Cooking & Puppy Parents

I decided that for the next two or three months, I am going to try out three or four recipes a week. I'm going to try to cook a variety of recipes: quick, healthy, elaborate. This is an attempt to make eating at home more enticing...and to give me a new hobby :) The first new recipe was last night. I chose a quick one from Rachael Ray's Get Real cookbook. Who would have thought Rachael would have a low carb cookbook with all of those pasta dishes she makes on her show?!?!

Anyways, my mom had reccomended the recipe to me - Portobello Pepperoni Pizzas. I figured that since we both like portobello mushrooms and pizza, it would go over well. Jay did not care for them at all. (I told him that he had to be honest with me and that I would be FURIOUS if he told me hated something after I made it five or six times). I thought they were a decent healthy alternative.

The Clarion-Ledger had an article yesterday about dogs modeling clothes for a charity. Everyone was laughing about the silly outfits the dogs were wearing (seriously, dogs need sunglasses???) Then I had to admit that Abby has a few sweaters, we took her to have her picture made with Santa, and that she "likes" wearing her sweaters. Yes, I know. It's not normal. We don't have kids. In all fairness, Abby is boarded at the vet's office, not Chateau Le Pooch. Classical music for dogs? I don't think so. Abby is not THAT spoiled. Hopefully we will not spoil our kids like that! :)

Ceremony, Oxford weekend, and a growing puppy

The ceremony was yesterday morning. It was at the Capitol in the Supreme Court room. There were 22 of us receiving our certificates. I know that there were more people who passed recently but they chose not to come. The oldest practicing CPA in the state (he's 84) was the speaker. I hope when I'm that old, I'm not still worrying about like-kind exchanges and debits and credits.

Jay, my parents, and Grandmother were there to cheer me on. My dad took so many pictures that I rolled my eyes and said "Daaaaad, stop taking pictures! I'm tired of smiling!" (Just like when I was in junior high and high school). I even had to stand up there a few extra minutes when receiving my certificate so Jay and my dad could get pictures.

We all went to Keifer's (my favorite) afterwards. My mom, as always, had something special to celebrate the occassion, thus the cookie cake above. It was sugar -- and so good!

Jay and I got to Double Decker late. We enjoyed walking around and looking at the art, pottery, and jewelry for sale. There was a lot of food too. I don't think that I have ever seen so many "different" looking people (piercings, tattoos, goths, skaters, etc.) in Oxford as I did yesterday. A lot of stores were having sales, and I got a fabulous DvF dress (on sale!!!) at Village Tailor. We ate at Ajax Saturday night.

We bumped into Robert & Megan on the square Saturday night. I am always convinced that

1) no one reads my blog

2)people read my blog and think that I am really weird (not too far-fetched! haha)

Well, I learned otherwise! They both read my blog and Megan is a huge GWTW fan like me too! Thank goodness there is another one!!

We picked up Abby from the vet this afternoon. She weighs 8.3 pounds now! She has gained 2 pounds since we left her there. She has been wheezing lately so we asked the vet on duty to look at her while she was being boarded. We were worried she had asthma. It turns out that she has seasonal allergies, and now we have to figure out how to give her two pills a day.

Big day tomorrow! :)

My "ceremony" to get my CPA license is tomorrow...finally! I am quite excited; finally I will have something to hang on the wall in my office! :)

We are going to Oxford right after the ceremony for DoubleDecker weekend. We will get there kind of late, but I have always wanted to go but something has always come up. When I lived in Oxford, I was home that weekend to interview for a job. Oh well, it should be fun anyways! It will be good to get away at least. I am hoping that we can find some art to hang on our walls as we haven't hung up anything yet. We need a lot of stuff to hang up (which is part of the reason I have delayed hanging anything). After I moved in October, I was still studying for the exam, then it was the wedding, then traveling for Christmas, then tax season, so hopefully we can start hanging some stuff up soon.

Speaking of getting away...we are leaving for Jamaica in 15 days! Yay!!!

Get Lucky

Ok, I think I have a new website to worry about shopping too much on now. Ebay and Anthropologie are bad enough as it is, but now one of my favorite stores in Oxford, Get Lucky is now on the web. You really must visit the bricks and mortar store if you are in Oxford (it's on University). They have also opened a new store in Hattiesburg that I fully intend to visit the next time I'm down there visiting my mom's family.

