Mickey Mouse Gingerbread Cookies

Sunday afternoon my house turned into a Christmas goodie manufacturing facility.  Kind of like how I would picture Mrs. Clause’s kitchen would look leading up to Christmas morning.  Someone has to bake cookies for all the elves.  Think about it, that’s a ton of tiny mouths to feed!  Anywho, I love being in the kitchen baking goodies for my friends this time of year.  To me, it is a simple way to show someone that I care about them.

One of the cutest treats I made over the weekend: Mickey Mouse gingerbread cookies.  Everyone’s favorite mouse with a Christmas twist!  Almost too cute for words, almost.

Loyal and True

My little—Kayla just graduated in 3 ½ years from Oklahoma State University.  She is planning on attending Tulsa University College of Law starting this January!   It’s hard to believe that she is all grown up and the next chapter of her life is starting.  I have no doubt that she will continue to dominate school and everything else life decides to toss her way.  Congratulations Kayla on checking a major accomplishment off of your to-do list.  Up next, law school graduation and passing the bar exam!

Back to the subject of college graduation, it’s hard to believe that I have been out of college for two years!  Seriously, time flies by!  Speaking of time flying by—yesterday marked five months until the big day!  My wedding planning hat is on and ready to party!  We are in the midst of ordering Save the Date’s.  They will be coming to a mailbox near you very soon!

Candy, Candy Canes, Candy Corns and Syrup

If you are reading this and on my Christmas list—please note that I have not been Christmas shopping.  I repeat, I have not been Christmas shopping!  With that said, if you would like to give me a heads up as to what you would like underneath the Christmas tree, now would be the perfect time to give me a hint.  Just in case you are looking for me….lucky you!  I have a Pinterest board dedicated to My Christmas Wish list—shopping made easy if you ask me.

 

Tiny human rage at its finest

I love Christmas! You love Christmas! We all love Christmas! The truth, I am a child at heart 24/7/365! However, Christmas morning, it’s on! Tiny human Lindsey is in full effect and the only way to describe it is “Christmas rage”! So bring out the sugar filled treats, cookies, and sugarplums because it is that wonderful time of year! Christmas is a week away; you read that right Christmas is NEXT WEEK!

One Year Down

I have survived my 1st year as a 4-H Educator! Time flies when you are having fun or constantly on the run. In this instance, I am thinking the second option is more likely the case.

However, I feel more mature than I did last year at this point and about 10X more confident in my abilities/skill set. Working with people is difficult especially when there is a competitive nature to it all.

Yesterday I relieved a wonderful handwritten note along with my favorite Starbucks drink from a 4-H'er. Also, Jered sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers accompanied with a sweet note. Lastly, two coworkers purchased two wonderful cupcake accessories for my desk!

I am so thankful for all of the encouragement and support everyone has given me over the past year.

My Life In Boots

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I have a shoe obsession! This is how I see things, “Every girl should be two things: Classy and Fabulous." Growing up in the small town of Pawhuska, in rural Osage County, being the trendsetter was often frowned upon in some ways. However, I never let that get to me—I have embraced it with open arms. The breakdown: I love shoes of all shape, color, style, and designer. I honestly don’t discriminate against shoes; I am an equal opportunity shoe shopper.

Back to growing up in Pawhuska, the one shoe that makes an appearance no matter what occasion is the cowboy boot. They are proper attire for football games, church on Sunday morning, working cattle, the occasional hot date night, and the usual stock show or rodeo. Growing up you could always find a couple of pair in the garage by the door, in the laundry room, and a few pair even happened to make their way to the closet where they really belonged (sorry mom). Below I have some pictures of my family and me to really bring home the point.

My dad is not a formal guy, he will dress up for the occasion but it’s a little out of his comfort zone. He works outdoors and usually he is wearing Wranglers, steal-toe boots, and a polo shirt. This was taken my Sr. year at football homecoming. Notice the cowboy boots make an appearance, he looks sharp!

