Happy Halloween!

 (cute giant mouse cat toy huh? thanks ikea)

Happy Halloween!!! I hope you dressed up as something fantastic. The night is still young if you haven't yet, go for it! And yep, I was Marie Antoinette. Major kudos to my sis-in-law Lisa who guessed my costume correctly! You go girl! This was definitely my most epic Halloween costume ever.

Back view!

This costume was hella fun to make. As Brendon said, it's very me. If I could wear stuff like this on the daily and not be looked at as a huge weirdo (I mean more than I already am), I would. That jacket is basically my favorite thing ever. Princess seams for life (I think after that statement, I've officially become a sewing nerd). It's lined with the same coral fabric so it's just as pretty on the inside! And comfy too! I think the sleeves are my favorite part. I used this Simplicity pattern, but changed it up to fit my Marie Antoinette needs. Working with such slippery fabric was a bit of a challenge at first. It did not want to stay put, so I had to use like 500 pins to keep seams together before I sewed them. But in the end it all came together pretty well I think.

I also got to wear a wig, which was incredibly tight on my head. When I bought it it was a hot mess so I had to do some work. It had these loooong pieces of hair hanging down in the back (mullet style) so I wrapped them around the top, sides, and back and sewed them in place. I also added bows and tea cups (not Easter eggs like everyone thought they were) since I was wearing this to work and duh we serve tea! Marie Antoinette put all kinds of craziness in her hair depending on what was going on at the time.

 

Holdin' it down at the Bean. Photo cred goes to my sweet boss Diane.

It was fun wearing it to work. I got some weird looks on my way in, but I'm sure everyone was just jealous (riiiiight). A lot of people were clueless to what I was supposed to be, but that's okay. I guess not a lot of people are up on their French history. I thought about putting blood around my neck but that's a tad too gory for my taste. Maybe next time.

I freaking love Halloween and can't wait until next year! We're hoping to get some trick-or-treaters tonight, but since we live in a not so fabulous place I doubt we'll get any. If they're anything like we were when we were young, they'll head to the fanciest neighborhood around. That works for me though because we bought badass candy and I don't really want to share. Cookies and cream mini candy bars? Get all up in my tummy please.

6 months of goodness

Doesn't he look so excited? I iphone photo attacked him during his hardcore study session. Had to snap an anniversary photo!

Happy 6 month anniversary of wedded life to me and my sweet Mr. H! And what a crazy 6 months it's been! Definitely some of the most eventful months of all our time together. So much has changed in our little lives! It's crazy to think about where we were 6 months ago. And although these are some crazy times we're in, I wouldn't change it for the world. Everyday I am thankful for all we have together and everyday I love my husband more. Married life is bueno and I am a very happy and very lucky Mrs. H!

Our six year anniversary of "dating" will be this December, do we still celebrate that now that we have a new more "official" anniversary? I say yes! Any reason to celebrate love and happiness is good for me.

This is going to be lame.

Let's be real, not everyday is rainbows and sunshine (although some are). This week has been rough, so let me just let some nonsense out. Feel free to skip this post and wait for the next, I promise it will be something happy and pretty and full of sunshiney goodness.

Pharmacy school is hard. It is hard for Brendon and hard for me (obviously much harder for him, but still). Brendon spends about 70% of his waking hours at school and when he's home he's studying. I get to steal him away for meal times (when we have them together) and he occasionally can watch a movie with me. Even when he's trying to relax, I can see the wheels a-churnin' and him worrying about what he should be studying for. This is just how it is. Although I try work as much as I can (you know I need that cash money), I spend a lot, A LOT, of time alone. I enjoy spending time on my own, probably more than most people. It's relaxing and I get to work on all kinds of projects and churn out all sorts of pretty things. And making pretty things is seriously my goal in life and if I'm doing that I'm pretty happy. But, sometimes I get a little down. I miss my husband. I miss hanging out and being silly. I miss playing board games and spending whole nights glued to the couch together. I miss our hour long (because we always get off topic) conversations about what we should do that evening or what we should have for dinner. I miss going to bed together at night and not falling asleep alone. Mostly I miss my unstressed Brendon. I want to be able to help, but I can't. I can't studying for him, I can't do his homework. I want him to be able to relax. Pharmacy school is a 24 hour a day job. He spends most of his days during the week on campus, for instance today he got there at who knows when, maybe 8 something this morning? And he'll probably be done at 9 tonight. And then he works on the weekends because he's crazy. He lives and breathes pharmacy right now and I seriously could not be prouder. He is the hardest working person I have ever met. I could not do what he is doing right now. And even though this is rough, it will be worth it. Brendon is getting to do what he has always dreamed and everyday I am thankful for that. He is going to be an incredible pharmacist. We are very very lucky to be here doing this. And winter break is right around the corner and I will be able to steal him away for a good month.

