A little bit of life....

I've decided to formally introduce myself with a little "About Me" survey. So here goes....

About Me:

Name: Lindsay Nicole Bitzer
Maiden Name: Irvin
Named After: Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac
Nicknames: Linds, Linzoid, Linzo, Lirvin, Irv
Birthdate: 3/28/82
Hometown: Seneca, MO
Current City: Petaluma, CA
Marital Status: Married to the wonderful Jeremy Ryan Bitzer
Anniversary: 9/5/09
Siblings: Just my amazing brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Randy and Christina
Pets: Peanut (miniature dachshund), Dossy Moon Pie (miniature dachshund) and Lucy (cat)
Hair color: Dark brown
Eye color: Brown
Height: 5'5"
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Flower: Calla Lillies
Favorite Food: My grandma's roast beef, Seafood, Italian, I pretty much just love food!!!
Favorite Drink: Diet Pepsi (I'm kind of addicted) and Iced Tea
Favorite Band: Little Big Town
Favorite Movies: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sweet Home Alabama, The Hangover, Anchorman
Favorite TV Shows: One Tree Hill, Dexter, The Bachelor/Bachelorette, Life Unexpected
Favorite Sport: Cheerleading. Yes, I believe cheerleading is a sport!
Fears: Spiders and I have this weird phobia of windows in bathrooms. I had to buy curtains for the window in our bathroom because I'm always afraid someone will be peeking in.
Hobbies: Reading, sightseeing and making scrapbook picture frames
My idea of a great night: Cuddling with my husband and dogs by the fire and watching one of our favorite movies
New Years Resolution: To be a better housewife, to not complain as often and to live life in the moment.

xoxo,
Lindsay

A new post.... What?!?

Ok, I'm just going to come right out and admit that I pretty much suck at this blogging stuff! While I love reading all of your lovely blogs, I am just not very good at blogging myself! Partly because I feel I have nothing to say and partly because I work from home and after work I am pretty much sick of the computer.

Anyway, remember a post a month or so ago about craft ideas? Well, I have finally found something I enjoy doing. My neighbor and I decided to have a wine/craft night, so we took a trip to Michaels to see what we could come up with. She decided on an adorable little dove ornament craft with her husband, her two boys and her names on them. I decided to make scrapbook picture frames. I thought it would be a perfect give for my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Here are the results:

 This is the very first one I made for my mother-in-law. About a week later, I decided I wasn't satisfied with it and made her another one. I guess the hubby and I will keep this one.

This is the one I made for my sister-in-law. I am actually very happy with the turn out of this one. Her favorite color is pink! While looking for the perfect paper and embellishments, I realized I had the perfect picture for this frame!!!

This is the one that I made for my mom. I am very proud of this one! She just received it today and absolutely loves it!

And this final one is the replacement one I made for my mother-in-law. I am so very happy with the turn out of this one!

I hope my mother-in-law and sister-in-law love their frames as much as my mom does!!! I am debating trying to make them to sell. What do you guys thing???

Mmmm, mmmm good!!!

Three cheese tortellini alfredo with roasted red pepper chicken sausage and asparagus!!! Soooo delish! I wish I could say that it was all homemade, but at least I boiled the tortellini, grilled the sausage and baked the asparagus. Sometimes, I really wish I was more "domesticated". I wish I could say that I love cooking, cleaning and doing laundry, but who really does?! Definitely, not this girl! I don't mind separating the laundry and putting it in the washer and dryer, but then actually putting it away is a completely different story. I am sad to say that our guest bedroom has become the "laundry" room. Husband was saying the other day that it would be really nice if he could just open his drawers to get out the clothes he needs instead of having to go into the "laundry" room and search through the pile. I'm pretty sure I'm going to find clothes I totally forgot I had when I finally put the laundry away. Yes, that is how long it has been! At least the rest of the house is pretty clean! I think my New Years resolution this year will be to be a better housewife. That should be easy peasy right? Right?!?

I want it!!!

I sooooo want this Coach Legacy Satchel! It is to die for! Pretty sure it is not our budget right now. Sigh... Guess I will have to start looking for something similar or wait until it is at the Coach outlet.

Hobby

Short, sweet and to the point; I need a hobby! I am thinking something like knitting, crocheting, candle making, etc. Any ideas???

So... I fell off the blogging bandwagon again!!! I was doing so well with blogging at least every other day and then for some reason I just stopped! I'm such a bad, bad blogger!

I decided that something that might help me keep up with the blog this month would be to follow everyone else and list all the things I'm thankful for. Since I am a little behind, today will be a little bit of thankful overload!!!

