2007....the best is yet to come!

I will have to say that this was a good year, and i think (well, i know!) that 2008 will be better.

What did 2007 bring?

• I started a new job, and kind of a new beginning. I had struggled with the choice to leave my previous job, and I finally decided to take the leap. I love my job, while i wish it paid better, I'm definitely content for now!
• We got engaged-Valentines Day! I have never cared for that stupid, hallmark holiday, which is why he proposed on that day! I kind of laugh sometimes when i think about it but now i will look forward to it each year! He is so funny-I posted a while back about his lack of ability to keep a surprise or gift for very long....he ALMOST woke me up at midnight the night before to give me the ring. He kept getting it out of the box, and staring at it. He's too cute!
• We bought our house! We could not be any happier about our choice, and one day when we are done with more updates i will post some pics! It will be a labor of love, but its our beginning!

Wow....2008 will be awesome! I am sure of that....mostly because we are getting married! I cannot wait, and i know as soon as Jan 1st rolls around, time will fly and the next four months will be here before we know it! EEEK!

This New Years Eve, we decided to go low key...very low key and i am excited. Good friends of ours and us will be heading to Remy's for a nice, relaxing meal before we celebrate the new year! The menu looks delicious! You can choose from 3-4 courses! Now, decisions, decisions, decisions.
First a la carte $10
Fritto Misto shrimp, calamari & bay scallops w/lemon mustard vinaigrette
Stuffed Grapevine Leaves "a house specialty" stuffed w/ground lamb & rice in tomato cumin sauce
Moroccan Seasoned Crab Cake w/horseradish-stone ground mustard tartar sauce
Crispy Gorgonzola & Apple Flat Bread w/walnuts & honey
Stracci Pasta w/mushrooms, asparagus & white truffle oil
Artichoke, Bacon & Bleu Cheese Fondue w/crispy flatbread
Spinach Cannelloni w/grilled chicken & four cheese filling
Second a la carte $8
Field Greens w/Kalamata olives, garbanzo beans & tomatoes w/house Gorgonzola red wine vinaigrette
Feta Mousse w/truffled roasted red peppers, capers & fresh spinach
Mediterranean Salad w/cucumber, tomato, Kalamata olives & feta cheese tossed w/fresh lemon & olive oil
Hummus "a house specialty" w/flat bread & feta cheese
Lobster Bisque
Third a la carte $22
Grilled Salmon w/Soy & Honey Glaze striped w/ginger scallion aioli
Champagne Poached Cod w/saffron rice, escarole & tarragon parsley butter
Seared Sea Scallops on Smoked Paprika Risotto w/green peas & manchego cheese
Pan Seared Chicken Breast w/fresh mozzarella & lemon butter chardonnay sauce served over broccollini
Bacon Wrapped Porkloin w/apricots & almonds served w/savory bread pudding & roasted winter vegetables
Braised Lamb Shank on Gorgonzola whipped potatoes w/lamb demi-glace
Grilled Beef Tenderloin w/triple bleu cheese butter & cabernet reduction
Vegetarian Entree Available Upon Request
Fourth a la carte $7
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte w/frangelico anglaise & praline crisp
Tiramisu layers of Sambuca soaked pound cake, pistachios, chocolate shavings & mascarpone mousse
Warm Apple & Golden Raisin Bread Pudding w/brandy hard sauce, "a Remy's classic"
Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee

I wish everyone a safe, and Happy New Year! I will see you all next year!!!

The holidays...a lil' ol recap

I hosted my first ever Christmas for family. I'll have to say, the little over achiever that i am did pretty darn well. Family was impressed, and the food was tasty! I made the best breakfast casserole involving all the fattiest things in the world! I found this recipe from Paula Deen and we know that woman knows how to cook, but she doesn't do it without a little butter, and fat! I served it without the syrup, but people did not miss it! This is like heaven in a pan! :)


1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces) Butter, for pan 8 large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Dash salt Praline Topping, recipe follows Raspberry Syrup, recipe follows
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.
Praline Topping: 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

I also made some assorted muffins, french bread for the homemade strawberry preserves that i made as well! If you love strawberries, this is seriously the best! A coworker made it and i knew i had to try to make it at home. It was soooo easy!

The holidays are always good times to spend with family but this year felt so rushed, and went by so fast. This was my last year as a single woman! I will spend my next christmas as a newlywed! YAY!

So they say....WHAT?

