Feeling Good

Great things that have happened this week:

1. Thank You Card

I received a thank you card from a parent who appreciated the kindness I showed her son and her family as we completed some updated IQ and academic testing that the son needed for transition needs.  The son is an 18 year old with Asperger's who was wonderful to work with and I was so happy to help him with this need so that he could explore college program options for students with special needs.  Also, he is a genius and I had to google some of his answers (he answered in French at times, for pete's sake).  The mom wrote me a beautiful card that makes me feel like I'm doing a good job and included a gift card to a bookstore.  So sweet!

2. Exercise

Brad and I walked for close to 4 miles on Tuesday and, if the rain holds out, I'd like to walk today.  I'm hoping to donate blood, so I guess a walk is contingent on that, but I love that Brad and I are getting out and increasing our activity.  It makes me feel good.  Also, my mom is going to count weight watcher's points with me starting Tuesday (Memorial Day cookout is sure to be fantastic).  I am not doing this just for the wedding pictures.  I have gained about 10 pounds since two or three years ago and I'm not really a fan of that.  I lost that weight doing WW, but then stopped tracking so it's no wonder that I gained it back.  Anyway, I want to feel better physically and self-esteem wise, so here we go.

3. Super Secret Project = Bridal Shower Invites for my BFF = Success

Remember my to-do list about assembling invitations?  Well, I'm hosting a bridal shower for my BFF next month.  She's getting married in August and I'm just so happy and excited for her.  Anyway, invitations can get pricey and I'm broke from my own wedding planning.  Also, I am planning my wedding and trying to finish my first year in a school, so I'm busy, which means I wasn't sure if I could order and receive invites in time for this shindig next month.  So I made invitations.  Lots of invitations.

Pretty stamps.

I make cards from time to time and I figured it was pretty much the same thing.  Kerry's shower is a blue-theme shower, so I tried to keep with that when I bought the paper.

Also, Kerry really liked invitation designs with a bride and a groom, so I went with the couple part when I bought the stamp.  I figured I could emboss that image on the invite, which I did.  Super easy, super quick.

I played around in pages on Brad's Mac and created the invite, which I printed in blue ink on blue cardstock (from the pack).  Then, I just took the paper cutter and corner-rounder to the dentist when Dad had surgery and cut paper for 90 minutes.  I continued doing this at Dad's house after supplying him with Vicodin and gauze.  Then, I continued doing this at my mom's house the next day.  Good gravy.  It was a little more time than I anticipated, but I ended up with 40 beautiful, homemade, and from the heart invitations.  Also, Kerry loves them.  :)

Finished invitation!  Also, rhyme that I stuck on the back of each invite encouraging everyone to wear blue.  The invites were placed in the envelopes so that the rhyme would be seen first when opening.  (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

4. Cooking

Guys, I am starting to get the hang of this cooking thing, I think.  This was our dinner Tuesday night--sweet potato fries, fruit salad, steak.  Simple, but good (and full of iron!).  I also bought some flowers from Kroger to spruce up the table a little.  

Two weeks ago, when I was in search of a good dessert, my sister rescued me and sent me a dessert pizza recipe.  Delish!  

Here's the recipe:

18oz sugar cookie dough

8oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 medium granny smith apples (I went with presliced apples for convenience and non-browning.)

1/4 C caramel ice cream topping

1/2 C chopped peanuts (I omitted this.)

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out cookie dough and bake for 16-18 minutes.  Let cool, then loosen from baking stone (or whatever you baked on).  Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter.  Spread on cookie.  Peel, core, and slice apples thinly. Arrange evenly over mixture.  Drizzle warm caramel over apple.  Sprinkle peanuts on top.

(I left the peel on the apples and it was fine, just a bit harder to take bites of apples.)