Lifey As a Wifey Wednesdays!

I realize this is posting a day late, but I haven’t done my Wifey Wednesday post in weeks, so I figured better late than never! So much has been going on in Haus de Parlier, that I’’m barely keeping my head above water managing one blog, let alone two! From new jobs, a serious social calendar, the holidays vastly approaching, and maintaining my optimal wifey status, we have been a busy bunch! I’m really looking forward to some R&R with the long weekend ahead, but until then, I have plenty to be thankful for, especially when it comes to my amazing husband! I will save you the sappy stuff and keep it short and sweet! As you know, we have a white board in our kitchen that we update with why we love each other. Tim has been overly patient and encouraging to me lately with all my new ventures and ideas, and I don’t want it to go unacknowledged. So here are a few things that he has done and is doing that make me proud, keep me happy (that’s a BIG one) and most of all, why I love him! (In no particular order)  

He was featured on the front page of SanDiegoHouseMusic.com! This is so rad!

He makes the bed every morning…almost without fail.
Praise the Lord!

He bought me beautiful flowers when I got my new job

He picked out the prettiest box of tissue and although it doesn’t match our bathroom, I think its adorable that he tried!
*totally unprompted might I add*

He encourages me everyday to take my relationship with Jesus deeper.

He has everyone in our small group and at church constantly laughing at his silly jokes

He is committed to praying for others, which is so admirable!

He remembered how many months we’ve been married when someone asked. He didn’t even have to think about it!
 (hopefully that’s a good sign?)

He puts down the toilet seat 100% of the time now.
(Who doesn’t believe in Miracles!?)

He’s been great listener to me lately with all my crazy ideas and “life plans” for us. 

Alright, I tried to make it as least sappy and cheesy as possible, but I couldn’t help it! ;) Tis' the season to be Thankful for the small and sweet things in life ;)

  

Parlier Pie Perfection

I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I immediately associate social gatherings with the need to overindulge on yummy food. Forget who will be in attendance, I want to know what there will be to eat, and can I bring I anything else! Like I’ve mentioned before, I have little to no control over my consumption of sugary treats, or delectable comfort foods. Out of site, out of mind. In site, in my mouth. Sorry! I would like to say, I’m working on it, but really, I am provoking it, by this season’s instantaneous desire to start baking! Last year around this time, I was withstanding all tasty temptations in preparation for my contest. This year, although still watching what I consume, I have to make up for lost time as I didn’t get to indulge in some of my favorite autumn dishes. With that being said, I have committed to trying a few new (and simple) recipes to kick off the fall season, but under one tiny stipulation. It cannot stay in my house. Luckily, our social calendar warrants a new recipe here and there for me to share with friends at THEIR houses. It’s also better that I am supervised; otherwise I will eat 5 pieces of pie because no one sees me in my own kitchen.   Two weeks ago, Vicki and I made Pumpkin Oatmeal (white) Chocolate Chip Cookies. YUM. I made the mistake of buying Pumpkin Pie Filling, not Pumpkin Puree, so I

 need to get rid of it before it becomes a sweet tooth disaster and gets eaten by the spoonful. I know, that’s gross, but I wouldn’t put it past me at my low points ;)

This recipe is simple with only 4 ingredients, but I have never made a pie before, so I see it as a challenge.

Fixins:

12oz. can Libby’s Pumpkin Pie Filling

2/3 cup (5 oz.can) Carnation Evaporated Milk
2 Large Eggs-Beaten
1 Unbaked pie Crust


Directions:
MIX pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk and eggs in large bowl.
POUR into pie shell
BAKE in preheated 425°F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Super Easy right!? Well, apparently I used a little more of the pumpkin pie filling than I thought when making the cookies, because my pie mix was SUPER runny when I put the ingredients together.  Having ZERO experience in Pie Perfection, I had no way to remedy this, so I prayed that cooking it longer would do the trick.  Add that mini disaster to  a super slow heating/cooking oven and "whipping" up a pie to take to a friend's on Friday became a 2.5 hour ordeal. GEEZ. Needless to say, my husband wasn't diving in for the first bite that night!  BUTTTT, to my disbelief, after a few hours in the oven, then an overnight stay in the fridge, the pie got raving reviews! So my Slushy Pie turned out to be alright and my plan worked, as I only had one piece....well maybe two ;)

                                                        