And because the last thing Brendon needs is a pouty wife to deal with, I try to focus on the good things, like the holidays! And the fact that it feels like fall outside and it is wonderful! And that I get to come home everyday smelling like an espresso bean. And that my family is just a short drive away. And that my cats are ridiculous. And that Brendon is adorable. And that we are where we've wanted to be for years. AND that time is flying. Can you believe it is almost November?? Where did October go??

So I apologize for the whomp-whomp-ness of this post. Sometimes I just miss my previous life of ease and simplicity and become a whiney baby. But I make lame blog posts to make myself feel better and move on with my life. I am going to go embroider something now and continue making the world, or my apartment, a prettier place. Back to sunshine and rainbows y'all!

Weird places my cats sleep

I know all cats are weird, but I feel like Sophie and Greg are especially strange. As the title of this post suggests, we are going to look back on a few odd places the cats have been lounging lately. Forgive the iphone pics, gotta catch this nonsense on the fly.

On my sewing patterns. While I'm trying to cut them out. These things are made of the thinnest easiest to tear paper ever and homegirl likes to get all comfy on them. She also likes to much on them.

Under pharmacy school notes. Both cats have been obsessed lately with being on Brendon's desk while he's studying. So he decided to just use Greg as a stand to better see his notes. Greg didn't seem to mind.

In Brendon's shorts (that were in the living room??? and those are definitely not my 46 pairs of socks on the floor....). I came out of the office one day to find her stretched out in his shorts. I laughed, a lot. I guess she was missing her daddy.

In the closet, in Brendon's underwear drawer. This is Greg's all time favorite place to sleep. If you can't find Greg, he's probably snoozin' with Brendon's unmentionables.

On the coffee table, amidst a bunch of crap, on my jacket. This is where she is sleeping currently. What a weirdo, and yes our cats have bad manners and get on the coffee table. Look at that bee-otch look she's giving me.

With each other. This is weird because Sophie usually cannot stand Greg. Like fairly often she slaps him in the face when he comes near. So when we find them sleeping together it's a big deal. Usually I think she just uses him for warmth, but this was on a pretty hot day so she has no excuse. AND HOW CUTE ARE THEY?!

Even though they have an abundance of cat beds, they chose to sleep elsewhere. Other weird places include: on plastic bags, on any sort of papers, inside reusable shopping bags, on my printer, in cabinets, in the sink, and sometimes if we're lucky, in our laps. Jk, they like to sit on us, we're warm! Winter time is a comin' and that means we have to share the bed with two fat cats who use us for warmth. The things we do for these weirdos..

Scones!

Okay y'all, scones are pretty yummy. Up until recently I had never even tasted a scone. But then I saw the light. I discovered this recipe (I have no clue where it's from) sometime over the summer and it's pretty legit. So of course I have to share!

All you need is:

2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1/2 cup of whatever you want to add to them. Today the mix-in was chocolate chips, you could do cranberries, blueberries, nuts, etc. Or don't mix anything in at all! They are great by themselves as well.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix everything together. Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured board. Then press into a circle (about half and inch to an inch thick) and cut into wedges (I cut my circle into 8 slices). Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden, let cool for a bit, then enjoy the greatness. You can put butter or jam or whatever you'd like on them, or enjoy them as they are.

Nom, nom, nom!

These aren't too sweet, which is perfect because I'm not a fan of overly sweet things. They're kind of like biscuits and muffins put together. And kind of reeeeally good. Try to just eat one.

