A Hasty Life

TGIF

2009-11-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-04T07:00:00.005-06:00

I hope you had a very happy Halloween! Eric and I carved pumpkins Friday night and then went to my parent's home to take care of my mom and give out candy to the trick-or-treaters! We dressed the dogs up as Frankenstein and a pumpkin. They were too cute for words. We were even allowed to take Truman (my mom's cavashon) to my mom's hospital room! She loved it.

Graduates Unite!

2009-11-03T07:00:00.003-06:00

The graduate students in the TAM department got together for a Fall Social in order to get away from school, grading, homework, and stress. We met at Jaime's house and we each brought a dish to share. I brought potato casserole, which seemed to be a hit, but my favorite was the homemade caramel apples! YUM! There was also Indian and Chinese food brought by our international students. We had a great variety of food. We talked, socialized, and played Wii. It was a fun and relaxing evening. I can't wait for another one!

The September Issue

2009-11-02T07:00:00.002-06:00

I went to see "The September Issue" a few days ago and I loved it. You should see it too! It is about the editor of Vogue, a sort of real-life "The Devil Wears Prada" story.

Say Goodbye to "The Girls"

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Keep my mom in your prayers today as she undergoes the following surgeries: a bilateral mastectomy, lymph node dissection, hysterectomy, and reconstruction. Please pray that the surgeries go well, the recovery is quick, and that the doctors find and remove all the cancer.

Girl's Night

2009-10-28T07:00:00.003-05:00

Whether you are married, single, or dating, every once in a while a night out with the girls is desperately needed and very much deserved. My friend, Andrea, is so good about planning dinners to make sure we all find time to hang out with each other. This was her latest project. She came to town to meet Beth, Julie and me at Addison's. I hadn't been there in such a long time, I had forgotten how incredibly good their food is. And of course it is good, it is owned by the same people who own Sophia's. YUM!

Beth and I ordered chicken nachos and Julie and Andrea ordered salads. Hahaha- I am, of course, NOT one of the healthy eaters. ;) And we all shared a bottle of wine.

After Addison's, we headed to Quinton's to drink and be merry. We talked about everything from boyfriends and husbands to babies and careers. I love these girls.

Towards the end of the night, things got messy when Andrea spilled her beer. Andrea and Julie tried to create a dam, but it didn't work. Well...it might have worked, and it did work for a little while, but the waitress took her sweet time getting the towel so they gave up trying not to make a mess. I guess that's what a slow waitress gets: a sticky floor.

I can't wait until next time!

PEO Social

2009-10-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

My friend Andrea and her mom and my mom and I are involved in a women's organization called PEO. Andrea and I joined because our moms wanted us to be involved in something with them, but we are rarely able to make it to the meetings. When we are able to attend, we always have a really great time! After several years of being members, our moms signed us up to serve on the social committee. Since, once again, we are not able to attend, we decided to provide the decorations. Since we're both young and on very tight budgets, we had to be creative about our centerpieces. I went out and bought 10 pumpkins and tied a decorative bow on the stems. I also wrote out P.E.O on three of the pumpkins as a centerpiece for the dining room table. Andrea found some cute table cloths for the card tables and helped deliver our creations to the hostess. What do you think?? I think everything turned out quite nicely!

Mizzou Homecoming

2009-10-26T07:00:00.005-05:00

On Saturday my parents came to town to celebrate my 24th birthday (I turned 24 on the 24th) and Mizzou's Homecoming!

We started out a Lucy's Corner Cafe, our favorite breakfast place in all of Columbia. We've known the owner, Lucy, since she was a waitress when Lucy's Corner Cafe was known as Ron's Country Boy. Lucy once told me that my dad watched her grow up and she's watched me grow up. It is always so much fun to eat there.

After breakfast we went to the Homecoming Parade. We stayed for about an hour and a half before we got bored and decided to head to our tailgate. The parade was fun, though, for that hour and a half. My favorite parts being....

