Thanksgiving Roundup

Few families love a day chock full of food more than the Hullingers so I was delighted that they came to my house for Thanksgiving so I could be the sole ringleader of stuffing face. Being in charge of the turkey made me so giddy I could hardly sleep on Thanksgiving Eve. I even got up in the middle of the night to check on its little (big) brining body in my cooler and add a bit of ice. For my brine recipe, go here. It turned out yummy. Here's Adam getting the bird ready for its bath. And here it is 4 hours and 1 hot over later, meat just falling off the bone. That's the sign of a good brine.

Owen watching The Office on Thanksgiving morn. Laughing burns pesky calories that stand in the way of eating more turkey.

Dad spearheaded the roll making the night before.

Mom sings Over the River and Through the Woods as the rolls come out of the oven.The boys, whose place was unfortunately near the kitchen, set the table which consisted of our desk + table. Wrapping paper makes a cheap table cloth.Sitting down. Almost ready to chow. Mom couldn't resist bringing Tom the Turkey and putting him at the head of the table.

Friday, after we'd slept it all off, we ventured to Corona Del Mar.

The boys snorkeled while Mom, Dad and I poked around poking sea anenomes.

Owen put his wetsuit on inside out. Silly.

Allen, Mark and Owen face the sun. Something they haven't done in awhile.

Owen went through the temple for the first time (pics below) and afterwards we ate at a ribs joint. We were in our Sundee best so we all wore these great bibs.

This is all out of order, but we went to Laguna Beach on Saturday evening. Just in time to see a cloudy sunset and walk thru all the cute little galleries.

Gelato! Mmmmmmmmmmm. As if I hadn't already eaten my body weight in turkey.

Here's the temple day. It was fabbbb. Adam and me.

Owen cheesing it up like I told him to. The Boy will do anything I say.

That's it folks. It was such a great weekend. Thanks for coming fam!

My First Successful Solo Sewing Project That Five People Helped Me With

Ta dah!! You'd think that a person with a sewing ICON for a mother would know how to sew a few things on her own. Nope! It is only now that I have a) had the interest and b) learned anything about cutting out a pattern and running a sewing machine. Ariana and I sewed these aprons during about three hours of Enrichment (while everyone else was stuffing their faces and making ornaments) and finished them up at her house. She knew what she was doing and performed every seam flawlessly. I had to ask anyone who walked by my machine what the heck to do about the dysfunctioning bobbin (hey, at least I know my lingo) and then sewed my pocket on about four times cuz it kept flopping off, with special attention on the corners over which I sewed forward and reverse a few good times. OH and I cut my hair. With me it just doesn't stop. This is the shot right after the tryst at Paul Mitchell School (I always get a good adrenaline rush going there - who KNOWS what they'll come up with - I love the surprise after gripping the chair arms for four hours). As you can see, it's blown dry (first of many hair no-nos for me), smoothed and spiked perfectly.

This is how I do my hair. I prefer the ruffled, towel-dried look. Spikes are welcome and I'm also digging my burns. This hairdo takes 45 seconds. Heather says I have found my hairstyle for the next 40 years. I'm kind of offended by that.

Onto other things. Is it too late to talk about Halloween? Good. I hate the holiday although I grew up in a morgue where everyday was spooky so it's practically in my blood. But I did want to post just a little.

First off, I wanted to share something new and exciting in the world of cupcakes. So there I was, Halloween eve, searching high and low for cupcake cups. Sold out. Nearby were these mini cups. I blew them off all angry like cuz I don't have mini cupcake pans. But a closer look revealed that you didn't NEED mini cupcake pans. All you do is put a bunch of these little guys on a cookie sheet and they hold themselves up. And they turn out cuter than ever because they're mini. And you eat more than usual cuz they're mini. I baked up the little darlins and took a bunch to work the next day, just like I had planned. Who needs the other cups? I won't support them. And neither will my pans.

Halloweens past were fun. Here are a few gems: Ricks College. Bed Head Betty and Bead Head Bess. All that's needed: bathrobes, a raspy voice, lipstick, bad blush, hairspray.

Also Ricks College, mmm, actually this year it was BYU-I. Lunch Ladies. All that's needed: wigs and hair nets from mom, aprons, nametags (I was Flo), bad makeup again, kitchen items, a singing voice for singing: "Hoagies and grinders, hoagies and grinders. Navy beans, navy beans, navy beans."

The Boy Goes to India

My little brother, Owen, aka The Boy, just got his mission call yesterday to go to India!! Are you kidding me?? It was only recently that I knew LDS missionaries were even IN India. Bangalore, India is the mission, which encompasses all of India. Except word has it they're opening a New Delhi mission. Seriously, somebody tell me how long missionaries have been in India.

PS - We call him The Boy because he is just that. THE boy. Boy Prodigy, Boy Genius, Boy Wonder, Boy Wizard. Boy Musician, Boy Mathematician, Boy Speller, Boy Fashion. Think of anything in the world and The Boy is it.

Congrats Boy Elder!!

Choo Choo Ca Choo

Drop everything you're doing and go see Across the Universe. I never liked the Beatles and after seeing this I still don't like the Beatles - I just like their music with someone else singing it and this movie breathed new life and interpretation into their tired, overplayed songs. I even like "I am the Walrus" even though walrus and eggman are two words that shouldn't be put together in any chorus from now on.

My Favorite Holiday Scent aka Butter

I LOVE Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel. I put some on the other day when I passed the shop and Adam called it Butter. So whatever you want to call it, even if it smells like food and makes you crave cinnamon rolls and hot cross buns and monkey bread and apple pie and butter, it still puts me right in a holiday mood.