Family weekend recap!

Yesterday I was super lucky to see my whole family all in one day! I got to see my mom, my sister, my dad, my step mom, my momma-in-law, brother-in-law, and even an Uncle! It was really wonderful and reminds me why we are so fortunate to be so close to family here in Austin.

I headed down to NB yesterday morning to see my momma and get her Scottish dress fitted and hemmed. Unfortunately I forgot my camera!! Boo, forgetful me. We had some lunch (her amazing tomato soup and grilled cheese, basically the yummiest thing ever) and my sister and her boyfriend stopped by. I got her dress all fixed up, and it looks fabulous on her! Can't wait for the Renaissance festival! Afterwards I headed over to my dad's house for an early dinner. My Uncle was visiting from Maryland so it was awesome to see him! We had some yummy barbequed chicken. My dad always burns the crap out of the outside of the chickens (intentionally, to seal in the juices) so I'm always pretty wary when I see them at first. But it was deslish! I have left overs in my fridge calling my name...

I headed up to Austin where my mom-in-law and little bro-in-law were waiting at our apartment with Brendon. We went out for some burgers and shakes, watched a bit of the world series (yay Rangers!!!) and then did some serious pumpkin carving. It was a blast! And because we were at home we had a camera on hand for this part of the day.

Cleanin' 'em out! All these photos have shown me that what was left of my summer tan has definitely peaced out on me. Pale is cool these days right?

AJ working diligently on his pumpkin with some help from his brother. AJ is going to be a gangster for Halloween! That kid is too cute.

Deb was the master at cleaning those pumpkins out! There was none of that gunk left when she was done. And obviously I am concentrating extremely hard on my pumpkin. I picked a ridiculously difficult design and ended up simplifying it for my sanity's sake. This is the first time I'd ever not free handed my pumpkin, and the verdict is... designs are hard. They weren't playing when they said it was "four pumpkins" of difficulty.

 AJ and his pumpkin! He said the two ghosts where him and his brother. How adorable is that?? AJ was the bigger ghost and Brendon was the little one, of course.

 Brendon and my finished pumpkins! Of course Mr. H had to do something pharmacy related. He did a great job on his carving! I was pretty proud of my spooky house although I accidentally cut off the top of the middle roof. Oh well, that jaunty angle is cute...ish.

What a cute man I am married to!

All in all it was a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend. And one I needed badly. I am very thankful for all that I have, I am a lucky little lady to have so much goodness in my life!

Halloweeny movies!

You know I'm gung-ho about holidays, so of course I love movies that get me into holiday spirit! Not that I need any assistance... Here is a little selection of my favorite "spooky" movies I like to watch around Halloween.

Beetlejuice y'all! Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! Definitely a classic. Michael Keaton (originally I had put Kevin Costner, but Brendon corrected me. I always get those two confused!) did a fantastic job. And any Tim Burton film is probably a good movie to watch around Halloween. He's a master of not-too-scary-creepiness. This movie is straight up a FUN movie. Highly entertaining.

Hocus Pocus. Halloween classic fo'sho. Plus there's a talking cat so you know I'm in. And Bette Midlers teeth, dear lord! Get this, the night after we watched this movie we went to Amy's Ice Cream and they have this movie quote thing where if you can guess the quote, you get a free topping. The quote was from Hocus Pocus! It was, "I will summon the burning rain of death!", what are the odds? Needless to say, I had free butterfinger crumbles on my ice cream.

The Shining. It literally has nothing to do with Halloween but it is the creepiest movie on this list and the only real scary movie I will ever watch multiple times. I love the way it's filmed and I love the location. I've been to that hotel! Jack Nickelson is a profesh (literally) at being crazy as hell. And Shelly Duval just looks straight up weird and is extra obnoxious, in a good way. And that kid is creeeeeepy.

Sleepy Hollow. Perfect Halloween movie! There is even a flaming jack-o-lantern at one point. Obviously I have a thing for Tim Burton films. And Johnny Depp. But who doesn't? And Christopher Walken as the headless horseman? Hilarious. Christina Ricci's wardrobe in this film is beautiful. Can someone just hire me to make and wear costumes everyday? Please?

