Toora loora torra loo rye aye

I know I haven't posted in like a month and you are all probably dying to know whether I got chickens for Christmas (I did not) but before I update this blog with Christmas pics I need to recap NYE 2011's events before I forget.

So for NYE Nick decided to make reservations at an Indian restaurant for 10 o'clock, and then we planned on heading to a bar for a couple drinks to ring in the new year.

Well we show up at this indian place - right, and there is a guy in the middle of a make shift dance floor singing a power ballad.  And we were like that is a little odd - is it karaoke?  Turns out it wasn't Karaoke - it was just a DJ slash singer who played power ballads and dance music and occasionally broke out in song.  Please remember this was in the middle of an Indian restaurant.  We actually had the waiters encouraging us to get up and dance because everyone else seemed to be just as confused as we were about the whole dance floor in an Indian restaurant thing.  Nick told me I was racist when I asked our FOB waiter if he had requested Jai-ho, I guess political correctness is still something I need to work on.

By 11 there was one lady drunk enough to hit the stage, and after our fabulous meal (and a few drinks) I managed to get Nick up to dance to "Come on Eileen."  So yeah, at 11:30 on December 31st 2011 Nick and I danced to Come on Eileen in an Indian restaurant.

We bolted after that and went to a hipper bar where I worked it to Shakira -  hips don't lie just before the clock struck midnight and two scantilly clad girls with power tools jumped on the tables and created sparks from their crotches by sawing this piece of metal attached to themselves while dancing to gangster rap.

Right now Nick and I have absolutely no idea what 2012 holds.  We honestly do not even know which country we will finish 2012 in.  Everything is in the air.  But if last night is anything to go by... At least it will be interesting.

Happy New Year Friends.  May all your dreams come true!  

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I've been thinking really really hard about what I want for Christmas and my birthday.  Mostly for the sake of my mom.  Nick says he's bought me my birthday/Christmas pressie in the form of a plane ticket home.  But my mom, she has Kris Kringle Syndrome.  She HAS to buy things for her kids.  It is really nice, but if I don't figure out what to ask for... she'll waste her money on something that I might not be crazy about.  Not that she has bad taste, just that I am really really picky.  


So I've been racking my brain about this for awhile and I can't think of anything.  I suppose I need generic work clothes, but sometimes only getting clothes is a little boring.  The only other thing that keeps popping into my head is that I would really like a pet chicken.  Well actually two.  (They are rather social creatures afterall...)  

Via

In my opinion, chickens would truly be the gift that keeps on giving.  Forget "___ of the month" clubs, hens can lay like 250 eggs a year, which would mean I would have plenty for baking and making quiches.  I'd probably never have a moment where I'd need to run to the neighbors for an egg, I could just pop into the backyard and say "Heyyyy Ladies!!!" and they would cluck politely and show me how they made a cute little egg for me.  I would rest assured knowing these hens had a cruelty free life because hello I would be raising them.  (Though in fairness my biggest dilemma is how to get Heidi to coexist peacefully with birds.  I'm not sure if this is possible.)  

Via

I spent some time researching different breeds of hen - Did you know that some breeds are better for eating, while others are better for laying, and some just look cool - like show chickens.  People seriously show them, like a dog show but a chicken show.  Also some are feistier than others.  I'd pretty much decided that I wanted a good layer, nothing too feisty and maybe one that lays those chic little blue/green Easter egg types.  But then I discovered The British Hen Welfare Trust which rehomes commercial laying hens.  Doesn't that sound perfect?  Giving a laying hen a better future for Christmas?  Better than ending up as Christmas dinner don't you think?

My boy Jamie Oliver with some rehomed hens.  

Anyways, Mom, if you are reading this... 

I would like one of these neato chicken coops for Christmas from Omlet.    

Also, Mom, if you are reading this, Nick says please don't actually buy me this.  He's not convinced of the merits of chicken keeping like I am, particularly when I keep telling him I want to move back stateside.  But, between you and me, friends, when we buy our next house - it will have a massive garden and I WILL have chickens.  Quote me.  You're all invited for egg salad sandwiches when I realize this dream. 


Anyways I need to know, bloggers, what's on your Christmas list?  Maybe I will put together a little master list so we can help each other think of the most awesome presents/gifts.  Be honest.  I seriously need help this year.    



ps.  Before you think I'm a spoiled brat please know that I'm really very thankful that I am in a place in my life where deciding what to put on my Christmas list is a major dilemma.  
pps.  I would just like to note that I start a new job on Monday and am super pumped about it. 
ppps.  Check out this huge list of egg dishes on Wikipedia.  Who knew?

