Belated Birthday wishes...

Even though I am three days late on this post, I would like to wish my fabulous boyfriend a Happy Birthday.

Keith turned the big 33...okay maybe not so big, but whatever...on Thursday. I made him a giant cupcake cake to share with our coworkers, and although this one wasn't the prettiest cake, it tasted yummy. For those that read my last two posts, please note that vegetable oil coated on the cupcake pan is not an appropriate substitute for Pam. A small fail, that was covered up with heavy doses of frosting.

I love you babe, Happy Birthday!! XOXO

Today is Election Day!

Baking Part 2

So after my mediocre attempt at recreating Bakerella's cake balls, I decided to go for something a little more my speed.

I have long been eyeing a giant cupcake pan that Wilton carries. And my fabulous Mom - shout out Catty! - got with the Easter bunny and got me the pan for Easter.

Not sure what my new found obsession with cupcakes is, but I am rolling with it...

As you can see from the picture - half of the pan is much more shallow and less dense than the other side. And from reading on a couple of website I found out that the way to remedy that is by putting the shallow side in a pan of shallow water. Martha Stewart watch out.


My first attempt was a chocolate cake with butter cream frosting and then I made another cake a week later that was yellow cake with chocolate frosting. All of the websites said that you should use a box and a half of cake mix, but I poopooed that idea and just divided the one box between each side. What are you supposed to do with the other half of the cake mix? So silly.


Before you put the cake mix in you should spray the pan heavily with pam...I decided not to lightly flour as some suggested because I hate having flour on the outside of my cakes - especially as I wasn't planning to frost the bottom. The cake rises quite a bit after cooking as you can see above but came out of the pan flawlessly. After leveling the two pieces and placing them together with the help of a little frosting I then used the rest of the frosting for the top of the cupcake. I then used a variety of regular sprinkles and large candy bits to decorate. You can also use jelly beans or red hots, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised by my results! A great giant cupcake that tasted as great as it looked. And for those keeping track, both my coworkers and I enjoyed the final product.

Bad Blogger and Baking Part 1

Not that anyone reads this but my mother, but I inadvertently took a hiatus from blogging. So here we go, some catch up...

I have never been much at cooking. Partially because I am just not a fan, I think it takes longer to cook than clean up and thus is a waste of my time, and partially because I just like to eat out. That said, I have always enjoyed baking. I used to make cookies pretty much every weekend. So after my Mom drew my attention to the Bakerella I decided that I should give it a go.

If you have never seen Bakerella's work, I highly encourage you to do so. She is amazing and creates what is the perfect meld between art and baking. Check her out: bakerella.

So after researching her website and reading her instructions on how to make "easy cake balls" I decided that my college educated self could manage to pull it off. As you can see from the pictures, I did pull it off, but it wasn't the prettiest effort. To make the balls you make a cake - I chose red velvet - and mix it with frosting - I chose cream cheese. And then you form balls and refrigerate. I actually put mine in the freezer as I am super impatient. Then you melt chocolate and put it in your candy mold and quickly shove a cake ball in each mold. Once that has cooled you coat your ball in another color of chocolate - I picked pink - and decorate.





Not sure I will be trying this again in the near future - it was quite the effort and super messy for an amateur like me. That, and melting chocolate to get the perfect consistency was A LOT more difficult than I could have imagined. On another note, although I didn't care for the finished product, my office mates enjoyed them quite a bit.

To my Father and Brother:

I hate to use this blog to call out people, well, actually I don't, so here goes....

I fondly remember the day my dear Daddy bought me my Mustang. **Sigh** And though eight years have passed since that time, I still very much love my car. When I moved to DC five years ago, my dear Daddy drove my car up here for me, and it was like my little piece of home away from home.

My car and I have been through a lot over the years...college, waitressing, road trips, running out of gas, stolen hood ornaments, a lost side mirror due to a vicious attack by the garage, a back end reconstruction after being run into on the street, you get the idea... So when my precious car's odometer stopped working I set to once again figuring out how we can together make it past another of life's hurdles.

