48 questions

Happy Pi Day! All you math nerds make yourself and pie and eat your heart out. Personally, I love any reason for pie. I love pie. Anyway, since I'm on a mini vacation, enjoy a little randomness! 


1. What time did you get up this morning? Early! Got lots of fun vacation-y things to do! :)

2. How do you like your steak? I used to be a well done kinda gal, until the hubs introduced me to medium well. Mmmm. 

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Um...I think it was Beauty and the Beast in 3D. Totally worth it to see the Tangled short. 

4. What is your favorite TV show? HAHAHA. Favorite TV show. Well, there's Naruto, NCIS, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Big Bang Theory, MLP:FIM, and so many dang others. Mostly kid shows, I refuse to grow up.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? As much as I love living in my home state of Maryland, it would be nice to live somewhere with perpetual sunshine, like California. 

6. What did you have for breakfast? I don't usually eat breakfast, I'm just not hungry when I wake up. 

7. What is your favorite food? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Spirals. 

8. Foods you dislike? Raw onions, bell peppers, all mushrooms, tuna melts. 

9. Favorite place to eat? David and I love to go to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast, I also love Red Robin and any steak house. 

10. Favorite dressing? Italian or red wine vinegarette. 

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? I drive a 1998 Nissan Maxima and sometimes I drive my hubby's Chevy Malibu. 

12. What are your favorite clothes? Skinny jeans + boots + cardi. 

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? France. Or Fiji.

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? I do my best to see it half full.

15. Where would you want to retire? I just wanna retire!

16. Favorite time of day? Late evening, time to wind down and be with the hubs. 

17. Where were you born? Maryland!

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? Blech. I watch the Superbowl and the Olympics. And occasionally BYU games.

19. What is your favorite fragrance? Oh it's always changing. Love fruity mixed with floral. I don't like either by themselves. 

20. What is your favorite face cream? Clinique. 

21. Favorite baby/kids products? None of those in this house. 

22. People watcher? Absolutely.

23. Are you a morning or night person? I'm usually more productive in the morning, but I'm totally a night owl. 

24. Do you have any pets? Three cats. Jellybean, Aeris, and Cleo. 

25. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share? The hubs and I are moving in a few months!! :D

26. What did you want to be when you were little? An artist. I still do, actually.

27. What is your favorite memory? Are you serious? How in the world could I have one favorite memory?

28. Are you a cat or dog person? I think that's obvious. 

29. Are you married? Yup. 12.19.08. 

30. Always wear your seat belt? Absolutely.

31. Been in a car accident? Just a few fender benders. 

32. Any pet peeves? Most any noise that comes from your mouth I hate. 

33. Favorite pizza toppings? I LOVE white pizza with spinach and a million kinds of cheese. Or, pepperoni.

34. Favorite flower? Lilies. 

35. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate chip cookie dough or mint chocolate chip. But, I don't eat ice cream much.

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? Chipotle. 

37. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? Haha, twice. The first time because I was 13" away from the curb instead of 12" and the other because the lady HATED me and got on her hands and knees to measure that I was 1/4" over the white line when I stopped at a stop sign. I went back the next day and passed with flying colors. That jerk. 

38. From whom did you get your last email? From my personal account, my dad. From my blog account, a deal of the day site. 

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Esty. Does that count as a store?

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? Took a week off a work to drive down to NC for a mini vacation! 

41. Like your job? Love it!! The best job I could have ever been blessed with.

42. Broccoli? OMG YES. I could eat a whole bowl for dinner. Raw or cooked, mmm I love broccoli. 

43. What was your favorite vacation? Aside from my honeymoon in California, Disney World with my family. :)

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? My mother in law.

45. What are you listening to right now? The sweet sound of silence.

46. What is your favorite color? All shades of pink, turquoise, mustard yellow, slate gray. 

47. How many tattoos do you have? None, never wanted one. 

48. Coffee drinker? No, I do love coffee but I abstain from it for religious reasons. I drink herbal tea though, I love me some herbal chai!

I really miss this guy though. Really, really, reaaaaaally miss him and our Tuesday dates. 

Where I've been, Etsy shop mega sale, and giveaway winner!

So this blogging hiatus has been a lot longer than I thought it would be! I apologize for that. Things haven't been easy around here and it's taken a while to get back on my feet. But I MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH! For real. I feel like my BFF moved across state and I can't see her anymore.

A LOT of the absence has to do with {this} This is my major struggle in life, my "secret." It affects me every day, and sometimes it is just too much to handle and I need to retreat to lick my wounds and recuperate. 

But for the past few weeks I've been feeling more than that. On top of everything, I've been sick constantly for three weeks, totally lethargic, unmotivated, coughing my lungs out to the point of vomiting, and just an overall BLAH feeling. And yesterday I finally found out why!

