Kind of a Mess Interviews: Jenn of A Misallocation of Resources

Jenn is sweet, a regular commenter AND her blog features great projects, wedding talk and amazing recipes.  Plus, SHE MAKES FURNITURE AND KNOWS HOW TO DO LETTER-PRESS.  WHY are you not best friends with her already?!? (aren’t she and her sweetie Brandon sexy and adorable?)

Fun fact about Jenn that you (and she) did not know: She, along with her partners in crime Boris and Natasha, have a plot to save the world with pie.  A delicious, delicious plan.

What is your dream job(s)?
I have a bunch: I’d love to be an architect not worried about my job because of the economy, and I have always wanted to retire and be a florist.  Since I got into doing all this wedding stationary, I have toyed a bit with the idea of crossing over into graphic design, starting a stationary company…

What would be your dream trip? 
Meandering through Thailand, then doing the same in India.  Just the thought of the food makes my mouth water, not to mention the thought of the sightseeing, the overwhelming experience…

What is your favorite ensemble and what does it say about you? 
I don’t so much have a favorite ensemble, as much as I have a top 5.  Perhaps this says I am indecisive? Read More

Eatin’ Pants: Skillet Chicken Pot Pie


Being that I’m lactose intolerant and my husband has the food preferences of a five-year-old, it can be a battle to eat in my house.  Add on to that trying to eat healthy and I’m completely tempted to throw in the towel and eat Subway for the rest of our lives.

We do on occasion hit jackpot with new recipes.  Okay, possibly only once, maybe twice.  And even then, Jethro doesn’t always like it because “it tasted better last time.”  (He has no concept that food doesn’t always taste the same every time like it does when it’s mass-produced.  YOU SEE WHAT I’M WORKING WITH HERE?!?)

*ahem* Anyway, one of our few wins have been Chicken-n-Biscuits Potpie from the Food Network Kitchens Cookbook.  It’s hearty, tasty and chicken so Jethro likes it; and its non-dairy, homemade comfort food, which I like.

This is probably not a great recipe for the summer, but I refuse to let the weather dictate my life.  Screw you, Texas weather, I eat what I want when I want!

Add a margarita to the meal.  Instant summertime food.

Please note, the following photos are not hugely appetizing.  But they’re real and what your food is really going to look like.  I love gorgeous pictures of food as much as the next guy, but it makes me sad when my food does not turn out like that….   Read More

Pen Pals!: July Prompt

Alrighty, we are ready for our July go-round of Pen Pals!  Everyone who is participating will have gotten their person by now; you won’t be writing to the same person you’re getting a letter to, so you’ll make two new friends! (and if you wanted to participate but forgot, sorry!  We’ll get you next time…)

I was going to give a few prompts, but let’s keep this one simple.

Write your letters to each other with the beginning line, “When you come to visit, we will….” and then go on to tell your partner what you’d take them out to do in your hometown.

If you’ve recently moved, or think where you live blows, write about where you’d take them if the both of your visited another city that you know well.  Tell them where you’d go visit, what fun things you’d do and most importantly, where you’d eat.

Use pretty paper, plain notebook paper, notecards, whatever you want!  And remember, you can include surprises in the letter, but everything has to fit in a regular size envelope. (Please note, do NOT send baby powder.)

It’s such a small group that I tried my best to match up strangers, but don’t be surprised if you know your pen pal.***   Once you have their info, you can keep it a secret or let them know, it’s up to you! 

After you receive your letter, email me about it and we’ll post reactions here on the blog.  Let us know what kinds of activities that your pal dreams up, it’ll give us an insight into somewhere we’ve never been!  (You can even take photos if you think the paper, envelope or the contents are especially fun; any address information or portions of the letter itself will be blacked out.)  However, this is not mandatory.  Don’t feel like you have to share your letter; and letter-writers, don’t feel pressure to be super interesting.

The deadline is July 31st, so please get your letters in the mail by then!   Remember, this is intended to be an one-time deal so don’t be upset if your pen pal does not write you back.  (But please let me know if they don’t write you at ALL….)  If this is fun, we’ll try it again next month!

Image from We Heart It

***Also, apparently I’m kind of crap at organizing stuff.  There was a spreadsheet and color coordinating and all kinds of craziness.  Don’t get me wrong, I love me some spreadsheets, but I might have messed this up JUST a little bit with the matching and the whatnot.  But you’ll forgive me, love me and chalk it up to a learning process, yes?  Yes.

