A Weekend at Home

For various reasons I don't go "home" much except for various very specific reasons. When I do I generally go for whatever event it is and then am back in Norman.

Lately I haven't exactly been all that happy in Norman. I don't know what all to blame it on, but it is true. A few weekends back I needed to get my taxes done, so I went to Ardmore on a Friday and stayed the night. It was kind of nice to go with no agenda, odd, but nice.

The evening started with dinner at Ten Star Pizza Kitchen. Generally when I am flying by the seat of my pants Mom and I end up at Applebee's or El Chico, but since there was no time frame I suggested Ten Star (because a lot of Ardmore friends have mentioned it on facebook). Well I was not, at all, disappointed. It was great. (Not to mention when you go to their website the music playing is Dave Matthews Band)

I took my mom back home, freshened up and headed back to town to go out with my cousin. On my way to meet him he text messaged me and said "I'm pretty casual tonight, I hope you aren't too Carrie Bradshaw for me." (Have I mentioned how much I love him?)

We are a force to be reconded with (mainly of snobbiness). We ended up at All Starz, which is well, a bar in Ardmore. I have been their twice before, both were interesting trips down memory lane with high school friends or the kids I used to babysit (eek!). Ryan and I were sitting at the bar drinking and sharing stories of debauchery (what we both tend to specialize in, well he does, I'm the perfect angel :)) when all of a sudden a girl comes up to the bar. I just stared her down until she looked at me. It was a friend of mine from high school, who I probably have not seen since high school. She'd been drinking, we'd been drinking and all of a sudden I end up at a table of old high school friends. It was a whole lot of fun. I don't think I could ever live there again, but it was nice to visit.

Towards the end of the night we got to see this (sorry for it being on its side, I had been drinking and forgot that my camera doesn't flip on video):

Oh Ardmore! Ryan and I then went to Taco Bell (because where else is there to go in Ardmore at 2:00 am, well for that matter after 9:00 pm), then went to Walmart because Taco Bell's dining room was closed and we needed to use the bathroom. We then proceeded to eat our tacos in the Walmart parking lot.

After a little sober up time I made it home and hit the bed around 3:30. My mom coming in to wake me up at 8:30 to get ready for a funeral was not all that fun. We picked Ryan up around 9:30 and went to the funeral. As it was a funeral I will leave out any stories from that (though Ryan and I are a bad combination and Mom threatened to separate us more than once).

After the graveside Mom and I dropped Ryan off and went to The Cellar at Main Street Wine Depot for lunch. It was so cute and SO good. I highly recommend it. They don't have a website that I could find, but look them up on facebook.

I won't lie I was kind of sad to come back to Norman, though when I did get back my head was a little clearer and I was a lot more relaxed. I guess sometimes you just need to go home...

Poppy Seed Chicken

I am on a roll! I visited the little niece Eby on Saturday (oh and her mom and dad too) and Mary made dinner (I helped though!) and made this amazing recipe! It was so good!

Beware, Mary ate this the night before she had to take a drug test for a new job and the drug testing agency made her reschedule! (poppies are what they use to make opium!)

When I typed it up I made a few strategic changes (Greek yogurt, one of my favorites and brown rice)

Poppy Seed Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 16 oz container plain Greek yogurt

1 can 98% reduced fat cream of chicken soup

1 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers, crushed

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1 stick butter, melted

Precook chicken breasts in boiling water until thoroughly cooked. Remove breasts from water and let cool (save the broth for other things!) Tear cooled breasts into bite sized pieces. Mix together with Greek yogurt, cream of chicken soup and poppy seeds. Mix crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Sprinkle cracker mixture on top. Place in preheated 350°F oven until warmed through and cracker topping is golden, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve with brown rice.

Miss Elizabeth

Or Eby as I am bound and determined to call her! My beautiful friend Mary and her wonderful husband Patrick welcomed their beautiful daughter, Elizabeth Lynn, to the world February 16. I have been so overwhelmed with everything that these never got posted! (Though they did make it to my facebook page!) I was honored by photographing her for her first photo shoot when she was about 28 hours old! (I also did some when she was 8 days old, but I don't have them back yet.)

Photography is one of my passions in life, though I don't get to do it nearly as much as I like. I am a stubborn, stubborn girl who does not like technology (yeah THAT makes sense considering I work in the IT field). At any rate I still shoot in 35 mm and love it. Here are a few from the first shoot. Enjoy!

the tag says it all

pretty feathers

mommy and daddy's rings

a girl after my own heart - she grabbed onto the pearls and would not let go!

cute tushy!

