Traveling Texan

Real men cry

2011-09-02T04:16:00.000-07:00

It is a world known fact that the Brits are emotionally reserved. For as long as I've known Martin I've never seen him cry or even get very upset. He limits his emotions to something he feels really strongly about - whereas I 'love' everything! cheese, Jersey Shore, hamburgers, shoes, etc.

So if I make dinner and ask how he likes it he says 'it's alright'. I finally learned that means he would eat it again.

But in the last month M has told me he cried on 2 occasions and I wasn't there to witness it!!! He cried watching a tv show about the space program (nerd alert) and cried last night watching a tv program on 9/11. I can't believe I missed this spectacular show of emotion!!!

I may need to set up CCTV cameras in the living room.

If he doesn't cry when he sees me walking down that isle, I will give him something to cry about!

B & K tied the knot and we're next!

2011-08-21T05:52:00.000-07:00

My big brother recently got married!!! I couldn't be happier for him and Kelsi [wife]! We had an amazing time in Des Moines meeting my new sister's family and celebrating their new life together. What a great time! All I'm going to say is that the Midwesterners sure do know how to throw a party!!!

Here is just a glimpse at some of the fun:

Congrats! I am so happy for y'all!

We're next - only 2 months to go now! Since the 3 month mark I've had a few 'wedding nightmares'. Nothing bad like cold feet or anything - but the one I had last night was awful!!! I had forgotten my dress in London and had to send one of my bridesmaids to go find an alternative one on the day of. Terrifying. But I'm pretty sure this won't happen because my dress is in Austin.

4th of July [a little late]

2011-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

I won't bore you with the story of how our baby [iMac] had to go to the hospital, died, then came back to life and then died for real. Short story is we were without our baby for over a month! They gave us a new one, threw in a printer and 3 years extra warranty for the trauma caused.

So I'm back in action now!

We celebrated 4th of July in true American style - with processed cheese, booze, cascarones [confetti eggs] and red, white and blue!

And a little bit of English with the Pimm's.

We played our annual 50 States game, which is listing all 50 states by going around in a circle. If you miss one you have to drink. I know, sounds easy, but without fail every year one sad little State is always forgotten. Fun day!

Next up: Bric and Kelsi's wedding

First time Ebay winner

2011-06-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

I just won my first ever Ebay auction and I feel a little buzzed!

No, it is not the first time I've used Ebay but the first time I've bid. I'm usually a 'buy it now' kind of girl. This is because I know that I would be really upset if I was out bid on something I fell in love with.

My winning was 6 blue Ball jars [see previous post] for $10!!! BARGAIN.

I was able to scratch a few things of the wedding list this weekend:

-invites getting the final touches
-found something for the hair

While I still have a lot to do, I feel like I'm making a little bit of progress.

4 months - holy cow!

2011-06-24T06:02:00.000-07:00

HOLY MOLEY.

When did it get to months until Martin becomes Mr Shelby Fraser?!

Time has flown by and it feels like I still have so much to do. It is all the small things on my list but they are adding up and stressing me out a little.

I keep finding super cute DIY wedding decorations on blogs, Etsy and Pinterest and think 'hey I can do that.' Then I don't.

This is a call to all my London ladies - want to have a craft day with me one weekend to DIY wedding decorations?!?! I'll buy drinks and cheese!!!

Brother's wedding is in about 4 weeks and then it really is crunch time.

At the moment I'm on the look out for some more of these:

Seems like Ebay and Etsy are the place to get them but they are going for about $4-5 a jar!

Much needed girl time

2011-06-08T01:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with Jackie and her friend Elan for some much needed stitch and bitch, without the stitch!

It was a great night of gossip, drinks and some okay Mexican food. Surprisingly I feel pretty good this morning - no hangover or 'crustiness' as I like to call it. M hates when I call it that but I think it's a pretty good way to describe how I feel the morning after a few drinks.

So as I missed last weeks gratitude, I'll include it here.

I am thankful for girl time! Seriously - I don't know what I would do without my London girlies. We may not see each other as much as I would like but when we do get together I love it. I know M appreciates it too because it gives his little ears a night off!

So here's to more girl nights more often.

Happy days!

New obsession

2011-05-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

Pinterest!

It is AMAZING! Basically it's a virtual 'cork board' where you can pin anything - recipes, decoration ideas, DIY, books, movies, etc.

Martha invited me to join and at first I didn't get it but I thought I would give it a go. Now I spend more time on it that any social networking site. I have found so many ideas for the wedding and loads of recipes to try out!

LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

Check it out!

Weekly Gratitude

2011-05-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

So here I am a week on and working on my positive attitude and being more thankful. I'm not going to lie, I dropped quite a few F-bomb as work this week and generally dislike a large amount of my client's. I don't think there is much getting around that - a lot of people don't like their client's. Unless you're serving sno-cones and making people smile. That is a pretty great job.

So here is my gratitude for the last week:

- Thank you to the woman at Boots who reminded me that No 7 products were 3 for 2 and then let me use someone's £5 off voucher who didn't want it.

- Thank you to the man who got out of line at Cafe Nero to open the door for me because my hands where full with 2 coffee's and a blueberry muffin.

- Thank you to the man at the grocery store today who gave me one of his produce bags because I couldn't find one.

So as you can see it is the small things that make my day!

How do you get out of a rut?

2011-05-19T04:36:00.000-07:00

I have been the absolute worst blogger as of late. I've been a bit of a rut, you know the one - work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep, work, home, sleep. When I get in those ruts I tend to feel real sorry for myself and I find it really hard to snap out of it. Depression does run in my family so I try to pay close attention to these feelings and do whatever I can to work through it.

Right now I'm so looking forward to the future that I've realised I'm not enjoying the present. One of my favorite bloggers writes a 'weekly gratitute' post - which is just a thank you to the people/things that made her week. She has inspired me to be more positive/thankful. Maybe if I can take a minute to think about the goods things in my week then hopefully I can start to get out of my rut. It's so easy to get bogged down by a daily routine and forget how lucky we are.

So I may not do a weekly one but I'm going to start here:

Marty B - thanks for putting up with me: listening, hugging, laughing, challenging, etc.
My parents - all 4 of them! You guys are amazing - I'm so thankful ya'll worked together to raise us.
Modern medicine.
Beyonce and Jay-Z

Here's to getting out of my rut and hoping the world doesn't end this Saturday.

The other Royal Wedding of 2011

2011-04-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

I did not want to get sucked into this Royal Wedding hoopla, but it was really hard not to. It started Thursday afternoon at work - I started tweeting, FBing and keeping up to date with all things royal. Now that it is all over I can say that it was a little bit like Christmas Eve - a huge build up and then a big comedown. It should have been ME!!! Jokes.

On to the next one...William and Kate aren't the only royals getting married this year - Martin and I are!!! I will be wearing a hand made lace dress by Merona for Target.

I went to ATX last weekend to do some wedding planning (can you believe I was thinking I could do it all from London?!) and my Moms and MOHs threw me the best shower ever! Mexican food, Skinnygirl margaritas, queso, cupcakes, cakeballs, friends and family. I couldn't have asked for anything more! We got a lot of things on our registry list, oh and I got the Kitchenaid!

Here are a few pics but there are more on my Picasa link:

Thank you so much to everyone who came and to my Moms and MOHs for hosting! Love ya'll!

And thank you, William and Kate for the day off.

xoxo

2 Kisses!!!

2011-04-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Royal Wedding day!!!

Pictures from my Royal Wedding shower to come!

P.S. so happy they kissed twice - but can a sister get a hug???

Sunday Songs

2011-04-10T07:19:00.000-07:00

Since we got our new baby (iMac) I've been going through all of my music on itunes that I haven't listened to in so long. Today has been Paul Simon's Graceland and The Rhythm of the Saints. I love rediscovering great albums!

Good day sunshine!

Weekend catch up

2011-04-10T07:09:00.000-07:00

As usual it's been forever since I've posted. Sorry! There is no good excuse - I just haven't felt the creative juices flowing lately.

Not much new has happened in the past month, other than we are finally getting the Spring time weather that I love so much in London. We've been pretty spoiled the last couple of weeks with temps reaching the 70s and lots of sunshine!!! I love it. Yesterday I met up with K squared, Jackie B and her hubs for lovely day in the park. I overdosed on cheese and even got a little bit of a sunburn on one shoulder. I'll take any sun I can get here and plus I fit in with all the other Brits with awkward patches of red after the first signs of summer.

Martin has been away in Budapest this weekend on a stag/bachelor party for one of his friends, so today I'm just doing my normal weekend chores with all the windows open and enjoying the sun once again!

Oh and the best news of all - the kitchen aid has been bought!!! Yahoo!!!

Wedding registries - DADT

2011-03-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

I have a theory that online wedding registries encourages secrecy between couples, or at least fuels the inner shopaholic in women.

Martin and I went to register for everything we could in 2 days. This is not advisable but we had no choice. But the great thing is that all of our registries are online...

So for the past few months since we've registered, I've occasionally gone on and added a few things here and there. I mean who doesn't need a ginger grater or a pasta measuring tool?! I know I need them!

