idea (like every great idea) from Lori. How does she ever come up with all these great ideas? We also listened to some really great Christmas music. :)

Very Messy

The Surprise Goes To....

I had mentioned in my “Ask Me Anything” post that I would draw a name and give the winner a little surprise. Nine people ask me questions, thanks! I used “Random. Org” and the winner is #3, My Amazeing Journey! Amy~ your surprise is Vera Bradley note cards and Vera Bradley stationery. Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all

This year I’m thankful for…
(NOT in order)

~My Family

~A Job

~Dresses

~Freedom to worship

~Grace and Forgiveness

~My Grandparents who are still with us

~My new blog friends, y’all are super sweet
~The power to forgive others, let go, and set yourself free
~Friends that stay with me thorough thick and thin (very hard to come by)
~A foster home in China that provides special needs children with medical attention, love, & hope
~Running into my BGFF (best guy friends forever) co-workers on Tuesday in the MSP airport
~My BFF, Tiffany. She found a card she wrote me 8 years ago about why she was thankful for our friendship and mailed it to me this week.

Questions Answered Part Two

Who is your favorite designer, and where would you shop if you could only have access to one store? My favorite designer is Anna Sui. I love her dresses. They’re very girly and I like her vintage flare and Asian flare. I don’t really buy designer items because I can’t afford them. I like Anna Sui because you can find her dresses on sale or on eBay for reasonable prices. Anna Sui also sells some of her styles in sewing patterns. If you sew or know someone who sews you can have a designer look for the cost of your fabric! I also like Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors but I’ve never purchased anything from their lines… just too pricy for my budget.

Anna Sui Dress

I would the happiest girl in America if I only had access to Anthropologie for the rest of my life. I would move into the store if they’d let me. I like Anthro for their vintage inspired items. I also shop at Forever 21 and H&M for great deals. My mom makes some of my dresses, which I love because I can pick the fabrics, fit, and style. She recently purchased several dress patterns from the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s on eBay. Yay! I purchased one of my favorite dresses at an upscale antique shop. I believe in wearing things that you love, define your individual style, and fit your body type.

If you could live anywhere in the United States, where would you live and why? I’m a city girl and open to living in any major city. I love Nashville and Chicago. I’m definitely not a New Yorker but I think it would be fun to experience life in NYC for a year or two.

Is there a state/city in the US that you are dying to visit? Dying to visit… no not really. I’ve been to most US cities for work or on family vacations as a kid. My favorite US cities are NYC, Chicago, and the Napa Valley area.

If you had to sit down and watch a Christmas movie (I know how you love to do that) what movie would it be? It’s hard for me to sit still and watch a movie. I really have to be in the mood. Currently, my favorite Christmas movie is The Holiday starring Cameron Diaz. I also like to watch You’ve Got Mail and Sleepless in Seattle around the holidays, not sure why. Maybe they originally came out around the holidays???

Your favorite childhood TV show? Growing Pains, I had posters of Kirk Cameron all over my bedroom walls.

Your favorite Christmas memory? Sleeping in the den on Christmas Eve and trying to stay up to see Santa come through the chimney. I really thought I heard him coming through the chimney a few times.

Favorite Christmas song? Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Where are you right now, and why aren't you answering your phone? Right now I’m typing on an airplane from MSP (Minneapolis) to Houston. When you called I was in a hotel room in Sioux Falls, South Dakota talking to my co-worker about Kodak double-sided printers. Aren’t we exciting?

What movie can you watch over and over (and over) and never get tired of? Steel Magnolias

What is your favorite Thanksgiving and / or Christmas memory growing up? Thanksgiving~ Actually I think Thanksgiving Day is kinda boring. Have you noticed on Thanksgiving Day you just eat and sit around? Ugh… it kills me. When I was in high school and college my mom discovered that Garden Ridge (GR) was open on Thanksgiving Day. I DON’T like GR~ it’s messy and junky but after lunch all the girls would go to GR to get out of the house. The guys would stay behind and watch football… I think I’m too A.D.D. to be a guy. At the time my grandma, who now has dementia, had her right mind and she was healthy. She was so fun; I miss her and our "girl time."

Questions Answered Part 1

Did you go to school and if so what was your major? I went to Abilene Christian University in Abilene, TX. My major was Fashion Merchandising and I minored in Business. Yes~ I’m that girl that majored in FM. At the time, I was interested in being a buyer or doing visual work. That’s definitely a far cry from what I’m doing now. However, I do some visual contract work on the side for a mall.

