Who Has A New Vacuum? Me! Me! Me!

We have wood/tile throughout the whole downstairs of our new house.  That means I wear my slippers A LOT.  The other day, I couldn't find my pink fuzzy slippers with the really cute pom-poms ANYWHERE.  I seriously had looked everywhere I could think.  During my search, I looked under our bed and this is what I found....

YIKES!!!! We've only lived in our house about 3 weeks, and I sweep practically every day.  It was more effective for me to pick up each piece of dirt by hand than to use the vacuum from our apartment, so I decided I needed a new vacuum...NOW.  

I headed to the store without any research what-so-ever...(so UNLIKE me).  Mom suggested that I go to consumereport.com, which I did, but still only really new about the vacuum she has.  It was a HUGE deal when she got it a couple of years ago, and she talks about that thing as affectionately as another child.  I got to the store and here's what I brought home...

Tah-Dah!!  The same vacuum that mom has!  Now, I really had no choice in the matter because they were pretty picked over in the vacuum department, and I was determined to buy a vacuum RIGHT THEN.  Otherwise this probably would have been one of those experiences where I check out the item online about 7 bazillion times, see it in person about 12, and then decided I should buy it.  Nope.  This time was different.  And I had ZERO buyers remorse.  It was great!

 

 I had to do the whole self-timer thing, so it's not my best picture, but it works!  And, yes, we currently have a washer/dryer in our dining room...don't ask. :)

 

I only vacuumed about 3 rooms, but this is what I ended up with...YUCK!  And remember that part where I said I sweep everyday?  Yes, this definitely was a fab purchase.  I can't wait to vacuum again!! ...Wow, never though I'd say that!

Love, Sara :)

Happy Birthday To Me! (Cha-Cha-Cha)

If you haven't picked up on it by now, I LOVE my birthday.  After my quarter-of-a-century of a life, I think I've figured out a little why I love it so much.  Being right after Christmas (my favorite day of the year) everyone comes back over.  It's an extension of my favorite day!  Plus, I never had school (now work) and Mom and Dad tried to make it extra special because it was so close to Christmas.  We have traditions that have been going on for YEARS.  Needless to say, I have taken the "extra special" and kind of run with it....

The first thing we've always done is make my birthday cake.  Here's the original...

Dad and I make the same version every year, except it (obviously) changes with the age I am turning.  The cakes have evolved over the years, however, and now not only have colored icing, but colored cake as well.  

The cake always starts as 2 separate cakes.  The numbers we are cutting determine what shaped we do.  This year was two 9x13 cakes.

Dad cuts them into the shape, while I make the *perfect* pink-colored frosting.

The leftovers get put in a bowl so people can munch on them....this might be one of my favorite parts. :)  Please note the AWESOME color of the cake...I think this is the best hot pink we've ever had!

The pink frosting has pink decorations (of course!)

This is the classic picture we take every year, but being a quarter-of-a-century, we recreated the first birthday picture more precisely! (See first picture of this post :) ) And, yes, I wear a tiara.  It started off as a joke, but I, of course, wear it every year now!

Here's another classic!  Please note that the table decorations from Christmas are nowhere to be seen...

Rach and Auds...they have permanent birthday seats.  ...They are slightly rearranged now that Anthony is around, but permanent none the less.

Wow...that's pink!

Mmm!!

My late Christmas gift from Josh...I LOVE Buckee's :)

And my new shoes from Anthony!!  ...I think I need to work on my feigned-surprise face... :)

And in the words of Kindergarteners...

Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday Dear Sara, Happy Birthday to You!  Cha-cha-cha, Oooh-la-la, It's your Birthday, Rah-rah-rah, High-Ya! Chinese Chicken!!!

(Strange, I know...)

Love, Sara :)

Christmas...A Month Late :)

Again, I'm super late in posting these pictures.  I have been painting/unpacking practically every day, so blogging has been the last thing on my mind.  Also, our oven is leaking gas...yikes.  That means I haven't cooked anything in about a month.  Hence no new recipes.  It should be fixed this week, though, so I can get back to real food!! Yay!!

I still wanted to share a peak at our Christmas Day.  After all, it still is my most favorite day/time/month of the ENTIRE year. :)

Santa Came!!

We have to wait at the top of the stairs when we wake up so we can't see what Santa brought.  We used to sit there and scream for Mom and Dad to come so that we could go down....wait we still do...

About to open stockings!

 Anthony got me an owl cookie jar!

And it's winking!

We decided to wear tacky Christmas sweaters...

And have a photo shoot, of course. :)

Thanks Aunt Cheryl for our outfits!!

Up next?  THE SECOND BEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!! (AKA my birthday....) And I promise house pictures are coming soon...like I said, we've been painting, so there are LOTS of changes!

Love, Sara :)

Christmas Eve... A Little Late :)

I realize this post is about events that took place almost a month ago, but between moving, painting, school starting, back up, and a lack of internet, I am just now getting to share!  Anthony and I spent Christmas in Dallas with my family.  My brother (who is almost 30 I must add) decided we needed to start a new Christmas Eve tradition.  What is it, you ask?  Cookie decorating!  We made sugar cookies on our own....(he even insisted we make them from scratch...I was shocked!) and then decorated them together.  Here is our afternoon!

Anthony cutting our cookies.

Homemade frosting too!!

Adding color to our frosting!

Hard at work!

Creating her "Jeni" angel

Our beautiful work!!

Another tradition we have is opening pajamas after we get home from the Christmas Eve service.  The girls all match, the boys, all match, then we take family pictures.  Yes we range from our 20s to our 40s, (and then the parents :) ) but our traditions will live on forever...

Santa came early and left us one package to open that night...

I play the piano once a year, sometime around Christmas, because the only song I still can play is Little Drummer Boy. :)

Jennifer...do you not like my piano skills?

We obviously sing really well :)

Always have to have one of these!

Adorable :)

I have no idea how this came about...

Hope you had a great Christmas Eve too!  Check back soon for Christmas! :)

Love, Sara :)