But last weekend I think I might have had a Becky Bloomwood Brandon moment, and I was also reeling from the effects of somewhere between 8-10 cosmos the night before. I added lot of things and changed the color of my Kitchenaid! Then I confessed. But the best thing is that he probably doesn't even remember what we've registered for in the first place so no harm done!

I think we should adopt a 'don't ask don't tell' policy to our relationship when it comes to things like this.

And without further ado, my new Kitchenaid color:

I think this is a great choice and it will be so much better to decorate around than the boysenberry.

The power of Facebook

2011-03-07T05:36:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I noticed all my FB peeps posting about Girl Scout cookie season. Man was I jealous. Last year I was home during GSC season so I was able to get my fill.

This year I thought I'd send an SOS on FB and hoped somebody would help a girl in need.

A few weeks later this arrived at my work:

That is 16 boxes/12lbs worth of Thin Mints!!!

Thank you so much Shawna, Josh, Grayson and Garrett for helping the Girl Scouts and Traveling Texan!

I promise to share.

Happy Texas Independence day!

2011-03-02T07:19:00.000-08:00

I love you Texas!

A Bobby and a Texan

2011-02-16T04:54:00.000-08:00

Picture by Hootenanny

Cure for a foul mood

2011-02-09T03:30:00.000-08:00

Thank you Flight of the Concords.

4 years, smitten as a kitten

2011-02-08T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was our 4 year anniversary! Those years have flown by and I'm so excited about the 4 + infinity years to come!

Groupies

Nice, France

Cinco de mustache

Scotland

Happy Anniversary English muffin!

Wedding planning: Update

2011-02-03T03:42:00.000-08:00

8 months to go and I feel like things are finally coming together!

I have found a dress, bridesmaid dresses, decided on colors, save the dates were sent out earlier this week, and the most exciting part - found a caterer/wedding planner!!! No, it's not J.Lo but I might just refer to them as J.Lo because it's more fun than 'wedding planner'. So J.Lo is on top of it - finding fabrics for linens, speaking to florist, booze providers, etc.

My next tasks are to find shoes for my dress before I head home in April and finalize our invitation wording, then order the invitations.

And I have 3 friends who are engaged and planning weddings - seems like 2011 is the year of weddings!

Unbreak my heart

2011-01-28T03:39:00.000-08:00

Gareth was listening to this and 'Let it Burn' by Usher. I think him and Chelsea may be on the outs again because he always listens to Toni Braxton when they are fighting.

Martin thinks that when he's not at home I listen through the wall with a glass and he thinks that that I may have an unhealthy obsession with these two. Not true. Listening to them is like listening to radio drama instead of watching tv drama.

Unbreak my heart
Say you love me again

Chelsea and Gareth

2011-01-26T03:28:00.000-08:00

I've waited way too long to do the Christmas and New Year blog, so I'll just jump right into a regular old post.

I've wanted to write about this for a while now but don't really know how to go about it without it sounding like a Sex and the City post. So I warn you now if there are any young or prude eyes reading this!

Chelsea and Gareth (I didn't know this was his name but I called him that because we pick up a wifi called 'Gareth') are our neighbors - we've never met them or seen them but we hear them all the time! Sharing walls with them is better than any television drama I've ever watched. At first Gareth had a pretty heavy rotation of girls coming through (from what I could hear) but I would guess that Chelsea has been around for at least a year now.

They are constantly fighting and loving. Very loudly. It's horrible.

A few weeks before Christmas I heard Gareth sobbing on the phone to Chelsea around 3am. This is how the story goes:

Gareth: Why would you do this to me? Chelsea - I love you! Just listen to me. This is what happened, I'll tell you if you'd just listen! We were out and I went up to your friend and introduced myself as your boyfriend and he said I've known Chelsea for years and I've never known her to have a boyfriend. Then he kicked me in the bollocks, punched me in the face and broke nose and my collar bone! I f*%$ing hate you Chelsea!!! All I want to do is love you and I f*%$ing hate you so much!!!! Why did you have your friends beat me up?! Chelsea I love you. Boooo hooo hoo (crying).

Seriously Gareth? You let your girlfriend's friends beat you up? Doesn't sound like a girlfriend to me. Anyways these two losers are back together, again and a few weekends ago I finally found out his real name: it is Gareth!!!

The drama never stops with these two. Everytime I hear them back together after a major bust up, I have to resist the urge to bang on the wall and yell "I'm so happy y'all are back together!"

Ewww!!!

Obsessed

2010-12-14T03:17:00.000-08:00

With my birthday present. We've been inseparable ever since...

I love you Kindle!

Birthday bliss

2010-12-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

My birthday has come and gone again, and thanks to everyone for all the birthday love!

The weekend before my birthday I celebrated with my friends with ice skating at Tower of London and Mexican food at Cantina Laredo (just opened in Covent Garden).

As you get older birthdays aren't as exciting as they once were. I had no holiday time to take off so I spent the majority of my birthday at work. BUT with that said it was still a great birthday. I made pumpkin spice cupcakes the night before to take to work and woke up at 5am to open my present from M (ok I know I just said they aren't as exciting as they once were but I could hardly sleep the night before because I was 98% sure I was getting Kindle and I did!). And my night ended with a wonderful dinner and drinks with Martin. Can't get much better than that.

Actually the night ended with me lathering on my anti-wrinkle cream. Happy Birthday!
Next up: Phoenix, Arizona

Urban Family Thanksgiving

2010-12-04T02:12:00.000-08:00

Ok I know it's pretty much Christmas now and I'm late with my Thanksgiving post.

This year we celebrated with all my other American friends here in London. Kate made her first ever turkey and stuffing, and the others brought all the sides and fixins. And OMD (oh my deliciousness) Kate's stuffing was the best stuffing I've ever had! No lie.

It was so nice to be able to celebrate one of my favorite holidays with our urban family. I don't want to go in cheese mode but I do have so much to be thankful for this year and ever year. Great family, great friends, job, good health, etc...the list goes on.

I didn't take many pics because we were too busy stuffing ourselves, but check out these cute little turkey's Kate made for us! Oh and M had a mustache for Movember - not anymore!

You're a little bit messy

2010-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend Martin informed me that I'm 'a little bit messy, just a little bit.'

I was to too shocked to say anything other than 'I'm messy?! You don't even wash the dishes after you've cooked or eaten!'

But a day later I have thought of several responses I wish I would have said:

1. You have a life time of this mess to look forward to.
2. Ha! Why don't you and my parents get together and list all my flaws.
3. Our flat isn't big enough for me to show you my full messy potential.
4. We've been together this long and you've just noticed this?

My favorite response to most things these days is 'you have a life time of (fill in the blank) to look forward to.' So satisfying.

1 million burritos = 1 million happy Brits

2010-11-18T07:21:00.000-08:00

I know I write about food a lot, but I love food so why wouldn't I write about it?

When I decided I wanted to move to London I didn't think about 2 things: food and weather. Big mistake. Don't get me wrong, after almost 4 years I'm finally adapting to the weather and now I even appreciate a nice cold winter. But the day after New Year's I am ready for spring.

I've also come to appreciate new foods. I just had to modify my tastes a little. I never like Indian food before I moved here and now I love it, usually have it at least once a week. But this Texan can never get enough Mexican!

And now one of my favorite joints here has just sold their millionth burrito today! CONGRATS Chilango!!!

I can only hope this is a sign of things to come and London is finally catching on that Mexican food is the new soul food.

More responsibility at work = less blogging time at work

2010-11-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

That's what happens when you're really important at work.

So I'm now going to make more of an effort (starting this week) to blog more from home.

Stay tuned...

-1 year anniversary!

2010-10-22T02:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started the 1 year countdown to the Fraser-Brownridge nuptials!!!

I had a little bridezilla meltdown moment earlier in the week. It went a little something like this:
I just don't know how I can do all this from a different country.
This is supposed to be really fun and exciting and nothing about this is fun. I just want to elope and then throw a party. Parties are way easier to plan than weddings. All you have to do it get a couple of kegs, a trash can, bags of ice, Solo cups and we're set! I can't please everyone!!!! AAHHHHH.

A little tears, a little tantrum.

Then I got a hold of myself, with the help of M's calm attitude and actually am starting to get some things checked off the list.

Date - check
Venue - check
Colors - check
Suit for Martin - check
Starting to interview photogs - check
Inquired about hotels - check
Look into photo booth - check
Tweet about cake vendors - check (thanks Denise!)
Booked all my holidays for next year - check

It feels like it's coming together. I'm going to Phoenix in December and will be looking at shoes, bridesmaid dresses and the most exciting - registering for my Dyson Ball vacuum and Kitchen-Aid!!!

Then I'll be going to Austin in April for a whirlwind of more planning. Hopefully cake tasting, food tasting, decoration looking and finding someone to marry us.

I'm sure there will be more meltdowns to come but thanks sooooo much to everyone that is helping!

Hole in my heart...

2010-10-13T05:31:00.000-07:00

And stomach.

For over 3 long years I've been searching for great Mexican food here in London. I've had some luck with Chilango opening up just around the corner from work. Hence the beginning of Burrito Friday. Not every Friday - I have a wedding dress I have to fit into people!

