some ideas.

christmas gift guide by kellylynndennis featuring flannel sleepwear

1. lace yoke dress. grey. heritage 1981. $19.90

2. floral aplique slippers. lipstick red. gap. $19.99

3. thierry mugler perfume. alien. 0.5oz. $50

4. smashbox blush in "passion" $24

5. instyle magazine subscription. one year, $19.95

6. origins lip gloss in "caramel candy" $14.50

7. "third time's a charm" watch. francescascollections.com. $18

8. "the dreamer" flannel pajamas. pink/white stripe. victoria's secret. $39.50

9. "voila" cut out heel. taupe. forever21. $26.80

10. bdg wide metal toggle closure belt. urban outfitters online. $34

movie time.

in preparation of christmas, i have busted out my (rather large) collection of movies. i love me some christmas movies. good ones, kiddy ones and dorky ones.

the first one i watched this year:

THE FAMILY STONE i love this movie so much. j even watched it with me. and, i'm pretty sure he was tearing up, too. it is really sad and really sweet and hilarious. the cast is amazing (diane keaton, rachael mcadams, luke wilson, claire danes, dermot mulroney, criag t. nelson and you will love to hate s.j.p's character, Meredith.) if you haven't seen it already, you'll want to watch it every christmas.

the second movie i pulled out, i watched alone--only because this one, i could watch any day of the week:

THE HOLIDAY

not the best photo, but it is my favorite part of the whole film. the holiday is just a cute movie all around. this one also has a star-studded cast: cameron diaz, the beautiful kate winslet, jack black!, & jude law's character is absolutely precious.. it's two separate stories that come together into one and it takes place over christmas vacation, hence the name.

i've got a million more to watch before christmas. i'll keep you posted for some good ones.

just some random..

1. i think part of a best friend's job should be to clear your browsing history if you die.

2. nothing's worse than the moment in an argument when you realize you're wrong. (but you keep going)

3. i totally take back those times i didn't want to take a nap when i was little.

4. how the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? (i myself go for the muff-roll)

5. was learning cursive really necessary? (when will kids just learn .."this is the keyboard..")

6. mapquest should just start at #5. i know how to get out of my neighborhood.

7. obituaries would be waayy more interesting if they told how the person died.

8. i can't remember the last time i wasn't just a little tired. this girl could nap at any moment.

9. it seems bad decisions=good stories

10. can we just all agree to ignore what ever technology comes after blu-ray? i don't want to start a new collection.

11. i'm always slightly terrified when i exit out of Word and it asks me if i want to save any changes to an essay i've written when i hadn't changed anything..

12. i keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so i know not to pick up when they call

13. i think my freezer deserves a light, too.

14. i wish tomtom had an "avoid this neighborhood at night" routing option

15. i have a hard time distinguishing "boredom" from "hunger"

16. how many times should you say "what?" before just smiling in nodding?

17. i like the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars scoots together to prevent one jerk from getting in.

18. shirts get dirty, underwear get dirty, but pants? the only reason to wash those is to shrink 'em back up a bit.

19. sometimes i'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

20. i have difficulties finding my phone in my purse, my keys in my coat pocket, but never my alarm clock to hit the snooze. 3 feet away, 1.7 seconds, eyes closed. first time, every time.

21. the first testicular guard, the "cup" was used in hockey in 1874. the first helmet was used in 1974. prioritize, guys.

resolute to resolutions!

here i am, getting ahead of myself as usual. new year's eve is right around the corner bringing with it a night of promises to ourselves. i always choose one, but never stick to it. so this year, i've thought of four. maybe one will stick.

1. work out regularly

it's everyone's resolution, right? well, i bought P90X, and have yet to use it more than once. (p.s. it wore me out). along with excercising comes eating better. but let's face it, it's hard to eat well and feed two hungry boys.

2. rise 'n' shine at a proper time

i am the queen of getting out of bed at the crack of..noon. but, it's so refreshing and days are so much longer when i get up a little early. i shall aim for 6. i can see jeremy off in the mornings, drink some coffee, eat breakfast and get ready all before it's time to head to work. sigh.

3. contribute to my savings

enough said. i have one--it's zeroed out. now that j and i have grown-up jobs, we will have a little extra to put away! can you say, "vegas!" ?


