FFW- Day 3

Today is Day 3 of Feminine Fashion Week and so here's my outfit!  It's not much, just a sweater and jeans, but I like it!  :]]  I think I need to get a new photographer.  :P

 Yes, I know.  I'm wearing a ponytail-- again.  But it's what I like... it's comfortable!

 A picture of just the outfit.  :]]

Sweater- Walmart, $10  The sign said it was $12, but only payed $10!

Jeans- Once again, Levi's Signature jeans $20

 Bracelet- Burlington Coat Factory, $5 I love it!

Shoes- Cato flats, $15  I absolutely love these shoes!  I think they're perfect for a casual look as well as a more dressy shoe.

Come back tomorrow... I'll be wearing a skirt!  Hehe, I just have to shave my legs first!  :]

~Alyssa

Delicious Recipe- Pomegranate Brussels Sprouts

Yesterday evening Grandma Barb and I tried this new recipe that Grandma saw on Food Network (from Bobby Flay!) a few weeks ago.  Now I love vegetables and all things healthy (well... most things) so I thought the brussels sprouts were pretty amazing.  You may think miniature cabbages are disgusting, but you still have to try this!  

What we did was buy a package of brussels sprouts from the grocery store, coated them with olive oil, salt and pepper (to taste) and roasted them in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  During that 20 minutes, we cut open the pomegranate and took all of the seeds out.  **With a pomegranate, the only part you eat are the seeds!**   Caution- The pomegranate is going to make a big, juicy mess.  Where short sleeves and an apron to make sure you don't stain your clothes!

After you take the brussels sprouts out, put them in a skillet with the pomegranate seeds and about a tablespoon of honey (or more, pomegranate is very tart).  Stir on the flame for 5-10 minutes and then eat up!

We left out the vanilla beans, pomegranate molasses, and pecans just because we didn't have the recipe on-hand and we were too lazy to make the molasses.  :]]  If you have some extra time then I think it would be a good idea to have these things.  It was a delicious recipe, and I would recommend it for if you are having people over for dinner.

~Alyssa

A Simple Farmgirl: Photo Contest Entry

Here is my entry for "A Simple Farmgirl" 2011 photo contest.  I took this picture of my curl after taking rollers out of my hair one day.  :]]  I really like the picture, I think it turned out really nice.

Here's the button for her site.  :]]

How do you like the picture?

~Alyssa

FFW- Day 2

Here's the second entry for the Feminine Fashion Week fashion show.  This is one of my outfits that I'd wear out shopping or out to dinner.  Just a nice, casual outfit.  The details at the top of the tank add a feminine touch and the sweater gives it a more casual look.

 Jeans- Old Navy "The Flirt" $15.00 (on sale!)

I'm also wearing white flip flops- Old Navy, 2 pairs for $5.00!  They're just plastic/rubbery and very durable for those of you wanting some nice flip flops!

 Tank Top- Old Navy, $8.00

Sweater- American Eagle, $40.00 Yes, I know!  Expensive!  But it was a gift!

Bracelet- My other American Eagle bogo bracelet!  $6.25 :]]

Thank you for all of your comments!  

~Alyssa

Feminine Fashion Week- Day 1

Here's my first entry for the Feminine Fashion Week fashion show.  Sorry the pictures aren't great!  I had to take them myself because my sister was too busy.  :]]  It doesn't help that I'm also exhausted... stayed up past midnight last night.  Got only 5 1/2 hours of sleep last night.  But I'm not complaining.  Well, yes.  I am.

Blue v-neck t-shirt- Old Navy, no clue how much it was.  It's probably 3 years old.

Navy blue sweater- Derek Heart from Hamrick's.  $15.00 Black Friday bargain!

Jeans- Levi's from Walmart.  $20.00  I love them!  Signature At-Waist Bootcut.

My bracelets...

 Brand new buy from American Eagle.  They were having a bogo sale.  Got it for $6.25.

This bracelet I won in a blog contest.  Here's the link to where she got it from, though:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/63974750/twisted-natural-rope-bracelet-with

Sorry this wasn't the greatest outfit post!  Like I said, I'm only partially awake.

~Alyssa

Goodbye 2010, Hello New Diets!

2010, to sum it up was a year full of events.  The giant earthquake in Haiti, the BP oil spill, Chilean mine rescue, the year pie reigned supreme over cupcakes, just to name a few.  It wasn't a great year for everyone, but we fought through it like us, as Americans, should.  But this isn't a blog post saying "so long" to 2010.  It's about saying "hello" the new year!  A year of new beginnings, new advances, and our new diets!  But before I go on, I'd like to bid adieu to 2010.  It was great living through you!