Last night, as I was doing my nightly Twitter read, I came across Burrito Radar! YAY! Another expat in search of delish food and probably queso. So as I was reading I found out that there is a Cantina Laredo here! Say what?! Yes it's true. Ok I know any of my Austinite readers will be like 'so what? C. Laredo sucks.' And I'll be honest, I would never eat there in Austin because I have so much else to choose from (ok I'm a Mexican food snob) but over here you have to make exceptions. I cannot wait to go there and order queso!!!

Also read that Mas Burrito says they serve breakfast tacos, but Burrito Radar says this is not so. Dissappointing, Mas Burrito.

I leave you with this:

The ring (oh oh oh, oh oh oh)

2010-09-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

After the proposal, we went to pick out a ring. Don't worry! Martin did propose with a ring but it was a stand in, and we picked out the real deal together.

The place we went didn't have the one I wanted (had been eyeing for a while) but they said they could make it for me. It was supposed to only take 2-3 weeks until it was ready. 2 weeks passed, 3 weeks passed. The night terrors started. No joke.

I seriously was beginning to have bad dreams that some thing was going to be wrong with it. The setting was wonky, or the diamond would be yellow and cracked.

We finally got the call this week that it was ready to pick up and I was still a bit nervous that it wouldn't be perfect. But guess what??? It is PERFECT!

And I absolutely love it! The best place to look at it is in the bathroom at work. The lighting is just perfect for a diamond...and for plucking my eyebrows. But that is another story.

I want to ride my bicycle, bicycle.

2010-09-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!

After about 3 weeks of waiting for my bike and all the accessories to be delivered, it was finally delivered this week!

Martin and I just got back from a nice Sunday bike ride. We went a few towns over for a light lunch and found ourselves enjoying a very delicious Sunday roast. Yorkshire puddings and everything!

Here is an action shot:

Safety first!

Shopping diet + Shelby = FAIL

2010-09-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

So at the end of 19 days I've failed. Kathryn's failed. I'm not 100% sure but Kate may be the only one still on the diet.

I haven't actually bought anything other than unnecessary food items.

I woke up on Saturday morning after 19 days of wearing the same damn clothes and thought I'm a grown woman. I can wear what ever I want! Besides what is the point of only wearing 10 items for 31 days??? I get the no shopping thing but same clothes and no shopping? I turned to food for comfort (see photo). So I had a little talk with myself and a text convo with Kathryn who confessed to doing a little summer sale shopping of her own. This diet was making us weaker, not stronger! So I made an executive decision and quit.

I will try to keep up with the no shopping until the end of the diet because I think the real lesson is there, not to mention my last purchase was mid-July for my Toms. So if you look at it that way I'm way past 31 days.

Oh...I will have to upgrade my phone next week:

I've already consulted my sponsors (Martin and Kathryn) on this and because it is an upgrade it doesn't count as shopping, it's necessity. A way of life.

Day 7: Losing the will to go on

2010-08-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

Day 7. I hate all the clothes I picked. My jeans are baggy, even after a washing.

This was supposed to make my life easier in the mornings and for the past 2 mornings I've run out the door, bed un-made and almost missed my train. This is by far the dumbest diet I've ever been on.

Today I seriously thought about quitting. But I'm no quitter.

On a happier note, the venue we love for our wedding is free for the date we have in mind. I have most things planned out in my head and just need to get them down on paper and then into real life.

Kathryn's 10 items

2010-08-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

Here they are:

We picked the same shirt! Some might think this is weird but it's really not seeing as we both tend to only shop at the GAP.

Day 1

2010-08-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

Ok - I promise not to make every post in the next 31 days about my shopping diet.
Here they are - my 10 items. If you see me in the next 31 days I'll be wearing something in this picture.

Turns out I'm a pretty boring shopper, might as well kick the habit.

Shopping Diet Countdown: 1 day until it starts

2010-08-17T07:30:00.000-07:00

1 day until the diet starts!

I know that I won't have a problem with the shopping part - it's the same clothes for 31 days part I'm worried about.

My plan of action tonight is to pick out my clothes. I'm thinking:
2x jeans
1x leggings
1x dress
6x tops

Ok so I am kind of worried about the shopping part so this morning I started a list of things I can do this weekend to keep me away from the shops:

Go to the gym
Do laundry
Come up with a wedding budget
Do my nails
Pluck my eyebrows
Ride my bike (if it's delivered on time)
Write my penpal (sorry it's been so long!)

Wish me luck!

Shopping Diet

2010-08-13T05:04:00.000-07:00

Ok - I know what most of you are thinking when reading this title, "she'll never be able to do a shopping diet."

But come August 18th for 31 days I'm going to prove all of you WRONG! Let me also point out to you that my last purchase was about 4 weeks ago and it was a pair of TOMS shoes, which are for a good cause.

Starting August 18th I will be on a shopping diet, but I am not doing this alone, it will be with the support of Kathryn and Kate.

I found out about this via Denise and thought that is sounded impossible at first and the more I talked about it with K squared it started to sound like a good challenge for me.

The Challenge:

Choose 6 items of clothes and wear them for 31 days - outerwear, shoes, accessories, underwear and gym wear do not count as one of your items. Thank goodness!
Our amendment: choose 10 items of clothes and wear them for 31 days. We will also not go shopping in those 31 days.

This weekend I'm going to pick out my 10 items and maybe go a shopping spree in preparation.

Keep us in your thoughts!

He liked it, so he put a ring on it

2010-08-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Martin and I went away to Wales for the weekend for a friend's wedding. Little did I know we'd end the weekend thinking about our very own wedding!!!

Yes that is right folks - we are engaged!

I was not expecting it at all. Ok, I was expecting it someday, eventually, because we had talked about our future and getting married was always in the future. But a girl can never really be prepared for this moment. In hindsight I should have known something was up because we were looking at the view of Brecon in Wales, hugging each other and his heart was racing! At the time I think I thought it was his
adrenaline still pumping from our near run in with a sheep and another car a few moments before.

We pulled over to look at the view, cuddled for a moment, I took a picture and when I turned around he was on one knee. Tears started flowing immediately. Brain turned to mush. Is this for real?! I don't even remember what he said! Several moments went by before I said anything. I didn't know what to do (I'd never been in this situation before!) so I got down on my knees too! I eventually said 'yes' after Martin told me I had to say something before he could get up. I know there are some rumors going around (that I started) that Martin cried too. He didn't - he's probably just saving it all up for the Big Day.

So here we are now - engaged and (trying) to plan a wedding in Austin, but more importantly planning the rest of our lives together! I would have never thought 3 1/2 years ago when I was moved here I would meet the most gentle, caring, loving, funny, generous, handsome, etc. man, fall in love and get married.

I promise to keep everyone posted on the wedding plans.

Here are some pics of how it went down:

Gym Induction: Update

2010-08-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Martin and I joined the gym! I haven't been a member of a gym since I was about 17, when the parents paid. There was a brief few months when I joined at gym when I lived in Acton. But I never went because I was too afraid to walk there after dark.

It's all changing today...that is if I pass the blood pressure test during the induction later today.

As we were filling out the paperwork yesterday the guy said "and all you have to do is book an appointment for your induction. We'll show you around, check you blood pressure and you'll be good to go." My eyes immediately widened. Great! Why did they have to tell me about it?! Now I have all day to think about it.

No - I don't have high blood pressure. I suffer from white coats syndrome. Every time I go to the doc my BP is high, we wait 5-10 minutes, take it again and it's normal. We'll see what happens...

Update: BP was perfect! What am I doing wrong at the doc's office?!

So now that the all clear has been given and we had our induction look out for me at 2012 Olympics.

4th of July - London style

2010-07-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have officially been in London forever! I haven't celebrated a 4th of July on my home soil since 2006. This makes me pretty sad these days, but before I moved to London I didn't really make much hoopla out of the holiday. I usually worked at Sno-Beach in a tye-dyed tank with my Sno-Beach girls. I think I didn't get too excited about it be because some people I knew were so overtly patriotic, almost to a fault, that it wasn't that appealing and came across as somewhat ignorant.

It's pretty safe to say that the longer I've lived abroad the more patriotic I've become. I've been so lucky to travel other parts of the world, appreciate different cultures and ways of life and still appreciate that America is pretty flippin' awesome!

I'm sure it must be pretty weird for Martin to take part in a holiday with me that celebrates our independence from his county, but he's a good sport about it.

So I say thanks to you Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams and all the others that fought those crazy Brits in the Revolution! I am one proud American on British soil for now....

Race for Life - We did it!

2010-07-14T03:40:00.000-07:00

Whoop whoop!!!

A few weekends ago Team America (Kate, Kathryn and I) ran/walked 5K for cancer research. It was miserably hot - shocking, I know. So hot that I think I might have suffered from a heat stroke afterwards because I willingly watched the England v Germany soccer/football game.

Either way - I'm so proud of us! I raised £180 and all together we raised over £400. Way to go USA!

Thanks to everyone for your support!!!

That's my mug...