4. let the creative juices flow

i used to paint. and draw. and scrapbook. and write. i feel like there isn't enough time in the day to wind down and do something brain-stimulating. so, even if it is just sitting on the couch and doodling or rearranging the living room or even blogging on a daily basis..i need to make some kelltime.

christmas song.

christmas is here! there is absolutely no doubt that this is the most exciting time of year.
put up my christmas tree, wreath, all kinds of decorations, even had the guys (yes, i have two now) put up lights outside! can you blame me? it's my first christmas in my new home! i've been busy christmas shopping and decorating, and my office is looking like a war zone. the floor's covered in paper and scissors, tape, and rafia. i'm thinking about changing it up a bit and putting stools on either side of my desk [it's really wide, and tall enough] and making a little crafty-wrap station.

this one's so cute!

my living room has such a pretty glow with the tree at night. and i love driving up to my house and seeing the babytree lit up in the front window! i may white-trash it up and keep those babies up all year!! ;) [my main tree's staying up til at least the beginning of february--it's too much work for 1 month, and way too pretty]

also, i came home last night and jared and jeremy had gone christmas crazy with some snowmen and colored lights on the entertainment center! ha! so precious. love it when guys can't even hide their christmas spirit.

oh my, my, my.

called my loan officer after i got my house insurance in line. then he tells me. drumroll. my loan was not approved. so today i spent my time crying. my parents are trying to help me in any way they can..even if that means selling their boatdock. i hope it sells so they can have some extra money and maybe we can go on a family trip. maybe i didn't get it for a reason?

well. i guess we will see. i just don't want to have to owe my family thirteen thousand dollars. ah!

well, maybe i can rental househunt with j. i need a house/duplex with a big back yard for my two girls.

hope everything works out.

ikea, por favor.

went back today to look at my house (my loan is finally underway) again today with my mom. i peeked inside all the windows and daydreamed about my future garden and gates my dad will make. i met a really sweet backyard neighbor named maria. fell in love all over again with my cute house and realized just how small my kitchen is, hah. i will only have like, four upper cabinets. hopefully i can make it work.

i just cannot wait to decorate and organize and buy, buy, buy. ikea trip sometime soon?!

still can't find that lilac-y fabric i have been looking for for my master bedroom headboard. i will keep looking. so many things to do by may 24th.

let's see..what's new?

Closing date: 05/14
I absolutely cannot wait.
Awesome news #2: the BF is moving in with me. Never thought that kind of thing was for me, but now that i am at this point..i have never been so excited.

As of right now, house/puppy-sitting the sister's house and loving her new laptop.

Predicament: I am wanting to do the new master bedroom in lilac/lavender. However, i can't find the headboard fabric i want anywhere. even the lady at m. grace said good luck and laughed a little. apparently arkansas isn't chic enough to have what i want so soon. maybe in three years we will see some 2010 trends.

hmm, we'll see?

oh boy.

did i really just buy a house?
i will post photos later. before-and-afters, of course.

right now, i am shopping with my sister and mom in kansas city.

kitty purry.

i swear they could be the same person. 

zooey[top] and katy[bottom]

My Next Mission:

I am dead-set on buying a house. I doubt anyone would give me a loan, I only have three store credit cards. I don't think my spending habits at Target and Gap are going to make a lender say, "Here's eighty thousand dollars." I wonder if it is based off of how you present yourself.
All I want is a fixer-upper. I could be putting my money into something instead of just towards something.
Anywho, I found a nice website showing houses and I found a ton! I can't stop thinking about decorating and renovating (thanks hgtv) and being a grown-up. My mind is racing.

I just want to be twenty-six, married, and redo a house. (sigh)

zumba-blah-blah

So, my sister and I went to work out tonight, aiming for a pilates class when yours truly looks at the schedule and suggests "Zumba." Dumbest mistake, ever.

We are possibly the least coordinated girls on earth (definitely in that class) and looked like complete fools. We got a good laugh out of it, and sadly not much of a work out. We will never do that again, and I apologize for the ridiculous suggestion.

Mom and dad left for Mexico today. Also, had to rush to work to open the store because the schedule was changed without my knowledge.

Tomorrow, cardio class.

so far, so good.

I am still reading the sixth Harry Potter book. I don't know why this one is taking me so long. I cannot wait to finally watch the movie. I bought it in preparation.
If I could only find my computer/camera cord, I would have some photos up of my little house. I love before-and-after photos. I will have to borrow my sister's.

I cleaned my bathroom, gave Madi a bath, and did laundry, and at lunch with Kate today. So far, so good.

TRY not to smile.

Rave Reviews

I made this a few nights ago, it fed my whole family. It was..delightful. (serves about 10)
CORN & CRAB BISQUE

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 or two stalks of celery
2 sticks of butter or margarine
½ tsp. red pepper (we added more to make it spicy)
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 lb. frozen corn, still frozen
½ cup flour
1 pint whipping cream1 lb. fresh claw crabmeat (artificial was only $3, and it was delicious)
½ gal. whole milk
add cornstarch toward the end if you need/want to thicken it up
Recipe:
Melt butter. Add corn, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Simmer for 10 minutes. (it will be pretty watery because of the corn) Slowly mix in flour, stirring constantly, until well blended. Add seasonings(+salt'n'peppa), whipping cream, and milk. Stir constantly.
Simmer for approximately one hour until it thickens slightly. Thicken more with cornstarch. Remove from heat and add crabmeat. (crawfish would also be really good in place of, or added to the crab!)

Hope it turns out great!