{Pertussis} Whooping cough! You know, that thing people died from a hundred years ago but hardly anyone gets it now because we get vaccinated? Well, SOMEONE didn't get her booster last year...Fail Amie. Though I got myself some antibiotics that will make me uncontagious by Tuesday, poison flavored prescription cough syrup and a super fancy inhaler to help with the cough I'm still gonna have symptoms for the entire duration of the sickness: SIX WEEKS. So I will feel like I have a cold + super intense coughing for three more weeks. This will probably keep affecting my blogging, so stay with me! I'll do my best. :)

Now, for announcements. First off, I am having a huge clearance of my Etsy shop sale, everything is 50% OFF until it's all gone! Gotta make room for some new stuff. :) Use code: gottago50 for 50% off your ENTIRE order, excluding shipping. Act fast, because once it's gone, it's gone forever!

click {HERE} for fabulous new jewelry at a great price!

On that note, everyone who has already purchased something, I followed up with my doctor today and I am being quarantined until Tuesday, so I will ship all your goodies then. 

And the final announcement is the WINNER of my quiz+giveaway!

And the winner is...........

Brooke Anna of Mommy Does! She got a whopping 17 points! Brooke email me with your address and I will ship your prize on Tuesday.

It was SUPER close, the runner up got 16 points! I had fun reading all your answers, thanks for playing along with me. :) In case you are curious, here are the answers:

1. What is the hubs' name? David 
2. What is ONE of my favorite TV shows? A lot of answers could be accepted here, including but not limited to: The Big Bang Theory, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, NCIS, Law and Order SVU, Naruto, The Office, anything on Food Network (can be found in my Things to know if we are going to be BFFs post)
3. Where did I attend college? What do I have my degree in? BYU-Idaho, Elementary Education (can be found under "about me")
4. I have a cartoon crush. Who is it? Kakashi. Tuxedo Mask would also be accepted here (can be found in my Halloween post last year)
5. When is my birthday? April 8th  (can be found in my stronganoff recipe post)
6. How many siblings do I have? (Extra point if you include in-law siblings) David and I each have three younger siblings (this is a combo of many different posts)
7. What do I NEED to have on before I leave the house? Sunglasses. I literally cannot see without them (found under BFF post)
8. Name one thing I am allergic to. Bubble bath has been listed on the blog. I am also allergic to several medications and soy milk (also found under BFF post)
9. What is my all time, number one favorite food? Macaroni and Cheese. Kraft, from the box. Extra goodness for spirals (can be found in several posts)
10. I have a phobia of: Bees and falling up the stairs and breaking my teeth. But I loved Brooke Anna's answer of touching soggy bread in the sink, because I do fear that every time I do dishes. (found in several posts)
11. What is the background on my laptop? A montage of cats 
12. Where do the hubs and I like to go on Tuesdays? Taco Bell, for Taco Tuesdays. Tuesday is our date night. (not a specific post, just kind of mentioned it)
13. What did I grow in my garden this year? Heirloom tomatoes (this was in my Father's Day post)
14. What is the name of one of my cats? Jelly Bean, Aeris, and Cleo (I have lots of cat posts)
15. How tall am I? 5'3" (this was in my brother coming home post)
16. When did I open my Etsy shop? November 8, 2010 (can be found in my store)
17. What is my favorite flower? Lily, peach roses is second place (can be found in my anniversary post)

I'm working on a few projects but I my doctor told me my quarantine must be full of: "sleeping in, soup, and movies," her words exactly. Hopefully I'll have something to post in a few days though, I'm not very good at following doctor's orders....

Not yet....but almost! {Quiz + giveaway!}

Still haven't found my mojo yet. :c (that's a REALLY sad face btw.) I though taking a week off would help me get back on my feet and get motivated, but I honestly feel worse today than I did last week.

That MIGHT be because I picked up the cold that's been going around the house though.

Just saying. There are a few other things going on but I won't get into that.

Anyway, I feel bad that I've left you hanging for so long. I miss you guys. A lot. Even though I don't personally know most of you I still love you! Seriously. You guys help me get out of bed most days.

So in my crafty absence, I thought I would give you something to do! I've created a little quiz on something I know a lot about....ME! Copy and paste the quiz into a comment (or email, for all you email subscribers), and answer the questions. For every right answer (or close enough answer) you get a point! Whoever gets the most point will win a small package filled with some of my most favorite things.

Oh, and 99% of these answers can be found within the words of the old bloggity blog. I tried not to make it TOO tricky.

In the case of a tie, I'll think of something totally elaborate as a tiebreaker. Ready?

