There are kids starving in Ethiopia...

But that still doesn't mean I could finish eating this ginormous pancake at Hash House a Go Go.  This place is notorious for their "twisted farm food".  Jordan and Robyn took us to breakfast to celebrate Harrison's birthday while they were here visiting last weekend.

My wonderful granola and blackberry pancake.  (I finished about 1/4 of it)

Jordan and his Fried Chicken Eggs Benedict (yeah it even had fried cheese on it)

Robyn and her banana pancake (she ate about as much as I did)

Harrison and his fried chicken and waffles (he was craving it)

So we all tried to eat as much as we could.  After about 10 minutes I was full!  Harrison ate one of the 2 pieces of chicken and half of his waffles (the waffles had actual bacon cooked into it).  Robyn ate about half of her pancake (they are freakin' huge)!

And then there was Jordan.  Oh what a manly... no... BEASTLY appetite he has!  This is what his plate looked like at the end of breakfast:

Yeah- he finished the whole freaking thing!  Even our waiter said that they don't usually see someone wipe their plate clean after a breakfast like that one!  Pretty impressive!

Good times were had by all!  I definitely recommend eating here if you are in Vegas!  The portions are HUGE and the prices aren't TOO bad.

Thankful Thursday

Lots to be thankful for.

Visitors.  We don't get a lot of them... but we sure love when we do!  Harrison's younger brother, Jordan, and his wife, Robyn, came to spend a long weekend with us.  It was so much fun!  We spent lots of time shopping and walking down The Strip.  It was lots of fun.  I will post pictures of it when I find the stupid cord to the point and shoot camera I toted around with me.

Crafting.  It is no secret that I love to create things.  It calms me.  I need it.  It needs me.  End of story.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.  So good! (when I say SO GOOD think of me saying it like Teen Girl Squad)  I went to Great Harvest Bread Co to get some bread bowls for my office pot luck lunch... I saw the loaf of PCCB and I heard it calling my name.  It was ACTUALLY speaking to me... begging me to buy it (even though it is TOTALLY over priced) and to take it and eat it.  So I did- and I liked it!
** One time (when I worked at GHBC in Grand Jct) I took home a loaf of PCCB.  I was going to share it with my family.  It didn't make it.  I ate it ALL BY MYSELF from the time I got into my car to the time I got to my driveway (about 5 miles)... so sad... but so good.

The Morning News.  I feel like the morning news anchors are my friends.  I spend 30 minutes with them EVERY single morning.  I love them.  Sometimes I wish I could be a co-anchor with them and share jokes with them about the weather and the traffic... but not as much as I want to DJ with my morning radio DJ's that I listen to every morning (I spend an hour each day with those guys).

Mucinex.  Oh how this miracle medication has saved my sanity the last few days.  I have had a cold and have been completely plugged up with snot!  I take the barbecue sauce tasting pill (Harrison and I decided that is what it tastes like... eeewwww) and within 20 minutes all my troubles have gone away.  Well- almost gone away.  It helps all the snot drain from my head... but I end up using like 2 boxes of Kleenex a day :)

I hope you all find something to be thankful for today!

Is it bad that I...

Sleep in until 10:30 on Saturday sometimes

Skip taking a shower for 2 days sometimes just because it is a pain in the butt to blow-dry my hair... and even though I DO own a shower cap

Secretly wanted to slap a mom who was (rightfully) disciplining her naughty son because the little boy reminded me of my brother Westley and I miss him very much (by the way... isn't he cute?)

Don't change the sheets on my bed for a month sometimes

Drink 2 20oz Cherry Cokes a day

Wish that Hogwarts was a real place and that I had a magic wand

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for the weather in Las Vegas.  The forecast looks beautiful for the next couple of days.  60 degrees in January??  Yes please!

I am also thankful for my mom teaching me how to shop on the sale rack.  I was able to buy $190 worth of clothes yesterday at The Gap for $27 and some change.  So awesome!  

I am also thankful for belly laughs.  I love to laugh so hard it hurts (the kind that you can feel the next day because it was a mini ab work out).  I love crying because I have laughed so hard.  So awesome!  So awesome!

Civil Rivalry

Well- it's that time of year again... the time of year that Harrison and I put on our respective colors and watch some good basketball!  

Guess who will be wearing which color/logo????

Since I was raised in Las Vegas, it is ONLY natural that I will be wearing Rebel colors.  I would feel VERY bad if I didn't.  

Since Harrison graduated from BYU, it is only natural that he would wear Cougar colors.  He would be betraying if he didn't.