Most of their stuff is in smaller sizes - 0,2,4,6. I believe that I have seen a few things in a size 8. A lot of their stock is samples, and it is my understanding that these are usually small sizes. Everything is so unique, and the prices are great (compared to retail). They carry lines such as Anna Sui, Nieves Lavi, Beth Bowley, Nikka New York, Adam+Eve, and my personal favorite, Prairie New York. A lot of this stuff isn't available around here - imagine that, considering our not so hot shopping scene here! I personally hate seeing someone wearing the exact same thing that I am (it drives me crazy!!!) but you won't have that problem if you shop at Get Lucky.

My first purchase (via the website - I've shopped in store before) arrived today. I ordered late Friday night, so that is relatively fast shipping -- and shipping is FREE through the end of April. The damages: a Prairie New York dress (cream with blue and brown peacocks), a yellow/gold Prairie New York top, and a grey Adam+Eve top.

For all of you ebay-ers out there, they do have an ebay store. Again, more great stuff! :) I stumbled across it by chance the other day.

Anyways, I apologize for my exuberance, but anyone who knows me in real life -and I imagine that's pretty much my blog audience - knows that my life-long goal has been to have my own boutique one day. I tend to envy anyone who has reached that goal already. Don't get me wrong, I love being a CPA (no, really I do) but I think being an entrepreneur and your own boss is ultimately the best gig out there. And if you can combine that with something you're passionate about, then what more can you ask for??

Update! (finally)

It's been forever since I have posted (sorry). Things got kind of crazy at work, and I wouldn't be doing anything other than complaining about that, so no one missed anything. :) Jay and I have also had some things going on that we can't exactly broadcast over the Internet...not yet at least. Hopefully that story will have an ending that I can share soon! It is so awkward writing/talking about your life and leaving out huge chunks of what you are thinking about, praying about, and stressing about.

Anyways, tax season went really well this year. The whole 45 hour a week thing worked out really really well...until the last week and a half, that is. Of course, it's no one's fault that NE Jackson got hit with a tornado and our electricity was off for two and half days at the office. We (I) worked 65-70 hours that last full week before deadline. I know people work crazy hours like that year-round, but there is NO way that I could ever do that. I mean, it requires so much concentration, at least for me it does! One thing I noticed this year is that I feel so much more confident about my work and things that once seemed so difficult are now almost second nature. I know it's dorky, but I do love my job! My boss(es) don't read this blog, I swear; I really do mean that :)

Updates on the homefront:
1. Last week when I was off,I totally reorganized our closet and picked up the HUGE pile of clothes on the floor. It was driving Jay crazy. (Thanks Leigh, for making fun of me!)

2. We got a patio set for the backyard. It looks great! I'm very excited. We grilled out last night (Sunday night tradition at our house) and ate outside! I'm sure that this won't last too much longer, but we can at least enjoy it while the weather is so gorgeous.

3. Abby started digging holes. She is quite the little digger! Not cool!

I am reading Rhett Butler's People right now. My mom loaned it to me, along with the new John Grisham novel, which I read in about 2 days (It is a must read!!) I'm not sure about how feel about this "companion" to Gone With the Wind. So far, it has been pretty believable, unlike that awful disaster years ago Scarlett (insert shudder here). What self respecting GWTW fan would believe that garbage about Scarlett going to Ireland and marrying some abusive Brit?!?! I don't think so. I have read GWTW four times (I think) and this summer, I will make it five. Anyways, Rhett Butler's People is like GWTW, but it focuses on Rhett - his background and why he is who he is. Belle Watling's character is developed more as well. Has anyone else been curious about her? I have always wondered about her. The book (GWTW) hints at the fact that Rhett fathered her child, but the child is only mentioned in passing in the movie. It will be interesting to see what the author has dreamed up regarding her illegitmate child.

Jay and I went to see 88 Seconds Saturday night. It was actually an okay movie. We both love thrillers, and this one wasn't bad. It is a bit graphic in the first few minutes of the movie, but it didn't last, fortunately. LeeLee Sobieski is in the movie. Remember her, the Mathlete dork from Never Been Kissed who gets Alpo dumped on her at the prom? It is interesting to see her in a movie with Al Pacino. Definitely not his greatest movie, but certainly undeserving of the awful reviews it received. Nothing good is out in the movies right now :(