The princess bride

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So, after months of speculation and hype (Will she wear her hair up or down? Who will design the dress? Where will they honeymoon? How long will the balcony kiss last? These are the things we need to know!), Prince William and Kate Middleton (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) have finally tied the knot. And I loved every minute of it.

If you don't think that picture is the sweetest thing you've ever seen, then you and the Tinman need to hobble on down the yellow brick road and find yourselves a heart before it's too late. I love weddings. I love love. And I especially love weddings produced on a grand scale. All of the sweet, stolen glances they exchanged during the ceremony just got me. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes because I was just so happy that they were so happy — two people I don't even know. (I've said it once, and I'll say it again, I'm a cryer, through and through. I wept during the soldier homecoming montage they decided to play during Spring Sing. And who cries during Spring Sing, except those bored to tears and dragged there against their will?)

And amid all of the hubbub of the ceremony, I think the true meaning of the day was captured best by one of the British corespondents. With the Today Show's "Countdown to the Kiss" clock ticking in the corner of the screen, he remarked that the most important part, easily overlooked in the grandeur of this day, was addressed in the prayer the Church of England had written especially for the wedding, which in part said, "look in favour on William and Catherine and all who are made one in marriage. In your love deepen their love and strengthen their wills to keep the promises they will make, that they may continue in life-long faithfulness to each other."

The point of the wedding is not in the details of that day but in the resulting union. Yes, even if you're not a future duchess, the wedding planning and frenzy can cloud your view. After all, a lasting marriage is more important than a pretty wedding.

That doesn't mean that I didn't stare at my closet in disgust this morning, realizing I had nothing with lace sleeves to wear today. You win some, you lose some, I guess.

What I'm loving Wednesday

Linked up at This Kind of Love

After three days of rain, tornado warnings, and all around dreariness, I'm feeling less than perky. I'm like a lizard; my body temperature and mood rely heavily on the sun. Thankfully, it's starting to peak through the clouds, and it's "What I'm Loving Wednesday." You can't be grumpy while listing things you love! So, here I go:

I'm loving that we made it through the storms. Monday night, Scott and I could be found hunkered down in the bathtub with several pillows monitoring the tornado's movement via the Weather Channel app and listening to my favorite weather guy's report over the radio (the satellite had gone out). I'm a panicker when it comes to storms (well, life in general, but tornadoes bring out the worst in me), so I was on the verge of tears when I heard that it was 10 minutes from us. I told Scott that we needed to pray it would miss us, and right at that moment he said it appeared it was turning south and we had nothing to worry about. That was a prompt response.

Trying to protect my head ("That's a big job," Scott said) while still hearing the weather report.

He also said, "I don't want to be on the blog."

I'm loving the weekend visit from my mom and sister. Mom and I spent most of the time going back and forth to Hancocks Fabrics for supplies for our skirt project. For the first time since I was probably 12, I sat down willingly at the sewing machine for mom to teach me. I'll showcase the finished project once I sew the hook closures to it. 

I'm loving this sign, which is incredibly appropriate given the weather, my mood and my blessings.

Bits & pieces: Strawberry and blueberry tea; seeing little yellow flowers pop up on my tomato plant, Sally; nearing the end of The Girl who Played With Fire; planning weekend getaways; and that Scott's graduation is one week closer!

How great thou art

I can't remember how what grade it was, maybe fourth or fifth, when I learned this song in Sunday school. Our teacher felt that we should know at least one song in its entirety by heart, and she'd chosen "How Great Thou Art." She felt that you could really focus on the words you were singing that way.

This duet with Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill is beautiful. I'm not a huge country fan, despite my Nashville upbringing, but you don't need to be to get caught up in the power of Underwood's voice and the beauty of the song's message.

We serve a great and mighty God. I'm reminded of that in the storms that have passed through lately, in the love of my husband and family, and in the focused remembrance of his sacrifice on Easter Sunday. Take a moment today (and ideally every day, every moment) and allow your heart to sing praise and thanks to the one who made it all. He is great indeed.

Good Eats: Vanilla pound cake

Scott's not your sheet-cake-and-frosting birthday cake kind of guy. Instead of the usual chocolate groom's cake, he had cheesecake. There was much more of my cake leftover than his, which is OK with me because I love wedding cake and would happily eat the rest myself (maybe that's where most of my post-wedding weight came from).

So usually for his birthday I get him a cheesecake from a local bakery. This time, however, I decided I would try my hand at his other favorite cake — pound cake. I Googled recipes until I found this one by Martha Stewart and figured Martha could do no wrong and that her recipe would be a winner. While Scott was in a meeting with his class group members, I whipped up this pretty simple pound cake.

