Taking the day off

From blogging.

You thought I was going to take off of work?! Nope! I like my money too much.

But today is an extra day. It doesn't matter. Also, did you know that February 29th is the only day of the year that it is acceptable for a female to ask a male to marry them. I guess that means I should get to looking and asking... I probably need a ring though too. I'll get one on my lunch break at Charming Charlie :)

Super Productive

So I have this full time job in a call center. I work nine hour shifts with an hour long lunch break and am tied to my phone the other eight hours of the shift. I never really understood the worth of an hour until I started here and that was pretty much my only time during the day to GTD! (that's GET THINGS DONE!, not gym, tan, dance...?).

Today I was quite pleased with my use of my hour lunch break. I made up a list of supplies I needed to make some more of those crispie rice treats for my Mother's LEAP DAY PARTY! tomorrow. This time I am making them bite sized and using bright colored nonpareils (fancy word for sprinkles). I may take pics, or may not... depending on how creative I feel.

Ok.. back to super productive lunch break. I went to the grocery store to get a lean cuisine for lunch and various and sundry things from my shopping list. I ended up leaving the store with at least a week's worth of lean cuisines (they were 5 for $10!), and my other crap, and only took about 15 minutes! Then I went to the redbox to pick up the movie I reserved there... Hugo. Then I went home, gave my cat food, washed his water bowl and gave him water (I'm sure you wanted to know about the inane details of my life, so here ya go!). Then we put my lunch in the microwave. Today I had one of those Green Giant Steamers, it was broccoli, rice, and cheese and it was quite delicious. While my food was cooking, I put clothes in the laundry, checked the mail... hopeful that my Nordstrom package was in (but it wasn't... it is out for delivery though, my UPS man just doesn't like to come until sundown, but I am always hopeful). THEN, I ate my food because it was ready. And then, I contemplated running to Dollar General to get a few things, but decided I didn't have time because I still had to make my crispie rice treats.

So recap:

• Grocery shopping
• Lunch
• Pet Care
• Making Crispie Rice treats
• + random other tasks

I think I did a good job jamming a lot of tasks into an hour and I am super proud of myself.

Love,

FranklyBecca

p.s. sorry no pics today!

CCC: In Training

Every year the Saturday before Easter the city of New Orleans hosts the Crescent City Classic. It is a 10k road race. For the past 3 or so years I have wanted to participate but either forgot to register, didn't train in time, etc. This year, my Mother has been big into walking/jogging/biking/working out. She had a severe knee injury about 6 months ago that required a meniscus repair among other repairs. She also has a chronic ACL tear that the doc didn't "fix". Since the surgery she has been in a brace. She wanted to do Crescent City Classic no matter what. In one of her first visits with her ortho doc she told him this was her goal, and he seemed apprehensive, but didn't put it out of the realm of possibility.

Fast forward and we have her on fire, working out, doing aquatics to strengthen her muscles to compensate for the bad knee. For Christmas my Santa Claus told my family that he/she would register us all for CCC, and he/she did.

My life schedule has kept me busy lately and I hate to admit that I haven't started training for this event yet, when it is actually in a matter of about 4 weeks. And as much as I would love to run/jog it, I just don't see that happening, but I need to practice walking. Tonight we begin the official training. We will be walking around the campus once tonight, it is about 2 miles. Before the end of the week we hope to be up to two times around, which is totally do-able. I know it's a fast transition but we are speed training here! Making up for lost time.

Hopefully I don't pass out tonight or anytime this week. I am pumped!!!

Love,

FranklyBecca

I'd like to thank the Academy

For boring helping me sift through good, bad, great, and awful movies over the years. Now you may not know this about me, but I am a big movie snob. I don't like watching movies unless it's a movie i really, really, really want to see. For instance right now I am dying for The Lorax (March 2nd) and The Hunger Games (March 23rd) to come out. Bee tee dubs... remind me in the future to blog about how much I love The Lorax.