I did some research and found that the trouble is likely due to a broken odometer gear...and, according to the guys at stangnet.com, its an easy fix! I order my part, print off my directions, and call my dear Daddy for moral support. And sadly, moral support was nowhere to be found. Apparently, Father (as he will now be referred) doesn't think I can handle taking apart my dash and fixing a broken gear. Apparently, Father thinks I should spend $300 and take the car into the shop to be fixed instead of spending $30 and doing it myself. Apparently, Father was about to eat his words.

So being the determined person that I am (some would call it stubborn) I was hell bent on fixing my car myself. And thinking I could garner a little support from my Brother, who is himself a mechanic, I call him. Well. As my Nana would say he was about as helpful as tits on a boar hog. I feel bad for my brother, because apparently he takes after doubting Father and is absolutely certain that I am going to break something. Thanks for the vote of confidence people.

So I ask you, whatever happened to "you can do anything you want in life"? Whatever happened to family backing you up? Whatever happened to..? You get the idea. After borrowing a set of socket wrenches, I set to work. I will spare you the mundane details of how to change your odometer gear, but you know what??? I did it. ALL BY MYSELF.

Thus, To my Father and Brother: Eat your words, boys, eat your words.

My dash after I took it apart, replaced the gear, and put it back together, notice there are now numbers on the tripometer.

A Capitol Fourth.

One of the great things about living in our nation's Capital is the Fourth of July fireworks. Over the past few years, I have been spoiled by the amazing fireworks show put on by the city of DC, and I am sure that if I move anywhere else the Fourth of July celebration will pale in comparison.

This year's celebration cost a mere $226,000...Don't worry the show isn't paid for by federal taxpayer dollars...just the poor schmucks in DC who pay the highest taxes in the country for no representation. Happy Independence Day!

Back to the fun. This year, we parked by the Pentagon and metroed to Arlington Cemetery to watch the fireworks show on the banks of the Potomac River. It was an excellent location until the metro backed up and we ended up walking 2 miles back to the car at the Pentagon. But alas, I digress...here are some pictures from our fabulous location.

Lincoln Memorial on the left and Washington Monument on the Right.

Reflection of the Fireworks in the Potomac River - the blob in the middle is a kayaker.

It was a great day, with mild weather and I am happy to report that my blisters have healed completely.

Happy Fourth of July!

Mason Road's Birthday Party

I am a bit late on this post, but better late than never, right??

My favorite Texan turned 2 this month, and a few weeks ago I travelled back to the Great State for his Birthday Party. The party was "color" themed due to Mason's recent affinity for coloring. His new passion has no boundaries as he will color on paper, walls, bookcases, you name it, he'll color it!

Note: No walls were defaced during the making of Mason's Birthday Party.

While, I have been known to "spoil" my little buddy with his gifts...i.e. Easter the Bunny...I remained relatively responsible and gifted this fabulous Pirate Ship Water Table. Mason LOVES water, in fact, he may have been a fish in a past life. I figured with this gift he could play in the water almost year round.

Unfortunately, my intentions were a little in vain as whoever packaged the boat at the Little Tike's factory forgot the plug...way to go. Luckily, Grampy came to the rescue and Macgyver'ed the boat so that it would work. But...drum roll please...Mason's favorite gift of the year came from Grampy and Mimi:

That's right, at the ripe old age of 2, Mason got his first vehicle. A brand new John Deere tractor complete with trailer. Don't worry, he is advanced for his age and picked up the whole "pushing the pedal to make it go" idea very quickly. Unfortunately the fine art of steering has managed to escape him for the time being...oh well, he will have something to work on before he turns 16.

Happy Birthday Mason.

Happy Birthday Mom!

WhO's BiRtHdAy?!?!?!?!?

Catty's Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Mom! Love you!!

