Happy Memorial Weekend!

My view for the next three days...

Happy Memorial Day weekend!  Be safe!

Lake Love,

Memorial Day Weekend Recipes

Last week, I promised to:

-post a birthday gift idea

-give a sneak peak to a BBQ shower I'm hosting tomorrow night

-throw out a few Memorial Day recipes

It's Thursday, and I've done none of that. Instead, I've posted my weird iphone photos, written poems, and just generally broke any promise I made.

It's not that I want to break my promise to you... it just happens.

Similar to when I realize it's Thursday and I haven't worked out all week, but instead watched Housewives of Anywhere every night.

Oh well- there's no time like the present! So, lets tackle those Memorial Day recipes, shall we?

First, let me say this:

Disclaimer #1: This blog has never been, isn't, and will never be a place where you will find original tried and true recipes from my own kitchen.

Disclaimer #2: The only exception is when I grow my own garden someday and make my own fresh salsa, which I consider a food group.

Disclaimer #3: That won't happen anytime in the near future.

Disclaimer #4: This is the final disclaimer.

Now that we got that out of the way, lets move onto the recipes. Consider me a train conductor, merely pointing you in the direction of goodness. I just have two to share, but I think they are definite goodies that should be tried out over the long weekend.

Recipe Item #1: Ice Cream Cupcakes

Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Joy The Baker

Wouldn't these be a perfect treat to end a long day on the lake?

Recipe Item #2: Apple Pie Granita

Recipe & Photo Courtesy of Joy The Baker

These make my heart very happy. If I do nothing else this weekend, I will try these. Maybe even add a splash of something alcoholic...

Share your Memorial Weekend must-have recipes!

Wordless Wednesday

Last week, I started a new trend out in the blogosphere.

Remember?  It was a new take on Wordless Wednesday.  I call it, "Share iPhone Photos and Give a Small Caption Wednesday."

Remember how catchy it was?  And how you ran to your blog and immediately posted your own iphone photos?  Yes?  Anyone?!

Well, it's that time of week again... so here we go!

Starbucks: An important part of every travel experience, especially those that include Tulsa International Airport.

The W Hotel, Dallas.  This is the pool up on the 17th floor.  Uh-mazing, huh?!  Great views of the city.  (No, I did not swim.)

The gorgeous chandeliers at the W hotel bar.

Me, in a chair.  At the W hotel bar.

Bryan, in the same chair.  At the W hotel Bar.

Dad, lounging at the W hotel bar.  After one too many.

Kidding!  I'm just blessed with a father who has little concern for public opinion.

Good thing I'm nothing like that.

For some reason, this picture has made me laugh every day this week.  My sister, in her bedroom, sad.  

Hilarious!

Happy Wordless Wednesday!  

Four Days

In four days, I will be here.

I'll wake up to this view.

He'll be there.

And so will she.

We'll do some of this.

And NONE of this.

I can't wait!

A Poem to Monday

Monday, Monday, you come so fast

and make me long for Friday last.

A long week it will be

before the Memorial Day Weekend, when I'm free.

And a week from today, when it's Monday again

I will still not be able to call you a friend.

Because then to the lake I will say goodbye

and in the car back to Tulsa I'll drive.

I know it's not your fault that you come first

But, Monday, I have to be honest...

You are the worst.

Gift Idea: Family Tree

Happy Friday!  I don't know about you, but this week... was... LONG.  I'm looking forward to what's sure to be a glorious weekend!

I've had my eye on this little gem for weeks now.... and, if you are married, pregnant or have children.... I will probably give this to you as a gift at some point:

Don't you love it?!  I am obsessed with all things "nature" right now... so I just envision this hanging on my wall over the kitchen table.  A new spin on the ol' classic family tree.

Is it weird if one of the petals has my cat's name on it?

You can find it here at Etsy, only the best website ever.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  B & I are off to Plano tomorrow for... you guessed it, a wedding! 

Next week, tune in for...

-Sneak Peak:  Couples Shower BBQ

-Gift Idea: Birthday

-Recipe: Memorial Day Weekend

  

Have a good weekend!

How to Build a Proper Storm Shelter

I live in Oklahoma. That means, from April until June... there is typically a "severe weather event" weekly.

Lately, it seems like it's been a daily occurrence. Mother Nature has it out for the Sooner State!

In the four years I've lived in Tulsa, I've only had to "build" a tornado shelter twice. Last night was one of those nights. Two storm systems were colliding... there was circulation... and the sirens were going off.

And, my TV was randomly switching to a mysterious baseball game... and switching back.