The very large helmet:

The drum line:
The golden girls:
and the cheerleaders:
Once we got to our tailgate, we exchanged gifts in celebration of my birthday. It has been a very difficult birthday to celebrate because it is the first birthday I've had to celebrate without my grandpa. My grandpa was born on the same day as me- he always said I was the best birthday present ever. So since I'd been such a basket case, I thought my parents deserved gifts too. I got my mom Mizzou nutcrackers and my dad Mizzou golf balls. I think my mom's face says everything...
My dad got matching necklaces for my mom and me. They are from Poppy's and they say "Mizzou rah" on one side and "MU" on the other. They also have a cute little charm hanging from the bottom. I love them!

It is a tradition for my dad and Eric to smoke a cigar on game day. Yum.... hahaha.

Julie came during the tailgate and shared a couple of her jello shots. THANKS JULIE!!! I'm so happy I got to see you!

Stephanie drove all the way from Springfield just to see me on my birthday! Okay, maybe not JUST to see me- but that was certainly one of the reasons. She gave me the cutest PJ bottoms, but only after making fun of the fact that my PJs always match. I love you guys! Thank you so much for coming!

The tailgate wrapped up and we headed to the game. We always get there early to find good seats, but we were determined to get there SUPER early for this sold out game! I'm not sure why we bothered...Texas creamed us.

Overall, it was a fabulous Homecoming/birthday celebration. I managed to avoid crying in public and missing my grandpa too much. My grandpa always loved celebrating, no matter what the celebration was for. So I made sure to celebrate this birthday knowing he was celebrating in Heaven. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with me. You all mean the world to me.

It's my birthday and I'll cry if I want to

2009-10-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

Twenty four years ago I was born on my Grandpa's birthday. He told me I was the best birthday present he ever got. This is the first year we won't celebrate together. I miss you, Grandpa. I hope they're partying with you in Heaven.

Chili Cook-off

2009-10-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone, it's Eric again. I'll be discussing something I enjoy. A lot.

Food.

Not just any food, either. Our subject is nothing less than the quintessential Fall and Winter food - chili.

Last week I was a proud competitor in the annual Landmark Bank chili cook-off. The event is held to benefit Children's Miracle Network. It usually produces a big turnout and stiff cooking competition. A neutral panel selects winners in three categories: (1) hottest, (2) most creative, and (3) best overall.

I wasn't even sure I would be competing this year, to be honest. I didn't even know what category to shoot for. That all changed when I tried some chili prepared by my uncle, Greg. Greg possesses considerable culinary prowess and his chili did not dissapoint. It was much more complex than typical chili; sweet, spicy, flavorful, and well balanced. In short, it is a great departure from normal chili but still exhibits characteristics typical of chili. Greg was kind enough to email me his recipe.

Flash forward a week. October twenty second. Five thirty in the morning. I'm busy preparing the "epic chili" (Yep. Epic.), convinced it is a lock to win the "best overall" category. I upped the spice level and added some cocoa, and the results were fantastic. Time for battle.

Okay, okay. "Battle" may have been an embelishment. Its not like I was on Iron Chef or anything. Lets not discount the magnitude of the Landmark Bank chili cook-off, though. As the picture below shows, the "epic chili" was tasked with vanquishing many foes.

The judges began their work at 10:15 AM. After what was certainly a difficult deliberation (I'm thinking it must have been a scene from Twelve Angry Men in there.), the results were published via a wide-distribution email.

The "epic chili" had been defeated.

To my surprise, I found that it had been considered a runner up in not only the "best overall" category, but also the "most creative" category. A couple of people even told me that my chili should have taken "best overall!" Wouldn't it have been neat if it had taken the prize in both?

I really can't complain, though. Ashley and I were able to try all sorts of chili, and all of the proceeds went to a great cause. It made for a fun day at work. I plan to enter the same chili next year, and hopefully the judges agree with my tastes!