Happy Birthday Mason Roadie!

Today, my favorite Texan of all time turns two. Two years ago today, Mason Walter Merritt came into this world, and the world couldn't be better for it. He is probably the most loved child to step foot on this earth.



Mason is all boy. He loves trucks, boots, water, animals and especially his dog, "Dissie." I think he is the cutest little guy ever, and I'm not the least bit biased.



Happy Birthday, Roadie! Aunt Lili loves you bunches!

Happy Belated Mother's Day and Happy Nurses' Week!

I am a lucky person, I have a fabulous Mom who also happens to be a nurse. I think that even if she wasn't a nurse by trade she would still be my nurse. After all, who else holds the barf bucket for you and rubs your back when you are sick? Your Mom!

One of my favorite stories to tell is when I got food poisoning and was up in the bathroom tossing my chinese food. My Dad walked by the bathroom heading to bed, and casually mentions to Mom "I think Alisa is sick." Thanks, Dad. Needless to say, my Mom got up and took care of me. Just evidence of the fact that this world would not go round if it weren't for Mom's.



Love you, Catty!

Run, Baby, Run, Baby, Run.

Finished my first run post-surgery last week! It was a short 5K, but you would be suprised how much your lip bounces up and down while running. Suffice to say it was a good run, no casualties, and I finished in 27 minutes.

Though our team didn't win any prizes for speed, we did win 2nd Worst Team Name for "You're Our Only Hope, Obi-John Cornobi." The name came from a constituent letter to our office. We got a good kick out of it, and apparently so did others.



Way to go Team You're Our Only Hope, Obi-John Cornobi!

It's a Knockout!

Well, my beautiful nephew took his first ambulance ride this weekend after an allergic reaction to something.

Poor Mason Roadie looked like he took a few rounds (11 according to his father)...



Good news is that the swelling has gone down and he is back to his normal adorable self. Love you Mason Road!

P is for PAIN.

There are two things in life I don't do well, one is change and the other is pain. My pain tolerance is nada.

That said, I made it through my first frenectomy all by myself! With no tears!



The picture really doesn't do it justice. I have a large hole all the way down to my chin bone right in the middle, and there are a few whitish stitches which are obstructing it in the picture. But I am quite proud of myself, and although my diet consists of mashed potatoes, mac n cheese and jello, I am doing alright. I would be lying if i said it was pain free, but the pain has been manageable. So first surgery is checked off the list, one more to go...

My First Frenectomy.

When you are first born your parents dote over every monumental "first" in your life. First tooth, first solid food, first word, and in fact, to make the most out of my first step I waited until my first birthday to take it so as to make the occasion even more special. Sadly, after 27 years it is with dread and fear that I am experiencing yet another first in my life, my first frenectomy.

While at first glance it appears as if I am having half of my brain removed, alas, it is a "simple" oral surgery. (ha) Simple oral surgery to you, excruciating pain to me. The Dr. will mercilessly pillage my tender gums with his saber all the way down to my crisp white bone under the guise of preserving what little precious gum tissue I have left. Even more sad is the fact that this surgery is a precursor to yet another surgery...we will talk about that at a later date...it deserves its own post.

Apparently along with an old soul I also have old gums. So this Tuesday I will make the journey to my trusty periodontist so that he can dope me up with novocaine and slice me open. Pray for me and if the thought crosses your mind send some broth my way.

I Love Reading.

It's true. I would like to say I picked up on reading at a pretty early age and fell in love. I love books, and libraries, and yes, even bookmarks. I'll save the details of my bookmark collection for another day, but suffice to say, I love reading.

However, according to Ecclesiastes, "There is a time for everything, and a Season for every activity under Heaven." And folks, I am here to tell you that a 3 hour flight from Houston to DC is not the time to read aloud to your spouse.