Happy Halloween!

It was a typical love story.

British Boy meets American Girl and they fall in love.

They also have crazy hair.  

Can you guess?

In addition to dressing up, we went to a take that tribute band concert on Friday.

They called themselves... "Take That... Again."

Note to self : It was really awkward.

Like there were 30 ppl there and no one would dance and at least 20% of them were their family members.

Next tribute concert is Lady Gaga, we'll let you know how that goes.

Royal Wedding Shenanigans

You are all probably sitting on the edge of your seats pressing the refresh button on Kelly Leigh Gets Busy waiting for me to update it with some Royal Wedding Action.  Well your wish is my command friends.  

Because there is a million pictures of Kate and Wills on the internet I'll spare you my opinions on that.  But I will say I found the contrast of American reporting on the subject vs British reporting very fascinating.  A highlight was when my mom called to tell me she was on the Dukan Diet because thats what Kate is on and she is soo skinny.  Meanwhile the British press was actually saying Kate had pre-wedding jitters and was super busy resulting in unwanted weight loss, thus she was trying to GAIN weight to look a lil more curvaceous in her dress.  Either way lets just say she was banging.  (ps. my mom says the Dukan diet is working like a charm for those of you wondering.)

I love Kate, and I love ALL the royals actually.  But the Queen is my absolute fave because she is 85!  Yes 85 people!  And she is just so dang spritely.  Did you see how charming she looked in her little yellow frock?  And her hubby, the duke, is 90!  What a pair!  I also have a soft spot for Harry, I think he is the much sexier prince.  Did anyone notice him totally macking on Pippa?  Those Middletons know how to bag a prince if you ask me!

My bad case of Royal fever meant I was couch bound with my own British Prince  from 9am - 1pm on Friday.  But luckily I was able to pull myself together, go take a shower and get my self to a Royal wedding street party.

We also met up with our friends Molly and Jimmy.  

Molly is from Wisconsin and got herself her own British Prince Charming too.  

See?

Molly is just cuter than Kate and Jimmy has A LOT more hair than Will.

Oh and look we met a Queen!  

A drag queen that is.

British people love drag.

They think it's hilarious.

I'm still a little too American to get the whole drag humor thing.

But I made sure to photograph this lovely lady for your viewing pleasure.

You are welcome.

Look there's the prince himself!

Smooches!

We proceded to get a little intoxicated in celebration,

met some new friendsies,

ordered french fries with cheese and mayo from one of those sketchy vans..... 

(wtf is that combination and why do they offer it to drunk ppl? Really not helping my diet.) 

And made a wig out of a dead beaver.

Hello someone needs to give me a hair cut in a bad way.

Congratulations Will and Kate!

Thank you for the fun day off work!

Cheers!

Chocolate and Immigration

Oooooooooooo  Chocolate!!!  

Hi Friends,

This is me on Sunday night after Nick gave me a massive chocolate Easter egg.  

They're all the rage here.  

Forget about dying eggs or easter baskets.  

Just get a big ol fuckin chocolate egg.  

And make it dark chocolate.  Thanks.

You may be wondering why I look so.... rough.  

Well can I be honest? 

Great.  Cuz we are usually honest around here.

The previous night Nick and I were having a discussion about immigration issues and we recently discovered I would have to pay £1,000 to renew my visa when it expires in September.  I'm not even exaggerating this time.

Enter emotional breakdown.  

Conversation between husband and myself went something as follows:

Nick: Why are you crying?

Me:  (lip quivering) I just feel it's so unfair.  I pay taxes.  I live here.  

Why don't they like me?  

Nick : They don't know you.  They just want your money.

Me:  I know it just makes me feel like I don't belong.....  

tear.  sob.  

I don't belong anywhere anymore!  

I can't go a day without someone making fun of my American twang.  

And I'm not even American enough anymore. 

 If I went home now I wouldn't fit in like I used to.  

I say things like "quite lovely."  

I actually believe in universal health care.  

I run for buses.  

Nick, 

I don't even believe in guns anymore! 

(The horror!)

Nick: Kelly lot's of Americans don't believe in guns... 

like Michael Moore.

Me : MICHAEL MOORE!  

