It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Well, sort of. Since our temps in AZ have dropped down to the high 70s-80s I am officially in the Fall/Winter holiday mood.

I recently started my Christmas shopping...slowly but surely I hope to have a good handle on my shopping so I'm not doing any crazy last minute runs.

In an effort to keep on track I plan on attending this craft fair on Friday, Nov. 5 after work. I hope to score some pretty nifty gifts for everyone!

Check it out here!! I'm so excited!!!

http://www.cschandler.com/boutique

Recent loves

My current obsessions/loves:

• Minted --- amazing cards, etc. (Hopefully getting our Christmas cards from here)
• Ruche --- I.can't.help.myself.from.wanting.everything.on.this.site
• Gray nailpolish --- chinchilly by Essie
• Yellow high heels-- just bought an amazing pair
• WhippyCake ---own one- want many, many more.

Take a...

This is AMAZING!!!!! I have only tried one flavor thus far, but let me tell you--- this is some GOOD stuff! :)

Starbucks carries the Blackberry flavor (which I've tried), but there are many more flavors to choose from. Looks like they can be found at Whole Foods and Sprouts.

Zero sweeteners, zero calories, zero preservatives---unsweetened flavored water!

Check it out here:

drinkhint.com

101 goals in 1,001 days

1. Walk every night or morning
2. Donate to the Arizona Humane Society
3. Paint a painting to hang in our house
4. Paint the upstairs Aug. '10
5. Take a flash workshop
6. Cook a Thanksgiving meal- doesn't have to be on turkey day
7. Shoot a newborn photography session
8. Shoot a toddler photography session
9. Shoot a family photography session
10. Find a church in the East Valley
11. Buy a laptop
12. Buy a camera
13. Purchase editing programs
14. Think only positive thoughts for one whole day
15. Go a week without coffee :(
16. Go a week without soda :(
17. Send out cards to friends and loved ones
18. Visit Hofstra & NYC with my mom
19. Have one full day as a "Pat Day"
20. Purchase dining room table/set June '10
21. New light fixtures for the house
22. Outside of house painted
23. New patio outside
24. Garden outside... see a trend yet?
25. Travel and visit my closest friends
26. Have a kiddo of our own
27. Go camping
28. Travel outside of the US
29. Have a garage sale
30. Complete the Virtual tour at work
31. Make 5 new friends
32. Join a club/league
33. Lose 10 pounds
34. Buy another pup
35. Teach Mags 5 new tricks
36. Road trip to somewhere...
37. Take Pat to Vegas
38. Go to a gameshow taping
    
39. Host a pre-Christmas dinner at our house
40. Help a complete stranger
41. Don't go on Facebook for one whole day
42. Begin a vitamin regime
43. Have a spa day
44. Stay at a local hotel/resort with Pat
45. Go tubing down the Salt River
46. Gain confidence
47. Enroll in a fitness bootcamp again...oh dear
48. Create an Etsy account
49. Buy a new coffee table
50. Purchase nice bedding (sheets, comforter, etc.)
51. Drink atleast 3 bottles of water a day
52. Design a photo album and have it printed
53. Create a video
54. Do 25 push-ups every night
55. Get wedding album
56. Organize closet/dresser drawers
57. Organize under-the-stairs closet...oh boy May '10
58. Stick to our budget
59. Bake homemade cinnamon rolls
60. Bring Pat breakfast in bed
61. Wake up no later than 6 a.m. M-F
62. Drive to CO with Pat & Mags
63. Go snowboarding
64. Go wakeboarding May '10
65. Get my make-up professionally done
66. Date night with Pat - Compass Room
67. Crafty, homemade Christmas gifts
68. Re-do Pat's office
69. Plan/host/decorate/design an entire event/party
70. Purchase a Keurig
71. Go back to Hawaii
72. Purchase new work wardrobe
73. Purchase new make-up
74. Conquer the sewing machine
75. Buy new purses
76. Purchase new luggage
77. Start savings acoount for retirement
78. Start savings account for children's college
79. Create emergency fund
80. Go to Liberty Market
81. Visit antique stores in PHX
82. Decorate walls in house
83. Bathe Mags 1/month
84. Pray every night
85. Read 2 books/month
86. Go to the state fair
87. Visit Chicago
88. Clean out all junk drawers in the house
89. Go on a hike Aug. '10
90. Make our own pizza
91. Eat a piece of fruit every day
92. Visit a top restaurant in AZ
93. See the Grand Canyon
94. Go to Flagstaff, Pinetop or Prescott
95. Join a photography forum
96. Print & frame some of my work
97. Frame my diploma
98. Visit a state we've never been to...
99. Go to Fright Fest
100. Go to Disneyland/World
101. Write goals for the next 1,001 days

Easter time!!!