There are plenty of appropriate activities for which to kill time and entertain yourself on an airplane; playing video games, listening to music at a respectable level, catching up on sleep, watching the in-flight movie. But I assure you that sitting shoulder to shoulder with 200 people on an airplane does not warrant reading aloud to your spouse.

I will set aside the fact that reading aloud to anyone under the age of 10 is bizarre and just say: People don't do it on an airplane.

Yay Easter the Bunny!

It was great to go home for Easter. Despite nearly missing church it was a wonderful weekend spent with family. And...drum roll please...

Mason got Easter the bunny!





I know, I know, a bit over the top. But his Aunt Lili loves him and he loves animals so it was a good fit. Easter was very gentle and didn't even mind when Mason wanted to touch her eyeball to see what it felt like. :) What can I say? He's a curious boy. I hope Easter lives a long life and Mason can tell the story about how one Easter he got a bunny! Love you, Roadie!

There's No Place Like Home.

Dorothy had it right, and today I am clicking my heels together and heading home. Home to see my Mom and Dad, home to get my nails did, home to go shopping and enjoy the sun, home to see my Roadie. I am sooo excited for home!

For the next few days I will be relaxing and enjoying the Easter holiday with my family. This Easter is especially special because Roadie is getting an Easter bunny! Shh! Don't tell him. His favorite Aunt (aka the Easter Princess) will be assisting the Easter Bunny in bringing Roadie his new pet. He or she will be named Easter and will live in the backyard for Roadie to care for. I was only going to give him the bunny on the condition he could say bunny, but because he is more or less mute, we are going to give it to him anyway.

This weekend will also host Roadie's first ever Easter egg hunt. Yay! Easter is so much more fun with a little guy that can get the joy out of hunting for a plastic egg filled with candy. Although Roadie has chickens and conducts his own egg hunt every day, we are hoping this even won't disappoint.

The bunny below isn't Easter, but I will post pictures on the big day.

Tax Refund!

I haven't been a working professional for long, but I have been fortunate enough to not have had to pay taxes. Up until this point I have always received a refund, and this year was no exception. Yay! Normally I am responsible, and immediately deposit my check into savings, but this year i've thought about making a purchase.

For someone like me, the eternal saver, it's hard to spend a significant amount of money on any one item. I mean, I am after all the girl who used to save her money in the tea set in her room so that she could then go and deposit it in the bank. So any decision to spend money is not without much scrutiny.

I've considered a range of items, from a bike to a new laptop. I deserve it, right? So I need your help, what would you, or better yet, what are you spending your tax refund on?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I hope you wore green!

Bring on the Clowns!

I love the circus! I love the tents and the elephants, tigers, and bears (oh my!), and the acrobats and cotton candy, and souvenirs. I love it all. I think it is an opportunity for all people, regardless of age, to spend a carefree hour relishing in delightful entertainment. Where else can you see a tiger jump through a hoop of fire? Or elephants form a conga line?

And today, the circus came to town! I played hooky from work for a half hour to go and watch the elephant walk. The elephants parade along a mile route and people come from all corners of the city to see them! We were sandwiched in between the Capitol building and Washington Monument...kind of an odd juxtaposition. They handed out rubber noses, and for a split second I thought about running away to the circus.

Just kidding, not really. I went to the circus a few years back when I first moved to Washington DC (before lobbying reform) and it was great. I still have the souvenirs to show for it. A spinning elephant light up contraption, which I love, and a hat...that came with cotton candy in it. It was a ton of fun, and if you haven't had the chance to go, I highly suggest you do. It is after all, The Greatest Show on Earth!

I Hate Snakes!

And that is why, I think St. Patrick is one of the best people ever! St. Patrick is said to have driven the snakes (pagan religions) out of Ireland and thus bringing Christianity to the country and its people.

Really though, back to the snakes. I hate snakes. And not just for the evil that they symbolize. I hate their tongues, and their eyes, and everything about them. I hate that they bite, and slither, and are silent and sneaky.

