god bless america &&& christmas!

im home . it is home sweet home. leaving china was the hardest thing i have ever done. if i may get a little mushy on you i will say that i grew more than i could have ever imagine and loved more than i thought i was capable. i have been struggling and i think i will for a long time.  i miss my babies. 

that being said, home for the holidays with the worlds greatest family never felt so good!

 Well I am now officially over my jetlag and really dont feel like since i have been home for 2 week it is a viable excuse for my sleeping in and lazying around:(  I milked it for all it was worth.. no worries!! 
I am nothing if not a Christmas enthusiast! I had SO much fun getting ready for the big day and spending time with my fam. all the gifts i had brought from china for them were a hit and i would have to say i am getting really good at gifting. one special thing that my sweet sweet father wanted to do for my mom was a 4-part photo frame which he wanted to fill photos of the 4 kids with a nice message to the lady of the house.  
he gave me the reins. i may or may not have gone a little overboard..
dad said " just a snap shot in front of the house or something"... i only heard the "something" and off i went.

 

 Pretty good...eh? I thought so too!
I mean... we only used 4 but I though it could be like one of those gifts that keep giving and i would share some of the good bad and funny with my blog!

i love my crazy beautiful siblings. i truely feel so blessed to have the family that i do. after 258 photos we got the 4 that my dad requested and had also had a riot in the freezing cold at midnight!!! nothing says i love you like a last minute photo shoot in the cold ... in all seriousness, we do love our mom & she cried when she opened this little surprise so it was all worth it in the end. We tore up Christmas, like always!

Hope Christmas was great for ya'll and the the new year will be bright!

Pedicab Gypsycab Dollarcab..Hollaback!

Well hey there Beijing, What's going on.

Meet Jaio My pedicab driver/tourguide/best friend
Where could I possibly meet a more dapper fellow.....?
I went to Beijing  A tiny bit ago and i had a BLAST. 

Checked this little guy off the list.

 (& i checked it off sideways)

Experienced the AMAZING culture &history of the Forbidden City

Met a hot Scottish guy named Scott

And just roamed around this beautiful city!

I took a sleeper train both ways, it was quite the experience.Its one of those things you have to see first hand to understand but I loved it! I stayed at a foster home in Beijing and got to play with those babies a little.

However

I was beyond ecstatic to get home after a long 5 days away from my babes

Making some additions

In lui of some recently scheduled events and some long hard thinking time I have decided to add not one but 2 items to my bucket list. Because I feel that my " life's little to do list" is important I have decided to keep you updated on any and all changes to said list, which can be viewed in full here

Down to business then

.........

Additional item #1

 Catch a Bouquet at a Wedding

No matter what it takes!

Additional item #2

Do this.

On this.

Maybe add in one of these too!

The New Starfish 7!

 This just in we got 7 more babies.

I named one after my beautiful late Grandma Kay.

I think the baby is an Indian, Kay Louise. Indian in a Chinese orphanage!!!

B.E.AUTIFUL BABE!

What little blessings, these babies are. Love them so much!

"Hollywood Husbands"- actors I'd like to have as husbands -The Top 10

#1

I dream of Brody.  Adam Brody will forever have my heart in his hand. hot hot hot. i love him. really i do.

#2

I've said it once, I've said it a million times. If Ry's a bird, I'm a bird! I love him in every way possible, I do.

#3

He is a total hottie + that sexy accent + he is a wizard. Hello......Who doesn't love him? I do.

#4

Im guessing, there would never be a dull moment with John William Ferrel.  Who wants to watch Elf? I do.

#5

He's just so lovable, he has that whole earthy, artsy vibe going for him and he's a regulation hottie! J. Franco mhhhm I do. 

#6

In West Philidephia......  I am obsessed with Will! a fine brotha, if i may say so my self & I do.

#7

Oh yoo whoo! Nate... I mean Chance! Loved him from the first moment I spotted him on GG. & I still do.

#8

Hey, he is in Camp Rock 1 & 2, plus broadway That counts! What a sly guy, Am I right? yes. Nick, I do.

#9

Sooo charming & Soooo classy! I want 500 days of Joseph Gordon Levitt, I do.

#10

Hugh;A man by every known definition.#10 because he is a 10, totally brill! I really really think he's just great, I do.

I just crave to see every movie any of these FINE men appear in. God bless Hollywood and DVD replay.  So with these guys I'm committed wholeheartedly....til death do us part!!!! 

Yes, pretty please.

um hello.

 I want to do a little compare and contrast- feel free to do the same.
Baking in the name of science- keep that in mind to dispense some of the splurge guilt!!!!
 I will be using an old favorite and a promising newcomer( for me)

The "Neiman Marcus" Vs. The "Jacques Torres"

Let the YUMMMMYYY games begin!

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

- The recipe from the urban myth email chain NOT the published official NM recipe Read the story ( myth or not) here Ingredients  2 cups butter 24 oz.chocolate chips 4 cups flour 2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. salt 2 cups sugar 1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated) 5 cups blended oatmeal ( lightly or well) 4 eggs 2 tsp. baking powder 2 tsp. vanilla 3 cups chopped nuts (your choice, but you'll regret it!) Directions Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies

Jacques Torres’ Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients 
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.

- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

- Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.

- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

- Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.

- Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Let me address some cookie tips-
Chop your own chocolate- So much more texture and rawness that way!
Let the dough set overnight- It is a texture thing too, help the cookie get all wrinkled and chewy.
Experiment- Half the fun of cookies is making them... right? well maybe 40 % of the fun!
Try adding a 1& 1/2 tsp pumpkin extract to your fav! - SO FALL! YAY!

The City Wall!!!

Betcha didn't know that Xian has the ONLY completely intact city wall in all of China.... yup it does, its just under 15 miles around!!! I decided I wanted to bike around it. So I brought my dutch friends and we biked. It was bumpy and our cruiser bikes were old and rundown, don't worry that didn't stop us from having the time of our lives.

Planked the wall, of course.

Little Dutch Gals

My bum hated me after this but it was well worth it!

Taken shortly after conquering the walll!!!

Having the time of my life in China.... Love & tiny kisses xxx- Aub