Gasp.  Sob. choke. tears.  

You think I am Michael Moore!  

I don't want to be like Michael Moore....

He is fat.....

Nick : .....And he has a beard.

Me: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.!!!

Sob sob sob.

You think I have a beard!?

Choke.  Sob.  River of tears.

I HATE MY LIFE!

Happy Valentine's Day

I wanted to wish you a happy Valentine's Day.  

Actually.... I just gave myself the most prettiest festive V-Day manicure and

 no one noticed it today so I wanted you to compliment it.  

So I took a little hipster picture of my ugly mug flashing you a peace sign.

Compliment away....

Then the doodle interrupted to give me some Valentine's day puppy loving.

And then the Neener came in and we took some more horrible family photos.

But we ended up with this half decent one. 

(You can compliment it if you want.)

Happy Valentine's Day my bloggy friends!

And my real life friends who read this blog.

And my real blog friends who are pretty much real friends.  

I hope it is filled with peace signs and puppy kisses and no bitterness!

Even if you're single - cuz you're a hot single betch. 

Paris Hilton says... 

you can judge how hot you are by looking at your friends.

Juding by these shots - all my friends are hotties. 

Wooo hoo!  You sexxy things you.  

Also, we went to the movies tonight and we saw Paul.

I know I have puritanical American values,

but seriously, I have NEVER seen so many people making out at the movies.

And seriously, an alien comedy movie is not exactly romantic right? WTF?  

ps.  I thought it was funny.

Christmas in London With Diana

Hey Friends,

I just got my very first roll of film developed from my diana mini!

Here are a few our trip to London last month.  

Generic view of the English countryside from the train.

St. Pancras station in London.

Great train station with one big problem, it is always freezing.

Seriously, why did no one think to put doors on this station?

Also, I almost always mispronounce this place.  

St. Pancras is not = St. Pancreas.  

(In case you were wondering)

A double decker bus, blue street lights, 

and Debenham's department store lit up for Christmas.

A typical red phone booth over exposed with red Christmas lights.

A big lit up umbrella and Christmas present.

We had a really fantastic day in London.  That city sure does have an amazing energy.  And I like the fact that I can navigate the city now.  It was such a big daunting place at first, but now going back to London is like visiting an old friend - the kind of friend that you only like in small doses though.

Anyways back to Diana - while she is an absolute joy to hold, and so much fun to shoot with, I must admit that she is very temperamental.  I think I need to buy a flash because all the ones we took inside didn't turn out at all.  Any lomography lovers have any tips?

Christmas 2010

My first Christmas away from home....

Nick cooked for me...

Heidi got to sample chicken, a rarity in our mostly vegetarian house...

My mother-in-law came to visit...

We finished decorating our living room, and Nick got his first real tree that he can remember, just in time for Christmas.

I wore sparkle gold nail polish 

and drank enough bailey's and coffee to make me jittery until next year....

I kicked ass in scrabble.  

Nick thought he had us beat with "urinal" 

but I seemed to surpass him with a few clever placements of words like "debt" and "Jew"...

(even if they did accuse me of cheating...sore losers if you ask me)

Santa came...

Nick's mum got Heidi a snuggie, which she ate.

I made Cincinnati's favorite Christmas morning breakfast, 

Virginia Bakery's Schnecken... with lots of love and butter; 

which rose more than I thought it would...

But it still turned out alright, though it seemed to need MORE butter.  

Honestly, what doesn't need more butter - right?

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas too!

Since We're On the Topic.... of Gifts

Holiday Gift Guide - Gettin' Busy Style

The other day Nick asked me what I wanted for my birthday / Christmas.  Yes I'm a December baby, bring on the double whammies.  (You summer babies wouldn't understand, it's the type of gift us Christmas babies get that have a card on them that reads, "Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas")  Don't worry - this provided me with ample whoa is me moments to cherish over the past 23 years.

But truth be told, as much as I want things, I don't actually need anything.  And with all do respect to my fellow bloggers, a lot of these Holiday Gift Guides you've been compiling are filled with a bunch of crap.... eek did I just lose half my followers?  Look it's pretty and it's nice but do you actually need it or will it just add more clutter to your already over flowing life/house/closet?  Personally I am getting a little fed up with these fancy and expensive things that are showing up in my reader lately that people seem to be convincing me I need or need to give.  For what?  Knick knacks or barely used clothes that can sit on a shelf or in a closet gathering dust?  No thank you.  Call me Scrooge but this consumerism is out of control.

