Best of "The Office"

The new season of "The Office" (aka the best tv show ever and my obsession) premiers tonight.  I'm not sure if it will ever be the same without Michael Scott, but I am trying to be optimistic.  As long and Jim and Dwight on there, I will keep watching.  To celebrate the new season, I've put together a list of my top 10 favorite moments from "The Office".  I hope you enjoy!  :)

Top 10 "The Office" Moments

10.  Michael's Flaws


Michael Scott:  Guess what?  I have flaws.  What are they?  Oh I dunno, I sing in the shower?  Sometimes I spend too much time volunteering.  Occasionally I'll hit somebody with my car.  So sue me-no, don't sue me.  That is opposite the point I'm trying to make.


This is one of my favorite Michael Scott quotes.  My mom was asking me some questions to help prepare me for a job interview a few months ago.  Every time she asked me "What do you consider to be your biggest flaws?", my mind would go blank, and I would respond "I sing in the shower, spend too much time volunteering, and sometimes hit somebody with my car."  Haha…I was terrified that I would accidentally say this in the real interview.

9.  Michael's Last Dundies

This almost made me cry the first time it aired.  Definitely a great moment.

8.  "Dwight, You Ignorant Slut"

Haha!  Another great Michael Scott quote.  Probably my sister's least favorite…I like to yell "Magen, you ignorant slut!" at her from time to time just for kicks and giggles.  She doesn't find it nearly as amusing as I do.

7.  "Computers Are About Murdering You In A Lake"

I'm not sure what's funnier…Michael actually driving his car into a lake,  Dwight trying to save him, or Michael's comments on computers trying to murder people in lakes.

6.  Jim & Pam's First Kiss

The moment we had all been waiting forever for!  Jim finally told Pam he loved her.  Of course, she rejected him…but it all worked out in the end.

5.  Jim Slaps Dwight

"Seven out of ten attacks are from the rear"!  Hahahaha!

4.  Michael Declares Bankruptcy

3.  That's What She Said

2.  Identity Theft

2.  Double Jeopardy  


My absolute favorite Michael Scott quote!  I couldn't find a good video for this one…sorry :(

Michael Scott:  So, I need a little treat for the gang.  Something to win their affections back.

Ryan:  Back?  Why is that, Michael?

Michael Scott:  Well, I ran down Meredith in my car.

Ryan:  Ohhhh.  Did you do this on purpose?

Michael Scott:  No.  I was being negligent.

Ryan:  Did this happen on company property?


Michael Scott:  It was on company property, with company property.  So, double jeopardy, we're fine.

Ryan:  I don't think - I don't think you understand how jeopardy works.

Michael Scott:  Oh, I'm sorry.  What is, 'we're fine'?

1.  Jim & Pam's Wedding

Ahhh…so sweet!  My favorite part is actually not in this video.  Right after they are married Jim tells the camera crew:  "I bought the boat tickets the day I saw that YouTube video.  I knew we'd need a backup plan.  The boat was actually plan C.  The church was plan B.  And plan A was marrying her a long, long time ago.  Pretty much the day I met her."

Trick or Treat

I realize that it's not Halloween yet…..but I wanted to show off these really cute trick or treat buckets I made.

These are 5 qt. painted metal buckets personalized however you want. The buckets are $15 each.  Please email me at jjfoley4ua@gmail.com if you would like to purchase one.

Subway Art Tutorial

After my post yesterday, I've had several people ask me how I make these.  So, here is a tutorial.  I'm not going to lie, these are a headache to make, but definitely worth it.

Supplies:
canvas (I used 18" x 24")
2 cans of spray paint (different colors)
contact paper
scissors
painter's tape
old newspapers or sheet (to paint on)
ruler

Step 1:

Design your canvas layout.  I use the Silhouette Studio software to do this.  I set the page dimensions to whatever size my canvas is.  That way all of your words will be in the correct proportions.   

Step 2:

Cut your words.  I used contact paper to cut the words on because it is much cheaper than vinyl.  I cut the words using my Silhouette.  Make sure you adjust your settings when cutting on the contact paper (it is much thinner than vinyl.)  I set speed on 7 and thickness on 1.  It took a lot of trial and error to discover the correct settings, but these seem to be the magic numbers.

Tip:  Use colored contact paper instead of clear.  It is much easier to do this when you can actually see the words.  I learned this the hard way.  

Step 3:

Spray paint the canvas whatever color you want the words to be.  I'm making an Ohio State canvas, and I want the background to be red with silver letters.  So, I painted my canvas silver.

