Fill in the Blank Friday

While my life is still boring, I'm doing a link up today. I had a job on Thursday and I have one scheduled for Tuesday, so I'm finally back to working and getting out more.

1.  Over this labor day weekend I will be watching the first episode of the new season of Doctor Who, shopping at the Outlets, and going to my sister-in-law's for a family get-together.


2.  With the political debates going on right now, my thoughts are that I'm glad we don't really watch TV right now because I hate all the commercials. I'm not looking forward to see them when the new seasons start. I'm also glad we don't have a land-line phone so I don't have to worry about the ridiculous political phone calls.


3.  Today, the most productive thing I've done is clean my end table in the living room and shred a lot of mail. I also printed coupons for my trip to the outlets.


4. The best thing I've cooked recently was my famous mini cheesecakes. I sent them to work with M for a former coworker's birthday. They were a huge hit, as usual.

5. The last thing I bought was groceries. I had my first job of the school year yesterday and it's practically across the street from the stores, so I had an excuse to go. I may have also bought M a birthday present while I was out. Only 11 days until his birthday, so I need to get cracking.

6. The best movie I saw this summer was The Dark Knight Rises. It was the only movie we saw in the theater this summer. We did enjoy Thor and Captain America thanks to Netflix Instant Watch. 

7.  The best book I read this summer was Let's Pretend This Never Happened:  A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson.

Doctor Who's Day - Favorite Spin-Off

Today's Doctor Who's Day topic is favorite spin-off. To me, this is basically a choice between shows. I know there are animated episodes of Doctor Who and stuff online, but I'm going with the two shows that don't actively feature The Doctor. Of those two shows, one I have seen every episode and one I haven't seen at all. So my choice was pretty obvious.

Source: bing.com via K on Pinterest

Torchwood! I loved Captain Jack Harkness whenever he showed up on Doctor Who, so I was pretty happy when he got his own show.

It was an interesting show. It definitely different than Doctor Who. There were still aliens, just no time travel and it was all on Earth. I enjoyed most of the episodes, but I really did not like the last season, Children of Earth.

My favorite characters were Capt Jack, of course, and Ianto.

Source: torchwood.tumblr.com via Michelle on Pinterest

Which Doctor Who spin-off is your favorite?

I Hang Out in Cemeteries & Other Life Updates

I wanted to round up some recent things that are happening in my life that I thought were worth mentioning.

I hang out in cemeteries now. I know, weird. But, I've been working on our family trees all summer and discovered that a lot of my relatives are buried in local cemeteries, so we've been going out and taking pictures and getting information. I'm using Ancestry, thanks to my mother-in-law's account and have found a lot of information so far.

I'm interested in genealogy thanks to my paternal grandmother. She researched her family and even published a couple books about them. Keep in mind, she did all of this before the Internet so she did a lot of work. I even helped her when she got older, with updating her databases and I got hooked.

Last week, we finally went to see The Dark Knight Rises. Despite my desire to see a lot of this year's releases, this is the first movie we've gone to since Sherlock Holmes back in January. M has some new ridiculous rule that we can't go to a movie until it's been out for a month. Seriously?

Anyway, we went to a theater we've never been to before, but it was much cheaper than the AMC theater we sometimes go to. We would have gone to our usual locally owned theater, but when school is in session, they don't do weekday matinees.

We ended up being the only people at the showing and it was great. I got to talk and didn't bother anybody. I'm one of those people that has to react to what they're seeing, but I usually just keep it to myself. It was rather like being at home but with a bigger screen.

I've already informed M that we will be going to see Skyfall (that's a given since we're huge 007 fans) and The Hobbit, which will probably be my traditional birthday movie. I'd also like to see Les Miserables, but I'll probably have to find a girl friend to go with me.

Speaking of girl friends, I spent yesterday hanging out with my college girl friends. Two of them have babies only a few days apart and T is pregnant with her first. It was fun even though sometimes I had nothing to contribute while they discussed pregnancy and babies. Darn my body!