Blakey asked me the other day if we had ever got his personal property tax bill. I don't ever remember seeing one. He got the number and called about it. The woman on the phone explained why he hasn't received a bill-get this-

HE IS DECEASED!

He tells me this at work, while i am eating my yummy apple cinnamon zone bar which i ended up aspirating. He tells the woman, 'well, I'm not dead, I'm alive.' I mean, first of all, how does that happen? So, he'll be making a trip soon to prove that he indeed is not really dead after all. Good thing, i don't know how that would go over with marrying a dead guy! The bad part about all of this is that we will finally get our darn bill. Oh snap!

Martha, here we come?

Remember my Martha post? Well, guess what? I got tix to the show! I am in the process of talking blakey to take me to NYC for a few days. I mean, really, like a man is really going to care about seeing Martha. But, oh, my, gah. I will force him to go, if i have to drag him by his ears. Tehehe! The best part about all of this is that not only am i obsessed with Martha's crafty goodness, but I've never been to NYC. I told blakey that i think it would be good for us, a little pre-wedding-moon. Ha, we will see. Cross your fingers for me!::

I did find this interesting though:
SPECIAL AUDIENCE THEME: ENGAGED COUPLE’S SHOW! Recently engaged couples that need help with their wedding plans! Our Weddings Editor, Darcy Miller will be here to help!

What to wear: Please dress to impress. Everyone in the studio audience should be prepared to be photographed on camera.
Women: Dress to impress. Dressy and fun— a chic dress, dressy jeans, or trendy and fashionable outfits are suggested. Bright colors photograph best. Recommended: Dress shoes/heels. Men: Dress to impress. Polo- type shirts or a button- up shirt are best, with or without a blazer or jacket- it's your call. DO NOT WEAR: T-shirts, large printed logos on shirts or pants, white shirts, or wild prints. No hats, sleeveless tops, gym sneakers.

I guess I can't show up in my Budweiser t-shirt, and cheetah pants! Darn!

I saw this dress in the latest issue of Brides magazine. I love the color. If i didn't love my girl's dresses so much, i may have chose this one, and this color! There is something about it i just loooove!

Speaking of my girls dresses...they are ordered and are to arrive 2/12/08!

This is it...Watters and Watters 8464 but in this color: midori.

I'll be stalking my front door for a big package with 9 bm dreses in it! I haven't seen them in this color yet so i am excited to see them!

Random goodness

• I finally started back at the gym and even managed to get up at 5 this morning to go! Way to go, Amy! ::pats myself on the back:: Now, if i could just keep it up so that i can loose 25 pounds, then well, i'll be happy as a kid on christmas day.



• Speaking of Christmas....I have acomplished NO shopping this year as of today. OH, wait, Blakey did get me a gift online for the name i got in his fam this year. (this is our first year doing this...)



• Blakey is in no way good at keeping surprises. Every gift i've gotten from him has been before christmas, my birthday....well, guess what? I got my christmas present on Friday-even after he swore to me that he wouldn't do 'that' this year but golly gee....he had it and couldn't wait! I love it and even though we wern't supposed to be doing gifts this year, i am so excited about it! i have carried it everywhere-which has inspired my lazy arse to get to the gym!

It's the Sirius Stiletto, and I serioulsy love it! My sirius sat. radio in my car pooped out, so this was the perfect gift! You can acess WiFi so when the sat isn't available...and download songs since its also an mp3 player! Thanks babe!

• I hate winter. Hate. Detest. want to move to Florida -hate winter! Dry skin, cold air, snow, ice...it all plain sucks. Ok, that is my one and only complaint for this post!


• I have come to the conclusion several times in the past year that I am in the wrong damn business. While I love my job, and I get personal satisfaction out of it (being a social worker for kids with special needs---how can you not?) but geez, i am missing out on on some good cheese (not the edible kind...the green kind) I am kinda bitter about it, as a lot of ppl in other lines of work make more money. One of these days i will get over it but sometimes it ticks my buttons. Especially on the days when I have worked my butt off, and deal with an angry person. GRRRRR.....okay maybe there will be two complaints today!


• My dog is driving me nuts. (Didn't I say i would stop complaining?) She hates the cold, won't go outside and is eating food off the table. Now, this may be partly due to Blakeys maleness but seriously, he left a whole pizza on the kitchen table, still in the box. He woke up to find that there were 3 half eaten pieces left. Hmmmm....go figure!


