Waitin' on Wednesday

Remember when I said that I wanted one of my "making-life-better" plans was to watch more TV? Well, a sista is well on her way to being straight up addicted to this here show: 

Oh my word. I just started watching it a couple weeks ago and I had to get caught up on it immediately. Thank you Hulu Plus and TV on Demand. Now, I am just waitin' on Wednesday to come for my daily fix. DANG it!!!!!!! I can't wait.

I used to think that I would never find a show that I loved as much as Grey's....BUT, I haven't watched TV in like 3 years apparently because I am 3 seasons behind on Grey's. 

Well, I take that 3 years back - I do LOVE The Good Wife thanks to my lady friends at the office.

Does anyone see a pattern here in these 3 shows????? - can we say DRAMA?????? 

Here is what always happens to me- I never watch a show from the beginning. Someone always has to get me hooked on it and then I watch every single episode until I am caught up to what is coming on TV. Then I'm in withdrawal until the next episode. Huge Problem! I am not patient. I should start watching the whole season at one time once it has gone off the air. Spare me the patient weekly waiting. 

And speaking of TV. Let's talk about reasons I HATE American Idol. I know y'all. Am I without heart or brain? What a complete waste of good screen time when that blasted show is on.

1. That show is so staged for the dramaticals. I only watched it because Sean Austin wasted space on the DVR for it and we just happened to both be in the living room when he decided to watch it.

2. Remember Ms. 62919???  Oh the shame. 

3. Why keep putting these poor fools on television???

Seriously? Fast Forward PLEASE! 

4. Showing your true character is Key...

I swear that girl could quite possibly be from the Rox....or surrounding areas. 

Only 2 good things came from American Idol - Carrie and Scotty  - Need I spare my DVR any more hate crimes by continuing to let Sean Austin record the series?

What's all the FUZZ about????

 Here on the Rox it is mid-winter. Well kinda. It is also FRIDAY {insert insanely large cheer}.

But seriously, is it early spring or what? Hello mid-sixty-degree  weather.  If you count all those butter cups popping up (which is a huge concern for me right now considering at my wedding reception they ALL stole the show in the SPRING). Will they come back if winter really gets to be winter here? I mean are we coming to the end of the world or what? We will have 70 degrees, then 27, then 65, then 38... I just don't get it.  Doesn't it say something in Revelation about the seasons not changing anymore, and so on and so on...(note to self, must study Revelation)?????

Anywho, my main concern for this post is a bit of Fashionista "How-To" advice for some staple items of your winter wardrobe. You know how mid-winter your fave sweater or coat starts looking like this........???????

All knotty and fuzz ball-ish??

Well this lovely lady I spent the afternoon with last Saturday..... reminded me of a little trick that my mama taught me about taking care of the mid-winter sweater blues. She had the most delicious teal cable-knit sweater on (which was the perfect color for her complexion by the way) BUT it had some serious fuzziness and lint ball problem. Then, I magically remembered how my mama once showed me how to fix this.

Here is what you need:

Run the cheapo razor lightly against the sweater in a downward or upward motion. NEVER left to right. This will remove lint balls and that extra "fuzz" that comes from wear and re-wear on your favorite sweater. And it's way better than those sticky lint rollers- and cheap!

You are welcome fashionistas! 

 (And yes! I am so "pinning" this!)

Have a great weekend! 

XOXO

STEWpendous!

If you have lived in Roxboro or any surrounding counties, you at some point in your life have probably eaten some Brunswick Stew. And people are down right serious about how it is done. If you are from up North (ya'll do it different I hear), or just moved here, I am so sorry. You just may not understand. 

Churches around here are famous for stews and the absolute best in the county is hands down, Mt. Zion!!!!! Seriously, it is perfectly proportioned for all ingredients and it just makes my mouth water thinking about it. Whenever, we get stew from Mt. Zion UMC in Hurdle Mills, I won't eat anything that day until we go pick it up. I like to work myself up for it. BUT, I missed the boat last time they made one and I forgot to go pick it up. BIG MISTAKE!
 Even though Mt. Zion UMC is my favorite, it is also perfectly acceptable to consume some Austin family stew. Just another perk to marrying my hubby (most of them can cook!)

