Oh 2011....

2011, I wish I could say I hate to see you go, but....well, yea. I don't.

2011 hasn't been the best year in the world for me, but it definitely hasn't been the worse. Had a couple of health issues, some disappointments, and so on....but that's life, eh? I must say I am really looking forward to what 2012 has in store. Besides that pesky apocalypse.

I have a few New Year's Suggestions for myself. Yes, I will deem them Suggestions because the minute I declare them Resolutions, the procrastination will begin :) This is a mix of personal, blog, and business ideas :)

1) Live more in the moment I am a constant worrier, planner, doer. I rarely take the time to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Or real, live roses for that matter. What is the point in success if you haven't enjoyed the journey?

2) Stop looking to others for happiness I have been guilty of this for a good portion of my life.  Yes, much of life's joys come from spending time with friends and loved ones, but you have to find the joy within before you can truly be happy and at peace.

3) Learn to sew/do more crafty things  My friend Tracy said she would teach me to sew, and I might have to take her up on that. My Mom, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother were all excellent sewers. In fact, they made most of their own clothing. You would think that the sewing knowledge would be passed down via DNA, but no. My Mom tried to teach me to sew when I was a teenager, but I remember being intimidated by the machine and the patterns. Now, I hand sewed/reworked several garments in my youth, but I know a machine is the way to go for most things.

Also, I am determined to be a more crafty individual; hand making gifts instead of buying retail, and so on. I updated my blog a bit, and now have a DIY and Recipes tab under my header. Wheeee!

4) Speaking of blogs, I have a goal to spend more time blogging and reading other blogs. Blogging is something I enjoy immensely, so it makes more sense to spend time doing what I love.

5) Last but not least, improve my health. I do not mean this in an anti-plus size way. Even if I lose 40 pounds I will technically be plus sized. I am mainly looking to improve my health, and get off the high blood pressure medicine I currently have to take. I know that means exercise and eating a better quality food, and less of it. Drat.

I didn't feel up to a fashion recap, but I have added a tab called "Fashion Nuggets" under my header that highlights my favorite 2011 fashion jams :)

So these are my resolutions, errrr suggestions. What are yours?

Our kitty Sebastian says Happy New Year's Eve! And so do I :) Have a happy and safe one. Check back with me on the 2nd for a rad giveaway! There is some Hello Kitty involved, just sayin' :)

Adrienne

My First Recipe Tutorial: Tortellini Salad

Hello Again!
This year, one of my blogging resolutions is to mix up my posts a bit to include recipes and DIY projects. I even made a nifty little tab under my blog header to collect these golden nuggets. Hey, I love food more than most, so it makes sense that I would blog about it :)

This is a family recipe from my sweet mother-in-law, Karen. She makes this dish during the holidays and, while it is not diet food by any means, it is chocked full of nutrition. This is a very simple recipe-easy enough for those that don't care to spend much time in the kitchen.

Note: This is pretty much a double recipe, it makes a large bowl with at least 8 servings.

You Will Need:

2 Bags of Frozen Tortellini

4 Roma Tomatoes

One Can of Olives (you can use less olives to taste)

1 bunch of scallions (just use the green tips, not the bitter white portion)

Large package of fresh mozzarella

3/4 bottle of Italian dressing (may use a Light dressing, just don't use Fat-Free)

Boil tortellini according to package instructions. Drain and let cool for about 20-30 minutes.

Chop up your mozzarella, olives, tomatoes, and scallions. I generally core out the seedy, mushy center of the Roma tomatoes and use the firmer part, but that's just me.

Also, you can omit ingredients if you wish (if say you are not much of an olive or scallion person), but it will affect the taste quite a bit. But, maybe for the better, according to your tastebuds :)

After the pasta has cooled, add all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour in about 1/2 the bottle of Italian dressing and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours.

After 2 hours check the salad, and if it seems a bit dry, add about half of the remaining dressing, stir, and let refrigerate for a bit longer. The salad tastes best when it has absorbed all the yummy dressing goodness!

The finished salad. Who out there is a food Instagram-er? I know I am. Follow me on Instagram at "lolarocksme".

I'll be doing one of those New Year's posts here shortly, so stay tuned!

Adrienne

Christmas Loot

Hello Again!

I know that I promised a Christmas gift post yesterday, but life got in the way, sigh....Here are a few of my Christmas goodies!

Jessica Simpson Collection purses from my Mom. I had to Instagram this one. Do you follow me on Instagram? If not, check me out at "lolarocksme".

Pamela Love Bird Claw Necklace from my husband. I've wanted this one for a looonnngg time.

Assorted Hello Kitty goodness. Yes, I received even more HK loot than this :)

Scarves and Mittens from my sweet in laws. I love how these fingerless gloves are convertible into mittens. 

Some gifts from my besties Shawna and Misti. I also had some gifts from my other besite Leah, but I think I accidentally left them at my Moms. :(

Awesome apron Tracy made for me that I discussed in my last post.

Adele CD from my hubby.

A gift to the house-a new light fixture!

Here are a couple of things I snagged while in Florida

A fab pair of motorcycle-esque boots

My Mom passed down to me this tapestry purse that was my Grandmother's. Isn't it amazing?