• The wedding is about 4 1/2 months away. Wow. How the hell did it come so fast? I've almost been engaged for a year. I still have a crapload of crap to get done, better get my butt in gear.


• I like the song 'ready to fall' by Rise Against but at 7:48 in the morning it's a bit too much. That makes me feel old. Too old for loud music in the morning. Must need coffee.


• I have started listening to more pop-y music lately. That as well makes me old, but i'm loving Fiest, Five For Fighting, and Augustana right now. I'm still obsessed with Ben Harper though. At least, I am not listening to Michael Bolton. Which reminds me of the tidbit of that new reality show about the choirs. I could of watched it but they put HIM on the show.

I love this day.....

Remember my excitement over the gartermaker???? Well, I got home late today because I had a later meeting (jeez, why do i do that to myself on a Friday?) Anyway, I checked the mail, let the dog out, my routine bidness...ya know. ha. I had a package in the mail. A tiny package from a name who i already love....Shelli from Monde Design. This is what was inside....
The pic isn't high quality, but I love love love it! It was incredibly sweet and she wrote that she wanted me to have the first garter from the new gartermaker at Mondedesign. If you need anything monogrammed, or anything (hoodies, ring bearer pillows etc) go to her. She is good, sweet and very detail oriented! Ok, i will stop this ad for the new gartermaker! I am incredibly excited, and thankful!

Oh, and did i mention it matches my ring bearer pillow?

Thanks Shelli!!

Martha, Martha Martha

I want to go to a show. A Martha show. So, I saw a nice little post on WeddingBee, (whom has wonderful posts and i visit quite frequently) about how Martha is taking apps for engaged couples! So, I applied! Cross your fingers for Miss Amy B and her future Mr. B! I'd LOVE to go. I am doing so much DIY, so I need all the help I can get. Anyone else want to go with me? Apply here! Wish me luck! ::crossing fingers::

Speaking of Martha, my next TWO DIY's will be a product of the crafty queen. I'd post a pic right now, but my computer at work is acting like a demon has possessed it, so i will post them later. After making my card box, I am addicted to making things. I want to make everything and now that I am on winter break from Grad school, I can! My photo luminaries will be my next task, but like i said, my computer needs some holy water dumped on it to release it of it's demons. I'll post pics of it later!

I did it!

I bought my ring bearer pillow from Etsy a while back. I fell in love with it, and I've posted it here. I love it. I told Shelli (from MondeDesigns) that I love love love it...but I also told her that she should totally take over for the gartermaker. A week went by and she emailed me back, thanking me for letting her know and that her and the gartermaker hit it off. I didn't think much of it until a week or so later. She emailed me back to thank me again, and tell me that there is some exciting news in store. Time went by again, and i got this email:

Hey Amy--wanted you to be one of the first to know, since you started the whole thing!

Please follow this link:

http://www.thegartermaker.net/

WOW! I am so excited for her, but hey, I'll have to admit, kinda excited that I started it! :) I know that she will have much success because she is wonderful. She was very detailed and accommodating to the designs i wanted and helped me make it the way that I wanted! So, as of the first of the year, she will reopen! Check it out!!!

my fist DIY.....should it be my last? :)

This is a horrible pic because my camera sucks but you get the idea. The pink paper is a pink damask, and the middle tier is lime green big polka dots with a rim of pink tiny polka dots. The bows are light pink but look a big white in the pic!!

Ta-da! I think the bottom might be too neked so i might add some more later on!!!

ok, last one I swear....

A few days ago, I was getting ready to go to bed. I couldn't find Lily anywhere. Naturally, I started freaking out a bit but then i found her safe, sound, asleep and oh so cute...

She must have remembered this cozy place from when she was a baby.....that 2nd pic is my fav, I mean can you get any cuter?

hahahahaha......

Some pics that so needed posting......lol..from the Slumber Party I had a few weeks ago. Here is my mom and Aunt Robin with some embarrassing props!

Do any of you STLwed'ers recognize this face?

Santa looks HAWT...nikki modeling some lingerie! Ha, and innocent little Sandi!

Jaime..notice my sweet nativity set int he background and our cute stockings...but don't mind the bustier and undies in front of my neked Christmas tree!

Finally.....

I booked our transportation for the day of the wedding....i found this 29 passenger limo bus at Primo Limo Service for $132 an hour! It has perimeter seating, and i am tickled to death about the price! I am a bit sad becasue i wanted a trolley but i was going to cost at least $300 more! It's not as nice as one of those cool ones but it will do the job!!! I love checking things off my list!

