Apps...

This morning I thought I would share some of my favorite apps for the iTouch or iPhone. Steve and I got iPhone's back in July. I have never been a big phone person, always had very basic cell phones, so I was hesitant to get a nice, expensive phone. Would I really utilize all the phone has to offer? And the answer is YES. I really like my iPhone and use it often for a variety of things. Below you will find some of my most used apps:

Words with Friends- love this game. You can buy it or download the free version, I have the free app. You can play people you know or random opponents. Basically it is one big, on going game of scrabble. Right now I am playing my dad and both sisters, my cousin, Steve, a couple friends from college, Steve's mom, sister, and bother, and every now and then I play a random person. My app had a bug for a couple days, but I am up and running again today- guess that is part of getting the freebie.

Shazam- this app will listen to and identify any song for you. I was in a book store not too long ago and a song was being played throughout the store that I had never heard and I liked. So I held my phone up and turned on Shazam. I had the name of the song, the artist, and the place to buy it on iTunes on my phone with in seconds- pretty neat.

Amazon- I can keep my book wish list on this app. Very helpful when I am browsing through half price books looking for a name and author of a book. And I can take a picture of any cover of a book and it will find it for me on Amazon. Good place to have my reading wish list.

Local Books- And speaking of books, this app is a must for book lovers. It will locate any book store, library, book reading, or author signing with in 15 miles of you. Very helpful on trips when I am looking for a local book store. It locates them all- from Borders to the mom and pop places.

Tetris- Just like the old school video game. This has provided me with hours of entertainment when I am 'stuck' in waiting situations- like waiting for my oil to be changed...

Backgrounds- this app is totally free and will give you free background for your phone. Like right now, my phone background are those little sweethearts you get a Valentines with the wording on it. They have backgrounds for all holidays and any occasions. It is worth the download.

The Weather Channel- I check this app every morning right when I get up and before I get in the shower. It guides me on what I will be wearing and what route to take to work. Nothing worse than walking out in the elements expecting one thing and getting another- this app is great and very informative.

iGarageSale- Yes they have a garage selling app!! Steve and I will check this on Saturday mornings- mainly for the estate sales that will be going on in our area. And our little phone will take us right to the house with its easy directions and maps.

New York Times- I have all the latest news right at my finger tips in this easy to read app. It helps me stay on track with my new resolution to read more news.

And there are many more I can write about, but those are some of my most used ones. Apps that deserve honorable mention- Bejeweled, Skee-Ball, AAA Roadside Service, Fandango, Pandora, AllRecipes, Yatzee, NPR News, Facebook, and Google. Please feel free to share some of your favorite apps, I am always looking for new ideas! Happy mid-week...

It Is A Good Thing I Like Vintage...

My musical accompaniment as I sit here and type is the greatest hits album from Simon and Garfunkel. Man, they have great voices...

I feel as if the past couple weekends have been packed, so much so that my Monday's are spent tired. but I should not complain too much- so many fun things have been going on and I have some exciting things coming up.

This weekend Steve's parents were in town for the Houston Vintage Radio Convention. Steve's dad Jim collects and restores old vintage radios- mostly from the 20's and 30's. This has always been something I have admired about Jim- I like people who have passion and I think it is pretty neat when you get to see them enjoying their passion.

Steve and I had the honor of spending the weekend in and around the radio conference.

One of the events they have is a contest where members in the club bring radios they have restored, parts and rare radio gadgets they have collected, and unusual radios. Above you will find a restored phonograph. I liked this display because of the cute Nippers- the mascot for old radios.
This display was pretty impressive. These are old tubes in their original boxes. Tubes are the glass bulbs inside vintage radios that transmit sound... I think...
Old radio mics- I thought this was an impressive collection, they came from all over and the collector knew what radio stations the mics inhabited at one time
All of these above figures are radios. I personal think the Tropicana is cute- this was a fun collection.
They were auctioning off many radios throughout the weekend. One of the Houston members passed away over the holidays and left his entire estate (mostly radios) to the radio club. They made over $11,000 from his estate alone during the auction. They gave a nice tribute to him at the banquet. Steve's dad is also a licensed auctioneer- it is fun to watch him auction off stuff- he goes pretty fast.

Saturday night Steve and I went to the annual banquet for the Houston radio club. It was complete with great food, a fun speaker, and guess who won a door prize!!?? That is right, I won a CD collection of old radio shows from the 30' and 40's. Jim Stevens was the speaker for the evening and the one who drew my name for the drawing. He is a Houston icon in radio. Apparently he spent several years on KLOL here in Houston as part of the 'Stevens and Pruett,' a duo that played the morning show. I had never heard of him, but he was humorous and had a fun history to share about his life in radio.

