2011 WRAP-UP

THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING 2011!!!! You were a great, fun, fulfilling, adventurous year.

There were ups and downs but the UPS were FAR GREATER than the downs. 

Below are just some quick collages of my year. I know I'm missing a TON of memories but I believe this provides a diverse and enjoyable snapshot of my year. I can't believe everything that went on and MAN OH MAN am I blessed.

 

 

A quick list of the fun in 2011!

• My Boo turned 30....eeep!
• Went to NY for a special recognition work TRIP! 
• Surprise trip to TN for Granddaddy's 85th Birthday
• Went to a wedding for C's best friend and finally met his homies!
• (Mama B got sick, but is all better now)
• SFKO for a kickball tourney! Created life long friendships thanks 18 Dummy
• SportySpice turned 25 woop woop!
• FINALLY was free of a toxic situation
• GOT MY OWN PLACE!
• Celebrated my 28th BIRTHDAY!
• Got my BLOG REDID!!! Soooo happy with the look now!
• Visited Babyspice down at Law School
• My two young cousins came to visit
• Won my FIRST BLOG GIVEAWAY! Thanks KRISTEN!
• Learned how to MASTER the side bang twist!
• KICKBALLKICKBALLKICKBALL!
• 2nd place finish in the DC tourney and I was MVP! 
• We said goodbye to sweet Muffin RIP
• Visited C's hometown and met his parents for the first time
• Suprise party for my other grandfather in Alabama!
• Learned my family LOVES to be the center of attention and wear fun hats
• Blackops went over seas to serve our Country!
• MY sweet Fresh Prince turned 2!
• Family trip to Tennessee
• And his babysissy will be arriving early next year yay!
• Went to VEGAS again for a kickerball tourney and this year Babyspice joined!
• Sportyspice ran her very first race.
• BlackOps came home for R&R
• Babyspice turned 24!
• We went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving and I got to go to a football and basketball game!
• I went to the DC Blogger blitz and had my first BLATE
• Grandaddy came to DC for Christmas.
• My family and friends supported me throughout the year and I couldn't be more grateful!

Thank you 2011 for being so awesome....BRING IT 2012!!!

Wishing you and yours an amazing New Year! <3 to all of you in blog land!

Sick Friday

 Hello and happy Friday ya'll. Usually I link up for Confession Fridays today but since it's the end of the year I had planned to recap 2011 with pictures and descriptions like many people have done in the blog world. However my body did not want to cooperate today. Yup, I am a sicky-sick chick right now. Don't worry, it's nothing major, but I am definitely feeling low. 

I thought about doing the normal Confession Friday link up, but honestly just wasn't up for the all the glitz and glam I normal put into those posts. I mean if I can't make it sparkle, then why do it right?

So today I will be guzzling this... 

While catching up with Top Chef and monitoring things at work....

I'll also finish up my 2012 Inspiration Board...

and Collect and Catalog new healthy recipes from my old Magazines...

...and just getting some plain old good rest. I hope you have a fabulous Friday and if I don't see ya tomorrow hope your New Year's Eve plans are all you wish them to be!

Ps.com: Le Beau gets MAYJOR PROPS for making me delicious eggs and healthy pancakes for breakfast this morning. Thank you and LOVE YOU HONEY!!! <3>

2011 Resolutions Recap

Ohhhhhhhhhh Thursday, why are you NOT FRIDAY!?!?! Welp, not much I can do about it so on we go, head held high....are ya with me?!!?

2011 is coming to an end a wow it was a pretty fabulous year. I plan to recap the year tomorrow (let's HOPE I actually get around to it...you know me...VEGAS POST!?!?!) with fun pictures, but let's just say I'm UBER happy with the year. I thought it would be fun to check in on my resolutions/goals I had for 2011 which you can find *here* . Check-check-check IT OUT!

1) GET BACK TO GOD: C

I am very ashamed of this grade, I should have done better and I didn't. There are no excuses, there are no words, there are no reasons, I just didn't do what I needed to do. 