Lovely Lady Lumps

Last weekend I had the honor of participating in the Susan G. Komen Race For The Cure here in San Diego.  I'm always a fan of a good cause and although I don't have a personal connection with Komen, I admire their tenacity in bringing awareness of Breast Cancer across the globe.  It certainly doesn't have to be February or October to Think Pink and "Save the Tatas!" Over eleven thousand San Diegans, along with myself and a few co-workers, raised over $400,000 for the Cure and sprinted through the finish line in a 5k Race.  It was such an inspiration to be surrounded by cancer survivors and their loved ones, as well as dozens of local and national vendors all in the name of saving our Lovely Lady Lumps(Thank you Fergie)! I couldn't resist snapping photos of complete strangers in their crazy pink get ups, as even the pups got into the philanthropic spirit! I walked away blessed from my experience with Komen and can't wait to participate in another race soon. Not to mention my fave (and local!) Bachelorette couple Alli and  Roberto made an appearance (eek!) and I placed 5th in my age group!

Post Race with my Running Buddy :)

This pink wig speaks for itself=Awesome.

I love anything Matchy Matchy ;)

Yeeehaaawwww!

Pooches in pink!

The Finish Line!

A little Celebratory Champagne? Duh.

Halloween 2010

Nightmare on Phoebe Street turned out to be a Spooktacular event with tons of yummy food, lots to drink and far to many adorable couples costumes! Vicki and I whipped up mini cupcakes, Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies, Monster Toes, Candy Corn Pizza and even a little Parlier Poison to boot! Hot cocoa, homemade apple cider, MORE cupcakes and a variety of delicious appetizers were a few of items that were also enjoyed throughout the evening. Everyone looked fabulous and we had a great time Monster mashing the night away! Shame on me for not getting more picture of the inside of our house, but hopefully they will show up from someone! Everything was covered in Spider webs, with black lights, and glow and dark bats hanging from the ceiling. Black drapes, orange streamers and skulls galore with the spooky touch of dry ice and candles really made the Haunted Haus der Parlier come to life! Not to mention a live set from DJ Parliyay, aka Merlin himself! We had a blast and I cannot wait for the next party!

The Fabulous Fabians!

 As many of you know, Tim and I were linked up to an amazing mentor couple, Tom & Judy, through our premarital program at church. Over the past year we have extended our relationship with them beyond the program and have grown to be more like extended family. Just about a year ago, their daughter Stephanie got engaged and so the wedding preparation began for another creative Bride with the ultimate party planner as the MOB (mother of the bride!). We gathered the troops and met for crafting nights where we helped construct everything from the invitations, menus, centerpiece vases, petal cones and every perfect detail you could imagine for this whimsical carnival themed backyard wedding. The result was one of the most intimate, beautiful, inspired and heartfelt weddings I have ever witnessed. Every aspect was perfectly orchestrated and creatively collected with the help of family and friends. Daniel Leopold of Dani’s Details made all the stationary, which was to DIE for, and I’m still obsessed!  And dont even get me started on the flowers as they were magnificent too!  I’m so bummed I didn’t get a chance to whip out my own camera, but here are a few pics I snaked from a fellow onlooker. Congrats to Stephanie and Brent as they start their Forever together!

One of the adorable flower girls

 

Cocktail Hour



The tempting beverage list



DIY pohoto Booth. So fun and creative!



A close up of the flowers before they went on the tables.





She used doors and chalkboards for her seating chart!



Hardly looked like a backyard once everything was up. AHH.MAAZ.ING.



The menus hand wrapped in lace for a soft touch...LOVE. IT.



The bar



The adorable table setting complete with hand made coasters as favors!
(Amber look!)



The Dessert Table! YUM-O.

The yummy dessert menu. Yes, I tried them all.



The Super Hot Bartendeer that let me take a pic with him! ha!



Even the Bathroom was perfect!

A few highlights I don’t have a pic of yet:

• THE BRIDE AND GROOM! I promise, they were there and they looked fabulous!
• The DIY refurbished ice-cream cart! Gahhhh this was spectacular! You can kind of see its in the backyard photo above in the far left!
• The hot beverage station with homemade Irish Cream and Baileys.
• The list goes on as the details were everywhere!

I’m expecting their wedding to pop up on SMP or something equivalent because it was beautiful!

Congrats again to Stephanie and Brent!

 

 

MY NEW BLOG!