Now these are not cowboy boots, but nonetheless, they are boots. Check out this throwback of my mom in the color guard (before her featured twirler days at PHS). Facebook comes in so handy; just love finding gems like this of my mom!

This was taken my last stock show at the Oklahoma Youth Expo with my favorite show steer, Sid the Sloth. I thought pink cowboy boots were cool so I wore them in the show ring. Looking back, this might not have been my best idea I have ever had.

Every year my brother and I participated in the 4-H dress revue. Here we are between categories caught in cowboy boots and shorts. He had to run out to the car to get his slacks and just tossed his boots on. I couldn’t contain myself—I had to document this for future references such as now. The real tragedy of this picture, my hair—check that out!

Here is my little sister Lauren in one of her Sr. pictures. As you can see, she is a big fan of boots with detail and embellishments. She is in a close 2^nd place of the lover of all things shoes. I have taught her so well!

This was taken a few years ago of my youngest brother, Jack. He is in the yard driving around doing stunts on his little motorcycle. He is rocking the boxer and cowboy boot combination really well. In all seriousness, we are just glad he is wearing clothes at that point in his life. He is such a wild child!

Now you have a better understanding where I am coming from! A couple of weeks ago I had the amazing opportunity to pick a pair of cowboy boots from Boot Barn. I had a little trouble deciding on just one pair, so I talked it over with my friend Brooke and decided on the Shyanne Women's Embroidered Clover Flower Western Boots. I had them shipped to my office and when they arrived I jumped for joy! Opened them up and gave a style show to my secretary—she always gets a good laugh from me.

They are really comfortable which is extremely important when looking into purchasing a pair of boots. You could defiantly wear these all day without your feet causing your problems; a good fit is a must! I also love the detail on them, they are so fun! The red color sticks out and is so vibrant. I look forward to wearing them in the fall with a pair of dark washed skinny jeans and a cardigan. Fall weather is perfect boots, and girls lets be honest—we can never have too many options to choose from. If you are looking forward to fall, I encourage you to look at your closet to see if you are missing a special something. Pin it to your wish list and who knows—maybe your special someone will take a hint ;)

The Bible App

I am a social media nerd, always looking for the next big thing. The thought of being without my phone is almost alarming. My iPhone serves as my personal planner, constant contact with my BFFs via group message, email updates, my window into the social media world, and the latest app: the bible.

You read that right, the bible-yes that's the book for me, is now on my iPhone. It is 2012 but I almost feel weird about this. However the pros out-way the cons. Between the verse of the day, devotional content, and scripture, how can you go wrong?

I will say this, it's so easy! My alarm goes off every morning (also my iPhone). With the phone in hand, I launch the app and do my daily reading right there!

As far as devotionals, my favorite lesson has been "teaching tolerance". I feel like that's my biggest shortcoming. I lack patience big time...I am working in it. In conclusion, modern technology has made its way into every aspect of our life. For better or worse, we are constantly connected.

Ice Cream Man

The holiday in the middle of the work week messed with my head. Anyone else have to work the next day? Yeah, it was brutal. Yesterday I thought it was Sunday for most of the day. Ugh! I hate that!

This 4th of July was nothing too special. It was really nice to relax and enjoy the day off. The best part of my day, running into the street after the ice cream truck!

Here is the play by play. I just stepped out of my car and all of a sudden I hear it! The sounds of a childhood summer! The sweet sound of the ice cream man making his way into your neighborhood! I knew I had to have one, so I scurried around to find enough change, with the help of Jered.

Once the truck stopped, the hard part began-decision time! Do I go with an iconic bomb pop (like my friend @BrookeClay) , a character with gumball eyes, or an ice cream sandwich?

Recently Jered and I watched Madagascar 3 in 3D. I couldn't resist the cute little Blue Bunny penguin with bubble gum eyes. If you are a twenty-something, I know you have eaten a Tweety Bird or a Ninja Turtle with bubbly gun eyes at some point in your life.