Casper, DUH. Not only is this movie about ghosts (who are sweet and not scary), but it's set during Halloween! Double bonus points. This movie, like Hocus Pocus, takes me back to my childhood. And terrible 90's fashion. And Christina Ricci is featured again, although much younger. She's a creepy chick, I dig it.

The Nightmare Before Christmas. I love this movie! Tim Burton strikes again, this time with ridiculously catchy and charming songs! This film is best watched (in my opionion) at the very end of October, as a transition into the next holiday season, Christmas, which basically begins for me November 1st.

Obviously I do not like actual scary movies or horror films. At all. In fact I refuse to watch them because I despise being scared. The Shining is an exception. Brendon asked me last night if I wanted to watch the Ring (which we own??) and I gave him a big ol' hell no. Cute Halloween-y movies are my fav. Other movies that are acceptable to get me into the Halloween spirit are ET (set during Halloween), the Addams family movies (Christina Ricci again), and any Halloween film the Disney Channel or ABC Family airs. JK, they're not ALL good.

Halloween mystery and eggs in a tomato

Halloween will soon be upon us! Are you ready? Being the procrastinator I am, of course I have just started working on my costume today. I'm not telling what it is until it is finished/Halloween because surprises are fun! Not that you're particularly interested, just humor me. I've told a few people what I'm dressing up as and if you know, shhhhh! Here's a sneak peak:

The materials! Aren't they just lovely?

 Obviously I'm being something very spooky and terrifying. You know me.

In culinary news, tonight Brendon was the head chef and he did a fantastic job! He made these adorable little babies:

Tomatoes stuffed with eggs and avocados topped with sour cream. They were so fancy! If we did it again, I think we'd roast the tomatoes first. It was a little odd having warm eggs in cold tomatoes, but I'm picky when it comes to temperatures of foods. Not a big fan of hot and cold things together. For instance, brownies and ice cream? NO WAY.

Coming soon, my favorite Halloween movies! Don't worry, I'm a weenie, none of them are too spooky.

Scottish Garb Round 3

Finished up my momma's Scottish gear tonight! This picture does not do it justice, but this weekend my mom and I will be getting together and I will take pictures of the dress on it's respective human. This outfit is far more complex than mine, it was a challenge and a lot of fun to make. I learned how to put on a zipper! I really like how it turned out. My mom is going to look so fabulous! We all are! I can't wait to go tromping around the renaissance festival in our plaidness. Watch out turkey leg eaters!

Unfortunately these last few days I've been a victim of allergies. It's wearing me out, I usually don't get allergies so I'm not used to all this nonsense. I constantly feel like I need to sneeze, not cool. Plus I'm really sure I've been extra cute breathing through my mouth heavily while squinting through red itchy eyes. It's a good look, I know. Get out of here allergens, I don't have time for you!

Little tarragon burgers

Last night Brendon and I made some yummy mini-burgs with an aaaaamazing sauce. Brendon picked out the recipe and he picked well. The burgers were more like meat balls; they had an egg, bread crumbs, onions, garlic, and of course tarragon in them. The recipe said to serve them on english muffins and at first I was like whaaa? but it was awesome. And that sauce was the bomb. It had TWO sticks of butter in it, so obviously it was destined to be delish. I poured it all over my spinach as well. This was my first time cooking with tarragon and I have to say I'm a fan. Yay for herbs!

Brendon is a burger connoisseur. To say that he likes them would be a grotesque understatement. Burgers are hands down his favorite food and probably one of his favorite things in general, ever. He could eat burgers every day. Probably for every meal. His groom's cake was a burger. It's a lifestyle. For a long time (years y'all) I wouldn't eat them, or ground beef in general. Can you imagine Brendon's disappointment? How did he even consider me as dating material? But, to his relief, a year or so ago my taste buds changed their minds about burgers and I've been a fan ever since. The first time I said to Brendon, "I think I want a burger", he very seriously told me that he loved me more than moment than ever and then proposed marriage. I kid, I kid. But really, it was something along those lines. He takes burgers seriously.

