The Oscars...it's all about the dresses

I made the husband watch the Oscars with me. Well, at least the first hour of it before we went to bed. I told him it was like the Superbowl for women. We have to watch it.

I really liked Anne Hathaway and James Franco's movie clip intro using Inception. I thought it was really cute. 

But lets be real. I really only wanted to see what the stars were wearing. Isn't that why we really watch?

 

 I think Reese was my favorite. Simple and elegant.

 

Of course I loved all of the red too! Anne looked really beautiful in this dress.  

 

And I LOVED Jennifer Hudson's red dress. The color was really pretty although it looks orange in this photo. She looked amazing and totally rocked that dress. 

Oh Sandra. I always love you. You can do no wrong.

 I thought Hailee Steinfeld looked gorgeous and age appropriate. I loved her in True Grit.

 And although it was different from what I would normally like,  I thought Mila Kunis looked really pretty this lavender number. 

And I loved Hilary Swank's dress....so girly and fun.

What dresses did you love? I didn't really care for Natalie Portman's dress even though everyone seemed to love it. I thought her earrings were awful.

Soup's On!

My husband loves broccoli cheddar soup. Especially from Panera. So I set out to find a recipe to replicate it. 

The problem was every recipe I found was either a) crazy complicated, 

or b) included ingredients that sounded terribly bad for you.

Until I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe Blog.

And let me tell you, it is good. Really good. And super easy and quick, which are two of my requirements for week night dinners. 

I tried to take pictures along the way but it was impossible! The soup cooks up fast and you are constantly stirring or heating something. 

But here is the finished product. Looks good right?

Here's what you'll need:

1 can chicken broth (about 1 3/4 cups of broth)
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups chopped, lightly steamed broccoli (I used 2 cups broccoli and then added some shredded carrots for extra veggies and because Panera's soup has them!)

Directions:

1. Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15 to 20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. 

2. Heat milk in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. 

3. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. 

4. Meanwhile place chopped broccoli (and carrots) in a large glass bowl, cover with saran wrap and microwave for about 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Next add chicken broth to mixture and continue to stir until well blended. 

6. Add cheeses, steamed broccoli/carrots. Serve immediately.

This would be delicious in a bread bowl, but to make it a little more balanced and healthy I served it with a side salad instead. But either way you'll love it! This serves 4...perfect for dinner for two plus some leftovers for lunch. Next time I think I'll double the recipe and freeze some of the soup for later!

Does anyone have other easy soup recipes they want to share?

Sparkle Sparkle

I wore this sparkle top to work last week and got a ton of compliments. I think I bought the top two years ago for a New Year's party. After rediscovering it in my closet I decided it was time to jazz it up for work. Everyone loved how sparkly I was! Even my boss said she loved it. 

So can you wear sequins to work? I say yes.

Boat Show!

Over the weekend the husband and I went to the boat show! Because, I guess we are in the market for a boat? 

They had beer there! And beef jerky. It was like a carnival of sorts. I told the husband to go stand by the "sparkle boat". It was my favorite.

There was a mini lagoon set up for demonstrations. I have no idea how they kept the water from going everywhere.

I'm on a boat! 

We didn't buy a boat but we still had fun trying them out.

On another note, happy President's Day! The husband had the day off of work so I took a vacation day to join him. We have big plans of doing nothing today and I'm so excited. 

Also, thank you for all of your sweet comments and e-mails on my last post. I ate a big bowl of ice cream and all was right with the world once again.

Sometimes you have to cut yourself a break

I wish I was the kind of girl who cooks beautiful healthy meals for her husband every night, always has a spotlessly clean house, makes it to the gym 5 days a week, always looks put together, is up to date on important world events, and always knows the right thing to say at the right moment.

Instead I'm the girl that:

- Feeds her husband grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup for dinner way too many times to count.

- Considers it a good week if I make it to the gym 3 times.

- Picks a fight with my husband about putting dirty laundry away...right before he leaves for work.

- Lets my anger over said laundry build up so that when it finally spills out of me I make a bigger deal out of it than I need to. And then I cry.

- Lets the dog pee on the snow covered deck because she's too lazy to actually take him outside herself.

- Wears mis-matched pajamas to bed.

- Eats ice cream way more often than she should.

- Gets the news from people.com.


I beat myself up constantly. But I'm not perfect. This is real life.

So sometimes you have to cut yourself a break. Tonight I'm going to indulge in this.

Because really it makes life a lot better.

My Husband Knows Me Well....

Have I mentioned that I love my husband?

Last night he came home with these just for me.