2010-07-12T03:31:00.000-07:00

Ok I know I sound a little bit like Milton from Office Space but I really don't like when people use my office supplies - pens, stapler, scissors, etc.- found on my desk. I know I didn't actually buy these things but they are still mine during Monday to Friday 9am-6pm.

Everyone at work knows I'm like this and probably think I'm a little crazy about it. I will let people use my supplies if they are in my line of sight. That way I know they won't steal it because I'm giving the death stare.

A few months ago I received a mug from one of our suppliers with my name on it. So to me, that means it really is mine and not to mention it was a gift. In the last few weeks we've had some new people join the office and that is when it all started; I noticed my mug missing from the cupboards in the morning. I'm starting to get seriously annoyed about this and contemplating sending an email around about it. I feel like I might go Red Ross any moment!

If any of you are reading this...give back the mug!

Update: The culprit must of read this. The mug is back and I'm not letting it out of my sight!

Rule # 1, I'm #1

2010-06-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

That was my first rule as the new Sales Team Leader...yep! That's right people - I got a promotion - my first day back after holiday none the less. A pretty nice welcome back, if I'm honest.

Like I said in the previous post, I had not been the happiest person at work in the last few months. So the change in position and responsibility was very welcomed - not to mention to the raise!

So now when people ask who's the boss, I get to say me instead of Tony Daza!

Weddings, graduations and engagements - oh my!

2010-06-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Okay- here it is...the update you've all been dying to read!

Martin and I headed west at the end of May for the Guleke/Hansen wedding and the Terrell graduation. Two weeks we were in Austin and was I spoiled with family, friends, food and great summer weather!

We arrived a week before the wedding so I was able to join in on some of the bachelorette fun, which I was really excited about because I missed out on a lot of the early engagement festivities. In between wedding stuff we spent most of our free time at Barton Springs and I even polished up my ice shaving skills at Sno Beach. Oh man - how I long to be a Sno Beach girl again.

The wedding was so fun and I have to say that Martha was one cool bride. I've never been in a wedding party that was non-family, and she was definitely not a bridezilla. It was a great way to start my career as a bridesmaid! After all the wedding fun Martin and I had time to hang out with my friends and family and just chill, which is exactly what I needed....

Nobody ever tells you how hard it is to transition from college life to adult life. The first year of a real adult job you (well I did, anyways) have the post-college blues. You quickly learn it's very hard to go out on a 'school night' and be fully functioning the next day. The semi-depression sets in when summer hits and you realize you don't get 3 months off. Now I know why my dad was telling me to spend as much time in school as possible...although I think he meant for the education - not the late nights and late mornings.

Anyways I digress...

This was the perfect holiday at the perfect time - as I had not been enjoying British weather or British work. Bric and Kelsi came the next week and I knew all along something exciting was going to happen! Bric had told me he was going to propose while they were there and I was absolutely thrilled! And he did! They are engaged and are now trying to set a date!!!

Dean aka Deanius, Taco Pants, Dean the Bean, etc. graduated high school and will be attending Texas A&M and joining the corps cadets in August. I have to put aside my dislike of A&M (Texas Ex forever!) because I am really proud of this little guy. Good luck Deaner!

It gets harder and harder for me to leave each time, especially when my dad cries at the airport. I just can't handle it - I'm tearing up now thinking about it. I'm loving my life over here and feel so lucky to have the opportunity that many people don't ever get but this little girl is getting very homesick!

Here are our pics: 2 weeks in Texas

Sorry!

2010-06-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

...for such a long hiatus!

So much has been happening lately - holidays, weddings, graduations, engagements, promotions!

I promise to update you on all the haps soon!

In the mean time I'll leave you with this cute little (partial) family pic:

The Best of British

2010-05-17T02:26:00.000-07:00

While I do moan a lot about British winters and always talk about the 3 Fs I miss from home - family, friends and food - I feel it's high time I give a little shout out to my home away from home for the last 3 years.

So here it is, a list of what I love most about the UK/Britain/England:
1. PC Brownridge
2. Yorkshire puddings
3. The silent W - i.e. Chiswick (pronouced Chisick), Southwark (pronouced Suthuck)
4. The missing A - Hertfordshire (pronouced Heartfordshir) or Berkshire (pronouced Barkshir).
5. Sense of humor
6. Panel shows - QI, Have I Got News For You, Nevermind the Buzzcocks, etc.
7. Loyalty British people have towards their terrible boy and girl bands. I will still never fully understand this.
8. British spring time - when it's not cold and rainy it's LOVELY
9. Pub life, pint life, Pimms life.
10. The Royal family (mostly during Tudor times, but I'll settle for the Windsors)

Being domestic is harder than I thought

2010-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Martin and I went to our friend's birthday BBQ, and they requested I bring the 7 layer bean dip. I thought "why stop there?" I've been seeing a lot of buzz lately on baking websites about cake balls and I really wanted to try them out.

The recipe seems easy enough: bake a cake, let it cool, crumble, mix in icing, roll into balls, dip balls in chocolate. Not so...ok well yes it is easy but it takes FOREVER! This can't be done in an hour, because a few little side notes that were not in the recipe were to cool the cake/icing mix in the fridge for a couple hours, then make the balls and then freeze the balls for an hour and then finally cover in chocolate!

So I ended up spending the whole day making the cake balls and 7 layer bean dip, and then by the time we got to the BBQ I was exhausted! But the final product was delish!

Jersey Shore changed my life

2010-04-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Most people that know me know that I love trashy reality TV. I don't know why, but I just love it! They people are so ridiculous and hilarious at the same time, are they for real? My current line-up of reality TV is:
Jersey Shore
Real Housewives of the O.C. (season 5)
Real Housewives of New York (season 3, I think)

I have to say I was on pins and needles waiting for Jersey Shore to air in the UK, and finally the glorious Sunday night came. These people...I kind of want to be friends with them! Obviously I couldn't be friends with them because I'm not Italian or from Jersey.

So...a few weeks ago Kathryn's friend from DC came to visit and we went out for a girly night of dinner, drinks and dancing. Turns out I'm not the only fan of the guidos and guidettes. With a little influence of some drinks and cheesey music, we lived out our dream and beat the beat up battling it guido style on the dance floor.

So I say thank you The Situation, Pauly D, Vinny, Ronnie, Sammy Sweetheart, J-Woww and Snookie for a fantastic night with Kathryn and Liz!

Common sense is free - get some!

2010-04-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

As this very long week comes to an end I seriously wonder how people get through life without common sense. To me nothing is more frustrating than trying to communicate with a person on the other end of the phone that does not have common sense. And knowing that the person is also a lawyer making about 10x my salary makes it even more frustrating! How did this person pass the Bar but cannot obtain a word count off a Microsoft Word document?!

I digress...

I'm looking forward to a great weekend with lots of sunshine, cider and cheering on the marathon runners. I hate to put it in writing because I might jinx it, but I think Spring has officially sprung here in London town! The sun has been shining for almost 2 weeks now and we're finally reaching 17-20 degrees C (65-69 F)and I'm loving it!

Spring Tulips:

We head off to Austin in one month for Martha and Brendan's wedding and Dean's graduation! And I finally found the perfect bridesmaid shoes thanks to Margaret. You can all sleep easy now.

Volcano watch 2010

2010-04-19T02:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone one has heard now that Iceland is pretty much screwing over the rest of Europe. First, the Icelandic financial crisis and now this volcano! Come on!

There has been a ban UK airspace since Thursday and 23 other European countries have closed their airspace. Which basically means we're all stranded until the wind changes directions. Not to mention that the last time this volcano errupted it lasted for 13 months. Needless to say I've never felt more claustrophobic on this tiny island. I also found out yesterday that about 40% of our food is imported. I guess it's time to stock up on bottled water and canned food - Y2K all over again but this time is V2010. Please someone save us!

But there is no sign of the volcanic ash down here on Earth - for the first time in living memory London has experienced 5 days of sunshine and not a cloud in the sky. Talk about extreme weather and natural disasters! Maybe the Mayans were right....

Weekend with nature

2010-04-12T03:07:00.000-07:00

Martin and I escaped from London for the Easter weekend and spent some quality time with nature in the New Forest. I never really think about how much I miss nature until I actually spend some time with it. I have the same feelings when we go to the Flying B in Idaho. I enjoyed it so much this time that I seriously considered becoming a hippie.

We went down for 3 days and made the most out of it! At first I thought the rain would definitely ruin my trip and my attitude. But we were lucky to have some pretty great weather with only 1 day of rain. We drove down Friday, checked into our B&B and had lunch in Lyndhurst - a village in the middle of the New Forest. We spent the rest of the day pony watching and exploring other little villages. Our B&B was right on the coast and in the summer would be an ideal get away for for beach goes.

Saturday brought the rain but that didn't keep us in. We started the day at Buckler's Hard - a village where 18th century warships were built - visited the museum and had tea time. Then we headed to a petting zoo/farm to see the baby farm animals!

[Buckler's Hard]

[Piglets]

Sunday was by far my favorite day - we rented bikes and did a 15 mile bike ride through the forest! LOVED it - so much that I'm trying to figure when we can go down for a day trip to cycle again. I think I'll invest in some padded shorts first! You can rent bikes pretty much anywhere in the forest and most places will give you a directions for a ride and a number of different routes to take.
[Cycle enthusiasts]

We finished our mini-break on Monday morning and headed home back to the big city.

