Minimum Requirements.

I mentioned here that we recently went to a UT football game. During the game, I came to the conclusion that there really needs to be some minimum requirements to be able to get a ticket. I am not talking about a high bar for admittance, but there should be some basic safeguards in place, especially for high-demand games.

As a disclaimer, I bleed burnt orange. For example, as a baby, I had a longhorn onesie. I have probably been in front of the TV for the majority of UT games my entire life (even if all I remember was my dad yelling at the refs).

In any event, we had a heck of a time finding tickets to the UT/Tech game. We were constantly scouring craigslist and would contact the seller almost instantaneously, and the tickets would already be gone. It was crazy. We finally found some tickets (after several people before us flaked on the seller). So with that background of being totally consumed with trying to find tickets (and we were willing to pay what I consider to be a premium), I was a little perturbed with the people I saw in the stadium. That led me to think about some requirements UT should have in place to get high-demand tickets.

1. You have to have at least a basic understanding of football. I am not talking about having to know all the hand signals used by the refs or the height, weight, hometown, and middle name of each player on the team, but merely a working knowledge of how the game is played. The boyfriend of the girl sitting next to me had to explain what downs were and that after 3 of them, if the team doesn't get 10 yards, the other team gets the ball. Puh-lease. I am pretty sure my mom understands that concept (no offense, mom).

2. You cannot even think about bringing a book, newspaper, or have your cell phone out during the action. Someone sitting near us was texting almost the entire game. She was paying absolutely no attention to what was happening on the field. Even when the person she was with tried to get her engaged in the game, she was having none of it and continued texting away. That brings me to point 3 . . .

3. You have to appreciate either college football or UT athletics. The same texter mentioned in number 2 sent the following message: "OMG. These people are crazy. They are yelling." (Yes, I have no shame -- I read her text message.) Are you kidding me chick, you are in a stadium with over 100,000 longhorn fans at one of the biggest games of the season. You better believe we are yelling Texas Fight!

Perhaps if these requirements were met, it would give people who are actually fans of the game a better shot at getting tickets. It's a win-win, really. People who don't understand football, don't care about UT or college football, and who would rather read a book or text a long lost friend can do so in the privacy and quietness of their own home without all the crazy, longhorn fans around disturbing them.

Dishwashing Soap Bottle.

A while back, I saw the clever idea of using an antique bottle for dishwashing soap on brooklynlimestone.com. At the time, I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for and settled on this little bottle from Crate and Barrel.


It was nothing fancy, but it did the trick and was better than the plastic bottle that the soap comes in. Recently, the little stopper fell in the bottle, so rather than figure out how to fish it out, I took it as a sign that it was time to find something new.

After some looking on ebay, I found the perfect bottle! I love how it has 8 sides!


Evidently, Schenck's Pulmonic Syrup was a concoction of Chamomile, worm-wood, catnip, essence of tansy, hyssop, hops, hoarhound, comfrey, senega, gum Arabic, licorice, elecampane, Indian turnip, lemon juice, brandy, and water. It was used to treat sore throats. (source: here).

Sounds like some very interesting ingredients. In any event, it looks super cute on the counter and makes dishwashing more enjoyable (if that is even possible).

Ikea Trip.

(Sean, this post is for you. I know you have been anxiously waiting . . .)

I mentioned in my post here that we bought something that required assembly from Ikea. We bought two Henriksdal chairs for our dining room. I love our dining room table and chairs (which we recently recovered), but the room just seemed a touch dark and needed a little updating. I kept seeing pictures of upholstered chairs at the head of the table and loved the idea.

Here is a before picture:

Thankfully, the chairs were very reasonably priced and were actually cheaper than some of the slip-cover options I was looking into.

It's nothing major, but I love the new look!

Austin Trip.

I am way behind in my posts, but last weekend we went to the UT/Texas Tech football game. We paid way too much for tickets last minute from craigslist, and then Justin pricelined (yes, I just made that a verb) a great hotel for cheap the afternoon before we left. It was well worth all the craziness trying to get everything lined up (even for a type A personality like me).

We got into Austin on Saturday and went to the Salt Lick for some delicious bar-b-que with some friends from my office. After we recovered from our meat coma, we headed to the game.

Thankfully it was an evening game, but it was still hot! The game was great (and was even better since we won)!


After the game, our friend Chris picked us up and took us to Tiff's Treats. They make cookies and deliver them warm to your door (with milk). Pure genius! They also have a pick-up location, which is where we headed. I hadn't had them since I was in college, and they were just as tasty as I remembered.

