Halloween Week: Melissa

"This Halloween Brody is going as Buzz Lightyear and Charlotte is a poodle. We went on a practice run at our grocery store this last Saturday. I think this was the highlight of Brody's life. It didn't take him 5 seconds to figure out that he didn't lose in any aspect when it came to trick or treating. Charlotte also seemed to figure it out- don't try to snitch candy from her. She was very amused by the actual poodle that we met on our way into the store. They stared at each other for a little bit- had a poodle moment, I think. She was much more willing to stay in her costume after that. We are very excited to join Jess's family for Halloween this year. Halloween festivities are pretty limited where we are, but where she is, the whole town gets into it.

My favorite Halloween tradition happened after trick or treating. We would all make a circle, dump out our loot and proceed to have the Great Candy Exchange. We traded like pros. I'm surprised that none of us are on Wall Street now. The process would last until Mom made us put the candy away and go to bed. One year, I was particularly concerned that my sisters not steal my collection of snickers bars, so I hid them. In the bell of my trombone. And then I forgot about them until the next time I went to band. For some reason, I couldn't get a sound out of it. My band teacher picked up my trombone, blew as hard as he could, and about 5 snickers bars came flying out. I was pretty embarassed, especially since it led to a lecture on instrument care. But everyone agrees that as far as hiding places go, it was a good one. Who would think to look for halloween candy in a trombone?"

Oh my gosh, cutest kids ever!

Halloween Week: Treats

Here are a few Halloween treats I'm thinking of trying out this year...

This Edible Playdough would be super fun for kids...or me...to play with and then chomp on. Plus it's peanut butter-y yummy.


These Caramel Apple Cupcakes look delicious, and super simple which is definitely a requirement for any recipe I pick. Plus they won't be as hard to chomp into as a traditional caramel apple. Ouch, my molars.


These Strawberry Ghosts are so cute, and so easy! I think I will make them this year for sure, because my husband loves strawberries and white chocolate.

Hurry, Halloween! I love a good excuse to make treats.

Week Five: Halloween

Since it's Halloween this weekend, the topic is obvious!

I remember looking so forward to this night where I would return home with a pillow-case full of chocolate that I was determined to ration out until Christmas. I remember having to figure out a trick-or-treat costume that would be warm enough to last through a cold Colorado October night, which was sometimes complete with snow. I remember my mom trying to convince us that her "Witches Brew" was full of "Eye of Newt."

What is your best Halloween memory? Your favorite costume? Your favorite recipe for ghoulish treats? The best creative activities for a Halloween party? If you (or your kids) have a costume planned, what are you going to be? Did you carve pumpkins this year?

Let's share in the spooky spirit of this week! Email me your Halloween tips, tricks or treats!

Wedding Week: Jordan

"I loved my wedding, with the exception of a few minor things. Like there were some people who came, who I wish wouldn't have... and some people who didn't come, who should have! My fake hair extensions looked terrible at the end of the day. I forgot my jewelry for the reception. And even though I tried to avoid it, it was still a huge headache to plan. (It's ONE DAY people.) But let's go on with the things I loved: I LOVED (and still love, and will always love) my dress. Having not had really any idea of what I wanted I didn't expect to care too much, let alone to love it so much... but it honestly was made for me. Siiiiiiiigh.

I loved my bright colors, but that was the hardest decision for me. I looooove color and honestly could have done a whoooole lotta different color schemes. In fact I still plan color schemes in my head sometimes. Like for fall, I love the browns/rust color combinations, or like my cousin's wedding last week, gold/orange/plum. For winter or Christmas season, instead of doing the classic red and white, I would do light pink and silver which is still wintery and magical. My mother-in-law suggested a combination of chocolate brown and champagne colors, which is beautiful too. If I was going for classy- definitely my first choice. But... I somehow felt the hot pink and lime green fit my personality and the summer season perfectly. Maybe in the next life I'll be able to have as many weddings as I want.And for the record, I actually DO think my bridesmaid dresses were adorable. Uhhhh... yikes."


Jordan, you're right, the hot pink is SO you. I love it.

