Creative Juices

Come By Me

Coming to you live from somewhere on 95N in Northern VA, it's Sabrina!
How cool is that? Thanks to TWC (who seems to provide everything that feeds my addicition to the internet and television) I am blogging via a wireless connection, while sitting in the passenger seat of a lovely rented Galant. Sylvester is keeping the music upbeat and happy, as we enter the second leg of our 8 hour drive to my favorite place.
Thats all I've got going on. This is definitely the easiest trip I've ever taken... good tunes, internet access and a very comfy car (with two cigarette lighter power thingys for all my technological advancedness).
See you when I return!

Honesty Or Mystery

Worst. Morning. EVER.
I woke up extra early, partly because we got home late last night (from Brad's birthday extravaganza) and I didnt feel like showering then... so I woke up early to wash my hair. I also woke up early to finish making my pies. I managed to get a pie and a half made before leaving for Brad's.
After my shower, I went downstairs to check on the pies. Strawberry Cream Pie, good to go. Just needs the strawberries on top and a little drizzled melted chocolate. I'll do that later. Tuxedo Pie, not so much. For some reason, and I really still cant figure out what I did wrong, the chocolate pudding didnt set. So, this morning, when I went to spread the vanilla pudding on top, it just sort of lumped in the center and sunk down. Not good. I got so frustrated with it (why would a pie dare to disagree with me when it's only 6:15 in the morning?) that I threw it out. Unfortunately (and this will teach you that frustrated actions get you no where), as I was scraping it out of the pie pan, I missed the trash can and pudding went all over my just-swiffered-on-saturday floor. I cleaned it up before the cats ate too much of it, but I'm sure the crime scene is still sticky.
After that I started making the White Chocolate Raspberry Pie. No catastrophies there. It looks scrumptious. Just needs some white chocolate drizzled on top and yum. But I created a motherload of dirty dishes. I left the dirty dishes because it was already 7am, so I needed to start getting dressed and stuff.
Did that.
Had some time, so I decided to unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher and start another load. Still had a few minutes, so I started washing some dishes. Really, I should have been smarter than that, cause I really am the messiest dishwasher ever. Halfway through, I splashed very dirty (dirty with chocolate, strawberry goo, and a few smushed raspberries) ALL over my white shirt and purple cords. CATASTROPHE! I ran upstairs as quickly as possible to pretreat my stains. (Please God dont let my purple cords be stained). I threw the cords in the washer and left the white shirt soaking in the sink and then picked out another outfit.
By this time, it was much past the time I was supposed to leave for work. Aaaand, I was supposed to be in early today.
Just so we're all aware of my priorities, even though I was running late, I still stopped off at Bruegger's for my Tuesday bagel. With such a bad bad start to the morning, I desperately needed my bagel. On my way in, I imagined that they were all out of plain bagels and plain cream cheese... and then I had a nervous breakdown. Lucky for all, The Bagel Guy fixed me a bagel and I knew my day was on its way up.
Proof of that, my boss boss is running late, and I cant do the work I need to do until she arrives. And that is why I am sharing my morning with you.

It Makes Me Feel So Good To Always Tell You When You're Wrong

The winners are: (drum roll please)
Tuxedo Pie (with 5 votes)
Strawberry Cream Cake (with 4 votes) and
White Chocolate Berry Pie (also, with 4 votes)

Well done and thanks for voting.
They're all yummy recipes, so I'll probably try them each once at some point this summer. But I'll be baking those three Monday night (after I buy a pie pan, since, sadly, the baker of all bakers doesnt own one) in hopes of serving them to a great group of friends on Tuesday.

That is all.

Just Pay Me Back With One Thousand Kisses

Today is the calm before the storm at work for me. Summer Session starts tomorrow, and I have a long list of things to do... but they cant be done till 8am tomorrow.
So, I'm taking some time to look up some dessert recipes for an upcoming party I have to go to. I'll be bringing three desserts. Want to help me decide? Its a cookout, so I thought some yummy cold, cool whippy, possibly berryness desserts would be good.

Stawberry Cream Cake
Raspberry Summer Sensation
Tuxedo Pie
Strawberry Margarita Squares
White Chocolate Berry Pie
Sweet As Kisses Pie

Vote for your top three choices and thats what I'll make. Unfortunately, the majority of you wont have the opportunity to eat them...