We then met up with Jeremy and Meagan at Kerbey Lane. Yes, that's right -- we had some delicious cookies and then went for some dinner/breakfast. You have to eat the cookies while they are still warm (and drink the milk while it is still cold).

Here are me and Meagan waiting for our table:

And the boys (Justin, Jeremy, and Chris):

Sunday afternoon on our way out of town, we met up with Chris, Jeremy, Meagan, Zach, and Carrie for some great food at Matt's El Rancho.

Good food, good football, and good friends make for a great weekend!

Dream Home.

Sorry I have been MIA -- I have been in Minneapolis for a mediation. Thankfully, my trip was uneventful compared to this recent flight from Houston to Minneapolis.

Anywho . . . I came across my dream home tonight via decorpad. Check it out here. This house is decorated beautifully. I won't even tell you how many times I have watched (and drooled over) the slide show.
I would move right in and not change a thing! Love the lighting, the furniture, the master bathroom, the pool, the elevator wallpaper . . .

Ikea with Justin.

We made a very quick trip to Ikea last night. It would have been even quicker, but Justin was playing around on the Ikea carts. They move in all directions -- not just forward and backwards, like typical shopping carts. And, in Justin's words, "they glide."

While I was looking at the inventory, he ran off to find a cart. I looked over at the end of the aisle at the exact right time, and saw him coasting by on the cart. He then rode the cart down the aisle to where I was standing. It took him some extra time to position and shimmy the cart and himself just right -- once he got the cart, it wasn't until we had to put our items on it that he finally hopped off.

Here is his helping me pick out one of the items that we needed:


Stay tuned for what we bought at Ikea. Only one of them is currently assembled. Pictures to come soon!

Texas Fight.

This College Gameday video with Mack Brown cracks me up:



"We don't freestyle Texas Fight, big boy." Love it!

(I am currently keeping my fingers crossed. I just found some "reasonably priced" tickets to the UT/Tech game on craigslist and am hoping the seller calls soon!)

Football Fashion.

One of the things that got my attention during the UT and Wyoming game yesterday (besides UT's slow start) was the Wyoming coach's outfit. Don't get me wrong, I know a football game isn't a fashion show, but his outfit was downright terrible.

(photo: espn)

First thing, what's up with the necklace? You can't see it in this picture, but there was also a tag on it in the back. Is a big necklace some Wyoming tradition?

The other thing, the mismatching khaki colors of his sweater vest and pants are a disaster. I get that yellow and brown aren't the most flattering colors, but the varying khaki shades selection was not a good move.

He is a new coach at Wyoming, so maybe it will just take him several games to adjust his wardrobe to the new team colors. But, he did just came from Missouri, whose colors were yellow and black.

Oh, and Hook 'em!

Slumdog Millionaire.

Don't ask me why it look so long for me to see Slumdog Millionaire, but we finally watched it Friday night. It was a great movie, and I really enjoyed it. There is probably no one else out there who hasn't seen it yet, but if you haven't, I definitely recommend it.

(photo: wikipedia)

One question I had though -- did anyone else find it odd that all of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire questions were in chronological order of his life? Obviously, it makes for a better storyline, but it bothered me just a bit.

Physique 57.

It's official. I am getting my butt in gear and getting back in shape. Working tons recently has not resulted in the best eating and exercising habits. But that is about to change.

So this morning I came downstairs to do my Physique 57 videos that were delivered earlier in the week. Justin came down a few minutes later and sat on the couch and proceeded to comment on my moves ("your back is not as straight as theirs is") and laugh at the lady's motivational sayings ("push out the fat").

He works out at the gym at his office and plays volleyball in a work league during lunch. I wish I worked closer to him so that I could go over to his gym when he worked out and sit around and make comments like: "that's all you can lift?" "doesn't the treadmill go faster than that?" "your serve wasn't as good as that other guy's."

I hope to have positive updates on my progress of getting back in shape. I can say that Physique 57 kicked my butt this morning.

5 random things . . .

I am back am back from Kentucky! The dispute was successfully resolved in our favor (big time), in case anyone was wondering. I am too tired to put together a coherent post involving paragraphs and correct punctuation, so here are 5 random thoughts:

1. Justin lost his wedding ring when I was out of town. (It sounds shady, I know.) Hopefully it will turn up soon. It wasn't super expensive, but of course, it has a lot of sentimental value. It makes me sad seeing his left hand without a ring on it. But back off ladies, he is still taken!

2. Why when I order several different things online, the majority of the packages come on Tuesday, the day after I go out of town? At least I had 3 fun packages to open when I got home.