Ok, Christmas isn't just about receiving, so here are a couple of presents I gave to Aron.

Molly Crabapple piece I picked up from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's eBay auction

Crazy Kitty Cat Bank I bought for myself...errr..my husband from Think Geek.

So, did y'all make out with some cool Christmas loot?

Adrienne

Christmas Cheer

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you all had a great Christmas! Our Christmas was wonderful this year; relaxing, festive, and fun. There was good times and cocktails with friends, sweet times with the hubby, and (of course) a bounty of yummy food.

Christmas Eve was spent cooking and watching our favorite Christmas movies: Love Actually and the 80s classic, Better Off Dead. So maybe Better Off Dead isn't exactly a Christmas movie, but a portion of it takes places during the holidays, so that's good enough for us :)

We decided to go for a walk to work up an appetite for Christmas Eve noms. I am wearing my old Old Navy coat, Old Navy hat, and Forever 21 gloves.

I made some Jalapeno Cornbread on Christmas Eve as well. My friend Leah shared this family recipe with me years ago, and it has been a favorite ever since. But it is a secret recipe, so no sharing......but...

....I think I can share this recipe for tortellini salad, a recipe that Aron's Mom shared with me. I will be doing a recipe tutorial for this dish this week :)

Aron watching Better Off Dead

Christmas Day was filled with presents, food, and good times with our friends Ben and Tracy.

I wore my Pure Energy dress, Mossimo cardigan, and Forever 21 plus leggings. Please excuse the kitty dishes in the background. I wanted to be cute yet comfortable, and I have been obsessed with floral dresses for a while now-maybe forever :)

Aron gave me the Pamela Love bird claw necklace I've be dreaming of :)

Ben and Tracy came over, and we ate yummy food and opened presents.

Aron and me with our presents from Ben & Tracy. He received some awesome World of Strange shirts, and Tracy made me an amazing, retro, reversible apron with with my name monogrammed on one side, and "I Wanna Baked Potato", on the other. "I Wanna Baked Potato" is a joke from several conventions ago. When asked what I wanted to eat (or how I was doing for that matter), I would say "I Wanna Baked Potato". I have a tendency to go catatonic at comic conventions :)

I cried when I received this beautiful apron. It meant so much to me that she made it, and that it was a personalized to fit my crazy personality.

So, we had a wonderful Christmas! It is difficult to be away from our friends and family in Florida, but spending time with our friends in Tennessee is delightful. How were your holidays this year?

I will be back tomorrow to share more of my Christmas loot!

Adrienne

It's Christmas Eve!

The next few days are sure to be a flurry of activity! Friends, presents, and a food coma await! I am so excited :)

On Christmas Eve Eve, we met up with our friends Ben and Tracy (co-owners of World of Strange), to check out Gaylord Opryland Hotel's Country Christmas. The Gaylord Opryland offers Nashville a yearly treat of holiday entertainment, decorations, and an amazing display of Christmas lights! I believe this is the Gaylord's first year back after the horrible Nashville floods of 2010, and they did an incredible job.

We didn't partake in any of the shows; the hotel's lights and decoration are entertainment enought! Here are some photos I snapped:

 Incredible lights outside the hotel

 Sure, we'll park your car :)

 Some inside decor

 Me and Tracy looking cute

 Tracy told Ben to make his "Sean Penn Face"

 Lights weeee

 Stained glass dome in the lobby

Dale Chihuly artwork

I wish you all a magical Christmas Eve! I will be back in a few days to share the good times :)
Adrienne

Good Times in Florida

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, been busy catching up from my Florida trip last week. I went down to see my Mom for her birthday, and was also able to catch up with family and friends.

 Wearing my fave ASOS dress to go shopping with Mom.

 My beautifull Mom and me. It's hot as hell in Florida, so I had to wear dresses the entire time.

 Carvel Ice Cream Cake.

 Me and my bestie Shawna at Whiskey River.

 Me and my bestie Misti at Whisky River

 Naked Cowgirl cocktail at Whiskey River. They confiscated our table at 10pm, because the place turns into a nightclub. Geez I'm getting old :)

 Shawna walking through the wall of balloons at Winn Dixie.

 Cake Vodka + Ginger Ale=Sugar Bomb in your mouth

 My bestie Leah and me

Chuck, Leah, and Justin, great peeps

 On my plane back to Nashville. Had to Instagram this one-my Instagam is lolarocksme, so check it out!

I had the best time in Florida, and miss everyone so much. But it feels good to know that my close friends and family are just a plane ride away!

Hope you are all having a great holiday season. It has been a bit of a stressful time for me, but I am looking forward to spending time with my sweet hubby and our great friends here in Tennessee!

Adrienne

Up in The Air

Yep, I'm on my way home to Florida to celebrate my Mom's birthday and visit some friends and family. I stopped at the Nashville Airport Tootsies and had a yum sandwich before I boarded. Have I ever mentioned how much I love to fly? Being up in the air is relaxing for me. Well, we are approaching my hometown, so I better go.

Pssst-I'm using the mobile Blogger app on my iPhone; it's pretty basic, but gets the job done. Until next time :)

Adrienne