Top 10 of 2011

Number 2

Mexico!

Top 10 of 2011

Number 3

Discovering Door to Door Organics - I've tried so many new and delicious treats!

Top 10 of 2011

Number 4

Felipe turned 30 and we celebrate first with family and later with friends.  We'll forget how the night ends. . . .

Top 10 of 2011

Number 5

Landscaping.  Fingers crossed everything comes back up this Spring!

Top 10 of 2011

Number 6

Our second anniversary trip to Austin.  We ate street taco's, strummed expensive guitars, and crashed a segway.

Top 10 of 2011

Number 7

Running my first 5K!  Today I started training for my second.  Perhaps a 10k is in my future. . . .

Top 10 of 2011

Number 8

Scoring designer shoes from "Lucky's 90 Outfits for $500".  You will not believe the number of compliments I've received wearing these girls.  Thank you Lucky mag!

Top 10 of 2011

Number 9

Finding my "signature scent."  I will forever be a Burberry Girl.  Thanks love.

Top 10 of 2011

Number 10

Birthday dinner at the American, very posh, very American Psycho.

Entourage

Scored Entourage Season 1 for Christmas - - - -Felipe and I have already devoured all 8 episodes.  Anyone want to borrow?  Gotta warn you, it's contagious!  I mean how many shows can please both he & she?

On the Birthday list - season 2!

New Years Eve

As Ron Burgandy once said - For just one night let's not be Co-workers.  Let's be Co-people. 

Fel and I had the crazy idea of inviting our co-people over to ring in the new year.
I've got my Veronica Corningstone outfit all picked out and ready to go (pics to come!)

On the menu include favorites such as:

Firehouse Jalapenos - or "Gut Bombs" as Felipe affectionately calls them.  Accompanied by Cocktail Meatballs and Parmesan Fondue.

Not to forget our other crock-pot fave, Lil Smokies, as well as Pickle Rolls.

For dessert I made some Cake Batter fudge

We've got Paula Dean's Lime Sherbert Punch to sip on

and Lava Lamps for the more adventurous party-goers.

I wish all of you a magical new year and all the best in 2012.

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.  ~Benjamin Franklin

An Arkansas Christmas. . . .

uke love

Felipe got a ukulele for Christmas - and it was a runaway hit!  Pretty soon he'll be touring with the British Ukulele Orchestra.

Tidings of comfort & joy

Jackson all curled up in his new Christmas prezzie - a cuddle sack!

And a huge Merry Christmas from the Rosso's!

Winter Sangria on the Food Network

Mom - what do you think about some Winter Sangria to sip on at Christmas? Might need it to survive a holiday with the Garber family;)

Time to party

Last night I slept 13 hours and it was pure heaven!  Four days until Christmas vacation.  I've still got a few gifts to pick up.  Over the break my big project is going to be working on my closet.  I found an awesome color palette I want to use: 

I already have the brown dresser, and if you really use your imagination the walls just might pass for the cream color (a Willy Wonka sized imagination.)  Just need to pull in the turquoise and red.

Tonight we have the Family Medicine and Urology Christmas parties.  Will try to snap a few swanky pictures.

Holiday Baking (part 2)

Last night I made Aunt Louise's cream corn for the urology resident christmas dinner.  HUGE hit!  I think next time I'll have to take pickle rolls and 5-cup salad.

Today I made a new flavor of Chex Mix.  I learned that Chicago-Style is where you mix the cheese and caramel flavors in the popcorn tin.

Chex® icago Party Mix

We also had Felipe's family over for tea and Rhubarb coffee cake.  Who knew my picky-eater hubby loved rhubarb?

Reading is Fun: Hunger Games

Just finished reading a trilogy - think of a cross between Twilight and the Running Man.  It's got the star-crossed lovers battling against all odds in an arena fighting for their survival for the viewer's entertainment.  To make it even better, it's been made into a movie.

Lunch!

I feasted on a delicious baked potato buffet this afternoon at my MIL's.

muy deliciosa!

And I got a gorgeous new bracelet from abuela.

It has been the perfect weekend.

Deck the Halls

Yesterday evening we poured ourselves a drink, put on some Christmas music, and decorated our casa.

Coffee

Source: facebook.com via Cherise on Pinterest

Christmas List

What does the "girl-who-has-everything" want for christmas?

Click here to find out!

Warm roof over my head - check

2 cozy kitties - check

leopard print scarf - check

snow boots - check

handsome hubby - check

Comfy & cozy

Wanted to post a quick pic of my first designer purse - L.A.M.B and my new Cole Haan loafers.  If they had a fur lining they would be as comfy as slippers!

Santa Paws

Today was a perfect day.  I spent approximately 14 hours in bed catching up on sleep, cuddling with the kitties, and reading the next book in the Hunger Games series.  

I crawled out of bed just in time to sip a cup of eggnog coffee and head out to my hair appointment.

This evening we got out the christmas tree and holiday decorations.

The kitties most definitely did not like their new holiday hat and beard.  They were acting like little grinches.

Kitteh Komic ob teh Day: Sleeping With Cats

So true!

Via: Cat Versus Human

Bitty Box

Here's a pic of some of the more exotic varieties we received in our Door-2-Door delivery box.  

The dates never even made it into a recipe, they were gone within the first day.  They were absolutely delicious.

On the menu for tonight is Cream of Parsnip Soup with Bacon and Potato Crisps.

This weekend I'm going to make Sweet Potato and Celery Root fries and roast the chestnuts.

Right now I'm sipping on a Maple Old-Fashioned made with my new BitterCube bitters - the perfect fall beverage.

Monday

I have been avidly reading the Hunger Games - I think its the next Twilight.  Can't wait to see the movie.  The plot is very similar to The Running Man which is a sci-fi favorite of mine.  I'm going to try to tuck myself into bed early so I can finish it.

