...while I still have my eyes open...

...but not betting on me being able to keep them open for much longer... ;)

Here's some shots of a few going on's in my world as of late...

I thought I already did a mention on this dish above...but I guess I didn't.  So, here ya go, guys! That is my Lemon battered and pan friend chicken atop a creamy, lemony, buttery, angel hair pasta.

Ryan wanted to do chicken piccata one night for dinner.  I do not like chicken piccata. I do however LOVE Lemon Pepper Chicken.  So, I fixed my chicken up the way I wanted and Ryan made his own.  (He ended up liking my dish more...oops :)

I don't know why, but I will buy a journal at the book store if it's in the clearance basket or sporting a decent price tag.  I might not have a use for it at the time...but I always end up finding a purpose for it!  Just like the one pictured above.  I started carrying it in my purse to keep for note taking, jotting down days I need to remember to take off from work, recipes I come across (so entirely handy to have on you when you are at the doctor's office and flipping through a magazine and end up coming across an awesome recipe but you don't have the guts to rip the page out...lol!), and keeping a record of when herb and flower seeds were planted in the last month.

Basically, I can use any "gardening" type notes to reference to when next year comes around.  It has been such a great little tool already.

One of my sisters was on a "crochet wash cloth" making spree.  I have always wanted to make a couple but never seem to have the time to do so.  I finally forced myself to sit down one morning and what is pictured above happened. :)

(Super easy pattern...but I can't link it at this time.  If anyone is interested, leave a comment and I'll link/comment back :)

FINALLY!!!

(Petunias, 10 different kinds of pepper plants, Strawberry plants, 

and various other flower/herb plants were picked up last Sunday!)

I got my flats of Petunias, ready and waiting...until the frost warnings dissipate...to be planted in the beds out front.  I did go ahead and plant a few pots today.  Lady Slippers and white/pink petunias are taking root as we speak.  My Moon Flower seedlings are in their own pot now too.

(I start the stubborn Moon seeds folded up in a paper towel, moisten it, and then slip into a sandwich baggy until the seeds crack open.)

Plus the Pineapple Sage and Lemon Balm herbs are planted next to the two foot high Catnip 

Perennial I have from last year.

I love Catnip/Lemon/Ginger tea.  

Have you ever had Catnip tea?

AMAZING stuff.  Instantly calms, soothes, and relaxes the body and spirit.    

I started these seeds over a week ago and still nothing has turned up.  I planted sunflower seeds the same day and those sprouted up with in three days!  I really hope something happens with my herb seeds.  I love being able to walk outside and grab fresh leaves to compliment a dish.

The Golden Doodle in my life.  Miss Sophie.  She's such a pretty girl, isn't she?  All 80 pounds of her! hahah. She loves, loves, LOVES her people.  And she's saying it's time for bed now...

I had something pretty awesome happen for me today...I will mention it soon in the next post.  Take care, everyone!  I have to finish my laundry for work tomorrow morning.

Take care,

Well hello there...

...I did not mean to be this absent!  So sorry, everyone!

Work.  Work has been such work!  I'm catching on quickly though so it's going pretty well.

Like, take this morning for example.  I get there right when the restaurant is suppose to open.  I look at the printer where the ticket orders come in and we have three of them already.  ALREADY...key word.

I look behind me and all five HUGE pieces of equipment...fryers, grills, ovens...are OFF.

Food needs to go down NOW.  But everything is cold to the touch.  Oh boy.

I get all the switches turned on and I start getting the plates set up.  I'm panicking...but not too bad.  Whatever that was going to happen was just going to happen because I still had to wait for the grills and fryers to warm up.  That kept me some what calm......ish.

I look over my shoulder after a few minutes and I see someone tying on an apron.

YES!  Thank the Lord...I have another cook to suffer through this with me! hahah.

Turned out to not be an absolute mess.  We managed to get all the orders out in a decent amount of time and all the guests were satisfied.  whew!

So...that's my most chaotic story from the work front so far.  This even topped the craziness of Mother's Day...so...that means things have been pretty super at the new job!

