Alabama + Graffiti

- a lifestyle blog -

Weekend Fun

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This weekend was one of the best ones I’ve had in a while.  It was full of non-work.  And that makes the best weekend.  I banned myself from saying four dirty words all weekend, and it seemed to do the trick.
BJ’s uncle has a home on Lake Martin, so it was filled with sunning, boating, swimming, drinking and eating.  So to remember the most awesome weekend, see below…
Best stuff on earth…

Lake Martin

Old Dadeville.

Stell-dog.  She was pooped after her weekend.

Homemade banana daiquiri.  Delish.

We were dancing around the kitchen.

Peanut butter banana icebox pie.  I will share recipe soon….
  Here’s to hoping every weekend can be like that one.

Stella the dog Obsession

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I know that I will never be a cat lady.
Instead I will be a dog lady.
BJ and I were looking through my pictures on my phone, and over half of them are of the dog.  I love my dog.  She is my baby.  She is my substitute for a child that I don’t want right now.  She is a super cuddler.  She loves sleeping on the bed; If the dog often runs away read about more. I’m pretty sure she has an anxiety disorder.  But she is my dog.  And I love her.  
See some of the craziness below…

She was a happy puppy when she got her big chicken bone.

Memorial Day Stell.

I lay in the bed like it’s no one’s business.

In the suitcase.  She didn’t like this very much.

Happy puppy in the back seat.
Who needs cats when you can have this sweetness?

Ramblings and a Sweet Cheeseburger

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I have been so full of thoughts lately.  When I’m at work, when I’m running, when I wake up at 2am, when I’m sitting watching TV, playing with the dog….all I do is think. 
I am 28 years old.  I don’t know if I want kids.  I see other couples my age (all of them) either already with kids or wanting them in the near future.  I can’t see myself as a mother, a good one anyway.  I feel like I need to forgive myself for all the crappy things I’ve done and said in my life.  Sometimes I’ll just sit and think about all the terrible decisions I made, things I’ve said to people, or even worse done to them.
I, of course, am not perfect.  I have never once claimed to be.  It has taken me 28 years to finally be ok with myself, the way that I am.  I will never ever be a great athlete; I’m ok with it.  I won’t ever get to write and get published; I’m ok with that.  I talk to truck drivers all day, every day; I’m ok with that.  I have written crazy text messages and emails to people; I’m cool with that, too.  Whether the people on the receiving end were, I don’t know, but I have finally forgiven myself for saying the things I have and to whom I’ve said them.  
I’m tellin ya; it’s exhausting up in this head.  
And because I want to and can, I’m going to show you awesome pictures of our dinner last week at Mugshots in Birmingham…..Yummy!
Menu.  I don’t really care about how they came to be….something about Tuscaloosa?  🙂

I became obsessed with these things when I worked at Ruby Tuesday…except we called them southwestern eggrolls.  Same amazingness here. 

And my cheeseburger!  The pepperjack burger came with a huge ‘ole onion ring on top!  In all it’s fried glory, it was amazing.  Plus they make their own ranch, and you can’t beat that.
I know it got a little serious at the front end of this, but as previously posted, I am not a very serious person.  Some times a girl’s just got to let it out.

Fun Old Stuff

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Lately, against my judgement, I have been living in the past.  Looking at old pictures, reminiscing about old moments of my life, reliving memories, or trying to forget them.  
To be honest, and I know I’ve said it before, I try not to live my life in the past. I fight against every saying in the book about someone’s past and if it comes back then it’s meant to be, or whatever.  I am a strong believer against such things.  Your past is a past for a reason . There is no use or productivity in going back there.  Yes, there are exceptions.  None that I have found in my life.  But then again, I never claimed to have a normal life, either.  
So here are some old pictures…some from BJ’s camera, some from my old Kodak Gallery account…but like I said, I can’t help but reminisce….
In front of the Rockefeller x-mas tree.  I don’t do serious.

On the plane to Phoenix!  War Damn!  I will never forget crazy man who sat next to us, not only on the way there, but on the way back as well.

Again, I don’t do serious.

AU vs LA Monroe…forever ago.  Honestly, I don’t remember.

Oh she’ll hate that I grabbed it with her eyes closed.  oh well!!  AU last year sometime.

Mom and GUIDO in NYC two Christmas’ ago.

Early Stell Bell.  This was her first night in the James household.  She was so little!! 

Beer drinking pigs in St. Croix on the honeymoon!

C and I after our rehearsal dinner.  At the Blue Monkey.  Tons of fun.
I don’t know if anyone feels the same way I do about the past.  I know that it’s best left there, but some times it’s really hard not to drudge it up.  Especially if you are just remembering how happy you were, or to make fun of yourself for being such a dork (especially when you can’t take a serious picture to save your life).  I may do these posts from time to time.  There are so many of them that I never posted back in the day.
Oh and Dad….Happy late Father’s Day.  Now that I know that you read this….
Thank you for my daddy-daughter dance.

Thank you for wearing a tux even though I know you didn’t want to.

Thank you for telling me I’m pretty.

Thank you for walking me to my husband.
See you in July!  Love you!

Potato Chip Cookies (yes, you read that right)

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As a sweet gift, BJ got me a year subscription to Martha Stewart Living.  I have been obsessed with my last three issues, and one day soon, when I decide that I want to start cooking, I am going to try my hand at some of the awesome stuff she has in there.  Plus, every time I peruse one of her magazines, I want to change the color of my walls.  To something crazy.  Like purple.  Or coral.  Oh the hubs would die.  
Anyway, as I was going through the July issue, I came across a recipe for Potato Chip Cookies, and was like whaaaa?  I’m going to admit that when I saw that, my first thought was, is it ok for potato chips to go in the oven?  Turns out it is.  
Picture from Martha Stewart Living.…see below for recipe.

KitchenAid doing what it does…..

I put the chips in a baggie and smashed them.  Less mess that way.

Yums!  They taste like sugar cookies, with just a hint of salt.  Sweet and salty!  Yum!!
Potato Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened                                                     2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar                                                   1 teaspoon baking soda 
3/4 cup granulated sugar                                                                 4 cups crushed potato chips, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                                1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely
2 large eggs                                                                                      chopped.
Prep:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer on high speed until fluffy (about 2 to 3 minutes).  Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until just combined.
2.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat on low speed until just combined (I mix them all separately and pour them into the mixer gradually.  If you have found a way to do it without getting flour all over the place without doing it this way, please let me know!).  Stir in 2 cups potato chips and the nuts.
3.  Roll dough into 2-inch balls, and then roll balls into remaining potato chips to coat.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet (or a nicely greased cookie sheet 🙂   ).  Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes.  Let cool completely.
I did it without the nuts.  BJ and I aren’t completely crazy about nuts in the cookies we eat, so your choice.  You ever notice on the Toll House chips it always says to add nuts too?  Never have, and they still always turn out awesome.  But personal choice, I guess.  Add them if you want.