Wedding Week: Nancy Beth

"You know the old adage "always a bridesmaid, never a bride"?

I embody that phrase.

You know the movie "27 Dresses"?
Well maybe I should have saved the dresses then. But I never saw the point, because let's face it, no matter how reasonable a bride tries to be, the dress will never be worn again. Unless, of course, you are the sole bridesmaid and the color of choice happens to be one you have done before. I have a plum colored bridesmaid dress that I have worn at least 4 times. And I have a green one that was popular for an entire spring season, 3 weddings of 3 roommates who kindly coordinated with each other because they all liked the same color and were having basically the same bridesmaids (namely the other 3 of us in the apartment)

And I may cause offense here because every bride thinks that she is the exception, that the dresses she chose were perfect for everyone involved, and that all bridesmaid dresses may be ugly, except of course the dresses at her wedding. Yep, you can go on believing that. But let's face it, there will never be a group of women who all look good in the same color or same cut of a gown. So whomever came up with the idea should probably be shot. And all of this begs the question: "why do we continue to do it?"

Why do we attempt to honor those closest to us by making them wear something that doesn't fit or makes you look like a watermelon or degrades in some other way? Why do we force our best friends, those that stood by us through the bridezilla phases of engagement and still want to be our friends to stand out in a crowd like a giant beacon of pink fluff or yellow puffball? And perhaps an even more accurate question, why do those of us who have done it 42 times continue to agree to it despite our complaints?

I can tell you exactly why. It's because we like playing dress up. Seriously, what's the first question your maid of honor or bridesmaid asks you? It's about colors. And sure, she may continue on with other reasonable questions about themes and party favors, and she may pretend to listen to you ramble on about centerpieces, but her mind is gone to planning a dress as soon as you say "blush and bashful". She is nodding and smiling at you all the while making a mental list of websites to check and fabric swatches to sample. She is imagining if the color will look good close to her face or if she will need something low cut with a string of pearls in between. And she is thrilled to be your bridesmaid, because she knows that while you have your important day, she will be recognized as almost as important, that when you are melting down important decisions will be deferred to her, and that at the reception she will get a bit of recognition as well, all because she agreed to play dress up too.

I'm not kidding. It all boils down to the dress. Which is why we complain about it so much. When else do we complain so much about one item of clothing we will be wearing once? I have heard some bridesmaids complain about the dress to a point of blaming the bride. "She just doesn't want me to be prettier than her, so she made me wear puce, which she knows washes out my eyes" I know we only really hear about bridezillas, but bridesmaid-zilla is never far behind. You give a girl a chance to dress up and be sparkly and pretty and in charge for a day, but then you let someone else pick out the dress? No good! And this is why themed weddings go even more sour as far as apparel is concerned. Then its not just the color and the cut, but the entire concept! Sparkly and pretty is gone as soon as she is shoved into a southern belle gown or a square dance skirt. There will be a photographer there, and maybe even a groomsman to dance with, this night will live in photo albums for years to come!

Of course, that makes the bridesmaid seem like such a selfish individual. And I won't argue too much with that take. After all, it's brides-MAID. You are there to be a help and support, make sure the appetizer trays stay full and keep grandma from fighting with other grandma and don't let the weird side of the family embarass themselves too much.

Which is why I actually really enjoyed 27 dresses. Kathrine Heigl's character summed it up when she pointed out that she did it because she loved her friends and wanted to support them, and someday she hoped they would be there for her too. It wasn't just justice that those brides all had to wear their own dresses in the end, it was a perfect tribut to the real reason we eternal bridesmaids exist. Some of us don't care about the dress, we care about the person that chose it."

Wedding Week: Jessica

"I wish I was a more humorous writer, because my wedding had a lot of humor surrounding it. If only it could be made into a movie….

Oh, wait, Have you seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”? You know how everything seems to go nuts, and one family has these oddities that makes the whole thing go wacky, and then, at the end, everyone dances in a circle and bride realizes everything is going to be okay? That about sums it up.