Jim and Beverly spent the night at our house Saturday and went to church with us the next morning. Steve baptized one of our youth during the service- it was a neat thing to be a part of... I love SWC.

Sunday night we had a couple friends over for the Super Bowl game. We ate sandwiches, homemade cookies, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Saints win.

Saturday morning Steve and I did get to go out and hit a few garage sales. I found this lovely painting. I am thinking about redoing my kitchen and letting this art work be the inspiration piece. What do you think? My kitchen mainly has a coffee theme with some vintage mixed in. I have had the coffee stuff since we first got married, and I think am about ready for a new look.
And since I am on a food kick right now, I thought I would share the yummy salad I indulged in tonight. It was fresh spinach from Central Market, dried cranberries, walnuts, avocado, and shredded chicken. I eat every single bit and may have even licked the plate...

Now I am about to enjoy a movie with my husband who just got back from his weekly basketball game. Enjoy the week ahead...

Favorite Things Friday...

Valentine's Style

Today the favorite things theme is anything Valentine's related, so I thought I would share 3 of my favorite memories from past Valentine's.

Memory #1:

The first memory comes from my fourth grade year of school. That year in school I had two boys that liked me, one named Trey and the other Matt. I thought it was pretty fun to have two boys like me, but other then that, no other feelings were exchanged. I do not even think I ever called either one of those boys 'my boyfriend'! Valentine's morning of that year my Mom woke me up early and said I had a surprise in the mail box. I got up and went to the mail box to find a heart shaped box full of chocolates from Trey- my very first Valentine's from a boy other than my Dad!! Later that afternoon my Mom walked into my room and said there was another gift for me in the mail box. Matt had left me a box of Valentine's chocolate. Two in one day! It was a great Valentine's day and a great memory and I ate lots of chocolate that year.

Memory #2:

I did not have a boyfriend my senior year of high school- in fact, I never really had a boyfriend until I went to college. But for some reason that year I was particularly sad not to have a Valentine- corny, I know. When the 14th of February rolled around that year my dad announced to the whole family not to make any plans Valentine's night. That night my Dad took me, my Mom, and my two sisters on a date. He had reservations at one of the nicest places to eat in town and when we walked in he had already been to the restaurant and had the table pre-set. There were cards and gifts sitting at each one of our places at the table. He had hand-picked thoughtful cards for each of us. I still have my card from that night. I love what it says. I remember feeling so loved and special that night. And not only that, I remember thinking, I want I guy who will do stuff like this for me in the future.

Memory #3:

My first Valentine's with Steve as a married couple. I made Steve a yummy, homemade meal Valentine's night. After dinner I gave him my gift and we started cleaning up the kitchen. After the clean up he said- "Let's go get dessert." So we went to Denny's. We shared some pie, drank coffee, and took our time coming home. When I walked into our dorm apartment (remember we lived with 100 freshman boys that first year) all the lights were dim. Steve and I walked into our tiny living room and it had been transformed into a campground. He had a couple of his RA's come in and set up a tent, with a TV and DVD player inside. Candles had been lit and it was very romantic. So we slept in a tent that night and watched 50 First Dates. It was a great evening and made for a great memory. That is one of the many reason's I love Steve- he is so creative and thinks outside the box when planning things for me.

Those are 3 of my favorite Valentine's memories- feel free to share some of yours! Have a great weekend...

I Breathe in, I Breathe Out...

As I sit here typing out my thoughts I am listening to Peter Bradley Adams. If you are not familiar with this artist, I suggest you check him out on iTunes. He is one half of Eastmountainsouth. I am listening to the Leavetaking album- so relaxing.

Work was a constant string of movement today. My workout has been completed. Dinner was healthy and yummy. We watched a great movie. Steve is off to his weekly basketball game. And Hope and I are snuggled on the couch trying to keep warm... it has been a good day.

Remember how I said I was slowing down at work a couple posts ago? What I should have said is my client load has slowed a bit. Which is good, because I got some pretty exciting news Friday- all the junior highs in San Angelo want me to come out in March and speak to their students on dating violence. It is happening... I am moving my work outside of the Houston area. This is big for SBCC is many ways. It has been a goal of ours to take our services and share it with others near and far. So the last week of March will be spent in San Angelo speaking to teens, I am pumped.

Tonight I made chicken salad. It included boiled chicken, cashews, celery, sour cream, mayo, and grapes. We complemented the meal with a yummy spinach salad. We ate our dinner while watching 'Once.' It was fantastic. Click on the green wording and go find out more about the film and then add it to your movie list. It maybe one of the best movies I have seen in a while... Steve bought the soundtrack as soon as the credits started rolling.