1. What is the hubs' name?
2. What is ONE of my favorite TV shows?
3. Where did I attend college? What do I have my degree in?
4. I have a cartoon crush. Who is it?
5. When is my birthday?
6. How many siblings do I have? (Extra point if you include in-law siblings)
7. What do I NEED to have on before I leave the house?
8. Name one thing I am allergic to.
9. What is my all time, number one favorite food?
10. I have a phobia of: ____________
11. What is the background on my laptop? (Ok I never said this one, but I want to see your guesses :D)
12. Where do the hubs and I like to go on Tuesdays?
13. What did I grow in my garden this year?
14. What is the name of one of my cats?
15. How tall am I?
16. When did I open my Etsy shop?
17. What is my favorite flower?

Ok, I'm bored now. I might go back and add a few if I think of some good ones.

That's me. Awwww!

Giveaway will close when I get my mojo back. Hopefully that'll be soon! I discourage those of you who actually know me from participating. Might have an unfair advantage! ;)

Good luck! See you soon!

A glimpse

As I've mentioned in the last several posts, I've been really busy lately! There has been so much going on, so I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse into my life, and actually show you why I've been so busy!

 We had an earthquake. David and I were getting sushi when it happened.

 I tested eight different "college friendly" recipes for my brother.

None of them were very good. Nasty, actually. 

My brother came home after two years. I missed him lots.

I proved once and for all that I AM the tallest woman in my family. Standing at an impressive 5'3"

For just a few hours, all us siblings were home. 

David and I went to New York despite the hurricane. Rebels, oh yes.

We saw the Harry Potter Exhibition which was THE COOLEST THING EVER!!!!! Sadly, no pictures allowed. They pretty much threatened us. True story.

And ate outrageous food. Couldn't even get that sucker in my mouth.

We went to the New York Library with a deadly storm just about to hit. Day After Tomorrow much?

We went to Cirque de Solie at Radio City Music Hall. (Yes we're supposed to be orange)

 More outrageous food. This one is a cannoli from a street vendor who had so many holes in her face I don't know how she could drink.

And best of all, I got to see my BFF.

We raced a the hurricane home, barely making it. We lost power, and lost a tree.

We went to a football game. Can you spot my sister? I'll give you a hint, she's the only one in a cheerleading uniform.

Geeze. She's adorable.

We played with fire and roasted literally just picked off the vine peppers.

And we celebrated birthdays.

All and all it has been a wonderful, but outrageously busy summer. Not that school starting will help at all. My little tutoring business is booming, I'm am completely booked for the school year! Throw in subbing and I'm working 12 hour days. So things might slow down a little bit, but I'm not gong anywhere! I like you too much. 

Me A-Z

I know...I know...you want a craft. You want pretty things, you want tutorials and other fun stuff. Believe me, I do too! I'm writing up not one, but TWO tutorials for this week! Huzzah! So there's that to look forward to! AND tomorrow I reveal the winner of this month's 3...2...1...craft! competition! It's close between two projects, so get those votes in to make sure the one you want is the one that wins!


Anyway, saw this over on {Casey's} blog, then {Kirt's}, and ended up copying from {Kimbo} Enjoy!


A. age: 24 (I know right? Does this look like the face of a 24 year old?)

Didn't think so. I get 16 most of the time. Only 8 years off...that's not so bad....


B. bed size: king, glorious, glorious king. The hubs hates being touched in the middle of the night. One time when we were camping, we shared a full sized air mattress and he kept yelling "STOP TOUCHING ME!!!" in the middle of the night. lol. 


On a happier note, we just bought new bedding!!

LOVE IT! And no, I didn't choose it because it was gray and yellow. This was the only one the Hubs and I could agree on! 


C. chore you hate: Dishes. I loathe dishes, I can't stand the smell of them, the sight of them, the feel of them. I also hate dusting. 


D. dogs: I've never owned a dog before, but we live with a dog. His name is Jack, he's a great dog. 

He's pretty much the only dog I like. I am a cat person. 


E. essential start to your day: check my phone. You know, because tons of stuff happens overnight...when everyone is sleeping....


F. favorite color: It changes a lot. I'm very fond of pink, but I also love turquoise, and mustard yellow....um, I like all colors. 

G. gold or silver: Silver. Occasionally I'll wear a gold piece, if it really goes with the outfit. I only have like two gold though. 


H. height: 5'3"ish


I. instruments you play: BAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!!!!! (wipes tears) Oh you crack me up. 


J. job title: Teacher/tutor, depending on what time of the day it is

K. kids: three, two cats and a husband.

L. live: Maryland

M. maiden name: King


N. nicknames: Depends on who you're talking to! Ames, Amo, Amikins, Honey, Angel Face, MieMie, it goes on and on. 


P. pet peeve: Repetitive noises: beeping, tapping, cracking, chewing. I have issues with sounds. 


Q. quote: A favorite quote? HAHAHA!! You can check out my "Words" {pinterst board} for lots of quotes I like, but I am particularly fond of this one. 