Now don't get me wrong, I think the act of giving a gift is great and I do love to receive gifts (even if I am notoriously hard to shop for and end up returning most of what is purchased for me - hello I'm just making sure you didn't waste your hard earned cash!)  

Anyways here are a few ideas up my sleeve that I would much rather see under the Christmas tree this year than a $40 shot glass or some other rubbish.

• Help Them Start A New Hobby or Add to an Old One...
• Camping gear for your Bear Grylls wannabe husband
• Running shorts, an itunes gift card, or a heart rate monitor for your sister who's in training for her next big race.
• A set of oil paints for a mother who wants to be a painter somewhere down the line - why not now?
• An empty notebook and a gift card to a fancy restaurant for a little sister who wants to be a restaurant critic.
• A day at the golf course for Dad... because all the other golf gadgets we buy him end up in the basement.  Might as well stick to the real deal.
• Canicross gear for an energetic puppy... Ok I would benefit from this too.
• Take A Class
• belly dancing, learn to sew, drawing/painting, beekeeping, cooking, survival skills, rock climbing, sailing, photography.... to name a few.
• Everyone has something they'd love to try - sometimes we all just need a little push! 
• Create an Adventure or a Memory Together
• My good friend Cecilia came to visit me last winter, and her family decided not to do presents that year, instead they all went on an adventure to Germany (where her brother was living at the time)!  I would love to start this as a Christmas tradition with my family.
• Obviously, it doesn't have to be that far - a weekend get away or mini road trip can work wonders!
• Or what about a day of playing tourist in your own city, going on a hot air balloon ride, bungee jumping, sky diving, going to a comedy, ballet, or concert; matching tattoos? (kidding mom....kinda)  These could probably mostly be done without traveling too far - depending on where you live of course!

I guess none of these specifically answered Nick's original question, so if you must know, my personal picks for a gettin busy Christmas would have to be.... 

A diana mini lomography camera (My inner hipster/photography lover has been lusting over it for 6+ months).  

Hunter Fleece Socks, to keep my toes warm while on Doodle adventures in all this snow...

A class in photography, sewing, bee keeping, mushroom gathering or rock climbing.

Via

Prismacolor pencils to unleash my inner artist.

A honeymoon anywhere that ticks off a goal on my Bucket List.

A holiday in Thailand is hands down my dream destination, 

but I would be content with something a little less exotic (and less expensive!)

Via

A ticket to see Mama Monster in person...

Via

A hybrid bike, so I can ride through the countryside AND run errands all while getting skinny, saving money on gas/bus fares and not complaining about my lack of transportation and cellulite.

Also, I would also be forever grateful if he took me dancing for the night.  

I've been begging for a year!

I hope that maybe this list has inspired you to think a little outside the box when it comes to gift giving this year!  I'd love to hear more of your non-dust collecting ideas!  Please do share!

ps.  Truth be told I am not immune to wanting stuff, and I will confess I've been lusting after Zoya's sparkly nail polish for quite some time, and I "need" a pair of brown knee high boots - the zipper on mine broke over a year ago.  

pss.  Sorry if I offended any bloggers who put together a gift guide, they're just not my thing.  Except I REALLY loved Krystal's idea of a 5 year diary.... eeek I can't find it now - where did it go Krystal??  So up my alley.

psss.  Sorry this is SUCH a long post.

Gobble Gobble... Gullible!

Spending the Holidays away from home and your family is always hard.  And to be honest I didn't have high hopes for this Thanksgiving at all.  I was pretty bummed about the fact that Nick and I were both working so we couldn't really even attempt to celebrate.

On Wednesday night before Thanksgiving Nick and I went grocery shopping after work - STARVING.  Not a good idea.  We pretty much bought everything in the entire store, times two.  Our cab driver on the way home even asked us if we "had a big family"... Umm.... no we're just hungry - LAY OFF!

So anyways Thursday night I was on my way home and Nick calls me and says he is on the bus just ahead of me, and asked me what I was making for dinner tonight.  Umm husband you'll be home before me!  Maybe perhaps you could cook with the plethora of food we bought the previous night????  So he tells me he will make his "special" pasta, which I don't really think is special at all I mean it's essentially a glorified version of spaghetti and I thought considering we spent like two week's worth of my minimum wage salary on exotic ingredients at the supermarket the night before he could come up with something a little tastier.  So I sat on the bus in a foul mood wondering what it was about marriage that suddenly makes your better half turn deaf, dumb, and blind....  (did I mention earlier in the week he thought someone stole our vacuum?  I told him it was in the guest room, but it took him like 2 hours to find it!  It is a big vacuum.  soooo blind!)

