Oregon

As you can tell from the following photos, I am getting quite excited to visit my family of the west. My Cousin is getting married. He's the son of my daddy's first cousin, so you figure the whole 2nd, 3rd, whatever thing. We've visited them over the years (summer between 2nd and 3rd grades, summer between 9th and 10th grade, and once by myself in college). It's been 8 years since I've been last, I am so excited. A lot in life has happened since I've seen these dear family memebers, and I can't wait to hug them most of all.

 Seeing Lumsden Farms on this invitation, honestly, made me smile from the inside out. I grew up on Lumsden Farms (of the east). This is the Lumsden Farms of the west. The wedding is at their home, and let's be real, it's one of the most gorgeous properties I've ever been. The weather they have there grows the most beautiful plants and flowers a garden could ever dream of.

Cheers to Oregon. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT!!!

Instagram

I downloaded Instagram on my phone a while ago, but recently I find myself using it a little more. Here are a few a my favorites!

Gus and Tank - East Weekend

 Gus and Tank - Not to Sure about their new pool

Usually not into self photography, but playing around with a photo and thought just the eye was cool.

Hair Appointment

My Trusty old UGA anorak- Bulldawg Pride



I just love my Tanky

And of course I love my old fella Gus. He loves me to the moon and back and loves resting on me anyway he can. 

That's a little of my life recently in Instagram photos.

WHAT KIND OF DAY ARE YOU HAVING?

THIS IS KELLY'S KIND OF DAY....

I just realized that it's been since February since I posted last. I need to get better. That's a new goal. Take time at least once a week to share, bitch, soap box speak, or just reflect.

Yes...I took a jar of icing and spooned out icing...it was easier and let messy that stabbing myself with a knife.

Hope your day is more pleasant that a jar of icing....that will be relocated to....places that will be hard to work off.

A Lesson of Fashion

I'm by far no expert in fashion, fashion is a hobby. You can see some of my fun things on Pinterest. I am not going to lie though, I would love to have a side business of styling people, helping them edit their closets, and taking the clothes they already have and putting together great outfits. Most people don't realize the potential that they already have in their closets. It's just getting their brain out of the box of solids.

I would like to share some things I've learned over the years. Some are from my own mistakes.

Things you should save and spend the money on:

1. Purses

2. Shoes

3. A good pair of jeans

Things you should NOT spend much money on:

1. Basics like tank tops

2.Things that are trendy that year

3. Costume jewelry

I may shop a lot, but the only thing I will consider paying full price for is designer purse, a good pair of shoes, and jeans. Most everything I purchase is on sale, with the exception of things I get from H&M and Forever 21, mainly because everything is so cheap already and they never really put anything on sale.

The reason for spending money on purses and shoes is that not matter what's going on in your life, they will FIT! You know those days where you want to wear your fat pants! I have two designer purses in my closet now, and I saved for them. The satisfaction of spending that kind of money is that I will have it forever, and I will be able to pass it on to my daughter (if I have one) or grand daughter. They really are an investment if you don't buy trendy designer pieces, but stick to classic styles.

Don't spend much money on shirts. Reason...they don't take the beating of a lot of wear well. I want to shake those ladies that just because they can spend $100 on a cotton shirt, they do. It's a waste of money....go to Forever 21 and find something similar for less than $20!

When it comes to costume jewelry...I LOVE!! My two favorite places to find great inexpensive (I mean necklaces for $10) items is Forever 21 and H&M. They really do have some good stuff. I have one necklace that I spent less than $10 on from F21 back in 2007...I get the most complements on it than I do anything else. There is this necklace that I have been swooning over from J Crew, their bubble necklace, I have a hard time imaging myself spending $150 on it. So I rediscovered eBay. If you click on the ebay link, it'll take you to the jcrew bubble necklace search. Happy Shopping! I bought the red one for $19.99 and free shipping. Why spend $150 on a trendy necklace!! If there is something you want and it's out of your price range...search online for it...you'll find it and at a great savings.

Happy Shopping! If you ever have any questions, let me know. Tweet me - @KellyLHumlan I offer free advice. :)

Blazin' the Oregon Trail

I got the save the date for a cousin's wedding this summer. This wedding takes place in Oregon.