Bonsai

2009-10-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

I bought Eric a bonsai tree, not for any special occasion, just because I love him. According to Wikipedia (the ever-so-reliable online source), a bonsai is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees (doesn't that sound like us?!) or of developing woody or semi-woody plants shaped as trees, by growing them in containers. Cultivation includes techniques for shaping, watering, and repotting in various styles of containers (which sounds way more like Eric than me). We are pretty excited about our tree, we can't wait to see it three inches taller in 15 years! hahaha

Eric's looks like this:

But with a little TLC and many, many years it will look like this:

Shopping with the Girls

2009-10-21T07:00:00.002-05:00

On Saturday I went shopping with my mom, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law. We went to the Lake of the Ozark Premium Outlet Mall to start our Christmas shopping. My mom and I started at Coach, where we each got a new purse! I got a small creamy leather purse that I love and my mom got a medium sized black canvas purse with snake skin printed leather. Then we went to the Naturalizer store to meet up with my in-laws- my sorority sister, Ashley Dost, was working there so I got to catch up with her. I was so excited to see her, I wish we had more time to talk! We hit Banana Republic, Gap, Bath and Body Works, and Marshalls. Renee found lots of gifts for us for Christmas and a few things for me for my birthday. I was really happy my mom was ablet to go with us. I hope we'll find another weekend to go shopping before Christmas!

Wine Tasting @ Tiger Hotel

2009-10-20T07:00:00.002-05:00

My dad took Eric and me to a Wine Tasting at Tiger Hotel on Friday. There were 26 wines available for tasting and a variety of hors d'oeuvres to compliment the wines. We saw many people we knew from both Columbia and Jefferson City. It was definitely the place to see and be seen this weekend. I loved all the wines I tried, even the reds!

Campus in the Fall

2009-10-19T09:32:00.002-05:00

The trees are so colorful on campus this year!

Mizzou vs. Nebraska

2009-10-16T07:00:00.007-05:00

Greetings dedicated readers! This is Eric, making my web log debut. I'll be telling you about my experience at Mizzou's recent bout with Nebraska, as Ashley was unable to attend. Allow me to set the stage:

The date: Thursday, October 8.
The time: 8:00 PM.
The rankings: Mizzou, 24. Nebraska, 21.
The stakes: A chance at the Big 12 North title.
The weather: Inclement. How inclement, you ask?

Not inclement enough to keep dedicated fans away! Bob and I braved the wet, cold evening to take in the game.

We started at the dry, warm, indoor tailgate at the University Club. The food was incredible. While walking from the University Club to Faurot Field we smoked cigars for good luck. The stogies lit and smoked well despite the rain, but eventually became waterlogged.

We got a call from David Steffes who was visiting from Tennessee. He was attending a damp, cold, outdoor tailgate in a parking lot immediatly outside of the stadium. We paid his tailgate a visit. It was great to see that everyone was having a good time, although Jeanne desperatly needed a hat to keep the rain from her face. Everyone was surprised when power failed all over campus - apparently a transformer blew somewhere. Fortunately it was partially restored before kickoff so events could continue.

It was a challenge to sit down while keeping a dry posterior. Most people remained standing for the duration of the game, myself included. The game started slowly because it was difficult for either offense to hold on to the ball, literally. Mizzou forced a safety and scored a touchdown, making the halftime score Mizzou 9, Nebraska 0.

Rain fell, temperatures dropped, and Mizzou scored a field goal in the third quarter. Weather got progressively worse, and we decided to throw in the towel. At this point Mizzou held a 12-0 lead with one quarter remaining. "Surely," we thought as we left, "Mizzou will hold the lead for one more quarter!"

Not so. In just over three minutes of clock time, Nebraska grabbed a 20-12 lead. Mizzou couldn't manage to put points on the board. Final score: Mizzou 12, Nebraska 27. A dissapointing ending to a promising game. Although Mizzou didn't come away victorious, it was a very entertaining evening because of problems created by weather. Power outages, driving rain, and lots of turnovers made for a memorable game!

Fashion

2009-10-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

Check out the earrings!!!

Happy Birthday, Autumn!

2009-10-14T07:00:00.003-05:00

We were invited by Eric's cousin, Aaron, and his wife, Jessie, to attend their daughter, Autumn's first birthday and a housewarming party on Sunday afternoon. We met up with Eric's parents and siblings in Jefferson City and then all piled into the silver ford and drove to Camdenton.

