Courtney S. Barr

Welcome to My Kingdom!
Join me, the Princess, on my Royal Adventures in the Land of Writing!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Another TV Spot....

My goodness the Twilight movie is almost here!!! YIPPEE!!!
Here is the latest TV Spot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH1tX4jUCy8
Enjoy!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

TWILIGHT TV SPOT

FINALLY! They have a commercial on TV for the upcoming Twilight movie. I downloaded the link. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D6eH-P1Ogk

Bama 29 - Tennessee 9

Well another gameday has come & gone. This one though is one of those important games. Tennessee may not be having the best year, but this game was a chance for them to have a big upset game against a bitter rival. Our rivalry with Auburn is just that: a rivalry. Our rivalry with Tennessee is much different. As an Alabama player stated: We have to hate Auburn they are our in state rival. We CHOOSE to hate Tennessee.

Tennessee & Bama truly hate each other. The song Rocky Top - yech! They play it constantly. Thankfully yesterday we did not only beat them but actually proved something to ourselves.We can play the 3rd & 4th quarter of a football game. We can step up to the plate, hold our own, & execute.In other words though we did hear Rocky Top a few times, it was quietly fading come the 3rd U & 4th quarters. Sure there are always areas of improvement or better thinking, but for the past year we have had issues late in the game. We come out blazing in the first & find ourselves sizzling out by the 4th. Yesterday, we found our ground. We stood on it & we continued to prove that we are not some odd BCS fluke team. We are ALABAMA. :)

I made some yummy goodies for this game. Some comfort food really. The weather has begun to cool off so warm foods are the tasty choice. I made a huge pot of chili, some BLTs & Club Sandwiches, Spinach/Bacon dip, & the cupcakes from last week. Though this week I perfected the cream for the inside. YUMMY! Marcus had requested the cupcakes again - Rob had only gotten one last week, but this week he got his fill :) They are so amazing. They may take a while to make, but boy are they worth it!!! Check out the pics right after I finished decorating them~Little Debbie eat your heart out! Look at the yummy creamy insides~~~mmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Yesterday morning before all the game festivities I ran up to Hoover. COACH had sent me a $100 gift certificate (yes this is an indication that we shop there quite a bit :)lol) Anyway, the cert. was only good for 2 days & well I decided it would be silly to waste 100$ gift cert. I mean come on :) So I ran up to the galleria bought a few things from COACH then headed over to Linens & Things at Patton Creek. (the entire company, Linens & Things, is going out of business)It was like BLACK FRIDAY in there, people were throwing things everywhere, digging in bins, moving each other. It was nuts. I did get some new stuff for mine & Marcus' bathroom. A much needed new rug & shower curtain. As well as some new towels. I spent $50. The curtain alone was originally 79.00. I would have found more stuff, but with holiday shopping around the corner I will just wait for the craziness until then.

After that I grabbed a Blackberry Soda from Carinos & some combo nachos. If you have never had them you should: they are pasta chips covered in italian sausage, grilled chicken, black olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes, alfredo sauce, mozzarella, & parmesan cheese. OME! They are amazing. So I took the nachos home to Marcus for lunch & after that the games began! What a Saturday. Today I plan to curl up, relax & watch some old movies/tv shows. Marcus has to go into work, so Peanut & I will hold down the fort. Ahhh, another weekend. :) Stay warm.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Crazycolorfulcountdownclockssaywhat?

Good night! I was visiting a blog tonight & found that they had a few countdown clocks:

37 days until Thanksgiving
64 Shopping days until Christmas

Where did I miss a few weeks? (oh yeah I did miss a few weeks of normal life, but that is beside the point) How on earth did my time just go by so quickly! 64 days until Christmas. CHRISTMAS!!! ARGGHHH!!! That means that a birthday for Marcus is merely 48 days away. He will be 29; a month from that it will be my birthday, but more than that it will be 2009.
Every year we say "My gosh this year has flown by." Every year we mean it, but for me this year truly has slipped out from under me.