When I was younger, my brother and I used to play with the garter snakes in the back yard. I don't know what I was thinking...gives me the heebee geebees just thinking about it. I recall one instance of happening upon one such snake on top of a woodpile and I screamed so loud that my Mom came rushing outside thinking I had been stolen or mamed. Nope, just saw a snake.

So here's to St. Patrick. Please come back and drive the snakes out of the United States!

Happy Birthday to You!

Today my brother, Sean, turns 28...

My brother and I have not always been close. We are pretty much the exact opposite of each other. He's always been the outspoken, loud kid. The one that never did anything by the book. Where as I, on the other hand, am the book.

We are however close in one area, age. My brother and I are 13 months apart, and today marks the beginning of the one month out of each year that my mom loves. The one month of the year that it appears to onlookers that she planned her children.

Being so close in age has its good and bad sides. And although it has taken awhile for me to realize many of the good things about having an older brother, I am happy that we have gotten to the point in our lives where we can be friends.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Texas Independence Day! Yeehaw!

In the same theme as yesterday's post, and in the effort of disclosure, I am actually not a Texan. But, I am proud to call Texas home.

I'll never forget my first day of school in Texas. It happened to be during the morning pledge to the Texas Flag. Yes, there is a pledge to the Texas Flag:

Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.

Get me out of here immediately! To this day, I still find it odd that in classrooms across the Great State, school children are pledging their allegiance to Texas. But alas, I digress.

Today is Texas Independence Day! On this day in 1836, Texas adopted its State Constitution and declared itself free from Mexico! Unfortunately for them, Mexico tried to ignore the Republic of Texas' newfound independence and thus ensued the Battle of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto...where we nabbed Santa Ana!

And we all know how that ended...free Burritos at Austin Grill!

Oh, Canada!

Don't get me wrong, I am a proud, red white and blue-blooded American. But, in the interest of disclosure, I happen to be half Canadian. My Mom (seen above!), Grandma, and Papa all derive from the Toronto area. And though I have never been to Toronto, I did get the pleasure of traveling with my Grandma and Papa to British Columbia.

It was the last trip I took with my Papa before he died later that summer, and I remember it fondly. We took a ferry from Anacortes, Washington through the San Juan Islands to Sydney, British Columbia. From there we took a double decker bus to Victoria. Home of The Empress Hotel and the Royal BC Museum. Living in DC, I have been to many a museum, and this one is one of the best. It features lifelike exhibits of Modern and Natural History. This museum is one of the few that truly has recreated the past and allows for an amazing glimpse into what life was like "back when."

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to take this trip with my grandparents. I remember my Grandma and Papa teaching me poker on the ferry, my Papa taking the time to exchange his US dollars for Canadian (yes, we were only there for the day) and making my grandparents sit on the top of the double decker bus in the rainy, cold weather.

Still, as Canadian as my Papa was, he fully embodied the American spirit of hardwork and determination. As the Vancouver 2010 Olympics came to a close yesterday, it made me think about my trip to British Columbia with my Grandma and Papa, and it reminded me how proud I am to be half Canadian.

That's Not My Name

Why "Little Liza Jane?" If you know me, you know that my family doesn't call me by my name, Alisa. I am instead called Liza, Liza Jane, Lizzy Tish, Alie...I am sure there are variations of these that I am leaving out.

I am not sure when or why this name-calling started, but it dates as far back as I can remember. Each family member has their preference as to what they like to call me, and I like to say that if I hear "Alisa" I am likely in trouble. That said, I have always had an affinity towards nicknames. And thus, before my nephew was even born he was deemed "Roadie."

Mason Walter Merritt was born on June 4, 2008. For those in the Houston area, you may be familiar with a street named Mason Road in the city of Katy. Well, Mason's first home was along this road, and so, I believe, it was meant to be that I call him Roadie. Roadie has lived up to his name, he is always on the go, and with his blond head of wild hair, he has gained quite the following of admirers....including me, Aunt Lili.