Apparently, it was a glitch in the National Weather Service's broadcasting... but, it really sent my hysteria over the edge.

So, lets review the proper steps to take in a severe weather situation.


1) Turn on the TV and assess the situation. Note: If there is a lot of red, that's usually bad.

To all of my KTUL friends, please don't judge me for this picture. I honestly picked the station showing the scariest radar for this photo.


2) "Build" your shelter. Note: Do NOT put draino in your bathtub on a night where there is even a slight risk of severe weather. Lay down a few blankets, dig out your trusty flashlight, and make sure your pet has a "safe place."

Even if your pet would rather be in a tornado than ever set foot in his dreaded safe place.

3) Keep a bottle of wine on hand at all times. You never know when it might come in handy.

Stay safe out there!

Wordless Wednesday

I've heard of this "Wordless Wednesday" blog trend that people participate in.

Always one to be a follower (ahem) I decided to participate. But I'm putting a new spin on this whole "Wordless Wednesday" business.

I call it, "Share iPhone Photos and Give A Small Caption Wednesday."

Something that catchy is going to spread like wildfire in the blogging community.


We'll start with this magnificent creature. I met him at a ranch auction a few weeks ago.

Moments after this picture was taken, I was nearly trampled to death. But that's another story for another day.


Next, this. Hello, lover. Not that I would ever need anything even remotely this big. But, it does detract nicely from my "spider fingers."

I'm double-jointed, ok?

Moving on... to this. A still portrait. A family. Four children, two parents. I did not take this on my iphone.

...but, I did take this. The similarities between the two photos are striking.

Help me spread the word about "Share iPhone Photos and Give A Small Caption Wednesday"!

Making a difference in the blogosphere,

Bachelorette Party: Sneak Peak

One of my best friends, Leah, is getting married in... wow, two months from yesterday!  July 17th!

Here we are, the night she got engaged last summer.  I am SO honored to be her maid of honor! 

Her wedding is going to be gorgeous.  Her entire theme/color scheme has been based off of a peacock feather.  Lots of deep jewel tones.  I can't wait for the big day!

Of course, before we send her off to get married....

.... we need to CELEBRATE!

I had the lovely and talented Cari Rankin over at m.press design the invitations.  How cute did they turn out?!  I asked her to incorporate the teal, purple & black "peacock" colors... and I just loved the skyline design.

We listed the "weekend events" on the back... complete with a high heel!

We're getting pedicures during the day, having wine & appetizers and a shower that evening at Ciao on Brookside... and then crashing that night at the newly renovated Mayo hotel.

Of course, we have a few "surprises" up our sleeves... but you'll just have to wait to read more about those!

Spa Baby Shower

This weekend was my friend Jes's much-anticipated baby shower!

As I previously posted, we decided to do a little "spa outing" for her shower.  We held it at a nail salon in Frisco, TX.  Talk about luxury!  We snacked on fruit and veggies, sipped on wine and were pampered to the max.

This spa is set up perfectly for parties.  They have an upstairs area- complete with a bar!- where you can set everything up.  We put all of the food up on the counters...

... we also asked people to bring their favorite baby books to help stock Baby Bannasch's library!

We managed to sneak in a few cute pictures of Jes & her husband, Derek, as babies.  They were both adorable, of course. :)

Here's some of the loot starting to pile up!

Finally, time for pedicures!  Here's row #1...

... and right across from row #1, row #2!  (Hi seester!  Hi Lauren!)

Mama-to-be Jes, getting a much deserved pedicure!  (She'll remember this fondly when she's chasing a little boy around the house!)

The finished product!  My pedicure turned out to be non-existent on camera. 

Note to self:  white feet + pale pink polish = invisible pedicure

My girls! (Minus Natalie, who got married last weekend.)  We've known each other for over a decade.  We went to school dances together, on trips together, had more sleepovers than I can count.  We stayed friends through the drama of high school, the separation of college... and now, two are married and one has a baby on the way. 

Life goes by so quickly, doesn't it?

A Friday Post

Since it's Friday, and since my brain is complete mish-mash, and since I'm traveling every weekend in May, today's post consists of a rambling ramble of ramblings.

If that sentence confused you in any way, please stop reading.... now.

If you're still reading.... here we go!
Tulsa was pounded by an EF-2 tornado a few nights ago.  Rain poured; lightning struck; wind howled; tornado sirens wailed.

Lindsay.... slept.

These pictures were taken at my co-worker Justin's apartment complex.  Look at the damage! That's some strong wind, my friends.

I'm deeply concerned that I didn't budge from my sleep during any of this.  