1. First and foremost, I am thankful for God. He continues to amaze me every day in everything he does. Everything else I am thankful for would not be possible without God.

2. My husband - I seriously could not ask for a better spouse and best friend. I thank God every day for bringing me such a wonderful man.

3. My mom - She is the world's greatest mom. I am so thankful for the relationship that I have with her. I know she is always there for me and loves and accepts me for who I am. She is one of the main reasons I am who I am today.

4. Our house - Even though it is just a rental, I am so thankful that I have a roof over my head.

5.  Our dogs - They bring joy to my life every day. I am thankful the hubby got me our first puppy, Peanut, as a moving present. I am thankful that we were able to rescue our second puppy, Dossy, and provide a loving home for her.

6. My job - I am so thankful I have a job that I love. TJ Formal rocks!!!

7. My family - I am thankful that I have such a close family. Not everyone's family is close and I am so thankful that mine is. 

8. Our bed - I am very thankful for our comfy queen size bed. I love crawling into bed every night and despise having to get out of it in the morning.

Ok, I think I am caught up now! 

Game one down.

The Giants are in the World Series!!! Woo hoo!!! Tonight, was the first game and hubby and I had a lovely baseball game inspired dinner of chili dogs and french fries. Soooo not healthy, but oh so good! The fifth inning had me saying, "That....was....AMAZING!!!" Uribe hit a 3 run homer! I love me some Giants baseball and not gonna lie, I have a bit of a school girl crush on MVP Cody Ross

I mean seriously, how cute is he? Not as cute as the hubs, but still pretty adorable and an AWESOME ball player!!!

GO GIANTS!!! FEAR THE BEARD!!!

wishing life away.

Sometimes I sit back and realize that I have done a lot of wishing my life away. There are so many moments in my life that I wish I would have enjoyed more instead of looking forward to the next thing. In elementary school, I couldn't wait to be in junior high. In junior high, I couldn't wait to be in high school. In high school, I couldn't wait for college. I probably would have had a lot more fun at my Senior prom if I wasn't looking forward to graduation. I probably would have had a lot more fun on my 20th birthday if I wasn't so ready to be 21. Actually, I take that back, I freaked out on my 20th birthday because I wasn't going to be a teenager anymore. At that point, I seriously thought "what more do I have to look forward to? Getting married, having kids, retiring and then just waiting to die?". Looking back now, I really can't believe I was really thinking that at age 20. I'm almost 30 now and definitely don't think the same as I did when I was 20. I guess that's what they call growing up. Geez, why do we have to grow up?

I've decided that I am not going to live my life waiting for the next thing. I'm going to cherish every moment of every day! This week for instance, I am soooo looking forward to the Lady Antebellum concert on Friday, but I'm not going to let my excitement for that one event take away from all the small events that will happen this week. Tonight, I am going to enjoy the simplicity of cooking dinner and watching tv in comfy clothes with the hubby.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Easy Mini Pizzas

1 can biscuits (not the flakey kind)

Pizza sauce

Mozarella cheese

Desired toppings (I chose hamburger, hubby chose black olives)

1. Preheat oven to 375

  -if using hamburger, brown hamburger and drain (I add italian seasoning)

2. Flatten out biscuits in your hands

3. Place flattened biscuits on pan

4. Add pizza sauce

5. Add mozarella

6. Add desired toppings

7. Bake for approximately 13-15 minutes or until edges of biscuits are turning golden brown

8. Enjoy!

This is a great meal to make with kiddos. Put all the toppings in separate bowls, let the kids flatten out their biscuits in their hands and then let them add whatever toppings they choose. 

my fall wreath.

I am so very proud of myself! I made a wreath! I know to some that may not seem like a big deal, but I have never been very crafty. This year, I decided that instead of spending $20+ on a store bought wreath that I would make my own. I googled how to make a fall wreath and this one was by far my favorite! I got the idea here from Thrifty Decor Chick. While mine didn't turn out near as good as hers, I am still pretty happy with the end result.

And a little photo fun

Now, I just need to get a wreath hanger for the front door. Any ideas for my next project???

tj formal.

TJ Formal is the company that I work for. It is a formal wear company that has been in business for over 40 years and has been selling online for the last 13 years. I love love love working for TJ Formal. I have been with the company for almost 4 years. A year and a half, working in the store and a little over 2 years working from home. I love working from home, but have to admit that sometimes I really miss going in to the office. And, I REALLY miss the girls that I work with. One of my favorite things to do when I go back to Missouri is visit the store and all the girls that work there.