Having "a stew" or "doing a stew" or "cooking a stew" can be tradition in some families or simply a good time of friends and fellowship. Once the word gets out, you will have some visitors when it's ready to eat!
 

So, right now the Austin houses are plum out of this famous winter staple. So, what better weekend than to cook a stew? It was cold, wet, and down-right STEWpendous weather for breaking out the stew pot. 

I consider myself a connoisseur of such stew concoctions and I am here to tell about it. I LOVE sugar in mine...and salt and extra black pepper. Pair it up with a grilled cheese or saltine crackers and you have got one banging good meal. It's perfect to pull out for last-minute company and even better for cold, rainy days! This weekend was super-fun-filled with plenty of In-laws, hearty ingredients, and kissing on babies. What could be better than family togetherness time and a bowl of hot steamy stew????  Not much.  

Here is my photographic journal of how it went down:

The In-Laws - makin' the magic happen!

GA - overseeing the operations

The stew pot: This pot actually belonged to Sean's great grandfather who purchased the stew pot for 50 cent off a train wrecked railroad car. It had a 6 inch crack in it due to the train wreck in which his grandfather repaired. Now, we cook a stew in it every year!

My daddy even came over to help stir.

GA did it the best! Such a good helper! 

Here are a couple other photos from the weekend that I love!

I can't believe my girl is getting so big and absolutely beautiful!

If you want to make a stew, here is my favorite recipe! (differs slightly from the one we just cooked) -

What you need: 

#40 size pot (approx. 30 gallons)

8 lb. choice stew beef (cook in lots of water and save the broth)

3 Large hens (save broth, debone, & throw away skins)

10 lbs. potatoes diced

1 gallon white corn (straight from the garden is best!) 

9 lbs. onions, diced

1 gal. frozen or canned green lima beans

4 lb. dried baby lima beans (soaked and cooked)

6 gal. tomatoes (we used crushed and 1 can paste)

6 lb. margarine

3 lb. sugar

black pepper and salt, to taste

4 red pepper pods

- Begin with frozen lima beans and potatoes in chicken and beef broth. Cook in black pot until done. Add chopped onions. Cook a few minutes, stirring. Next, add margarine and other ingredients, stirring constantly. After adding corn and dried beans, it will stick easily. If necessary, add additional water at beginning along with broth. Season with sugar, salt, and pepper. 3 hours total cooking.

Get ready for lots of work and some good family togetherness!

It makes me heart smile!

MUSIC makes my heart smile (and the workday much more bearable). I have this one blogger friend who steals my heart with her playlist choices.  I sometimes pull up her blog at work and just leave it rolling all day so I can hear her tunes.  She just put up some new songs over the last week or so and I listened to them all last week. Lindsey, what was the playlist you had up before this newest one???? I loved it too! I think it was some Jesus Culture too?

I HAD to figure out how to make a playlist so I could share my recent listening tunes too. If you want some Jesus-loving, spirit-filled, heart-warming, worship tunes (and a little HOT country too) then just hit play. This is what I'm listening to lately. Music speaks to my soul!!! I can relate to music on so many levels. I listen to contemporary Christian and COUNTRY  the most. I love some down-home country music.  BUT, I love just about all music from old school rap (none of that new stuff the kids are listening to these days) to bluegrass, and so on. That is why this playlist is a lot of Jesus and a few country boys and girls in between. My Ipod is such a random collaboration of music but hey, random is my story and I'm sticking to it! The fact that I have successfully posted this with such ease is a complete accomplishment. Hit play and enjoy your workday!!!!


What are your fave songs at the moment?

Oh Yes - the time has COME!

It has been coming for quite some time now. Yes, it's a new year, a fresh start, WHATEVER. Remember when I shared my Not-so-Resolutions here? Well, I have not been doing real good so far on some of those "making life better plans."  Passout. I blame my attention span.

Anywho, my biggest challenge has been weight loss / exercise etc. Yeah, I know, another passout moment. And by Passout I mean Big Surprise (for you who may not catch my sarcasm). So, it was tonight when I dropped a generous chunk of my red-velvet pudding cupcakes on to the floor, and proceeded to call the 5-second rule (on to perfectly and recently mopped floors) that I realized....what am I doing? Can I not actually miss out on that chunk and spare myslef those few calories??? I think yes. hello reality check.