I am so incredibly blessed that this opportunity found it's way to me. 

So very thankful!

Busy, busy week...

I was literally....so entirely productive on Wednesday that it felt like two days off in one.  When Thursday came...( my second day off for the week)...I blew it.  I had the hardest time getting anything done.  My mood was disgusting.  I was alone for the most part of the day and when Ryan finally got out of work I thought I was going to start crying.  I still don't know why I was so sour on Thursday but Ryan and I took a trip to the grocery store that evening and bought the fixings to make our first beef enchilada dinner.  (They turned out really good, by the way).

After our tummies were full we watched a bit of TV and my mood swung back upwards.  I managed to get some decent sleep before work yesterday...which helped out huge for a busy Friday morning shift.  After work, Ryan and I got together and watched the Detroit Red Wings put their fans through every single emotion possible to man.  The team was doing that whole thing where they play their hearts out and make you feel like they got the win in the bag.  Then, in the last few minutes of the 3rd period, the Ducks tied up the lead with two quick goals.

Another. Freaking. Overtime game...!!!

The broadcast cut out to commercial shortly after OT began and only seconds of returning back we saw the Wings Captain shoot the puck right into the Ducks net giving us the win to tie the series!  Ryan and I just stared at the TV.  Did we just see a replay? Or did THAT really just happen?

Yup.  We won!  Now we play the ultimate make it or break it game tomorrow night.  If we lose, we are done.  If we win...we face the Blackhawks.

Tomorrow night will be one heck of a nerve wracking night for us Wings fans.  Superstitious tendencies and other necessities we feel the need to incorporate into a game for a "win" will be running rampant as we all wait to see the outcome of our dearly loved team.

Anyways, I have four other posts in the works for publishing at this point.  It's been rough trying to keep my thoughts on a straight line while all this new job and hockey business has been taking over my life.  Prep yourselves for a couple photo dumping posts.  I took lots of pictures while life has been kind of crazy.

Take care,

"Flash through Friday"...

Since the work week can sometimes come and go quickly, and since we may not always have a chance to keep everyone in the loop with what is going on in our day to day's...

...I would like to implement into this blog of mine "Flash through Friday"...which is essentially a photo/fact dump from the week coming to a close.

I will begin tonight! Why not?

A fun little fact about me:  I can NOT turn down a free book.  Even if I already have a copy of it.  My mom did not desire to keep all of the books pictured above so she passed them on to me.  She had them in a bag all set and ready for me saying "I know you'll take them". (hah!  I officially need another book shelf ;)   Looks like I am stocked for my summer reading this year.

After a long and exhausting day at work on Thursday I got home and immediately changed into some comfy clothes.  Comfort food was made for dinner which was followed by some snuggle time with Bailey.  Doesn't he look thrilled?  He really is very passive with me.  He primarily wants attention.  That keeps him happy.

The chef training me this week has passed on a few tips and tricks she's learned over the years.  This has been inspiring...so inspiring that even though the last thing I wanted to was stand in my kitchen at home after being on the clock in a kitchen all day...I still managed to whip up some fresh baked goods.

I do not have a recipe for the Lemon Bunt Cake above...because I just kind of threw all the ingredients together.  Figures that it turned out beautifully and I didn't think to write down the amounts as I went... :\
It is officially the best cake I have ever made when it comes to texture and sweetness.  All sorts of "light and fluffy" with just the right amount of lemon flavor.

Picture above was found on Pinterest while I was in bed and trying my hardest to fall asleep the other night.  I'm pretty sure this is going on my project "bucket list".  It might not turn out as sleek as the one above, but I think I could make it happen with some help.

In all seriousness...I'm being completely serious about wanting to attempt building one.  It would be a dream come true to haul something like this up north and use it during my camping trips.