Picasa pictures here: New Forest Pictures

***WARNING***Lots of pony pictures!

Now only 40 days until our next holiday! Still looking for the perfect bridesmaid shoes...

Is this a joke?

2010-03-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

The weather forecast for the next 5 days in London:

I'm in some serious need of some vitamin D and a heat wave. Now I know why British people always talk about the weather, because it is mostly miserable except for that one glorious week in the Summer.

I can feel Austin calling me...come on May!!!

Ok, ok - I know I sound really negative and I do love London but this weather is just depressing.

Shaver's remorse

2010-03-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

The day finally came!

British summer time and the day Martin promised to shave his beard! I was a little surprised, I really thought that he'd come up with another reason not to shave it - but he did! And he instantly had shaver's remorse after and now he thinks his face looks funny. I told him that obviously his face doesn't look funny or I would have never considered going on a date with him in the first place. The only thing I noticed is that his eyebrows seemed to vanish again:

Although it is officially British summer time, it feels more like fall. Oh how I miss you Austin, Barton Springs and Sno Beach!

As for me, I had another productive weekend. One of my Christmas presents was a 45 minute deep tissue massage at a day spa. I finally took advantage of it this weekend, and man was it amazing! The only bad thing about getting a massage is that I immediately start to think that it is over and I hate when it's over. Anyone that has had a massage knows that you usually feel pretty out of it for the rest of the day, or at least a few hours. So that being said, I can't really be held responsible for what happened the rest of the weekend.

I went shopping - now this started as an innocent trip to Boots for my essential toiletries and some how I racked up 850 points on my Boots card. But wait for it, wait for it - I only spend £35! WOOP! Sunday I went for a run and had one of the best runs I've had in a while. I know I sound like one of 'those' runners - but seriously a good run can make your day, same as a bad run I guess. After I went out for groceries, still on my running high, and somehow came home with shoes, jeans, etc! These were obviously things I needed. And groceries were also bought, so don't worry about me starving.

Really though I don't feel bad about it. Spring is a time for change - so for me that means a wardrobe change. And just think of the charity shops that will benefit from it in a few years!

And now I'm looking forward to the long Easter weekend coming up. We're headed to the New Forest on Friday for a few days and hopefully we'll see some sunshine, go on hikes, bicycle rides and maybe even run into some wild ponies.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me for Race for Life so far!

The dreaded closet clean out: part 2

2010-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you all remember the first closet clean out. Well just as I thought, my bags of clothes for charity have been collecting dust near my stairs. So at the weekend I decided to finally get productive and in the spirit of spring do some spring cleaning!

I managed to fill one more bag of clothes and a bag of shoes and purses; so that is a total of 4 bags!!! I would like to point out that I moved here with 2 suitcases and a backpack. Where has all my money gone? In those bags! Is this a problem I have or a problem rooted a deeper in our consumer society? A little deep, I know. But it just makes me feel a little better to think it's not just me. The only thing I can be proud of at this moment is that I'm not in any debt. Everything I've bought (and now given to charity) was bought with my hard earned money (she works hard for the money, so hard honey).

So yes, I packed up the bags and had my personal police escort drive me to the charity shops to donate it all. And as I dropped off the bags I could hear angels singing and the charity shop workers cursing. I'm sure they just love it when they get new bags to sort through and price.

Then I rewarded myself and Martin with this 7 layer bean dip:

Did I really deserve this after the McDonald's breakfast incident? No. No, I didn't. But we were going to Martin's friends' house for an evening of Rock Band and frankly it's rude to show up empty handed.

And yes, I finally went for that run and boy did it feel good! Our clocks go forward this weekend and I plan to keep up with my physical fitness plan.

Good/bad start to the day?

2010-03-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I can't decide. It started out like this:

Paul texted me at 8:38am: I'm getting a maccies - no joke - do you want one?

YES!!!

Paul (who is training for a marathon) and I are pretty bad influences on each other when it comes to food. Earlier this week we mentioned that we both wanted a burrito and once it was said there was no going back - so we had a burrito for lunch and it wasn't even Friday.

So I started the day with a sausage McMuffin, felt pretty awful for about 20 minutes after and now it's almost 2:30pm and I'm still not hungry. What do they put in it?! I'm pretty sure the day will end like this:

So tomorrow really, really needs to start with these:

Seriously girl, get on track!

Speechmarks 8 - Clichés

2010-03-19T03:45:00.000-07:00

Read the latest issue of Speechmarkes about clichés here:

Speechmarks 8 - Clichés

Enjoy!

Race for Life!

2010-03-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

Last July I ran a 10K just for fun! This June I'm running a 5K for fun and to raise money for Cancer Research UK. I know that so many people have been affected by cancer in their life, whether it was a friend, family member or yourself. So please sponsor me if you can - anything helps!

100% of the donations will go to Cancer Research UK. Events like Race for Life are vital in funding Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer. By sponsoring me now you can help more people survive cancer.

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/shelbyfraser

And I don't want to sound like a public service announcement but PLEASE get your annual screenings (breast, cervical, prostate, etc.)!!! This also saves lives!

Thanks for your support -now the running starts!

Be careful what you wish for

2010-03-15T07:07:00.000-07:00

Back in December I encouraged Martin to grow a beard.

Me: "Do it. It's winter and you have a few weeks off so it'll be a full beard by the time you have to go back to work." (At work he's only allowed to have a smooth face or a fully grown beard/moustache/goatee/soul patch - you get the picture)

Martin: "Hmm I don't know, ok."

The beginning of January:
Me: "When are you going to shave?"

Martin: "Maybe at the end of January."

February:
Me: "Martin when are you going to shave?"

Martin: "Maybe when you get back from Tennessee."

March 13th:
Me: "Martin seriously, when are you going to shave? Are you just doing this to annoy me? I don't remember what your face looks like. "

Martin: "Why would I do this to annoy you? You said I should grow it in the first place. I'll probably shave when British summer time starts."

That is the end of this month folks. We'll see what happens!

Back to the real world...

2010-03-08T05:37:00.000-08:00

...with a bag full of Target goodies. Really! They are stepping it up BIG TIME. I had a wonderful time in Nashville spending time with the family. And I always feel a bit like a celeb when I go there because everyone introduces me as their granddaughter/niece/cousin from London and I have to remind them that I'm actually from Texas and that I just live in London. I think it might be a little bit of a hint that maybe they think I've been gone too long.

So back to work and it was not the best week I've ever had. I'll spare you all the boring details but I tell you what, I'm going to start playing the lotto every week now! I am ready to win the lotto, retire and live on a yacht, wear nautical stripes and pearls, and drink G&T's all day.

But it is nice to be back in London - it's a little strange to think London is home and after a holiday it's nice to get settled back in. Martin and I talk about moving to Austin all the time and it makes me think about the things I'll miss here. I know one thing I'll struggle with when we move back state side is not being able to have our summer beach holidays in Europe. Let's be honest - the Texas coast just does not compare! It's just so easy, close and cheap over here. So that is another reason to keep playing the lotto.

Just wanted to give a shout out to my little brother Dean - I'm sure some of you already may know that Dean is now an Eagle Scout and his ceremony was over the weekend. Congrats Dean!

P.S. I started my sewing project over the weekend (an apron) and I'm not as talented as I thought I might be. I'm sure I'll get better but in the mean time I'm in the market for a seam ripper.

All my exes live in Texas

2010-02-19T06:07:00.000-08:00

That's why I hang my hat in Tennessee. Not really but I'm sure that is why my family moved to Tennessee from Texas, and I'm headed there this Saturday to visit for a week. Martin won't be able to come with me because I think he was traumatized from the last visit with this side of the family! Not really - he just doesn't have enough holiday time.

Speaking of Martin, we had a lovely anniversary weekend around London town. I feel although I've lived here for over 3 years now I still have a lot of London things I need to do. So we started the day at Borough Market for some food and warm winter drinks and then headed to the National Portrait Gallery to get cultured. I LOVED the Tudor portraits and I saw a real life Warhol of my friend, Queen Elizabeth. Then we had some pints and told each other how great we were, but Martin couldn't talk about it too long because he's British and they might take away his citizenship if he shows too much emotion. Now that is honestly a joke and I can only say it because I've lived here for so long and I'm dating an Englishman.

Last weekend was celebratory too - for Valentines day and the arrival of my working sewing machine! We went to Devon for the weekend to see Martin's parents and picked up my sewing machine. While we were there I tested it out under the supervision of his mom and I know have the confidence to use it on my own. So back to my first project - the apron.

Rumor has it...

2010-02-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Jack White wants to produce Dolly Parton's new album!

If I can go by all the White Stripes' albums and the Lorreta Lynn's Van Lear Rose album, produced by White, I think this one is going to be AMAZING. I love these two, not to mention the some great summer trips to Dollywood as child.

I really hope this happens and soon!

A faulty sewing machine, not a faulty woman

2010-02-04T05:10:00.000-08:00

I'm sure everyone will be delighted to know that it was a faulty sewing machine! I was afraid it was a sign of my non-domesticatedness...phew!