Here is a picture of my mom, mother-in-law, bridesmaids and me all wearing...you guessed it, dresses from TJ Formal!!! Mom and mother-in-law wearing Montage, bridesmaids wearing Bari Jay and me in Mori Lee.

If you are in need of formal wear for your wedding, ball, prom, cruise, or any special occasion; check out www.tjformal.com. Also, check out TJ Formal's fashion blog here and TJ Formal's facebook. 

the hubby.

Things I love about my husband:

1. His gorgeous blue eyes

2. His huge heart

3. That he will watch reality tv shows and chick flicks with me

4. How he actually tells me if he doesn't really like something I've cooked

5. How he tells me how much he really likes something I've cooked

6. His love for diesel trucks

7. That he's not ashamed to use coupons and always looks for the best deal

8. He makes the best grilled cheese EVER! 

9. His sense of style

10. He's a hottie :) 

I could go on and on, but these were a few things off the top of my head. I love you Jeremy Ryan Bitzer!!! 

recipe.

I have decided that once a week I am going to post a recipe. I am doing this more for myself to make sure that I'm cooking at least one "home cooked" meal per week. This blog is a little late as I actually cooked this meal on Saturday, I just haven't had much time to post.

Spaghetti Casserole
1 lb hamburger meat
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I used cream of chicken this time. Bro-in-law hates mushrooms.)
2 cans tomato soup
1/2 pkg spaghetti noodles
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a blend of cheddar, monterey jack and mozarella)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Boil spaghetti noodles as directed
3. Brown hamburger while spaghetti noodles are boiling
4. Drain grease from hamburger. Put back on burner and add soups. Mix well
5. Drain spaghetti noodles. Add to hamburger mixture.
6. Mix together well
7. Pour in 2 qt casserole dish
8. Sprinkle cheese on top
9. Bake until cheese is melted

Cheesy Bread
Ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Mozarella cheese
Fresh parmesan cheese
Garlic salt
Seasonings

1. Cut ciabatta bread in half
2. Drizzle olive oil on each half
3. Add garlic salt and seasonings (I use the 21 seasoning mix from Trader Joe's.)
4. Add mozarella cheese
5. Sprinkle with parmesan
6. Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until the corners of the bread start turning golden brown.

This is such an easy, delicious meal. I was hoping to get pictures, but hubby and brother-in-law tore into it before I got the chance.

Missing Missouri

I am really missing Missouri and the small town I grew up in, Seneca.

Things I miss most about Seneca:
1. My family
2. Knowing almost everyone by name
3. High school football games
4. Sister's II and all the ladies that work there
5. My white house on the hill
6. The tree on the outskirt of town that changes the prettiest colors in the fall
7. Snow days
8. Little and Big Lost Creek
9. Riding bicycles through town on a hot summer day
10. Going to Dairy Queen with my mom for strawberry shortcake

Hopefully, I will get to make a trip back home soon!

I want....

This bed

or maybe this one

I just really want a white/ivory wrought iron bed. Right now we have a beautiful cherry bedroom set that was Jeremy's grandmothers, but it just isn't exactly what we want. It is very big and bulky, and I want something more simple. Our bedroom is done in light blue and chocolate. I think a bed like one of these with some white/ivory nightstands and a white/ivory dresser would make the perfect bedroom for us! Someday, I will have this! But for now, I will just be happy with what we do have.

My little Hallo-weiner!!!

My little mini dachshund Peanut looking so happy in his halloween pajamas. He's such a funny little guy when you put any kind of clothes on him. He runs all around the house like something is chasing him, jumps on every piece of furniture and rolls around. I don't know if he thinks the clothes will come off if he does this, but it is the cutest thing. I just love my little man!

Lil' C, Big R, Jr. Bitz and Lil' Bitz!!!

I love my brother-in-law and sister-in-law!!! They are the best siblings I could ever ask for! Whether we are just hanging out watching youtube videos, taking goofy pictures at K-Mart, going out dancing or playing rock band, we all have a blast together. They live in Arizona, so we have to make the most of our time together whenever we get the chance. Randy (brother-in-law) comes to California every other month to work, so we get to see him a lot more than Christina (sister-in-law). He is here working now, so Christina came to visit the first weekend of October. I picked Christina up for the airport on Thursday and we spent some much needed girl time hanging out in SF. We walked around Fisherman's Wharf, went to Capurro's for crab legs (the rest of the family doesn't like seafood, so this was a treat for us) and did a little shopping at Union Square. Thursday night, we ate dinner with the family and watched Iron Man 2. Friday, Christina, Sharon (mother-in-law) and I went out to lunch and did a little shopping. Friday night, the four of us "kids" grilled, played Rock Band and went out dancing. Saturday, we had breakfast, hung out with the family and grilled tri-tip for dinner. Sunday, we had breakfast and then played ladder ball in the backyard until Randy had to take Christina back to the airport. It was a great weekend and I was very sad to see Christina leave!

