Peace.

This has really hit a chord with me lately.  I thought it deserved to be shared.  May you all find peace today and for the new year!

<3 Cassie

Christmas Blues

What is is about this scene here that makes thousands of people around the globs so miserable this time of year?

This in my opinion is close to a perfect scene of what this season is about.  The warmth of a hearty fireplace couldn't possibly be complete without Christmas lights.  And what on earth could possibly be depressing about a jolly fat man descending your chimney to leave you cool stuff, right?  Normally, this is how I usually feel about the Christmas season.  I love everything about Christmas!  The chill of the winter air, wine, sweaters, hot apple cider, wine, reading in front of the fireplace, all the beautiful lights, family, and the wine.  It is all euphoric for me and if it were up to me, it would be Christmastime all the time!

But.....

This year, I don't know what bah-humbug has gotten into me.  I find myself irritated with the traffic and disgusted with Christmas shoppers and lines longer than the Matterhorn.  I find myself reevaluating The Grinch and have decided that he isn't so bad after all.  He is just misunderstood and lonely.  I'm sure I will pull out of it in the next few days once I get the chance to decorate my house until it is officially Santa-ready and Jesus-infused.  Once I have my other half in the same county, I will feel much better and not so lonely. 

Merry Christmas.  I will update next week on my mood. :)

<3 Cass

A Crisp November

This time of year is my favorite time of year to get out my camera and learn how to use it.  I just love our house when the leaves fall and there is a crispness in the foggy air.  I will forever be working on my photography (wannabe) skills, but I believe I still got a few good shots this time around. Enjoy!

Even though Fresno isn't as beautiful as the east coast is this time of year, I think it gets pretty close in my front yard.  Especially when you add the most handsome pup to ever exist. ;-)

Hope you all had a happy November! Cheers to a beautiful December!

<3 Cass

To the LAND!

"To all who come to this happy place, welcome."

Stephen and I finally made it down to Disneyland for my birthday (which was in May) last weekend and had such a blast! Each trip, we usually try to do something that we have never done before.  This year, we watched the Captain Eo show where Michael Jackson dances his way out of a dilemma, went on the Mark Twain Steamboat, ate in Critter Country, and actually carved out time to watch the parade, fireworks, and Fantasmic!  We also spotted some Hidden Mickeys! Unfortunately, most of our finds were made while we were walking past and couldn't snap a photo, but here are a few highlights from our FUNtasmic trip!

 This is us sitting in our favorite spot on Main Street

The ornament we picked out for this trip! It was love at first sight.

Another first! Stephen had NEVER been on It's a Small World.  And he LIKED it. 

:)

We Can't wait to get back to our favorite place again soon!

<3 Cass

Punk Kids

Today outside of my work, I saw some punk kid bend down in the middle of the crosswalk.  I thought he was picking up a quarter he found on the ground.                              
By the way, this is totally me. I can't seem to walk past money on the street.

Anyway, I was wrong.  That little Chuck Bass-tard was placing a 2-inch nail on the street sticking straight up.

 

He was being mischievous and was trying to pop a tire.  I picked it up and almost yelled at him to not be such a low-life scum. 

I didn't say anything because I didn't want him to know where I work and try to rob me or pop my tire.  Even if he did slash my tire, joke would be on him because I have an amazing warranty on my newly-purchased Goodrich's.  

I just want to know what is wrong with kids these days? No respect, no consideration, always wanting free stuff (whoops, me again), always whining, yelling, cursing, getting pregnant, selling drugs, fighting, and being just plain rude.  Can we please go back to when kids had manners?

PLEASE!?

Whale or Mermaid?

I really love this story:

A while back, at the entrance of a gym, there was a picture of a very thin and beautiful woman. The caption was "This summer, do you want to be a mermaid or a whale?"

The story goes, a woman (of clothing size unknown) answered the following way:

"Dear people, whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, seals, curious humans), they are sexually active and raise their children with great tenderness.
They entertain like crazy with dolphins and eat lots of prawns. They swim all day and travel to fantastic places like Patagonia, the Barents Sea or the coral reefs of Polynesia.
They sing incredibly well and sometimes even are on cds. They are impressive and dearly loved animals, which everyone defend and admires.