This MUST CHANGE! 

2) GET IN AMAZING SHAPE: EPIC FAIL

Thanks to my shin splints and negative attitude this was a huge fail. I am a good 8-10 pounds heavier now than I was at the beginning of the year. I can only blame my injury so much, but not being able to just go out and run or do HIIT at home really really hurt my body image. I SHOULD have been more proactive in finding other forms of exercise to burn calories and I SHOULD have eaten much better. I very disappointed in myself for two reasons.

1) I let my injury get the best of me.

2) I became complacent and let myself think it was OK to slack off because I was hurt.

Looking back I am very upset with myself because of my lack of motivation and how poorly I really treated my body.

3)BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET: UTTERTOTALBOMBASTICFAIL

DINGDINGDING we have a LOSER!!! Seriously ya'll this resolution/goal didn't even get off the ground. Houston we CAN'T have a problem because well, it was never started. I maybe maybe MAYBE looked at a spreadsheet four times...I mean twice. There isn't really anything left to say but I completely sucked at trying to budget. HashtagEPICFAIL!

4)BE OKAY WITH CONFRONTATION: B+

As horrendous as my performance was with #3 I will say I'm proud of my progress with this resolution. I hate hate HATE confrontation and while the idea still doesn't THRILL me, I will say I am more comfortable speaking my mind. I had to speak up for myself a lot last year with my roommate situation and I am better for it. I will still wait a day before bringing something up to a close friend or the BF, but that is just because I like to make sure what is bothering me is something legit. C and I have had our fair share of discussions, arguments and talks and I am proud of the way I presented my side. Since C does not like confrontation either, I have had to grow in this area quicker than expected, but I believe I am a stronger person for it.

5)LOVE MORE AND WORRY LESS: B

Again, I am pretty happy with my performance with this resolution. My walls are completely down with Le Beau and this happened pretty early in the year. Working on NOT WORRYING is a daily struggle for me though. I am not a worrywart, but if something goes wrongish I tend to get more flustered than I should. I have become better at recognizing what is IMPORTANT and needs to be worried about and what doesn't. As I read on one of my favorite blogs "If it's not an 8 DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!"

As resolutions go, I don't think I did as well as expect and that kind of bums me out. However, my year really was fantastic overall and so I can't be too upset. For 2012 I think I need to tweak and modify some goals and really figure out what I WANT TO work on and what I CAN work on.

How did ya'll do with your resolutions for 2011? Share the good the bad and the ugly!!!! <3

THANK YOU and WILW

Good morning ladies and happy WEDNESDAY! Wooohoo we are almost to the weekend WHOOP!

I must say THANK YOU SO MUCH to you sweet sweet girls, because your comments yesterday just melted my heart. Thank you for sending me some love, I totally needed it. Ya'll are awesome and I'm so thankful for this lil Internet community.

Now what better way to change an attitude than to write about the things I LOVE! So, after being away from this link up for awhile I'm jumping back to WILW with Jaime!

 1) I'm loving how awesome my Christmas was. Fun times and chill times with the family, I really couldn't ask for anything more. The JOY in my parent's house on Christmas was so wonderful.

2) I'm loving my Christmas dress that I wore to Christmas Eve service (with a cardigan of course). Still not loving the short hair, but it's already growing back so hoooray hooray!

3) I'm loving Christmas Eve photo shoot pictures! How ridiculous are we? And isn't my grandfather a hoot and a half?!?! He gets cold very easily so he wore LONG UNDERWEAR under his suit to church! Seriously adorable and crazy....guess that's where I get it from ;)

FYI, we are posing like this because we watched 4 different Nutcrackers in 2 days. Anyone else watch the Battle of the Nutcrackers on Ovation? I smell a new family tradition!

4) I'm loving how awesome Mama B's birthday went. I must say it kind of stinks to have your birthday the DAY after Christmas because it gets caught up in the holiday. But, Mama B has always been an awesome sport, even when we were little and really didn't do much for her because we were too excited for Christmas. We did some bargain shopping, had brunch, chillaxed then went out to dinner and it was awesome (minusarudehostessbutwhateves). Happy Happy Birfday Mama B!