Just a quick heart to heart introduction before this officially goes global (ha!), but I have been working for months putting together a new concept for a Blog. Throwing around several ideas, trashing even more, and finally amidst a baking sesh (protein brownies, people!), it hit me that I have a great passion and desire for health and fitness that I want to share with the world! I have teamed up with one of my besties, Victoria, in a new lifestyle blog about fitness, food, and most of all fun! We’ve spent a lot of time researching, brainstorming, and literally building a website from almost the ground up. I am SOO excited to get this Blog rolling in hopes to make fitness fun, and encourage women to live a healthy and happy lifestyle! I am so thankful for everyone that reads FOREVER BEGINS (even those anonymous readers- I see the stats..hehehe), as the success of this blog has encouraged me to move forward with my new site. I would love for you to check it out, put us in your RSS feed, and share it with anyone you think would be interested! And of course, comment and get involved, as we are hoping to make it an interactive blog. Don't worry, now that we are up and running, I'm hoping to better manage both Blogs, so I'm not ditching this one ;) So without further ado…..I introduce to you....

DRUMMROLLLLLL PPLLLEEAASSEEEE!!!



Click on Pic :)



Merge, Purge, and Splurge!

The three words that keep me up at night! What can I get rid of to make this look better? How can I combine what I have with what Tim has to make this more functional? And what can I purchase to replace what I ditched? It’s a nasty cycle, that so many of us looovvveee to run. Tim would be the first to point out my irrational merge, purge, splurge tendencies, which coincide with my spontaneous purchases followed by an abrupt return a few days later. I guess you can say I act quickly, and think about it later, but unfortunately that’s not without costing me frustration and usually come cash. Wahhhh wahhhh. Who knows if I will ever find the perfect balance, which I refuse to admit is as easy as “just don’t buy anything” like my lucid husband suggests. The truth is everyone that has access to reading this blog has more than we need to survive. Our needs are moreso wants, and our wants are never ending. I’m not here to preach on how gluttonous and over privileged we are, because I don’t believe it’s entirely our fault. We were born into this world we live. I am however proposing a challenge to myself, specifically in the merge and purge departments. I have way too many clothes, yet nothing to wear. I came home after church last night, and decided I needed to purge. I have clothes that are better off on somebody’s back that needs them, than in my closet becoming outdated fashion trends. I sorted and sifted through a closet, a dresser, a wardrobe stand, and under the bed storage and just started yanking things off the rack and into a pile.

This will be the 5th time I have done this in 2010. and sadly, I still have too much crap! But this time, Im REALLY letting go! With the weather, time commitment, and heartbreak of watching my prized possessions sell for pennies, I have decided that a garage sale is just not worth it. So, after some thought and research, I have decided to give my goods to a local thrift store that is actually owned and operated by our previous church, the ROCK.  I’m really excited to bring them my large bags of clothes knowing that they will be benefiting the community, and the church, with the probability of blessing someone with items they otherwise wouldn’t have. My hopes are to NOT respond to my purge with a splurge, but rather, a small merge to make more room in a our humble abode…NOT for more stuff! I promise!!! I already feel great about my decision and somewhat cleansed of unwanted items. I highly recommend taking a look around and seeing what you can honestly live without. I’m hoping to really make strides with my new outlook. If anything, I see it as fewer things to clean and possibly pack and move later!

When was the last time you purged and what did you do with your freight?

"Lifey as a Wifey" Wednesdays!

First off, my apologies for being MIA this past week, as I have been working really hard on another Blog project that I cannot wait to share with the world! More on that later…

It’s hard to believe how quickly time is racing by in 2010. I feel like we just celebrated St. Patty’s and here we are gearing up for Halloween, and before we know it, Santa Claus will be coming to town! With life moving so fast around us, it’s easy to allow it take over and rapidly move us from one event to the next with little to no breaks, or chance to stop and smell the roses. Next thing you know, the seasons change and you realize it’s been SIX months and although it feels like an eternity at times, so quickly it’s only our memories that provide short snippets of this life we have on earth. My fear of letting the good times roll into a recollection oblivion is my main inspiration for documenting my journey as a newly wed through his blog.

This upcoming weekend marks our Six Month Anniversary of our wedding, and I couldn’t be more shocked how vastly this approached us! Do I dare say, “It feels like yesterday…,” we were planning and primping, stressing and then celebrating in anticipation for this new life ahead, and here we are a half a year into it!? These past 6 months have absolutely been the best 6 months of my 27 (and a half) years on earth. Tim and I have built a home together, found a friendship and love between us I didn’t know existed and even flown around the world and back-twice! I am so grateful for everything we have experienced, and the love we have been surrounded by through our newlywed process. I pray that everyone in this life would have the opportunity to experience a journey like this, as it’s been exciting, trying, painfully sweet, and the best testament of my Faith in God thus far. And to think it’s only been six months, so who knows what God has in store for us with the next six, and the many more years from there. I want to make sure I take this bull we call life by the horns, and not only make it what I want to be, but make sure I take a breather, and enjoy these times with my husband. After all, we are only considered Newlyweds for six more months right??? ;)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TIM!!!

