It's Birthday Week Y'all

As I mentioned yesterday, the beginning of this week is rather hectic for me. It's all good. Just lots of lines to memorize and then promptly execute.

I felt a little thrown off yesterday because it was damn warm. I didn't grow up with a real fall. I grew up in Texas and moved to Southern California shortly after high school so fall was not part of my vocab. HOWEVER, my body needs the change. It needs the cooler weather, the leaves changing, the crisp smell in the air. I need the weather to change and inspire me to make changes.

Cheesy. Yes. True. Also yes.

This week is also pretty exciting because it's my birthday week. This Thursday I get older. Pretty exciting that I've made it another year.

I read this post on Habitually Chic recently and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy in inside. This quote also made me proud to be an October baby:

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." - Nathaniel Hawthorne


Ah, wouldn't it be grand to be sitting right there all day reading a book? Oh well. Let the day begin and let me be oh so happy about it. After I finish my coffee. And eat something. And take a shower. And memorize some lines. And pay some bills. And well...you get the idea.

(P.S. Blogger is once again the stupidest thing ever. It won't let me NOT type in italics right now. Even if I type this elsewhere and paste it, it switches it to italics. I HATE BLOGGER. I even went into Edit HTML and took out the part that is making it italic. IT'S STILL FREAKIN' ITALIC.)

Moving and Shaking

For me the first few days of this week are PACKED. I'll officially be running at full speed. This song gives me that drive. I hear it and I feel like I have to move in fast motion.



I wish there was an official music video for this song. Janelle Monae is amazing, and her videos are AWESOME. I just watched the one for Cold War:



Beautiful.

Two songs for this Sunday? Y'all are lucky.

Pumpkins and More Pumpkins!

There is pumpkin everywhere.

There was pumpkin in my last post.

I'm getting excited because it's the time of year for a Molly tradition: Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake.

It's like the best pumpkin pie you'll ever have. In fact, if you don't like pumpkin pie you'll like this. I promise. I know people who can vouch for that statement.

Here's Paula's famous recipe:

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

recipe courtesy of paula deen.

This is best the next morning, fresh out of the refridgerator with a giant cup of coffee and whipped cream stirred together. Just sayin...

Texas, My Texas

It's no secret that I'm a Texan and proud of it. Texas is amazing. If you've never been, you're losing out.

I'm SUPER homesick right now. The last time I was able to go home was May. I won't be going home until December. That is an eternity to me.

One of my dearest friends was married around Halloween a few years ago. I spent the day after her wedding carving pumpkins with her and her husband. Guess what I carved:


No, not the smiley face. The Texas. My lopsided little Texas.

Texas I miss you! My heart is with you always.

That's all.

Green Tea

My grandmother is the reason I drink coffee. She fed it to me as a wee child. Recently during a phone call with her she said she has switched to green tea in the morning because it's not as harsh.

This morning I also decided to try green tea instead of coffee. My green tea is from Argo, and too sweet, and very gingery. I love Argo Tea. This tea is just okay. It has ginger pieces in it. Now that I'm down to the bottom of the cup I keep taking big sips with ginger pieces in it that feel super strange in mah mouth.

The main part though, I'm definitely not awake and I've finished the whole cup. Argh-ooooo!

Oh You Silly

Sometimes when I read the Red Eye, I have the urge to find some Silly Putty, press it against the paper, hold it up to a mirror and then read it.

It might the Red Eye more interesting OR more factual.

Feel The Power

I like using power tools. I like being handy. Growing up I would watch Bob Vila with my dad. Bob Vila is the sh*t y'all.

I don't own any power tools. I have dreams of renting tile saws, circular saws, staple guns, things I have absolutely no need for at this point.

Actually that's not entirely true. I would like to make extra money by restoring old gross flea market furniture and selling it on Craigslist and Ebay to people who have too much money to burn. I just don't have a place in which to restore furniture nor the time and money to start figuring out how the best ways to restore furniture.

I never realized until today though that so many fun tools come in so many fun colors:




Maybe someday I'll be a regular girly Bob Vila, who stars on a hit one hour drama on AMC.



It's real buzzy at the beginning, but it gets better. Oh Bob...