Good morning!!! Once again I apologize that I am a horrible blogger! I need to get better at this!

Easter is around the corner (2 days away) so I began to search some sites for a great dessert to make! It has become a tradition for me to bake something on the holidays. My usual fall-back plan is cupcakes or cookies....I wanted to change it up this time! I wanted to make sure the dessert was yummy and festive!

That is when I found this beautiful cake!!! I will be baking this baby either Saturday night (late) or really early Sunday morning!

Here's the recipe, thanks to Sweets by Patter Pinner, just incase you feel like whipping one of these up this weekend!

STRAWBERRY CAKE

1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix (w/o pudding)

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry jello

1 TBL self-rising flour

4 tsp granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Combine the cake mix, jello, and sugar in large bowl

*Mix well

*Add oil

*Add eggs (one at a time-beating well)

*Add water and strawberries (mix well)

*Divide batter evenly into three 8-inch round baking pans (floured & oiled)

*Bake 25-35 min (toothpick should come out clean)

*Transfer the cake layers to wire racks to cool (10 min)

*Run knife around inside of pan edge (remove cake from pan and let it cool completely)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 (8 ounce) block cream cheese (softened)

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter (softened)

2 (1 pound) boxes powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

pink food coloring

4 strawberries (sliced)

*Combine cream cheese and butter

*Beat until soft and pliable (no lumps)

*Add one box of powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract

*Beat until all mixed in

*Add second box of powdered sugar

*Beat until all mixed in

*Place coconut in small bowl, add two-three drops of pink food coloring

*Mix with hands

*Frost cake

*Decorate top of cake with colored coconut and sliced strawberries

Let me know how this turns out!!!! This will be my first time making it as well!

ENJOY!

HAPPY EASTER!!!

-Ashley

Pay it Forward

Something happened to me today...As I sat in my car, heat pumping, music playing, waiting for my tall Cinnamon Dolce Latte to be created, I was offered a choice.

"Someone paid for your drink!" - says the Starbucks barista (S.B.)

"Really? Wow!" -says me.

"Actually, people have been paying-it-forward for about 30 cars now..." - says S.B.

"Wow! How crazy..." -says me

"So, you have a choice...You can either get a drink for free; your lucky day! Or, you can pay it forward as well...and pay for the car behind you. Their total is more than yours... around 7-8 bucks." - says S.B.

Silence....

I wanted to say yes. I so badly wanted to say yes. I believe in Karma, and that what comes around goes around...but I partly shocked myself when I said, "I will do it next time, I swear."

It might have been that I know I shouldn't be getting Starbucks at all...and that I personally probably pay their yearly income by how much I frequent that Starbucks. It might be that I knew I would get a lecture from my husband in disbelief that I spent over 7 dollars at Starbucks. Or that my bank account is slowly dwindling down and that I really need every penny I have so I can get to my sister's wedding...

So I was grateful that I was given the opportunity to have a free coffee drink. So grateful that I did not realize how selfish I was being...until I pulled away and took the first sip.

Even though the Barista told me not to feel bad, and that he totally understood, I felt bad. I felt horrible. So horrible that hours later I am writing a blog about it!

I arrive early to work and check Facebook really fast...The first wall post I see..."Do a good deed today."

You. have. got. to. be. kidding. me.

I look at my drink...Ugh! What was I thinking? I can't believe I did not say yes.

I'm sorry to the car behind me...I'm sorry to that Starbucks. I must look like a tool.

I learned my lesson...As crazy as it sounds, I learned a lot about myself this morning...

I am grateful for my free drink this morning, but even more for the opportunity to really evaluate some things.

Pathetic Blogger. Yummy cookies!

It has been months now since my last blog. Wow. I'm truly not a pro at this. Things have been a little hectic due to weddings and the holidays, but I have returned...and I bring goodies.


Here is a recipe to a delicious, delectable, chocolate cookie...One of Pat's favorites. Thank you Paula Deen.

I made them for the first time this Christmas! Enjoy!

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

• 1 brick pkg of cream cheese ( 8 ounce- room temp.)
• 1 stick butter (room temp.)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
• 1 box of Chocolate cake box mix (18-ounce)
• Confectioners' sugar for dusting

*In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

*Beat in the egg

*Beat in Vanilla extract

*Beat in cake mix

*Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs

*Roll the chilled dough into Tablespoon-sized balls

*Roll in confectioners' sugar

*Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart

*Bake 12 min at 350 degrees

*Cookies will remain soft and "gooey"

*Cool completely and add more sugar if desired

Yums!