Highlights of the Week (#11)

the most fun thing about this past week: the Olympics! I just love everything about the Olympics...the history, the pageantry, the inspiring stories...just the whole spectacle of it all. and I have to say that since the Opening Ceremony on Friday night pretty much all I've done is watch the Olympics. wheee!!! 

I enjoyed most of the Opening Ceremony. my favorite part was seeing JK Rowling b/c as I shared last week...I am obsessed with Harry Potter. and watching the Parade of Nations is always fun too. seeing the different costumes and joyous faces. truly fantastic. I loved Mexico's costumes...I was less than impressed with the costumes of our athletes here in the States. they were super boring. I've been a little underwhelmed by a lot of the uniforms the U.S. athletes have been wearing. oh well. 

I look forward to watching many more Olympic competitions in the coming weeks. and I suppose I'll do some other stuff too. but mostly watch the Olympics. 

am headed to EPCOT down at Disney later today! hoping we miss the rain. have a good one!

Highlights of the Week (#10)

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. seriously, huge. while I would like to watch all 8 movies back-to-back at some point, I'm not quite ready to do that yet. however, I did watch the last two movies (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 1 and pt. 2) back-to-back one night this past week. and that was fun. as I was watching them I realized what a great job the filmmakers truly did. they took a massively detailed book and split it at just the right point. both movies pack an emotional punch and it just feels complete when you watch them. Harry Potter is a highlight for me always.

I started work (finally) on my applications for grad school. while they are time-consuming, as well as stressful, it was definitely a good feeling to get going on them. and while working on the essay/personal statement questions I realized what a good choice my chosen field is. it feels really right for me and I think my work and personal experiences over the last several years have been leading me to this decision. educational psychology for the win!

my mom came home from visiting my brother, sister-in-law, and two nephews on Friday...yay! after picking her up at the airport we stopped by our favorite cupcake place on the way home. seriously, this place makes the best cupcakes I've ever had. my personal favorites are the black and gold, and the white raspberry. for real though, they're all good. you just can't go wrong. we always get the minis and split them in half. this way we get to enjoy double the amount. I like them best with an ice cold glass of milk. sooooo good. 

do you have a favorite bakery/cupcakery?

Highlights of the Week (#9)

I have to say that this past week was probably one of the more relaxing ones I've had in awhile. in fact, there were a couple days I didn't even leave the house. ; ) I don't believe that'll be the case for my upcoming week. at any rate, let's get down to business and discuss my HotW:

1. met a friend at the movies to see People Like Us. I liked it. I absolutely love Elizabeth Banks and Chris Pine in pretty much anything they do so I had a feeling I would enjoy that movie. 

2. tried a new recipe using wonton wrappers. I made a version of these mini tacos. they were super yummy and incredibly easy. I think wonton wrappers might just be my new favorite thing to use in the kitchen. in fact, I'll be trying this recipe sometime in the next several days. I definitely think you should give this product a try. I promise it's worth it. 

3. my mom was having her house painted and yesterday I got to see the finished product. it looks soooo good. I love the colors she chose. it's pretty unbelievable how a fresh coat of paint can really make all the difference in the world. the house went from being a boring light beige, with even more boring off-white trim, to a beautiful blue with bright white trim and a cranberry front door. it looks super sharp. the front door color definitely has a richer tone once it's painted.

I plan on working on grad school applications this afternoon. although it's looking kind of stormy out right now so we'll see what happens. when it's rainy all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch and watch movies. 

have a good one!

Highlights of the Week (#8)

okay, so last week I told you I'd be seeing Magic Mike and that was sure to be a HotW. well, I'm sad to say it didn't make the cut. don't get me wrong...there were some really good moments in the movie (it's a Channing Tatum movie, 'nuf said). it just wasn't quite was I was expecting. at the end of the day, I'm glad I saw it but don't feel the need to watch it again. 

I did see a movie I loved this week though and The Amazing Spiderman was definitely worthwhile. I would highly recommend it. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have electric chemistry (obviously b/c they are dating in real life). and let's face it, most super-hero movies are just good fun. 

the 4th of July is always a great holiday and this year was no exception. the end. 

this week I was able to read quite a bit...yay! I love to read and am always adding to my "to read" list. I believe I'm currently around 150 books on my list. at any rate, right now I'm reading Joanne Fluke's tasty murders series. I like them because they're an easy read and she includes lots of yummy sounding recipes. if you're looking for a new author to try...check her out: Joanne Fluke...Murder She Baked

tomorrow I'll be getting up super early to take my mom to the airport. we're talking 4 a.m. here people. blech. thank goodness I can come home and go back to bed. anyway, she's super excited b/c she's going to visit my brother, sis-in-law, and two nephews. I am, of course, super jealous and wish I was going to but I'll just have to plan a trip at another time. :) and maybe not pick a flight that leaves so early in the morning!

happy living!

Highlights of the Week (#7)

wow. so another week has come to a close. and it's the first of July. complete. craziness. 

the weather has been just wacky all over the place the last couple weeks. I am so thankful for the modern convenience of A/C and hope everyone that is currently without power and suffering in these out-of-control temps remains safe and have their power return soon.

last weekend I fell down the stairs when I was getting ready to take the dogs outside for their final walk of the day. I sprained my ankle pretty severely. it was definitely not fun. but, I am thankful I was able to pack up the dogs and myself and head to my mom's for the rest of the week. she has a huge fenced-in backyard so being able to rest my ankle without having to walk the dogs 4 times a day was a big highlight for me. 

sadly today was my last day watching the "boys"...but I'll get to see them again soon. if you follow me on instagram (pendygal80), I hope you've enjoyed seeing pictures of the dogs these last 3 weeks. I just love them!

another highlight of this past week was making these. not only are they completely delicious, but they are a healthier alternative to the standard version. and because they are petite, they're just plain cute! you should try them. immediately.

I think the final highlight from this past week was working in the garage with my mom. see, the thing is, her garage is jam-packed full of stuff. there's no room for one car, let alone two. our goal this summer is to remedy that and at least clear out enough stuff to get her car in there. and I am happy to say we are slowly but surely starting to make some visible progress. I must admit, there is a lot of stuff in that garage that belongs to me and she is graciously storing it for me. she's a good mom. 

so there you have it. another interesting week in my world. I must say that this week is shaping up to be super busy. I'm going to see Magic Mike tomorrow and I'm uber excited! a couple years ago when I was in Las Vegas I saw the gorgeous men in Thunder from Down Under and every. single. time I see the preview for Magic Mike I relive my time at that show. so much fun! 

have fun!