I can just picture it...laying in this little nook...all wrapped up in a thick, heavy comforter with several pillows surrounding me...waking up to the smell of the fire from the night before that is lingering in the morning mist...

~~~

That will do it for now.  I am mentally strapped.  Auto correct has been flagging darn near every other word I've typed so far....hahah! ;)  I am off of work for the weekend (I know, right!) sooooo........I will get much needed time with my computer then.

Good night, sleep tight...and have a great weekend, everyone!

Y is for "YAY!"...

Today's A-Z post is going to be a mushed up ramble of a few celebrations I had these last couple of days.

First, I will start off with the biggest deal to me...

Today was my first day of work at the new job!  woohoo!

I was sooo incredibly nervous about my first day that I got maybe an hour of sleep last night.  Verdict of said first day:  awesome.  The chef who trained me in the kitchen reminded me of me from five years ago when I was cooking at my previous restaurant   She was very simple, direct, laughed, and still joked a bit here and there.  Just great.  She caught on quickly that I was a little freaked out because one of the first things she said to me was "don't worry! It's going to be alright".  hah.  

I work mornings the rest of this week (with the weekend off! yay!) and then next week I will start my solo schedule which will be primarily nights.  This means I will have to change my personal schedule around a bit since I do most of my "me" stuff in the afternoon/evening.  When this A-Z challenge ends I am going to stick to, as best I can, blogging at least three days a week.  I'm shooting for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  (Just a little heads up for you wonderful followers of mine :)

Next on the "yay!" list:

This little can of magic is some of what saved me through this stomach bug battle.  (This bug is still lingering.  Very frustrating!  I just want it to go away.)  Ryan went up to the grocery store this evening and picked up a special treat for me...

Vanilla ice cream + Vernors Ginger Ale =

BOSTON COOLER

Guys.  In all seriousness...this soda/shake is a gift from the angels above!

When I was a little girl my mom would order one every time we would go out for ice cream.  I never understood why she would choose this over an ice cream cone or sundae.  I never really tried it until last Friday when I was at a Coney Island with Ryan for dinner.  I finished my cooler in no time.  Over the weekend I've probably had a handful more at my parents house. 

My mom thought it was the funniest thing.

Some laughs, just because...

...these were the photos floating around the chat room my siblings and I share on our smart phones...

(when you find him below, that's exactly what my cat "Bailey" looked like when he was a baby)

This is Mr. Bailey now-a-days...

 ...he is the most laid back kitty I've ever come across...(lol)...

 ...and he loves yarn...LOVES IT.

My brothers, sisters, and I all love to "kid" around in our chat room via our phones.  Becky, the youngest of us, does not have a phone (*yet*) so she will hijack one of ours if she catches it unattended.  Below, she picked up our sister Jenny's phone and the following took place:

(The order of us "kids" goes like so...me, Missy, Jenny, Cassie, Matt, Joe, Jeremy, and Becky.  Ages range from 29 to 13. Just to give you a little idea ;)

Well, that'll do it for now.  Since I have to work tomorrow morning and then go to Ryan's hockey game afterwards I am going to get started on the last post of this challenge.  I am so excited that it's about to be complete, this A-Z Challenge...but I am sad at the same time.  Some pretty awesome things have happened during this challenge and I am going to miss it for sure.

Thanks for the read...

Take care,

W is for...

"Winning"

and what does "winning" mean to you?

"That's so totally a win".

"You are winning with that".

...and so on and so forth.  These statements, phrases....have caught themselves up in normal, every day conversations.  Like, a new "lingo trend".  Winning, as I understand it, seems to suggest that a remarkable occurrence has taken place...and this makes it a "win".  But it's usually celebrated on quirky and out-of-the-norm type happenings. (my thoughts.)

If I were to consider something a "win"...(a fantastic happening or circumstance from a not so extremely fascinating situation)...it would be from the creators of this video below.  Had me to tears!  So cute.

It will make a whole lot more sense to those of you who have heard the original version of "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore.  The folks who made this video below created their own version of this song...and centered it around the mucho amounts of money that gets spent on babies and toddlers.

