One Word Wednesday ~ Library

One Word Wednesday ~ Green

Pioneer Woman came to Seattle!

On Saturday Heidi and I got to meet THE Pioneer Woman!

(her she is with her adorable punks, photo from her site)

For those of you that have been living under a rock, Pioneer Woman (aka Ree Drummond), is a city girl turned domesticated ranch wife and mom to four punks.  She is an amazing photographer, cook, and story teller.  She shares the happenings of her family's working cattle ranch and the life that surrounds it on her website.  

Check it out sometime!  If for no other reason than the great Chicken with Mushrooms and Artichokes recipe she posted today!  Her recipe posts are amazing with step by step pictures of how to prepare a delicious meal.  Not too long ago Ree (yes, we're on a first name basis now!) published her first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  It is filled with good ol' country cooking and tons of pictures of the food and ranch life.  My wonderful sister pre-ordered the cookbook for my birthday last year and I got it around Thanksgiving, I think.  It's a great book and I've cooked a few things out of it so far.  So when Heidi and I heard that the Pioneer Woman's Spring Cookbook Tour was bringing Ree to Seattle we made plans to go meet her and get our books autographed.

The weekend began Friday night.  Heidi came over for dinner and to hangout with Ryan and me.  We were inspired to cook something from PDub's cookbook for dinner Friday night, but by the time Ryan got home from his motorcycle ride it was late and we were all hungry.  So we had pizza.  Saturday morning we had a yummy breakfast and lattes.  A breakfast pile made up of hash browns, ham, cheese and eggs.  Something Ryan thought up based on a breakfast dish he's had at Luna Park before.  It was a relaxing Saturday morning.  

my wonderful husband and my wonderful sister!

After breakfast Heidi and I got right to work.  She wanted her hair straightened before she met Pioneer Woman.  Heidi had this permanent straightening kit that she heard about from a friend.  It took a long time and didn't smell so good but it seemed to work.  After we finished Heidi's hair we grabbed PDub's cookbook and whipped up some potato skins.  They were so yummy.  (sorry I forgot to take pics, bad blogger!)  By now it was time to get ready and get on the road to the book signing.   

Our cookbooks and tickets are all ready for the signing! 

And here we are all ready to go!  I HAD to wear my cowboy boots!  After all we were going to see a real country girl.  Sydney really wanted to come but she was disappointed to hear that dogs weren't allowed to go to the signing and that Charlie wouldn't be there for her to play with.  :o)  Sydney is certain she would like Charlie a lot!

The cookbook signing took place at Third Place Books in Lake Forrest Park.  When we left home it was partly sunny but the further south we drove the darker the sky got until it was pouring down rain.  Welcome to the Pacific Northwest Ree!  It's raining.  It always rains and I love it!  Thank goodness Ree told me later that she likes the rain too!  She said she's happiest when it rains.  My kinda girl.  

Heidi and I got to Third Place Books just a little bit before the event started.  The book store had a corner of the store blocked off and there was a table and chair set up.  That's where she would be signing.  So we staked out a spot behind a display table and waited for Ree to make her appearance.  

Here we are in our spot.  Behind us is where Ree will be!

Just about 5 o'clock a store employee came over the loud speaker and announced that Ree was running late.  She must have gotten stuck in the rain and traffic.  So very perfect for a trip to Seattle.  Not long after the announcement Ree came out of a back room and with a bit of applause she took her seat to began signing.  

Heidi and I were in group D, so we knew there would be a little bit of time before our group would be called.  T.P.B. actually had a great system for this book signing.  Everyone who had a cookbook and wanted an autograph got a ticket.   The tickets helped the bookstore staff control the crazed Pioneer Woman fans.  They would call one letter group at a time, there were 50 people per group so there were no more than 50 people in line at one time.  It worked out great!  Heidi and I stayed in our perch enjoying some great people watching until group D was called. 

Here we are in line!  

I know this picture doesn't look very different from the picture of us not in line but boy did it feel different.  We were on our way to meet Pioneer Woman!!!  While we were standing in line we got to meet and chat with Ree's oldest punk.  She was wandering around the bookstore carrying the second book in a series that Heidi has already read.  So Heidi bonded with her over how good these books are.  (The first book is called The Hunger Games.  I have not read it yet but probably will after glowing recommendations from my sister and PW's daughter.)  Waiting in line didn't take too long.  Maybe about an hour, but it felt a bit longer because it was so frickin' warm in the bookstore.  I guess all the hot PDub fans warmed the place right up! 

We're up next!

Here we are with Ree!

