The Hugs Project

Yesterday, I decided to take some time off from studying. Because apparently I can't handle more than one day of studying anymore. I'm such a bad PA student. Even worse, I'm perfectly content with that.

One of the things I did while I wasn't studying was go to The Hugs Project with my Mom. My Mom has been going to Hugs once or twice a week for several years now, in addition to volunteering with the Red Cross once a week to sew stuffed animals for sick kids, doing free taxes for the elderly during tax season, going camping with Girl Scouts, and all the other little things she does (like go one 4 kayaking trips for example). Pretty amazing, huh? 

It was my first time at Hugs. They are currently taking up two large rooms at Crossroads mall to get all the Christmas boxes out to the Soldiers. (sidenote - Crossroads is not scary at all at 11am with all the 70 year old mall walkers on the loose)

To sum it up - these people work so hard, they are incredible! I was amazed at all the boxes of food, candy, presents for children overseas, notes of support, reading materials, dvds, pillows and hygiene items that they are getting to soldiers. Since these are the Christmas boxes, there were also stockings stuffed with wrapped goodies and candy canes!

one of the assembly areas

There is another room packed with sewing machines and material that people were using to make the pillows for the soldiers and small stuffed animals for them to give to kids.

sewing room

My job was on the assembly line, I just went down the rows of table putting items into boxes.

it was a loooong line!

And this one of the boxes I packed up! It's so hard to fit everything I wanted to into the boxes to get to these guys. They just weren't big enough!

One of the cool Christmas items were these little Christmas trees! Someone got the idea of recycling old prescription bottles and putting little trees into them. I thought it was neat!

Overall, it was a great experience, these people put a lot of hard work into making our soldiers overseas feel loved and appreciated. I'm glad I got to be a part of it for a day!

My Mom - the volunteering superhero!

Oktoberfest & More

Our first whole weekend together of the month was filled with so many fun things! Friday night we went to Oktoberfest of Tulsa with some friends. It was my first Oktoberfest ever and quite the experience!

Just a few things I learned/observed:

- Chicken hats. Everyone was wearing them, maybe it has something to do with - 

- The Chicken Dance Song. I don't know for sure, but I think this must be the song of Oktoberfest. It plays every five minutes and if you don't stand up on your table when it plays and do the Chicken Dance, you are not cool.

- Throwing pennies. The object of the game is to toss your pennies into other peoples' pitchers or cups. Why? I could never get a clear answer.

- Polk Meisters. A band that was flown in from Germany. They are a big deal. They all wear the aforementioned chicken hats and have the traditional costumes. In addition to Polka, the can play the YMCA. Yeah.

- Apple Streudel. Yum. Turkey leg. Yum.

bad iphone pic at Oktoberfest

On Saturday, to continue Oktoberfest weekend, we ate lunch at Siegi's. Old Siegi started out with some kind of deer processing company and now he has a full Austrian restaurant. I only know this because Brandon's family takes their deer meat to him and he makes some delish summer sausage out of it.

This one was all Brandon's idea, I wanted to go to a bagel place. It turned out to be quite the experience!

I wasn't sure if I was going to like my "sandwich" (you'll get the need for the "" in a minute) so I wanted to order an appetizer as a back up to make sure I wouldn't go hungry. I chose the giant pretzel. By "giant" what they really meant was "size of a small planet." 

so good!

Now, for my "sandwich." The Siegi's Holzfeller. Shaved ham and swiss cheese between two.... potato pancakes... with honey drizzled on top. Weird? Yes. Good? Yes. It was hard to get my brain wrapped around it, it tasted like a sandwich, but it was definitely not the right texture for a sandwich. But overall, it was pretty good!

potato pancake sandwich, anyone?

Brandon got the Triple Decker, which had corned beef and I think salami, which was also a hit.

Overall, Siegi's was a winner!

After Siegi's, we visited a little secondhand furniture store we had heard about, it had lots of cool vintage things, and some crazy things. Like this...