Which leads me to my next great invention:

1) Twitter-To-Go (order to-go from your fave restaurants.... via twitter)

2) Sunburn Barbie (she turns red in the sunlight)

3)  TiVo for the car radio (found out... this may have already been invented)

4)  Tornado Siren iphone app

Genius, right?  A tornado is heading your way... it's 5am.... and your iphone alerts you to take cover.

Next up... groupons!  My mom signed me up for it, and it's just awesome.  So far I've received a groupon for Salsa dancing lessons and one to a local pub & grill.  Sign up for groupons in your area here!

And, finally- this is my cute pregnant friend, Jes!  I feel okay posting this picture, because she posted it on her facebook page.  She lives in Germany, but is here in the states for a few weeks.  Her spa pedicure baby shower (read about it here) is this weekend.

Looking forward to pampering the mama to be... and hanging out with my ladies!

Next week, stay tuned for....

-pictures from the baby shower this weekend

-a sneak peak at Leah's bachelorette party invitations, theme & more!

-that giveaway I've been promising for weeks

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Inspired

On Sunday night, I was inspired.  Maybe it was something in the wind; maybe it was the enchiladas.  There's no telling when or why inspiration will strike.

I was inspired... to write poetry to the three people in the picture with me- my beloved siblings.  To express to them my love and admiration.  To gently remind them of their flaws.  

I'm just here to give love and encouragement to those around me.

That's your right as the oldest of four, you know.  To write them public poetry; to make them build pillow houses and play school; to boss them around.  FOR LIFE.

I thought I'd share these poems I wrote for them, with you- my faithful followers.

Maybe one day, you'll be lucky enough to be the subject of one of my poems.

Enjoy!

"An Ode to Ali"

I'm your seester, and you're my pookie

You like to lay out and pretend you get tan, like Snookie.

You have red hair and freckled skin

and get really cranky when it's time for din din

I get to see you 3 weekends in a row

I hope I can avoid seeing your morning 'fro.

---------------------------------

"An Ode to Mikey"

I don't understand why you're so tall

You tower above one and all

You also have really big feet

and like to drum to the beat.

You drive around in a truck that is black

and you're embarrassed when I say stuff like "that's whack."

You're my littlest brother, but you're still so tall

I hope that you don't ever fall.

-----------------------------

"An Ode to Timmy" (back story: Timmy was the only one not home on Mother's Day.)

You weren't here, and we had lots of fun.

We ate enchiladas and saw Iron Man 2... not one.

Meanwhile, you "study" and crunch for your tests

And keep an eye out for twisters coming from the west.

And tomorrow, when finals officially start

you'll be in the basement, crying tears from your heart.

----------------------

I'll be hanging up my poetry hat for a while.  Bouts of inspiration can be very draining on writers like myself.

Weekend Wrap-Up

What a whirlwind weekend! I drove to Sherman, TX Friday to supervise a shoot at a ranch auction. Saturday, mom & I drove to Houston for my friend Natalie's wedding!

Here we are, all dressed up at the reception!

Most of the fab five! Lauren, Natalie & Hilary...

Lauren & I...

Hil & I, with the stone chapel they got married in behind us.

The Armours! Their flowers were beautiful... and I can't even speak of the cake... so.. incredibly... delicious.

On Sunday, mom & I drove back to Dallas, and we celebrated Mother's Day with the family! We saw Iron Man 2 (awesome) and had dad's delicious enchiladas.

Great weekend! What was everyone else up to?

"On Board... With Concerns"

I am reading a great book by Sheila Walsh about improving my prayer life.  The chapters don't contain earth-shattering messages in my own personal walk, but they are definitely refreshing reminders of God's desire for us to talk to him daily.

It's easy to forget that, huh?  In the hustle and bustle of every day life, it's so easy to get wrapped up in.... well, us.  Ourselves.

My biggest prayer lately has been to worry less, surrender more.  Let prayer take the place of worry.  Let go of the tight reigns I hold on my life.  Trust more.  Ease up on the impossible expectations I place upon myself.

And... the expectations I place on others.

In the world of twitter, facebook, linkedin... it's all about your "status."  Where are you?  What are you doing?  Who are you?  What are you eating?  

Are you going to the restroom?

Ok, that's too far, even for a self-proclaimed social media addict like me.

So, if I had to sum up my attitude in one status update, it would be.... 

"On board... with concerns."

My co-workers and I had a good laugh about it this morning.  We're working on a project with some (gulp) possible pitfalls and (gulp) a lot of long hours of work.

So, in an effort to apply my new prayerful, trusting attitude to work, as well, I proclaimed that I was "on board.... with concerns."