What else says "Happy Valentine's Day" like some Easter Candy? But he knows I LOVE Peeps. Especially the yellow ones. I quickly ate three of those bad boys before I remembered to snap a picture.

He also bought groceries and picked out a new recipe to make for dinner. It was yummy and healthy. And involved slicing veggies and baking them. I was beyond impressed. I told him he should make dinner every week....we'll see about that.

Then the husband went to the gym with me. I usually go by myself, so it was sort of fun to have him on the treadmill next to me. We are romantic like that. Ha!

How was your Valentine's Day?

Sweets for My Sweet

Happy Valentine's Day!

This Guy

Plus these sweet treats homemade by yours truly

=

The perfect Valentine's Day.

I hope your day is filled with someone or something sweet!

I'm totally going to be THAT mom

I'm totally going to be that mom that gets upset when her child gets an A- on his/her report card. A-, why isn't it an A+????

This is Wrigley's "report card" from doggie daycare yesterday. He always gets "Good". But not yesterday. Yesterday he got "Fair" for Playfulness. Say what? I have the most playful dog ever. What happened?

The comment says "Wrigley had a great day with the other dogs and loved getting attention from me! We hope to see him again!" Sounds playful enough to me, right? I think maybe Wrigley had a crush on his teacher and played with her more than the other dogs.

Yet it totally bugs me that he didn't get all "Good"check marks. Stupid doggie daycare.

P.S. Who else is dying over the name on the card? Wrigley R. Like he's a real person. Ha!

Meet Jack

My mom found Jack a few months ago. He was hanging around her neighborhood soaking up the California sun and scrounging food where he could get it. Being a cat lover, she took him in. He is one of the sweetest and friendliest cats she's ever had.

She took him to the vet, got him updated on all of his vaccines, and took him to be neutered. When she called to make the appointment the secretary asked for his name....and since he was a stray he didn't have an official name, so "Jack" was the first name that popped into her head. And it suits him just fine! We are guessing he is around 2 years old.

Jack adjusted really well to being and indoor/outdoor cat. In fact when my mom first brought him inside he seemed so grateful for a warm bed to sleep in and food to eat. He loves snuggling on my mom's lap, following her around the house, and laying on the back porch.

Jack has captured my mom's heart. Unfortunately, my mom's 8 year old cat, Scout, does not get along with Jack. After 3 months of trying to make it work, my mom has decided the best thing for Jack and Scout would be for Jack to find a new home.

So that's where you all come in. Does anyone in Southern California want a sweet lap kitty to call their own? My mom really wants to find a good home for this fantastic little guy. Jack is up to date on all of his vaccines, at a healthy weight, free of fleas, and has been neutered. And he even has cute little white feet! (mom, you cut them out of the picture!...but trust me, they are there, and are adorable.) She said she had trouble taking a good picture of him because as soon as Jack sees her he comes over to her and wants some love.

So, if you know of anyone in the Southern California area who may be interested in adopting Jack, please let me know! My mom will deliver him to you for free and supply you with a generous amount of cat food. She even said that if you tried it out for a few days and it didn't work out, she would take him back. Although she assures me this would never happen because everyone who meets Jack falls in love with him.

You can leave a comment on this post or e-mail me at thegirlintheredshoes at gmail.

Giving Up on Elephants

I gave up on reading Water for Elephants. I got about a third of the way through it, but then just couldn't bring myself to keep going. I desperately wanted to like this book...but I just didn't. The whole time I was reading it I was on edge. I was either worried that I would have to read about any mis-treatment of animals or I was depressed about all the sad stuff in there about growing old. You know it's a bad sign when you don't look forward to reading your book. I read a few words during my lunch break yesterday and finally said "enough". And I read a magazine instead.

So tell me, did you like this book? Maybe I can give it a chance later...but right now I just can't handle it!

I need some other books to read...what are you reading right now? The Book Thief and Shutter Island have both been recommended to me so they are up next on my list...but after that? I have no clue!

Master Bed Switch Up!

Our master bedroom is a work in progress. We still sort of have mis-matched furniture and need window treatments. But one step at a time right?

Here is what our bed looked like yesterday. We got our duvet cover from our wedding registry at Pottery Barn. And I love/loved it. Until one day it ripped. It was a small tear, so I just hand sewed it back together. And then it ripped again. And again. And finally I just gave up. The material is really delicate, some sort of silk blend, so once you get a tear there's no stopping it. See that white stuff sticking out on the top right?

Here is a better look. That's the duvet coming out on the husband's side. This tear was over a foot long and kept getting worse and worse. I was so sad!