We also received a produce delivery today with tons of new veggies to try - purple kale, celery root, parsnips, and chestnuts!  (Not to mention the more common fruits/veggies such as onion, apple, orange, mango, dates, and banana.)

AND my new Fendi purse came!

I'll try to update with some pics as I cook up my spoils and take my purse out on the town.

Reading is Fun: Operating Instructions

Not a page turner, perhaps because I can't quite relate?  My favorite parts were all the 80's references that aren't quite as relevant today.

The most honest, wildly enjoyable book written about motherhood is surely Anne Lamott's account of her son Sam's first year. A gifted writer and teacher, Lamott is a single mother and ex-alcoholic with a pleasingly warped social circle and a remarkably tolerant religion to lean on. She responds to the changes, exhaustion, and love Sam brings with aplomb or outright insanity. The book rocks from hilarious to unbearably poignant when Sam's burgeoning life is played out against a very close friend's illness. No saccharine paean to becoming a parent, this touches on the rage and befuddlement that dog sweeter emotions during this sea change in one's life.

SURGERY UPDATE: 4 week rotation = 28 days.  4 days off = 24 days.  3 days down = 21 days left!

MELISSA UPDATE: Pampered myself this afternoon with an hour long massage followed by a facial followed by raisin bread toast, warm coffee, house mittens, and knitting.

FELIPE UPDATE:  I must post pictures of his mustache.  He's participating in Movember.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Despite having to crawl out of bed at 5am I had a rather lovely Thanksgiving.  I was released from work before Felipe even got up, he quickly showered and drove in to work while I was headed home.  That way, when I got here I had a nice quiet house to relax and unwind.  After a several hour knitting/tv/online shopping marathon (which I didn't only splurge on myself, I did also purchase 2 christmas gifts) we headed to my MIL's for a delicious turkey dinner.  This evening we watched Super 8 (a darker mix of Goonies w/ ET) and are getting ready to watch Horrible Bosses.

I wanted to share this crazy beauty tip I just learned:

How to Be a Girl: Cat Eyes By Magic! from The Hairpin on Vimeo.

Splurges

I made a small splurge these past few days on Ebay - - - -

A nice L.A.M.B handbag, my first designer handbag.  One of the other Uro wives has a L.A.M.B bag.  Keeping up with the Windspergers. . . .good thing I don't know the Kardashians.

stockings & starker's

I finished up my knitting project this evening - - -

It's huge in person, can't wait to see what Santa fills it up with!  Maybe some tiger balm for my sore fingers?  

I've already started my next project, a felted birdhouse.  New technique: circular cast-on.

Grandma - once again, thank you SO much for this blanket.  All four of us fight over it daily and most evenings you can find all 4 of us cuddled up with it!

My next dream blanket - a Pendleton throw.  If anyone happens to come across one at a thrifty, garage sale, or auction please pick it up on my behalf.

Reading is Fun: The Adventures of Huck Finn

This one took a little longer to get through - it was printed in the most itsy-bitsy font, which made the smallish book rather deceiving.

I was amazed at how relevant this book is to today's culture and how controversial it remains.  Teachers are still attempting to banish it from schools and libraries despite the notice put forth by the author at the beginning of the tome.

NOTICE

PERSONS attempting to find a motive in this narra- tive will be prosecuted; persons attempting to find a moral in it will be banished; persons attempting to find a plot in it will be shot.

BY ORDER OF THE AUTHOR,
Per G.G., Chief of Ordnance.

And the man himself, 

Silent film footage taken in 1909 by Thomas Edison at Stormfield (CT) at Mark Twain's estate.

Belleville revisited

My project is going splendidly.  Each evening after finishing up in clinic I come back to the house, put on my pj's, grab a snack, and camp out in front of the television with my knitting.  I'm getting a blister on my index finger, have some pain in my joints, and a tight muscle in my shoulder - - -this knitting stuff isn't as easy as it looks!  But then again, I've pretty much made a part-time job of it.  I think I logged 4 hours today. 

 I'm trying to treat this like a mini-vacay - no bills to pay, no bathrooms to clean, no dishes to wash, no groceries to buy.  Pretty nice!  A little bird told me that when I get home Friday night my frig is going to be stocked with Trader Joe yummies.  And while out here I picked up this awesome crockpot cookbook mag.  Can't wait to share some new recipes when I get back.  

In the meantime I've been scoping out some vintage purses, check out  a few of my faves.  Meet Gucci, Fendi, and Louis.  I think this sugar mama has earned herself a little treat!  Makes me feel so Sex & the City.

More Adventures in Knitting

I've been knitting for almost 5 years now - and like any relationship we've gone through our high's and low's.  Currently I am absolutely infatuated.  I decided to take a risk and teach myself 2 new techniques - continental style (where you hold the yarn in your left hand rather than right) and stranding (where you knit with two colors).  I've knit until my fingers hurt and I think I may be getting a blister.  Next week I'm hoping to finish this project.  Any guesses as to what it might be?

Greetings from Belleville

I made it to Belleville last night without incident.  The only incident arose after I arrived at twilight and none of the houses had numbers on the front.  I went from driveway to driveway, getting up to the front door to look for a house number.  Since everyone here leaves their house unlocked I just knew a family would come home to find me camped out in their living room thinking it was the Holt's house!  And since everyone here seems to own guns. . . .luckily I didn't need my bullet proof vest.  After three tries, I found the Holt's house (with their name written on a cute little scarecrow by the front door.)

Favorite things:

1. I've gotten to see patients in the hospital, clinic, AND nursing home already today.
2. Free drug-rep lunch.  You know, these things aren't all bad.  I'm so out of the loop when it comes to new medications.  But if you want something off the $4 list, I'm your doc.