So here is my dilemma; when I am exercising I feel GrEaT!  I even want to eat better. BUT, once I stop for a while it's kinda hard to start back. Kinda like missing church for a few Sundays to sleep in, and then it's so hard to get back in the grove. Same thing for me in exercising.  I am off track and unfocused and I have been since October. So, I'm pulling out the reinforcements. Meet Stormie...

CIRCA 1980's 

Me and Stormie go waaaaaayyyyyyyy back...Like to my middle school days. I lost like 20 pounds when I met her back-in-the-day. I know. Now, Where has she been? In the attic....chillin!

Now, let's get down to the brass tax. Stormie can come over whenever I want her to. ZUMBA and JAZZERCISE are off limits right now due to Sean working ALL THE TIME and I can't get home and to exercise class and get all my chores done. I know you moms out there are feeling me!

And as an added bonus, her and her spandex-drenched posse, 80's bangs, and leg-warmer friends get their workout on to some Jesus tunes for the perfect blend of aerobic worship.   Ahhhhhhh heaven. Only problem is, I gots to go buy a blasted VCR. It is not available on DVD. You will not believe that there are 4 available as "used" on amazon starting at $36. So, you know it is good when the price is inflated!

Wouldn't that be fun with a group of church ladies on the big screen in the fellowship hall? I'm gonna say - YES!

Just for fun I you-tubed it for you- for a little preview. Some idiot added in his own "clips" of some other crap but you get the point when you see Stormie and the girls. In middle school, I always wanted to be the girl in the blue and pink with the banana clip ;) Just sayin......

Just in case you are wondering: Here is how I made those little red velvet babies:

- One Box red velvet Cake Mix

- One box Cook & Serve Jello Instant Pudding (Vanilla) - Sugar FREE and Fat FREE
          - 2 cups milk for pudding mix

- One small package of chocolate chips

- Whipped Cream Cheese Icing (whipped is the best!)

- Sprinkles :)

By using the pudding you can eliminate the oil and eggs completely from the directions on the cake mix. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by Mixing the 2 cups milk (2%)  and the package of pudding mix. Blend well with a whisk and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes (just enough to get warm).

Then add the red velvet cake mix and stir until lumps have dissolved.

Place about 1/8 cup of cake mixture into baking cups / muffin pan. Then add a FEW chocolate chips into the batter in the cups. Then, add more cake mix into the baking cups/muffin pan until they are about 2/3 full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 19-22 minutes!

Cool completely and then ice and sprinkle! You save calories and fat by using pudding and they are super moist. They are my new fave treat. Good snack for Valentines Day parties! :)

Too bad Stormie up there would not agree :(

My L.o.t. Rox update:

I mainly started blogging last year so that I could whine about all the things that got on my nerves about living in Roxboro.  Blogging was a good try for me because it was FREE and I couldn't really afford a therapist. Trust me, not much has changed - well, except for the fact that I probably still need a therapist. 

Let's discuss...

Here are all the things that I have discovered will always get on my nerves/pet peeves:

1) Wake up phone calls -  some people have learned that you shouldn't wake me up - no matter what the circumstances are. Some people are yet to figure this out.The only person I really let slide is my Mama cause I always love to chat with her in the mornings (and you can't get feisty with yo' Mama even if it is before 8am).

2) the Wal-Mart factor - Seriously...you know that it is impossible to go to the Wal-mart without seeing someone you know. I have quite honestly started skimming the parking lot for cars of those whom I wish NOT to run into. Here is what I have discovered are the best times to go to the Wal-mart to avoid said run-ins:  Tuesday nights after 6:00, Wednesday nights after 7:00 (a lot of people are at church), and Sunday mornings before 9am. You are Welcome :) If you absolutely have to go there, be aware of your surroundings. I pretend not to see people all the time. That is SO bad I know. But some days you just don't feel like 'catching up' while your child plays games on your cell, and people are staring at you like get-out-of-the-way. I hate it when people stop mid-aisle for a reunion. Which always begins with, "how's your Mama?"