Step 4:

Measure off your canvas.  Figure out exactly where you want each line to be on the canvas and make marks on each side.  It is really easy to do this if you set your page dimensions to your canvas size.  

As you can see in the picture, I add a box to find the exact measurements of each line.  Make the bottom of the box flush with the bottom of the page and raise the top of the box to the bottom of whatever line you are measuring.  Then, however tall the box is, is how far up from the bottom of the canvas you need to measure.  (If you aren't OCD about the lines being straight like I am, then you can skip this step).

Step 5:

Use painter's tape to mark off where you want the first line to be (you should have marks from the previous step).  Then, add the words.  I use transfer tape, so that I can add the whole line at one time and not have to try to stick each letter on.  Repeat until you have all the words stuck on.  Be sure to press the letters on good.  You don't want them peeling off!

Step 6:

Spray paint the canvas whatever color you want the background to be.  Like I said earlier, I want my background to be red.

Paint one coat and wait a couple of minutes.  Then paint a second coat.  Make sure that it looks pretty even, but don't go overboard with the paint.  The letters will start peeling off, and they you have a mess.

Let dry for at least 10 minutes.

Step 7:

Peel off letters.  It's easier if you use tweezers.

Step 8:

Touch up letters.  No matter how hard you try, some letters are going to have red paint on them.  Just use a paint pen or brush to touch up the letters with the correct color.

Step 9:

Admire your creation! :)

Can't Get It Out Of My Head

I lied…this is another post about football.  At least this time it's about subway art.  :)

A few weeks ago I posted the Alabama Fight Song Subway Art I made on Etsy.  Someone pinned my sign on Pinterest (thanks by the way to whoever it was), and tons of people started viewing my listing.  At first I had just intended on making Alabama and maybe Auburn ones, but everyone wanted one.  I had people asking if I could make canvases for Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Kentucky, Ohio State, and Penn State.  I'm certainly not complaining about the success of this item, I just wish it didn't take so long to make them.  I have been working like crazy trying to get all of these made and shipped.

There is also another downfall of making these.  I now know the words to all of these schools' fight songs.  After I made the Auburn one, I walked around the house singing "War Eagle…Fly Down the Field" over and over again.  I could not get that dang song out of my head for days (hence the title).  Obviously, Alabama's is the best (my vote may be a little biased), but I have to give Auburn credit.  Their fight song is MUCH better than a lot of other schools.  Notre Dame's is probably the worst I've seen so far.  No offense to the Fighting Irish, but "send a volley cheer on high"…what does that even mean?

Here are some of the signs I've made so far.

The University of Alabama

Penn State University

University of Oklahoma

Ohio State University

Auburn University
(I accidentally messed this one up, but you get the idea of how it would look)

Ohio University

University of Kentucky

If you are interested in purchasing a canvas, please email me at jjfoley4ua@gmail.com or visit my Etsy shop.  Don't worry if you don't see the school you want pictured.  I can make these for pretty much any school.  Just send me the fight song lyrics.

Tailgating Recipes

This is the last of my posts about football…for a while.  This article from Southern Living is probably my favorite.  Who doesn't love food???

14 Team-Inspired Tailgating Dishes

Make a big play toward winning your tailgate division with 

these favorites. From grilled spicy hot dogs to a simmered 

pot of gumbo, there’s something for everyone’s time, tastes, 

and team.

"Woo Pig!" Baby Back Ribs

University of Arkansas

Calling all Razorback fans! These tender ribs are cooked by a unique stack-and-grill method that’s easy enough for freshman pit masters.

Recipe: Grilled Baby Back Ribs

"Welcome Will" Cocktail

University of Florida
Toast the new coach with a refreshing orange juice cocktail.

Recipe: Black-eyed Susan Cocktail

Best of the Grove Gooey Brownies

Ole Miss
Pass a silver platter filled with Mississippi Mud Brownies around and score big with your fellow Ole Miss fans.

Recipe: Mississippi Mud Brownies

Texas Tackler-size Burgers

University of Texas
Grill up this beefy burger, pile it high with pimiento cheese and bacon, and kick back until kickoff.

Recipe: Pimiento Cheese Bacon Burgers

Miles and Miles of Gumbo with Hoppin’ John

LSU
With Coach Les around and our chicken-and-andouille gumbo in your bowl, game day is a win-win.

Recipe: "Big Easy' Gumbo

Recipe: Hoppin' John

Cheer-for-Blue Potato Salad

UNC
Big Daddy’s Grilled Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Potato Salad scores big as a side dish to vinegary Carolina barbecue, deli-fried chicken, or steak.