I am a list maker. Someone who constantly writes down what she is to do that day, what she needs to pack for a trip, what she is planning, things she wants, things she doesn't want, pros/cons, whatever it is I list it. Now granted my list may take place on a notepad, envelope, sketch pad, back of my hand or even on a pair of old pants, but the list is there. Once written down my mind won't forget it or its order of importance. I had lists from last spring that won't be complete until next spring, I have lists from yesterday that won't ever be completed and then there are those that I will finish, file away, and begin a new one.

Well the holidays bring about all kinds of lists in our house. Tonight I realized that it was time to begin holiday 'idea lists'. You know the kind with recipes I might want to try, gift ideas for family/friends, crafting items, decorations that I want to add to the collection, dates of visitors around the holidays, holiday parties, Christmas cards, house upkeep things before I have visitors, I mean there are so many things that I list out this time of year. I feel so behind though. I normally start all these in August, at least idea lists, now though it is October. Not even October 1, but the 20th meaning I am only 11 days from November. Holy batwings, batman! I am freaking out here. :)

So as these countdowns continue my lists will grow & hopefully a few checkmarks will be found on the slips.

For now, I leave you with this list:
1. Make list of things to update around the house before holiday swing.
2. Make list of ideas for recipes
3. Make list of gift ideas
4. Make list of all holiday party dates
5. Make list of all holiday events to attend
6. Make list of all dates that visitors will arrive
7. Make list of all drinks that will make me calm through the holidays
8. Make list of all catering companies in case I lose it during the holidays
9. Make list of all retailers that will gift wrap if bought online so I don't get papercuts
10. Make list of all spas in the area - I will need to learn to breathe during the next 64 days :)

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Sheldon's Smile

Okay I LOVE the show BIG BANG THEORY on CBS Monday nights. last week was by far one of the best episodes. the character Sheldon is a riot.

Anyway, I thought this clip was just hilarious & felt like sharing. If you don't watch this show you should.

Just click on the link to go to CBS' youtube site & watch the clip!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ_23Gml3Mw

Bama 24- Ole Miss 20

Well, we sure do like to tease our fans! Actually we like to see how far cardiac arrest can go. Alabama won on Saturday, we are now 7-0, but I must say I really want to watch us pummel someone and be able to actually relax in the 2nd half. I mean relax in letting the other guys play & not worry about the opponent sneaking back up on us & almost winning in the end! Whew! Is that really too much to ask :)
Anyway, my house was interesting on this game day. My father called late Friday evening saying he had tickets for him, Eric, & Mindy to the game and was wondering if Marcus had any tickets. Well at the time he didn't. Then he gets a call from a friend who happens to have 2 tickets. So Marcus, Rob, Dad, Eric, & Mindy all went to the game. Mom & me stayed home to watch on Stevie the TV. Though I screamed so loudly at one point that my dog was terrified & ran under the couch, it was still a great deal of fun! Instead of cooking lunch I cooked dinner for everyone after the game. It was YUMMY!!! I also had made some chocolate cupcakes. Okay these are not just chocolate cupcakes; they were from scratch chocolate cupcakes filled with a from scratch white cream, then covered in chocolate ganache & decorated with leftover cream. OME!! THEY WERE AMAZING!! Marcus is clamoring for them to be next weekends dessert as well. I think he may have found his ultimate chocolate item in these cupcakes. :)
Sunday we were supposed to go to the Kentuck Festival in Northport. I wanted to go but we also have not been to the movies in forever. As you all know the TWILIGHT trailer is playing on certain movies so of course I went up to discover which ones...:) The manager said that it will be on more movies this coming up weekend but on Sunday it was on QUARANTINE, LAKEVIEW TERRACE, & SEX DRIVE. Okay well QUARANTINE is scary so Marcus won't watch it. LAKEVIEW TERRACE looked good (Samuel L. Jackson stars), then there is the ultimate college comedy SEX DRIVE. Okay we went to SEX DRIVE. lol. For those of you who do not watch National Lampoon or OLD SCHOOL or Van Wilder (the uncensored versions where the female breast appears as regular as the word dude) this movie is NOT for you. If you do watch those comedies then you will love this one. I have to say that I was not sure if I would like this guy comedy, but I laughed all the way through. Granted it is that guy-humor-college thing, but let me tell you funny. Again though if the aforementioned movie style is not your thing, then just watch the preview for Twilight & sneak into something else you want to see. :) As for my preview: AWESOME ON THE BIG SCREEN HYPERVENTILATED THROUGH MOST OF IT :)I was also ecstatic that before the previews began 3 of the COKE questions that flash on the screen were Twilight related.
After that we headed home & I grilled some salmon & made some yummy garlic potatoes! MMMMM...We caught up on Friday's TiVo and also some of our Sunday shows. It was all in all a great weekend. I enjoyed seeing family plus being able to just relax with Marcus on Sunday is always my number one favorite time!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