3) Why is the frazlin' McDonalds drive-thru line always backed up into the road? I mean how hard should it be for a girl to get a McCafe Caramel Mocha Skinny Latte on demand? I totally miss the Micki-D's at the top of the Hill at the King Bee. And the one in the Wal-Mart does not count....(see # 2) Y'all feel me? ...And speaking of things I miss... remember when Wendy's had a salad / hot bar? DANG I miss those days. This is where I learned of my love for spiral pasta and tomato sauce. AND I miss the Sonic. Who really shops at Rite-Aid anyway??? I am a CVS girl. I would much rather have the Sonic back and hit up a Route 44 Diet Cherry Limeade instead of a Px refill.... Who is with me????

 I know that these things are minor but it would make life more bearable if they could maybe open a Target (to split the Wal-mart crowd and bring on the quality goods), and get another McDonalds, and bring back the Sonic. I am talking quality of life here for the Rox. If you are not from the Rox, be daggone thankful if you can reach a target in a 10-15 mile radius.

BUT, here is what I wouldn't change for nothin' - 

1. Being near my family. (however dysfunctional we may be ;) 

2. Making new friends and growing close to the old ones. I LOVE my Raleigh girls a ton and I MISS them EVERY day, I think of them EVERY day, I PRAY for them still,  but God has blessed me with some extremely wonderful friends since I have moved back home. They make life dreamy and the best part is that they are all my sisters in Christ. Sean handpicked out one for me last year when we were engaged and he said that he thought we would grow to be good friends one day. I told him he was crazy and now I just love her to death. See how God works? And I love me some Sean Austin for encouraging me to do so! I was so frustrated when I first moved home. I couldn't get my hands on my friends enough because they were all so far away. I felt like I was left out of everything here.  Even at some family gatherings, I am sometimes the "outsider" but I have learned that it is OK.  And even some friends BECAME family. God has also blessed me with one incredible friend at church which was an answered prayer for me. Now I find myslef having trouble splitting my time. What a blessing! 

3. Being married to a crazy, funny, handsome, and DRIVE-ME-CRAZY man! I KNOW I drive him twice as crazy! Oh what a year it has almost been. I wouldn't change it for nothin!!!!! We are definitely a unique couple and what we have works for US! We have so much more learnin' to do but we are well on our way. What we have is OURS and nobody can ever take that away. Georgia Anne keeps us laughing all the time. Tonight we all 3 laughed at the table during dinner over something crazy and I thought it was such a cliche but it was just like sitting and watching it in a movie. There we are cracking up at the simplest things, and our life is just revolving around us and we don't even notice. We just roll through our days and take it as it comes. 

So.... all in all, the Rox has sucked me in Y'all. .

Literally, I'm stuck here.

Who could leave all this?

"Oh Snap!" Look what I found...

First of all, I haven't said "Oh, Snap!" in like 8 years at least. Second of all, it was a phrase worthy of being dusted off.

Just look at all the goods I found at Daddy's over the New Years Weekend!  I promised you in this post that I would share. NC Stizzle fans get yo'selves jealous cause boy did Phillip (Daddy) hook a sister up! I was so excited, I had to send immediate 411 to my dearest friend over at Shug in Boots who also LoVeS the Stizzle.


These photos were taken from my new phone which was quite a struggle for me to figure out. Don't judge! 

Now for the Goods: 

Vintage Stizzle playing cards:  

 Check out these Stellar PACK Alums: 

I am so loving the "ACC Champs" - fingers crossed for 2012!

He got game....

"Baller"

I'm loving the plaid sport coat - It is probably red and white ;) Sidney Lowe- eat your heart out shug.

NCSU yearbooks circa 1937, 1938, 1940, 1941 -

 The "Agromeck" - See the Belltower??? - Completely Magical

NCSU Songbook complete with vintage RED records (the complete set of 4)- Anyone have a record player I can borrow?

 

And amongst all of that I found my grandmas "date permit" from her nursing school. Apparently you had to get a permit to go out on a date. I must enforce this when the time comes for GA.  

She was due at 11:00pm. - Notice she didn't return????  Such a rebel.