This is a photo of me eating my first burger in like 5 years at the Whataburger in Denton on Fort Worth Dr. Early spring 2010. You know we keep it classy and of course we had to document this momentous occasion. Memories y'all.

Pretty movies

Alright people, let's get girly, movie style. If you are into strictly macho-man things, you might want to skip this post.

There are a few movies that I can watch over and over again and never get sick of. These mentioned here may happen to be "chick flicks", but don't hate. All these movies have great stories, fantastic locations that I'd love to visit, and beautiful costumes I'd love to wear. And they are all set 50+ years ago for some reason. And I have watched them all about 300 times.

Obviously, the Sound of Music:

Duh, it's going to be on this list. You saw that coming. The songs, the costumes, the setting, Julie Andrews... I don't even need to explain why, you know. 

Ever After:

Okay, I know movie is kind of corny, but it has always been one of my favs. And the costumes are phenomenal. Plus it's such a sweet love story, blah, blah, blah. I remember watching this movie again and again on vhs. I only recently got it on dvd and after I watched it I was like, "what was I thinking not owning this??!", the 12 year old me would be furious.

Pride and Prejudice:

Mr. Darcy. Enough said. But seriously, this movie makes me so happy. Brendon got it for me on dvd for our first Valentine's Day together, high school style y'all. I think we were 17(!!!babies!!!). I have seen this movie a gazillion times (I think Brendon has only seen in twice), and it gets me every time. Mr. Darcy is so sweet in such a cocky sexy way. It also doesn't hurt that the costumes are pretty fantastic. I was born in the wrong century obviously.

Chocolat:

A movie that revolves around chocolate? AND Johnny Depp? I'm in. I first saw this in one of my high school English classes (I cannot for the life of me think of why we were watching it). It's such a GOOD movie with a good ending and a good lesson, open your minds people. And the setting? Can I move into that town now? I think it was actually shot in the same town in France that Ever After was filmed. Future vacation destination for sure.

Marie Antoinette:

Obviously I feel a connection with homegirl since we share a name. I love the history behind this movie and I love how they handled it. 80's rock and Versailles? Yes. Main characters with straight up American accents? Why not. And it is hands down, the prettiest movie I've ever seen. Everything is just so extravagant and over the top, it's awesome. Every time I see this movie I love it more and become more obsessed with all her dresses. I mean seriously, have you seen them? The colors! The textures! The details! They are all so incredible, and there are SO many of them. I can't imagine the costume budget.

I swear I like manly movies too. I could do a manly movie list but it wouldn't be as pretty to look at.

So anyway, watch all these movies! Your eyes and your inner 15 year old girl will thank you.

The cat life

Sophie and Greg love their big window. Today they were watching a squirrel scamper around the trees. I'm pretty sure the squirrel was taunting them, but they didn't seem to mind.

Scottish dress #1

Here is my little Scottish number... even though I finished this up almost a week ago... bad blogger!

(nerd alert!)

Ta-da! Do I look ready to play some bag pipes or throw a tree trunk? 

This dress was pretty easy to make. I spread it out over three days (tryin' to make these projects last), the blouse one day, the skirt the next, and then the vest. The vest was the most fun. I learned how to put on grommets! You get to use a hammer! So fun. Unfortunately, I set myself up for a couple challenges because apparently I cannot read. I bought too little of the white and plaid fabric. I had to go get more of the white (and I have officially banned myself from Joann's for a while, that place is my kryptonite these days), but I ended up just shortening the skirt to make the plaid I had work. Finding out that I hadn't gotten enough fabric was extremely frustrating and I felt like a fool. But in all fairness, have you ever tried to read the material lists on the back of patterns? Whoever designed those is obviously a fan of chaos and confusion.

 A blurry shot of Greg interrupting our photo shoot. He's always trying to steal the limelight.

I changed the skirt up a bit. Originally it was just hanging straight down, normal skirt style, but it was an awkward length because I had to shorten it, so I decided to add some pick ups in the front to add a little spiciness (yes, spiciness. Scottish spiciness.). I'm also thinking of taking the lace off of the neckline. It's really cute and all, but itchy as all get out.

I'm ready to hit up the highland games y'all! Any ideas on shoes? I know the barefoot look is just SO working for me, but I figure shoes are appropriate to wear outdoors. No one wants parasites, right Brendon?