Really, isn't that life?  We wake up every day and commit to what's on our plate.  We're on board, even though we may have concerns about any number of things.

Maybe it's time to replace those "concerns" with faith.

On board... with faith.

I like the sound of that.

World Environment Day

There is something powerful about people who come together for a similar cause. We live in a world where religion, wealth, power and any other number of things draw lines in the sand and force people to take sides. We so often hear people say every man for himself, and buy into the belief that we're each looking out solely for our own.

But what if we all could come together for one single cause? And what if that one cause was something we were all truly passionate about, and believed in? What if that cause was encouraging humankind of treat our planet kindly, to have an appreciation for each and every species on this Earth?

It may seem like such an overwhelming task. We often wonder, what can I, one person, do to help our planet?

There are any number of things you can do to treat the planet well. According to articles at www.iaasp.com, it can be as simple as composting your waste or turning off the lights in your home.

But ensuring our future requires more than just treating our planet well.

Over the course of months, years, decades-even centuries, we've seen people come together for a single cause. From the volunteer who handed out bottled water in the aftermath of the earthquake in Chile to the firefighter who ran back into the collapsing rubble of the World Trade Towers... these efforts, big and small, make a difference.

Each individual effort multiplies until we have an unlikely army of people fighting for a cause, fighting for the right to live on this one planet.

And what about some of our planet's most under-represented inhabitants?

According to www.safari.co.uk/Rwanda/plight-of-the-mountain-gorilla, a recent census found there to be approximately 700 mountain gorillas left in the world. The biggest threat to the mountain gorilla comes in the form of habitat loss- a plight animal and human can understand.

This year's annual World Environment Day celebration, set to take place in Rwanda on June 5th, aims to bring light to this situation. The theme says it all- "Many Species. One Planet. One Future."

The legacy of this year's events will benefit gorillas in Rwanda- a species that is in dire need of our support and unity. If you're wondering what you, one person, can do to help- go to www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/. With just the simple click of your mouse, you can take a stand for the gorillas.

America's 35th U.S. President, J.F. Kennedy, said "The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were."

Don't limit yourself with obvious realities. Make a leap, take a stand and dream you can do things you never thought possible. One person can make a difference- whether it's helping save a species in need, coming to the aid of your fellow neighbor, or simply having a greater appreciation for this one planet we have to call home.

Simple Pleasures

It's Monday, so how about a couple of simple pleasures to kick the week off?

Simple Pleasure #1:  The Lake.  I have TOTAL lake brain today.  It started yesterday at the grocery store, when I saw the bloody mary mix.  (Because, nothing's better than kicking off a lake day with a BM.)

It continued today, driving to work, when I daydreamed of wake boarding and jumping off of the boat house roof into the lake.

Can't wait to get all of this fun on video this year!

Ah, summer.

Simple pleasure #2:  Coffee dates.  I have one tonight, and I plan on sipping a grande skinny vanilla latte.  Or maybe an iced skinny vanilla latte.  Either way... I can't wait!

What are your simple pleasures today?

Summer Brunch

With summer right around the corner, I'm planning on throwing a brunch for some of my girlfriends. A time to enjoy the sunshine, drink mimosas and catch up on life. Doesn't that sound like a great way to kick off such a beautiful season?


I'd start by sending out these adorable eco-friendly invitations from Botanical Paperworks. How cute are these invites? The best part- they're plantable! You can literally bury these in a pot of soil... and watch 'em grow. The party never ends!

I'll set up two main tables- one indoors, and one on the patio. These cute placemats from Dwell Studio will look perfect with my birdcage centerpiece at the kitchen table! For a bit of an elegant touch, I'll put these mocha napkins next to each place setting. I just love the pattern on these.

I'll hang these cute mason jars on the patio rails, filled with cheerful summer blooms.

I've been looking for a new patio table, and I think this one from Lowe's might just do the trick. Something to withstand those gusty Oklahoma winds and raging thunderstorms... but with just the right amount of casual chic.

And the table won't be complete without one of these colorful bird cages to compliment the flowers in the mason jars. Which one is your favorite?

Of course, it's not a girlfriend brunch without a healthy serving of The Pioneer Woman's quiche, served with fresh fruit salad and mimosas.

And as party favors, these initial mugs from Anthropologie. Maybe they're chilling in the fridge with this flower pot dessert from The Pioneer Woman, or steaming with post-brunch coffee.

Or, keeping with our environmentally-friendly/nature theme... everyone can "plant" their invitations in these cute mugs for an instant coffee table centerpiece.

I'm already looking forward to my summer brunch! How do you plan to celebrate hot days, warm nights, and endless sunshine this year?