Btw... the title of this blog is our Rock Band rap names. :)

Weekend

I wish I could say that the weekend was full of fun and exciting things, but this weekend definitely wasn't. It pretty much consisted of a lot of time on the couch. I have been sick since Thursday and am finally starting to feel a little better! The highlight of my weekend was reading a whole book, Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. I highly recommend all Jodi Picoult books if you are looking for a new author. I did make some homemade pumpkin bread and cream cheese frosting today, which was delicious! I would like to make pumpkin bread every day just so my house would smell so yummy! Anyway, hopefully this week will be full of more exciting posts!

All things Fall

Fall is by far my favorite season! I love the cooler weather, leaves changing colors, fall candles, fall decorations, sweaters & jeans, my UGGS, Thanksgiving, football, baking, building fires in the fireplace, etc.

We didn't really have much of a summer here. I think the high this summer was about 80, but it usually didn't get much over 75. I was so excited for the first day of fall and breaking out all my yummy smelling fall candles, but guess who decided to show up on the very first day of fall? Mr. Summer!!! It was 95-105 for over a week. Since it gets so cool at night here, most people don't have central air, so our house was about 80-85 that whole week. Yuck! If I was still living in Missouri, I could've just turned the air on and pretended it was nice and cool outside. Luckily, it has cooled down the past few days and I am totally in the fall mood!

Here are a few decorations I put up around our house.

I think tomorrow I might bake some pumpkin bread and enjoy this fabulous fall weather!!!

Out with the old, in with the new...

Hair do that is!!! My hair had been pretty long for quite some time and I'm pretty sure it was the longest it had ever been. I had been thinking about chopping it off for awhile, but would never go through with it. Some people would tell me just to cut a little off and then if I liked it cut a little more off. But... I'm more of the go big or go home kinda girl, so I went big and I LOVE it!!!
I was a little nervous when I got to the salon, but Becca helped with that. She sat me down, put my hair in a ponytail and just chopped it off without giving me a chance to tell her to stop. I think she cut off a total of about 12 inches and I have the ponytail all ready to donate to Locks of Love. I feel very sassy with my new do! I hope everyone likes it as much as I do!

Age is a number and mine is unlisted

A couple of weekends ago we packed up the car and made the long 12 hour drive to Arizona to surprise Randy (Jeremy's brother) for his 30th birthday. We got to Randy and Christina's house around 7 am on Friday morning and boy was Randy surprised. Apparently, he looked out the peep hole and saw me wearing a hat and told Christina that a little boy was at the door. Maybe I shouldn't wear hats anymore. :) Friday, we had a great day hanging out by the pool and going to eat at Old Chicago. Saturday, Christina had another surprise in store for Randy, a surprise birthday party. The boys left the house to do "boy" stuff and us girls decorated and got ready for the party. About 15 of Randy's friends came while the boys were gone and we all hid and jumped out and yelled surprise when they got home. The party was a huge success, we all had a great time hanging out by the pool and eating BBQ. Sunday, the four of us (otherwise known as our wolf pack) got up and went to breakfast and then went to the store to get stuff to grill for the evening. Guess what we did for the rest of the day??? Yep, hung out by the pool like we did all weekend. That's pretty much all you want to do in Arizona, or be in the AC. Randy grilled yummy steaks for dinner and then we decided that it was time to play Rockband because that's just what our wolf pack does (we're rockstars). Monday morning, we got up and started out on the long 12 hour drive home. It was such a great mini-vacation and we already miss them so much!!!

Brothers

Sisters

Decorations and cake

Congratulations Mrs. Watson!!!

My youngest cousin Staci got married yesterday. I am so happy for her and her little family. Here are a couple of pictures her brother sent me of the ceremony.


Wishing Mr. and Mrs. Watson many years of happiness and love!!!

For Lesley :)

I know it has been forever since I've blogged and I really have no excuse except for sometimes I feel like I have nothing to blog about. My cousin Lesley has been telling me for quite some time now that I need to rejoin the blog world, so this blog is for my beautiful cousin. Love ya Les!!!

This is a picture of my cousins Michelle and Lesley and myself taken at our last Mailes Family reunion almost two years ago. I am really sad that I will be missing the reunion this year and even sadder that I won't get to see these girls. They are the best cousins anyone could ask for! I love my family and miss them everyday! Now come visit me Les!!! :)