My overindulgent Sunday

As the countdown to doomsday begins (will explain in a minute), I've decide to eat, drink and be merry tomorrow. I will not feel guilty for anything I do, say or eat.  It's the biggest game of the season (Texans vs. Cowgirls...ahem, I mean Cowboys) and we are hosting the game viewing/bday party for my daughter tomorrow.  We are having beer, wings, buffalo shrimp, beer, cake, oh and did I mention beer? There will be plenty of beer pong going on as well! I have a strategy....I will LOSE so I can drink more!



All kidding aside, I've decided to overindulge myself because I am having surgery on Wednesday. Specifically, I am having my thyroid removed. Well, the other half, since I've already had the left half removed years ago.

This has been an ongoing pain in my ass since the birth of my son...18 years ago. Long story short, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and put on meds (which have never helped me at all) and then a partial thyroidectomy.  Ever since then, I've struggled with my weight, constant fatigue, small bouts of depression, MAJOR memory problems just to name a few.  A few years ago my primary care doc noticed another goiter on the side. I was like seriously? WTF? Can't things just get back to normal. I'm sick of being sick. So here we go again....more biopsies which means more needles stuck in my neck and the anxiety of waiting on the results while we pray that it's not cancerous.  Turns out everything was ok (according to them, because I still felt like crapola!) Oh, and if you don't know what your thyroid is or what it does, check it out here: Function of the Thyroid  Ok sorry, so it wasn't such a short story ;)

Fast forward to present day and I have a HUGE lump in my neck. It's so big it has it's own heartbeat, zip code,  etc.....I feel like I have a second head, that's how big it is. Tired of people always asking me what's wrong with my neck in addition to the times I catch myself swallowing and feeling it obstructing my airway, I felt it was time to ditch this puppy. I went back to the doctor, voiced my concerns and she said "Wow, let's take that sucker out!" Of course, I had and still have major concerns:

1. I will definitely need to be on hormone replacements for the rest of my life
2. A fear of gaining even more weight (I've read tons of posts where people have had the same thing done     and they gain tremendous amounts of weight) (my doc claims she'll get the meds right and that won't happen. Please pray for me)
3. Another scar (of course, this could work to my advantage for Halloween...I could be the bride of Frankenstein)
4. Being laid up in bed for weeks. I remember my first removal. It was not pretty. I couldn't move because I felt the incision would open.
5. Will I ever be normal again?
6. Last but not least...the PAIN! I remember it being pretty painful. It's right up there with giving birth.

So, you see my concern and the need to rock and roll and party every day until Wednesday?

All this being said, I may not be able to post for a while. I know, I just started posting regularly again. I'm sorry, I suck!  I'm hoping I can get through the pain and prop myself up and be a blogging diva! The only thing I won't be able to do is thrift and list my Etsy items....that makes me sad. The vintage lovers out there will have to wait a few weeks for my newest items.

Well, chick-a-dees, wish me luck, pray for me or send good vibes...whatever you believe in. I welcome it all. Until next time...party your little hearts out! I know I will be.

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Fewer posts these days

With the graduation of my son, I've got my hands full for the next couple of weeks. I won't be doing much posting or listing on Etsy for these couple of weeks. He will be graduating on Sunday and then his party will be the following Saturday....BUSY BUSY BUSY!

Although I am SUPER proud of him and all his accomplishments, I am definitely ready for the party to be over with :)  It's going to be here at my house and you know how that goes....cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning! I would love to replace the deck, but it doesn't look like we'll have enough time for that :(  Let's just say my hubby is better at fixing computers than fixing stuff around the house :)

Wish us luck on the ceremony and party....pics will be coming soon!

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I've been tagged!

I was tagged by I'm Free 2 Be Mommy!

Now, let's get to the good stuff!

Things that make me grumpy!

1. Hearing that people pay BIG money to BUY dogs! ADOPT people! There are too many dogs in this world to support puppy mills! UGH
2. Browsing the "womens" section at the store, only to find things covered in flowers! Hello! we like to dress cute too! 
3. Getting a pedicure only to have the paint chip the next day!
4. Having to watch tennis ALL DAY because the hubs has DVR'd all the matches
5. When you give someone the opportunity to cross the street (you're in your car)and they take their time! 

I am tagging the following bloggers!