I forgot the ring. The bridesmaids dresses ended up at Famous Dave’s. But, hey, that is okay, because the Bridesmaids were either missing in action because the groomsmen decided to just plow one more field because the weather was so nice, or they were puking in garbage cans throughout the church. At one point, on my way to get dolled up for pictures, just before the reception, I was starving (dinner was in the car with the groomsmen who hadn’t yet shown up), and walked by one of my bridesmaids, in jean shorts and a t-shirt, puking. I went and cried to my mom. But, then, my mom told me about her wedding day, and it seemed okay again.

I got all pretty, faced pictures, and then did the tedious and boring reception line. Then, the band that played the night my husband and I first starting falling for each other played. We did our little waltz, and then I mysteriously disappeared. I came back in capris and a white shirt, and we really hit the floor. I love swing dancing, and it was at the heart of our relationship. I wasn’t about to let everyone else have all the fun. We ran out on the dance floor, the guest cleared, and we danced. After that, everyone joined us, and by the end of the night, even my dad was dancing. And, yes, literally, at one point, everyone had joined hands and were dancing in a circle. I realized that my now in-laws may not always be prim and proper, but they knew how to have fun.

Years later, and I completely adore my in-laws. I don’t know if I’ve adopted the quirks, accepted the quirks, or the quirks have gone away. I think it is a little of each. I still feel sad when I remember that my husband’s siblings weren’t at the temple to greet us, and the few pictures we have with the wedding party show some pretty ashen-faced bridesmaids. I laugh, though, when I think of the events, because it is just how our life is- a little crazy, a little unexpected, and everything seems to depend on the weather."

Wedding Week: Courtney

"Ahhhh, weddings. Don't you wish you wish you could get married all over again (to the same guy, of course!) just to have another wedding?! I absolutely loved my wedding. Actually, the only qualm I have with my wedding is my hair. So the advice I give to all brides-to-be is to come up with a concrete idea of how you want your hair. Find pictures. Do research. Have consultations. Really, really think about it. I didn't hate my hair, but it didn't suit my personality, and I don't think it matched my dress. So, when I look at my pictures, I just think about how I would have changed it. It will pay off to put in the time.

What I did love about my wedding were the flowers, the cake, my dress, the colors-- basically everything but my hair. I had an awesome photographer (Jonathan Canlas-- couldn't have loved him more), and I loved the atmosphere of our reception-- classy but laid back. I am proud to say that people told us our reception was the most fun they had ever had at a wedding. We had a live band, but the music was more special than just that. Sam's and my first date was to a wedding reception (which is funny, I think), and when I heard the band at that reception, I thought "this music is perfect. I want this band to play at my wedding." You can guess what happens next-- when Sam and I got engaged, I had him track down his friend so we could get that band. It was a little tricky, since his friend had moved to Africa, so we then had to track down his friend's wife's mother who could barely remember who the band was . . . and then we finally got a hold of the band and booked them, but my dad forgot to send them the deposit, so when I called the day before the wedding, they weren't planning on coming (many tears ensued), but they managed to round up the band with less than 24 hours notice . . . but it was so worth it. Having that music meant the world to me and made my wedding day the best day of my life (honestly)."



Totally gorgeous. I love your dress and the cake looks delish. Wedding well-done, Courtney.

Wedding Week: Ally

My wedding was everything I ever hoped for, but of course it had it's moments of awkwardness. I blame the photographer. Sometimes I wonder where wedding photographers get their "creative ideas." Some pictures turned out super-weirdy. As they always do.

For example, the "everybody gather 'round and I'll take the picture from a helicopter" look.

Yes, that's...stunning. Of course I want THAT framed on my wall. An awkward moment forever frozen in time.

And then there's the infamous "Virgin Mary" shot from my bridal photos:
Nice.

Of course, there were some good ones too. Like my pink cowgirl boots that my mom helped me to bedazzle.


And this shot of Orrin dancing with my niece (who is totally in love with him and thrilled to have is attention):
The mark of a good wedding is that when you think back on it, you forget that your husband forgot your wedding band in another state and you had to have someone break into his apartment and overnight it to you. All you remember is how happy you were.


Probably the best wedding I ever had. Scratch that, DEFINITELY the best wedding I ever had. Haha.

