Valentine's Day 2013:

Like I mentioned before, this year, Ben and I decided not to do big gifts. We kept things simple this year by just having a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's and donuts from Lamar's for dessert. I didn't get pictures of either of these things before we dug into them though ;)

Work provided some sweet treats from my staff and students, I got to wear a big pink bow, and B ended up getting me a rose and Starbucks. It's was a good day.

A bit of an Update:

Well, if you haven't heard, the weather has been pretty crazy in Kansas City the past week or so! I've lived in Missouri my entire life and still don't know if I will ever get used to the changes - 70 degrees one week, then 11 inches of snow the very next! To top it off, we are supposed to be getting hit with another big storm tomorrow and getting another foot of snow! NO THANKS! Not only am I not a winter girl (August baby!), but this is a very busy/big week for me and my future!

Wednesday is my final interview for Teach for America! I'm supposed to drive to Columbia (about an hour and 45 minutes without weather slowing me down), and have a group interview/teach a lesson in the morning session, and then have my individual interview in the afternoon. I'm just throwing it out there now that a snow storm will not be stopping me from getting there if the interviews are still held. So if any of my blog readers have a truck or SUV I can borrow to get there, I'd appreciate you!!

Other than that, things are just things. We had a short week at school last week because of the snow storm. Before and After School Services usually stay open even on snow days, but it was so bad that they basically worked a skeleton staff at one school so I had off both Thursday and Friday. It was nice to have some time to rest and revive myself. Friday night Ben and I went out to dinner on the Plaza since we had a Friday night off together (this never happens and only happened Friday because his Orchestra concert was cancelled since UMKC was closed). We went to Blanc and then saw Warm Bodies at the movie theatre down there. If you're looking for a funny movie that both you and your significant other will enjoy, I suggest this one! Just enough romance to hold over the girls, but still funny - and hey, it has zombies!

Here are a few recent snapshots of life as it's been happening:

 

 

 

Banana Nut Bread

I got this from my mom's box of recipe cards, so hopefully this one isn't a secret family recipe ;)

Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup nuts

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Mix together your 3 ripe bananas (mashed) and 2 eggs
• Add the rest of your ingredients to the mix
• Put in buttered loaf pan
• Bake 1 hour

Letter to my 21 year old Self:

Dear Kimberly,

It may seem silly that you're getting a letter telling you how to prepare yourself for life when you think you're already an adult... but you have no idea what's to come. Over the next few years, you will go through a lot of things, but don't let it steal your sunshine.

You're going to date a boy who you'll care about very much, but it will end so let it go with grace. Spend time finding yourself while you're studying abroad, rather than worrying about what's waiting for you once you get home. Open your heart to new people, because relationships will flourish if you let them. Work hard on your friendships, because the ones that are worth it will last. Most importantly, get over your fears of needles and taking medication. You'll be doing a lot of that over the coming years.

You are a beautiful, smart girl. Don't lose yourself based on who you're dating, or who your friends are.

Also, stop making that "rock on" face in pictures while you're drunk.



xoxo,
Kimberly

I was told...

Over the past few days I've been asked by a lot of people "how I'm feeling" about my haircut. I was also told by somebody that I needed to tell the truth, so, here goes:

As a 24 year old woman, you can't think that I was happy about cutting off my hair in any way. I'm less than a year away from my wedding and I have shorter hair than almost any man I know. This brings about a lot of feelings for me, but the most honest feeling that I can express is anger. Why wouldn't I be? What did I ever do wrong in my life to warrant having - count them, THREE - skin diseases at the age of 24?

But you could say there's more to it than that.

Over the past week I've also learned a lesson about vanity, and the importance of being a good person. Throughout the past 3 years (since the contraction of my visible psoriasis), I've received a ton of looks and have had to swallow a lot of ignorant comments from strangers. But it wasn't until I cut my hair off that I realized how mean people can be to other people that they don't even know. I've been gravely trying to not let it bother me, because HEY, I'm never going to see those people again... but it does get to me a little when I'm sitting in a coffee shop and can hear the girls at the table next to me talking for a solid number of minutes about my haircut and how I look like a lesbian.

With that said, I've been shown an outpouring of love too. Offers to cut their own hair, to give/make me headbands, to buy me wigs. I'm very lucky.

So from today forward, I'm going to try to be a good person like all of the people who are standing by my side through this are.

Quick, last minute dessert!

With Valentine's Day upon us, I wanted to post you guys another dessert recipe but this one is SO simple and quick! It's called a Nutella Mug Cake!!

Ingredients
4 tablespoons self-rising flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive or veggie oil

• Combine all ingredients in a mug
• Whisk until smooth
• Microwave for about 2 minutes
• The time varies on your microwave
• Add whipped cream if desired!!

This recipe is super easy and B & I have made it on a number of occasions! YUMMY!

(not my photo)

Flashback - Valentine's Day 2012

This year for Valentine's Day, Ben and I decided to be more financially responsible than last year beings that we are saving for a wedding, a place to live, life, etc. With that being the case, I won't have too many cool pictures to post of our celebration - heart shaped pizza anyone??

So here is a review/few snap shots of last year's celebration when we did FIVE days of Valentine's!

 

 

  

Flashback - High School Color Guard

I buzzed my hair.

I've been telling people that I shaved my head, but I guess the more accurate description is that I buzzed it off. I still have a little hair. It's just really, really short.

Anyway, I cut it off for medical reasons (dealing with my skin issues).

Here are some before and after pics, just so you can visualize me correctly as you read my posts ;)

 

(Non-Chinese) Orange Chicken Breast

I got this delicious recipe from my mom, who got it from my cousin!!

