kim possible: hey wade, what's the sitch?

I have to admit something to you....

I was/am a die hard Kim Possible fan.

like. so much so, that this my text alert tone:

Kim possible (Beeper Tone)

pretty awesome, right?

anyway. funny story for you, to go with this whole little confession.

one of my favorite things to do when my phone goes off in a public place, is to answer it with "hey wade, what's the sitch?"

the looks people give me are amazing. like, truly amazing. 

so the other day, we're out shopping, and my phone goes off..

naturally, I decided to "answer" it...

I "pick up" and say "hey wade, what's the sitch?"

and, per usual, get some fantastic looks of confusion.

what makes it even better is that this is what my phone case looks like: 

not exact, I know...but similar.

who else loved kim possible? any other teens out there?

the best chocolate cupcake & cream cheese frosting

this is by far my favorite recipe ever - it's sooooo yummy, and soooo easy. ready?

what you'll need:

1 box of chocolate cake mix - I prefer devils food, but regular is okay too.

2 large eggs

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt, plain

1 box of chocolate pudding (the small one - not the huuuuuge box, ya know?)

buttermilk for thinning (less than 1/2 c.)

frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp

1 package of cream cheese

1 tsp. vanilla extract

about 3-5 cups powdered sugar, depending on how thick/sweet you like it

for the cake:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

line your muffin tins with liners and spray with a nostick cooking spray.

in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, eggs, water, and sour cream/greek yogurt. mix well for one minute. add the pudding and beat well - batter will become very elastic like - now add buttermilk to thin out the batter a bit. you want to retain the elasticity and somewhat thickness of it, but it needs to be pour-able.

using an ice cream scoop, fill each liner with batter and place in oven. Bake for 17-25 minutes, depending on your altitude. (I'm at 7000 feet...so, it will be different than what I do if you're lower than me...which you probably are..)

after the cupcakes are done baking, let cool completely. otherwise when you frost them....it's no bueno.

now, for the frosting.

beat the butter and cream cheese together for about 2-3 minutes until well combined. add vanilla. slowly add the powdered sugar in increments, until you like the consistency.

I always frost my cupcakes with a piping bag, using a regular round tip for a nice swirl effect.

frost your cupcakes and enjoy! I've never had a complaint about these suckers, and they are definitely my favorite too!

blessed.

couldn't stop thinking about being blessed today.

I have been so very blessed.

I forget that sometimes.

I'm so thankful for right now is my worship pastor. he's like my [really] big brother - and his wife is the sweetest. I am so thankful that they're a part of my life, and so willing to love me. I love you b&l! ♥

I'm thankful for my mama. being terrified of my driving when I myself don't show how scared I am.

I'm thankful for my friends; my girlfriends. 

I'm thankful for birthdays. It's my brother's 14th today, yay!

I'm thankful for coloring. it makes me happy.

I'm thankful for the ability to write; and sing.

I'm thankful for soooo much. God has blessed me beyond what I deserve.

what are you thankful for? 

she's back! :) happy monday!

the above photo was taken with the app photosynth on.my.iphone. ummmmm - amazing, isn't it? 

anyway....

it's been said that I'm obsessed with Instagram.

this has been proven to be true. 

personally, I think  it's the best app ever created....it even outdoes the facebook and twitter apps...but I'm a hater of facebook most days and while I adore twitter...it's not pictures...so whatcha gonna do.

here is my week/weekend in instagrams :) 

1. leaving home // 2. addy eating ketchup // 3. the ocean breeze // 4.sunset // 5. no filter beach pic...used my glasses as a filter! // 6. the ocean // 7. strawberry hulk // 8. filleting dinner - yum! // 9. sunrise on the water - fishing! // 10. first time at pinkberry // 11. fish tacos // 12. my teensy crab friend, ned.

oh...and...do you see that gorgeous fish taco above? yeah. that one. with all the yumminess on it....I'm going to share that recipe later this week. It's probably one of my favorite meals EVER. legit. and soooooo easy to throw together!

hope you all had a fantastic weekend - I'll be getting some posts up soon with some exciting stuff in em! :)

xoxo, ruthanne

gone fishing.

I am currently out of town for the rest of the week; fishing with daddy and the gang. I'll be back on Sunday..until then, enjoy your week!

xoxo,
Ruthanne

the weekend: recap.

it snowed friday. it was gone by saturday morning....this silly weather is....well...silly.

I got to hang out with two of my favorite baby boys on friday night...my music pastor's birthday party was then, and I stole the two of them for a little bit....Jimmy is on the left and Payton is on the right :)

I made iced coffee and homemade whipped cream...in a can. yes. you can do that, no pun intended..

