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2010-11-07T15:09:00.003-06:00

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Los Chupacabres - A Cautionary Tale

2010-10-29T10:09:00.003-05:00

Several weeks ago one of the women I walk with on Saturdays suggested that we all sign up for a 10k. Up to this point I have only done 5ks, so this was going to be a stretch. She mentioned the 10k would be at night. I figured if I could do a 10k, doing one at night was no big deal. One Saturday morning, we stretched our walk to six miles instead of three, and did just fine. So, I signed up for this event which was being hailed as a "trail run". To me, city girl that I am, "trail run" means sidewalk through a grassy park area. I was still not concerned.

The week before said "trail run", we each received an email from the organizer of the event. I'll share it with you and see if you have the same reaction I did...

"The trail- this is not a run for beginners. The trails are dark with many rocks and opportunities for falling, twisted ankles, scrapes, and bruises. We will use glow sticks to mark the course but paying attention is critical. This is much different than running on the road at night much less during the day. You will need a good quality headlamp and/or flashlight(s). If you plan to run fast be alert. It is very easy to run through a well marked turn at night running slowly much less running a sub 7 min mile. YOU MUST PAY ATTENTION OR YOU WILL RUN OFF COURSE."

Huh.

Cue panic. WTF have I gotten myself into? But this, this was my saving grace...my "out"...

"There will be a 2 hr time limit for this event. Runners must hit the 3.1 mile water stop under 1 hr. Those who do not will be required to go back with the water stop crew. "

Ok, whew. I can go back with the water crew if this whole thing goes south. I feel better. I have a plan.

So, the night of the race we all met up and headed over to the event location. Eric had made sure I brought a really good LED flashlight with me. We started off on the narrow path making good time. We determined that as long as we did a 19 minute mile walking, we were good. It was really dark, so dark even my flashlight only cast light about three feet in front of me at best. And we were in the WOODS. The trail was rocky, uneven, cratered, and full of tree roots. There were glow sticks marking the trail about every thirty feet or so. Our group basically kept together for the first three miles or so. We hit the first water station with no problems. The volunteers pointed us in the direction of where the trail picked up and we were on our way. About the time we hit the four mile marker, the trail got much worse. There were steep inclines, steep declines (and nothing to hold onto to help you down), riverbeds, and even in a couple of places some really low-hanging branches which were pretty dangerous, considering we were all looking at the ground in front of us - not straight ahead.

By the time we got to the next water station, I was about done for. The trail is really rough on your ankles and knees. It's nothing like walking on a flat surface. I honestly don't know how people ran this thing. I and the person behind me had somehow managed to fall behind our group, and so it was just the two of us coming out of the woods to greet the Marines manning the water station. Their response when they saw us? "Are you the last ones?" We answered that yes, we were pretty sure there was no one behind us. We felt sure they would tell us that we were over our time limit and had to go with them back to the start. But no. Instead they said "time to celebrate" and popped the top on the beers they had chilling in their cooler.

Seriously.

They didn't even bother to point us in the direction of where the trail picked up. Just let us wander on. Two lost souls. In the woods. In the dark. Good times.

So, my buddy and I figured we only had maybe another mile and a half or so to go, so we'd just keep going. The farther we went though, the glow sticks became more and more sporadic. And judging by our pedometers - the mile between marker 4 and marker 5 was not, in fact, a mile. It was closer to a mile and a half. But, we soldiered on. Although being out in the woods alone with only one other person is pretty creepy. There were no sounds of other people at all. And have a mentioned that when I was little I used to have a recurring dream about being chased through the woods at night. If it had been snowing, I would have just curled up in the fetal position and cried. But, we kept going.

We hit the final water station, and it was abandoned. No lanterns, no people, nothing. Just a table with some cups of water and Gatorade. We pushed on - determined that we didn't have much farther to go. We walked and walked and walked and there was no sign of mile marker 6. And when you're walking along and realize you haven't seen a glow stick in a long while, you begin to wonder. Finally, we came out onto a gravel road. But, there were no glow sticks on the other side marking where the trail picked up. Nothing. We picked up what we thought was the trail, but really had no idea at this point. We could so easily have gotten turned around. And it became clear that no one associated with the event was sweeping the trail for stragglers.

Suddenly, my companion's phone rang. It was one of the members of our group asking if we were still on the trail. We talked to her for a good ten minutes or so while we continued on hoping we would eventually see mile marker 6 and know that we were close. Finally, we decided we must have gotten turned around or taken a wrong turn somewhere and could be wandering around in these woods for hours. She said she'd send someone for us. So, when we next came out onto a road, we stayed there and waited. An ambulance finally came around the curve and picked us up. We asked how close we were to the finish and were told we weren't far. But, let me tell you, it took some time to drive back to the finish, so I don't think we were that close.

The ambulance let us out at the finish and the only people there were the guys handling the timing chips. Not the race organizers, not the rest of our group, nobody. But damn if those guys didn't want their timing chips back. And let me say, our time? Two hours and forty minutes.