Wedding Week: Cake Wrecks

As luck would have it, one of the best blogs ever- Cake Wrecks - had a wedding themed post today. Wedding cakes galore. Unfortunately, the bakers that these brides hired didn't QUITE catch the vision of what the brides wanted.

Like the bride who asked for this:

But ended up with THIS: That's unfortunate. At least you would have a good story to tell the grandchildren I suppose.

If you aren't a frequenter of Cake Wrecks, I highly recommend you browse it. It will make you laugh. That cake is from today's post, but here are a few more "Missed Mark" gems from Cake Wrecks archives (these are scarred onto my psyche):

What she wanted:
What she got: Um....not exactly.

And one more. What she wanted:
What she got:
See, girls, your weddings could have been much worse.
(Keep sending in your wedding stories/pictures/dreams!)

Wedding Week: Inspiration Boards

I think these are adorable, and so fun. So here's a wedding week treat for you all! They are called "Inspiration boards" and you can find them around the internet- a compilation of wedding photos surrounding a common theme. Really gives you a feast for the eyes and a taste of that particular wedding.

Like this fun, summery yellow:

Or these sophisticated soft metallics (which I love):

Or this friendly, homey vibe:

And this, I love because it gives a sort of updated Jane Austen feel.

See aren't those fun? Like poetry in pictures.

PS How fun would it be to make one of these from photos of your own wedding? Hmmm this could be dangerous for me, I could waste hours.

PPS These inspiration boards were found at stylemepretty.com, which is a great place to look around & dream. If you're into that kind of thing.

Wedding Week: Melissa

Okay, so i've sent you two pictures. One is on our wedding day on the St. Paul MN Temple grounds and the other is on the swings at Kiwanis Park in Provo.

For the most part, our wedding day went smoothly. There was the part when I forgot to bring my white shoes to the temple...and the part where the photographer got stuck in traffic and made it to the temple just as everyone was leaving and I found out several months later that my mom had the flu that day. Oh yeah, and a nephew threw a cup of punch at me during the reception...otherwise, pretty smooth. I'm sure there were other things, but for the most part, I was blissfully unaware of what was going on. The reception in Cali had a few interesting moments, but none that I should share on a public blog, for fear of any repercussions if the 'villainess' stumbled upon them. Lets just say there was a certain person who made it very clear that I wasn't supposed to marry Matt...

Week Four: Wedding Bells

I love-loved crush week last week! It made me so happy to hear about your adolescent loves. When I was trying to think of the best discussion topic for this week, this came into my head (perhaps from too much wandering down middle school memory lane): "First comes love, then comes marriage..."

But when we say "marriage" we mean weddings. Of course. We're girls.
Let the wedding week begin! The possibilites are endless here.

If you are married, send in your favorite wedding photo (or photoS- go on and show off a little, we want to see). Or tell me about the best or worst parts of your wedding. Something you wish you'd done, something you saw at someone else's weddings that you loved, or what advice you would give to future brides.

If you are single, tell me about your dream wedding, or the best wedding ideas you've gathered up in your head, or the worst wedding disaster you've witnessed. Send in a picture of a dress you think is fabulous- have a little fun looking around online for things you love and DON'T feel guilty about it because I told you to do it.

Crush Week: Erin

"In 7th grade, my heart lept for Leonardo DiCaprio. I went to see Titanic 4 times, 3 of which I balled uncontrollably when Kate Winslet cracks his hand off and says "I'll never let go Jack, I'll never let go". After knowing that I would lose my dear Leo from seeing it the first time, the lump in my throat began to appear sooner and sooner in anticipation for that awful scene. It was a tragically beautiful experience. I was so into it. The love was deep.Leo was like man cocaine to me. I remember how excited I was to learn that he was once on Growing Pains, and that The Disney Channel was having a GP marathon JUST of the shows that Leonardo was in. I faked being finished with my algebra homework more than a few times, just so I could sneak into my parent's room to watch their TV (I had to sneak off to watch because my mom would have totally noticed I finished algebra too fast, and would have insisted we go over it).