Mermaids do not exist.

But if they existed, they would line up to see a psychologist because of a problem of split personality: woman or fish?
They would have no sex life and could not bear children.
Yes, they would be lovely, but lonely and sad.
And, who wants a girl that smells like fish by his side?

Without a doubt, I'd rather be a whale.

At a time when the media tells us that only thin is beautiful, I prefer to eat ice cream with my kids, to have dinner with my husband, to eat and drink and have fun with my friends.

We women, we gain weight because we accumulate so much wisdom and knowledge that there isn't enough space in our heads, and it spreads all over our bodies.
We are not fat, we are greatly cultivated.
Every time I see my curves in the mirror, I tell myself: "How amazing am I ?!

Fall is a Blazer

I have recently been really into wearing blazers. It's my new thing. I think because I don't have to have an entire new outfit to look chic....just a sweet blazer to top it off!  Here are my favorite fall blazer picks!

I am about to buy them all...
*Top 3 are from White House Black Market; bottom 2 from www.laposhstyle.com

What is your favorite look of this fabulous fall season?

A Little Encouragement for the Week

So I'm totally jocking my good friend Bricolage and posting a nice thought.  This is mine for the day!

What inspires you?

i LOVE flats

I just ran across these little beauties.  I am absolutely in with them.

Mr. Louboutin has done it again! If I win the lottery, after I pay off my car, my first stop is a trip to LA to visit his amazing store and do some serious spending.  I am currently trying to imagine living my life without these and I can't.

 

Obsessed.

I, Barbie, take you, Ken....

I am now the 3rd known person to re-post this blog, but I can't help myself.  This is one of the most amazing things I have seen in a long time.  I really felt that I was at this wedding for Barbie & Ken. 

Absolutely Amazing.  Who else is in love?

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS

PS. I would like to say how much I love Ken's groomsmen and Barbie's bunny slippers!

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my favorite series.  It was one of the most intense books I have ever read and  I have been eagerly awaiting the movie.  Below are two videos.  The first one was created by fans of the film, but it is EXTREMELY moving and well done! This girl should have landed the role of Katniss.  The second video is the teaser trailer for the official film by Lionsgate.  The Hunger Games premiers March 23, 2012. I am having trouble waiting that long!

Enjoy. If you haven't read the books....READ THEM NOW!

C'mon! Give Football a Chance!

I have always enjoyed watching Football. In fact, it is the only sport I actually enjoy watching. This does not mean that I follow it or have a favorite team. My goal for this football season is to make a point to watch some football games and decide on a team that I like and will be able to say I am a ___________ fan!

The first game of the season kicks off with Greenbay Packers vs. New Orleans Saints. It is on after the president's speech. Stephen makes fun of me because I call him Chancellor of his Fantasy Football League. "I'm not Chancellor," he says. "I'm the commissioner." This shows you how little I know. I think watching football will open up a whole new world of conversation! I'm sure he will be thrilled?

I will be watching both just as soon as I figure out which channel it is on....

ONWARD

Growing up, I never thought I would be one of those people whose morning isn't complete without a cup of coffee. I guess I turned out differently than I expected. I started out enjoying the occasional latte at Starbucks, grew into liking coffee with flavored creamer and sugar, and have now matured into ordering my coffee as black as a politician's soul. I have learned to enjoy coffee so much now that I even read 300+ pages about it in Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz's "ONWARD." Believe it or not, it is a romantic tale about coffee and Starbucks' fight to nudge their way to the top of the coffee leader board while maintaining the company's integrity. I never had thought about it before, but this company has earned my respect VIA the words of this book.

Pause for silent laughter over the VIA pun. :)

For those of you who didn't get the above pun, VIA is Starbucks' instant coffee that recently hit the shelves. I carry it in my purse.