Anyways I get home after a long bus ride of stewing and brewing these nasty thoughts... and I walk in the door to find this....

And since we're being honest, I'll admit that I burst into tears.  

Which really confused him, but they were happy tears.  

And then he appeared with this...

A vegetarian nut roast... and I think I cried again. 

 But then I stopped crying and we sat down to this delicious meal...

I am generally pretty easy to surprise, but I couldn't believe this.  

He took the afternoon off work to come home and cook me a Thanksgiving feast.

It was definitely delicious, but it's also the thought that counts right? 

I don't usually go for that kind of bullshit, but this meant everything to me.

I am SO thankful to have found him...  

In an AOL chat room in September 2001.

It's a Christian chat room, Mom! ;)

I swear he's not a pedo, Dad!

See, we all turned out alright!

Hope you all had very good Thanksgivings too!

ps.  Check that nut roast recipe out, it was soooo effing good!

Breakfast at Tiffany's Tuesdays : Pumpkin Pie

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I am sure you are making lots of pumpkin inspired desserts!  Yum!  But what to do when you bust open a can of pumpkin and the recipe only requires a cup's worth and you have a bunch left over???

Well friends, I got the answer for you!  It's Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal... 

and it's as easy as PIE. Go figure.

Get yourself a bowl and just throw some oatmeal, your leftover pumpkin puree, a spoonful of brown sugar, a shake of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.  Cover with just enough boiling water, and mix.

Maybe throw in some extra pumpkin seeds for a little crunch if you feel so inclined.  I'm such a pumpkin lover so you know I think it's delish.  I am loving the versatility of oatmeal these days.  I feel like my day is so much better when I have a good hearty breakfast.  It just starts everything out right. 

Are you breakfast eaters or breakfast skippers?

Halloween

Halloween in England is a bizarre thing.  It hasn't been celebrated in England until really recently, Nick says it's only in the past 10 years that kid's have started trick or treating - and not many even do that.  I'm not totally sure how to explain it but the holiday here seems a little forced. It feels like sweetest day in America, like companies are using it as a way to sell stuff, such as witches costumes and big bags of candy.  It seems like no one is entirely sure what to do or what Halloween is all about.

But I wanted to celebrate so last night Nick and I went into the City Centre to Fright Night - 

apparently England's biggest Halloween celebration...

The carnies were out in full force with their neon light makeshift rides and games that look easy but you never win.  I wasn't entirely sure what carnies have to do with Halloween but I guess they're both a little scary...

There were plenty of ghosts witches out and about...

Yeah, witches wear Uggs now, 

I hear they help keep your toes warm and draft free while riding your broom stick.

And street performers dressed up as zombies and playing with fire....

There were also hip hop dancing zombies and zombies stuck behind glass doors of the department store.

How scary is that Asian zombie?  He reminds me of the Grudge which was the last scary movie I saw, in highschool, and I had to sleep with my little sister after I watched it who was only like 12 at the time and probably not much protection from little grudge kids, but I was terrified... and looking at him now is giving me the heebie jeebies.  Eeeek!  I'm such a wimp.  

I hope you had a spooky and fun Halloween too!

You Yanks Like Stately Homes, Don't You?

When I asked the girls on my rowing team where I should take my American friend, Sarah, 

Chatsworth - "a stately home" was recommended.

So thats where we went.

We had a great time.

We took silly pictures with sculptures....

Played dress up.

Wandered around the beautifully manicured gardens.

And imagined how great life would be if we had diamond encrusted tiaras to wear to our next fabulous dinner party in that fancy dining room.

Everything was absolutely beautiful.

Apparently it's often used as a location for Vogue photo shoots.  

I don't do outfit posts, but I do do stuffing my face with brie and cranberry crepes from the food market that just happened to be going on in front of the house.

Yeah so the cleanse/diet didn't go so well yesterday...

But it was a delicious addition to a fabulous day!

Hope your weekend is extra fun!

Happy 4th of July my patriotic friends.

Please wear your red, white and blue and sing I'm proud to be an American for me.

I think my America pride is generally frowned upon over here...