And my new sewing machine has arrived safely in Devon and has been tested by a professional, Martin's mom.

In other news:

What is that saying "when one door closes another opens"?

Well I had my hair cut back in December and for the first time since I've lived here I really, really liked the girl. She was so nice and did exactly what I wanted. It was love. At the end of my appointment I booked my next appointment for March but forgot to write it down. So I called last weekend to find out when it was and guess what, she bloody broke her foot!!! They don't know when she'll be back. Just my luck (cue Lindsay Lohan movie).

But on the upside of things I found Monterrey Jack cheese at the grocery store the other night. This has been missing from my life for a few years, then there it was just starring back at me "Real Authentic American Recipe". And on another cheese note, I have moved on from cheddar to double Gloucester as my staple cheese. It's just so smooth and mild. I love it.

Martin and I are celebrating our 3rd anniversary this weekend! That is longer than most celebrity weddings; Britney, J-Lo, Pamela Anderson, etc. But the best thing is that we still like each other and enjoy each other's company (I hope!). We are going to celebrate by going to the National Portrait Gallery and eating burritos at Benito's Hat.

So cheers to us!!!

The first night we met!

The dreaded "closet clean-out"

2010-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Or in my case, the wardrobe clean out. Yes it's true - you lucky residents of the good ol' USA - a real closet is hard to come by here and they are far and few between. I have one wardrobe with half hanging space and half shelves, then I had to buy a clothes rack to accommodate what couldn't fit in the wardrobe. Please, please I don't need your sympathy.

I have been meaning to go through my clothes and give what I rarely/never wear to charity. I started this project last summer and filled a black trash bag full of clothes. But it just went under my bed. I never made it to the charity shop. Then when I was packing for our Devon trip over Christmas break I opened one of my suitcases and found it full of clothes I forgot I had! Now I'm not all that embarrassed about this because I'm sure this has happened to everyone. And because of my lack of closet I have to be creative with my storage.

So I finally got around to it a few weekends ago and I'm very proud of myself. I was ruthless. My motto was if you haven't worn this since you've lived in London (3 years), it goes. Now I have 2 bags filled to the brim for the charity shop. Will they ever get there? Who knows? But it is a step in the right direction.

But it didn't stop there...I inspired Martin to clean out his wardrobe too. Not so much inspired as encouraged. Now let me tell you he had some gems in there! I felt like I was right back in 1994. That is not the best part, the best part is the excuses he came up with for reasons to keep everything. The best excuse was "who knows when I'll be invited to a fancy dress party and the dress code is the 'world's worst dressed man?'" Some of my favorite items include a Tigger (yes from Winnie the Pooh) bow tie, a paisley print blue robe, cargo zip off pants (M:"those are great for when I'm on safari." S:"When was the last time you were on safari?") and a terrible polyester Japanese/Hawaiian shirt. I guess if he wore all those items at once he could be the "world's worst dressed man".

Let's all say a little prayer that this costume party doesn't ever happen.

New family member

2010-01-13T06:12:00.000-08:00

My dad is turning into a big softy. We were never really a pet family until after Bric and I moved away - maybe us + a dog was just too much for them.

It all started with Nick, a friend for my little brother, Dean.

Then Belle, a friend for Nick because Dean is now a teenager and has other priorities.

And now this! I say "this" because we don't have a name for him yet. Apparently my dad saw him at the Town Lake Animal Shelter when his owner was dropping him off. She was so upset, they talked and cried (according to Denise) and my dad came home with him. He is a Chihuahua and we're hoping to cash in with him being the next Taco Bell dog. Any name suggestions? My dad prefers one syllable names because they are easier for training.

I don't think Nick is too happy about it but I'm sure Belle is over the moon. With Dean off to university in the Fall it will be almost like have all the kids still at home with the 3 dogs.

Sewing lesson

2010-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

I know my aunt taught me how to sew about 12 years ago, but upon getting my new Christmas present out of its box I was at a loss for words. Rare, I know.

What is a bobbin? And how do I thread it? What is the presser foot? How do I thread the machine or replace a bobbin??? Jeeze!!!

I just know that somewhere in my brain between knowing when Brad and Jen split and that Mick and Keith met at London School of Economics my sewing lessons are hiding. I cut the pattern, tried to thread the bobbin, turned the sewing machine on - there was light, there was sound. And that was it. I'm sure it works, I just can't seem to figure it out.

So I quit and returned to something I know how to use. A crock-pot. 4 settings: 1. Off, 2. Low, 3. High, 4. Medium. I made a Chicken Tortilla soup from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com. Delish and super easy!

I'll give the sewing machine another go this weekend.

Ho hum...

Christmas in the UK

2010-01-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

This was my first ever Christmas in the UK, first Christmas away from my family (I've had Christmases away from one parent or another but never my brother!) and first Christmas with Martin and his family. We headed down to Devon on Christmas Eve day in some very icy conditions and I was very nervous. Although we did see one wreck, I have to say that the English are much better that us Texans in adverse road conditions. We made it safe and sound just in time for lunch.

I thought I would spend the whole week crying because I was missing out on my family traditions, like watching Christmas Vacation, reading 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, eating a big breakfast (green chilli strata or biscuits and gravy) and playing lots of games. But thankfully the Brownridges have some traditions of their own that they shared with me and Martin's mom was kind enough to let me make Christmas breakfast and I took the opportunity to make one of my favs - green chilli strata (because I've tried once and failed to make gravy so I'll leave that to the expert).

Breakfast time, present time, and then to the Wine Bar for coffee and roast potatoes. That is the Brownridge tradition. We had dinner planned for 4ish but with everyone helping Anvee in the kitchen we accidentally had it ready by 2:30. So we stuffed ourselves and missed the Queen's Christmas speech which I was a little disappointed about but I was able to catch the gist of it on the news. And to be honest, I just really wanted to see was her outfit. Then it was nap time. I cannot tell you how great it is that Martin likes to nap. The Fraser's love to nap - there could have been major problems if he was not a napper. We ended the night with a game of charades. Martin and his mom should consider going pro. Martin and me at the Wine Bar:

The day after Christmas in the UK is called Boxing Day. I don't know what it means or where it came from - to me it's just a Bank Holiday. In Austin, my dad started our family tradition of jumping in Barton Springs on New Year's Day. Here they jump into the sea on Boxing Day and they also dress in fun costumes -maybe we should add that to the New Year's Day jump! I really wanted to do it - "oh I do it in Austin, I can do it here." Not so. The air and water temp is so much colder here vs. Austin and the springs. But one day I will do it!

The rest of the week was spent playing the Wii, shopping, eating and playing games. Just like at home! All around it was a very lovely Christmas. I did of course miss my family and was a little sad when I spoke to them on Christmas Day, but this was a perfect first Christmas away from home. Thanks Brownridges!

We headed back to London in time to celebrate New Year's Eve with Kathryn, Michael and my friends that were in town from New York. A great way to end 2009 and begin 2010! I hope everyone else had a great Christmas and New Year's with their friends and family.

We are already looking forward to many exciting things in 2010 - I'm going to visit family in Tennessee in February, going to Austin in May for Martha's wedding (you go girl!)and hoping to have a few days left for another beach holiday in Europe!

More pictures of the trip are on my Picasa. The link is on the right side of the blog.

Oh and it's still snowing here!!! I don't like it now that Christmas is over.

A Cautionary Tale

2009-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

This is a story for all the kids out there…

Always hem your curtains as soon as you buy them. Don’t leave them and keep telling yourself every time you step on the floor-length curtains “I really do need to hem these.” Because there will be one night when you come home after your office Christmas Party, decide for once to hang your coat up, walk past the curtains and step on them a little too hard. And then this will happen…

Then you will just go to sleep because really what can you do at 2am about this catastrophe? Nothing. Go to bed, wake-up, and this will just be a horrible nightmare. It wasn't. Yes everyone, I managed to step/stumble on my curtains and I ripped the rod right out of the wall and left about a 2 inch hole about 3 inches deep. I never knew my own strength. But this tale does not end here...

Thankfully, Martin took me to buy some wall spackle and he owns a drill (because "that's what men do" - that was his response to me when I asked why he had one), so he was able to fix the whole in the wall. And I thought to myself, while these babies are down I am going to hem them. I should have thought twice about it. Hemming with a hangover is like baking with booze, I don't advise it. This is what the end result was:

There goes my dream of learning how to sew.

Fast forward to Saturday night/Sunday morning - I'm still not entirely clear as to exactly what happened here but my only idea is that during "curtain rod-gate" some sheet rock flew into my eye and to create this beautiful look:

So kids, I really hope you've learned a few lessons here:
1) Hem your curtains before you hang them.
2) Don't hang-up your coat.
3) Never, ever hem while hung-over.

A day on and the eye is looking a little better, not as swollen but still pretty red.

Elf Culture

2009-12-16T04:13:00.000-08:00

It's only a few magical days away from the most wonderful day of the year! I love Christmas time, Christmas music, Christmas shopping (shocker!), Christmas trees, scarves, hats, warm sweaters and most of all Christmas Vacation starring Chevy Chase.