R. righty or lefty: righty. Boring. 


S. siblings: Two brothers and a sister. All younger. 

Remember how I said they were all younger? I will let you use that fact to figure out which one is me. See that baby? Same one that's a varsity cheerleader AND marching band now. Oh how time flies. 

Yet growing up never seems to happen.

T. time you wake up: What am I doing that day? 


U. university attended: Brigham Young University-Idaho. Tried BYU, hated it. Went to BYU-I, loved it. 

Graduated on our first anniversary. Dang! My hair was short back then. This was right after I chopped it all of to donate. 


V. vegetables you dislike: raw onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. 


W. what makes you run late: HUSBAND!! He would disagree with me, but 9 times out of 10 I'm waiting for him!

At least he's cute right?


X. x-rays you’ve had: Oh geeze...my teeth a million times, elbow, wrists, ribs, chest...hmm....probably more just can't think of them all. 


Y. yummy food: mac and cheese, any and all sushi, homemade dumplings, potstickers, broccoli, Cheetos, blue crabs, steak, cry babies, Rita's ice, fresh tomatoes...I should make a list of NON yummy foods. It would be very short. 


Z. zoo animal favorite: Polar bears!!!

They are so cute. Big cats too. 

Tag, you're it. Hopefully that was entertaining enough! 

The 4th

If you're a fan of my facebook page, you might have seen that I have declared that 4th of July might be my new favorite holiday. I love Halloween, but I've never had a disappointing Independence Day. What's not to love about grilling, fireworks, and family?

We played with sparklers, and tried out making shapes in the camera. Only my baby sister was successful. 

I tried out some taking pictures of fireworks tips, and some pictures turned out fantastically. MUCH better than they have in the past! I captured colors and not all the pictures are terribly blurry, epic win for me. This was the first time I'd really ever been able to have fireworks in the yard, since growing up, all forms of at home fireworks were illegal. LAME. 

I felt good about it the whole time, but then when I was going through pictures I saw this. David with firework in his mouth, and a lighter in his hand. Husbands.

Our attempts at a nice family picture. Fail. We can't be taken seriously. Ever.

What to expect this week:
Giveaway tomorrow.
Handmade gift exchange post.
Crafty contest details.
Tutorial {food related, you excited?}

Happy Father's day

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there.The new dads, the dads to be, the dads multiple times over, the pet dads, the step dads, the future dads, the grandads, the dads passed on, and all the other kinds of dads I'm forgetting. From this:

No, that's not a chef's hat, those are my pants. My dad put them on my head and I am THRILLED about that decision.

To this.

He's barely aged! People still think he is in his thirties. When he would come to my high school no one ever believed he was my dad. He's taught me so many things over the years, but my most recent accomplishment is this:

Thanks for all those summers in the garden, teaching me to work for the things I love. :)

A proud, proud day

Phew! I have been so incredibly busy this week! I can't believe it's almost Friday! I feel like it should be Tuesday. Between the fantastic three day weekend, my little brother's graduation, working as much as I do, AND prepping for a fantastic garden party I'm am beyond pooped. Yeah, excuses excuses.

I got to visit my fantastic grandparents in PA over the long weekend for the first time since Thanksgiving. I love it there, in a tiny town life just seems so much more peaceful. We watched tons of movies, ate the best kinds of foods, and relaxed the weekend away. Didn't even use my new laptop! And didn't notice either. I love that.

On Tuesday we celebrated my little brother's high school graduation. He graduated from the same high school I did, in the exact same place too! Only mine was exactly 6 years ago, hard to believe I'm closer to my 10 year reunion than I am to my actual graduation. I am so proud of him!

Little sister {who is NOT my twin, she is 9 years younger than me}, little brother, and me.

Dad, little brother, Mom.

Husband, photobombing little sister, little brother. Sadly my other little brother wasn't able to attend because he is still on {his mission} in Seattle, Washington. But he will be home in August, we are so excited to have him home again. :)

Did I mention that his graduation took place in DC? Oh how I love living near such a historical city. If you've never been to DC you should book your ticket now and come! It is one of my most favorite places in the world. Except when it's over 100 degrees outside. Then it isn't that fun...because Maryland is HUMID. Normally I don't mind, but when it's that hot...gosh. You melt.

Can I show off my little brother one more time? Isn't he so handsome? Plus he's super smart, going to a great college and way fun. I will not allow him to date anyone, since he can't date till he's 45, but if you want to get on the waiting list send a girlfriend app in now!

Tutorial and garden party pictures to come later this week.