Desperately Seeking Gina

Sign Up for the DSG Newsletter

A Serious Case of Girlishness

I’ve never been super girly and accessories have never been high on my priority list, although I have been known to own several handbags and a trunk {car} full of shoes. I’ve been on the hunt for a new purse for a couple of years now and I just can not find something that I absolutely love. Or maybe I have a commitment problem.

 For some odd reason I’ve been attracted to clutches lately. I’d never be able to carry one, though. I have an awful habit of setting things down and forgetting them so if a handbag isn’t physically connected to my person, it’s sure to get lost. Random memory: I’m 11 or 12 and sitting in the backseat of my mother’s car while she runs back into K-Mart because I’ve laid my purse on a shelf and walked out without it.

Back to clutches: they’re feminine, dainty, and the perfect smallish size; good for not carrying a bunch of unnecessary crap. Here are a few of my faves, courtesy of Pinterest 🙂

Source: etsy.com via Gina on Pinterest
Source: etsy.com via Gina on Pinterest
Source: etsy.com via Gina on Pinterest
Source: etsy.com via Gina on Pinterest

Hunka, Hunka Burnin’ Turkey

This post has nothing to do with burning turkey…I just couldn’t get the song out of my head when I came across this old Elvis bust out in the yard.

How many opportunities does one get to have Thanksgiving dinner outside in the presence of an American icon?

If I’m being completely honest….

I’ve had a few drinks.  I can’t feel my lips…but I can remember my obligations.  And when I signed up for NaBloPoMo….I kind of promised myself I’d post every day in November.  And, since I’ve been waiting until the evenings to post, well, this is what you get.  My lips are numb and my fingertips are tingly.  I’ll probably fall asleep mid-sentence.  You can make fun of me in the morning.

I suppose buzzed blogging is better than buzzed-facebooking, or buzzed-phone calling. It’s been a tough couple of months for this gal and drinks are most definitely in order.  I don’t know if you know this about me…but I’m kind of high strung. And picky {some would say anal}.  I like things a certain way- my way.

So anyway…I mentioned on FB this morning that I had two days off in a row…something that hasn’t happened in 8 or 9 weeks.  I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself.  I slept. I climbed back into bed and napped for two lovely hours this afternoon.  Turns out doing nothing is my specialty.

I’m missing home in the worst way.  Holidays tend to bring that on.  I’m missing dinner at Grandma’s.  Three families crammed into a tiny dining room, elbow-to-elbow, passing around Thanksgiving dinner, laughing and chatting away.  Grandma’s gravy with floating biscuits.

What I’m not missing?  The dishes. And, the craziness of cooking a huge meal.  I have no obligations, other than bringing a pie to dinner at Thom’s sister’s.  One pie.  But, I have a reputation to uphold and I still fret over just one simple pie.  I told you I was high-strung.

That’s all I have tonight, friends.  I hope that y’all have a lovely Thanksgiving.  I’m grateful for each and everyone of you.  I’m grateful for your support.  I’m grateful for each and every comment you leave and every email you send my way.  Your friendship makes the homesickness manageable. And for that, I thank you!

Pin It & Spin It: Monkey Squares

What do you do when you have two overripe bananas and one sweet-toothed boyfriend looking at you pleadingly? Banana bread, again?  Muffins, no ingredients?  Pinterest to the rescue!

The Pin:  Monkey Squares
The Recipe:
1 ½ cups sugar

1 cup sour cream
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour 10×15 jelly roll pan. Beat first four ingredients until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla one minute. Add dry ingredients and blend one minute. Stir in nuts and spread in pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool and frost with Browned Butter Frosting.

Browned Butter Frosting
½ cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
about 3 tablespoons milk or half and half

Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat past the melting point until it boiling, and a delicate brown. Remove from the heat and immediately add the remaining ingredients. This should be thicker than a glaze and thinner than frosting. Using a spatula smooth over the top of the Monkey Squares immediately. The frosting will be easier to spread once it’s on the warm bread.



The Spin:
No spin, really.  I didn’t have any nuts, so I omitted. 
I was leery about Browned Butter Frosting, as I haven’t mastered browning butter.  I tend to let it go too long.  I browned it perfectly {IMHO} this time.  The butter had this lovely, nutty, buttery flavor.  The butter will separate leaving dark brown bits in the bottom of the pan.  I thought I had burned it so I left it in the pan.  Thom, being the adventurous taster he is, tasted the dark brown bits and declared his love for them, so I had to try.  It was awesome!  Into the frosting they went, flecking it with little browned dots of loveliness.
The verdict:  Definitely a great use of overripe bananas and the frosting puts them over the top!
recipe originally from The Welcome Mat

{Just Add Color Fall Swap}

A couple of weeks ago I was perusing my humungo {yeah, I made that up, too} list of blog reads and came across this fun post by Jessica for a super fun fall swap.

Scarves?  Nail Polish?  New friends?  New blogs to read?  Sign me up, please!
My swap partner is Sarah from shades for {.e.v.e.r.y.} adventure. 
She’s super fun, super cute, and seriously, this girl has the most accessories of any girl I’ve ever known.  Check them out!  If I had seen this before the swap I totally would have been intimated shopping for her.
So here’s what Sarah sent me.  I love it.  Truly.  It’s an awesome color-happens to be my new fave of the moment.
I have to be honest.  When I saw the nail polish Sarah picked out for me, I had to smile.  It’s definitely a shade for a fun twenty-something and definitely not something I would have picked out for myself since I tend to be boring and color-less.  But…I painted one hand and I have to admit- the color actually works.  Maybe I am a fuschia kind of girl after all. Thanks, Sarah, for giving me a little push to go out of my comfort zone.  Thanks for adding some awesome color to my fall 🙂  {oh…and I’ll be finishing the other hand shortly and enjoy being girly for the week!}

Thanks to Jessica & Ashlee for the fun fall swap!  Be sure to check out their blogs 🙂