New Hobbies

Well I am one person who has a few hobbies. I read, write, draw, paint, shop, photography, blog, and now we add: quilting. Well at least it is definitely beginning quilting. It is fun though, thinking about fabrics, how the colors flow, much like painting. The big difference being that when I paint & misstep a line it can easily be painted over, well in quilting those irregular lines are going to have to add some character :)

There is nothing like enjoying a hobby. It releases you from the daily stress but can also add its own measure. I stressed last night over re-threading my bobbin. Yeah - Mom the "bobbin fairy" did not attend my home last night :( lol. But once everything got started it began to flow again. The fabric I chose is really pretty, shades of green squares interlocking with cream/pink/green patterned squares. I have always loved quilts and learning how to make them is important to me.

My heritage is peppered with people who enjoyed different methods of sewing. My mom's side of the family has a plethera of talents in this area, my mother being one of the best at anything sewing she touches. She might like to pretend that she is mediocre, but trust me she is so talented. My father's side does not lack for talent either. His mother made some of the most beautiful quilts. We are lucky to still have some of these heirlooms. That is something I want to create: heirlooms. Something like a quilt to keep my future family warm, to be able to look at and see a part of me. Now I hope that some of my artwork on canvas or paper is considered heirlooms to family one day, but a piece of fabric is like nothing else. It is okay to have the quilt in the corner that does not match all the decor, while a picture tends to need to meet with a room's flow. This first one might be one that says: Goodness she started rocky, but hopefully my progression will benefit not only my immediate creative needs but hold together for my family in the future. :)

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Ahh relaxing!

Well this weekend Bama was off. WOOHOO! As much as our household loves to watch the games, sometimes the relief from stress is just exactly what we need. :)
Friday night we grilled fish & shrimp and watched some TIVO-d shows. Saturday morning was crazy. I woke up a good bit nauseated (after effects still lingering from anesthesia & surgery I am told)so I did not make it to one calendar event I had. Thankfully by around 11 a.m. I began to feel much better. Marcus & I got dressed to head into Birmingham.
The Birmingham Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition of da Vinci's Sketches from the Biblioteca in Turin, Italy. This is a collection of about 12 pages from his sketchbooks & codex. They are amazing! This particular collection is a real jewel for Birmingham to have been able to host. These items are insanely unique & special to the collection in Turin. There are thumbnail sketches of machinery he was inventing, studies of men & horses, use of metalpoint (which is a terribly difficult medium due to that you cannot erase or correct a mistake), red chalk, & pen/ink. He was truly a master. I mean the Mona Lisa - yeah, but these are those quick sketches done when he found a subject. These show the skill. It is worth seeing if you get the chance.
After the museum we headed to Columbiana. Okay Columbiana has a race track - go carts. Now this is no "beach" go cart track. These monster can run 45-60 miles per hour. You have a neck brace, helmet, etc. on your body for protection. It is INSANE! We met up with Marcus' best friend Kerry. After about 30 minutes it was our session (session = 20 minutes for 25$). Um after session number 1, we were done. Intense is not even the proper wording. We then headed to Paw Paw's for some lunch. Yummy! It is an old restaurant in downtown Columbiana. Then the boys headed to Kerry's to watch football & headed to the Summit to meet up with a girl, Betsy, that Kerry is seeing to shop. Well I shopped, found some great buys (White House Black Market was having a great sale 40% off of the REDLINE!!, then Betsy & I decided we needed pedicures & massages. OOOOHHHH YEAHHHH!!! It was so good. :) Once I met back up with Marcus around 9 p.m. we went to dinner then home. OH what a good day. :)
Today is jammy day. In other words - the pajamas are the only clothes we are putting on & we are vowing not to leave the house all day! I plan to cook some fried chicken, corn, potatoes, & some homemade banana pudding. I have never done the pudding/custard from scratch, should be interesting. :) I hope everyone has a great remainder of the weekend!

