Small pity party ahead

I have non in real life friends that read my blog, but I am still having problems finding ways to make real life friends in this town.

I would in no ways consider myself an introvert, probably the farthest from it.  Given no other option I might talk to a brick wall.  Really.

I have decided against going to the bar alone, just sounds like a disaster.  Drowning my problems away with alcohol is a really bad idea.

I will figure this out, and ya'll are going to here a lot about it.

If any of you have any ideas on ways to get involved and make friends I am open to suggestions.  Unless a dating site is involved.

I am not ashamed to admit I have been down that road when I first moved here.  Needless to say it wasn't pretty...not in a bad way.  I just happen to see someone I know (cough cough) my chiropractor (cough cough) on it, day 1.  I pretty much quit then.  I had seen too much.

And that my friends is my dating site disaster.  Minus a few details.

Sorry for the pity party, it has been one of those days.

I can't help it...

...this is my grown up facebook.  I am sorry.

I feel like I owe ya'll an apology, I have let my blog become a day by day play by play with no real rhyme or reason to anything.  Frankly until my life becomes more exciting you can plan on this being pretty lame.  

Today I watched the Temple Grandin movie, it wasn't what I was hoping for but it wasn't bad.  It kept my attention while I did laundry. 

She really is a remarkable person, but I tend to be a skeptic.  I enjoy her books, but I am still a skeptic.  

After that I went for a little field trip, to Lowes and Home Depot.  I made a pit stop to grab a latte first and then I went to do a little browsing.  I needed some cleaning supplies since I was out of a couple things and my 409 was sputtering and on its last leg.  Most importantly though I am looking for a patio set for my parents to get me this spring (they promised). 

Needless to say it is still February so the patio furniture is minimal, and wandering around looking at home furnishings isn't healthy. I dream...of farm house sinks, and cabinetry.  

Anyways I ended up with...

(Not the up & up wipes, but I wanted to tell ya'll they are like paper gold.  I love them)

Ladies those dual action Lysol wipes are amazing, I use one daily after all the hair spray and make up is put away.  They have a "scrubby" side and they get all the gunk off the countertops.  Buy them, you will love them.  

And in case you believe I am free of all white trash tendencies, you have been fooled.  Remember when my mixer started to smoke and Valentines Day was ruined (which by the way I completely forgot I own a Kitchen Aid mixer, and could do without a hand mixer) anyways I threw the mixer out on my patio that night...

And I haven't moved it.  White trash I know I am guilty, in my defense you can't see it from the road.  And I will move it Tuesday, trash day.  

Maybe if I blogged more...

...my posts would be less random.

Last time I posted I was still holding out hope to make someone's, anyones day with the Valentines Day cookies.  It never happened.

I got sick that night, like real sick, and in the best interest of my family and friends I trashed the cookies. So instead of anyone getting any cookies I lost mine (did anyone catch that joke?)

I am 99% percent the culprit was not the cookies, but a chicken sandwich (trust me I tasted it both ways, too much information? Sorry I tend to be overly honest) I like to error on the side of caution.

Basically I ended up going to Omaha last weekend, and not coming back to my house until Tuesday due to another snow storm (shock, I know).

In other new and exciting news I am making a promise to myself in the next 10 days I am going to go to the bar by myself.  I have no other options.

Going to the bar alone feels like I am giving in to the fact I have no friends here in Lincoln.  I need to work up the courage and believe in the fact I do have friends.  Friends who would love to go out with me (or at least I hope so) if they lived here.

Coming home every night, going to the gym, taking a bubble bath, and going to bed is not going to expand my friend base. Even if I don't make any new friends I need to do this for myself.  I need to go out of my comfort zone.

I lived for four years in the most comfortable place I know.  I had more friends than I knew what to do with.  I could go anywhere and see at least one person I knew and could have a conversation with.

It is not that I don't have friends, I do.  But I have made myself believe I am friendless, which is absurd.  I have lots of friends, just not in Lincoln.

Okay I think this is all the random ranting and rambling I can do for one night.  I promise to blog soon.  Chances are I will be stuck in Lincoln (friendless) this weekend due to another snow storm (act shocked) so my lovely blog will see lots of me!

Random of all Random

Last week when I flew to Ohio I took my trusty Southern Living magazine with me (which by the way it was hard to have without reading for a whole week), these cookies on the front caught my eye.

I didn't make Christmas cookies this year, so I was due for a project...as you know if you have been reading for long or know me this didn't turn out so hot.  

I like to learn the hard way.

I made the cookies last night, which turned out just fine no big deal...except for the one (or two) I had to taste test as I know they went straight to my butt. 

Tonight after work I went to Target and got the powdered sugar I needed for the icing, everything was looking up I was being domestic.  What I didn't realize is how hard it is to sift this powdered sugar with the handy dandy sifter I bought at Target too (which I also had to learn that a sifter is necessary from the red velvet cake that ruined Christmas, like I said I like to learn the hard way).  I am not ashamed to admit it that it took me at least a half hour to sift all of the four cups of powdered sugar.  I was ready to give up. 

Then it was time to mix all of the ingredients, and pretty much where the frosting bit the dust.  My hand mixer which is brand new maybe used three times began to smoke.  I stood there in shock for a few minutes wondering what I was going to do, and being the domestic person I am I unplugged the mixer and it now lays on my balcony.  It is obviously done smoking, and I continued to make the icing by hand.

When the icing was made and I put it in the fancy bags I bought at Michael's I was for sure I could make some really cool cookies.  Nope.  I have seen cookies made by toddlers that look better than the few I actually did ice.