Ingredients:
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

(My note: She didn't specify that the butter be softened, but I let it sit out and get slightly room temperature anyway.)

Preheat the oven to 325° and grease your 9x5 loaf pan. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

I got to flex my Kitchen Aid mixer muscles again for this cake, no longer with any fear that it is above me. Take that, arrogant kitchen appliance! Beat the butter until fluffy. "Fluffy" is a weird term to me because I feel like it's slightly relative. So, I whipped it until I thought it looked fluffy and took it two minutes further, just because I was unsure. What's the worst that could happen? Too fluffy? Fuzzy perhaps?

Once fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The BFC (Barefoot Contessa) would be so proud of me because I cracked the eggs in a little bowl before adding them to the mix. I didn't want to ruin my fluffy butter. It was a good thing, too, as it enabled me to fish out some shell here and there.

After the eggs, add the vanilla and give it a stir. I took the bowl off the mixer at this point since I didn't want flour flying. Add in the flour mixture a cup at a time, mixing until incorporated each time, careful not to over mix. The pour into the pan.

Remember to place your loaf pan on a cookie sheet. I almost forgot one time and would've had all kinds of pumpkin bread mess in the oven if I had. Lick the spatula after you've spread the batter in the pan. The batter tastes really good, which is a good indication the cake will too, in my experience at least.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to an hour and a half, depending. I did the full hour and 30 and kind of over did it, so I'll probably cut it to an hour 20 minutes next time.

While Martha says to let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before popping it out of there, I like to wait a little longer. One time, making another pound cake, I didn't let it cool long enough, and it fell apart. It still tasted good but looked like a gorilla had gone after it. Neither Martha nor the BFC would approve of that.

What I'm loving Wednesday

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving that my mom and sister will be here this weekend for Spring Sing. While Spring Sing isn't really the "love" part, I am very excited to see them! I haven't seen mom since Thanksgiving. She's bringing her sewing machine and giving me a tutorial. I've already been Googling skirt patterns.

I'm loving that I've got my grad school schedule all figured out and ready to go. If it all goes according to plan, I'll be a master of education in spring 2013. That's not too far away, right? I try not to think about how I'd be done with it now if I'd started after I got my bachelor's. It doesn't help.

I'm loving this sign. Scott and I have been keeping up with our nightly prayers with each other, and I've noticed that while I might think I know what the answer to the prayer "should be," God always surprises me. And he really does have a better idea than I do. It makes me thankful that I have a God who surprises me in the very best ways.

I'm loving this guy, of course. 

Bits & pieces: Ralph Lauren Cool perfume; Sally Hansen's "All Fired Up" nail polish (a pretty orangey-red I copied from the models in the JCrew catalog); and Kanye West's "All of the Lights."

Red and white and green with envy

"I wish DJ Williams would be there," I said to Scott as he finished reading of the names of the former Razorback football players who would be signing autographs at Razorfest — an event held before the Red and White spring practice game. "I know," he said, "but it'll probably be awhile before he comes to one of these things. He's going to be in the NFL for a long time."

You see, DJ Williams is probably my favorite Razorback. Not only is he a great football player, winning the John Mackey Award in 2010 as the best tight end in college football, but he's also a great person. Coming from a rough childhood, DJ rose from adversity and has become an excellent role model for little Razorbacks-to-be playing catch and claiming players to be in their front lawn. If I had a little boy, he'd definitely have his own number 45 jersey.

For Scott's birthday weekend, we went to Fayetteville to see the Red and White game and see the Razorback baseball team play. When we arrived, we were shocked at how cold and windy it was — not exactly what you picture when you think of a spring game. Shivering, we ducked into our favorite bookstore and bought sweatshirts to keep us warm during the day's events.

First stop was the football stadium. In the surrounding parking lot before the game, different events were set up, one of which was the autograph table. We surveyed the players, seeing if there was anyone worth waiting in a Splash Mountain-length line for. But, being impatient, we passed. Besides, there was no DJ.

A high point of the game was watching the two prospective quarterbacks duke it out. Will all the little boys (and some grown men) be wearing number 8 (Tyler Wilson) or 17 (Brandon Mitchell) next year. Who knows. If the winning team is any indication, then you'd better be scooping up your 8 jerseys right now, as the White team won pretty convincingly.

By the end of the third quarter, it was getting pretty chilly. The stands were starting to clear. Sitting there, minding my own business, I hear Scott say, "Hey! It's DJ Williams!"