We ordered Chinese and T made this awesome dessert. They were individual peanut butter pies and they were heavenly! I was full, but I just had to finish it, they were so good!

T and I and our moms are going outlet shopping this weekend to check out the new Vera Bradley outlet and hit up the baby clothes outlets. I can't wait for our girly day!

Sunday Social - The Internet

What is the first website you log on to each day?

 I admit I'm one of those people that has a lot of tabs open at the same time. I love that Firefox lets me pin them and opens them every time. I generally check my personal email first though and then Facebook and Twitter.

Give us some funny websites you visit that we need to know about

 I enjoy Cake Wrecks, STFU, Parents, Go Fug Yourself, and Not Always Right. I often find entertaining or interesting things at BuzzFeed.

Pinterest or Facebook? Why?

Honestly, I cannot choose. I use both regularly. They are both pinned tabs on my computer. I like Facebook for socializing with my friends and Pinterest for saving all the stuff I like, so it's a bit like comparing strawberries and penguins. I like both, but for different reasons.

Twitter or Instagram? Why?

I use both, but I think I actually prefer Instagram a little more, even though I use Twitter more. I like just being able to post a picture instead of having to describe something with words. It gives me motivation to take more pictures. (I'm Argyle Love on Instagram)

Favorite YouTube video...post it!

 Oh goodness, I don't use YouTube as much as I used too. Now, I pretty much just use it for Doctor Who and Sherlock things. Especially the things the BBC location locks to the UK. So, no surprise that I went with a Doctor Who related video...



Biggest online pet peeve?

Right now, people who can't follow directions or link up properly. I hate when I'm trying to read other blogs that have linked up and they either don't link up to the actual post or they didn't even do the post.

I also hate when I do a Rafflecopter giveaway and make leaving a related comment mandatory, people say they commented, but they didn't. Or they say they follow me on Twitter & they don't. You know I can and do verify that, right?

Sunday Social - Throwback

1. What were you like in Middle School/HS?
 Oh my, my pictures from high school are pretty bad. I've always been pretty terrible at taking school pictures and then add in teenage awkwardness and the braces. I'm only brave enough to share a couple of the better pictures.

8th Grade

That was the shortest my hair had been since second grade. I had actually just cut off about 8 inches. In junior high, I was involved in the Speech Club and was a Game Worker. I sold tickets to sports events after school and worked the concession stand. During track meets, I held up the finish line and ran results up to the announcer in the booth at the top of the bleachers. It was nerdy fun.

Senior Picture

In high school I was involved in the Musical Pit Orchestras, National Honor Society, Prom Committee, and French Club.

2. What were your favorite past times?
In high school, I liked to hang out with my friends. We often got together on Friday nights once Marching Band season was over. I didn't have a license, so I had to rely on them or my mom for rides. I spent a lot of my summer reading especially when the bookmobile used to stop right outside my house once a week. 

3. What songs were you obsessed with?
I was very much into boy bands as a teenager. I started out a Backstreet Boys fan and then moved onto NSYNC. I blame my childhood obsession with New Kids on the Block.

One of my favorite memories was on our last night in France, the French Club was sitting under the Eiffel Tower, waiting for our turn to go up and we all starting singing the Backstreet Boys' song I Want it That Way. We hadn't really heard American music in two weeks, so we were desperate to hear something familiar and that song was a big hit in the US at the time.

4. What fashion statement do you look back on and cringe?
 I was a big fan of plaid flannel in junior high. (See 8th grade picture above. That was a dressy plaid shirt with a denim collar.)  It was my town's version of the "grunge" fad. I also enjoyed overalls, especially short overalls, but I always wore both straps. The one strap thing never made sense to me.