2011, 2011... 2011!  Color of the year?  Honeysuckle.  The Chinese Year of the Rabbit.  The year before "the end of the world."  Isn't it all exciting?  Today is January 1st, the start of 2o11 and my birthday.  Yes, I am now officially old.  But we're not talking about how old I am.  We're going to be talking about last night:  my sleepover with my dear friends, Emily and Jenna.  :]

It was a whole lot of fun!  For dinner we had chicken fried rice and veggie sushi and we had a chocolate fountain going with pound cake, strawberries, pretzels, and apples.  It was delish!  Jenna got me some mini Ritz crackers with peanut butter in them dipped in white chocolate, which was delicious.  We played Clue, Spoons, and watched the ball drop.  We were very surprised to hear that the ball is only 12' in diameter.   We always thought it was bigger.  So anyways, we had sparkling grape juice and we decided that while counting down the new year (5... 4... 3... 2... 1.... Happy New Year!) we would toast.  So we did, and then the first thing that I did was spill grape juice all over myself and the carpet.  Jenna's comment?  "Well this is going to be a great year!"  Yes, I had to take a shower at midnight.  But it was really short, so it's all good.  :]]

 There were only two headbands... all of us girls!  Jenna, me, Emily

 Jenna and Emily (can you see me in the mirror?)

 A picture of Jenna in my mirror looking awesome!  This photo is unedited.  Comment if you agree with me!

 Jenna and Emily again.  :]]

 Me... well, being me.

Around 10:30, 11 o'clock-ish we decided to give each other makeovers.  We dragged out my mom's makeup bag and Jenna got her straightener out.  Now this was weird for me, as I have never ever straightened my hair before.  It seemed so fine and soft!  Hahaha!

 No, Jenna is not yanking Emily's hair out.  She is just straightening it.  But that face that Jenna's making in the corner?  I have not a clue.

 Jenna with her hair straight and after having her makeup done (by moi).  She's so pretty (even without the makeup)!  :]

Emily did her own makeup.  There were a lot of "oops" and "I can fix that"s from all of us, but especially her.  She looks so gorgeous... kind of smoky?  Hehe!  :]

 My makeup.  Yes, I did it myself.  Everyone was so happy with the outcome, but it's definitely not something that we'll be doing on a daily basis.

 Here is one of all of us.  Everyone agrees that in this picture Jenna and my eyes look almost exactly the same.  Everyone always thinks we're cousins or something.  No relation!

Here's my favorite.  We all look so old!  Ahh!  But I guess we all are... ugh.  What ever happened to being careless and 9? 

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope it's a good one!

~Alyssa

These Past Days

I know, I know.  It's been 3 days since I posted.  I've been slack, but I have good reason.  More or less.

But I have been busy, really!  It's not my fault that I lead such an interesting life that I can't take 20 minutes out of my totally packed schedule to write a blog post.  I just haven't got the time.  It's snowing in South Carolina!  (awkward change of subject)  Yes, it's true!  For the second time this year (remember back in February?)!  This is an amazing weather phenomenon!  What's supposed to happen once every ten years has now occurred TWICE in this marvelous year, 2010.  I think we should have a party.  Anyone interested?

 Some light flurries.  :]]

 A little recap of what's been going on these past days I've been offline:

December 24th-- After I slept with my curls, my hair looked even more amazing than it had the previous day.  I got some sunglasses and shoes from Cato and a cute new pink sweater from Walmart. 

My new sunglasses-- I truly love them! 

My pur-dy curly/wavy hair.  Perfect for hitting the town!

On Christmas Eve we also got a new kitty named Fritzy.  Well, that's his nickname.  His full name, you may ask?  Bailey's Ragdolls Lord Fritzgerald.  Yes, a truly remarkable name for a truly remarkable cat.   (Barnie's full name?  Clarkston Rag's Sir Barnabas)  Though Fritzy is a very timid, shy kitty.  He's spent his days hiding under my parents bed (we're keeping him in their bedroom the first week or so).  He's very sweet and very soft, but he's also very shy.  He probably didn't like the fact that the first day we had to comb out his matts and wash his tail.  The breeder didn't keep up on grooming him-- he was dirty.  :[[

Here's a not-very-good picture of him before he darted under the bed.  He's going to be a lot darker than that.  Barnie is a blue bicolor, meaning that his fur will be a dark-ish gray in certain places.  Fritzy is a seal bicolor, meaning that he will turn dark brown in places.

December 25th-- Nothing.  We basically just sat around the house.  We didn't do gifts or anything for Christmas, just watched TV.  Fritzy was our present!  :]

Decmber 26th (today)-- Went over to hang out with Grandma Barb while she was staying at her friend, Laurie's who is out of town visiting her daughter.  We baked ginger snap cookies (not hard, very soft!  really delicious!) and pumpkin bread pudding, which was also good.  I ate so much dessert today though that ever since 3:00 I've felt like I was going to throw up.  No lie.  But we did go to Goodwill today.  That was when it started snowing!  I didn't get anything, but Grandma got a few books for my cousin, Xander.  

Am I not adorable?

~Alyssa