Recipe: Big Daddy's Grilled Blue Cheese-and-Bacon Potato Salad

Frogs-On-Fire Salsa

Texas Christian University
Make this super easy salsa as hot as the TCU football team with a double dose of jalapeños and crushed red pepper.

Recipe: Southwest Salsa

Roll Tide Trifle

University of Alabama
Don’t judge a dessert by its serving dish! You can assemble our Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding in a big bowl or 13- x 9-inch casserole dish. Guaranteed to be #1 with fellow tailgaters.

Recipe: Nutter Butter Banana Pudding

The Sooner-the-Better Pecans

University of Oklahoma
In minutes you can season, bake, and cool Chili-Lime Pecans. Great with a cold one!

Recipe: Chili-Lime Pecans

War Eagle Dip-and-Chips

Auburn
Serve Loaded Baked Potato Dip with crisp waffle fries for at-home watch parties or with kettle chips when your party’s at Jordan-Hare.

Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Stadium Sandwiches

University of Tennessee
Volunteer to bring giant-sized, Turkey, Bacon, and Havarti Sandwiches to the next UT gathering. Purchased deli ingredients make ’em easy to assemble.

Recipe: Turkey Bacon Havarti Sandwich

The Twelfth Man’s “Wings”

Texas A&M
Here’s a really good hot wing recipe to start a game day tradition. Fry chickens wings as directed, or skip the flour coating, grill, and then toss in the sauce.

Recipe: Sweet-and-Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings

Hokie Pride Sausage Dip

Virginia Tech
Including this dip on a VT tailgate spread will be a key play in impressing your friends.

Recipe: Sausage, Bean, and Spinach Dip

Dawg’s Dogs

University of Georgia
Sweet Heat Hot Dogs are predicted to score big with guests! Just brush your favorite brand of hot dog with fiery Sriracha hot sauce, grill, and top. 

Recipe: Sweet Heat Hot Dogs

Only In The South

Another article from Southern Living.  I hope you aren't getting tired of these…we have one more tomorrow.  It's about tailgating food…yum :)

Only in the South: Football Moments
Only in the South does Game Day trump any and all events. 
Andrew Lawrence, Sports Illustrated writer-reporter, shares 

10 more reasons we're in a league of our own.

Nowhere Else Do Football Games Register on the Richter Scale

On Oct. 8, 1988, LSU trailed Auburn at home 6-0 with less than 2 minutes left when LSU quarterback Tommy Hodson found tailback Eddie Fuller in the end zone for the winning touchdown. The score whipped the crowd of 79,431 at Tiger Stadium into a frenzy that reverberated in Baton Rouge. A day later the stunned campus geologists discovered the moment had registered on the Richter scale. Tiger stadium hasn't played host to any official seismic events since, but its crowds have produced enough intimidating ones to keep opponents quaking in their cleats.


Nowhere Else Are Animal Mascots Part of the Family

Texas has Bevo the longhorn, Oklahoma has twin ponies Boomer and Sooner, and Arkansas has Tusk the razorback. Beware of Tusk, as great escapes run in his family. One predecessor was captured after killing a coyote, a 450-pound domestic pig, and seven rattlesnakes.

Nowhere Else Can Bitter Rivals Mend Fences in Trying Times

When one deranged Crimson Tide fan poisoned Auburn's landmark Toomer's Oaks, Bama Nation raised $50,000 through Tide for Toomer's, a Facebook group. When tornados sacked Tuscaloosa two months later, the Auburn Family reciprocated with more than $175,000 in relief funds.

Nowhere Else Do Rivalry Games Not Mean a Thing if They Ain't Got That Bling

The truest satisfaction comes from denying your rivals the kind of oversize bauble that transforms trophy cases into china cabinets. Louisville and Kentucky vie for a brass chalice (the Governor's Cup, pictured); Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, a crystal dinner chime (the Bedlam Bell); Rice and Houston, a copper ice pail (the Bayou Bucket).

Nowhere Else Is Football an Excuse to Play Dress-up

Just as the players have their attire guidelines, so too do Southern fans–it's a sport coat and sundress affair. And the formalwear extends to the tailgate table: sterling silver, bone china, and candelabra are common trimmings.

Nowhere Else Do Single Guys Flock to Football Games in Search of a Wife

In addition to being exceedingly good-looking, the Southern female football fancier knows how to dress, how to drink, and how Coach is going to adjust for the second half. That's the kind of girl you take home to Mama.