So, the other day I came across this duvet cover at Kohls. The price was right so I took a chance and hoped it would match our room. And it does! I got and additional 30% off the sale price and even saved more money by shopping with Ebates. (Have you heard of Ebates? You get cash back just for shopping online. It's so awesome, especially around Christmas. Click HERE to check it out!) I'm sort of lovin' this new look. (Sorry for all the wrinkles...I was in a race to take pictures before the sun set).

It actually seems like a good quality duvet. And for that price, I won't be upset if it wears out in a few years...or if I change my mind and need to switch things up a bit.

The colors are a great match for the room. And I think our old champagne king shams in the back work well with it. I'm going to try to see if I can make a few smaller pillows to match the bed. Much to my husband's dismay, I'm sure!

Super Super

Did you watch the Super Bowl? I had to ask my husband how to spell it just now....is it one word or two? He says it's two...and it's capitalized. Geeze. Needless to say I am not much of a football fan. Last night I made dinner and then sort of half-heartedly watched the game with the husband. I didn't last very long. Why are football games so long? And why is the Super Bowl on so late for the East Coast? I was in bed before it ended.

I just asked the husband what I should blog about today. Here's what he said: "the movie we saw this weekend,  Jersey Shore, and the Darth Vader commercial." Nice list right?

So here it goes.

On Saturday we went with some friends to see True Grit. I kind of loved it. The acting was really good and the dialogue was fantastic. Go see this movie. But try to leave the theater about 2 minutes before the movie is over. I hated the ending. 

  Okay, so Jersey Shore. I had absolutely no desire to ever watch this show. It just looked dumb. But oh. my. word. It is incredibly dumb. Yet oddly addicting. I watched a few episodes on Sunday and I couldn't pull myself away from the TV. Even the husband got wrapped up in the drama and craziness and Gym Tan Laundry. I'm embarrassed to admit this but I think Pauly is my favorite. So ridiculous.

Do you watch the Super Bowl just for the commercials? I didn't catch all of the commercials, but there was one that the husband had to re-wind not once, but twice. And then re-watched it again this morning. We just couldn't get enough. It's a commercial for Volkswagen Passat featuring a mini Darth Vader. Hands down our favorite one of the night!

After the third time of watching it the husband said that if we ever have a son we will have to get him a Darth Vader costume for Halloween. I couldn't agree more.

So how was your weekend? Any good commercials that I missed?

The Great Snow Day of 2011

Well, friends we absolutely loved our snow day yesterday! We didn't go anywhere or do anything. It was wonderful. I think we got about 14-16 inches of snow so basically the entire city pretty much shut down.

There are two not-so-fun things about snow days, however. The first not-so-fun thing is shoveling. The husband and I, along with our teenage neighbor, shoveled our driveway for a little over an hour. Oh. My. Word. Shoveling is tough! I think this was the first time I really had to shovel a lot of snow. And let's just say I no longer feel guilty about not hitting the gym yesterday. It was a workout!

The other not-so-fun thing about being shut inside is hyper puppies. 

With no walks and no trips to the dog park Wrigley started going a little stir-crazy.

So we let him romp around in the snow while we shoveled. Our neighbor's dog came over to play for a little while too. I love his little snow beard in this picture! He could play out there for hours!

Massive amounts of snow.

Our street.....no driving for us!

Poor Pancake had to stay inside...the snow was taller than him!

After our "workout" we enjoyed some nice yummy hot chocolate. Can we have a snow day every week????

Snow Day!!!

We got our snow day today! I am so excited. Now don't get me wrong, we get tons of snow in Michigan. But we hardly ever shut down. We just deal with it. Or in my case, suffer through it. But not today! Today we are staying inside, sipping hot chocolate and watching movies.

We got over a foot of snow last night! I couldn't even open our slider on to the deck....there was so much snow. And it's still coming down!

So far I've had two days off this week.....I could get used to this!

Catching Up on a Tuesday

Happy Tuesday everyone. I took a day off of work yesterday to recharge and unwind. I "unplugged" and didn't e-mail, check facebook, blog, or even read blogs....it was sort of wonderful. I highly recommend taking a break every now and then!

So, what did I do on Monday? Not much. Took Wrigley to the dog park, went grocery shopping (which, by the way, why was it so crowded on a Monday morning? Don't people work???) and did some laundry. Fun day off right? I actually really enjoyed it!

It also helped that I had Dexter season 2 to entertain me.

And lots of these around...my favorite.

Which I then had to make up for eating by spending some time on this.

All in all a very good day.

In other news, the weather guy is predicting a huge snow storm to hit Michigan. I'm totally praying and hoping for a SNOW DAY! It NEVER happens in Michigan. So please please please send thoughts of lots of a snow day my way!