Ingredients

• 2-3 Chicken Breast
• 3 Oranges
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Oregano
• Seasoned Salt
• Garlic
• 4 cups (cooked) Angel Hair Pasta

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees!

While the oven is heating, put the olive oil in a roaster pan. Pound the chicken breast and then cut it in half. Apply the seasonings to the chicken and lay flat in the roaster pan. Add garlic.

Cut 2 oranges into 4 thick slices - place randomly. Squeeze juice of 3rd orange over chicken.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.

Cook pasta and mix with pan drippings.

YUM!

Sneak Peak of B & K's engagement pics!

 

Check out Byam Photography on Facebook! She's amazing!

Thankful Thursday

I'm trying to incorporate some re-occurring post themes into PD-C if you haven't noticed already. I think I've thought of one more worthy idea: Thankful Thursday.

Each Thursday, I'm going to post a picture of something/someone/somewhere (you get the idea) that I'm thankful for.

For the first post?

For the time spent and experiences gained during my two trips to Europe!

Video of the Week:

"A Pep Talk from Kid President to You"

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

In honor of Valentine's Day, I wanted to share with you a recipe that was a big hit in my house last year around this holiday! Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies!

I found this recipe on Pinterest. Here is the link to the website the recipe came from. The website includes the same information I'm about to give you, but has different pictures!

Ingredients:
Red Velvet Layer:

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons milk, divided
• 1 tablespoon red food coloring
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar 

Cheesecake Layer:

• 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 18 jelly roll pan with butter or spray with Baker's Joy.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of your dry ingredients. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar.
3. Combine the dry and wet ingredients, until completely combined. The batter will be really thick... that's what you want!
4. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and place in bowl. Whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk into the 3/4 cup of batter. Set aside.
5. Pour remaining batter into the jelly roll pan. Smooth it so it covers the whole pan.
6. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy (2 minutes). Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
7. Pour this on top of the red velvet layer already in the pan.
8. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining red velvet batter (mixed with milk) onto the top of the cheesecake layer. Drop the tip of a knife or a tooth pick through the mix to create swirls.
9. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until the center is set.
10. Let cool, then use a cookie cutter to create shapes.

When I made this recipe I decided to put mine into heart shaped pans and leave them whole rather than making them into smaller brownies/servings. It worked just fine, but took a little longer to bake!

Here's a snapshot of the brownies (and the note I included with them)!

Evergreen Gifts:

As a little gift for my bridesmaids, I put these bags together around Christmas. I finally got the ones going to Indiana mailed out yesterday, so I can post these in the blog now. It's crazy how busy life gets sometimes!

I got the little paper bags at Hobby Lobby. They were like $2.99 or $3.99 for a package of 15 bags or so, plus I had a 40% off coupon because they run them all the time.

I used our wedding ribbon (recognize it from the bridesmaid packages??), to tie bows once I had filled the bags and hole punched them!

This is what was inside of the package: a note and an "Evergreen" candle. Just a little something to say I appreciate them and can't wait for them to be a part of our day!

   
    

Flashback - Chiefs games

 

 

 

Remembering my Childhood Music

This has been the year of reunions for female pop groups, and I can't tell you that it hasn't MADE MY LIFE.

If for some reason you live under a rock and didn't get to see these performances, check them out! If you saw them, let's re-watch them together!

First: The Spice Girls at the Olympics

Second: Destiny's Child at the 2013 Super Bowl

Ignorance isn't quite Bliss

It was my goal on this blog to try to keep things light-hearted and positive. To not delve too deeply into my conditions, or the trials that I face because of it. But today is different. Today I feel like I HAVE TO post this specific post. I hope you all understand, and that you may learn about me and who I am because of what I'm about to write.

I have Chronic Pustular Psoriasis. As of next month, I will have had it for 3 years.

I'm going to try to break this down in number form for everyone so that you can more easily understand:

• 300: the number of milligrams a day that I take of Neoral
• 2: the number of shots I give myself per week
• 5: the number of Dermatologists/Specialists I've seen
• 107: the number of times my hands have started bleeding while I was trying to get dressed (yes, I count)
• 65: the percentage amount of hair that has fallen out of my head
• 24: the number of Psoriasis spots that I have at this current moment in addition to my CPP
• 75: the number of pounds I was lifting on the machine in the gym when it tore the skin on my hand open, leading to the contraction of this disease

Over the past 3 years I've dealt with a lot. A lot of self-doubt, a lot of obstacles. I'm lucky enough to have supportive and loving people in my life. But unfortunately, not everyone feels that way. Because the people I surround myself with are nice to me and don't treat me like I'm different, I guess I've become naive over time. Naive in thinking that people don't notice, that I'm normal, or that it doesn't matter. I have a skin disease.

While working at Old Navy yesterday, I endured the hardest situation that I've had to endure in the past 3 years. I had a customer come through my line and ask me how I'm legally allowed to work in customer service when I have such a "disgusting, contagious disease." My reaction was a bit unprofessional when I told her to make sure she washed her clothes twice in hot water before she wore them. But I was mad. Who is this lady that thinks she can talk to me like that?

But in the end, she loses. I may have a chronic skin disease, it's true. I may take an ungodly amount of medicine, visit the doctor 20x as much as anyone I know, be going bald, and have a hard time buttoning my jeans some days... but I have people who love me in my life. Which I have a hard time believing someone as hateful as her has. This was proven to me yesterday when I posted this news on Facebook. So, thank you.