3. Having a key fob / push button start for my car is awesome 99% of the time, but is a royal pain the butt when the batteries die in both key fobs at the same time.


4. I wish shopping for a new pair of jeans was easy.

5. Firefly sweet tea vodka is delicious.

Labor Day.

Happy Labor Day!

(photo: here)

I guess it is only fitting that I am headed out of state to resolve a labor dispute today. I will be back Thursday. Maybe Justin will do a guest-post in my absence, but I wouldn't count on it.

Delicious Recipes.

In honor of the first UT football game of the season, we made some tasty recipes.

We made shrimp enchiladas. Recipe via My Kitchen Cafe. These are delicious! If you're not a seafood fan, then I am sure shredded chicken would be just as good. These aren't very spicy, so if you like some heat, then add extra cayenne pepper or chop up some jalapenos (or both).

To go along with the enchiladas, we made a black bean and corn salad. Recipe via All Recipes. This had great flavor. Really anything with black beans, avocado, and lime is good by me! This would also make a good dip for tortilla chips.

For dessert, I made cherry coke cupcakes. Recipe via Annie's Eats. These were so good! The cake part is moist and fluffy. They aren't overly chocolaty, but have a really good flavor -- I think in part from the coke you add to the batter. They are great as is, but maybe next time I will add some cherry juice to the topping (mostly because I like the idea of pink whipped cream).

For snacking during the game, I took a play out of Meagan's playbook and made pretzel/rolo thingies (yes, that is the technical term for them). You just take bite-sized pretzels, put a rolo on top, and then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until the rolo starts to get soft. Then, while still warm and gooey, put a toasted pecan half or m&m (or anything else that tickles your fancy) on top of the rolo. Super easy and delicious. I am warning you that these little bite-sized salty and sweet goodies are way too easy to eat.

Confession.

I swore up and down this day would never come, but I guess I'm eating my words now. I am embarrassed to say that . . . wait for it . . . I just bought a rolling briefcase (shudders).

I love a great shoulder bag (and believe you me, I have my fair share of them). But, there comes a time when 5 files, a laptop, and a bunch of other items becomes too much to carry on one measly shoulder. So I caved in preparation of an upcoming business trip, and bought a rolling briefcase.

It is not as bad as most rolling briefcases for two reasons: (1) it has a fun orange lining; and (2) it shares a name with the cutest dog ever (Riley).

Hopefully my shoulders and back will thank me (or else I have sacrificed my dignity for nothing).

Then.

(Warning: Super sappy post ahead.)

I hardly ever listen to country music, but I happened to hear Brad Paisley's song "Then" the other day. I have listened to it countless time since. I feel like at any time my itunes may say, "Hey lady, give it a rest. You have already heard this song 10 times today."

You can hear it here.
_______________

I remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
And three weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

And I remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn't care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I could just see you, with a baby on the way
And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then
_______________

I can't wait until the day I am 60 and look back to this time in my life and say to Justin "and I thought I loved you then." I certainly feel that way looking back only 5 years ago.

You can't say that I didn't warn you.

Google Image Search.

I did a Google image search tonight for "pearson chandelier." Unfortunately, my obsession with it has not subsided. I was surprised to see the following image in the lower left hand corner (see below and click to enlarge).

I also love the chair on the far right in the middle row (the Martine chair from RH). Guess you never know what an image search may turn up!

Jubilantly Jubilant for Jubilee.

(excuse the cheesy title)

I have found a new store obsession -- Jubilee -- a very cute furniture, gift, and clothing store in the Heights. I didn't quite make it to the back of the store to look at the clothes because there were so many amazing pieces of furniture and chandeliers that kept catching my eye.

I knew from the minute I saw this chair that it had to be mine, but I was so sad to discover that it was on hold. About an hour or so after we left the store, the lady called me to tell me that the person that placed it on hold was no longer interested. Yippee! We immediately turned around and headed back to the store to pick her up!

It needs a little work (nothing some wood glue can't fix), but isn't it so cute? I love its lines, the blue/gray fabric, and nailhead trim. It's not in perfect shape (let's be serious, who is?), but it will be a chair more for decoration than for function, so I am not overly concerned.

Before we knew the lady was no longer interested in the chair, we picked up this little set of nesting tables. I am not a fan of the 3 colors, but this should be an easy re-painting project.

How great are the legs and the scalloped tops? Now I just have to figure out the perfect spot for these little guys.

I will be stopping by Jubilee often. The good news is it is next to one of my favorite brunch spots, Shade, and also close to Mam's Sno-balls.