Tonight, is the Oscars aka Academy Awards... I'm pretty sure it took me a good twelve years of my life to understand they were the same thing. But anyway, I digress. My family has always been big fans of award shows, my mother also enjoys the occasional pageant, just none of this Toddlers and Tiaras nonsense. The Oscars typically fall around the beginning of March, as does my Father's birthday (March 5th), that will be pertinent information in just a minute. We always like to have little award show parties whenever one comes on. One year my Father's birthday happened to fall on the night of the Oscars, so while he was taking his Sunday afternoon nap (everyone has those, right?), my Mother and myself got to decorating. We put down a strip of red felt from the room to the kitchen for the red carpet. We made up swag bags full of goodies for all of us, and the pièce de résistance was the Ken doll that I spray painted gold.


This year is no different. We will be having our annual Oscar party. I think for the treats this year we are having some burger sliders, boneless hot wings, and my white chocolate covered crispie rice treats. Should be quite delicious.

There is one difference this year, however. I have actually been attempting to watch some of the movies that were nominated that I wouldn't have wanted to see being the movie snob that I am. Last night we watched Midnight in Paris. Before starting the movie my Father had me play the preview for the movie so he would know what he was getting himself into and pretty much as soon as the preview said it was a Woody Allen movie he cast judgement. In the end he was pleasantly surprised I think. It was a bit of a bizarre movie though, but I also thought it was cool. I would definitely recommend it. I don't think it will be taking home best picture though, especially since it is up against The Help and The Artist. Speaking of The Artist, I would give my arms to see that movie. It looks so good, and I have heard great things about it.

 I hope that the awards will be good this year! Can't wait to see my favorite stars all dressed up in their fabulous evening wear!

Love,

FranklyBecca

no facebook + day off =

Me, Becca, making sweet treats all day.

Well, not all day, but most of it. I got a full weekend off this weekend so how did I spend my morning? Sleeping in of course! My internal clock tried to tell it me was ready to get up at 7:22 am, I said no. I slept until 9-ish. Then I laid around deciding when I should take a shower. I knew I was meeting my friend for lunch at 11. Snitch the cat came in (oh he has a facebook page.. not sure of the link, and I'm not getting on facebook so I can't share it with you. Sorry! but it's Snitch the Ferocious Cat if you want to go on there and become a fan of his). Anyway, he cried while I took a shower. Then followed me to my room afterward and he took a nap.

Me and Ang went to lunch at Lee's the adorable 50's diner in town. They have the best spaghetti if you can believe it. That's what I had for lunch.

After lunch I went to Target to get the baking supplies I was lacking. I knew I was going to make mini cupcakes and crispie rice treats (no copyright infringements). So I got the stuff I needed for my treats and headed home. As soon as I got home I got to baking. I thought I only had one mini cupcake pan and was going to bake 3 batches back to back, until my father came home and told me that he had 2 others on top of the one that was my pan. So I ended up still kind of doing 3 back to back batches but the last batch cooked some with the second. Anywho... While batch 2 was baking I got to making my crispie rice treats. Father swooped in and started to take over that task until it was time to smoosh them in the pan. This was our dialogue:

Father: You need to spray your hands or cover them in butter to smoosh this down flat so the crispies don't stick to you.
Me: I was just going to use plastic wrap
Father: Oh, that works too.

Now for some gratuitous un-photoshop edited photos

Forgive me for forgetting a pic of iced cupcakes... they looked average. probably a bit like this:

only no sprinkles. and light yellow icing. just envision it.

Now for the crispie rice treats!

The we did something special... (that is vanilla flavored Candy-Quick that I bought at Target)

PLUS SPRINKLES!

I'm obsessed with these sprinkles... I got them at Target in their easter section. They always have the best holiday sprinkles. I pretty much normally hoard them.

And because I am always being asked how I make my butter cream icing this is what goes in it. (the butter is softened by the way.)

Don't ask for a recipe, I don't have one. I just mix it up to consistency. However for the batch I made today I used that whole bag of sugar, the whole stick of butter, maybe half of that water and a capful of the almond extract.