I spent a fair amount of time on daddy's iPad...working on my family history on ancestry.com. I got all the way back to the 16th century, almost!

worship was last night. little stressful, but nice none the less. I love my Jesus.

then I came home and made potato chips. just cause. they were delicious....

and then.....then I sat down with my guitar and piano and wrote a song. 

'twas a lovely weekend...how was yours?

that time my cat thought i needed a mouse friend.

so. last night, right? yeah. last night.

I'm sitting on my bed. 

and I see my cat walk in the door. 

okay, so nothing abnormal here, right? no, nothing abnormal.

until she drops a live mouse on the ground and starts chasing it.

then we enter the realm of ab-normalcy.

I squealed. 

like, a lot. 

and then after they ran under my bed, I jumped off of it and onto a chair, thinking that was safer...

obviously I had had too many hot tamales.

anyway, I'm standing on this chair, clutching my phone, and I realize I could call my mother and beg her to send my daddy down to help me do something about this....mouse....

so I call mom. no answer. in my brain I'm dramatically thinking "NOOOOOOOOO!" in that deep slow-mo voice, ya know?

I call a second time and she answers. 

"mom. mom. mom, I neeeeeeeeeeed daddy....Ivy just brought a live mouse into my room and *squeals as it runs under my chair* and I neeed him to help me get rid of it...."

by now she is laughing. 

and I'm squealing even more because my cat has gotten her paws on it and is playing with it. 

like. toss-it-into-the-air-and-catch-it-like-a-juggling-ball playing with it.

the next forty-five minutes were spent chasing the little thing around my room, until we caught it. ew.

I didn't sleep till 2 am, needless to say.

annnnnnnyway. that was my thursday evening. pretty exciting, I know.

lets just be clear on one thing: I don't like mice in my room...

grandpa's camera.

a while back I discovered my Grandpa Art's camera sitting in the garage.

I remembered my mother telling me that we had it, but I had never gotten my hands on it...until now. 

there is something so very special about holding something like that.

something that your great grandfather used for decades, to take pictures of his kids.

and their kids.

oh, the feeling one gets when they sit and think of the history.

I got my hands on some film and have been taking some pictures. 

There is something really nerve wracking about not knowing what you take is going to end up looking like.

But it's pretty fun, too.

I can't wait to see the pictures from Easter. Eep! 

What's one of your favorite family heirlooms?

top 8 favorite beauty products

thought I would share my favorite beauty products of all time. I'm not a big makeup girl, and I hate spending time (and money, meh!) on it... most of these products are relatively inexpensive (comparatively, I suppose), and work so well.

|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|

- why I love it -

cover girl last blast length mascara: 

it's the only decent drugstore mascara I've been able to find that comes in an actual brown. it's the most natural one I've found and i love it. adds just enough without making you look like you're wearing anything.

maybelline mineral power foundation:

I don't wear foundation every day, not even on a weekly basis, so I'm not one to talk, really, but I love the way this stuff feels on my skin (not heavy, at all) and it comes in the perfect shade for me (the lightest one they have, ha!)

l'oreal color riche lipgloss:

the best lipgloss ever. enough color to be dressy, but not too much to wear on a regular basis. my two favorite shades are watermelon crush and raspberry splash.

pur mineral blush:

this is the best blush I've ever owned. my grandma bought it in a pack with foundation and didn't like it, so she gave it to me. a little on the pricey side, about 25 bucks each, but so worth it. I've had mine almost a year now and will probably get another couple months out of it!

eucerin everyday protection 30 SPF face moisturizer:

this is the best face lotion I have ever owned. seriously. it's super moisturizing. has 30 SPF. doesn't clog up your pores with gross chemicals. I have such sensitive and fair skin that I have to have face moisturizer with a good level of SPF in it - the highest (other than this) that I've ever found is about 18-20 - and that just doesn't do me any good! one of the best finds.

sally hansen insta-dri nail polish in "sonic bloom":

favorite nail polish ever. dries in under two minutes. and is a fantastic color. it's perfect for when you're running out the door on the way to work or at home. I own about four different colors and have used the entire bottle of two of those at least once. 

ecotools makeup brushes:

now, because I'm not a beauty queen and don't shop for that stuff generally, I never would have found these if they hadn't been a gift. I got them for christmas about two years ago and they are just the best brushes ever. soft and wonderful and glorious and such high quality. seriously. buy. these. brushes. 

maybelline full'n'soft mascara:

for the days I want a little darker mascara, this is what I use. seriously great. gets each lash evenly and doesn't clump. it's probably the only mascara that I like the waterproof version as much as the regular one, too.