I finished all my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my computer at work. Getting paid to shop...love it. I even learned a few tricks from Denise: buy yourself what you want, wrap it and put it under the tree. But after some thought, I wasn't sure if the Brownridges would think I was a little crazy if I bought my own presents and I also thought I could quite possibly end up with lots of presents from me to me. So I decided against it.

Last weekend I finished my Christmas cards, we put up Martin's Christmas tree and put up a real tree in my flat. I have to say our flat is feeling very wintery - especially with the breezy windows and the freezing temperatures! I finally bought a hot water bottle - don't know how I lived here for so long without one. We also finished up his Christmas shopping and for some strange reason the Christmas crowds at the mall did not bother me this year. Must be all the Christmas spirit in me.

And to top it all off, Kathryn and Kate came over last night to decorate cookies! I know everyone knows me as the Cupcake Queen and I'm not going to lie, I don't have much experience with cookies. But I found a pretty simple recipe on allrecipes.com. I had to make the dough the night before to give it time to chill and then we baked, iced and decorated last night. And of course had Christmas Vacation showing in the background. Save the neck for me Clark.

Here is the recipe if you want to give it a go - The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies.

Action shots:

I'm also taking full advantage of a working camera! Enjoy the new pics on my Picasa.

Oh! And it just started snowing!
xoxo.

The Magical Story of My Birth

2009-12-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

It's almost like the story of Jesus' birth. On a magical December night in Odessa, Texas my parents were watching Johnny Carson (RIP) and then my mom said to my dad "it's time". A few hours later (8:01am) a star was born! Almost like looking for an Inn with a spare room on a cold winter night in Bethleham...

Although I'm working today it's still been a pretty great day so far, other than that jerk almost knocking me over at Temple station and having to stand for my entire journey. I was suprised at work by not 1 but 2 flower deliveries! I also made cupcakes for everyone - that is what you do here on your birthday. Then I treated myself to a birthday burrito and now I wish I hadn't. And tonight Martin is taking me on a romantical birthday date.

Update: Martin took me to The Grove for dinner. It was very nice and very delish. It was an all you can eat buffet style dinner and needless to say Martin took advantage of it!

My Flowers:

You may all go to Hell and I will go to Texas - A Thanksgiving Post

2009-12-04T03:45:00.000-08:00

Quote from Davy Crockett to the voters of Tennessee and to Texas he went.

And so did we!!! Martin and I had a wonderful time in Austin over the Thanksgiving Holiday. We arrived on Saturday after a long 10.5 hour flight + a 3.5 hour drive from Houston (thanks for the lift Dad!) and promptly went to Home Slice Pizza on South Congress.
Exhibit A:

I usually have jetlag pretty bad when I go back home. But I don't mind it because I usually wake up around 7am (which is normal time for most people!) and that means I can find my dad half asleep/half awake on the couch "watching" the History channel before he takes the dogs for their exercise. So the first morning I went with him to the dog park to watch Nick and Belle play. The routine is Starbucks drive-through, dog park and sometimes breakfast tacos from Taco Deli. I do have to confess that I'm slowing changing my allegiance from Taco Shack to Taco Deli. Mmmm...
Exhibit B:

Sunday afternoon was brunch at Magnolia with Martha, Margaret and Brendan. Martha and Brendan just got engaged and I am going to be one of her bridesmaids!!! I am soooooo excited about this! She's already set the date and I'll be going back in for 2 weeks in May!

John and Dee arrived on Sunday, and Bric and Kelsi made it on Wednesday morning. Just in time for Kelsi to join me for some shopping! The week was full of fire pits, beer, food, laughter, Wii bowling, shopping and just all around fun! I am obviously so thankful that I am blessed with a HUGE wonderful family and friends who might as well be family. I am sad I didn't get to see everyone in the family but I already have my plans to see some more in February.

As per usual we ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning followed by an early New Years day dip in Barton Springs.
Exhibit C:

Exhibit D:

I am also proud to announce that Dean became an Eagle Scout, the highest honor in scouting. I don't know what was harder for him, actually becoming an Eagle Scout or putting up with my bullying of him during his Cub Scout days??? Sorry Dean! I'm really proud of you now!

Exhibit E:

The weeks leading up to this holiday felt like months and as usual the time in Austin flew by! Our last day we took our annual holiday card. I have to say that while we always have great Christmas cards, I think the Fraser's peaked early with the wig card circa 1998 and the Happy Holidizzle card circa 2005. This year we did it in front of the Greetings from Austin sign, my idea. Last on our Texas holiday was two steppin' at the Broken Spoke! I'm not going to lie...we need lessons! Maybe I can put that on a to do list. How do you feel about that Martin?

Check out all the pictures from the trip here: http://picasaweb.google.com/martinbrownridge

Enjoy and can't wait for the next adventure!

I Have a Problem...

2009-11-18T03:11:00.000-08:00

I think I actually might need to seek professional help for this one. I have realised this whole "savings" thing is actually hard to do when you suffer from a shopaholic disorder, as I do.

I try really hard not to shop and then when I haven't for a few weeks I get slightly light headed, have cold sweats, make up things that I "need" and all I can think about is the mall (cue angels singing). I blame this on the Umsted gene (my mom's family). A few years ago we were watching home movies when I was about 3-4 years old. My dad was asking what I was going to do when I would visit Mambo and Granddad and all I would say was "go to the mall" in my husky baby voice. Mom, dad, you should have seen this coming.

The only thing I can say is that I fully admit to my problem. I don't think many people can say that.

With that said, I think I really need this on a necklace:

Beyonce, Can You Handle This?

2009-11-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

I don't think you can handle this! Whoooo! Zahra, Kathryn and I went to see Beyonce on Saturday night.

Where do I even begin? She was AMAZING from beginning to end! She opened the show with my personal favorite, Crazy in Love and ended with Halo and a little tribute to Michael Jackson. She included some Destiny's Child songs (Bootylicious, No, No, No, Independent Women, etc.) and some home videos when she was just a little diva in the making. My only disappointment was that Hova (aka Jay-Z, aka Sean Carter, her
husband) didn't make a suprise appearance. I think the show was just under 3 hours...I'd be a diva too if people were screaming my name for 3 hours. I want to be her! I want to learn how to swing my hair around like her without getting whiplash, dance like her, wear gold glitter unitards with a giant bow on the bum and be as fierce as her! (Next Halloween???)

Martin bought me a new camera and gave it to me for an early birthday present so I was able to campture the fierceness on camera. Check out my Picasa Album! Notice our sequins themed outfits? We weren't the only ones, it seemed that the theme of the night was sequins. I love being a girl.

Well folks, Traveling Texan is headed west back to...Texas! I'm going home for Thanksgiving this year and bringing Martin. We leave this Saturday and are so excited to see my family, friends, eat delicious food, watch the UT vs A&M game and go to Target!

Halloween Fever - A Picture Post

2009-11-05T05:18:00.000-08:00

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays and I LOVE dressing up. This was the first year I dressed up since living in London and I'll be honest, they don't really do it big like we do at home. But we all know everything is bigger in Texas!

Here are a few pics from the night:

[cupcakes]

[group shot]

[there's a snake in my boot!]

[girls - flapper, ragdoll and my little pony]

[party people]

[woody and rainbow dash]

In other news, my poor camera has seen its day and that is why I don't have many pictures. I won't mention names but someone tried to balance it on a stair railing a few years ago to take a timed picture and it took a terrible fall. I think it has finally given up after that fall. RIP Cannon Digital Elf.

P.S. Martin's flat is still a work in progress. He likes to say I'm difficult but I think he's just as difficult as me!

Shakespeare's Lexicon

2009-11-03T03:45:00.000-08:00

Did you know it is said that Shakespeare added between 1,700 and 3,000 words to the English language?
Many of the words and pharses are still used today!

To read more on Shakespeare click here.

Changing Leaves/Fall Breeze

2009-10-30T07:07:00.000-07:00

I love when the leaves change it. You don't get these colors in Texas.

I'm having a pre Halloween baking/sewing/trying on costume gathering tonight. I'll think I'll put the Halloween episode of Freaks and Geeks on in the background.

LOVE dressing up!

A Moral Dilemma: Jeggings or Not

2009-10-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

Who hasn't been affected by the Jegging craze of 2009?

My initial problem with jeggings and leggings is that everyone seems to think they have the same bod as Lindsay Lohan. I've said it once and I'll say it again, ladies it is NOT ok to have your butt on show with jeggings or leggings. I don't care how nice you bum looks.

I am a fan of the skinny jean but as I sit here post EAT Tuna Melt, I am in absolute agony. Should I just undo my top button? No one will notice right? Not to mention the health problems that E! News recently reported on wearing skinny jeans. I don't really remember what they were but I'm sure they were awful.

This is where the jeggings and leggings are practical, for us 9-5 ladies.

Then I came across some jeggings at Uniqlo for £14.99 with pockets! And they actually look like jeans! So with my new savings scheme I figured I'd save way more money buying a pair of actual jean looking jeggings than a new pair of skinnys.

I've worn them to work twice now and nobody had noticed...but then again I didn't ask "Do you like my new jeggings?"