Nowhere Else Is Tailgating a Military Exercise

Alabama has its RV army, whose troops converge by the hundreds on Crimson Tide games. And Tennessee has its Volunteer Navy, a fleet of various vessels that collects in equally impressive numbers around Neyland Stadium–one of only two college football venues accessible by water.

Nowhere Else does Football Now Feature More Cowbell!

After a 36-year ban for being too noisy, Mississippi State's official noisemaker is back–before games, between quarters, during time-outs, after scores, and during possession changes. Chime in any other time, though, and the Bulldogs could get rung up for $5,000.

Nowhere Else Is Football and Winning One and the Same

Ok….I may have altered the image a little.  The article features a picture of Aubie, but I think Big Al looks so much better on my blog.  :)

Since the advent of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998, Southern teams have won 11 of 13 national championships. Which is just another way of saying: Only in the South do you get real bragging rights.

Like I promised, another article from Southern Living.  This one was featured in the September 2011 Issue.

The 10 Commandments of College Football Fandom

There’s an old saying that in the South, football is religion, 

and every Saturday is a holy day—so our staff compiled 

these inscribed-in-pigskin imperatives for Game Day.

1. Thou shalt wear team colors. But think twice before adorning yourself with body paint—you don’t want to be the Internet photo that goes viral.

2. Thou shalt know—and sing—your team’s fight song from beginning to end. Sure, you can “watermelon watermelon” your way through the alma mater, but not memorizing the fight song is a fan failure.

3. Thou shalt keep your language clean (unless, of course, the quarterback fumbles on fourth and goal).

4. Thou shalt support the coach. Even when his calls are questionable.

5. Thou shalt be respectful to visiting teams. Remember: Southern ladies and gentlemen never boo.

6. Thou shalt set up a tailgate no fewer than three hours before kickoff (six if it’s a night game). Table linens and matching huggers encouraged, but not required.

7. Thou shalt theme your tailgate food around the visiting rival. Gator bites, anyone?

8. Thou shalt stay through the fourth quarter—rain or shine. That’s what ponchos are for, y’all.

9. Thou shalt respect the solemnity of Game Day by planning weddings, births, and other life events around the football schedule.

10. Thou shalt not covet other teams’ bowl games, national championships, or Heisman Trophy wins. There’s always next year.

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

No, I'm not talking about Christmas.  My favorite time of the year is football season!  Roll Tide!

I received season tickets for graduation, so I will be attending EVERY game this year!  My sister and I went to the first game Saturday.  Bama was playing Kent State, so it was a pretty chill game.  Obviously, we won by a landslide.  It was really different sitting in regular seats.  I have sat in the student section for the past 4 years and was kind of sad to leave it.  But, I must say that I really enjoyed my new seats.  I do miss the atmosphere of the student section, but I most certainly do not miss having to get to the game 2 or 3 hours early to get good seats.

It was just a little warm at the game, but we had a blast!

I may not love all the teams in the SEC, but there is one thing that Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and LSU fans can agree on.  The SEC is the best conference in NCAA football.  Southern Living Magazine posted several articles on their website celebrating football in the south.  There are 4 articles that I LOVE, so you can look forward to me sharing those with you for the next few days.  

I'm going to kick things off with an article written for Southern Living by one of my favorite author's, Rick Bragg (he is also a professor at Alabama).

Southern Journal: For the Love of the Game

In a region where fans bleed their team's colors, fall's

favorite game still takes our breath away.

I know why I love it. It goes back to nights in Paul Snow Stadium, where the Fighting Gamecocks of Jacksonville State whipped Troy, or Tennessee-Martin, or Delta State. In my memory we always won, as, in dreams, you never hit bottom when you fall. My uncles, good men, took me there as a boy in the 1970s and bought me hot dogs wrapped in aluminum foil. We always sat up high, so I could see the stadium fill with people I knew: the insurance man, the lady from the Five-and-Dime, and every pretty girl in five counties.

The JSU school colors were red and white but might as well have been dark blue, from all the company jackets from U.S. Pipe or Goodyear. If it rained we hid under Caterpillar caps and programs, but not umbrellas. We did not believe in umbrellas. On occasion, one would unfurl in the seats in front of us, and my uncles would grumble that "We'd see some football, if it wasn't for all these parasols." Our heroes were Ralph Brock--he could throw a football from here to Edwardsville--and Boyce Callahan, who ran for his life. He's a chiropractor now. He was like lightning, then.

We never looked away at halftime. With a great pounding of drums and sounding of brass, the Marching Southerners, in perfect step, would sweep onto the grass. They played music from our history, and, if you listened close, you might hear a tuba player sing: In the sky the bright stars glittered/ On the bank the pale moon shone/ And twas from Aunt Dinah's quilting party/ I was seeing Nellie home. 

