Sunday Social

Another Sunday, Another Social..   Happy Sunday Lovelies!!    I'm linking up with Neely and Ashley again for:

  1. Tell us about the family you grew up in, parents, siblings, grandparents. This will be super long because I love my family, and because I have literally nothing to say about question 2. I grew up basically as an only child. I have a sister who is 16 years older than me, but the age difference meant that she moved out when I was two so I have literally no memory of ever actually living with her, but I've been told it happened. My parents had be when they were 38 and 40 so I didn't exactly have the young chipper "Yayyyyy we're parents" experience that she had either. For my sister it was all about Soccer, and Tennis, and being active and doing things, with me it was more let's take her places and have other people do things and be active with her. So she was super sporty and I was super dramatic. I wouldn't change that for anything because that's how I learned to love the stage and all things musical theater.   I have a serious love for my grandparents not only because I'm named after them, but because they were absolutely incredible people. My dad's grandparents were AWESOME. Seriously. They lived in this awesome lake house, and made fancy things for dinner and drank more scotch than Ron Burgundy. They were the kind of people that were spouses first, then parents which is probably frowned on, but it worked for them and their family. He was a sales rep for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and gave us stock in Viagra one year for Christmas (because that's a normal gift right!?). They were always giving us Stocks, or Savings Bonds, or $2 bills. They were just magical.. to me anyway. Losing my grandpa was the first loss that I remember, and it was absolutely devastating to me. I can still picture his big smile and great hair (it runs in the family), wearing a pair of short shorts, loafers and a gold necklace with an anchor. He's the reason that I joined the Navy. I lost my Grandma about 8 years later and though she had never been particularly warm towards me (because I look a lot like my Mom and she was never my mom's biggest fan) the last time I saw her she told me how beautiful she thought I was and that she hoped I'd never stop singing. I was mostly named for my Paternal grandparents, Joe and Sammy, but it wasn't until my grandmother died that I realized that Sam, Sammy, or Samantha wasnt in her name AT ALL. I was super confused, but thankfully before I launched into a full fledged identity crisis, my dad explained that her maiden name was Sampson, to which my grandfather nicknamed her "Sassy Sampson" and shortened it to "Sammy". So thus, I, Samantha JoeAnne, Samantha Joe, Sammie Joe and SJ came to be. My maternal grandpa, another Joe, died when I was about 6 months old. I don't know much about him, other than there was something weird about my grandmother possibly dating his brother (SCANDALOUS!!), but marrying him so it all worked out. When I was 18 I joined the US Navy, but during my delayed entry I got to move down to Alabama for a few months and take care of my maternal grandmother after a fall. I was there to celebrate her 90th birthday (complete with a Princess Party for her and all her friends in the rehab facility... Cause I'm fancy like that). On my 19th birthday I had to put her in a nursing home. It was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do, but it was clear to me, my sister, and all my aunts that she just couldn't live alone any longer. Those few months were incredibly hard, but I wouldn't trade them for the anyting in the world. Holy Moly Y'all... That was a novel.
2. Tell us about your husband, fiancé, boyfriend, significant other. N/A
3. Tell us about your children. If you don’t have children, talk about your fur children.

The many faces of Theo

My furbaby is Theodore Roosevelt, but I call him Theo, BooBoo, KittyBoo, Boo, Boosephus, BabyBoo, or some other horribly embarrassing variation of that. I imagine him blushing with embarrassment if I were to ever call him any of those in front of his kitty friends. He is spoiled rotten with only the best cat food and treats, has an outrageous number of toys that he doesn't play with, a monogrammed kitty bed that he doesn't sleep in (he prefers my bed, or my clean laundry). He is the most handsome little boy in the world and I love him to the moon and back. When he was about 11 months old he almost died because he knocked over some cleaner and it spilled and he licked it, then stepped in it and then cleaned his paws like all cats do.. with their tongues. Then he hid from me for about two hours and when he finally came out of hiding he was burning up and his tongue was swollen so big he couldn't close his mouth. My dad and I rushed him to the emergency vet, my now ex-husband complained about paying the $165 for the initial consultation because he hates cats but I cried hysterically about how he was my baby, and four days and thousands of dollars later, he was back and has been by my side almost ever day since. He's still super curious, but he's kept himself out of serious trouble ever since.    This was another novel to make up for having nothing to say about question 2.  
4. Tell us about your best friends. How long have you known them? How did you meet? My Bestie is beautiful and lives in Iowa and I love her. I've written a previous blog post gushing about how much I love her, how we met at all that, so here I will just a picture of her beautiful face:

5. Tell us about any other special people in your life. I work with some amazingly special people for some amazingly special kids. If it were legal to post their pictures I would, but just trust they are TOO CUTE and I love them so stinkin much I can't stand it. Also, I'm at that point in the school year that I'm starting to seriously miss them. A little bit more than a month till I get to see them again!!!!!

Get Cookin, Good Lookin!!

Hi there all my Good Lookin followers!!

I hope everyone has had a good week!! I am enjoying my first official day of Spring Break!! Woohoo!!!

Here's some of the deliciousness I cooked up this week:

Monday Night:
Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry
http://melindabesinaiz.blogspot.com/2013/02/clean-eating-chicken-and-shrimp-stir-fry.html

 (Served with Near East Whole Wheat couscous)


Tuesday:
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip cookies
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/03/brown-butter-oatmeal-chunk-cookies/

Wednesday:
Skinny Chicken Cordon Bleu
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/03/chicken-cordon-bleu.html

(I used Gina's pictures because my rollups didn't come out quite as pretty as hers! Still Yummy!!!)