Mary and I love Tiffany's!

her first Tiffany's bag! (okay it was my bag and Mary's bracelet, but nonetheless)

a bit more artistic

Makeover and a New Name!

Welcome to Little Black Dresses and Pearls! I've been thinking about revamping the blog for some time and finally just did it. Isn't it cute??? Well I think it is! LBDs and pearls are two of my favorite things, so they seemed fitting for the name of my blog. I think this has a more positive spin than "trying not to drown" (though that is fairly accurate right now :)). Plus the pool is only half the year and I wear LBDs and pearls year round! Okay, enough! Welcome to the new blog! Same fun craziness though!

A New Ten Day Challenge: Day Two: Favorite Song

Too hard! I love music, so I get three!


First: Run by Collective Soul

This was in Varsity Blues my senior year of high school and for some reason it is one of the only things that can calm me down.

Second: I Can Only Imagine by MercyMe

My favorite Christian song. I have a lot of reasons for this, but imagine is my favorite word, so it seemed pretty natural, plus a lot of things have happened during this song (ie. My junior year of college)

Third: Imaging by John Lennon

I just love the message of this song, the idea that if the world could just get along it would be a better place for all of us. Plus again, imagine is my favorite word.

A New Ten Day Challenge: Day One: 16 Randoms

I am just going to post the first 16 things that come to my mind, so in no way is this all there is to me.

1. I work 40 hours a week, take 9 hours of grad school a semester, help lead a youth group, and am really involved with Junior League of Norman. I love all of it, but I'm tired.

2. Most days I embrace the fact that I'm single, some days not so much. I bought the Pink Greatest Hits...So Far cd a few weeks ago and track 14 has this lyric:

"Your whole life waiting for the ring to prove you're not alone."

Well if that doesn't just hit the nail on the head. On Valentine's Day I had a conversation with one of my single friends (who is equally as fabulous as myself) and she said something to the affect of this "why is it that I have a great job that I love, own a home, have a great social life and it still feels like there is something missing?" That is the question of the decade! It is frustrating to see so many people all coupled off and to not be one of those and be looked at like you are the outcast. I talked to a friend who said that he has trouble being around his brother because his brother is married and has one kiddo and one on the way and he is so jealous that it has hurt their relationship. I went through the same thing with one of my best friends, it was really hard for me to be her friend while she was pregnant. This whole thing frustrates the living daylights out of me! I am happy for my friends and their happiness, but it still comes down to the question: why am I not enough for me? (I blame society and I think society should pay for my therapy ;))

3. Much lighter: I have a pool and do not know how to swim

4. I let other people's opinions of me dictate how I feel about myself entirely too much. The events in my life completely affect all aspects of my life, from mood, to health, to everything. I am trying to work on this and just live my life for myself and no one else, but that is really hard.

5. I am starting a non profit that will either be the most amazing thing ever, or will be the death of me. As opposed to the rant in number 2, if I was married and had kids I would not be able to be doing this, and for that I feel extremely blessed that I am single.

6. I am codependent. I try really hard not to be, but I am a fixer and want to fix everyone's problems because I know I am strong enough to handle them. I would take every worry, problem and anxiety away from all the people I care about if I could. I am working on this and am being challenged by it right now.

7. Because of number 6 I am terrified to be in a relationship again. I am so worried that I will choose wrong, or get back into a codependent relationship that makes me miserable (for the bazillionth time). I have to find a man that will understand this.

8. I don't regret anything. Period. I keep close ties with people from my past (yes that is code for ex boyfriends) because they made me who I am today and for that I am eternally grateful. Anyone in my life is going to have to accept that.

9. My favorite places are New York City, Austin, Hawaii and Kansas City.

10. I have a new found appreciation for where I grew up. I even feel very, very lucky to have grown up there. I can't wait to be in a relationship and take a vacation to Ardmore.

11. I am a worrier, really bad.

12. I am a planner.

13. After some events in the past few years of my life I trust my gut, completely and totally.

14. I really prefer hanging out with guys more than girls. There is a lack of testosterone in my life and that frustrates me.

15. I love all my "nieces and nephews" more than anything, though none of them are blood related. I truly do not feel you have to have a blood connection to be family, and because of that I have a HUGE family.

16. I am destined for greatness and will change the world.

I Miss Blogging: A New Ten Day Challenge

Clearly life has been a little crazy around here and apparently my happiness scale has not been all that great either. I can measure my happiness by my writing: no writing=no happy, or at least completely overwhelmed. Overwhelmed my be the understatement of the year. To put it mildly my life has become a little chaotic and I am trying to get back on track. I really think that writing will help that, so here we go with a new blog challenge...enjoy!