I don't remember when I stopped loving him so much. Sometime in High School I guess because I know I didn't bring any posters to BYU. I think it was just Jack I was in love with, because Leonardo is kind of annoying now that I see him through 25 year old eyes. My heart still beats a little faster though when I see him playing cards with Fabricio, drawing 1 legged prostitutes, and sinking into the depth of the ocean. Sick, I know. My crushes are totally normal now though. I mean, who doesn't have a thing for Barry Manilow?"

The photoshopped picture alone made this post amazing.

Crush Week: Jessica

"I really didn’t care to watch a lot of the same shows that my peers watched. I wasn’t into the popular movies, or the popular music stars. Most of the time, they irritated me. During the teen years, I spent a majority of my time being annoyed at the social rules of all those around me. My sister told me, years after our high school time, that everyone in the school thought I was a snob. I was surprised by that. I always figured the popular kids didn’t hang out with me because they looked down on me. It never occurred to me that they thought I looked down on them. Later, though, I have rethought, and realized they were right, I did look down on them. Oh my Gosh, I was a snob! I did think their posters, and heartthrobs were silly and childish. I did roll my eyes when they said they “loved” someone (whether a celebrity or a real person). I was a full-on snob!

But, I kept a little secret. My family watched Star Trek every night together. (Yes, I know what you are thinking- “if my family did that, I’d keep it a secret, too.”) I watched it for the humor, the family togetherness, the wit, or not. I watched it because of Wesley Crusher.

That was my secret. All of my eye-rolling, and laughing at their silliness, and I was just like them, with my silly crush. I think only my sister and I talked about him, and she knew my secret.

I did have one real person crush. I met him at my first youth dance. He lived 3 hours from me, and we only saw each other once a month. We did communicate through letters, and he did come down to a dance at my school one time with me. (If you know me, and are remembering that one time, no, it wasn’t that guy. Maybe we should tell stories of guys who tried (and failed) to woo you. That would be a good one.) He was nice, going to be a doctor, kind of the “all-American” guy, except he was Canadian. At some point in time, my crush on him shifted to a true friendship, and we maintained that friendship all the way into my mission. I got a wedding invitation from him, and that’s the end of our story."

Wow, a Star Trek crush. Jess, you are brave to share! I would mock you mercilessly...except I'm a pretty big Han Solo fan and I'm not sure a Star Wars crush is much better then a Star Trek crush.

Crush Week: Nancy Beth (With bonus "Oops" combo)

"I wasn't really going to say anything for crush week, partly because I don't think that my middle school crushes were all that spectacular and partly because I am still traumatized by the fact that my younger sister would seek out my journal, scour it for crush info, and then publicize it so that there was no hope for me regaining any social face. That's OK, I suppose, while I have managed to forgive little sisters for acting like little sisters, I still haven't figured out quite how to recover emotionally. As it is, to this day I can't even admit a crush to myself for fear that I will discover it and leak the information to an untrustworthy source (those journals were supposed to hold my secrets, not reveal them!) I can admit to having a particular affinity for one "Andy Frasier" as an elementary schooler, and I was convinced that the way to win him was to become famous. When my family moved away I was 8 and had not yet attained to the fame that would slay the hearts of the men in my 2nd grade class. But Andy and I did make a promise, in the red tunnel in the playground, (you know, the one nobody went in because it meant you loved each other?) that one day when I became famous and he became a plumber (or some other romantic and stable profession) that we would find one another and get married and have lots of babies. I suppose I am still betrothed to him.

And now that I am becoming famous...

OK, not really, but I am singing professionally, and that's sort of a start, right?

Right. And singing in the opera could have it's crush advantages if most of the men weren't gay. Which brings me to my current crush story. (Don't worry, Don't judge, Just read on.)

You see, I tend to make friends with gay men. And there are a few that I have become close to in this show, and one in particular that is a friendship I am sure will continue after the show is wrapped up. We goof around in the fun flirting way that is so great between a gay man and a straight woman, and occasionally as a greeting or as a goodnight we will give each other a little kiss. Yes, on the lips. Theatre people and gay people and even sometimes close friends just do that.