 Doesn't she look so fancy in her new top? That Mama B has style when she wants to ;)

Grandpa and Mama B for her birthday dinner!

 5) I'm loving my new LILLY Planner I just got this week. I've been using a fun zebra/pink planner from Target the past 2 years and really wanted an upgrade (I mean do you see the pink?!!? Yeah, I know) but wasn't sure if I wanted a Lilly or an Erin Condren. MAD PROPS and SHOUT OUT to JENNJENN because she was the voice of reason throughout the harrowing process ;)!

 6) I'm loving having biscotti with my coffee this morning. It's such a yummy yummy treat!

7) I'm loving this message Daddy posted on my Facebook. Seriously how cute/ridiculous is this? Love em!



8) I'm love love loving my BOO as always. I missed him so much over the Christmas break and it's so nice to have him back home with me :)! <3

9)I'm LOVING YA'LL! Seriously blogs make me happy happy happy and it's just incredible how people are able to MEET and communicate throughout the community. LOVE TO ALL YOU SWEET SWEET GIRLS!

Most depressing day of the YEAR!

Don't lie girls, you KNOW it's true.

Christmas Eve is over.
Christmas DAY is over.
Mama B's birthday is over.
OVER OVER OVER!

Many people think the 26th is the most depressing day, but because that day is MAMA B's bday it REALLY can't be all that depressing. And I always take that day OFF of work to spend it with my family and my Mama B! But the 27th...BLECH!!!

I'm at work while everyone else is hanging and playing at home....boo card!
Work is slooooooooooooow and I'm tired.....double boo card!
Everyone goes back to normal and forgets preChristmas CHEER and niceness....triple boo card!

Yeah, that doesn't make for a very good day does it?

To every out there who is SUPER EXCITED still...YAY! Send some of that cheer my way. I'm not trying to be debbie downer, but the 27th ALWAYS ALWAYS brings me down...The hype is over and people go back to being 'themselves' and not really caring and that REALLY REALLY REALLY makes me sad :(

But I'm gonna keep on truckin' and get over it. {Finished watching the DCC season 6 today and it was awesome. I SO WANNA BE A DCC!!!} The Wise Men are still journeying to see the Christ child, I can't forget THAT RIGHT!?!?

So, off to my awesome chiropractic appointment,then gonna do some yoga&stretching, have dinner with my LOVE, Le Beau and maybe a glass or two of wine! Have a blessed day ladies! xoxo

Happy Happy Birthday MAMA B!

Wishing a very Happy Birthday to:

The KINDEST

  Sweetest

Craziest

Mom Jeans wearing

Christmas sweater loving

Godly disciple

Most generous

awesome cooker lady

with the BIGGEST HEART in the WORLD

and most important

BESTEST MOMMY EVER!!!

I LOVE YOU MAMA B!

Hoping today is everything you want it to be!



Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday

Wishing you and yours a blessed

and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

***Merry Christmas EVE***

Not a creature was stirring…

"All is Calm, All is Bright!"

And they called her, Christmas Carol

Happy Friday ladies!!! Tomorrow is Christmas EVE!!! YAYAYAY HUZZAH WHOOWHOO!!

Today is normally Confession Friday, but I'm going to take a different angle this week, with it being Christmas and all. Today I'm sharing my favorite Christmas Carols of all time.

 I must confess I sing/listen to and YouTube Christmas carols ALL YEAR LONG! For serious ya'll, my friends and the BF think I'm a tad bit le kookoo because of my CHRISTMAS CAROL LOVE! Babyspice even named a song for me that lil stinker.

There is just SOMETHING about the words in certain Christmas Carols that give me CHILLS! I love the fun nonreligious songs, they are silly and upbeat, but MAN, some church hymns just make me want to get on my knees in joyful praise and adoration. So below, I am sharing my favorite Christmas Carols.

