Holiday Open House

The weekend before Thanksgiving I hosted a holiday open house and Christmas bazaar. It was so fun! I am definitely planning to make this an annual event. I invited four vendors to come out and put their fun gift items on display. There was Silpada jewelry, local photography, two different lines of handbags, Southern Living home decor, and handmade items by my friend Lori and her mom, Bev, (i.e. Mizzou blankets and scarves, sterling silver jewelry, little tutus for little girls, etc.) I served coffee, tea and lots of "little" refreshments, including mini quiches, mini orange tea muffins, mini red velvet cupcakes, mini berry tartlets and mini peanut butter and chocolate squares. Yum. Here are a few pics from the party...

The vendors checked out each other's items before guests arrived...




















Fixins for the coffee and tea...




















The goodie table...

Jimmy on the Today Show

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Jimmy was on the Today Show this morning, promoting his new album, Buffet Hotel (yes, "Buffet" on the album is spelled differently than his name). I missed it, but I just watched it online. When you watch it, notice how none of the audience is really paying attention to him! Are there no parrotheads in Rockefeller Plaza this morning? Or, are they just that much more interested in seeing/hearing Susan Boyle perform? Give me a break!

My birthday present

Look what Lori made me for my birthday! It's truly a work of art. She hand-picked the license plates, carefully cut each piece to fit, and attached them to the wood, which is taken from her grandpa's old barn. It's a one-of-a-kind gift. She will make a custom piece for you, too, if you are interested! (Contact me, and I'll put you in touch with her.)

The pups enjoy the sunshine, too

Hannah & Bobby are hitched!

Last weekend Matt and I traveled to Peoria, Illinois for Hannah and Bobby's wedding. It's about a seven-hour drive from Ptown to Ptown. We arrived Friday evening at the Mark Twain Hotel, in downtown Peoria. The hotel and restaurant have recently been completely refurbished. It's a very cute, boutique hotel with a great little restaurant called Two25. The hotel was easy to get to - right off the interstate - and within walking distance of the wedding venue - the Gateway Building on the Peoria Riverfront. Most of the guests and wedding party stayed there, and the rehearsal dinner was held there, so we just had dinner there and waited for Channing and Billie to arrive from KC. We also got to see Hannah and Bobby, Jessica (adorable pregnant bridesmaid) and Ben after the rehearsal dinner.

On Saturday Matt, Billie and I ventured out across the river to find a place to watch the Mizzou game. We ended up at Buffalo Wild Wings, where we watched the first half. (Go Tigers!) The ceremony was at 3:00, so we headed back early to get ready. The ceremony was beautiful. Hannah was a lovely bride! The reception started at 6:00 and lasted well into the night. The food was great. The drinks flowed. The music was nonstop. It was a fine party. :)

Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Watts! Hope you're having fun (and staying warm) in Colorado!

Go nuts!

I want to share today's South Beach Diet Daily Dish. I love to snack on nuts throughout the day... whether it's raw almonds, walnuts, peanuts (plain or hot), etc. Nuts are very good for you, but they're also high in fat, which is why the following guide is handy to have.

These satisfying snacks are low in cholesterol and saturated fat and high in healthy monounsaturated fat, protein, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid and niacin. Numerous studies suggest that nuts may be effective in preventing heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. You can enjoy nuts on all Phases of the South Beach Diet, but serving sizes vary for different types of nuts and seeds. Try to limit them to one serving per day as specified below, keeping in mind that while nuts are good for you, they are high in calories and eating too many might cause your weight loss to stall. Here are different types of nuts and seeds with our recommended serving sizes:

Almonds – 15 pieces
Brazil nuts – 4 pieces
Cashews – 15 pieces
Chestnuts – 6 pieces
Edamame, dry-roasted – 1/4 cup
Filberts – 25 pieces
Flaxseeds – 3 tablespoons (1 oz.)
Hazelnuts – 25 pieces
Macadamias – 8 pieces
Peanuts, dry-roasted or boiled – 20 small pieces
Pecans – 15 pieces
Pine nuts (pignoli) – 1 oz.
Pistachios – 30 pieces
Pumpkin seeds – 3 tablespoons (1 oz.)
Sesame seeds – 3 tablespoons (1 oz.)
Walnuts – 15 pieces

How to Enjoy Nuts
Shelled nuts turn rancid more quickly and require refrigeration (they will keep for up to four months) or freezing (for up to six months). Unshelled nuts should be stored in a container in the refrigerator or freezer and will keep twice as long as shelled. Top salads, cereal, or yogurt with a few nuts, or use the recommendations above to dole out a healthy, satisfying snack for yourself.

Confessions

This is a completely random list of things about me that you may or may not know (or care to know!). (I'm bored. What can I say?)

1. I LOVE diet coke. I live for the moment when I drink my first one of the day. I usually drink two cans of diet coke each day. I'd really like to cut back to one or zero. I've figured out that I drink the most when I'm at the dock. When I'm at home or out and about, I don't have to have one. Today I'm at the dock, and I'm drinking one right now.

2. I can't whistle, and hearing other people whistle (i.e. Matt) drives me nuts.

3. I don't like ketchup. (Gasp!)

4. Con't from #3... I typically don't eat any condiments on sandwiches, wraps, burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc. If you see me eatin' a hot dog, it's simply dog and bun. Nothin' else. And this isn't part of some crazy condiment-free diet, either. I've just never liked/eaten condiments. (I know, booooring.)

5. When I watch my favorite TV shows I have to watch the recap of last week's show (even though I saw last week's show and know what happened, I still like to see it recapped), and I have to see the previews for next week. Otherwise, I feel like I've missed part of the show. Our DVR typically cuts off the previews, even though I have it set to record 3 minutes after the show ends. Drives me nuts.

6. I hate going to the dentist, and I have to have "the gas" every time I get a filling. (We have a dentist appointment today. Puhleeeaase, no cavities.)

7. Con't from #6... I have a lot of fillings, which means I've had a lot of gas.

8. If I had to write the alphabet in cursive for a grade, I'd probably get an F. I don't remember how!

9. I often run my car nearly out of gas before stopping to fill it up. (Which drives Matt nuts.)

10. I really like shopping the sale items at jcrew.com, but I usually don't even look unless I have a 20% off coupon and/or a free shipping coupon. I really am a frugal shopper, despite what my husband thinks. :) (By the way, jcrew.com is offering free shipping TODAY ONLY. Use the code "facebook" when you check out.)