Ha ha, funny man. Scott's favorite pastime is taking advantage of my gullibility, and I wasn't going to fall for it. But I did look over where he was pointing, just in case.

And wouldn't you know it, coming up the stairs next to our row was my favorite Razorback. What do you do?! We frantically searched for a pen for him to sign Scott's hat with as he moved closer to us.

"Hey, DJ," Scott said. "Can I get a picture?" And that's when the birthday boy got the greatest present ever.

Have you seen the commercial for Disney World where all the little boy talks about it meeting Mickey Mouse, but when the time comes had he actually meets Mickey, he's so stunned and can't say anything at all? That was me. The shock of actually getting to meet the guy I'd been so eagerly wanting to see got the better of me, and I couldn't find the words to say, "Me, too!" until he was already gone. I kicked myself for that the rest of the day. My mother-in-law put it in good perspective though. Now I have a picture of my two favorite guys. I am still a little jealous, though.

After the game, we made it over to the baseball field to watch the Razorbacks take on Mississippi State. We didn't stay for long though, as the cold weather got the best of us, and we decided to take refuge in Doe's Eat Place, warmed by the best tamales, steaks and drop biscuits ever.

It was a great weekend, and I'm definitely looking forward to more trips to Fayetteville this fall. Now all we have to do is find a good frame for Scott and DJ's picture — and someone to Photoshop me in on the other side.

Happy birthday, Scott!

[Photo: Cassie Jones Photography]

To the man who ...

... is funnier than Stephen Colbert

... could out cook Bobby Flay

... is cuter than a flock of baby penguins

... makes me happier than a spoonful of Nutella

... can smile a bad day out of existence

... would always be People's "Hottest Man Alive" if I were the editor

... believes in me regardless

... shows me God's love every single day

... and can do a spot on John Ratzenberger impression,

I'm extremely thankful you were born. My life would be painfully empty of all of your wonderfulness if you hadn't. 

I love you and all of your 25 years. Happy birthday!

What I'm loving Wednesday

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving the random community events Scott and I get to attend through the bank. On Friday night, we went to a fundraiser for the local detoxification/residential treatment program for people with drug addictions. While the highlight of the night was supposed to be hearing former Arkansas Razorbacks talk about their time on the team, what really resonated with me were the moving testimonies of several recovering addicts who had been through the treatment center. Their stories of finding themselves at the lowest of lows and, through grace and the help of those at the center, found themselves sober and trying to undo the wrongs of their past were beautiful. 

I'm loving that I won a sewing lesson at Bunco last night! I'd been lamenting most of the week that I can't sew and just want to be able to make a simple skirt. I should've listened when mom tried to teach me. As luck would have it, my Easter egg coupon (such a cute idea) was for a sewing lesson. Well, at first it was a pedicure, but that got stolen from me. No hard feelings though. I'm excited about my sewing lesson.

I'm loving if you would vote for me in the Jess LC Design Your Look contest! (Shameless. Just shameless.) Simply click here and write "Jennifer H. Facebook" in the comments. It's that easy! Some jewelry and $200 could be mine if you do (not to mention bragging rights over some girl named Tequila).

Bits and pieces: picnics on the front lawn; the royal wedding in Legos; the Chalk n' Talk app (it's like Pictionary); "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine; and this picture because it speaks to my soul.

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Happy blogiversary!

It's hard to believe that one year ago I began this little blog. And look how she's grown. I wasn't sure how long I'd keep it up when I wrote that first post, having hopped on (then off) that Xanga trend a while back and attempted (and failed) to pick up blogging intermittently after that. I'm glad this one stuck, though. 

(You know what makes an excellent blogiversary gift? Voting for me to win some lovely jewelry and $200 at Makeunder My Life. Simply visit their site and write "Jennifer H. Facebook" in the comments!)

To honor this occasion, I thought it would be fun to recap the top three most read posts of the year. 

1. Where I discover I'm turning into my father: Tackling the root of my question asking/borderline interrogation 

2. Love me do: The story of "our song" (or the song that I choose to call "our song")

3. Off the wagon, off the treadmill: Working out just wasn't working out for me 

I look forward to see what the next year will bring! Thanks for reading!

Vote for me! (Please?)

Click banner to visit voting site

I've entered a contest through Jess LC to win two pieces of their jewelry as well as $200 toward the look I've created. I would love love love it if you would take a minute to pop over there and vote for me. Click on the banner to get to the voting site. All you have to do is leave a comment saying you're voting for "Jennifer H. (Facebook)." Scroll all the way to the bottom for the comment form.