How did you start going on missions? My first trip to China was in 2006. I shared the story of how and why in this post. If anyone is interested in serving at the Foster Home I just visited in October, email me and I'll give you their info. They are always looking for volunteers.

Are you dating anyone now? No. My last date was in the summer. The guy told me he was searching for a new religion (he was Catholic). He proceeded to tell me he wants to become Buddhist because you can meditate. Hmmm… last I checked Christians can meditate too. He also told me he believed that when you die you come back as a cow. I said, “So, you’ll slaughtered and served at McDonalds?” After that conversation and my sweet little comment there was never another date.

Have you ever tried online dating? A co-worker and very good friend recommended match.com. He met his wife through match. I tried it for 3 months. I had two very bad dates and lots of inappropriate comments and emails from guys on match.com. After that experience, I never tried it again.

Would/have you ever considered adopting as a single mom? I definitely considered it. When I was in China in 2006, I wanted to adopt a little girl named Yu Mei. Since China doesn’t allow pre-identified adoptions for healthy children, adopting her would have been impossible. Every night I would lie in bed and try to figure out how I could make it work. I even ask if she could be placed on the special needs list because I noticed some tooth decay. The answer was "No." :( Since the laws in China changed in 2007 and you have to be married, I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t know, good question.

Yu Mei~ so cute

When are you coming to Nashville so we can meet? I hope soon! I love Nashville and I would love to meet you. I think we would have too much fun!

If you could only eat one food for a month, what would it be? Salad. Not necessarily because it's healthy but because there are so many varieties.

Ask Me Anything

Update on Gracie~ I just read on Carrie's blog that Gracie's surgery went really well and it was successful! Yay... thanks for praying for her.

This week I’m working a couple days in South Dakota. Other than being extremely cold, there’s not much going on here. I’ve seen other bloggers do this and I thought I’d give it a try. Ask me anything you want from now until Thanksgiving Day and I’ll answer. For a little added bonus… after the questions have been asked I’m going to draw a name and send someone a little surprise!

Prayer Request

You may remember me mentioning a baby from my China trip named Gracie. I LOVE this baby! She is perfect, sweet, and the happiest baby I’ve ever seen. She has a small hole in her heart and they’ve said it can probably be fixed with one surgery. Gracie will be having surgery tomorrow, Sunday night US time. Please, please pray for her. My brother-in-law is a surgeon and he’ll tell you there is no such thing as an “easy” surgery. I’m so worried about her. I’m sponsoring Gracie for the year and I’ll be receiving monthly updates, I’ll keep everyone posted on how she’s doing. Thank you!

Tagged & Awarded

I was tagged by The Randomness of Meghan in the 6th photo game. Here’s the rules…

Go to your 6th picture folder
Choose the 6th photo
Pray you remember the details

Tag 5 others

This photo was taken at my surprise birthday party in 2006! Although, it wasn't a surprise b/c someone told me about it 4 hours before it started.

I'm tagging anyone who wants to play along.

I received “The Uber Amazing Blog Award” from Miss Julie at Wearing Mascara. Julie is so sweet and precious. Her blog is full of great finds and information. Thank you, Julie! I’m honored that picked me for this award.

Sunday Maria and I went the annual Nutcracker Market. The Nutcracker Market is a 4 day shopping experience that kicks off the holiday season in Houston. There about 300 merchants selling anything and everything you could possibly want…. clothes, shoes, dishes, gift items, home décor and tons of Christmas items. The Nutcracker Market raises money for the Houston Ballet Scholarship Fund. Did y’all know that Houston’s theater district has the second largest number of theater seats in a downtown area in the United States? New York is number 1. Wow~ I should work the Chamber of Commerce.

Here are a couple of my fabulous finds at the Nutcracker Market.

A Monogrammed Umbrella

Girly Christmas Ornaments

Saturday night my friend, Maria, had a Pampered Chef party at her house. It was SOOO much fun and great to catch up with everyone. Gretchen, Amy, Maria and I used to work together at Kodak (I’m the only one left… boo). We became great friends and we have so many funny memories. My favorite memories are the company meetings in San Diego and Las Vegas, especially the roller coaster in Vegas. Mommy! It’s always so much fun when we get together. There were other people at the party~ I forgot to get pictures of everyone else.

Maria (now with Kellogg), Me, Amy (now with Kraft), and Gretchen (stay at home mom)

There were a couple great one liners throughout the night.

“Maria, is this your first 12 pack.” ~Amy (Maria ask us how to open a box of diet coke)

“If I have twins I’m going to name them Fancy Face and Patch.” ~ Amy

I’ve had a busy week. On Monday I picked up my new company car, a Ford Fusion. My company replaces our cars about every 55,000-60,000 miles. This is my 5th car in 10 years. I drive a lot!!! When I picked up the car on Monday I had 6 miles on it. Friday afternoon I had 830 miles.