Height of Vintage
Real-Vintage
Savi

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My Favorite Local Designer

I am ashamed to say that I've been hiding something from you guys. Something.....actually, someone amazing. I don't know why, but I've just now thought about sharing her with you :)


Some years ago when I started working for UT, I met LaTarsha Williams aka Delmonicole. I got to know her as a person and we became pretty good friends.  She had always mentioned how she would love to start her designing career. We would always talk about how each of us would love to start our own businesses and not have to work for "the man" :)


Luckily for us, we were both able to start our dreams.  For her, quite literally. Let me explain...when we would discuss her ability to come up with fashions, she would tell me that her designs would come to her in her dreams!! She would describe to me how her dreams would dictate what her next design would be.  It was just amazing and so are the creations...which is why I just had to share them with you.  I'm hoping that she'll start creating plus sized designs because we are in desperate need of a good designer!! :)


Below are a few examples of what she's created:

As you can see she is UBER talented and creative! I wish her all the best with her Delmonicole clothing line.

If you are interested in any of the above designs, you can contact her directly at delmonicole@yahoo.com

Her website will be up and running soon! It's www.delmonicole.com for future reference.

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How do you not get offended?

Lately, there have been quite a few people that have asked me what is up with my son's posts on Facebook.  They've been somewhat emotional and depressing.  So, I get the people telling me the following:  tell him to grow a pair, be a man, stop being a wuss, put his purse down, stop being such a girl, does he want some cheese with his wine....you get the picture.

First, let me explain that he is 18 and has recently endured a breakup. Now, we all know at 18 we have found "the one" and are devastated by a breakup. It's the end of the world and nothing you can say or do matters. Remember those days? I certainly do, which is why I can totally relate to him and none of his posts bother me.  So, why should it bother others? If you don't like it, don't read it, right? Well, that's my opinion, I guess.

I also attribute his emotions to being raised solely by a woman and being around nothing but women growing up.  I was a single mother when he was 8 and his father was absent for the first few years after our divorce.  That combined with the fact that all my girlfriends gave birth to girls (all around the same age as my son) and that's who he grew up with. My friends tease him saying that the outside world sees him as a major "player" because he's constantly surrounded by girls and he has never seen it because he considers them his cousins. They all call him when they have a problem with a boy.  He's been exposed to lots of progesterone! :)  I can honestly say that he's a very sensitive male.  He's in tune to what women want and/or need.  Is there something wrong with that? He's also the biggest worry wart you will ever meet. I have to constantly remind him that things should never get serious enough to risk your own health (he's had episodes where he worries so much that he makes himself sick).

Another thing...some of his posts have to deal with his current dilemma on college choices, whether to stay at home or go away to college.  Major life changing decisions.  So, where they may seem like he's being overly sensitive, he's actually just stating the obvious....that he needs to take things seriously right now and make a decision for his future.  Of course, no one knows what he's talking about, unless they ask.  Which, they have not.

So, I ask you, my readers....should I be offended when people say, tell your son to grown a pair? My take on the issue is....if you don't like what he's saying, then don't read it. Am I being too sensitive about the whole issue myself?

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My furry kids

Between the family, friends, fashion and parties, there is a super special place in my heart for my furry children. I can't express how much these little babies mean to me.  The newest addition to my family is Dory and she has just grabbed my heart and not let go. I asked my husband today if there is such a thing as loving a dog TOO much. To which he replied "if you find yourself painting her toenails, then yes".  Whoops, too late then!

I try and take her with me everywhere. I've even told my hubs that I'm tempted to move to Austin because the city is just so dang pet friendly and I love it! You can take your pets to restaurants!  I totally wish Houston would follow them. I even bought a "purse" to carry her around in. :)

I've been taking pictures of her left and right. I think I have more pics of her than I do of my own kids....sad, right? In my defense, my kids don't really like taking pics.

Here are a few I would love to share with the world (well, with the few of you that follow my blog).  Check them out...she's aDORYble! hahaha

Don't you just want to kiss her?

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Did I mention....

Mom and Dad
Originally uploaded by nancymlittle

That I have the best parents ever? It's not a special anniversary date or anything like that. I just wanted to dedicate this post to my parents.

They have been the most amazing parents one could ever ask for. I admire them to no end. They have been married for 39 years. Their 40 year anniversary is coming up in May. Unfortunately, they won't be here to celebrate with us, but it's ok....they are going to Costa Rica!

Our life was pretty normal and I thank them for that. I always hear all these stories from different people about how horrible their childhood was or how they didn't have both parents around at all times.

Granted, it wasn't always peachy keen, but it was great growing up around them. We had our disagreements (mostly mom and me). Dad was the enabler (heehee) and I was his baby girl (I still am). I have to admit, I got away with quite a bit, BUT my brother got away with a LOT more (with my mom). Can you tell I'm still bitter about this? lol

Even though I didn't get to do a lot of things because of how strict my mom was, I appreciate that she cared enough to set those rules in place. I know I didn't like it at the time, but as I grew older and had Vincent, I knew exactly why she did what she did with us.