I LOVE YOU!



A Dame Good Time

This season’s annual trip to Notre Dame was less victorious than prior years, but we still managed to have a fantastic time. We had a few hang ups here and there, including a horrible loss to Stanford, but for a long weekend with my husband, beer, and pizza, I really have nothing to complain about! We did things a little differently this time around, as we didn’t actually stay in Chicago, where it takes trains, planes, and automobiles to get to South Bend, IN for the game. We made the somewhat irrational decision to rent a car and take a mini interstate road trip and spend both nights in the University Town. 

That was, of course, after we got our fix of family, fun, and PIZZA in Chi-town ;) Tim’s great Aunt Charlotte, a seasoned actress back in the day,  lives in an awesome high rise smack dab in the middle of Michigan Avenue, and all things awesome in Chicago. To my disbelief she is turning 90 this December, which I can honestly say age ain’t nothin’ but a number with this little lassie. She is a ball of fun, and so interesting to talk to, as she gives us the scoop on the long lost Parlier fam. We picked her up in our sweet "Victory Red" HHR Cruiser, (**wink wink Robin**) and headed over to Navy Pier where we dined at REVE overlooking the Lake, then hit up this amazing Smith Museum of Stain Glass , and even splurged on a Haagen-Dazs ice cream cone and a cool magnet for our fridge. 

Last year, it was cold, windy and raining, so I prepared for the worst, only to show up to 70, sunny, and blue skies. It was fabulous! Next, we hit up Michigan Ave. for my two guilty pleasures, Pizza and Nordies. Neither brought us luck as we lost our parking ticket and had to pay a full day’s fare for parking at Nordstrom **not cheap**, then by the time we gave up looking and decided to go to dinner, our restaurant(s) of choice were already on a 2 hour wait! BOOOOO! Was this a sign for things to come!? We ended up at an oldie but a goody, Pizza DUE, which is owned by Pizza UNO, who originated the Chicago deep dish. Nuff said. It was delish, as always, and before we knew it we were on our way to South Bend, Indiana, rockin’ out to their random, but awesome electro channel. 

It might as well have been Christmas morning as Tim was up, bright eyed and bushy tailed, dressed for the game before I even opened an eye lid. We rushed off to campus to find parking, and looked forward to a great day ahead. We started off the morning with breakfast in the student cafeteria, which was pretty much a Soup Plantation/MGM Grand Buffet hybrid, with all kinds of yummy food for the taking. 
It was so interesting to see the breed of students from ND and how they look and interact, in comparison to our experience at SDSU. HA! Regardless, everyone appeared to be pumped for the game. As expected, the campus was packed with eager fans with tons of sightseeing to be had. The Touchdown Jesus Mosaic, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and the Grotto to name a few. All were stunning, especially the Basilica, as I felt it was more breathe taking than the churches we recently visited in Italy!

Touchdown Jesus! 

Basilica

The Grotto

We had plenty of time to kill so we perused through the loyal tailgaters and landed at the Linebacker Bar, where they sold 32oz beers for less than $5. I haven’t had as much as a sip of alcohol in almost two months, but I considered this an “in the moment” exception. ;)  
Details of the game are neither here nor there as Notre Dame ended up losing 14-37. Booooo. We still had a great time meeting new people, seeing old friends, and naturally, ended up back at the Linebacker to drown our sorrows.  

After a long day/night we roamed the campus as total trespassers, and I had to literally talk my husband out of intruding into a dorm room party, although tempting. ;) Instead we marveled at how truly amazing their campus is, even at midnight, and ran around taking a few silly pictures 

with some really important people. ;) 

Our trip concluded with a way too early flight back to San Diego Sunday morning, but being the piggies we are, we stopped for Chicago style Pizza on the way home at Lefty’s. Not quite the same, but good enough for us!  Despite the loss of the game…and the parking ticket, we still managed to have a barrel of good laughs, no tears, and a lot of great Pizza! We are already talking about our trip next year, as we learned even more of the Do’s and Don’ts this time around.