Like any mature adult, I took a picture of me enjoying my wonderful frozen confection penguin. Then I sent it via text message to my mommy, with the caption Happy 4th of July.

The Wheels On The Bus

Anytime you leave for a road trip in the wee hours of the morning and kids are involved--you know it's going to be a long day. A jump start is a must!

Last week two district 4-H events were held in a town almost two hours away! It made for early mornings and long rides home.

One particular evening, on the way back home the 4-H members performed karaoke with all the greatest hits: Katy Perry, Justin B, Call Me Maybe, you name it they sang it. I even tagged along to some tunes. Needless to say, cheap entertainment. We laughed so hard!

Days like that make me realize how much I love my job. I get to play a part in so many young lives. It's really a cool thing when you step back and look at it.

Fried Pies

Over the past few months, I have stopped drinking pop. Although, I have not been able to kick my Starbucks habit; I fear that it is here to stay.

All of this came to a screeching halt last Sunday when Jered and I met Benton (one of Jered's good friends) at Pop's for lunch. I caved in and had a Dublin Dr. Pepper. Also, we walked away with a six pack of bottled Dr. Pepper.

While on the subject on things unhealthy...my eyes have been opened. I, Lindsey, have finally eaten a fried pie.  Wednesday I was at the farmers market presenting a cooking demo, I met a grandma and granddaughter duo who make and sell fried pies. How could I say no?  I purchased a peach and an apple flavored pie. I was even nice enough to split them with Jered.

My finally thought it's okay to occasionally have unhealthy an delicious treats-just in moderation.

Bills, Bills, Bills

There is nothing that can compare to the power of a handwritten note. (If I have said it once, I have said it 1,000 times!) Coming home from a long day of work and finding a colorful envelope in your mail box addressed with your name on it. This little treat just makes your face light up! Knowing that someone took time out of their busy schedule to write you something special.

Speaking of notes, I have been filling out a lot of greeting cards for different occasions: weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and just because notes.

Last night after a long day at work I had a mailbox full of stuff waiting for me! The usual post-grad life thing that we all hate: bills, a Starbucks reward postcard, magazine, and a note! Please note that the last one is the most exciting to me!

Tops & Bottoms

I am a believer in knowing where your food comes from. Agricultural literacy is something that we should spread around, share your story! I am a shopper/supporter of Whole Foods Market but also local farmers markets.

We could all learn a lot just by reading this children's book "Tops and Bottoms". I have been teaching Jr. Master Gardeners curriculum over the past few weeks to a summer school class. In one lesson we read the book, along with discussion, ended with a game. It's a great feeling that I can show kids where their food comes from in a fun way!

This weekend I stopped by my local farmers market after a morning run for coffee and breakfast. Equipped with no shopping list or agenda. My task at hand, see what they had to offer and speak with producers.  After a couple conversations, I walked away with a few ears of sweet corn and a bunch of blackberries.

I just like the feeling that "you" are supporting agriculture in your community and that "you" are making a difference.

My Big Is Married

This weekend I felt like a road warrior. It all started Friday afternoon; I left work early to make my way to Enid, Oklahoma.  The rehearsal dinner for Carrie (my big) started promptly at 6:00.  After that we had dinner, watched Carrie and Austin play a game, and viewed a slideshow/video that would be playing during the ceremony it was time to get some rest.  Carrie’s parents found us a lovely bed and breakfast to stay at Friday night.

Just hanging out with Myriah, my amazing gbig!

While at the bed and breakfast we caught up on life happenings with one another, exchanged a few stories, and it was time for bed.  We got up early the next morning and to get ready for the big day.  We took a million pictures: some at the bed and breakfast, a few more at the park, and then the obvious—at the ceremony and reception.

Olivia (one of my pledge sisters) and I got to spend some time together this weekend!