5. What was your favorite movie?
I loved Romeo & Juliet and Titanic, of course.
6. Who was your celeb crush?
It started with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, then Leonardo DiCaprio, then Josh Hartnett. My mom worked in a bookstore and always brought home the old teen magazines, so my closet doors were always covered with posters.

Back to School with Tiny Prints

Back to School with Tiny Prints

Here in Indiana, it's back to school time already and I'll be heading back to work next week. My favorite part of back to school time is all the school supplies. I'm the nerd who walks around stores admiring all the new school supplies.

Speaking of new school supplies, Tiny Prints has a new Back-to-School Collection, full of great products for students, teachers, and parents. Today I want to show you a few of those products and encourage you to check out Tiny Prints new products.

personalized notebooks

How much fun would it be to have a personalized notebook with your very own pictures on the front? These would be great for students to take notes in, parents to use for lists, and teachers for taking notes in all those fun meetings.

lunch box notes

Tiny Prints has several different designs of lunch box notes. I think these are a great way to remind your child that you are thinking of them, especially for the young ones who aren't used to being in school yet. These would also be great for reminding children if they have a different after school routine.

teacher stationery

Tiny Prints' teacher stationery would make a great gift for teachers. I like to use stationery like these personalized cards to send notes home thanking parents for volunteering or helping out in the classroom. They're also great for writing notes students about their accomplishments.

Tiny Prints is also sponsoring a Twitter party along with their host @ResourcefulMom on Tuesday the 21^st from 1-2pm PT/4-5pm ET based around the Back to School theme with awesome prizes to giveaway, so please make sure to mark your calendars! The RSVP list can be found here: http://resourcefulmommy.com/

10027/tiny-prints-back-to-
school-twitter-party-2/

To celebrate Tiny Prints Back-to-School collection, I've got a $50 promo code to used on the Tiny Prints site. (Please note promo code excludes, calendars, photo books, Erin Condren notebooks & planners, and gift certificates)

Enter below using the Rafflecopter widget for your chance to win. Please make sure to follow directions or I will have to remove your entries, which makes me sad.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I was given a promotional credit to host this giveaway, but all opinions are my own.

Sunday Social

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Can I say chicken so that I can enjoy it all the different ways I like? Most of my favorite meals involve chicken in some form. Fried chicken, chicken fajitas, chicken tenders, buffalo wings, chicken sandwiches and chicken and noodles. 

What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food?

It changes depending on my mood, the season, etc. But currently, it's ice cream. I like a lot of different flavors too. My newest favorite is a regional brand called Hudsonville and their Cake Batter ice cream.

What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten?

I'm kind of picky about foods, so I'm not very adventurous. The weirdest things I've tried were probably some things I tried while in France. Most of our dinners were already picked for us by our tour guide, so my choice was often to eat what was put in front of me or go hungry. Most of it I did like, but there were a couple things I have no desire to try again. One was veal. I did try it, but did not care for it at all.  The other thing was flan. The texture was just odd to me.

My husband thinks it's weird that I put mustard on bacon sandwiches. Personally, I think it's weird that he doesn't toast the bread.

What foods do you avoid at all costs?

Lettuce - It makes me gag. I've tried it several times and every time it makes my gag reflex kick in. And you can't sneak lettuce into something on me, I always taste it no matter how small the lettuce.A lot of people tell me that lettuce doesn't have a taste, but to me it has a very distinctive taste. So yeah, I don't eat salads.

Also, anything raw, anything with mayo, most beans, and peas.

What meal reminds you of your childhood?

It's actually a meal I don't eat, but Veranika always reminds me of growing up. Veranika is a German/Russian recipe that my grandma and aunt always made whenever our whole family got together for the holidays. It's a bit like ravioli but with cottage cheese in the middle and a white gravy (like sausage gravy) on top. My dad loves it. I like cottage cheese, but not in pasta and certainly not with gravy on top. My aunt always made some of the dough without the filling for those of us that didn't like it.


Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.