Seriously.

And I was never so glad to see civilization as I was that night. I was exhausted, it was near midnight, and the fear I think finally caught up with me. Because, honestly, that was scary! I'd told Eric I would call him when we finished, and I estimated it would be about 11pm (figuring two hours to finish). By the time I finally called him, he was pretty concerned - concerned enough he asked if I needed him to come get me.

And aside from the fact that the surroundings were pretty creepy, there was the all-too-real possibility of twisting an ankle, or falling and breaking something on the trail. And since the race organizers had packed up and left - with no concern for the participants at all (not to mention the Marines who were way more concerned with gettin' their drink on) I felt like I was damn lucky to be in one piece.

So let me leave you, faithful readers, with the advice to not agree to trail runs, particularly those that are named Los Chupacabres. And don't get lost in the woods near the witching hour.

"All the stories of ghosts and goblins that he had heard in the afternoon now came crowding upon his recollection. The night grew darker and darker; the stars seemed to sink deeper in the sky, and driving clouds occasionally hid them from his sight. He had never felt so lonely and dismal. He was, moreover, approaching the very place where many of the scenes of the ghost stories had been laid."

- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Have You Read These?

2010-09-17T08:53:00.003-05:00

It's been awhile since I've been so consumed by an author's books, so I had to share. Late last year I took a chance and bought The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I'd heard good things about it, but I had no idea that I'd get sucked in to it so quickly. I picked this up on my vacation time in December, and finished it Christmas morning. And as soon as I put it down, I wanted to pick it right back up and start it again.

I held off on buying Catching Fire for a few months. I told myself I would buy it for myself as a reward for finishing my next to last class at school. And at the end of March, it was mine! I picked it up right away and delved back into the world of Katniss. This book got me from the first few pages. Definitely a well-deserved reward for finishing my class.

And finally, the last book in the trilogy was released a couple of days after my birthday, so I bought it as a belated birthday gift for myself. I couldn't wait to jump right back in to it.

And book three did not disappoint. I spent the whole book on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happens next but afraid to find out what happens next. I'm happy to see now that so many people are starting to get hooked on these books too. They are so good and well-worth a read. So, if you haven't read them...run right out and pick up Hunger Games. You won't regret it! I can see myself re-reading these again in the future, or at the very least getting the audiobooks so that I can enjoy them again and again.

Wednesday Meditations

2010-09-15T09:26:00.003-05:00

I feel a bit like I'm on a downhill spiral lately. I can't seem to re-ground myself and my emotions are all over the place. My birthday, with regard to my family, was a fiasco. Thank goodness I have a wonderful husband and good friends. But, I guess that's where I begin to realize that when I rely on something or someone external to lift me up and make everything ok then I'm not drawing on my own inner resources. Because when your husband isn't himself and when your friends are busy doing other things, your whole world can begin to feel like it's crumbling.

Lately I've found that I've lost my interest in a lot of things that usually fuel me. It's like after you finish a really good book (Mockingjay), and you feel a bit adrift because a part of you is still stuck in that world. I just can't seem to inhabit the world I'm supposed to be in fully. I find myself reaching out, trying to engage and then ending up feeling a bit invisible or unwanted as if I'm not where I'm supposed to be.

I miss my writing. I miss being connected with myself, which extends to others - rather than feeling like I'm just disconnected. And I no longer feel like I recognize my own self-worth. And I think when you hold so much in all the time, that core of self gets a bit murky. But, I do think getting back to my writing would help this. I used to journal every day. I used to write poetry. I used to write about a lot of things. Perhaps it would help me clear away some of the fog.

So, I guess I need to take a big ole look at my last post and what I want to create for my life and get to gettin'. And it seems that some introspection is in order as well. And ultimately, I need to tend to my own temple. What's going on with other people does not necessarily have anything to do with me. And what looks like rejection or being ignored and not included is my own filter and not necessarily true.

I started this blog in order for it to be a space where I could be myself, write about what I wanted to write about and share my growing love of photography. So, that's the mission statement. Readers and comments, while much appreciated, do not factor into the reasons of why I blog.

So...a little meditation on this Wednesday morning. A "come to Jesus" meeting with myself, if you will. Guess I needed that. And much like meditation, my thoughts were all over the place in this post. But I think this was helpful. Soon I'll post up photos from the Worldwide Walkabout as well as a book review. So, here we go. Happy Wednesday and we'll just call this a do-over.

A Year Older

2010-08-18T11:06:00.003-05:00

My birthday is on Sunday. I find that every year around this time induces a bit of anxiety - not so much because I'm dreading getting older, but more because (other than Eric who works hard to make my day extra special) I often feel like my birthday is an afterthought to my family and friends. So, I always approach the day itself with mixed emotions. This year, however, is a little different. This year is getting close to a milestone birthday. And while I am happy with my age, and not worried about growing older, there is a bit of soul-searching going on. There are so so many blessings in my life. Too many to count really. I am grateful each and every moment that I have with this amazing man I married. And ten years ago I couldn't imagine being where I am now, being as happy as I am and being so very lucky for the life I have. So, what's the issue?