I did not go to Steve's b-ball game tonight- 9:30 is a bit late for me... boy, am I getting old. Plus, I have enjoyed my slow evening. Next, a hot bath and then reading in bed.

If you have been wondering about more of my experimenting with Pioneer Women's cooking, below you will find another meal provided by her:
Beans and corn bread. Great for consumption during this cold weather. Steve had this yummy Pioneer Women meal prepared when I got home last Tuesday from work. The beans were okay, the homemade corn bread in an iron skillet was to die for... I might be craving a piece as I type. I also made her apple crisp for a dinner we went to Saturday night. The homemade crust was yummy, but I will have to work with the apples some more, they were a bit crunchy. Oh, the joys of experimenting with cooking. Speaking of cooking, I have added the Julia Childs cookbook to my wish list...

And since this post needs to be a bit more random... I had a garage sale Saturday morning with my friend BM. And we just about sold out. That is right- in the freezing cold weather we had a garage sale and did very well. We sold everything for dirt cheap and closed down shop before noon. Steve and I will be going out to buy a new chair and desk for our study with our spoils from the sale.

Saturday night we went to see a theatrical reading of Screwtape Letters at Hobby Center. It was fantastic. If this performance is coming to a town near you, it is worth the trip. The longer I live in Houston, the more I am loving the easy access to theater, music, and the like. Guess what is coming through in July... WICKED!!!

So enough randomness for now, blessings on the week ahead...

Favorite Things Friday...

Today's theme is favorite crafting products. I enjoy crafting, but I do not have a ton of different products I use. Below you will find a couple I use often...
Ribbon- I love ribbon. No particular brand, but I use it often and on many things. Wrapping presents, hanging pictures, tying back curtains- and the list could go on. I have ribbon everywhere and I love looking for unusual, creative patterns.
Scrap-booking paper. Oh, my love of this item goes back several years. I have used it when decorating letters (I have done this craft with the girls from my small group). Of course I use it scrap-booking. I have made cards out of it. Decorated picture frames. And the below product has helped me when using the paper...
I love to Mod Podge. I go through stages of using the stuff. Above is my favorite brand and can be found at Hobby Lobby. It goes on clean and clear and can add the finishing touch to any crafting project. Makes the scrap-booking paper stick to any surface.
I got my first corner rounder when I was in high school and first started getting into scrap-booking. I do not scrap-book at the current moment, but I do still use this handle little tool. It adds a nice touch to letters and cards. It can round out pictures when I am framing them. In fact, I think this may have been the first crafting item I ever purchased.

Oh Sharpies!!! I have Sharpies all over my house, in every color. I use them writing on packages. I use them creating cards. I uses them when crafting invitation. I use them writing out letters and name tags. I use them just about everyday. In fact, I just used a maroon one this morning to address an envelope.

So there you have it, my favorite crafting products. I know many of them are tradition items and can be used for a variety of things, but that is what makes crafting so great, you can just about turn any thing into a craft!!

A Stroll Through My Brain....

I am feeling pretty relaxed at the moment. I love seeing that sentence typed out. Work has slowed down a bit, I don't feel like I am seeing 5000 clients (exaggeration) a day. I have a couple speaking engagements coming up, which is always a highlight for me. I feel more alive when I am in high schools speaking and hanging out with high school kids. I have recently started running an anger management group on Wednesday nights. It is going very well. It takes awhile to grow a group. This past week, 6 of us gathered for the group. It was a great time of sharing, learning, and, hopefully, growing. Sometimes I still can't believe I get to do what I do...

With work slower and I feel my brain come alive more. When I am totally consumed at work, I often just want to come home, work out to burn off some steam, and veg with a good book or movie. But I am trying to break out of that little routine right now (although there is nothing wrong with a good book and movie!). That is one of the reasons I decided to cook of a full meal Sunday night. I am going to try to stop putting things off and look around me more. Because, let's be honest with ourselves, the world is A LOT big then my little corner. I want to be more in touch with what is going on out there, so here are some things I am being proactive in right now.