Garlic Smashed Broccoli
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/03/roasted-broccoli-with-smashed-garlic.html

Chicken Stew
http://www.framedcooks.com/2012/12/creamy-chicken-stew.html

 (I added more celery and carrots than the recipe called for, and mine was a bit runnier, but still equally delicious! I also made this the same night as the Chicken Cordon Bleu but this was my Lunch for Thursday... So yum!!)

Thursday:
Beef & Broccoli
http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/

(I served mine over brown rice because I hate white rice)

Check out all the Yummies that Katelyn made this week here

Next week I'll try to remember to take more of my own pictures, but y'all this food was so yummy that I couldn't stop myself from digging right in!!

Happy Friday Y'all!!

I'm Back (Again.. Hopefully for good!) with a new LinkUp!!

I am coming out of the wood work (again) to launch a fun new weekly linkup with my Bestie, Katelyn (A Wife's Life).

What's been going on? What has everybody been up to? Me? Still loving my job!! School is really killing my social life! ;) I was seeing someone fantastic, but as they usually do, he turned out to be more "Yankee Bad Boy Skeezball", than "Romantic Southern Transplant of my dreams".  Out with him, in with the pint of Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate.  I've been drowning my sorrows over him for more time than I'm proud of.. but we're moving on!

Katelyn and Sammie <3

Speaking of ze Bestie, Last week we finally got to meet face to face and spent the best day ever shopping, getting mani's, laughing and stuffing our faces.  What can I say? She gets me!

Anyway, Kate and I came up with the idea for this new linkup because we both are totally guilty of pinning dozens (probably more like hundreds) of recipes, but then when it comes down to it, we just go out to eat or get take out.  Thus the "Get Cookin Good Lookin" weekly link party/challenge has been born.

Here's how it works:

-Grab our button and link up with us every Friday

-Credit the original source and share the recipe in your post. I will be adapting mine some from the original source but still want to give them credit.

-Post pictures of your food.

-Share any helpful tips you can think of!

We are so excited to see what everyone comes up with and make some of your recipes. The first link up starts Friday!

100th Blog Post & A Giveaway!!

First of all... It's

Yay!!!!!!

So to celebrate my 100th Blog post, I am co-hosting a giveaway with two of my very favorite bloggers and dear friends Katelyn & Chelsee!

Up for grabs is an adorable gift basket full of some our favorite goodies just in time for Valentine's Day!!

The giveaway will officially launch tomorrow and run for 1 week with a lucky winner!!

Let me tell you 'bout (one of) my best friend(s)

I want to brag on one of my very best friends, Katelyn.  I feel that I can't brag on her, without sharing the story of our unlikely friendship.   Katelyn and I met on TheKnot while we were  both planning our weddings.  I'm not going to lie to you at all.. Katelyn and I pretty much hated each other.  We immediately clashed and butted heads and argued on an almost constant basis.  I thought she was a total brat, and I'm sure she thought much worse of me.   I can sometimes be a "Mean Girl".  This quality is great, if we're friends.  If we're not.. watch yourself.  Add to this the fact that I was very depressed and just an all around miserable person (for more on why read my story here), and I became down right vicious.  Sadly, I took a lot of my bratty mean girl self out on Katelyn (though, she gave it back just as good as she got!)   I'm not proud of this by any means, but it's all apart of our "weird and wonderful" friendship.     When I filed for divorce I stopped posting on TK.  I didn't feel like I had anything positive to contribute.  I was hurting, and bitter and the last thing I wanted to be around was happy brides to be.  Katelyn and I were facebook friends, but I still don't really think we talked at all.  My memory gets sort of fuzzy during and after my divorce (I think for the most part I've just blocked it all out).  I have no idea who apologized first, but I do know that when I did apologize to Katelyn, I was very sincere.   I'm sure it's weird to some people that one of my closest friends is someone that I have never met in person, I'll give you that it's certainly not traditional (but then again, I'm not a traditional kinda girl!).  The handful of girls that I met (Cate, Whitney, Kenz & Katelyn), and kept from TK, are girls that I'm sure will be in my life forever.  Katelyn and I talk on the phone, and we text almost constantly.  It's funny how someone that I had such negative feelings towards, is now someone that I can't imagine not being in my life.  We share cat stories and pictures and we shop via text together. We rant and rave about life's many ups and downs to each other.  She get's me.  She doesn't judge my shopping habits (nor do I judge hers). She is a true friend.   The moral of this story is don't be so quick to write off someone.. and be the bigger person and apologize when you've wronged someone. Now for the bragging.  Y'all, Katelyn has got mad skills!!  She is a fabulous graphic designer.  She's made business cards for my mom, she's doing a blog layout for Jerrica, and my favorite obviously, is this fantastic print that she made for me.  She took my nonsensical ramblings and turned them into this fabulous print that I had been dreaming of.  It is currently being printed (via vistaprint), and it will be hung in my bed room.  

  I'm obviously biased in my bragging about her talent, but even if I didn't like her, I'd love her designs.  If you're ever in the market for business cards, invites, posters, blog layouts, anything, talk to Katelyn.. she will hook you up!!   Visit her design tab here

Oh! and don't forget to link up with Katelyn and myself for our 12 in '12 New Years Eve Link Party on Monday!! Grab our button and tell us all about it!!