It's My Favorite Part, Because, You'll See

She's done it again! I've survived another weekend with The Girls. It seemed easier than last time (for me), but that might have been because I had more of an idea of what to expect. And they didnt throw me for any loops (luckily).
Friday was super easy, I picked them up from The Kelley's, we got Wendy's (free frostys!) and then it was bathtime and bedtime.
Saturday we spent the whole day at The Zoo. Like I said before, lots of walking. But the day was nice, the sun wasnt too hot, and The Girls seemed to have a good time. Like The Steve, I expected much more pure joy and excitement from The Girls over seeing the animals. I was freaking out about the polar bears all up in my face... and they just sort of stood there. Maybe they were stunned, maybe it was too much for them to take in. The polar bears rocked, though. They were definitely my favorite part.
Because it was International Migratory Bird Day, there were a few stations set up near the aviary with information about birds. Kyra really seemed to enjoy these education stations, while I found them entirely boring. Being the proud pseudo-mom that I am, I used that time to show off Kyra's exceptional bird knowledge.
One woman asked "How do you know so many birds?" and Kyra answered, as simply as possible: "I'm a bird watcher." Duh.
But there were certainly some pretty birds to watch. Including a lovely purple bird that refused to let us take a picture of it. It was an Amethyst Starling. Widely known for being camera shy. If anyone is going to be in Africa soon, you can definitely bring me back an Amethyst Starling. That would be a lovely gift.
The Girls were completely worn out by 4pm, so we headed back home after the giraffes. Lucky for me, there were no hippopotamuses at this zoo. And we walked straight by the rhinoceroses, because I'm pretty sure if a hippo doesnt eat children, a rhino will.
Sunday was pretty normal. Up and ready for church, church then lunch. After lunch Steve watched Beauty and the Beast with The Girls while I enjoyed some much needed time with Sylvester and my garden tub. After my bath, I took the girls to Barnes & Noble. We hung out there for awhile, browsing the childrens books and eventually making a few purchases. (How can I resist girls wanting books?)
Sunday ended at The Girls house, as I put them to bed in their own beds. They prayed that they would get to spend more time with "Miss Sabrina" soon, and that made me happy.
Whereas I'm still not ready to have my own, nonreturnable, 5 and 7 year old, I definitely enjoyed getting in some practice time with The Girls.
Oh, and here are some pictures from The Zoo!

Voices Crying Out In Desperation

Remember in January when I watched The Girls for the whole entire weekend? I'm doing it again. I pick them up tonight and have them till about 10pm on Sunday.
I'm confident, though. I can handle this.
Tomorrow we're going to The Zoo. Only God knows why I thought spending an entire day outside, WHILE being mom-like, would be a good idea. Nah, it should be fun. I havent been to a zoo in ages and I've heard very good things about this one. However, the map says its a 1.7 mile walk one way. With hills and stuff. Hopefully there wont be too much whining (from me). I'm packing water and snacks (for me or The Girls?) and The Steve will be joining us. One big happy family style. And hopefully a hippopotamus doesnt eat one of The Girls.
"Curtis, Rachel... uh... yeah... a hippo ate Meg."
Wish me luck.

A Tisket, A Tasket

I love making baskets!! Gift baskets, that is. (We're not talking underwater basket weaving, here). Over the past few years, with friends getting married and other various celebrations, I've found that making my own gift basket is the best route. It's personal, its thematic (who doesnt like a good theme?) and its basket can be used later for storage! For some reason, its incredibly fun for me. And, I think I have a nack for it. Here are a few pictures of baskets I've done recently.
Slava's bridal shower picnic basket is filled with Pampered Chef products. All the bridesmaids went in on this gift together, so I got to order a ton of great stuff. This is definitely my favorite basket.


This basket was quickly put together for my friend Angie's bridal shower. The purple towels were on her registry, and I couldnt resist! I highly advocate a little purple in every home (and a lot of purple in my own).


Last night I threw this basket together. Curtis and Rachel are driving ALL the way to Canada today. That's a long drive. So, I got together some yummy snacks, a hand held poker game and some good crossword puzzle magazines. Hopefully it'll make their drive a smidge more delightful.


I dont have any pictures to prove it... but for the past three years I've done a basket for my dad and his wife, Rose. Both their birthdays AND their anniversary fall within the same week. Thats a lot of present buying. So, I got smart one year and decided to give them a movie basket. I got a couple of dvds, popcorn, my dad's favorite movie candy (good & plentys, twizzlers, dots) and maybe a nice candle, or throw blanket or whatever. After the first year, I realized I could never top such a gift. So, now it's the annual movie basket.
So, besides the fact that gift giving is most definitely the way I show love, gift baskets must really mean I love you. And they're so much fun!

But You Look Confused

Thanks to Christin for this link. What a great way to waste the day. Everyone needs their own Super Hero. (Especially with the rising coolness of things like comic books (eh hem, graphic novels, please)). For every girl that wishes she could be Little Miss Vixen... your time has come.
And here's Super Sabrina. Dont let the purpleness hypnotize you.