Creating bags. When Steve and I first moved to Houston, I was struck at the large homeless population the city has. Coming from small West Texas towns I did not see as many homeless as I see here. Instead of handing out money (which is what I did at times in Abilene), I wanted to able to give them more. So I decided to make give away bags. I created several bags with food, water, and socks, and we gave then out slowly over the course of the next several months. When we ran out, life got busy (like it always does) and I never made more bags. Saturday afternoon we decided to recommit to our bag project. We went to Dollar Giant (a new dollar store that has opened in our area) and stocked up on the following items: socks, deodorant, tooth brushes and tooth paste, combs, raisins, peanut butter crackers, and bottled water. It is not much, but they are often needed items. And the bags sit happily in our cars until we see a need to give them out.
I have not had the opportunity to give one out since we made them up Saturday, but I look forward for the time that I do. The last time I had them in my car they were a great conversation piece inside and outside my car. Inside when youth kids would get in my car they would inquire about the bags and we often had good conversation about the homeless and their lives. And outside my car I have gotten to have some interesting conversations to those I pass the bag onto. I know it is not much and it is not the answer to the homeless situation in Houston, but it is something.

The New York Times. I have started reading the news every day. This is a new discipline I have decided to tackle. Steve repeated a quote to me the other day by Francis Schaeffer. He states that he starts each day with his Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. I have really thought about that quote the last couple weeks. I need to know what is going on in our world. I am not a big political person and I get wary of reading about all that stuff. But in trying to avoid all that, I am missing out on knowing what is going on in our world! So I have switched my home page on my computer to the New York Times and we will see what happens. The two main things I have enjoyed so far are the human interest stories and the health articles.
Steve plays ball. My husband joined a basketball league a couple weeks ago. It is guys from all walks of life, all races, all backgrounds, all styles of playing basketball coming together and enjoying a night on the court. Some of the teams have been playing together since high school (really). Steve's team in relatively new. Many of them are playing together for the first time. It is fun to watch him play, but more then that, it is fun to watch him doing something he enjoys. Plus I get to sit in the 'wives/girlfriends' cheer section. Some of those women really get in to the cheering process. I just clap and yell (softly) 'good job, Babe.' One wife was actually yelling at one of the ref's calls- that is a little too much for me...
Flowers. I think flowers make the house happier. I received these from a friend yesterday. I had enough to divided into a couple different vases. This one is my favorite- a great view by my kitchen window. Usually in the spring and summer I keep fresh flowers around the house- those seasons are upon us!

Random, yes. But these are the things that have been floating through my less stressed brain as of late. For those of you still reading- thanks. Things on the horizon that I looking forward to: hosting baby showers, girls night out, Screwtape Letter's reading, teaching the Roots class on Sunday, a much needed garage sale, and more cooking from PW (tonight is homemade cornbread and beans). Now it is on to work... may your day be blessed.

Cooking A Meal...

Over the last couple weeks I have had a hay day on Amazon. I got a pretty nice gift card to Amazon (thanks Mom and Dad!!) for Christmas and I have made some fun and wanted purchases. One that I have so enjoyed is my new Pioneer Women Cookbook. So tonight I thought I would try a few- well, 3 different recipes. You can read my journey to dinner tonight:

My source of recipes. I really think everyone should have this in their kitchen cookbook collection!! First I tackled her Patsy's Blackberry Cobbler. But instead of blackberries, I used raspberries.
Mixing up the batter. One of the great things about this recipe are the ingredients- there are not very many, always a plus. And minus the raspberries, I had everything on hand! I like simple- makes my grocery list shorter.
After putting the cobbler in the over I started on her Lasagna. I have made homemade lasagna before, but I think I will start using this recipe. We used beef and hot ground sausage from Central Market- the sausage was wonderful. Now that I have been shopping at Central Market, it is hard for me to buy meat at other grocery stores. The lasagna had many steps (like most lasagna recipes I have worked with) but it was very simple to put together.
After sticking the lasagna in the oven I made her Olive Cheese Bread. This was Steve's request for the meal. He loves olives and even though olives are not my favorite, I have to admit, this bread was great and complimented the lasagna well. And again, this was easy to assemble.
And of course Hope was a huge help in the kitchen. She did a bang up job cleaning up all the goodness that fell on the floor...
And after all the food was cooking happily in the over this is what I was left with... good thing my spiritual gift is washing dishes (at least this is what Steve tells me!)
But in no time flat the dishes were done and Steve got home- perfect timing. He walked into an amazing smelling kitchen and a set table...
I halved the lasagna recipe and it is a good thing I did. As you can see above, the half recipe made a ton. Guess what we will be eating for lunch this week...
And what took me an hour and a half to prepare, cook, and get out on the table, took us 15 minutes to eat. And clean our plates we did... it was finger lickin' good.
And now I am closing down this post to go enjoy our raspberry cobbler and Blue Bell ice cream. So if you weren't hungry before you started reading this post, you probably are now- Pioneer Woman can help with that!