Hope you enjoyed! and that my pics don't send you in to a sugar coma :)

Love,
FranklyBecca

Obsession

This isn't the first time I have mentioned them, and it won't be the last.
Toms.
I got an email today "sneak peaking" the new spring line. and I saw this:

 

 I got super giddy and did a little more research on them and found that they make them in women's too! in a variety of colors! I fell in love with the burlap with the burnt orange stitching around the top. So stinking cute, I had to order them. So I did. And flash forward about 8 days and they arrived on my doorstep. I never saw them there... because my parents brought the package in to meet me before I got home from work.

They look amazing on! I would definitely recommend this style.

tgif

This week has been the busiest week. It started out with a holiday or holidays (Lundi Gras on Monday, Mardi Gras on Tuesday, and Ash Wednesday on... well you guessed it, Wednesday). I mean yes, I had to work on all of these days, but I also somehow got roped into doing all manners of other activities.

Monday was my most relaxing day. I worked a 9-6 shift, then went shopping at Target for some food. I got some Bertolli's pasta dish that I then went home and cooked up in the skillet. I then served myself dinner and sat down at the couch to watch Gossip Girl.

Then Tuesday comes around, I was scheduled to work from 10-7, but it was dead so we decided to shut down for 6. Since I was on the closing shift I had to stay to whatever was closing... which was not fun since work was so dead. I found out during the day that we were invited to go to my uncle's for a fish fry. He lives in Baton Rouge which is about a 45 min drive from where I live.

Wednesday, another day of work. Then afterward I had committed to a co-worker that I would teach her activity days girls how to make rings out of a hershey kiss and pipcleaner, an idea I found on pinterest and then created for work as valentines. We finished up really early, and I somehow got roped in to be a chaffer for the young women's heart attack by my mother.

Thursday. Work again. Then back to Baton Rouge for my cousin's baby shower. Good time. Good food. Not the best cake, but hey... they didn't even ask me to make it, so that's what you get.

Whipped frosting = gross. 

Homemade Butter Cream frosting = DELICIOUS.

Today is Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy. I rented a couple of redbox movies, Midnight in Paris and Puss in Boots to help me in my quest to watch as many Academy Award nominated movies before the awards as possible. Grammy and Gramps are coming tonight. They are going to the temple in the morning. I am excited to spend time with them.

Toodles lovies!

Love, 

FranklyBecca

Party Gras and Lent

Growing up in the deep south as a kid I always thought that Mardi Gras was a national holiday. Where I come from cities shut down for the festivities. Schools close, banks close, everything closes. You are left with a ghost town. Then you take a little trip to the city, 'Nawlins of course and see where everyone is hiding. People line the streets to scream and wave their hands for strands of shiny plastic balls, stuffed animals, feather boas, and in some instances, panties.

A typical float in a Mardi Gras parade

from New Orleans Ladder

Everyone pretty much has a fair and equal chance at getting the beads. It's the stuffed animals, feather boas, and dare i say it again... panties, that you really have to work for. If you have a kid, just stick them on your shoulders and you are golden. You'll get whatever you want, and then some. At the time you think you want all this glorious loot, and sure that feeling lasts through the parade, on your walk back to your car, but somewhere between the end of the parade and your trunk you realize, "oh dear, I have this massive fifty pound bag filled with plastic beads, what the h* am I going to do with this?!"

The crap you get at the parades

But, the fun doesn't end there! You go to one parade, have a blast, and you are hooked! You want to go to every parade. I know, I have been there. The party in 'Nawlins goes on for days. The city is filled with people having a grand ole time. Dancing in the streets, drinking 'til they pass out, and living care free for just a few days, because you know what happens once Mardi Gras is over? Ash Wednesday. The beginning of the Lenten season. Some of you may now be asking yourself, "wait, but what does that mean?"

Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, and is always the day right before Ash Wednesday, where Lent begins. Growing up here in south Louisiana I have always been exposed to the tradition of Lent, our area is rich with Catholics, so to me it has always been acceptable for me to give something up for Lent. Lent lasts for the 40 days of the passover until Easter. I know, I am a Mormon and don't have to give up anything for Lent, but this year I gave up Facebook.