I actually carry Starbucks' 40th Anniversary "Tribute" blend of VIA and have been savoring every packet since it's discontinuation. Since that sad day, I have not felt brave enough to order a grande drip of their house Pike Place Roast. Instead I have been taking cover in the safe zone and have been hitting the lattes. That was true up until today. Today, I discovered the "Anniversary" blend.

Yes!

Finally, Starbucks has done coffee right and I can even take it home in a stylish bag with a sweet mermaid on it! It's girly enough to leave out on the counter if I so choose.

Howard Schultz signs his memos not with "sincerely," "thanks," or "take care." He signs them, "ONWARD." It is a term used to inspire diligence, passion, perseverance. Basically, he means, "keep on keepin' on." So with that I leave you with.....

Onward,

Cassie

PS. I couldn't resist this.

The Benefits of Butter

Julia Child taught us that butter is key to a flavorful meal. I would like to thank her for giving me some intensely delicious dinners as well as 15 pounds. There has to be a way to enjoy all that life has to offer (butter) while losing weight, right? So naturally, I Googled "the benefits of butter" and learned some interesting facts:

1) Butter is a rich source of Vitamins A, D, E and K. Vitamins? CHECK! Vitamin A helps improve vision! Goodbye glasses!

2) Butter contains selenium, a mineral rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are also in blueberries, right? It's practically the same as eating blueberries! CHECK!

3) The fatty acids in butter contain lauric acid which has antifungal and antibacterial properties. Butter obviously kicks athlete's foot's booty! So, basically butter helps motivate the earning of Activity Points (weight watchers style)! CHECK!

4) Butter has Glycospingolipids that protect against gastrointestinal infections. It keeps us healthy! WINNING!

5) And last, but not least, it makes almost every food out there taste better! DOUBLE CHECK!

For any of those watching you weight: While butter is not a product you want to eat in mass quantities, it is OK to use in moderation. 1 tsp of butter is 1 point and just enough to make your mouth happy! Warning: 1 cup of butter is 48 points, so on nights that you grab the nearest spoon and dominate a tub of frosting, make sure you have all of your weeklies left!

FUN FACT ABOUT BUTTER: As if there weren't enough already, Depending on the diet of the cow, the color of the butter will vary.
Grass-fed cows produce butter with yellowish shade while cows fed with
grains and other food items produce butter that which is white in color. If you are wondering which type of butter is better, check out this link and decide for yourself! http://www.marksdailyapple.com/grass-fed-butter/

Go butter something....in moderation.

For more information about Weight Watchers Points, visit www.weightwatchers.com

Coffee Solution!

If you read my post "Coffee Break," you are aware of my situation. I have had the coffee blues, so to speak, since the coffee maker broke. The single cup filter wasn't cutting it either. Behold! My coffee dreams have come true with a Keurig!

Brew one perfect cup at a time. It even brews my loose leaf tea and eliminates my need to buy a second infuser.

This is not me, but this is how I feel about this new addition to our household.
Happy Drinking!

Egg McMuffin Face-Off

This afternoon around 4:00 pm I was having a massive craving for a McDonald's Egg McMuffin. I immediately flashed back to this morning's weigh-in at my bathroom scale and made the smart and healthy decision to make a less fatty version. Decision heavily weighed by the fact that it is after 11:00am and Mickey D's no longer serves breakfast.

The hunt was on. After hitting up two grocery stores looking for the right stuff, I had everything I needed to satisfy my craving.


This is what I made.

Oroweat Double Fiber English Muffin
Kraft American Singles, Fat Free Cheese
Hormel Deli Sliced Ham (2 slices)
Sunnyside Egg substitute (1/4 cup)

Toast Muffin.
Fry egg.
Stack.

It was bomb. Not only was it delicious, it is healthier than my evil-to-my-waistline alternative.