After my busy week I decided to stay in on Friday night and make crab cakes. I’m so wild and crazy! I’m planning on making dinner for my family on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve we usually have a holiday finger foods. One of the items on my menu is crab cakes. I tried a recipe from the October issue of Coastal Living. It took me a few times to get the “flip” down. When I finally got the hang of it, they turned out really well. I'm including the recipe. It’s delicious.

The rest of my weekend is going to be really busy. I have some girly events to attend. More to come later….

Mini Crab Cake from the October 2008 issue

1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise (I use light)
1 tablespoon finely chopped pimientos
4 saltine crackers, crumbled (I used Ritz)
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (Found it at Super Target)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
½ lb. lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Combine egg and next 5 ingredients, and mix well. Gently fold in crab; don’t over mix. Form into 12 mini crab cakes (I didn’t have 12, mine were a bit bigger). The patties will be fairly wet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry crab cakes, in batches, 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Thank You, Lori

If you blog you probably “know” Lori. Lori’s blog is so inspiring. Everything she touches turns to gold. Lori can decorate, craft, bake, cook, sew and I’m sure I’m missing something. Lori recently started a menu planning blog. She has so many great recipes and menu ideas. The beginning of the week I was working in San Antonio; my mom made the tortilla soup recipe from Lori’s blog. Of course, it was delicious! She is about to open a children’s clothing store online. I can’t wait to see what she’s been up to!

Lori surprised me this week with a wonderful package of some great goodies…. monogrammed tissues, a yummy Crabtree & Evelyn sachet, and a precious picture frame. I love, love it. Thank you so much Lori. I’ve already put a photo of Gracie from the China Foster Home in the frame. I’m sponsoring Gracie for the year and I’m so glad I have her photo in this adorable frame. I’ll always think of you, Lori when I look at it.

Do you have a signature outfit?

A "signature outfit" is an outfit that you absolutely love and that completely defines your style. This is my signature outfit. For some of my friends it’s jeans and a tee shirt and for some it’s a dress and flats. What’s yours? or What is your favorite clothing item?

Oh my goodness… I’m soooo cold and loving it! This week I’m working in Arizona. I started the week in Phoenix and I’m ending the week in Prescott. Prior to packing for a business trip, I always check the weather online. I checked the weather in Phoenix and figured it would be the same in Prescott since the two cities are only an hour and a half apart. I was wrong! The lows in Phoenix were in the 50’s. In Prescott the lows are in the 20’s and 30’s. Although I didn’t bring any clothes for the cold weather, I’m excited!!

About seven years ago I started buying myself a birthday present and a birthday dress. Why not, right??? This year (October), my birthday present to myself was this jacket. I haven’t had much of a chance to wear it. I wish I would’ve packed it. :(

This was my birthday dress. It is much cuter on than on the hanger. It reminds me of something Blair on GG would wear.

I recently received two blog awards. A Tale of Two Sisters gave me the Superior Scribbler Award. I recently found their blog and absolutely love it.

The only rule is you have to pass the award to 5 other bloggers. I would like to pass this cute award to…

Old Shoes and New Friends
Petunia in Paradise
Pink Preppy Party Girl
Pink Owl
Well That’s Just Fabulous


Also, I received the Smile Award from Heather at Grace 303 and Danielle at Well That’s Just Fabulous.

The qualifications to receive the award are:
A. Display a cheerful attitude
B. Love one another
C. Make mistakes
D. Learn from others
E. Be a positive contributor to the blog world
F. Love life
G. Love kids

The Rules:
1. Must link it back to the creator
2. Post the rules
3. Choose 5 people to give it to
4. Recipients must fill the characteristics above
5. Create a post to share this
6. You must thank the winner

I would like to pass this award to…

Jacob and Carrie~ Seeing Signs of Hope
Football and Fried Rice
All While Wearing Mascara
Our Little China Girl
My Amazeing Journey

Thanks girls for the awards.

And The Winner Is...

Cricket at Pearls are a Girl’s Best Friend. Congratulations!! I used “Truly Random Number Generator” to determine the winner. Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway and posted about it on your blog. I need to start thinking of something really fabulous to giveaway for my 200th post. Stay tuned!

How cute is my Christmas blog makeover???? My friend, Danielle, designed it and she is currently having a blog makeover giveaway. Click here to enter. Danielle is always having specials on her blog design site. Click here to check it out. Thanks Danielle, I love it!