Name that intersection!

Also, it rained! For a couple days! And not fake misty rain, but real rain. I spent this weekend with my momma down in NB and on Sunday we drove to Houston to see my g-pa, aunt, and cousins for some birthday festivities. It rained the ENTIRE way there! I'm not sure if Austin got as much while I was gone, Brendon said it rained quite a bit, but it sure was nice to see some dark clouds instead of the never ending burning sun of death. We even got some thunder and lightening! I love a good storm!

It was awesome to get out of Austin, if only for a couple days. I had a great time with my mom, as always! Saturday we got her fabric for her dress and ran around in the rain all day. Then we had some yummy hot dogs and watched a movie, Red Riding Hood. The movie was okay, a little silly but entertaining. I was scared that it might be spooky! But it wasn't thank goodness, I don't do scary movies. This weekend was just what I needed. As much as I dislike being away from Brendon, it was refreshing to get some girl time with mi madre. A tiny little escape from reality. And I'm sure he enjoyed the quality study time without interruptions from me asking him to take pictures of my latest endeavor.

Egg-cellent (yes, I went there with that pun)

I'm not normally a fan of eggs, but every now and then I crave them. Today, it was in egg sandwich form. My mom got me hooked on egg sandwiches when I was a wee lass. I can't make them as good as she does (it's that mom magic), but when I'm in the mood they're a quick, easy, and yummy meal!

 

Just melt some butter in a skillet and throw in a couple of eggs. You can use however many you'd like on your sandwich, I usually roll with two. Season them with some salt and pepper and fry 'em up to your desired degree of cooked...ness. I like mine with the yolks just a tiny bit runny so the sandwich isn't too dry.

Toast some bread, spread on some mayo (86 the mayo if you're not a fan), and add your fried eggs! It's also good with a slice of American (or whatever kind you have around) cheese.

Eat up! Obviously I'm enjoying a lazy day on the couch (I worked this morning I swear). It is relatively chilly outside (80 degrees feels cold these days haha) so the apartment is cool enough for me to lounge around in sweatpants. Hurray for sweatpants being back in my life! Sorry Brendon.

I am a sleepy head!

I have been a lazy blogger this week. Actually, I've been a lazy everything. I've just been so sleepy lately. No matter how much I sleep I get, I'm always tired. As my dad would say, I've got the "sleeping sickness".

I finished my dress for the Renaissance Festival today. Details and pictures to come soon! Just need to make my mom's dress and my sister's, if she decides to go, and I will be done with Scottish gear. Then I've got a Halloween costume idea brewing in my head. And you know what that means, it's probably going to happen. Endless sewing projects! Keep 'em coming!

Mr. H and his buddies are having a study session at the kitchen table currently. The stuff they're studying is insane. I catch bits and pieces of it and I'm just like whaaaa? Craziness. While they are studying, me and Greg are cuddling and pretending to be doing something productive.

He is so sweet! My little cuddle buddy. I'd be so lonely without these cats. What a crazy cat lady thing for me to say! Sheesh.

Secret revealed!

I know the suspense was killing you, so here's what I was making:

A Scottish outfit for Brendon! Yes, that is a kilt. Obviously that shirt I was sporting was not for me. We are going to the Texas Renaissance Festival with my momma in November, so I am making us all costumes! Every weekend has a different theme, and we are going on the "Highland Fling" weekend, so Scots we shall be! Plaid, plaid, plaid!

This was a lot of fun to make, and the pattern was refreshingly easy to understand after the mess with the dirndl. I was nervous about working with plaid and keeping the pattern lined up, but it ended up being really helpful, you've got fabric with built in guidelines! I am also now a pro at pleating. And at fringing. For the edges of the sash and kilt I had to unravel the weave of the fabric by hand to make a fringe. Very tedious, but the end result is neat-o. Making that hat was a lot of fun too, it's like a chef/golfer hybrid.

Lady outfits to come soon! I need to slow my roll or I'll be done with them all far too quickly. I need to make these projects last.

And I leave you with this:

 Sophie loves fabric. A lot.