We are very excited to be celebrating Autumn's first birthday. She was born with a heart condition that causes reduced oxygen in her blood. In August, her oxygen was so low that they had to perform open heart surgery. Can you imagine open heart surgery one a baby less than one year old? The surgery was successful, despite a very painful-looking scar on her chest. Children as so incredibly resilient, she looks like she is a perfectly healthy child!

The cake is always the best part. Autumn was given a small cake with pink icing and she loved it. I think she liked the feel of the icing between her fingers and on her face. Eric liked the cake, too! Yum!

Presents are always fun, too. Eric and I got her an adorable bib that says "Birthday Girl" from Poppy's, a local Columbia store with fabulous crafty gifts! We got Autumn's parents a bottle of wine to welcome them to their new home.

Happy Birthday, Autumn! We love you!

Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

On Sunday my mom and I went to the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival. Even though both of us had already purchased our pumpkins for the season, neither of us wanted to miss the annual pumpkin festival hosted by a quaint little town in Missouri (nearly half way between where we both live) called Hartsburg. I can't remember the first time my parents took me to the festival, but I've been hooked ever since!

Mom and I met at 8am at the McDonalds in Ashland. I hadn't tried McDonald's chicken biscuit, so we decided to eat breakfast there. The chicken biscuit is pretty good if you ever find yourself in need of a quick and inexpensive breakfast on the go! We ate quickly and it gave us a chance to catch up about my trip to Nebraska. After breakfast we got in her car and drove to Hartsburg. Usually we wait in a line of cars for at least an hour, but we were there early enough to avoid the crowd!

They have some of the best pumpkins I've seen around. They have these trailers filled with all shapes and sizes of pumpkins. Mom and I always take a thousand pictures in front of these pumpkins, they are so colorful and make for great photos! I don't remember ever purchasing a pumpkin here...although we never leave the festival empty handed.

Rather than buying pumpkins, we shop the craft and vendor area. This year I bought a yellow hand woven scarf, perfect for Mizzou games and a jar of homemade spaghetti sauce- yum! Mom bought Mizzou chairs for only $10! She also got a beautiful knitted blanket (also perfect for Mizzou games), a Mizzou Fan sign, and a couple of gifts for friends. We really hit the jackpot this year.
On our way back to Ashland we stopped several times to take pictures of the scenery. (I'll have to remember to share those photos with you on another post). The leaves are just beginning to change in our area of Missouri so we found some great places to take pictures. I love spending time with my mom, we had a great girls morning together.

Costume Society of America- Regional Conference

2009-10-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

On Thursday afternoon my friend Nicole and I drove to Lincoln, Nebraska for the Midwest Regional Conference of the Costume Society of America. We got to our hotel late Thursday night after a long drive, in the rain, and getting lost once resulting in a 10 mile drive on a gravel road. We were exhausted once we arrived at the Embassy Suites and were more than ready for bed.

At 7:30 the next morning we were in the lobby of our hotel ready to register for the conference. After registration we ate a great breakfast at the hotel-- I had scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and sausage links. We loaded on the bus at 8:30 and headed toward the International Quilt Study Center and Museum. Nicole and I were so excited to visit this museum, it was definitely the highlight of our trip.

At 9:15 the Research Session began, we listened to four presentations from graduate students, professors, and museum curators. The research ranged from King James II's wedding suit, the portrayal of the true woman versus the new woman in Harper's Bazaar Magazine, the portrayal of Stout Women in 1910-1920, to physician's remarks concerning dress and health in the nineteenth century. The research presentations were all extremely interesting! I learned so much and I had a great time.

After the Research Session we toured the quilt galleries. They. were. amazing. Quilts aren't just the covers your grandma has on her beds, they have a lot of rich history! They tell stories about the women who made them, they represent dedication, love, and life. If you ever find yourself in Lincoln, NE please do yourself a favor and check out the quilt museum. You will never regret it. While we were there, they were featuring crazy quilts. Crazy quilts are quilts made from odd and random assorted shapes in rich fabrics such as silk and velvet. They are high quality due to the difficulty of sewing odd shapes and various sizes. They are incredible works of art representing a period in time through embroidered images as well as artistic talent.