Let us compare

MY CREATION OF HEALTH vs. MCDONALD'S EGG MCMUFFIN OF DEATH
Calories: 210______________ Calories: 300
Total Fat: 2.8g _____________Total Fat: 12g
Sodium: 930 mg ____________Sodium: 820 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 33.5g____ Total Carbohydrates: 30g
Dietary Fiber: 8g___________ Dietary Fiber: 2
Sugars: 7.5g ______________ Sugars: 3g
Protein: 20g______________ Protein: 8g

Weight Watcher's Points: 6 ___Weight Watcher's Points: 8


With my recipe, I can shave 90 calories and 2 WW points off of my meal.

Do any of you have any healthier alternatives to some of your calorie-unfriendly meals?

Coffee Break!

Since my coffee maker broke and thus, broke my heart, I have been trying to make do with other remedies. Why-you might be wondering-do I not just buy a new coffee maker for $10 at Wal-mart? I don't know. Laziness? Lack of caffeine perhaps? So I have been unsuccessfully trying to make coffee via other pathways.
#1) The Italian Coffee Maker
Not working for me. You fill the bottom part up with water and put the coffee in the "waist" of the thing and put it on the stove. The water boils, the steam rises through the grinds and viola the 1/2 cup of coffee is magically finished in the top compartment. How about no. There is no timer, I usually burn it, and there is a cloud of coffee grinds in the bottom of my tiny cup. This is not working out for me.






#2) Single Cup Coffee Filter
This has been something that has not worked, then worked. This little guy sits on top of the coffee mug. you put a cone filter in it and fill it up with hot water and it will drip down directly into your mug! It has only taken me 5 tries to finally get the ratio of grinds to water to make a good cup. I was so thrilled with my work this morning that I needed to blog about it. Mind you, this is the first relatively good cup of coffee I have had in about 3 weeks...today, I am a happy camper.

Do any of you have any other coffee-making alternatives? Let me know!

Movie/Book Reviews in a Nutshell

It has been ages since I have posted anything on my blog. Usually, I only blog when I find something interesting to blog about. Since my last post, I have read a bunch of books and caught a few flicks. I usually put my two cents in about each, so here's a quick recap.
This was given to me by Stephen's dad. It was ok. It is not in my usual genre of books I enjoy to read, but it was interesting enough. Joel C. Rosenberg is basically a young Tom Clancy writing fiction based on current events. The Last Jihad, in short, is about the idea of going nuclear on Israel and whether the decision is a good one. Another long story short, it ended where I would have expected it to climax. Mr. Rosenberg's most recent novel "The Twelfth Iman" is in my "to read" stack and I have high hopes for that one.
Couldn't put it down. Loved it. If you like love stories, READ IT! It is the most interesting twist of fate. Claire meets her fated future husband at the age of six in a clearing behind her house. Henry is a time traveler. They fall in love and it is beautiful. I don't want to give too much away, but oh my gosh, I cried, laughed, and felt such a real connection to these characters. It is beautifully written and is a story of how true love literally stands the test of time. Read it.

*I read a few quick books by Gemma Townley. Not much worth an entire review, but I enjoy her work. :)

I saw it and like it. I didn't love it. It was exactly like the book I read and loved years ago. Maybe I didn't love it because I knew what was going to happen? I don't know, but it is a great Rom Com.


I saw it. I liked it. All I am going to say about it is that if you like LOST, then you will like this! It was pretty cool. That's all I'm saying. Don't let anyone spoil it. Takes away the fun :)

It was awful. The only good part....

Welcome Home Iran!

My mom's fiance moved home last night from Florida! He wasted no time in getting back into his routine of lovingly tormenting the animals. This morning he was annoying my mom's cat Mercy so much so that she reached out and swiped him one good! This leaves Iran holding his bleeding finger defeated, mumbling "Bitch."

Welcome Home!

HAHA!

"Shattered Bass"

A fellow Gossip Girl fanatic across the country asked me to reveal what I thought about EVERYTHING about tonight's episode, "Shattered Bass." If you do not give a hoot about GG, I give you permission to stop reading. You have been warned. So here goes....

First thing I would like to say is that I LOVED Blair's engagement party dress! I wanted this episode to be solely about Blair because of this dress.