Everything went so well, minus an almost wardrobe malfunction via the flower girl. I could not be more excited for her.  Carrie looked beautiful, just like a princess on her big day!  We all made it without having a breakdown, small victory!  I only teared up once.  My other favorite part, getting time to spend with Myriah, my amazing gbig!

There was some # postceremony tweeting going on

After the wedding, Jered and I made a trip to Anadarko.  Jered’s childhood country music idol, Joe Diffie was playing at a casino there.  Who doesn’t enjoy the classic: “John Deere Green” or “Pickup Man”?  We all know that I am more of a hip-hop/rap/pop music girl, but truth be told I really do enjoy 90’s country.  In my opinion, country today tries way too hard to be something it’s not…pop and it drives me crazy!  That concert was the most laid back and relax one I have ever attended.  It was a great time!

Tidal School Winery

I have a special place in my heart for the month of June!  It brings me so many wonderful memories: packing up to go to different camps for weeks on end, swimming with friends and family to beat the summer heat, cookouts just because, my little sister’s birthday/mom and dad’s wedding anniversary, and homemade ice cream in numerous different flavors.  After saying all of that, I feel like I just had a mini commercial that should end with the words “God Bless America” flashing in red, white, and blue.

 

Anyways, a few weekends ago I had the chance to visit an Oklahoma winery.  Nothing like supporting the Agritourism industry!  If you don’t know what Agritourism, please Google it.  You should make the short drive to the Tidal School Winery, makes for the perfect day trip!  You almost feel like you are in California taking a stroll through wine country (this is as close as it gets in Oklahoma!)  It is very unique; it is in an old school house.  The people there are so kind and very funny.  Not to mention the great selection of wine!  Jered and I may or may not have walked away with a case.  Who wants to have a dinner party at the farmhouse?

Thunder Up

I might be the only person in Oklahoma City not watching the OKC Thunder playing basketball tonight. I am just not in a basketball mood this evening. In turn, I am sitting in my man cave, eating raspberry sherbet, flipping through a J. Crew magazine, all the while a thunderstorm is brewing outside. I am somewhat thundering up in a scene...right?

My May Birchbox

Today one of my sorority sister’s blogged about her May Birchbox, so I figured it was time for me to review mine.  I have to agree with Sami, this box did not really impress me that much.  Which seems surprising to me since this is “Gossip Girl” edition, shouldn’t this be all things glamorous, preppy, and trendy?  Ahhh, I am so confused!  Usually, there are at least two items I want to order full-size products of.  However, this box left me confused and not too thrilled.

 

I already purchased six of these in neon colors two weeks ago at a local boutique in Shawnee.   I do think that they are a fun and a must for a girl on the go.  The best thing to do when you’re not wearing them in your hair, keep them on your wrists—they look cute and don’t cut off circulation.  I consider this a win-win situation!   I just wish I would have had one of these adorable hair ties on my left-hand wrist when Jered proposed instead of the brown Goody hair tie that I was sporting.  Hindsight is 20/20, lesson learned!

You can glide them on as a thick liner, or smudge them to create a shadow (they go on opaque but blend easily for a sheer look). This product makes it very simple to achieve that smoky eye we all want so badly.  I have been using mine, however; this is not something I want to order.

To me, this is a great product that we always need to have in stock.  I do like that the earth-friendly formula gets rid of the bacteria, dirt, and oil that can accumulate over time. Plus, the gentle low-suds formula doesn’t contain any artificial dyes or irritating ingredients.  I just wish this product was not in my box, I would rather have had a nail polish or something fun like that.

I really couldn’t think how to best describe this perfume, so here is what Birchbox had to say about it: A cascade of fruity top notes—most notably crisp Asian Nashi pear—hits you immediately before giving way to a feminine core of lotus blooms and other floral notes. Woodsy bottom notes of balsa wood and bamboo give the scent a strong foundation.  My overall impression is just blah; I don’t love it or hate it.