Open Letters, Part 2

Dear Google user who came to my site through searching for “bedazzled tampon” (TWICE),
PLEASE come back.  I think you’re my kind of people.

Dear Google user who came to my site through searching for “thats too much ass”,
You can f*ck right off, sir.

***************

Dear Gmail,
I love that you’re looking after me, but not every single freakin’ incoming message needs to be flagged as “important.”  STOP IT.  Giving these emails that kind of validation only sets them up for heartache later. Read More

LOOKIT!: APW – Ask Team Practical: Wedding Party and Parent Gifts

It’s Friday, so I’m over at A Practical Wedding spittin’ more wedding advice, this time on wedding party and parent gifts.

(And apparently making people feel guilty for their gift choices or lack of.  Stop it, please!!  That’s never the point of our posts…)

Video

Sad Bastard Songs: Modern Soul

Nothing will set off Jethro and I faster than the other person jacking with the radio.  Jethro has a short attention span and likes to flip around or listen to talk radio.  I, on the other hand, will flip if I don’t like a song but generally will keep it on one station.  And that station is usually KRNB 105.7, smmmmoooooottttthhhhh R&B.  (You gotta say it all sexy like.)

He mocks me, but I love this damn station.  I listen to Steve Harvey in the morning and then I get my sexy on with Sean Andre on the drive home.  It’s my feel-good station and generally, baby-makin’ music is my feel-good music.  Even if it’s sad, “baby, baby, please COME BACK!” baby-makin’ music.

Can You Stand the Rain – Boyz II Men
Y’all know of my love for Boyz II Men. I know this is a New Edition song, but this one just breaks your heart.
Read More

LOOKIT!: WHT Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner review

It occurs to me that I forget to tell you where else I’m featured online; I just kind of assume y’all are in my head with me all the time.  But, in case you are not a APW reader or an Alyssa stalker, I’ll try to be better about letting y’all know when my posts go up elsewhere on teh internets.

Today, check me out over at We Heart This, I reviewed Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Liners and they are AMAZING and I love them.

Birchbox July: Cynthia Rowley

I’m not that into fashion.

And it’s hard to believe, if you were to look at photos of me.  Hair in exactly the same style – the way I let it air-dry as I was late to work…the same pair of jeans on the weekend along with Jethro’s college shirts that I get in trouble for wearing…shoes picked for comfort and price and then MAYBE style…  I definitely LOOK like SUCH a fashion plate….

(There is one thing that I’m into that is vaguely stylish, and that’s makeup.  The contents of my makeup bag will routinely cost more than what I’m wearing on any given day.  Probably EVERY day, with the exception of my wedding day.  It’s a problem.)

Anyway, I’m not that into clothes.  I LIKE them and I like looking good, and if I have an event to shop for I’ll enjoy it.  But in general?  If I could wear a uniform that made my butt look good and showed off my giant ta-ta’s, I’d be all over it.  If I could wear that to work and then only have to think about clothes on the weekend, that would be enough for me.

And as a result, I don’t know anything about designers other than the major ones.  So when I got my July Birchbox in and it was all, “CYNTHIA ROWLEY,” I was like, “Who?” Read More

Kind of a Mess Interviews: Jenny

Jenny is an APW reader but does not have a blog, Twitter or extraneous handle.  And I find that damn refreshing.  Who else do you know over the age of 8 who doesn’t have an alternate personality on the internet?!?  She also needs a new job in AZ.  Help a sister out.

Fun fact about Jenny that you (and she) did not know: Jenny can speak to dogs.  There have been rumors that she is helping them plan a coup, but nothing has been confirmed.

What is your dream job(s)?
This is a tricky question for me.  I feel like it changes a lot.  But today, my dream job would be a high school English teacher.

What would you eat if it were your last meal?
Another one that changes daily 🙂 Um, I’d have to say definitely breakfast. Two eggs over medium, hashbrowns, bacon, and a biscuit with country gravy.  Tabasco, salt and pepper over the eggs and hashbrowns – YUM.  Oh, and a big glass of milk.

What superpower would you like to have?
Flying, I have a lot of dreams about flying. Read More

Buy Me That!: Party Time!

Buy My That! is where I showcase stuff I want.  Feel free to let your inner capitalist out and show me what you want too….

Let’s have a party!

Here’s your invitation.

Read More