Usually, a trip that far away we'd just send a gift, but we are jumping at the opportunity to go out West!

The plan is fly into Portland, work our way down to the Jacksonville area via rental car, and fly back to Charlotte from Medford. Here are a few places planned for the stop...we'll hit all the breweries and wineries in between.

Mt. Hood

Crater Lake

Oregon Caves

Of course we'll be spending some time in Jacksonville which is near our cousins home. The wedding will be at their home in Applegate...which might be one of the prettiest places I have ever visited in my life. I can't wait to take my husband out there.

The is a trip I feel like my Dad is pushing me to go on. Ever get those weird feelings that you know is coming from up above? This is one of them.

Twit Pic

If you follow me on twitter you would have seen this picture I posted the other day. If you don't, my handle is @KellyLHumlan.

This picture and saying is a reminder on bad days that if Britney spears can make it through shaving her head, hitting paparazzi with an umbrella and other bat sh!$ crazy things she did in 2007, I can make it through this day, this week!!

Remember, your bad days could be worse, it could be Britney's 2007!!!

Valentine's Day Humor- A Day Late

Yesterday I sent an email with the picture below to some co-workers. My caption was, "What are the odds that their human mother is single?"


Some day after Valentine's day humor. Can't go wrong with dear 'ol Maxine!!

What is Love

Today is Valentine's Day, what does it mean to you?

I know many single people dread this day, and mostly because they focus on the wrong things (I was there once). Instead making Valentine's Day the focus on relationships, make the focus about LOVE.

Love for your family, Love for your friends, pets, life....

If you don't have someone special to spend the day with, just think there may be a pet at the shelter thinking the same thing or an elderly person at the nursing home. The happiest you'll ever be in life is when you share your love to someone else. Not just a spouse, but everyone you come in contact with. Sharing your love to someone that has nothing, brings love and light into both of your lives.

So instead of focusing on not having a boyfriend or husband sending you flowers and gift, focus on what really matters in this world....LOVE.

Valentine's day is special to me for three reasons-

First, in 2008, I was single. I was at work, not really caring about the day, and certainly not expecting any type of delivery. I got a call from the receptionist that I had a delivery. I went downstairs to find a vase with three roses and a balloon, with a card showing they were from my Daddy. I was floored, he'd never sent me flowers before.

Second, since I was seeing my sister for our annual birthday trip at the end of January 2009, I decided to give my sister a Valentine's card for my dad since I would be liable to forget to mail it. Early Sunday morning of that trip my sister and I got a call to come home, my dad had an accident. Thursday of that same week we buried him. In his hands I placed that Valentine's day card. I had already written and sealed the card before that Sunday call.

Third, when we were cleaning out his vehicles at somepoint, I found a Valentine's day card he'd already bought for me, but hadn't been signed and sealed. The message on the card screamed that it was for me...it was quite funny. We certainly thought alike! Valentine's Day card for each other way early...I was a Daddy's girl and loved (and love) that man dearly.

So Valentine's Day holds a special day in my heart. Hope you have a special day and share your love with someone.

My Lover....

What you might not know, is that I have a lover. My husband knows about the relationship, so

it's okay. Sometimes this secret relationship is healthy for me, and sometimes I know that its just soooo bad that it's good.

My lover's name is called Kit...It's short for KitchenAid. Out time together is usually fun and magical.

For Valentine's day, I decided to make a pink ombre cake. I made a cake similar this summer for a friends birthday, but it was lots of different colors.

I make cakes from scratch. I am not knocking box mix cakes, I have a couple in the pantry for emergency needs...you know late at night when I am craving cake!! Most of the time, I pull out everything and start from nothing. I pulled the cake mix and icing from two different places.

The cake layers came from a book titled Delightfully Southern Recipes by: Lucy M. Clark. My Grandmother gave me this book several years ago, and it's got some good stuff. The Icing came from the KitchenAid Manual's recipe section. It's the best damn chocolate icing you'll ever have!!

1-2-3-4 Cake Layers

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I softened butter for 5 sec. in the microwave, but you don't have to). Add eggs one at a time, beating after each just until egg color disappears. Sift flour once, add salt and baking powder and sift a second time. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk. Stir in vanilla and pour into 3 layer cake pans and bake at 350 until light brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans for about 10 minutes and turn out on rack to finish cooling.