Enjoy, if you will!

So, to these folks...I say loud and clear...:  "YOU ARE WINNING".

yes.....hah


In other news, I've been so unwell...so ill...that I haven't had to charge my laptop for four days!  Usually it gets charged at least once a day.  Tells you how absent I have been in the blogging world!

I feel a significant difference in my body today though.  Still pretty queasy but I have been able to keep fluids and a little bit of food down.  Last night Ryan went up to the gas station for me and picked up a bottle of "Vernors" ginger ale.  I took a few sips and immediately felt a difference.  This is after not being able to keep water down for almost six hours!  After a hour of sipping on the Vernors I decided to kick things up a notch and made a cup of mint and ginger tea.  I usually sip slowly on my cup of tea but last night my cup was empty in about ten minutes!  It did the trick and I was finally out like a light at 6am this morning.

Hopefully I get all of this worked out by Sunday night...

...I start my new job on Monday morning...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yay!

Thanks for the read.

Take care!

S is for "Suddenly!, Selena and Several Stitches"...

My music interest scares me at times.  Out of nowhere there will be a new hit slamming the airwaves and I will fall completely in love.

I heard this track from Selena Gomez while watching the MTV Movie awards a few weeks ago.  There were quite a few "oooh!'s" and plenty of goose bumps.  I don't even like this girl's music...but this song caught me...and pretty hard...

(that was this afternoon ;)

So, that was the "Selena" portion of this post.  Here is the "Suddenly" part...

"and then suddenly...CRAP! Oops!"

(Ryan will not be very happy that I posted this, but oh well!) 

He was doing his mother a favor yesterday by aerating her yard.  There is a steep hill by the little creek behind her house.  The unit started fish tailing a bit and it slid down towards the water! Eek!!!

Ryan and a friend will try to recover it this evening.  Fingers crossed!  Hopefully the ground is a bit more dry today.  All that rain we received over the weekend didn't help him a bit!

And now, the "Several Stitches" portion...

I have accumulated a TON of "baby soft" yarn in the last year.  I get leftovers from my sister and my mother all the time.  I had some free time yesterday and started the piece above with my size G crochet hook.  That is the center of the blanket so far.  No pattern.  I'm being quite "whimsical" with it and it's been so much fun thus far!  I'm very excited to see how it turns out when it's finished. 

So, that'll wrap this Challenge post up for today.  Ryan will be done with work soon and I will be going with him over to his mother's to retrieve the beast that is trying to go for an early summer swim... hahah!

Take care.  I'll be hopping through the blog world when I get back home tonight!

R is for....

...I was not prepared for the letter R.  I looked at my fiance today and said "what should I write about?"

He gave me this "duh" look and then said "um, RYAN!"

(His name is Ryan, if you missed that from prior posts ;)

So, here we go.  I'll give y'all the low down on my soon to be hubby:

Ryan is a HUGE hockey fan.  He has been playing roller hockey for 8 plus years.  No ice hockey yet though.  He is 24, a September baby....(which means after I turn 30 in August I will be 6 years older than him until his birthday the following month!)

He was born and raised in Michigan, about a hour south of where I grew up.  He is a devout Michigan State fan.  Both of his parents graduated from the school.  That mixed with my family of U of M fans....it can be a fun rivalry...(at times ;)

Pictures!!!

Ryan and I at a Red Wings game on St. Valentine's day this year.

(He won suite tickets...lots of fun!)

Because of him, I've gone to a ton of Wings games since we started dating almost 3 years ago.

Ryan and I, watching Aladdin on St. Patrick's day....

Us again below...we tend to match without even trying...a lot...

My nephews and niece take to him just fine...

:)

And, as a special treat for my Mr. Ryan...this is the dinner I fixed up for him tonight.

Spicy kielbasa, pasta, jalapeno sauce, and "roll" dough braided to make the plate look pretty.

(He really likes spicy food)

((& I really like to cook for him!))

That'll do it for today's Challenge post, as I only have a couple more hours to post it! 

ah!

Have a wonderful day off tomorrow.  We'll be outside enjoying the weather...we are looking at 50 degrees here, in southern Michigan......................(hopefully)

At least we aren't suppose to get snow.  I saw a few flurries today and my heart sank!  Come on spring...