....See???? I get it honest.......

  There is much more to come but I gots to dive into to daddy's closet. 

I'm hoping for vintage NCSU tee...oh yea!

And may I just say that in the spirit of THE PACK, that the News&Observer FINALLY got something right (and it was laying in our driveway for FREE...they are such a tease...Remember "DEAR TOBY"?????  here is a recap!

Ol' Roy looking some kind of rough? Agreed?

  So long Tarholes! (for this weekend anyway) .... 

There Will be a Day

The chorus of this song is amazing. Be quiet and listen. Sorry I couldn't find a more entertaining video but I am caught up on the words of this song anyway. I am finding comfort in this song right now for so many reasons. I know that we serve an awesome God and he is bigger than anything we can comprehend. But in the midst of knowing that, it is sometimes hard to understand His plan and purpose for our lives. 

It is so hard to accept that what God has in store is not always what we want.  We think it's not fair, we think it's painful, we may even think it is punishment. BUT... God has a plan, a purpose, and a gift inside every move He makes. We all belong to Him... We are all part of His perfect plan...We each have a lesson to learn in Faith.  The largest tragedy can be a testament of Faith within a family, in a closely knit group of friends, or even in a single person reevaluating their faithfulness. How can one have such Faith that they are ready to go and be with the Lord? How can someone praise His name for a life being cut way too short? How can someone praise His name for losing someone we adore? How can someone praise His name for such a loss of friendship, love, laughter, and family? 

The answer is in the song; "There will be a day of no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears." We are promised eternal life that is better than anything we could ever imagine if we trust in Him. So we must do just that. Trust in Him that we may be comforted when we struggle, trust that He has the better plan, trust that we will be changed for good in these situations. Spend every second you have breathing to gain that Faith, to accomplish that mission, to be that kind of man (or woman) that can take shake their fist at cancer and say "I won anyway."  We are not promised tomorrow here on Earth, but we are promised eternity with Him. 

This is the day the LORD has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Psalm 118: 24

ReSoLuTiOn - who?

Life altering resolutions are NOT for me. I am NOT a consistent person. Resolutions and promises are rarely kept and rarely are they sincere. I don't really believe in I'm sorry's, or a "do-over" for mistakes. Chances are it's gonna happen again. Just pick up and move forward. This is such a bad quality. I  know this (to all of you passing judgment and psychoanalyzing me). Admitting is the first step right???? It is entirely too stressful to commit yourself to something for an entire year. As with most of my projects, I lose steam half-way through anyway. However, here is what I plan to do in order to make my life better in 2012:

{1}

Read More Books and Magazines: I really want to do more than look at the pictures and spread them out nicely on my coffee table. Books are also spread throughout my house in nice piles and I keep imagining myslef coming home at night curling up with a good book...yeah right.

{2}

Craft Inexpensively - I want to use more reusable or recycled materials when I'm crafting and I am going to try more of all those "pins" and "likes" on pinterest!

{3} Learn to take the time to actually watch television. Random I know. I watch about 1/2 an hour to 0 hours of television per week. Not even kidding. I am always busy on some project, or gone somewhere, or just focusing on cleaning or organizing something that never gets finished anyway. I want more time to rest. To enjoy actually sitting and doing absolutely nothing. Is there anyone out there who watches less TV than I do? I think not.

{4} Garden Planning - I want to plan more for my garden to make the most from my space and resources. I also want to plant more variety. Gardening gives me such peace of mind and joy. But right now there are some major winter weeds taking over. I just picked the last of my brocolli today and started pulling weeds...Just look what I found chilling amongst the pile of weeds....

{5} Take a time out for a better daily devotional - not just the email kind. I also want to keep a gratitude list that is a daily reminder of all my blessings and how lucky I am. I am stealing this from the Best Boss Ever (who shared an old devotional with me in which she had done the same). I know God has great things in store for the Austin family this year!

{6} Yea Yea...eat more vegetables and exercise. I'm gonna go with ZUMBA once a week. How's that?

What are your "making-life-better" plans? 

PS. Can't wait to share what I got into @ Daddy's today - NC Stizzle fans will LOVE! Promise! 

Until next time, XOXO