This product I plan on using this week during 4-H Camp.  When I am spending time in the great outdoors in the summer, I don’t want to apply heavy makeup.  I want a tinted moisturizer that has SPF and from what I understand, this product does just that.  Made up of a combination of glacier water, deep ocean water, hyaluronic acid, and aloe vera deeply hydrates skin. The cherry on top of this multi-tasking product is broad-spectrum SPF 25+, which blocks harmful UVA and UVB rays from reaching your skin.

If you are interested in ordering a Birchbox, you should try it for three months to see what you think of it.  Overall, I have been really happy with the fun and new products I have been receiving.  Like today, I am sporting the turquoise nail polish that I received back in my March box.

Oklahoma City Arts Festival, Deep Fried Peaches

It is hard to believe that I have been engaged already for a month! This time, last month I was getting on a plane to come back to Oklahoma from my Florida vacation.  Everyone has been asking me about wedding planning.  Here is the deal; wedding planning up to this point has been nonexistent.  Between the four graduations, 4-H camp planning, and prepping for the end of school year activities there just has not been time.  Hopefully, this summer I can get a good grasp on it, I know one thing—I am not going to stress over it.  If I served as formal recruitment for my sorority during undergrad, I can plan a wedding (right?).

 

One fun thing that happened was making our engagement “Facebook official”.  Some people have given me a hard time because during our whole relationship, we never had anything on Facebook until now.  I just never really wanted everyone up in my business.  I am not the type of girl to blast it all over social media until now.  I feel like I have a valid excuse now and if that offends you—feel free to unfriend me.  That is a little forward but I am okay with that.  I have waited my whole life for this to happen, so I am going to celebrate accordingly!

 

Speaking of reasons to celebrate, The annual Oklahoma City Arts Festival happened a few weeks ago.  This is becoming a tradition for us.  The thing that is great is, you can walk around looking at beautiful art and also enjoy some wonderful food.   You can never go wrong sharing an Indian Taco and deep-fried peaches.   It is like a little slice of heaven.

Do you want to wear the cheesy button?

The first day as a newly engaged couple was spent at the Animal Kingdom fully equipped with “Just Engaged” Disney buttons!  At first, I was a little hesitant to wear them, but after much deliberation, we figured that this would be the place it would be the most socially acceptable.  It was Sunday, our last day in Florida so we had to pack a full day of park adventure into just a couple of hours before we had to be at the airport.



We had two main objectives: go on safari and ride the awesome rollercoaster.  Somehow we were lucky enough to ride the rollercoaster twice.  The safari is a whole other story but before we get to that—Jered’s number one request: a safari hat.  If he was going to Africa, he wanted to look the part.   Mission accomplished, we found a Mickey Mouse safari hat and I must say it’s pretty cool!  We ended up coming home with five sets of Mickey Mouse ears, we may have gone a little overboard…



Back to the trail ride, a bus ahead of us broke down while on safari.  In turn, we were stranded by the hippos and birds for about forty-five minutes.  I was really glad to get off of that ride by the time it was over.

I am so thankful I packed a rain jacket.  You know why?  It rained every day that I was there; all five days were filled with a rain shower.  It cooled it off but man after it stopped, it was so humid.  Needless to say, my hair was never looking that great.  Lesson to be learned here is to always be prepared for weather elements while on vacation.

Dreams Do Come True

On the fourth day of Disney Vacation my true love game to me….a shiny diamond ring! Wait? Did you read that right? Yes, I said a diamond ring! However, you must follow along. So set down your laptop or iPhone, go grab a box of tissues, because this is going to be good. My apologies in advance if you have already heard the story.

Jered’s conference was over; we had a whole day to spend in Disney together. We chose to go back to the Magic Kingdom together. He had a whole to-do list of things he wanted to accomplish. We had to ride the iconic tea cups, magic carpet, Space Mountain, and most importantly—Dumbo his childhood favorite! That afternoon we basically did everything imaginable before we left to return to the hotel. We had to freshen up because we had a hot date a Cinderella’s Castle later that evening.