Oh Holy Night
Sweet hymns of JOY in grateful chorus raise we,
let all within us PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!
CHRIST is the LORD!!!

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem

We hear the CHRISTMAS ANGELS,

the GREAT GLAD tidings tell

Oh come to us, abide with us

our LORD EMMANUEL!

Christmas Carol of the Bells

Ring Christmas bells,

Merrily ring

Tell all the world

JESUS IS KING

Masters in the Hall

This is Christ, the Lord

Masters be ye glad!

Christmas is come in

And no folk shall be sad!

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

Sending you glitter/love/joy and hope this Christmas season

Merry Merry Christmas Ya'll!

Twas the Thursday before Christmas

and all through the land... yeah I got nothing!

EXCEPT IT'S DECEMBER 22nd!!!!! EEEKK YAY WAHOO!

Christmas is in 3 DAYS Y'ALL....3 DAAAAAAAAAAAAYS!

Are you ready? HECKS YEAH!

Gifts bought? TOTALLY!

wrapped? Like DUH!!!

desserts made? and eaten thanks!

Christmas outfits bought? back in October suckers!

Christmas cards sent out? Not this year!

Wanna know why?

It isn't because I am lazy...NO FOR REAL!

I want to give back and do something good this year for Christmas time and I was having a hard time figuring out what. And then all of a sudden...DING DING DING, it came to me. Below is what I posted on my Facebook and what I sent out to friends and family via email:

Dear Fabulous friends&family: In lieu of Christmas cards this year, I have chosen to donate that money and time to various charities around my area, all in the name of your friendship and love. Ya'll mean the world to me and I want to give back just a portion of the love God has blessed me with. Please consider this your supersparklypinkyfied Christmas card! xoxo, Pinky

I am only posting this so ALL of my bloggie friends know that THIS is also done with YOU in mind. Ya'll have become an important part of my life and I consider myself so BLESSED to be part of this awesome blogging community. So, please know each and everyone of you were in my heart when I wrote the statement above.

Merry Merry MERRIEST of Christmases to you ALL!!!

Kardashians got nuttin' on this

At the beginning of the month I guest posted for Miss Holly over at eightsixeleven for her "Ho Ho Ho Holiday series". She is the sweetest girl and I was so honored to be able to post. 

I thought I would 'reshare' the post for all the new readers...errrrr.....

okay also because I LOVE LOOKING at the pictures in this post.

You will DIE....I Promise.

Please indulge my narcissism in the spirit of fun Christmas cheer mkay?!?!?

Hello eightsixeleven followers. My name is Pinky and I blog over at PinkPersistence. Please skip on over and say hi. You'll find I blog about anything and everything with lots of ! exaggerations and PINK. This is my FIRST guest post and I am twelve kinds of excited.

I must confess, after reading all of the other guest posts I had NO idea what to write. I've probably written 4 posts and scrapped em all cause they didn't measure up to all you lovely ladies. SO after think.think.thinking, I said to myself "Self, just write what you know and love!"

So here it is ya'll, I'm telling you about my annual family Christmas photo shoots.

{no not like the Kardashians}

Like many families, mine loves to commemorate our festive Christmas outfits in a picture to preserve for ALL time. We've been doing this forever and I love looking back and taking a gander at those horrific awesome outfits we wore back in the day. Below are two of the earliest Christmas pictures I could find.

 Lil Blondie ruined the Christmas picture....

 Anyone else have a choochoo train around their tree?

 As the years progressed and we learned how to program the self timer on Daddy's camera, the photo shoot time frame GREW!!! I know my parents were relieved when we finally got a digital camera and didn't waste film on sillypictures artistic photos! Since my dad and I sing in our church choir now we are required to attend both the 7&11pm Christmas Eve service. Guess what we do in between the two services???

PHOTOSHOOT TIME!!!

We like to tell Daddy we need to take silly pictures to make sure the camera focuses correctly...aren't we sweet? ;)

Below is a mishmash of some of my favorite photoshoot pictures.

Please enjoy!

Hilarious.ridiculous.and crazy right?!?!?

