KitchenAid, Heck Yah

New Years Resolution #2: Buy the ever illusive Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  Use it to make lots of things from scratch, including: a cake, cinnamon rolls and ground beef.  Find it a wonderful prominent place on my counter, for me to stare at with glee whenever I walk past the kitchen. 

This has been along time coming. I first decided I wanted one ages ago; well maybe not that long time.  I wanted one for a wedding present, so 9 months ago.  I wanted one since I borrowed my grandma's to make the best layered cake I've ever made.  With mom's help, of course.  I know some people swoon over this mixer for years and never get their hands on one.  For me, 9 months seemed like an eternity.

The stand mixer is half the price in the USA, but my hubby said "Nope, we get one overseas so it's 220-240V. We aren't having a voltage convertor in the kitchen."  Then we are in Norway,  and they cost so so so much.  How much, 6000NOK retail, which is about $1,000.00 USD; for something that costs $275 - $350 in the USA. 

So for Christmas I am to get my Stand Mixer, actually after Christmas in post-Christmas sales.  Then nowhere really put them on sale.  So no Stand Mixer.

Then, my parents are coming, my parents are coming. Out of the blue, next week already!  So I bought my hubby a meat grinder for the stand mixer, in the USA.  He said he wanted one,  for our new stand mixer, that we hadn't purchased yet...  So I might as well have my parents bring it over, as it's less than half price in the USA. Well, obviously under pressure, due to my initiative to start purchasing accessories for a device we don't own.  He bought one online.  It was a bit over 4000NOK; so 33% off of Norwegian retail with shipping.  Only double that which we would have paid in the USA. 

Today I was blessed with tracking numbers.  How excited am I?  This is how I explained it to my sister on facebook chat:

yah, got tracking numbers
i'm the s**t
i'm aweseome
i have something every housewife wants
a sexy man and a machine that can make cakes!
i am the s**t
yes i am
sh*t sh*t sh*t
that is me

Ok, It's been a long time coming. Forgive my enthusiasm.  I can not wait to fulfill my resolution.

Thumbprint Art

Looksie what I made.  It's quiet large, about 2 foot by 2 foot and hanging in my dining room currently.  It's so "Happy" to look at.

I just took string and tied a piece around the canvas every two inches vertically and horizontally, until I had a complete grid pattern.  Then with a light pen marked every intersection of the grid, so I would be able to evenly space my thumbprints.  I removed the strings, and started pouring paint and making thumbprints.  It was a good time.  It was like being a kid with finger paint all over again.  Not too shabby a result.  I wish I could take better pictures of things I made, so you could get the full effect.

Pink Cow NYR #8

I've been so busy pumping up all my wedding posts from last year, and filling in the holes.  That I have totally been ignoring the "here and now."

Plus, I have another excuse.  My husband has been sick, so we haven't been getting out much.  Not that being sutck at home hurts my feelings too much, the rain kinda puts a damper on my desire to go conquer the world.  Or leave the house basically. lol

As part of trying to decorate our new house here in Norway, I took the opportunity to get to painting.  Here is my cow.  And whats extra great about him, I started to conquer my New Years Resolutions.  #8  Paint Pretty Pictures.

I really like him.  He is going to be a very proud hung cow, once, I find a place for him.  :)

It's a New Year

It's that time of the year,  the time to look back on the year gone and look forward to the future.  The time when one actually stops and says,  "wow time flies, what did I do with it all?!?"

The last year was an awful year and an amazing year all in one;  it was a roller coaster.   Last year my life changed upside down.  I spent the year waiting for my new life, looking forward to the future.  Being optimistic about what was ahead.  And waiting, lots of waiting. Months were spent in the US avoiding the previous country.  I missed my hubby so very much.

I planned a wedding, which I loved and was super fun.  I found so many talents for crafts and creativity that were bursting to get out.  I had many wonderful days with both my parents making and creating, and telling them how to glue what to what, lol.  Please forgive me, mom & dad.  I got to bond with my parents as an adult.  It's something I wouldn't give up for the world, I know them on a totally different level than before.  It was a beautiful blessing in disguise.  I got married, it was all I could have ever dreampt of. My beautiful day to celebrate our love.  I built 2 vacation homes in Southern Oklahoma,  they are currently on the vacation rental market.  Building helped me find myself and some hidden talents.

I reflected on my life.  Resulting is a massive life changing change of heart, I now have a totally different outlook.  I am much more focused on doing things to make "me" a better person, to expand myself, to challenge myself, being creative, being the "real" me not the me I think I'm suppose to be.  I loved working for myself this year.  I look back on my previous career with a degree of self-pity.  Corporate oriented ambition seems unproductive and, well, evil.  I'm trying to make the most of my new country, Norway. I'm excited for 2012, I'm excited about our new life.

Goals for 2012:

1. Get a job.  I picture it a bit like this: Somewhere to spend my time, something to challenge my brain.  Something with projects and where I can make an impact.  Somewhere I can be proud to work.  Probably something engineering and oilfield oriented to use my previous experience.  However this time, I'm not going to let it control my life.  Family WILL come first.  I will not work for months on end every single day without a break, I will not be bullied by my company or it's employees.  I will apply myself to make my company a better place and to achieve our goals.  I will spread my happy cheer to my co-workers.  I will not they them bring be down to their level.  I will work for a happy company, full of happy people, with smiles and honorable goals.  I actually think this will be quiet easy.  Norwegians have a good work ethic based on family time and it is not based on "the corporation is #1."  Plus, they actually have labor laws and believe in them.
2. Buy the ever illusive Kitchen Aid stand mixer.  Use it to make lots of things from scratch, including: a cake, cinnamon rolls and ground beef.  Find it a wonderful prominent place on my counter, for me to stare at with glee whenever I walk past the kitchen.  
3. Improve my cake icing skills. (They currently suck.)
4. Learn what all the settings on the stove actually mean.  Learn to cheat the induction stovetop, or get a new pots and pan set.  My current set doesn't work on the stovetop, most frustrating.
5. Throw a couple dinner parties.  
6. Learn to make sushi.
7. Make friends outside of work, mine and my husbands.
8. Paint pretty pictures.
9. Make my home a little less clean modern style and a bit more India Sari soft.  More "home" like.  I need to figure out what that means myself.
10. Become a better photographer; use light better, fill the image, work with my angles.

It's a brand new year!   It's not usually so exciting.  But It's time for a new year.  2011 you will never be forgotten.



Hope you have honorable goals going into 2012, and have a wonderful New Year!