Take care,

K is for "Keys"...

...such a necessity...and such little buggers at the same time!

I have been guilty of locking my keys in my car, I'm not going to lie about that fact.  It has only happened a few times. The LAST (hopefully ;) time the situation occurred was just a few years ago and I was illegally parked outside of my place of employment...eeek!

See, I was running into the store to drop off a few papers and when I got out of my car I patted my coat pocket to make sure my car keys were in it.  It was very early in the morning and I should of probably drank my coffee with a bit more enthusiasm.  Well, the keys I had in my pocket were actually the store keys because I grabbed them from the same pocket to unlock the store doors.  I said "hello" to the manager who was there and did what I had to do.  That whole time I didn't realize that the keys to my car were actually still in the ignition.  oops...

When I was finished doing what was needed I walked to the front doors of the store and then stopped.  I reached into my coat pocket and it dawned on me that the keys I mistook for my car keys were the store keys...uugghhh...  I went outside and stood by my car for a minute, assessing the situation.  I was illegally parked so I didn't really want to call the police station to have a cop come out and let me into my car.  AND, my car was still running!  What was I going to do?!

Then I had the brightest idea ever.  I went back into the store and called up a company we used for the building's lock and key needs.  The guy on the other end of the line was so perturbed that what I needed from him was to be let back into my car.  hah! 

 "Well, my guy's pretty busy right now, may take a hour or so for him to get out there!" said the annoyed gentleman.  I responded with:

"That would be great.  I'd really appreciate it.  This is Chellie, by the way".  Chellie is my nickname and what everyone called me by at work.  Even the folks who didn't work directly for us knew me by Chellie.  (Chellie is pronounced "Shelly").

"Oh!  Well, hey there Chellie, how've ya been?" The gentleman was much more relaxed now.  "My guy shouldn't take too long, he had to make a stop about a half hour ago that shouldn't take more than 45 minutes.  I'll call him right now.  Have a good day, hun!"

I about laughed when I got off of the phone.  This man did NOT like my boss and he made sure my boss knew that.  Apparently however, he had NO problem with me.

So, the rest of the story goes as such...the "key" guy showed up in 15 minutes, he unlocked my car in seconds and then he gladly accepted the $10 tip I put in his hand when he reached his out to shake mine.  I moved my car, parked it in a "legal" parking spot and then went back into the store to drink about 20 cups of coffee before I went on with the rest of my errands...

...the end.

I guess the moral of this little story would be to be nice to everyone. 

 You never know when you might need to make the phone call requesting assistance 

 for when that "brain fart" occurs...or who's help you'll need!

;)

Take care!

-Michelle

Well...

...I started this blog not too long ago and only have a handful of posts that do not have to do with the A-Z Challenge...so, let's fix that a bit, shall we?

Nothing of too much importance, but something decent enough to mention...

Tonight I started writing a story I've been dwelling on since the beginning of this year.  I was struck with an idea and shortly after that, a plot.  What luck!  I had to give some thought to a theme however and that finally hit me today.  So, tonight...I started typing away.  I couldn't believe it!  To me the story felt like it was "telling itself" through my finger tips.  Now, whether it amounts to much or not, it still felt absolutely amazing to get lost in another sort of world.  I. Loved. It!

A couple of other things that I love...(and maybe you might enjoy? ;)...

If you haven't learned it from me yet...I am very attracted to inspirational quotes atop pretty photos.  

This is why Pinterest has such a hold on me....

;)

I will have my "J" post up early tomorrow.  Well, early for me anyhow.  My blogging tends to happen in the evening during a normal week but tomorrow I will be in Detroit watching the Red Wings take on the Sharks at Joe Louis Arena!  I'm so excited!  Nothing more fun than being at a good ol' hockey game...

Take care,

-Michelle

F is for "Flip Flops"...

So do I get two points for having two words with the letter F???

No?

OK...moving on...

It's finally starting to warm up here in southern Michigan.  Instinctively I have been wandering around the house with no socks, no slippers.  When it reaches 60 degrees I will have my flip flops sitting by the front door ready and waiting.  