Mom and Dad, I love you with all my heart and I thank God for you each and every day. I may not show it all the time, but it's true. Thank you for being such great parents and teaching us right from wrong. I will pass on all those life lessons to my kids and hopefully do as good of a job as you guys did.

Thank you! MWAH!

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I need his energy!

I thought this was just too cute and had to share. Check out the little old man busting some moves!

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To Prom or Not to Prom?

As you all know, my son is 18 and graduating this year (gulp...did I just say that?).  We were talking last week and I asked him what we needed to do to get ready for his prom.  Meaning, tux, transportation, dinner, etc.  We, he informed me that he's not going! I was really shocked!  I mean, I know his girlfriend isn't in town and he wouldn't be going with anyone in particular, but I thought he'd at least go with friends.

Our discussion continued on by me saying the usual mom thing. This is the only opportunity you'll have to go to prom. You'll miss out on this experience and you'll regret it later.  You know, what everyone tells you if you decide not to go.  He proceeded to tell me that he just wasn't interested in going.  That isn't his scene or type of thing he likes to do (which is true).  He's such a laid back kid, keeps to himself, doesn't go out and stays home all the time.  He's the complete opposite of me!

While I'm sad that he's going to miss out on this experience, it's just par for his entire HS life. He's never taken any interest in any dances or outings. I've had to come to terms that he's not going and although I'm upset about it, I'm still so proud of the man he's become.  He stands up for what he believes in and is a leader, not a follower.

I love my son!

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Is it a vodka Friday tomorrow?

A few posts back I had mentioned "vodka Fridays" and promised to explain it later on. As I sit here finally relaxing after a long day of cooking, cleaning and preparing for one of my best friend's bday tomorrow, I figured now is as good a time as any.

Vodka Friday's came about quite some time ago when I would work from home on Fridays and my friends would come over for some fun in the sun by my pool. After I was finished with all my work, we would go outside and layout and drink vodka and tonic drinks. Hence the name: Vodka Fridays. This continued for pretty much every Friday until I was told we could no longer work from home :(

Now that I am no longer working, vodka Friday's have started up again (usually when the weather gets warmer). We've only had one so far because of scheduling conflicts, but we are back on tomorrow! My best friends bday happens to land on a Friday, so what better way to celebrate? This Friday however, we will have a brunch for her since her hubby has plans Friday night. So, in lieu of vodka, we will have Mimosas!

I've spent the whole day preparing for her brunch. Cleaning, cooking, and baking. I really hope it doesn't rain (there is a 30% chance). More importantly, I really hope she enjoys herself.

I also wanted to share a recipe from Food Network that I tried today. It's for a mini quiche. Specifically a Mini Mushroom and Sausage quiche. Please see below for the link to the recipe. I did tweak the recipe some by adding bacon, caramelized onions and shredded colby jack cheese in addition to the mushrooms and sausage. Also, I added a tiny bit of salt and pepper to the egg mixture for flavor. I had to prepare all the ingredients separately because the bday girl does not like mushrooms. So I made a special batch for her.

Of course, I had try one to make sure they were edible. WOWSA! They were awesome!

Some of the reviews had said that the mixture was too runny or juicy, but that if you made them the day before, refrigerated them and reheated them the next day they are much better. That's why I made them today. If they are better than they were today, then my guests are going to LOVE me! :) I will let y'all know!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/eating-well/mini-mushroom-amp-sausage-quiches-recipe/index.html

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Need inspiration?

Do you need a reason to get up in the morning? Are you feeling down because of what life has thrown your way? Or are you just having a bad day? I encourage you to watch the following video for a guaranteed pick me up.

This man is truly an inspiration. After wiping away the tears from my face, I realized that my "problems" were not THAT bad. It's all in the attitude! It's like he says: Attitude is Altitude! I'm definitely downloading this to my iphone so the next time I start to complain about something insignificant, I can remember that it's not worth getting worked up about.

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Beannachtai na Feile Padraig!!! (Happy St. Patrick's Day in Gaelic)

This is one of my favorite days of the year. I  look forward to hanging out with friends and family at our usual spot, Griff's Shenanigans Bar in Montrose.

Each year my friends and I make sure we have the day off to prepare (i know...we're dorks!).  Last night I went above what I usually do and painted my nails..have a look:

you like?

















I know it's only 10:00 am but I've been waiting weeks for one of these:

can't wait!














Here's wishing you the best St. Patty's day ever and stay safe out there!

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