All I want for Xmas is a...baby pig?

I got this in an email from Miss Staci today....I want one.....

In a zoo in California, a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.
The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve. After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only orphans that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops?
Take a look...you won't believe your eyes

and my favorite pic.......

Let them eat cake......

I am loving this right now as a caketopper. I want to try and make one myself. I guess I am feeing crafy or overly ambicouis, or like I really have time. Tomorrow is my last day of class, and I feel like I might have time to actually plan this wedding now. I did find out over the course of the past week that Prom's are being held the weekend of my wedding! That means I need to get my butt in gear in getting a Limo booked! So this, and my card box will be my tasks for my winter break!

Congrats Steph!

I just got a call, Steph just got engaged!!! Congratulations Stephanie! I am so excited for her! (and I like Adam way better than Matt) I had to post it! (and yes, procrastinating again..a nd no my paper is not done yet!) Stephanie and I went to MIZZOU together, and went through some crazy times together. We both endured the rath of Big Red, and many other lunatics we encountered! (Jesse's in my closet..lol) I have a feeling that the next year is going to be chuck full of weddings. (who's next guys?)

Congrats again, Steph!!!

Tiger pride! M-I-Z

Z-O-U!! Tigers!! Geez whiz, I sure am exited! Who doesn't know that MU is about to make history? I sure as hell do! Tiger pride is rampant everywhere. My mom even called yesterday to see if i had any Mizzou gear. Um, of course I do! I love tiger fans. Why? They are dedicated, they are enthusiastic and most importantly, they are well traveled. I found this snippet in the STL post.

''While an Oklahoma's trek to south Texas is barely half that of many Mizzou fans, the Tiger faithful are here in big numbers, having snapped up their school's 8,000 tickets in less than three hours, then turning to the Internet for more of the Alamodome's 65,000 seats. Steve Barker was a true-believer Tiger who booked his rooms shortly after Missouri thumped Colorado 55-10 in Boulder on Nov. 3."That's when I knew this team is the real thing," said Barker, of Odessa, Mo. "It is good enough to beat Oklahoma. For me, being here is the best feeling in the world. I almost don't know how to act."

I am proud to be an alum. My best memories happened in Columbia. I have a special place in my heart for Mizzou-something that people that didn't go there (like Blake) just don't understand. I haven't been to Columbia in too long. I miss a lot from there.

• Shakespeare's Pizza: i constantly dream about their pizza and am thinking about mail ordering some.
• Flat Branch, especially their Chokes' and Cheese....seriously the best!
• Our trailer park relay events (Staci, you may be one of the only ones that know about this one!)
• Sports events. During my stint in CoMO, i loved sports. Don't get me wrong, i still have a liking for some sports (i.e. Cardinals) but was never a fan like i was there.
• Oh, god, Shakeys. Frozen custard. that's all I've got to say!
• Campus: There is something about the campus that gives me chills-especially the columns. There is so much history, so many memories from years before our time.
• Les Bourgeois Winery. Ok, not really in Columbia but we visited that winery so many times. Wine, cheese and drunken college students. What more could you want? Except the odor lingering around the bathrooms. I don't miss that.
• Deja Vu Comedy Club. I never laughed so hard in my life. It was cheap too. Plus, as an added bonus there was a bar downstairs...it may have been a cheesy bar but it had cheap alcohol.
• Speaking of cheap alcohol.....i mean where else can you go any day of the week and find some kinds of cheap specials. .25 draws at Harpos, Big 12 (i know its legends but its always big 12 to me) What about bottomless cup nights at Field House? oh, the memories. and hangovers.
• You got the best of both worlds, it was a small town but it didn't feel that small. anywhere you had to go was no more than 5 minutes away. Traffic was like, nonexistent compared to the mess we call 270, 44, and 40.
• Southridge. It was home for many of us. We had impromptu block parties. We watched cars catch on fire (ok, just one), garage keg parties... It was Pimlico.
• My job there is a hard one not to miss. I worked at a preschool! It was tough most days an I usually complained daily about it, but it gets me all warm and fuzzy inside when i think about it. I learned a lot there and it makes me miss working directly with kids. I cannot believe Red Room kids are now like 7. just wow.
• This is going to be a cheesy one, but my dear sweet friends. We went through some times together..(Big Red, the Schizophrenic...need i say more?) I miss you guys!

Ok, i rambled enough. Come on Mizzou, lets beat OU!!