The full version of the leg lamp from Christmas Story?

And it was rainy that day, so please ignore my frizzy, out of control hair.

And then.. studying and football for the rest of the weekend!

:)

I looooove Fall!

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons. Most of those reasons involve sweaters and boots. But I also love the cooler weather, pretty leaves and the coming of the Holidays. To celebrate this amazing Fall weekend (3 1/2 day weekend for me, and Brandon actually has a full weekend off - first time this month!). I decided to show my first seasonal tablescape! I also want to show off our beautiful new grown up dining room table, quite the step up from my previous Walmart dining room table. We love this thing, it's mid pub height with leather padded chairs and rustic detailing.

We got this really awsome bowl from Pottery Barn as a wedding present. I thought it was too pretty to put away in a cabinet. Also, it is very large, and does not fit in any of our cabinets.

I went to Target (where else?) and bought a box of Fall items - pumpkins, pine cones, some kind of pod things. I got two additional pumpkins at Hobby Lobby. And ta-da!

If it wasn't for spending a year living with two certain people who have an intense love of seasonal decor, this would never have happened. Just thinking about decorating the house for the holidays makes me miss living with them :)

One Year Ago...

Exactly once year ago today I was eating brunch in the revolving restaurant at the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, WA. I remember I had chicken stuffed with local cheese and some wonderful tiramisu for dessert. I enjoyed the 360 degree view of Seattle and the bay. I was sitting there thinking that it was just, you know, one of those ordinary, run-of-the-mill days.

And then I saw our waiter coming to our table with a silver tray carrying... smoke? huh?

surprise!

yippeee!!

Brandon's favorite pic from the trip

my favorite!

so sparkly!

It was such a wonderful trip and even more wonderful moment. And things just keep getting better :)



PS. It was also exactly one year ago today that Sam Bradford had the season ending shoulder injury at the 2009 Cotton Bowl, thus ending his football career at OU. After you dance around and shout with joy over our engagement-iversary, I would like you all to take a moment of silence for Sammie and our 2009 season. Thanks.

My favorite thing right now..

Look at my super cute new return address stamp! I got it off Etsy, where all the cool things are. Even though we are only renting our house for a short while, I couldn't resist getting this!

I just received it in the mail yesterday and it was the perfect thing to make my sick day brighter. I love the damask border :)

Check out the Etsy shop I got it from here.

Surprise Day Off!

So this Wednesday I got an unexpected day off from my rotation. Yay! I decided to not waste the day away by just sleeping and watching TV, which is what an almost overwhelming part of me actually wanted to do.

I actually got some things done! Not really things as in "cross of my to-do list" necessarily, but more like real life, keep your sanity types of things that tend to get pushed aside.

I went to lunch with a long lost friend. I love catching up with my friends that I don't get to see very often!

I also had a successful Day Two of working out again! Day One consisted of going running AND biking. I am really hoping these waves of motivation to go work out keep on coming!

And one to cross off my to do list - I got my new drivers license with my official new name!

I feel like this week is basically over (I barely count "jeans Friday" as a real workday), and I am already looking forward to the weekend! Opening hockey game for the new OKC team with some of my all time favorite people, Race for the Cure alongside approx. 12,000 other people wearing pink, and Sunday Kayaking on the Oklahoma River with Momma!


PS. its day 12 in a row of not seeing Brandon :( and 8 days until I get to see him again!

OU/TX

I think my shirt today says it all.....

Thank you, Coach Switzer

Also, take a look at these cute little brownie bites I made for the watch party. They have a mini Reeses cups inside of them! Chocolate and peanut butter - the perfect combo. I got the recipe from, where else, the Pioneer Woman. Find it here.

However, if you make these - be warned - don't fill the cups to full! Or they will look like this -

And you will have to eat the weird tall ones yourself because they are not pretty enough to bring out in public.

I also made my Mom's classic bar cookies, always a safe bet.

Off to watch my Sooners!