Here's the look you'll be voting for:

There's a hug in it for you if you do! Voting ends Friday, so feel free to bribe others to vote for me as well. :)

Thanks so much!

Direct link to comments form:http://makeundermylife.com/vote-for-your-favorite-design-your-look/#comments

I do not have Rubella

I guess a more on topic title would be "I'm going to grad school," but, if I've learned one thing as a writer, it's that you've got to hook them with the title. Rubella is excellent bait.

But yes, starting this summer, I'll be pursuing my Master of Education with an emphasis in English here at Harding. I'll still be working full time, but I'll be taking classes at night. I guess I just couldn't take that Scott would be the only "master" in our house.

But let's get back to the Rubella, OK? I've been gathering up all the pieces to my application puzzle this week, and it's turned out to be a much larger undertaking than I'd originally thought. I'm a weirdo and love filling out forms, so when it came application time, I was pretty excited. But then there's all the extra stuff that I wasn't  planning on.

The first piece is my teaching licensure. When I graduated in 2008, I was given an initial teaching license, which gave me three years of teaching time and passing the Praxis III before I got my full license. Basically it was a teaching license with training wheels — you can't ride it that way forever.

Well, I never ended up teaching, and that license found its way into a closet. That closet found itself in the cross-hairs of my always cleaning husband. If you've done the math, then you know that three-year teaching license has expired. You throw out other expired things, right — like milk, medicine and sandwich meat? (Side note on expired things: Ask me about the cucumber that we left in the fridge too long that got soggy and soft, pickling itself in its own produce bag. I guess there's no need to ask me now, though, since I just told you all the good parts. It's why I have to be very seriously committed to eating the cucumber when I buy one now.)

In that same way, I threw out my expired license. The trash bag it now calls home was picked up three days before I met with the director of the graduate program who told me I needed it. This is my luck. So now I'm trying to figure out how to get an expired teaching license reissued to go with my application. That's dilemma number one.

Dilemma number two was my immunization records and the Rubella which I do not have. In order to enroll, I had to verify that I'd had all my shots and would not spread deadly diseases to my classmates. My initial reaction was, haven't I already done this? I mean, to get into Harding as an undergraduate, I filed that paperwork. Have I been exposed to mumps since then? Probably not.

My luck turned around, though, and I was able to find that the University still had my shot records on file, signed by my pediatrician in Nashville. That was kind of funny to see for some reason. I find it strange to thing that shots I had way back in 1985 can affect my enrollment status in 2011, but what do I know?

I am also not a chicken pox threat as my immunization form states I had them in May 1993. I just remember it was after I'd been to Disney World for the first time and being thoroughly disappointed by the oatmeal bath, picturing it more like sitting in a giant bowl of thick oatmeal and not a tub with some oats floating around. But, again, what do I know?

Dilemma number three is the letter of recommendation. That's always an awkward one and a little presumptuous. I mean, you pick out people you know (or at least hope) will write you a good one. In high school, you ask your favorite teacher, not the teacher whose class you sleep or talk through (not that I did that). The question is who do I pressure into writing one of these forced complements? You can see the predicament.

Overall, though, I'm excited about starting school again, in a truly nerdy way. I miss being pushed and learning new things, not to mention school supplies, which I love so much. I look forward to what the next two years will bring, not to mention the cool hood I'll get to wear at graduation.

I'll have regalia! But not Rubella.

What I'm loving Wednesday

Linked up at This Kind of Love

I'm loving my little tomato plant. It's become like my child. I worry about it and check on it several times a day. I brought it under the cover of the patio during the terrible thunderstorms on Monday because I didn't think it could handle the wind. Thanks to Cassie, it is now known as Sally in honor of the character in Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sally Tomato. I'm toying with the idea of weekly pictures of its growth like people take weekly pictures of their growing baby belly. Yeah, it's reached a crazy point.

I'm loving Pinterest. It's become my new Internet addiction. Basically, you can "pin" things you find around the Web to one centralized location, with links so you can find it later. It beats my "Ideas" folder on my desk top, full of swiped Facebook pictures of people's hair I like and jumbled Etsy listings. I have several boards in progress: style inspiration, hair ideas, what my future child's nursery will look like, crocheted stuff (which includes a really awesome ball of yarn and crochet hook tattoo), and the Beatles, as seen below.

I'm loving seeing God's hand active in my life. Scott and I decided we needed to improve our prayer life, namely in prayer with each other. We started last night and are already seeing God at work. It's amazing and sad how easy it is to neglect one of the most powerful "tools" provided to us.

Bits and pieces: Greek salads; playing bean bag toss in the backyard with my beau; alliteration; and raspberries.