This picture could be one my favorite pictures of the three sissys EVER.

Anyone else have a Christmas Photoshoot dance party?

Now, so you don't think I'm all kinds of craycray, here are two family pictures that ACTUALLY look normal. The purple one is from 2 years go and the white one is from last year.

{anyonelese notice my MOTHER is wearing the same sweater...SERIOUSLY!?!?}

Our photo shoots always make me happy. I realize how much I love my family and how blessed I truly am. Forget the presents, the decorations, the food (ok maybe not), the tree....being with those you love and care about is the true MEANING of the holiday season. Well, and celebrating the Baby Jesus too.

Thanks Holly for putting this series together and for letting me guest post, I had a blast! And thanks to everyone for reading, I hope I provided you with some holiday humor and cheer.

I'm wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas!

Cookies and Cream Cupcakes {Recipe Files}

Hello lovies, hope your week before Christmas is proceeding awesomely. Mine is going pretty well, I recorded a kickball podcast last night and had to bake a dessert for a work party today. I am known as the dessert girl on my team so I HAD to bring something delish and these lil babies always steal the show. 

I knew I had to share them with ya'll because they are the BEST cupcakes to bring to a party. Seriously, everyone will love you even more if you bring them, I PROMISE.

Behold, the Cookies and Cream Cupcakes

via AliGirl Cooks

***DISCLAIMER, this is in NO WAY my recipe. I found it online. If I am citing incorrectly PLEASE bring it to my attention and I will correct***

This is also my first time sharing a recipe so please forgive all the yellow tinted pictures (iphizzle wasn't playing nice) and the long directions. 

INGREDIENTS you will need for the Cupcakes and Icing:

 Cupcakes:

1box of Vanilla cake mix ( I use french vanilla, nbd)

1 package of Oreo cookies ( you will use about half for the cupcakes and half for the icing.)

Icing:

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, at room temperature

2 sticks of butter, at room temp

2 teaspoons of vanilla

4 cups of powdered sugar

13ish Oreo cookies, crushed

Christmas Pandora station and wine is optional

 1) Line your cupcake pan and place a single Oreo in each liner.

 2) Follow the instructions on the back of the cake recipe box.

 3) Cream cupcake ingredients.

 4) Spoon cupcake batter over Oreos. Fill 2/3 of the way and NO MORE. Otherwise your cupcakes will overflow and look really really weird. Bake according to cake directions.

 5) Take cupcakes out and let cool while you create the icing.

 6)While the cupcakes are baking place the remaindered of your Oreos in a big plastic bag. Push all the air out of the bag and seal it up tight.

7)Using a rolling pin, smash the Oreos in the bag to create small pieces. They need to be small enough to incorporate into your icing. 

 ----Take a break to watch Toddlers and Tiaras.....wait how did that get in there?----

8) Cream together icing ingredients, minus the powdered sugar.

 9)Slowly add in the powdered sugar 1/2 a cup at a time.

***Note, I found that the 4 cups of powdered sugar make the icing way too sweet, so I use about 2.5-3 cups when I make the icing***

10) Remember those Oreos you smashed?

11) Slowly fold the Oreo bits into the Cream Cheese icing.

 12) GENEROUSLY ice each cupcake! Seriously, ya'll, be generous you will have a TON of icing left!

13) Place cupcakes in whatever holder you plan to use.

I added fun Holiday accessories to my cupcakes :)

14) Oh hellllllo surprise Oreo in the bottom of the cupcake! Big glass of milk and ENJOY!

Remember that leftover icing.....yeah, perfect for dipping fruit and desserts in. 

****Sidenote....cake beaters and wine taste AWESOME together***

Yes, I know tasting batter is bad...whateves

If a single small pizza fits on a plate that makes it okay to eat solo right?

Oh haaaaaaaay new wine aerator?

Wine tastes so much better in a Christmas glass.

I hope you all enjoy these cupcakes, they seriously are THAT GOOD!!! Let me know what you think. What is your favorite dessert to make when you attend a party or get together?