So the other day I hadn't seen my close friend all day, which is unusual right now, and we were in rehearsal in full costume and makeup and all the women were lining up to go on stage for some scene while all the men were filing off stage at the end of their scene. It was dark backstage, but I thought I recognized my friend, so I reached out as he walked past and gave him a quick kiss before heading for my USL entrance. Of course, you can probably see whats coming. An unfamiliar voice said "Thanks, but what was that for?"

Oops.

Of course, the nice thing is that at this moment I was in costume and wig and it was pretty dark backstage, and being in a theatre tends to make me much more confident and quick on my feet than being my real self.

So I simply said "Oh, I thought you were a different gay guy! Guess you get his luck for the next scene!"

And he said "Actually, I'm a different straight guy, but thanks for the luck!"

And by then I had to make an entrance and he had to move along to the dressing room for a quick change.

I think I am in love.

OK, really its just a crush on the unknown straight guy in a cast of men who tend to be more interested in each other. But in addition to being straight, he sings opera and has quick comebacks to surprising situations like random women grabbing him and kissing him. How can I not love him?

Quick, get me a cast list! Maybe his name is Andy."

I love a man with a witty comeback.

Crush Week: Carolanne

Crush Week: Triple Threat

"The first time I heard MMMbop was the summer of ’98. I was never the same. Neither were my younger sisters. We decided that since there were three Hanson brothers and three of us that it must be fate. So what if their hair was longer than ours? Because I was the oldest I was assigned to Isaac. I thought his eyebrows were squirrely and he squinted a bit, but I decided to take the hit so that my sisters could have their age appropriate match ups.

After the assignments were made, the quest to become famous ensued (how else were we going to meet them so they could fall desperately in love with us?????) So I saved up my money from my first summer job to buy a guitar and we even talked my mom into buying us a used drum set. We spent all summer drawing band logos, writing fan fiction and surfing the net to find out what color their tooth brushes were. The only use the drum set got was to annoy my mom when she tried to vacuum around it, but I did manage to learn the C and G chords on my guitar and write an entire song with them. I’m still working on the rest of the album. Maybe I could throw an E minor in there somewhere. That one only takes two fingers……"

How happy am I that someone brought up Hanson? This made my day.

Crush Week: Nancy V.

"Gregory. 1992. Mrs. Dufty's class. Kindergarten. Ahhhh. (flutter of eyelashes). A five year old girl has emotions that run strong and shallow. My mother used to say that I would go through feelings, opinions, and crushes like dirty laundry. My first true crush was Gregory. He was shorter than I was. Chubbier than I was, and quieter than I was. I always took his quietness as his own sweet way of expressing his love for me.

I was so excited when Valentine's day came around and i was able to truly express my love in a heartfelt (literally FELT) pink card. I knew he felt the same, I mean his Valentine's day card said it all, "I like to play basketball. Happy Valentine's day." Can't you read between the lines and see how he loved me!!?!?!

Sigh, young love, it just doesn't get better than that does it?"

That is...awesome...

Crush Week: Celebrity Crushes

In honor of Crush Week, here's what some celebrities had to say about who they LIKE liked (and still like).

Kelly Clarkson:


Julianne Moore: "Donny Osmond. I loved Donny Osmond. I liked Michael Jackson too. It's very disappointing now. But Donny was so cute and he was 16, so he was older and more sophisticated. Isn't that awful?"

(Julianne Moore and old-school Donny Osmond)

Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts quarterback): "Julia Roberts. She's a great actor, but is she tall. I like tall, and she has the world's best smile."

Joey Fatone: "Sandra Bullock. She's funny, she's awesome. I think she's adorable. I've met her a couple times, I think she's someone you could get to know and hang out with and have a good time with."

Meredith Phillips (The Bachelorette): "George Clooney. I'd probably have a cocktail and hang out. I like the no-nonsense kind of attitude. He still has an air of sophistication about him. He's very humorous and very funny. I like that."

Heather Graham: ""I had a huge crush on Kirk Cameron in high school."