Source: mynameissnickerdoodle.com via Jenn on Pinterest

I found this recipe for copycat Chick-fil-a nuggets awhile ago and gave it try. My husband and I love Chick-fil-a but the closest one is the next county over so we only get it when we're in the area. Plus, sometime I get hungry for them on Sundays. The recipe doesn't taste exactly like Chick-fil-a, but it's pretty close. I usually stock up on boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they are on sale and this is one of my favorite meals to make with them. We enjoy them with waffle fries for the true Chick-fil-a experience. And I discovered that Martzetti's Honey French Dressing is what Chick-fil-a calls Polynesian sauce.

Let's Go Shopping! HomeGoods

I mentioned that a couple weekends ago we had the chance to be in the Chicago area for a day. And no trip to the Chicago area is complete without a trip to HomeGoods. I really don't understand why we don't have one in our area. We have two T.J. Maxx and a Marshall's. Clearly, we need a HomeGoods.

Whenever we go to HomeGoods or T.J. Maxx or Marshall's, we are on the lookout for two things: a matching lamp for our living room and the perfect Lane recliner for our living room.

You see, we got our living room lamp a couple years ago at a local T.J. Maxx. At the time, we only needed one. So when we found another one at a Chicago area HomeGoods, we skipped it. But then we rearranged our living room and decided that we really needed another one. So we're constantly on the lookout, even though by now it's probably a lost cause.

We also discovered on our first trip to HomeGoods, that they carry Lane recliners for $300. I really want one for our living room, but we've never found one that goes with our colors. They also carry them at T.J. Maxx and Marshall's, but the selection at HomeGoods is usually better.

On our recent trip to HomeGoods, I was hoping to score some good baby deals since it was a HomeGoods and T.J. Maxx in one store. I didn't end up buying anything, but here's a look at a few things I liked.

We didn't find our lamp, but I did spot this one. It would go with our green living room and our loose theme of flowers/birds/owls.

This loveseat was interesting. It doesn't really go with anything in my house, but I liked it. I liked the mixed media of cloth cushions, woven base, and wooden frame.

And then I spotted this Lane recliner. And I nearly cried. It was perfect! But money is tight right now, so we don't have $300 for a chair we don't actually need. And we really didn't have room in the van since there were 5 of us traveling together. I really wanted to take it home with me though.

Oh HomeGoods, why must you torment me? And when are you coming to my area?

Doctor Who's Day - Favorite Couple

**Warning: Potential Spoilers ahead if you are not caught up with Doctor Who** (And come on, you've had nearly a year since the last season ended!)

Today's Doctor Who's Day topic is Favorite Couple. I bet you think I'm going to pick this couple...

Source: img832.imageshack.us via Jenn on Pinterest

And I do love Amy & Rory, but I thought about and decided my favorite couple is a different couple...

Source: guerrillageek.com via Alexandria on Pinterest

I love The Doctor and River Song together. I love that their relationship is so complicated because they keep meeting out of order. I'm very interested to see how that will work now that they are married.

Source: textsfromthetardis.tumblr.com via Jenn on Pinterest

And their flirting is just too cute...




Who is your favorite couple on Doctor Who?

Sunday Social

Once again, I'm linking up with Neely and Ashley and getting social.

What is your favorite Fall activity?

When I was in high school, it was spending my Friday nights at football games and my Saturdays cheering for my friends and brother at marching band competitions.

Now, I like going to some local festivals and enjoying the cooler weather.

Do you follow a football team? if so which one and why?

You may have noticed a shirt I wore while on our trip to DC...



I've been a pretty big Colts fan ever since college. It's not unusual to find me yelling at my TV on Sundays during the fall. Why the Colts? Well, I live in Indiana, so they're the home team. Plus, we had an amazing team when I started following them and ended up going to two Super Bowls. This upcoming season should be interesting, to say the least. I may also have to cheer for the Broncos since they've got Payton now.