As we are walking into the Magic Kingdom Jered said, “Let’s take a picture in front of Cinderella’s castle but not right here, it’s too crowded—let’s go to the rose garden.

“Why can’t we take the picture right here?! You are soo picky!” I exclaimed because my feet were so swollen from a large amount of walking. The only shoes that fit were flip-flops. We are on our way to the rose garden outside of Cinderella’s castle to take a picture that didn't have too many people in the background (or so I thought).

When we arrived to take pictures, I set down on a bench in the rose garden to change out of my flip-flops and into my fancy high heels (or as I like to call them, my princess shoes).

While all of this is going on, Jered whispers to the photographer “We are the ones you are expecting.” I obviously did not know that this conversation was going on. He is very sneaky as you will further discover.

Once my shoes are on, I follow the photographer’s instruction on where to stand.  I am just doing my signature arm pop and hoping that my hair has not gotten too out of control from the humidity. Clearly the logical thought process in my mind: you are about to have dinner in a real princess castle—you must look the part (you must have pretty princess hair and shoes). Check and check, everything is going according to plan.

While all of this is going on, I am totally oblivious to the fact that Jered is reaching into his pocket to get something out. All of a sudden he whips out a blue box from his pocket and presents it to me! Is this what I think it is? The only thought running through my head: OMG! I really hope these are not earrings. I will die if this is not an engagement ring….oh lord.

My hands are shaking so badly because I am nervous. Who knew I am so incredibly awkward in these situations? All of a sudden, whammo! I am crying like a little girl whose kitten was run over by the neighbor lady. Jered cannot even cite the words to his proposal because he is laughing so hard he is crying!

Finally, Jered stops laughing long enough to get these words out of his mouth. “For the last ten years, every time I’ve looked at you, I have seen magic! So tonight in the Magic Kingdom, the happiest place on earth; I ask you to be my princess, now and forever, and make me the happiest man in the world. So we can write our own fairy tale and live happily ever after. Lindsey Lynn Long, will you marry me?”

Naturally, I said yes—I have only been dreaming of answering this question for ten years! Jered is laughing hysterically, I am still crying, but trying to pull it together because by this time a crowd had gathered to cheer us on and congratulate us. I felt like I was playing out a scene from a romantic comedy or something.

We proceeded to take cheesy pictures accompanied with fireworks (talk about wow factor) until this conversation arose. Jered said with all seriousness, “You do realize that we have a Fast Pass for Peter Pan's Flight, right? I really want to do this before dinner at Cinderella’s castle.”

After I called my family to let them know the exciting news, we were off to ride Peter Pan’s Flight as a newly engaged couple. We then made our way to the castle for dinner, I was so excited I could hardly wait! Cinderella was there to greet us; we took pictures with her and waited to be seated. While waiting for our reservation, we sat next to a lovely family with tiny human divas. One of them made up with me immediately. It was her birthday so they were there to celebrate. She was in her favorite princess dress and a lovely up do with a perfect little tiara to top it all off. In the middle of our conversation, her family was called to dinner. She looked at me and shouted “I hope you have a happy wedding!” I had just stopped crying from the previous events, I looked over at Jered and started crying again. That might have been the most adorable thing that anyone has ever said to me. What a darling little girl she was!



Once we made it to our table, Jered had monogrammed Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Mouse Ears waiting on us. My goodness, he seriously thought of it all! Dinner was everything you could have dreamed of—the castle was beautiful, the food was delicious, and I was greeted by numerous princesses throughout my dining experience. To top it all off, we got to watch the nightly firework show from our chairs.



I have never felt more like a princess in my entire life.  I am so incredibly thankful and blessed to find someone in life who wants to treat me like that.  I have always said that every girl deserves to be treated like a princess.  You should never settle for anything less than that—God has someone out there that will look at you with magic in his eyes and will treat you like the real life Disney Princess that you are deep down inside.