Crush Week: Melissa

"I didn't really have too many celebrity crushes. I think it stems from the fact that I'm a sore loser and you can't win with a celebrity crush. I mean, sure, I watched Saved By the Bell for Zach (or Slater, they were both attractive) but I didn't buy any posters of celebrities to hang up. I was way too good for any of them any way. I mean, Zach could really be a jerk to Kelly, and I wanted a better boyfriend than that.

(Sorry Zach. You just ain't cuttin' it.)

I had one crush during elementary and middle school. He liked me too- when we were in the second grade, he gave me a 'gold' bracelet that he bought from his sister for 7 dollars. I was so flattered that he would spend that much money on me. We stayed friends even through high school, albeit long distance, and I even wrote him once on his mission, I think. I may not have actually mailed the letter though, come to think of it. Oh well. As it turns out, we didn't get married like I thought we would when I was 8, and last week, he and his wife had a baby girl. Their daughter shares the same name with a girl I used to babysit. "

7 dollars! That's a fortune to a 2nd grader. You must've been pretty special, Melissa!

Crush Week: Ally

How I went from Mr. Darcy to a cowboy.

If you knew me in middle school you knew about my feelings for Mr. Darcy. They were pretty intense. This was the ideal man.

Handsome and refined. You feel like if you married him you would spend your evenings discussing literature in the parlor while dinning on pheasant and creme brulee. Or something. And isn't that every girls dream? Then one day, while watching Indiana Jones, I found myself intrigued by this:

Dr Jones! Not Indiana, but Dr. Jones the professor. Still handsome and refined and intellectual in a way that makes you want to write "I love you" on your eyelids like that girl in his class. Still a creme brulee man. But there is something a little different from Mr. Darcy here- the tiniest hint of ruggedness. Maybe THIS was the ideal man. And then one day suddenly I found myself thinking, "Oh what the heck! If I'm going like Indiana Jones I might as well go for the real deal!"

A-ha! Definitely not a creme brulee man, but who cares?! He is rugged, handsome, and wears a hat. You might not sit in the parlor dinning on pheasant, but who needs that when you are married to a guy in a hat.

Some people were suprised when I married a cowboy. I was a little surprised myself. He wouldn't be caught dead in a ruffly Mr. Darcy shirt. But, taking this little walk down old-crush lane has made it clear to me. I now realize it's all about the hat.

Crush Week: Snappy

When I got this story from my mom, I read it out loud to my husband and we laughed all the way through it. Classic.

"I'm not sure how disturbing it will be for you to hear about your mother's middle school dreamboat, but since it was so long ago, you can consider it to be historical fiction. But ...I'm Not Making This UP...I never do. So, I was just trying to get over the cutest of the Monkees (Mikey, was it?), when I noticed Larry at school. Within days, or moments, I determined that he was the one for me. True, we had never had a conversation, but we were sometimes in the same classroom, and that's fate. Clearly.

All the trustworthy girlfriends were soon made aware of my secret love and longing. They promptly told Larry that I was wanting to be kissed. What???? Was I some kind of 13-year-old floozy? Now that my reputation was at stake, I had to speak up and clarify my intentions. The opportunity came at the 8th grade end of the year swim party. He came walking across the lawn, and I stepped off the patio and said , ever so casually, but sincerely, "Sorry my friends keep bugging you about kissing me." And he said, "Well, I never said I wouldn't." And yes, he did!!!!! Then we both ran away (visualize the Napoleon Dynamite slump-run.) And fortunately, there was a long California summer before we had to be in a classroom again. And I don't think there was ever another conversation between us. Now in my old age, I realize it was probably the 2-piece swimsuit I wore. See the evil of a bare midriff???? Let's all try to follow the Prophet henceforth."

Probably my favorite part- the Napoleon Dynamite slump run.

Blog Button!

As per requests, I have made a blog button that you all can put on your blogs! Just copy the following and put it as an html element on your blog:

<a target="_blank" href="http://www.hotchocolateshop.blogspot.com/" title="Mouseover Words"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHLC_ixrxhi0BzEUfeY8llY6aA7HEBGDsmRPb_KyU3aI2to4olHp4yow_YQr7RCHsgDoY16Njdr5nkUXecvzvXKbxpSH4P1CM05y3UARmSNnlkDp-TObJHCKjQaXFwlcxCIhEC1lOistw/s1600/HotchocolateSHOP.jpg" /></a>

Then all your friends will click on it and it will link them here. Wow, I am so technologically savvy, I amaze myself.