Brothers and sisters

Short people and standing-room-only concerts don't mix. My sister and I learned that the hard way this weekend. Courtney came down (up? over?) to see the Avett Brothers concert as part of the First Thaw Festival  that Harding was hosting this past weekend.

The concert wasn't in the Benson, per the usual Harding concert standard, but in the Rhodes Field House. It gave the concert a different vibe, although predominantly white church of Christ folks look quite silly standing at a concert. We don't know what to do with ourselves. We severely lack rhythm. And only half of us feel comfortable clapping to music.

After trying, and failing, to sit in the higher up seats so we could see, Courtney and I staked out our spot in the back, trying to maintain a good distance from others. We like our space and prefer not to smell the body odors of others. That also failed. At standing concerts, no one ever, ever stays where they started off. Can't they just sell the tickets for a marked off square foot? I can stand in my little box happy and free from the body heat of others? We got stuck behind some mammoth guys who obviously obeyed their mothers and ate their veggies to grow big and strong. 

"Sister, sister! Never knew how much I'd missed ya."

I always feel like I'm too set in my old lady ways when I go to things like this. I like to be in bed at a reasonable hour, and loud noises bother me and my already poor hearing. It's always nice to have a partner in old-ladiness, though, and Courtney is just that. By the end of the night, we were bemoaning our sore feet and bad backs, ringing ears and scratchy voices, not to mention how hot it was inside. Yes, there's no denying we're sisters.

All of that aside, though, we did have a wonderful time. We did manage to steal a few glimpses of the Brothers on tip-toes and peaking around the broad shoulders of others. The Avett Brothers put on an amazing show, and we were happy that they played all of the songs we wanted to hear. Even if it meant being in bed far past my bedtime.

Prior to the concert, Scott and I took advantage of the pretty day and meandered around town. After a trip to Lowe's, we had all the makings of our first patio garden. Scott got a bunch of herbs, and I got a tomato plant. There's nothing quite like a homegrown tomato, and I'm reminded of that every summer I don't have any. This year I'm changing that.

I've become very protective of my fledgling vine. I pulled it out of the elements last night because I was scared today's thunderstorms would wreck it. In 50 days, my Early Girl tomato plant should be producing fruit. We'll see if I don't kill it first. 

Good eats: Nutella almond cookies

After my post about the Kitchen Aid mixer, I got a lot of requests to share my Nutella almond cookies recipe. So here it is, by popular demand. Don't say I never did anything for you.

I must first give credit where credit is due. This is a tweaked version of a Giada De Laurentiis recipe.

Cast of characters (a.k.a. ingredients):

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup Nutella

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

3/4 cup slivered almonds

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

(Chef's note: You don't need every shape and size Lock-n-Lock to make these cookies. We just happen to be avid collectors.)

Once you've set all your ingredients out and photographed them like so (or not; it's up to you), put your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl and mix it around a bit. This is what those in the biz call your "dry ingredients." Also preheat your oven to 375. 

In another bowl (the bowl to your mixer or another larger bowl if you're using a hand mixer), plop the butter, sugar, brown sugar and Nutella. Nothing makes me feel more pro than when I remember to set out the butter beforehand so it gets all warm and soft. Go, me! 

Cream those ingredients together with your mixer for about 4 minutes. It's going to smell really good. Lick the spoon you dug the Nutella out with while it mixes. This is a very important step.

Once they're creamed together, add the egg and vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes. (Ina — you know, Ina, the Barefoot Contessa — would fall to the floor of her pretty little house in the Hamptons if she knew I cracked the egg directly to the the batter and not into a separate bowl to make sure the egg was good. But what Ina doesn't know won't hurt her. I'm sure Jeffery would catch her before she hit the ground anyway.)

Now mixing with a spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in thirds until well incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and almonds and mix them in until combined. Side note on the almonds: I used to use sliced almonds until one day the store was out and all I could get were slivered. I actually prefer the slivered now because they don't get as overly crisp as the sliced ones do. I've also been tempted by chopped walnuts or pecans a time or two and thought they would add something special to these cookies. If you go that route, let me know how it turns out.

Using a tablespoon, scoop the dough into balls and place them on a cookie sheet thusly: 

The original recipe recommends baking them for 10-12 minutes, but I've found 8 to be the magic number. They get crisp on the bottom while remaining gooey in the middle. Once they've baked, let cool on a wire rack. You'll get about 30 cookies out of this recipe.

Eat one straight off the sheet. You'll thank me.

Now, go forth and bake. Have a happy weekend!