I spend my entire spring and summer (and a bit of fall if we're lucky) in my flip flops.  I go through a single pair in a single summer.  When I was a child I loved being barefoot.  Now that I cross more than only the soft grassy terrain, I keep my soles and toes safe from whatever debris could be unseen with the least amount of protection I can get away with.

Places you can find me wandering around in my summer slippers?

I'll show ya with a few photos!

 Above, my niece...she loves her flip flops as much as I do!

 Flip flops on the beach of course!

(That's Ryan and I above :)

 Flip flops to mosey on down to the lake and scope out the touch of white caps atop the water...

 ...and flip flops off to feel the bubbles on my toes.

It only takes seconds to flip those flops right off of your feet and bury your toes in the shore.

You can not do that with shoes...(just so you know :) -totally inconvenient with shoes.

 Flip flops to watch the kiddos play some volley ball.  I watch because a couple years ago I had wrist surgery and really should not be diving for a volley ball.

Doctor says that is still a "no-no".

 Ryan (above) has a shared love for flip flops too!

Yes...the feet above are without their "flops"...but I had to share this picture!  That is my dad who the ducks took an interest to.  They walked right up to my father to see if he would share his crackers with them.  They loved him.

Alrighty.  I am going to end it here.  Hope this was a decent post.  I was out and about since 8:30 this morning and I just now got home!  Ryan and I had a VERY busy day.

Thanks again for the read!

Take care,

-Michelle

E is for "Ethan Embry"...!!!

What is being considered now-a-days as a "cult classic"..."Empire Records" is a film I could watch over, and over, and over, and OVER again...

Empire Records is a 1995 American coming-of-age film that follows a group of record store employees over the course of one exceptional day. Wikipedia

(Mindlessness mixed in with an absolutely distraught crew of characters, all bunched together and making things work at a record store that is facing a "buy out")

((That is my review of the movie above...and I think that pretty much sums it up!))

And then we have a similar type film (in that it's a 90's teen "coming of age" flick), although not 

nearly as grungy as "Empire Records".  

I have watched this more times than I can count.

One of my all time favorites.

(Just your typical "end of the school year-high school graduating class-house party" movie)

((Please note, that is also my review))

Now, these two films...which are so incredibly "staples of my teen-hood"...have a certain person in common and that's...yup, you guessed it.  Mr. Ethan Embry!

Ethan Philan Randall (born June 13, 1978), known by his stage name Ethan Embry, is an American film and television actor.

I'm not going to complete a bio of the actor...I'm pretty sure that we "ain't got time for that"...(sorry, I had to say it!!!) but rather convey for a minute how he is responsible for making two very seemingly stupid movies find their way deep into my heart.

"You can't think about things you want to change.  Just be yourself."

-Ethan Embry

He is just ridiculous in both films.  Although he plays a spastic, crazy little weirdo in "Empire Records"...

everyone I know who has watched him in that movie fell in love with his character.

"He" is my favorite part.

His tendencies were exotic.  He was a huge goof ball.  

But the conveying of a "big heart" stands out

and greatly controls the perception of his character.

This goes as well for his role in "Can't Hardly Wait".

(The whole "big heart" thing)

((not the "kookiness" part ;))

His character in "Can't Hardly Wait" is adorable.  All he wanted was an opportunity to speak to the "girl of his dreams" who happened to be a fellow student at his high school.  Right before the end of the year party he discovered that her boyfriend had just dumped her.

Now was his chance!!!  At the party he MUST let her know how he feels or he will "never know" what could of been!

It's great fun watching him on screen.  He has played versatile roles during his career but there is one thing he can't seem to shake that keeps them all connected...

...the sincere heart he effortlessly plays out for each of his characters.

This is a post you guys were probably not expecting.

But hey...I had NO idea what to do for the letter E and

today was opening day for baseball in Detroit!

So I was a bit distracted.

(The Detroit Tigers won their home opener...just so ya know...)

;)

Now to cheer on my favorite hockey team, the Detroit Red Wings...

 ...the puck literally dropped only a few minutes ago and each team already has a goal.

I must watch!

Take care,

-Michelle