I have been wanting to quit Facebook lately, but didn't want to delete my account. I figure that the first few days of no Facebook will be difficult, right now we are starting day 2, and honestly, until about the time of posting this I haven't been tempted to try to sign on. I have gone to their url a couple times and then remembered that I'm not getting, but that was just out of habit.

I am thinking that rather than "microblogging" my thoughts on Facebook or Twitter, I will devote my time to actually write out meaningful posts to share with you all, my lovely readers, of which I think I only have about 0. So please friends, comment me! I need you to cheer me on, so that I can keep this up!

TH1RT3EN REASONS WHY

I finished reading TH1RT3EN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher just a few days ago.

I mentioned in a post a couple days ago that I would let you all know about it once I finished it.

Now, as with any of my reviews, I am not a pro. Take the review for what it is, entertainment.

Now before I say anything about the book I just want to let you know what the book is all about, this boy Clay receives a package filled with cassette tapes from a classmate who had recently committed suicide, named Hannah. There are 7 cassettes, each side of the cassette tells a story of one person who played a part in why she took her own life. It was a powerful read.

I found it a bit hard to read at times since in my personal life I have been affected by a love one committing suicide. It's one of those things that you want to know what may have been going through their mind to make the decision to do such a thing, but at the same time you don't because it's too painful and heartbreaking.

However, one thing that stood out to me from the book. It was really just like one line where Hannah made a comment about how she wonders if some people are like genetically preconditioned to have suicidal thoughts. This thought came to her because in one of her classes where they regularly had group discussions on topics chosen by classmates she anonymously suggested the class discuss suicide just to see if her classmates would be understanding and what not. Hannah did not get the reaction she was hoping for. Her classmates basically wanted to kill the subject, sweep it under the rug, as if they were ashamed anyone would think of such a thing.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who asked. In fact, just go ahead and get it on your kindle/ipad/nook/comment me and i'll ship you my copy.

Love,

FranklyBecca

p.s. Leave me some comments and recommend books to me!!! I am currently stuck re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (which is an amazing book! but it's like my 5th time through it)

The Woman in Black: A Review

Let me preface this by saying that I am by no means a movie fanatic, so my review basically should mean absolutely nothing to you except for the sheer entertainment value that it will produce.

So let's get this started. Last night I went to the movie with my friend, and co-worker, Blaise. I was his beard last night as he is gay and we went on a date. We went stag, but we called it a "date" (tongue in cheek).

So I met him at the theater and apparently while I was driving there he called and said something about the movie being riddled with prostitots. I had to ask him what that is, but you can probs figure it out.

So, We went to the theater to see 'The Woman in Black' starring Harry Potter, or Daniel Radcliff, whatever you want to call him. It was really weird when the movie started to get used to him playing another character but I got over that quick. The movie was a little frightening because this ghostly woman in black kept making random appearances at unexpected times (as shown in the gif above -- p.s. not a spoiler b/c if you watch the trailer you would see this exact scene!). I mean the movie was good, I'm no expert, but I'd say it was well made. Just a tad bit predictable though if you were to ask me. One of my favorite things about this movie though was the fact that there were long bits of time where Arthur Kipps/Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliff would be on his own, interacting with himself and quite possibly responding to noises heard in the haunted mansion, but there would be no dialogue.

Anyway, if you want to see this movie, I say go for it!

p.s. but the ending kind of sucked.

Hope you enjoyed my non-review movie review!

Love,

FranklyBecca

shock and awe

Remember how yesterday I was so excited to get my hands on some of those Toms ballet flats? So, I stayed up until twelve o'clock midnight last night (not really for the Toms, but to read... more on that later) As soon as I realized the clock struck midnight, I got out my iPad and went to the Toms site to see them live and in the online retail flesh. I looked at the price and about passed out. $79 for most pairs?! What?! I didn't even pay that much for my wedges! So, as of now, I will NOT be getting a pair, even though the cause is great & they are adorbs. It just doesn't fit in my budget right now.

Oh well...

I am reading this book right now, TH1RT3EN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher. I am almost done with the book and you can expect a review as soon as I am done! Anywho, I should get back to watching House, and making Pinterest crafts, and reading my book.

Busy, busy day off :)

Love,

FranklyBecca