Last year, Harrison's parents treated us to a GREAT game of basketball at the Thomas and Mack center here in Las Vegas.  UNLV was hosting BYU.  Here is a picture at that game:

Since Harrison is now a UNLV student (and I used his student status to get our student section tickets) I am not sure if he will be sporting his blue or if he will go red for the occasion.  Whatever the choice, I am really excited to go and scream and holler for whichever team we each decide to root for.  A night of basketball, soda, popcorn, and maybe even a hot dog.  It sure sounds like a good night out to me!

PS- RRRRRREEEEEEEBBBBBEEEEELLLLLSSSSS...... RRRREEEEBBBBBEEEEELLLLLSSSSSSS......

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*********Update:**********

Here are some pics of our night out at the game:

The traffic getting to the game was a nightmare!  It took us over 30 minutes to drive like 8 miles.  We got to our seats after the game had started... oh well!

Its been a while since I've used this point and shoot camera.  My face says it all.  I couldn't figure out how to get the flash to turn off!

We didn't have the best seats... as you can see... but what do you expect for $10??

Oh yeah- UNLV lost!  Big time!  I was kinda sad.  It was the first game I attended in my entire life that the team I was rooting for lost.  Not bad for 26 years I guess.

Coffee Filter Wreath: A Tutorial

Well- you asked for it... and now you have it!  My coffee filter wreath tutorial.  This wreath is super easy once you get into a "groove".  It is time consuming and it takes a lot of patience.  For this wreath you will need:

• 1 wreath form
• You can use any size/shape form you'd like.  I purchased mine at Michaels.
• 250-300 unused coffee filters
• I used small coffee filters for the small wreath form.  You will want to use bigger filters for a bigger form
• 12-20 hot glue sticks (depending on how liberal you are with glue)
• hot glue gun

This project took about 2 1/2 hours.  So plan on having your favorite playlist ready or your favorite movie playing while you craft.

Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures as they go on... I started at sunset and finished when it was very dark outside.

Step 1: pull apart all of the coffee filters.  It is MUCH easier to work with the filters once they are pulled apart from each other. (this picture shows about 50 filters)

Step 2: fold filters into a "flowery" shape.  (I found it easiest to fold in half and then fold into thirds to make this sort of triangle shape)

Step 3: squiggle hot glue on the bottommost part of the filter (in a little triangle shape at the bottom).

Step 4: place filters next to each other in rows.  I started with the back first.  Glue one row at the back to get started.

(view from the back)

(view from the front)

Step 5: place rows of filters from the inside out.

Step 6: fluff the wreath at the end.  Add any filters to any "holes" in your wreath.

Step 7: hot glue a piece of ribbon to the back of your wreath for hanging.

So there you have it.  The coffee filter wreath.  I hope the directions make sense.  Let me know if you have any questions by commenting on this post.  I will comment back to answer.  Have fun! 

My New Year's Resolution... sort of

Well it is the first day of a new year. Happy 2011 everybody! I hope your 2010 wasn't too bad to you and I hope your 2011 is AMAZING!

For the last 2 years I have done a little spin on New Year's Resolutions. You see, I am not the best at keeping the typical resolution... it might last a week or two. So, I was given this idea by my very best mate, Jane, a few years ago. Instead of having a new year's resolution... have a ONE WORD new year's goal. A word that will leak over into all areas of your life. A positive word that will be easy to remember and easy to apply to your life.

For example, the first year I applied this challenge, I used the word SIMPLIFY. I wanted to "de-clutter" all areas of my life. So, simplify was a wonderful word for me. I pinned it in all rooms of my home so that I would be able to see it. Then last year I used the word STRIVE. I wanted to be a better person and become excellent.

So now onto this year. I don't take this lightly. I don't just think of a seemingly "smart" word and choose it. I take an inventory of my life. I look at the positive things and the negative things in my life. I look at what can be improved upon and made better. I have been thinking about this for days now. Toying with different words and how they might possibly help me. I made my decision last night... as I was watching the fireworks that rang in the new year. I was thinking about how magnificent and victorious they were. The fireworks were what I wanted to be. A burst of jubilation. So- after toying with those words and trying to make them fit... I went to my good friend the THESAURUS. I typed these words in and the common word between all of them was this word. So without further ado- This year my word is:


Yes- I do believe that is a wonderful word that will do great things for me. A word that can "leak" into all areas. This word will be a wonderful challenge I think. A wonderful goal. A goal that will bring nothing but positive things into my life.

I challenge you to this ONE WORD challenge. Think of a word that will help you and make it happen!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! I AM GLAD YOU ARE A PART OF MY LIFE!