Kelly Notes- I made four thinner layers for this cake. The one I did this summer, I did a cake making and a half for 6 layers. I cooked each layer for about 20 minutes instead of the full 25.

Chocolate Frosting

1 cup butter, softened

2 tbsp light corn syrup

4 cups powdered sugar

2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

These instruction are specific to the stand mixer speed. Place butter in mixer bowl. Attached bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 4 and beat about 1.5 minutes. or until creamy. Stop and scrape bowl. Add corn syrup. Turn to speed 2 and mix well. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Stir speed. Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until blended. Turn to speed 4 and beat about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to speed 2. Slowly add melted chocolate and mix about 1.5 minutes. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to speed 4 and beat about 1 minute.

Final instruction I give you is...just lick the beaters...you'll thank me!!!

So a day later I realized I didn't share my secrets of the colored layers. This one was easy, as I started with a few drops of red, mixed it well and poured some batter into a round cake pan. I then added more drops of red for a darker color, then poured some batter into another cake pan. The process just repeats until you are out of batter. The one I did this summer with 6 different colors was a PROCESS!! Six bowls of equal batter mixed with desired colors. The ombre is SOOO much easier since its just a process of adding more after each pour.

The world is your rainbow...might as well eat it!!

30

Most people are sad when they hit the milestone of their 30th birthday. NOT ME! For some reason, I have taken thirty to be a reason to embrace who I really am. BE ME!

If I want to wear sequins to dinner on a Saturday night for no reason other than because I want to wear sequins...by darn...I'm wearing sequins.

Most people have circumstances to bringing them to understand themselves, appreciate themselves, love themselves (in a good way, not conceited way), and enjoy being the human being that God made them. There is no circumstance, just a number. 30. I guess after the first 30 years, I realized, I am who God made me. I am who I am:

I can be a tom boy, I can be a girly girl.

I can be a potty mouth, I can hymn singer.

I can be airheaded, I can be pull together.

I can be country, I can be city.

I can be quiet, I can be loud.

I can be reserved, I can be outgoing.

I can drink wine, I can do shots.

I can be a minimalist, I can be gaudy.

I can be caring, I can be catty.

I am a lot of things and well if you don't like it, I am so sorry, I can't help you on that, seems to me you have a problem with not being accepting of yourself.

I am proud of the woman I have become over the past 30 years. Those years have been filled with heart break, heartache, proud moments, sad moments, life shattering moments, and happy moments. Each one of those moments brought me to where I currently am. I can't change the past as much as I would like. I have to accept the dice that God threw for me. It's like being at the craps table....some times you crap out, and then there you go rolling your number and making bank on the odds.

30....Bring it Beeeyotch!!

Birthday Trip 2012

I'll talk more about this later, but I wanted to post my new favorite picture of us three. I did everyone's hair this night. I think we all look bellissimo!!

2012

Every New Year I sing the words from Rent in my head....

525,600 minutes

How do you measure- measure a year?

In Daylights - In Sunsets - In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee- In Inches - In Miles- In Laughter - In Strife

We seem to not think about the year we just lived until it's over. In 2011, I got married and our family grew by one dog. It was a fantastic year. Was it the best yet? I don't know. I don't like when people say, "It was the best year of my life!" How do you know that? You can't know that until your life is over. That's the blessing with a new year, it's a clean slate to see what God has in store for you. It could be a bad year to show you that good years are ahead and to not take the good years in the past for granted. 2009 was by bad year, and it was devestatingly bad, heartbreakingly sad, and unfortuntately not forgettable. That's why God give us the next year, start fresh and the opportunity to love more, give more, and learn from the year behind. We keep on the circle of learning until we are at our end.

I've decided not to have a yearly resolution, because face it, who makes it past February with those. I've decided that I will have 52 weekly resolutions. Each week a new feat.

Week 1- Work out 5 days

Week 2- No soda

Week 3-52- haven't decided yet. I'll just see what needs to be resolved in my life week to week.

I believe this is going to be more attainable, at least I hope so.

I hope everyone lives 2012 to the best of there ability...you only get one '12- MAKE IT COUNT!