--------

so, there you have it! my top 8 must have beauty products, coming from yours truly, miss not-so-savvy-with-beauty-things! hehe.

hope you all have a lovely day!

xoxo, 

ruthanne

ryan meets his maker; 1992 - 2012.

Death keeps making an appearance in my life.

An all too common one.

I watched my friend Jordan hang up the phone earlier today, only to hear him ask me if I knew a kid named Ryan Wahl...and I said, "...knew?"

Ryan died yesterday in a climbing accident.

I went to charter school with Ryan. He was three years older than I, but lived down the street from me, and our brothers were friends, as well as our moms. 

The news hit me hard. Really, really, really hard.

Harder than I thought it would have if I had been asked how I thought I would react.

I don't know what to do with such news. All day I was kind of absent, thinking about life, death, and the losses we all are forced to deal with in our lives.

Ryan's mom said it perfectly in a facebook status this morning, telling all about what happened. 

"...Yesterday Ryan died in a climbing accident. I guess God decided He wanted Ryan to celebrate Easter with Ryan right next to his side. Lucky for Ryan, sad for us."

I am oddly, sooooo very jealous of Ryan right now. He's sitting with our savior, free of all worldly troubles.

No more sin.

No more pain.

No more heartache.

And then I sit, and I cry a little bit. Because I don't know why God would want to take Ryan from his family now. 

When he was only 20.

He was so passionate and on fire for God; I don't get it.

But I'm trying to trust.

I feel dramatic, and over reactive almost, because I knew him so little...but he was my brother, regardless of how well I knew him; and my heart breaks knowing he's gone.

If you feel like keeping the Wahl family in your prayers, that would be wonderful. Ryan left behind both of his parents, a younger brother and sister, as well as a slew of extended family and friends.

Lord; please be with Gail, Tom, Luke and Amanda right now; keep them close to you, and let them feel Your presence. I ask, Father, that you would remind them of Your grace and mercy even in these tragic times. Please let them hear Your still small voice, and give them the peace they need. I also ask that you keep those who were close to Ryan close to you as well, many of my friends. I lift them all up to You, Jesus. You are the ultimate healer and comforter, and I pray that they would lean on that and take comfort from it in this difficult time. Thank you for Your love; and thank you, oh thank you Jesus, for dying the most brutal death of all so we could live forever with You, and someday be reunited with all of those who left us behind on earth. I love You so; in Your precious, gracious name; amen.

hi, my name is.

hi there. my name is Ruthanne and I like to wear mini vintage sewing machines around my neck. 

my mama thinks it's silly.

I think it's awesome.

we both agree it's probably somewhere in the middle, though closer to my opinion...

right? right.

instagram hop!

do you see the same brilliant idea I do?
yeah?
awesome!
three lovely ladies have put together an instagram blog hop - for all of us IG'ers to find and connect with our blogger friends, and find new blogs! awesome, no? I think it's fabulous :)
head on over to either Ashlyn, Kimberly, or Emily's blogs to get in on the fun :)

Ashlyn @ Let It Be Beautiful 

Emily @ The Pink Elephant 

Kimberly @ A Night Owl

have a fantastic day, friends!

android instagrammers & april photo a day

it's april 4th already! man oh man. crazy, no?

and, instagram released an app for android users yesterday, so the IG network has like doubled in the past 30 hours....craaaaaaaaazy. any of you android users out there? if you want to follow me my username is @missruthanne :)

anyway. I've started april photo a day - and I'm hoping I can keep up with it this month. that no more family members die and create a huge un-desire to post and such...sounds good, yeah? yeah, I thought so...

anyway, it's wednesday already, I can't believe it...and I'm off to go write some music and sing some songs. 

have a happy day, lovely friends ♥

back after a long little weekend.

oh, dear me.

I'm afraid it's been quite some time since I allowed myself to sit and write a post.

four days, actually.

my great grandpa's funeral was this past friday. my family and I went down a day early to help prepare everything, and ended up staying an extra night, saturday, to be with family. 

although the circumstances for which we were together were terrible and sad, the time we had was so precious.

the day of the funeral we had dinner together at leatherby's....a classic little ice cream/diner place. delicious. my cousin and I shared this:

gorgeous, isn't it? man. heaaaaaaaaven.

cousin nicole enjoyed it. can you tell?

we played dominoes in grandpa's honor:

-kendall and randy-

my cousin christian decided to post this picture on instagram, telling my followers he was handsome.

he was right, I know.

and many, many other lovely things took place. I am so grateful for my family, and what they mean to me.