Let's hear it for the girls

Sometimes, you don't realize how much you needed time with the girls until you have a fun-filled weekend with all your best girl friends. There is something so therapeutic about girl talk--but I'm sure the cocktails that come along with hanging with the girls have nothing to do with that. :)

Friday night, my friend Abby hosted a Passions Party, and a bunch of us girls got together to laugh, drink some wine, and just have some good ol' girl talk. And if you've ever been to a Passions Party, you know that a lot of laughing is just what you'll do. :) Just want the doctor ordered. A few PG-rated snapshots of the action:

Shea from Bon Chic Bon Gastronomique fills up her glass
Hmm, I wonder if the Franzia has something to do with the headache today. :)

Lindsay and Cassie enjoying the scents of some sweet body lotion

Saturday, my bridesmaids and I all met up to try on and order the Bridesmaid dresses! "The Donna's" (my mom and Jared's mom) of course came along, and tried on a few dresses of their own in preparation for the wedding. That fact that everyone was available on a Saturday to be there was amazing, and I was so thankful. We followed up the morning with a lunch out at Houlihans, and of course there were cocktails! Here's a pic of the lovely ladies and me, martinis in hand!
After lunch, (and a few orders of free pickle fries later) a few of us made it over to the mall to do some more shopping for wedding shoes! Although the ungettable emerald green shoes were not found, (Seriously, these things just flat-out don't exist) we still had fun! If anyone has ANY unkown shoe store gems that might have some emerald green dress shoes, I am all ears. They HAVE to be out there somewhere, they're just trying really, really hard to hide. The weekend is not even over, and even though I love hangin with the girls, I think I'll reserve tomorrow for Jared and Abbey. :)

The last pumpkin-flavored anything...I think....

Last night, I finally got around to making a meal I've been wanting to make for a while. It's widely known that any pumpkin flavored food or drink is specifically reserved for fall/winter. I've practically burned myself out on Pumpkin Spice lattes from Starbucks. Even now, at the end of January, making pumpkin-flavored anything is a stretch. But this one, I wanted to try.

Found on one of my favorite foodie blogs, the kitchn, was the Pumpkin and Ricotta Pasta Casserole. Ummm...YES please! Dare I say that mine looked more tasty than the blog's image?
It was crazy good, and with low fat ricotta and only a small amount of parmesan, this meal is not the unhealthiest thing I've ever made. I have no guilt. :) Recommendations are given for this delicious pasta dish (although the manliest of men may miss the meat). I have lived in comfort food bliss for the past 2 nights. :)

Just went the snow melts...

BLAM--8inches more snow expected throughout today--maybe more. Yet again, more shoveling. Each time I shovel our driveway, I swear it get's longer and longer. It's like the never ending driveway that mysteriously grows like it's playing some sort of lame joke on me. The neighbors lazily pushing around their snowblowers only serves to torment me in my struggle. More disheartening, before I was even finished the 5in already on the ground, there was nearly another inch blanketing the pavement again. Sigh.....I love snow, really I do! Just for once can it snow when Jared is in town? Sheesh. :) At least I earned myself an couple bites of dessert tonight for the extra calorie burnage. :)

Registry Time!

Tomorrow is the day--it's Registry Day!

Jared may not be as excited as me, but it should be fun. We're splitting the day up, 1 store, then a KSU basketball game and lunch, then 1 more store. Hopefully I can keep him motivated after the game. :) Gimme that registry gun!!! (And go Cats!)

Love the snow!

It's officially the first real snow storm of the season in Kansas, and it's about time. :) I love the snow, and at least having all of this pretty white stuff on the ground makes the cold more bearable. We have gotten 6inches so far, and the snow continues to fall. I just finished shoveling the driveway, and now it already has another inch covering it. Where's Jared? sheesh--too much shoveling for me. :)

Not only is it the first substantial snow storm of the season, this is Rupert's first experience with this much snow. I had to get the camera out to capture his discovery. He loves it so much, he just runs circles and circles around me. I took some video, but it made me dizzy watching it, so I wouldn't dare post it. Although he loves the white stuff, it confused him. He didn't know he should go to the bathroom in it, so he instead peed on the back patio I had shoveled. Darn Dog... :) I snapped some cute pics of him post play though. This one was my favorite--he's catching a glimpse of the snow on his snout.
In this last one, he looks confused and terrified at the same time (not an uncommon look for Rupert unfortunately), but it was a small miracle I got this shot, so I had t0 post it.
Before you judge, I'm really not a crazy dog person. Maybe I just want to show the world our awesome dog. Rupert is the man, and everyone deserves to know about it...

Almost predictable

Chiefs 7 Baltimore 30

I'm a huge fan, so of course I always have hope. Given that the Chiefs haven't won a playoff game since 1993 and have been known to choke under the pressure, I can't say I'm surprised at the outcome of today's game. At the start of the season, I would never have guessed that KC would become the AFC West Champs, so I tried to keep an open mind for how far they could really go in the post season. Despite many other questionable calls throughout the game, I am most baffled by the difference in the team from first half to second half. It was like a completely different team came out of that locker room. I'm sure the team themselves were frustrated too, but what is more frustrating to fans than seeing their team play less than they are capable? Alas, another season is in the books for the Chiefs, and at least I can still root on the Bears next weekend. :)

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2 weeks went by too fast

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Jared was home for 2 straight weeks over the holidays...it was so great. Alas, he's back on the road again this morning. Bummer. That alarm went off at about 3:45am, and I begged him to snooze it, not out of the attempt to sleep longer, but to enjoy just a few more minutes before he was a blur out the door to the airport. He obliged, without much protest I might add. :) He may only be gone 4 days a week, but those 4 days feel a lot longer when he's been home for an extended time. He works hard, and operates on a schedule that not many could stand for longer than a few months. Anyone who spends that much time in an airport has my respect...ugh. I really don't know how he does it. The sacrifices we make in face-time every week are better preparing us for our future life together, and I'm on board with that, for a least a little while longer. ;)

Besides...

...I was thrilled to continue catching up on Trueblood season 3 tonight without protest. :)

On to 2011

Top 10 Answers--although there are probably hundreds more:
1) First and most importantly, I will finally be married to Jared-my best friend, my perfect match, and my constant comedic relief. :) I can't wait!
2) Despite what kind of woman you think I am, my last name will no longer be Peters. :)
3) Etsy store? Maybe? Hopefully? :) I won't make a resolution for this--too much commitment. :)
4) Our dog Rupert will be 2yrs old, and hopefully much more prone to cuddling, and a lot less prone to being terrified of everything other than Jared and me.
5) I will be 28 years old, whoa.....
6) In work-related projections, I will be reaping the benefits of my well thought-out, well-executed social media marketing project. Pretty please with a cherry on top? I had to fight hard to get this one to go through. Please work....
7) I will be back in my "run 5 miles without feeling like I just performed a small miracle" shape.
8) Kansas State men's basketball team will have beat KU twice, and made it to at least the final four of the 2011 NCAA tournament. Then, by this time next year, we are ranked within the top 5 in the nation. :) EMAW baby.
9) The house will be entirely put together. Today Jared and I made some good progress, but still a long way to go!
10) I will check with all family members before purchasing Christmas gifts, to ensure no gifts are duplicated come unwrapping time. :)

Happy New Year everyone! As I bid 2010 farewell, I can't wait for what 2011 will bring, and what I will bring to 2011. :)

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