What is something fun about Fall in your area?

You may have heard the saying, "There's more than corn in Indiana." Well, there is, but there's also a lot of corn. And you can do some pretty fun things with a field of corn...like, turn it into a corn maze!

Thanks to the abundance of corn fields in my area, there are several corn mazes. I'd always wanted to try it, so last year, M & I did one with our friends T & R.

It turns out, I really don't like being lost without a map, so I probably won't be doing a corn maze again for awhile.

Favorite Fall outfit staples?

Hoodies! Notice, I am wearing one in the corn maze. You could probably say that I collect hoodies, my collection is so big. They are my favorite thing to throw on in the fall because then I don't have to wear a coat.

This would be a perfect fall outfit for me...


And since hoodies aren't exactly work appropriate, I also love to wear cardigans in the fall, especially argyle ones.

See? I even wore one in our fall engagement pictures.

Thing you are looking forward to most about this coming Fall season?

School being back in session so I can work and actually get paid!

The (hopefully) cooler weather, for one. I'm really tired of temperatures over 90 degrees every day.

Also, my best friend is due on Halloween, so I'm looking forward to throwing her a baby shower and also meeting her little guy!

I'm also really looking forward to not working on Black Friday for the first time in 7 years.

Edy's makes an Apple Pie ice cream only in the fall and I love to enjoy that with some carmel sauce on top. Yummy!

Favorite Fall holiday? Traditions?

I like both Halloween and Thanksgiving.

First of all, Halloween is all about candy, what's not to love? And I love to decorate for Halloween. We don't do trick or treating, but I can't wait to have kids and take them.

I like Thanksgiving because I like all the food. My brother deep fried the turkey last year and it was so delicious! I think that needs to be a tradition, right there.

Let's Go Shopping! Ikea

Over the weekend, we took a trip to the Chicago suburbs to see some family members from Arizona that were in town visiting. And of course, no trip to the Chicago area is complete without a trip to Ikea and Homegoods. I'm envious of people that live in a town that has either an Ikea or a Homegoods. Our closest stores are two hours away, so we love an excuse to head that way.

While at Ikea, I was on a strict budget, so I wasn't able to just throw everything I wanted into the cart. However, I kept seeing things that I liked, so instead of buying them, I snapped pictures with my phone to share with you. Let's go shopping at Ikea!

Welcome to the Bolingbrook Ikea! I haven't been here since April 2011 according to Foursquare. That's way too long to go without an Ikea fix.

I absolutely loved this closet display! It was so pretty and feminine. If I ever win the lottery, I am so buying a house where I can have a closet like this!

Down in the Marketplace, I found lots of items that I wished I could take home with me.

I loved all these dining and serving pieces. The pink and green combination with the floral patterns made them feel vintage. Sadly, they don't go with our retro red and green cherry themed kitchen, so they stayed at Ikea.

 I love the artwork at Ikea. These two pieces definitely caught my eye. I think the Tvilling posters of cherry blossoms might work in my bathroom, but the walls are getting a little full in there for such a small space. I'm not sure where I'd put that Olunda butterfly piece, but was really cute.

So what did I buy? Just a couple of things, actually.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you know I love the idea of using the Bekvam spice racks for bookshelves in kids' rooms. I'm so afraid that Ikea will stop making them before we have a kid, that I've been trying to stock up on them for awhile now. The past two times we've been to Ikea, they've been sold out. This time, they actually had a few on the shelf, so I grabbed two.

And I bought something I just couldn't resist.

I fell in love with this and couldn't stop looking at it, so I knew it had to come home with me. It's going in my bathroom where I can admire it every day. You can't tell in the picture, but the color under the butterflies is actually purple. There's purple in my shower curtain, so that should tie it in nicely.

I think I did a pretty good job of getting out of Ikea without blowing the budget. Of course, today I got the new 2013 Ikea catalog and I'm already dreaming of another trip.