Monday, October 6, 2008

30 minutes of old friend bliss!




This afternoon around 5:01 p.m. my phone rings. I am always excited to see Joe (my best friend from New York/Florida/North Carolina) pop up on caller ID. He is & always will be my Damn Yankee - I am his Southern Belle. Anyway, when I answer to my surprise he begins with: I am in Birmingham right now. Okay so Joe works for Books A Million & their headquarters are in Birmingham, he had a 1 day conference at the BJCC & it was today, he only has 30 minutes between meetings & a required dinner. He got into town late last night & tried to call me but my phone was dead from the weekend. So of course what do I do? I immediately call my husband tell him we are going to Birmingham & get home to head out the door. I have not seen Joe in person in 6.5 years. 6.5 YEARS!!!! We talk around 4 times a month, text when we can, play on facebook & myspace but it has been 6.5 years since we have spoken in person. I almost burst into tears when he rounded the corner at the Sheraton, it was like Florida all over again. He has not changed a bit - which is perfect. I was blown away by how much I had missed him, even with all the correspondence we work to keep often it is not the same. The three of us went up to his room to catch up & so he could change for the next event on his agenda. Their schedule was crazy, you should have seen how there was hardly any time between meetings/lectures. The coolest part though is the books they get copies of (almost all are signed by the authors) to take home.
I was flooded with memories of nights out late, crazy roommates, new experiences, lots of laughter, and even more love. He is one of the most amazing people I know. I am blessed to have 4 true best friends. They are all so unique & just wonderful. His place in my life was not only perfectly timed, but an addition that took me by surprise and brought me closer to who I am. He met me during a real searching for yourself period & loved me for all the craziness, naivete, sheltered, Alabama blonde that I am. I will never forget so many things - dance clubs, cigarettes (never smoked them myself - but I did like to light them on fire while sitting outside & my roommates would smoke - yeah smokers don't like you to waste their cigs for your own pyro habits :), chik fil a all the time, wakie*wakie*eggs*&*bakie*, no cheese at the Waffle House, Pleasure Island, Islands of Adventure, RENT, teaching someone how to pump gas (yes truly how to PUMP gas), & learning how to just let go.
Thank you Joe. You took me under your wing from the first moment I said armadillo & have kept me there ever since - I LOVE YOU!!

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Alabama 17 - Kentucky 14

Okay so this weekend was not so pretty for Bama. Well I guess everyone has bad hair - stuck in traffic - static cling - gum on your shoe days. They just had to have theirs in front of the Bamanation. We did beat Kentucky, though there were a few heart wrenching moments before the clock hit 00:00 in the fourth, but again, bad days happen. Either way we enter an off week and then we see Ole Miss - a team like Kentucky (strong, ready & wanting to win and prove their worth).