Continuing on the subject of Blair, I think that she might be making a huge mistake by marrying Louis, the Prince of Monaco. Ok, sure, so she's super happy, but is she really? No, of course she's not because she is meant to be with Chuck. I will be devastated if she is following her dream of being an actual princess and doesn't follow her destiny in Chuck Bass. I realize that I take their fictional relationship way too seriously. Deal with it.

Next, I would like to point out what a crazy floozy Charlie is. She trashed her crazy pills?! She's going after Dan (her cousin's ex-bf/step brother - strange) and to top it off, she is attempting to replace Serena. Cuckoo! This is Serena's dress fo sho. Look familiar? Dan is getting retarded by trying to do whatever he's doing with this girl. Not smart. Serena must not be messed with. She will bring them down. Obviously. She's gotta go.
Next, I discuss what is going on with Chuck...besides his good-looks and chic wardrobe. I swear the man 1) Doesn't own a T-shirt or a pair of jeans, 2) Wouldn't be caught dead in flip flops, and 3) Cannot throw a football. No one else could exude nearly as much confidence while introducing themselves as Chuck. "I'm Chuck Bass." Not even Hugh Jackman could do it.
Poor Chuck. He's always getting caught in a bad business deal. Someone is always trying to bring down Bass Industries and he is always in the throes of a scandal. Someone is always going after the love of his life to bring him down. It would be better if C and B were just together for good ruling Manhattan and blackmailing others. It's what they do best!
I do not like Reyna's character. Nor am I a fan of her father, but at least they clear Bart's name on setting that fire! Nate needs to get himself out of that mess PRONTO! Nate is better than all this. He needs his own story soon. I'm ready to get some Nate drama. Bring back Bri Buckley please!

The last thing I am going to say about this episode is that I am glad that Chuck and Jack seems to be rekindling something. I JUST realized that whoever plays Jack on GG, also plays on my other favorite show...DEXTER! He's Quinn! You have no idea how long I have been watching Dexter and have been trying to figure out where I know Quinn from. I kept thinking it was 90210...I couldn't be more dense! Gossip Girl follows me wherever I go! Haha! By the way, my favorite line of this episode came from Jack. Thorpe and Chuck were revealing all kinds of drama about the fire back in the day and Chuck was being the bigger man. Jack was trying to order Chinese and says, "I can't choose an entree with the Hallmark hall of fame going on in here." haha! Oh Jack....
Overall, I loved this episode and can't believe there is only one more episode this season. Blair better end up with Chuckster. Thorpe is going to lock Blair up on the roof and set the building on fire and then Chuck is going to come in his helicopter and save her. Maybe? Probably not. But Thorpe is going to get violent at C and B's expense to get back at them when he should really be getting back at Nate. Maybe that is where Nate's drama is going to come from? At any rate, both Thorpes need to go back to Chicago. No one wants them in New York.

So there you have it...my thoughts on this episode of GG! What are your thoughts?

Mrs. Fix-it

Since P*DE*Q is opening up it's shop exactly 3.55 miles from my home, I made the decision to fix up my bike and start riding to work every day! Why pass up the opportunity to get some exercise and ride down beautiful Van Ness? Step one was the fix up my sweet cruiser. I brought it out of the shed and it was absolutely filthy so I proceeded to give it a nice wash and scrub down...basket and all! Now that my sweet ride was all cleaned up, there was some rust to take care of. I tried using WD40. It didn't work. Found out later strictly not to use WD40 since it attracts dirt. Whoops! Instead I am supposed to use steel wool and it happened to work pretty great. I haven't finished getting all the rust of of my chrome fenders quite yet, but I will!

Next step was to get an attractive helmet so in case of emergency, I hopefully don't die. Check!

Needed new struts for my front fender (some assembly required, with the help of my handy brother, Trent). Check!

Blinky lights. Check!

And last, but definitely most important, a cup holder for my friend Mr. Starbucks! Double Check!
Now I'm ready to ride! Have any of you thought about how to stay fit and have fun in a practical way this summer?