It was great to meet her but it went by in a bit of a blur.  She asked if Heidi and I were friends and we said in stereo, "No, sisters."  To which she replied, "I can see it."  That was surprising to me because not many people can.  She told us that she knows how that is 'cause her sister has black hair and she had red hair.  Heidi and I continued to mutter silly things about hair straightening, being short and stalky, and the rain.  She kindly paused for a picture and then chatted with us while she signed our cookbooks.  We thanked her and wished her a fun time in Seattle.  Then we picked up our cookbooks and headed out.  We were both so wrapped up in the moment that we almost forgot our purses that we had set down in the corner.  Wouldn't that have been embarrassing!

After we said good by to Ree we realized it was 7:30!  We had been there for 2 and a half hours!  We took our cookbook to the car so they would be safe and went back inside to find something to eat.  We had the most yummy nachos and ate them down while a swing band performed.  It was a great end to a great day!  The only thing that could make it better . . . ice cream!  (You thought I was gonna say cupcakes didn't you!)  We each got a soft serve cone and we headed home.  :o)

Thank you Pioneer Woman
for making the trip up to the Pacific Northwest!  

Thank you to my wonderful sister
for the cookbook and the fun adventure!

Five Question Friday

1. What words do you use on your blog/online that you don't use in real life?

I don't think there are any.  Sometimes, mainly when I'm chatting, I use words that are easier than the ones I would use if I was actually talking because I can't spell the word in my brain. 
I'm a terrible speller.

2. Do you still write checks?

Yes, well sometimes.  Ryan pays the bills most of the time and we still use checks to pay some of our bills.  I tried to get us to do everything online but it doesn't always work out so out comes the checkbook and pen.  All other purchases are made with our debit cards.  I never carry the checkbook around and neither does Ryan.  The cover is mine and it's a pretty mauve color that just doesn't match Ryan's style.  :o)

3. Who was your favorite President and why?

Oh gosh.  I don't know.  I don't really have a favorite President.  I am more fascinated by the life that surrounds the President.  I love learning about life in the white house, the First Ladies, children and pets.  Oh and the parties that are thrown at the White House and how they decorate for Christmas.

4. Are you a yeller?

Do I have to answer this?

Ummmm . . . Yeah, I guess I am a yeller.  Not all the time but if I'm really frustrated and I don't feel like I am being heard I will yell.  This is something I need to work on both for my marriage and for little people that may live with me someday.

5. Have you ever dumpster dived? 

I don't think so.  I can't remember ever actually dumpster diving.  However, going for a drive with my dad used to be a bit like dumpster diving.  If he spotted something on the road he would usually pull over and check it out.  He's found all kinds of things.  He has amassed quite a collection of license plates!  Even my first couch was found by my dad on the side of the road.  A little bit of his thrifty-ness has rubbed off on me.  I picked up a cute little bookcase on the side of the road and with the addition of a coat of paint that bookcase still holds my books.

I hope everyone has a creat weekend!

If you want to play along head on over to Mama M's website for all the 5QF details.

One Word Wednesday ~ Delicious

Five Question Friday!

So one of the very few blogs I read participates in Five Question Friday put on by Mama M.  Every week I think it would be fun to play along and this week I'm doing it!  So with out further ado . . .

 1. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?Alyson Hannigan

Someone once told me I look like her, not sure I see it but I was incredibly flattered! 2. Did you ever go to summer camp?Yes!  I loved summer camp growing up.  I spent many summers, well one week each summer, at Camp Firwood in Bellingham.  It is an awesome place on Lake Whatcom.  I got to all kinds of awesome things like archery, marksmanship, knee boarding, swimming, arts, camping and tons more.  I loved it so much I went back one summer and was a counselor.   3. What sends you running and screaming in the other direction?Moths!  I HATE moths!  Eeeeek! 4. What is something you do that drives your spouse nuts?Nothing, I don't do anything that drives him nuts.  Just like I only read a few blogs.  I'll just say that he affectionately refers to me as his "90% wife."  That doesn't mean that I'm only 90% a wife or that I'm the wife he spends the most time with.  It means that I sometimes on get 90% of a job done.  For example, I fill the Brita water filter with water when it is empty but I don't put it back in the fridge.  Or I'll take my contacts out and instead of putting solution in the case, I leave it on the counter open overnight.  Which dried my contacts out to a nice crisp.  I just don't quite get jobs done sometimes.  Ryan says it's cause I'm trying to do to many things at once and he's probably right.   5. What is currently your favorite song?Why Don't We Just Dance by Josh Turner (Swoon!)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Friday!

One Word Wednesday (On Thursday, Oops!) ~ Sleepy