After touring the quilt galleries we got back together for a talk on studio quilts, or quilts made as works of art rather than bed coverings. I've never been exposed to quilts as an art medium but the images shared were extraordinary. We also heard a research presentation on quilted petticoats in the 18th century and a panel presentation on method approaches to quilt research. I learned a lot about artifact analysis that I plan to utilize in my future research.

Following the presentations we returned to our hotel. Nicole and I walked to Starbucks for a coffee pick-me-up then back to the room to prepare for the banquet. At the banquet we browsed the silent auction items (no worries, I restrained myself and didn't bid) and mingled with the other graduate students, professors, and museum curators. We met a lot of fascinating and talented individuals. Following the banquet, Nicole and I headed to the hotel bar and enjoyed a glass of wine and watched baseball. We sat next to a guy who had returned to Lincoln after watching the Mizzou/Nebraska football game. He gloated, we cringed. After our glass of wine we returned to our room and crashed.

I had an amazing time and I can't wait for the National CSA conference in May!

Hooked On...Fall Decorating

2009-10-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

I've kept you in suspense since my Monday post on purchasing pumpkins and gourds, but I'm finally revealing my Fall Decorations! If you've ever met my mom and me, you know that our decorating styles are completely different. My mom likes to decorate every nook and cranny of her house, I like to add light touches here and there to celebrate the season. I think for the most part, I'm just too lazy to decorate to the glory my mom does (not to mention I could never do it as well as she does.) So if you haven't checked out her decorating, do so here!

On to my decorations:
I purchased five small pumpkins and placed them in a row on my mantle. I free-handed (in pencil of course) one letter of our last name on each pumpkin. After much erasing and trying again, I was finally satisfied with my sketches. Then I took those really stinky paint markers and colored in my letters. I think they turned out fantastically!

I also purchased five gourds and three miniature pumpkins and arranged them in a medium sizes glass bowl. I placed the bowl between two candles on the coffee table in my living room. This might be my favorite piece of decoration this year. It was so simple to put together but it makes such a great statement.

I bought one small pumpkin and placed it on top of a cake stand (the closest I'll get to making pumpkin pie this year!) I love the simplicity of it. There is nothing fussy about this decoration, it just whispers "Fall is here" and allows the beauty of the pumpkin to shine.

Finally, I purchased two large pumpkins. I put one by the front door and the other on the outdoor patio table. We will carve the one by the front door before Halloween to welcome the trick-or-treaters! Speaking of which, I sure hope we get trick-or-treaters this year, last year we didn't get any so my parents came up with my puppies, all in costume. They really made my Halloween last year! Nevertheless, I really love to have trick-or-treaters!

I hope you enjoyed! I can't wait to see your Fall decorations!

Too much fun, whats that mean?

2009-10-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

On Saturday we started the very long process of going through my Grandma Steffes' basement. For as long as I can remember it has been filled with a variety of stuff and I would go down there to find treasures. Imagine a large, cluttered flea market and you can begin to image what my Grandparent's basement is like.

When I was very young my Grandpa had it set up like a store, mostly a grocery store (since that is what he owned for all those years). We would go "shopping" picking up empty boxes of cereal, random glass jars that was probably once filled with jam, and other assorted items that my Grandpa kept either from the Steffes Store or from his own home. As we shopped we would place each item in our basket and then go to the cash register. At the time I thought it was fun to punch the numbers and make up prices for things, looking back I realize my Grandpa was teaching me how to count change and do basic math.

We also used the basement for Easter Egg Hunts. My Grandparents would hide eggs all over the basement, some were filled with money and others candy. I'm the youngest of the grandchildren so if you ask me the Easter Egg Hunts ended way too soon. In fact, I'd be okay if they still had Easter Egg Hunts.

Anyway, this is not what my post is about. I want to tell you about going through the stuff in the basement with my Grandma, Uncle Gary, Aunt Joy, Mom, and Dad. We came across a box of old clothing that my parents and my aunt and uncle wore. My dad and Gary decided to try some of them on...it was too much fun seeing them in some old Master Mix jackets and furry hats!