And I Can't Help Falling In Love With You

Ohhhhh yeeeeah. My second chance is here. And nothing, NOTHING, will stop me. Michael Buble' is here again. I would give... like, anything, name it, to see him in concert.
If you'd like to join me, let me know. It'll be July 16th, in Greensboro. Tickets are somewhat pricey cause he's all famous now (that's what happens after you're on Letterman). But it's worth every penny. And more. Much much more.
The Steve will not be going with me. I wouldnt torture him like that. But my brother might be in town, so he'll join me, cause he's the one that actually brought it to my attention (and it's better than me taking him to a My Chemical Romance concert). And, of course, my wonderful officemate Beth Ann will be with me. She's the only one that understands my love for Michael Buble.
Note to Husband: You may not, in any way, say something mean about Michael Buble on your blog. If you do, you will be sleeping here. Forever.

I Can't Do This All On My Own, I'm No Superman

I dont know if you've noticed... but there's been a recent rise on television of "geeky" characters. Over the past few years, TV has added characters (whether leading or supporting) that are just plain geeks. Let me stop and define what I mean by "geek." Dictionary.com defines 'Geek' as "a. A person regarded as foolish, inept, or clumsy." I'll see that definition and raise it... cause I'm talking about the kind of character that has this loveable quality about him. The kind of guy that has such an innocence about him. The kind of guy that crushes hard on the pretty girl, but cant seem to get a full sentence out around her. And because he's so cute and lovable (yet slightly annoying), all you want is for him to have the pretty girl. This character makes you laugh and smile, and warms your heart. He's proof that not all guys are jack asses. He's also proof to the average Joe that you dont have to be tall, dark and handsome to get that pretty girl. He gives us all hope.
My 4 top examples of these characters are:
Seth Cohen (The OC)

In Season 1, Seth definitely had this adorable geeky quality to him. And what were the odds that two girls would find him so endearing. But then he got selfish, and yet we still loved him dearly (though not as much). I'm hoping he's on his way out of this selfish slump and that he'll go back to his roots... "Open your mind here, Dad. This isn't me we're talking about. With Ryan here, we have a chance to have a real athlete in the family. Somebody to achieve all that your Jewishness has prevented me from accomplishing. Hey, I always wanted to play soccer."

Marshall Flinkman (Alias)

Who doesnt love Marshall? He's the only real comic humor on Alias. But we all love his passion for the gadgets he invents, and how giddy he gets over certain things. I was so glad that he got the girl he wanted and now Marshall is a daddy. How cute! "Looks like a normal phone that you'd call. Hi, you want to go out on Friday? No? Okay. That's fine."

JD (Scrubs)

I feel like it's a stretch to classify JD with the rest of these geeks. But he certainly does have that goofy silly quality that you cant help but like. "Look, muffin, I'm not gonna run around this hospital like the rest of you mindless drones trying to turn the sniffles into something fascinating just so you can go to some stupid conference.... Schmonference." J.D.'s Thoughts: "It's fun to rhyme!"

George O'Malley (Grey's Anatomy)

George is the newest geek on the block, and currently, the most loveable. He has a biiig crush on his coworker/roommate and he's just too cute about it. All you want is for him to be happy and for the meanie interns to stop picking on him. "The only person that can keep a promise so big is God, and you don't see him operating on people." (the only quote I could find).
If you're not watching Grey's Anatomy, you should. I've said that about shows before, and those that listened to me have not regretted it. (except for the fact that I've added a few more hours of tv to their weekly viewing schedule).

And speaking of lovable geeks... my husband has started his own blog. You can read it, but you are not allowed to enjoy it more than mine.

But Things Just Get So Crazy, Living Life Gets Hard To Do

I received something in the mail yesterday that just made me laugh. It was an 8 page, full color insert advertising "The Church Supper Cookbook." It boasts "Your dish will disappear first, guaranteed!" and claims to offer "400 hard-to-find, impossible-to-beat, classic church supper recipes!" And for no additional charge, they'll toss in "The Church Ladies' Divine Desserts."
I'm not sure what I found so funny about this. Someone must have known what a sucker I am for cookbooks. I have quite a few Martha Stewart cookbooks (recipes I've never had the guts to try) because they said I could try it for a month and return it if I didnt like it. Like I'm gonna go to the post office and mail back a pretty cookbook.
Not this time Church Supper People. I know what you're trying to do. I'm smarter than that now. I even looked up your book online and found it for half the price of what you want me to pay. Four easy installments of $7.49 my ass. I'll find the "Never-fail Scripture Cake" somewhere else, thank you very much.
It's still funny though. Especially the back page that reminds me of good ol' Commandment 11 "Don't Covet They Neighbor's Best Recipes..."

On a completely seperate note... I watched a great episode of Gilmore Girls last night. I have to explain a lovely bit of dialogue to you.
Paris returns from a weekend away to find her boyfriend laying in her bed, very very sick. He expects her to nurse him back to health, but instead, she disappears and returns with Nanny to care for him.
Rory: Why arent you taking care of him?
Paris: Sick people freak me out.
Rory: You're pre-med!

Laugh. It's funny.