FYI these are not acceptable.

Weekend Update

2009-10-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

We were too ambitious to complete it in 2 days!

First there was the tape vs no tape scandal. I stand by using tape and Martin doesn't. Funnily enough my family stands by using tape and his doesn't. It almost feels like the Montague's vs the Capulet's. Tragic!

So I was banned from using tape and Martin learned of my unsteady hands. We came to the agreement that he would do all the areas that required straight lines and I could fill everything else in with the roller. Finally into our groove late Sunday evening and ready for the next can of paint...when we realised it was a silk finish while the rest was a matt finish. Curses!

We were able to swap the paint on Monday and atleast finish the walls. The doors, door frames and skirting boards are left for now. I think we will leave the bathroom, kitchen and bedroom for a while.

Pics to come when the living room is back in one piece.

I haven't even started sewing the Woody's vest! That is my goal this week.

What is your Halloween costume?

DIY city

2009-10-23T04:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

I know it's been exactly a month since I've last updated. Sorry - I'm just extremely popular and my social calendar has been so booked I haven't had time to blog. Ha!

This weekend is it, we are finally painting Martin's flat. Out with 1994 and in with 2009! As Martin has his way of doing things and I am not the neatest painter in the world, (I wouldn't call me sloppy but I have been know to get the paint on the ceiling with the roller) I'm interested to see if we make it through the weekend! Maybe I'll try to do a little before/after section if we are successful.

Wish us luck...

I have also chosen my first Halloween costume to debut in the UK. I'm going to be Rainbow Dash, she's a beautiful My Little Pony with a rainbow mane and tail. Martin is going to be Woody from Toy Story. I'll be making the costumes too, includes sewing Martin a cow print vest sans sewing machine! What was I thinking?

I'll keep everyone posted on how the weekend goes.

Adventures of Marin and Shelley: Mallorca

2009-09-23T06:20:00.001-07:00

Oh the sun and sand, how do I live without you for so long?

Martin and I just returned from one of our favorite summer holidays!!! Ok, we've only ever been on 2 proper summer/beach holidays together but this one was the best! Nice (France) was nice but a little snooty for our liking after Mallorca. Plus the only French I know is brie, baguette, camembert and ooh la la.

A short 2.5 hour flight from London town to Mallorca and we were in the sun! Not really, it was very overcast when we first arrived and I was afraid of that because I had been checking the weather non stop. But just like in the Lindsay Lohan movie "Just My Luck" our luck changed and the sun was out by the time our coach dropped us off at our hotel. The travel company had booked the coach and hotel under Marin Brownridge and clients at work constantly call me Shelley (even though my email clearly reads Shelby), hence our new names. We stayed in a little town/village called Porto Colon, which is on the north east side of the island and far away from the main city, Palma. To be honest I was glad we didn't stay in Palma. I can tell everyone about it now and I'm suprised some of you newsies didn't know about it before - right after we booked the trip the Spanish terrorist group, Eta set off a few car bombs in Palma and a 16 year old kid was bashed in the head with a bottle after leaving a night club. Great!

Porto Colon was a quiet little harbor and the beach was only about a 10 minute walk from our hotel. We had a nice thunderstorm on the first night and in the morning we were leaving the hotel and Martin slipped on the stairs and twisted his ankle. I think it was pretty painful for him so we went poolside for a few days. Not to worry, it's much better now.

So basically we spent our time laying on the beach, out at the pool, drinking fruity cocktails and playing Liverpool Rummy. My new favorite drink is a Tequila Sunrise. I added to my tacky cat beach towel collection and even got to brush up on some of my Spanish. Sadly no one order a sno-cone from me so I wasn't able to count change backwards in Spanish, which is one of my greatest talents. There was also some organised fun at the hotel each night. One night we played Bingo and I was one number away from winning but I didn't and then I was devastated. The next night there was a music quiz and we are sure that the couple next to us cheated off us and won. Even more devastation. I've never been on a cruise but I assume our hotel and restaurant is like the gateway to cruises.

All in all it was a great holiday and I am sad to be back in the real world and to have packed my swimsuit away for another year. Lucky Martin doesn't have to return to work for a week! I'm thinking of joining the Police.

We are off to Devon this weekend to visit Martin's family and celebrate his birthday!

Enjoy our photos here for now: Mallorca
I promise to put them on Picasa soon.

Tex-Mex Fish

2009-09-11T03:32:00.000-07:00

My latest recipe I made was Tex-Mex Fish, it was delish and super easy!

1. White boneless fish
2. Olive oil
3. Taco/fajita seasoning
4. Guacamole
5. Coriander (Cilantro for all my America readers)
6. Fresh lime juice.

All you do is dust the fish with the seasoning and cook the fish in an oiled pan for 3-4 minutes on each side and the plop (technical cooking term) some guacamole on top, add a little coriander and fresh lime juice. When I make it again I might grill it for a little crispiness because I think white fish can have a little bit of a mushy texture. Delish!

Holler at me if you have any simple, quick recipes. I'm willing to try anything!

Why is it called a Bank Holiday?

2009-09-01T02:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know but I LOVE them!

What a great weekend! To kick it off Martin and I went to dinner in Richmond and then met up with Michael and Kathryn at the pub for a few drinks. Lately I've been thinking I don't really venture into zone 1 much on the weekends (zone 1 is central London) and I really should. So Saturday Martin and I went to the Portobello Road market in Notting Hill. It reminded me a lot of the Old Pecan Street festival in Austin - nice but just loads of junk for sale. The best part was the traditional American bakery called Humming Bird bakery where we stopped for delish cupcakes! After a few hours I began to realise why I like to stay in my quiet zone 3. I hate super crowded places. Why do I live in one of the largest cities???

Later we went to B&Q (Home Depot for all my American readers) to get paint samples for Martin's flat. Yes, Anvee after so many years he's finally painting his flat! We got several samples, did the test paint on the wall, stared at it for a long time over a few days and still have no idea if we like the colours or not! I'm thinking about calling Extreme Makeover -Home Edition or 60 Minute Makeover. This is going to be much harder than I thought! I'll keep everyone posted on this but I don't think we'll make much progress for a few weeks.

Sunday Kathryn and I went to Brighton! I was so excited to have a mini day trip and to take the train that I could barely sleep. Ok - I could barely sleep because I was really nervous about getting to the station on time to buy my train ticket. Could I buy my ticket at the first station of my journey (Watford) or would I have to buy it at Clapham Junction??? If I had to buy my ticket at Clapham Junction I only had 12 minutes from when my train arrived to when the Brighton train left! How could I possible do it? So many questions for a first time train rider. Well that is not entirely true, I took the train to Hampton Court with my mom but that was easy, breezy and I knew I could by my ticket at my station of origin because it was the same train carrier. So I panicked, called Kathryn and she bought my ticket at her station to make things easier. But I did learn my lesson. I can buy any train journey for anywhere in the country at any train station. So next time there will be no need to panic. I blame all this on Martin because he always wants to drive so we never take the train.

Here is a cute little picture of Kathryn and me. I will put the rest on my Picasa tonight.

We road some fun rides, ate some delicious but very bad for your arteries donuts and walked around everywhere. I bet everyone will be shocked when I tell you all we did was window shop! See... people can change.

I don't mind spending other people's money

2009-08-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

I know I've said I'm trying to save my money and I really am! I got paid today and promptly put money into my ISA. I don't know what that means but I'm pretty sure it's a really mature, high interest savings accounts for real adults only.

Getting to my point...

I would not at all be bothered if someone bought me this lovely green bag.

P.S It's from Target, so you know it's a bargain!

Do you speak text?

2009-08-26T02:24:00.000-07:00

I recently became the Editor-in-Chief (fancy name doesn't come with fancy paycheck) of Temple Translations quarterly magazine about language.

Bored at work? Fancy a light read? Enjoy our Summer 2009 issue of Speechmarks.

Success! So Far...

2009-08-24T02:14:00.000-07:00

So I've been tackling my list head on! First, I'll have to admit that I did go shopping last weekend. I just CAN'T resist the sales! I thought maybe I'll just see what's on the summer sale racks for our upcoming trip to Majorca. I did great - I bought 2 dresses for £4.99, a summer hat and a belt. And I accidentally bought a puffy vest for winter. So I had a week to think about the decisions I had made and ended up returning one dress and the vest. Who was I kidding anyways? I think we have a while to go until I'll get to wear the puffy vest, I mean it is just August!

I also bought a new recipe book and this was the first meal I made last night.

Parmesan Spring Chicken with spinach, new potatoes and peas.
Delish!

If anyone has any easy recipes for a semi-beginner, please share!

Blog, Blog, Blog...

2009-08-21T04:17:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone!

I've decided to get into the blogging world. I know, I know - I'm about 5 years behind and there are way hipper micro-blogs now that it's 2009.

Not only am I blogging, I'm also trying to become a full fledged adult with a to do list.

To Do:
1. Learn how to cook actual meals
2. Learn how to sew
3. Keep up with my running
4. Arts and Crafts
5. Stop having buyers remorse
6. Cut back on my shopping
7. Save money

We'll see how it goes.

I guess this is a "watch this space" space.