Needless to say my family will be getting sugar cookies with no icing.  I am to proud to show anyone the iced ones.  

But really look at these they do not look that hard.

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This past weekend in Ohio when I went to see Belle of the Blog and my friend (K) we went to the Cadillac Ranch in downtown Cleveland, we thought we would fit right in.  After all we are two Nebraska girls who spent the better part of college careers hanging out at bars called The Cowboy, and The Ranger.  Surely the Cadillac Ranch wouldn't disappoint.

It wasn't a complete disappointment.  We had fun, and laughed at all the city slickers (aka gangsters) riding the mechanical bull.  

This picture is hard to see, (and it might not be the one I am thinking of) but just imagine a city slicker with leggings and a shirt that I think she thought was long enough to cover the junk in her trunk, it wasn't.  Especially on a mechanical bull.  

And as for this next guy he was either just coming from work, or not dressed appropriately to be riding any sort of bull.

The moral of this story is though no matter where we go or what were doing, and really no matter what bar we are in we are sure to have a great time.  And we like to take self portraits even when we have someone to take our picture.  

Thank you for letting me visit you friend, and I can't wait to get back soon.  I had a great time!

A reminder of where you are

Pretty much every girl is guilty of saying that either she hates Valentines Day, or that she could care less about Valentines Day...but there is no avoiding Valentines Day.  To me Valentines Day is a reminder of where a girl (or guy for that matter) is in their life.  Either your single or taken, and just because your single doesn't mean you can't be happy on Valentines Day.

This time last year I was in a relationship and we did the whole dinner, and going out thing.  That doesn't mean I am any less happy this year.  In fact I am happier (lets hope a certain someone doesn't read this he might be mad I wasn't really happy last year) this year than I have been in a long time.

I might be single, and I might live in Lincoln all alone, but that doesn't make me unhappy this Valentines week.  I prefer to send out childish Valentines to all of my friends, because I know that it's what a girl needs sometimes.

Not to say someday I might not mind a little pampering, any excuse for some extra pampering after all.

Well friends that might be the deepest post thus far, and probably as deep as it is ever going to get.  I am not a deep person.  But as long as we are on this topic, I am going to put this out there in the hopes my Brother reads this...(I am almost positive he doesn't)...

If a girl says  she hates Valentines Day, and supposedly doesn't want a gift blah blah blah on Valentines Day she is lying.  It is reverse psychology dummie!  She wants a gift get it through your thick skull.  No gift = no you know what.   I guess he has always had to learn the hard way.

Just because what would a post be without a picture, this was my little goodie bowl at our girls Valentines Day.  

I will try and take a picture of the heart shaped cookies I am going to make tomorrow.  Because my thighs really need cookies...?

Beauty Tips - favorite hair and makeup products

This week at show us your life it is all about beauty tips and your favorite hair and makeup products.

This is by no means my specialty, but I do have a few favorite things.

• The proper name for this stuff is "dust it" although it is more affectionately known as "hair crack" or "fairy dust."  I found out about this magical powder last year when I asked my hair stylist Ricky for a Sarah Palin poof.  This is the magic...you sprinkle a little on a section of hair, back comb it and pow you have a poof!

• Moroccan Oil has done wonders for my hair, both before drying and after.  It makes my hair so soft and really gets rid of fly away hairs.  I use this stuff daily, and the best part is how good it smells.  I love it.  

• And to top off all of the really good hair days (no joke, I have had more good hair days in the past six months than I could count) I spray a little of this hair spray on.  It isn't crunchy, it lets my hair still flow while holding body.  

• No beauty post would be complete without a plug for my favorite makeup, Bare Minerals.  I hear all of these people talking about how they love it for a summer makeup well I am hear to tell you it is a perfect all year make up.  I wear it daily (except for those days I am running late for work and totally forget makeup.) I never feel like I am trying to hard with this makeup.  It looks good (or at least I think so...I mean I am single...) 

• Last but not least I swear by Lancome's oscillating mascara.  Both the primer (the white one) and the black.  My eye lashes leave a bit to be desired, and could be longer this combo though makes them look amazing (once again I think so).  I have actually had a few people ask me about what mascara I use, because my eye lashes look amazing.  This is it people, this is the mother load.  

And those are a few of my favorite beauty items.  I feel like I could use a disclaimer on this post, just because I like these products in no way means you will be prettier.  I mean look at me after all.

And Fancy Was Her Name

If you have come to my blog looking for a cooking blog, or the future Ree Drummond...exit now.

Although I have never claimed to be a world class chef I have been known to fib a little and say I can cook.  Truth be told I would have been underfed most of my adult life (which may not be so bad) if it hadn't been for friends who can cook very well.

Well now that I am here in Lincoln on my own I have to fen for myself.  I eat a lot of PB & J, or noodles with some ro-tel on top (try it, I don't kid so good).  But when I am ready for a fancy meal I find myself reaching for hamburger helper.

Gross I know, it grosses me out if I think about it to much too.  It is probably as unhealthy as possible, but I assure you there are four food groups in each meal. 1) Meat 2) Milk/Cheese 3) Carb/Noodle 4) Some sort of distorted veggie.

And I promise that you know no one who could mess up hamburger helper, until I tell you I have made two of these things in the past six months I have burnt to the point of no return.

With my hamburger (or the occasional chicken helper) I like to have a glass of wine.  I am sure there is a website with boxed meal wine pairings, but I just go to whatever bottle or box I have in my fridge.

For the record or in case you were worried I won't be skinny anytime soon as long as hamburger helper is in my diet.  Also I will never be a foodie.