Pssst, Pass it On.

PS Don't forget to put a link to this blog on your own blog, and tell your friends all about it. The more girls we get to come talk to us, the more friends we have, the more blogging joy we can spread. Thanks girls. Oh and don't forget to treat yourself to some hot chocolate today- the fall weather demands it of you.

Week Three: I LIKE like him.

Oooh JTT! I totally heart u.

I can't believe we have had this blog going for weeks without discussing BOYS! That's what girls do best. Remember how every sleepover you ever went to was just a long drawn-out chance for girls to pose that epic question to each other, "Who do you like?" The ONLY question who's answer could hold your attention at 3 in the morning after you've eaten an entire bag of Twizzlers. Now a bunch of us are married so that particular question has lost some of its mystical powers.

But I want to put the classic slumber party question to you girls, who was it that you liked back in your painful middle school days? I would like to aim your answers in the famous guy selection (but if you really want to describe that specific guy in your 8th grade science class, we will listen and mock.) Maybe a guy from TV, movies or books.

Who was your ultimate in dreamboaty-ness? Was it JTT in his Home Improvement days? Kirk Cameron in Growing Pains? Demitri from Anastasia (So what if he was a cartoon?) Or did you have a more refined pallet- Mr Darcy anyone?

Let's talk about our middle school crushes. Hilarity can only ensue. So pull out your old diary, relieve those awkward days, and email me your middle school (or highschool) one true love.

(PS I'm still not sure I know the difference between "Do you like him or do you LIKE like him or do you like LOVE him?" Whaaat?)

Target Giveaway Results!

In order to pick the random winner of the Target gift card, I decided to draw the name from a hat. First, I needed a hat.A-HA! Husband, hand over that old mangy cowboy hat!

I put all the names of all the girls who wrote their Target stories into the hat. And then I let the husband pick a name, since I DID steal his hat.AND THE WINNER IS....
KRISTEN!!!

Woo hoo! Cousin, I'll be sending you a Target gift card! If you CHOOSE to spend it on buying a gift for me, I won't stop you. Ha ha!

Target Week: Megan

"Ok, here is my Target story, well, my sisters target story actually. I thought it was quite appropriate, and funny, that you had written about Target and that same day she calls to tell me this deal!

I LOVE Target- bought 2 packages of Luvs diapers, 2 boxes of Target brand wipes, 2 Johnson and Johnson baby wash, and 12 jars of baby food all for.... $8.68!! All about the coupons...

My sister has turned me into a couponer and I am about to go cash in on this same deal that she got at target! She lives in Colorado and there aren't nearly as many couponers out there. So wish me luck that all the shelves are still stocked, waiting for me to bring some mighty fine loot home!"

Good luck, Megan! Share your coupon wisdom with us...

Target Week: Ally

Here's something cool I want to buy from Target.

This summer I borrowed an umbrella from my generous cousin Nancy because it looked like rain. Welllll let's just say the umbrella and I got separated. Yes, it was kidnapped. Umbrellanapped. I hate it when that happens. Nothing is worse then having to go back to someone and say, "Uhhh you know that thing you so generously lent me? A-hem. Uhhhh..." So I needed to buy a replacement umbrella to return to Nancy. I wanted a cute one so I looked at Target online and then at the store. We ended up getting a way cute polka dot one (right Nancy? I forget.) but in the process of all this umbrella shopping I fell in love with this little beauty:So cute. So poetic. I still haven't bought it but I think I will because I keep salivating over it. Is it crazy to be so in love with an umbrella? I just really want to carry it down the street and sing "I got sunshiiiine, on a clouuudy day."

Oh and hey, thanks everyone for your Target stories! I will be posting the winner of the giveaway on Monday, and the new discussion topic is on its way. Happy weekend!