Marceline High School Homecoming

2009-10-07T07:00:00.002-05:00

On Friday night my Grandma, Mom, Dad and I went to the Marceline High School Homecoming Football Game. It was the first high school football game I've been to since I graduated from high school myself. Now, I've been to Marceline a million times visiting my Grandparents, but this experience was a real eye opener. I never realized exactly how small Marceline is, yet, they try to replicate everything Mizzou does. It is great.

Three football players were also band members so they marched in their football uniforms at half time. I've never seen such a thing!

My Dad and I got bored so we took pictures of ourselves. Then we people-watched-- it turned out to be a great place to people-watch. As usual, we ran into a ton of people we knew including family members, people my parents went to high school with (in Marceline), and friends of my Grandma.

Obviously it was cold, so we left early! I had fun, especially since it was homecoming and they announced the Queen and her court at half time. Then, for the rest of the evening, we got to watch these itty bitty highschool girls walk around in their itty bitty dresses freezing their butts off. It was humerous, I remember those days. hahaha

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

2009-10-06T07:00:00.003-05:00

My uncle Gary, aunt Joy, Dad, Mom, and I went to Wien to go through my Grandpa and Uncle Amos' things and to celebrate my Grandma's Birthday!!! We took her to The Pear Tree in Bevier, MO, one of our favorite restaurants. They have the most incredible salad dressing (I know, what a really random thing to be known for, but trust me...it is the best salad dressing you've ever had, even if you don't like salad you will want to eat salad just to have the dressing!) We ordered the Celebration Cake which came with a sparkler stuck in it. My Grandma loved it!

October has arrived!

2009-10-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

October is here, so Eric and I went shopping for pumpkins and gourds! It is my family's tradition to get pumpkins from Wilson's Garden Center, so after much driving around we called to find their new location. (For all of you other Wilson's Garden Center fans, it is no located across from Hickman High School behind the old Sofas and More building!) Once we arrived we knew it had all been worth it!

There were pumpkins everywhere-- all shapes and sizes! We decided to buy 5 small pumpkins to decorate our mantle, 1 small pumpkin to decorate our kitchen table, 5 gourds and 3 mini pumpkins to decorate our coffee table (pictures to come!) We also purchased 2 large pumpkins, one to carve in a few weeks and one to decorate our outdoor patio table.

I adore this picture of Eric, he looks so cute loading our purchases into my car!! All those pumpkins and we spent less than $30, I love how cheap pumpkins are! Not to mention how great they make our apartment look!

Isn't Wilson's Garden Center the best? I didn't get any pictures of the employees, but they were all dressed up as characters from Peter Pan. There were several children painting pumpkins, running through the haystack maze, and watching skits performed by the employees. Shopping for pumpkins at Wilson's makes me feel like a kid again.

We purchased a handful of these gourds and miniature pumpkins for a fantastic centerpiece I made for our coffee table.

If you haven't purchased your pumpkins, yet, I highly suggest you go to Wilson's. It is so much more fun to purchase pumpkins and gourds at this local venue than at Wal-mart!

Hooked On...Television

2009-10-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

For four years I went without cable, four solid years. I had convinced myself I no longer needed television shows for entertainment. I was right, in a way. I went for four years without really missing cable. I had no desire to watch anything beyond what aired on the 3 (on a clear day) channels I got with my rabbit ears. Then I got married and we decided we didn't need to buy cable. We had enough bills as it was, so we opted for the free "cable" which was only slightly better than my rabbit ears. I went for a year and a half with free cable and I was perfectly content. So after five and a half years of free television, my husband and I decided we deserved DVR. So we splurged. For the first time in 5 years, we paid for our television connection. So why is it that I find myself completely hooked now that I'm paying for cable? Is it that I have the need to get my money's worth??

My Top 10 Favorite Television Shows (Past and Present):

1. Grey's Anatomy

2. Glee

3. Dancing with the Stars

4. Married with Children

5. Friends

6. Sex and the City

7. Desperate Housewives

8. Cold Case

9. Law and Order- SVU

10. House