And the beautiful Marching Ballerinas, in red velvet, kicked their white boots high in the air. Why do we love football? How could we not?

I teach now in the shade of the great stadium at The University of Alabama, and though my joy of football has hardened in middle age it has not faded. On Sundays, after a rare loss, the air goes stale. It seems harder to move. I have friends who say it is the same in Auburn, Athens, anyplace people live and die on a holding call, and joke that their new state flower is a satellite dish with high definition.

My middle stepson, Caleb, is a Tennessee fan, so I have kept him hidden until now. He insists on wearing that awful color, better suited for deer hunting, forcing me to say something mean about Peyton Manning just to see him hop like an agitated, orange squirrel. But he is so despondent after a loss that I pull for UT, sometimes, to spare him pain.

When Chris Roberts, an Alabama professor, explains our fascination "to the infidels," he describes his route to work: "Past the Bryant Bank on the left, then over the Bryant Bridge. Eventually, I turn onto Bryant Drive, home of the Bryant Museum and Bryant Conference Center. I park near the northwest end zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Then I walk past the Bryant statue. If they're not convinced, I show my ATM card--the one with Bear Bryant on it."

I do not know if I would love it as much if I had discovered it at an age of chat rooms, of anonymous bad-mouthing. I learned to love it in an age of newspapers, of fat Sunday sports pages filled with the lore of the game, all but lost in a time when every quarterback's tweet from behind a velvet rope sends ESPN all atremble.

Would I? Probably. "How could a game be better?" said Alabama fan Ken Fowler, who, for seven decades, has suffered and exulted through Saturday afternoons. "People united in common interest, in the outdoors, against one enemy. And, it reminds us that all in this world is not hurricanes and volcanoes."

I hope your teams, at least in distant memory, always win. Unless they are playing one of mine.

   

Labor Day in the Closet

That's right folks…thanks to Tropical Storm Lee I have spent pretty much the whole day sitting in a closet.  We have been under a tornado warning since about 10:00 this morning…ugh.  After my brush with a tornado this April (see my earlier post if you don't know what I'm talking about), saying that I'm terrified of tornados is a bit of an understatement. So, I've made my mom, sister, and cat all cram into a tiny closet for the past 2 hours.  Needless to say, I am not their favorite person right now…haha!  This is definitely not the way I had planned on spending my Labor Day :(   Oh well, it's always better to be safe than sorry!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

I finally got a real accounting job!  Woo hoo!  I will be working at Carr, Riggs & Ingram CPA firm in Enterprise, AL.  It is an amazing accounting firm.  They have offices all over the Southeast and employ over 600 employees!  I am so excited that I get to work there!

I am a little sad to leave my tutoring job.  I know it is just part time, but I really enjoy it.  I have gotten to know some of the students and will really miss helping them.  But, it is time for me to move on.

I am most excited that I can finally get my own apartment in Enterprise.  My Grandeen, however, thinks that's a waste of money and can just not understand why a 22 year old college graduate who has lived on her own for the past 4 years wouldn't want to live at home with her mother.  So, here are just a few of the many reasons that I need to move out!

1. Sharing Diet Cokes with others.  I need there to be cold Diet Cokes in the fridge at ALL times.  That is not always the case now.
2. Waiting on my sister to get out of the shower.  I get up when my alarm goes off, but can't start getting ready because someone is STILL in the shower.
3. I have no idea where all of my stuff is.  My room is too small for all of my belongings, so I have some stuff at my Mom's, some at my Dad's, and some at my grandparent's.
4. My Mom's cleaning sprees.  I leave things strategically placed around the house, so that my room doesn't get too cluttered.  Then, Mom goes on these cleaning sprees and it all winds up in a pile on my bed.
5. Slow internet.  I know I complained about Comcast when I lived in Tuscaloosa, but man do I miss the days when it didn't take an hour to load a YouTube video.  

Believe it or not there are some things that I will miss about living at home.

1. Raymond.  I'm really going to miss the little guy…the cat hair not so much.
2. No bills.  Definitely going to miss that and using Mom's credit card to buy groceries.
3. Magen's quotes.  Bless her heart…she's so blonde and says the funniest things.  I'm keeping a list so I may have to blog about them one day (she will probably kill me though).   

Don't get me wrong…I love my mom and sister, we just all get along better when we don't live together haha!  I will only be 30 minutes away, so I can visit often (and still eat at Howard's on Thursday nights).