I feel like, for being the age I'm about to be, I have a certain expectation of where I should be in my life and what my life should look like. And I think that because it doesn't look a certain way, or doesn't fit my expectations of myself, the number attached to this almost-milestone-birthday is causing me a bit of panic. Like the night before the big exam and you realize you've been screwing around instead of studying. That feeling.

Maybe this is why the book Eat, Pray, Love struck me so hard. It's that moment you wake up and look at your life and think WTF? It's not that I'm not happy. It's not even that I have regret. It's just that I want more. I want to live my life fully, and I haven't been. And a full life is not based on external or material things, those things are just signposts that show you where you are. So, I'm trying to think about what I'd like to see change in my life over the next year - where I'd like to be. Of course, first and foremost I want to continue building my relationship with Eric and making our marriage that best that it can be. Working to not take each other for granted and remembering each day what a blessing it is that we have each other and that we're both in this together.

But, how about those external signposts?

As I've mentioned before, I'm working hard to be a more fit and healthy version of myself. It's important that this next year sees me at a healthy weight, where I am healthier and happier in my own skin. I deserve that. And it's truly within my ability to make it happen.

And also of utmost importance to me is starting a family with Eric. The timing hasn't been right before due to him being in school, then me being in school, job situations, etc. It is really important to us to have children, so this is definitely something I'd like to see happening in the next year.

We are also wanting to buy a house. A couple of years ago, we were ready to buy a house and started house hunting. We never really found anything we fell in love with and perhaps that's for the best because I was laid off from my job at Christmas that year. We haven't gotten back into the house hunting due to all the same reasons above for waiting to start a family. But, owning a home of our own and finally purchasing furniture together instead of existing with hand-me-downs, is a huge dream of mine. The house that we rent was a shining beacon in the sea of "oh hell no" houses we looked at when we got married. But, it's not our own, and I've tried my best to make it a home, but it only partially feels that way. I've got a few rooms to the point where I'm happy with them, but most of the rest of the house is a Feng Shui nightmare. So, having a home of our own is definitely on my list of wants for the next year. Of course, in the meantime I'm going to focus on making the house we rent feel like a home.

The last big piece in my wish list for the Universe is travel. Eric and I love to travel and unfortunately school and job situations have cut into our ability to travel the past couple of years. Travel may have to wait a little while if we're working on starting a family and buying a home, but it's still an important piece of what I'd like my life to look like. And I truly love going to new places and experiencing new things together with Eric. I find that exposing myself to different cultures and seeing new places is an integral part of what makes me who I am. And travel has been a part of our life together from the beginning, so I would like to make sure it continues to be.

So, all that said I'm actually feeling a little more relaxed about my birthday - I feel like I have a plan forward, some goals to work toward. And hopefully Sunday will be a big kick-off to an amazing year. I fully expect that at this time next year, my life will be very different, and hopefully I'll have some checkmarks next to some things I've expressed intention to accomplish.

But, in the meantime...I am absolutely certain that this weekend will involve cake.

Bring it

2010-07-26T11:13:00.002-05:00

Well, a week has gone by, so it's time to check in with myself on how I did with my goal. I wanted to focus last week on drinking one 32oz bottle of water a day. I managed to do that every day except Tuesday. Tuesday, I only got about 3/4 of it down. I also worked a little on tracking last week, I did so-so with it. What I did track, I tracked honestly. And wow - who knew a Jimmy Johns sandwich would be 17 points! Gah! But, at least now I know.

I also made sure I got all my vitamins and supplements taken. It's already pretty much a habit, but I made sure to check that box three times a day. I want to be sure that I'm getting what my body needs to be healthy, not just for me but for the future when we start a family.

In place of my weekly 3 mile walk, I participated in the Worldwide Photo Walk on Saturday morning and we walked for a little over two hours. I wish I'd worn my pedometer! I did make sure to stay hydrated though. I'll be posting photos from the walk in the next few days. I got some that I'm pretty proud of.

So, I feel good about how I did last week - mostly I was mindful of my behavior and I tried to stay in the role of objective observer rather than being harsh and judgmental of myself. I had an internal goal to see the scale go down throughout the week, and it did drop by 2.5 pounds towards the end of the week and then went back up two over the weekend.

This week my inspiration is this t-shirt. Nothing special, I know, but I love this t-shirt and I would really like to fit into it by Halloween this year. I'm going to work towards that goal and I think it's do-able!

So for this week, I'm going to continue to focus on my water, and work on drinking one and a half bottles a day. I'm also attending a new WW meeting tonight. I've lost interest in my regular meeting because my new leader is not so good. I'm not inspired or motivated at all by those meetings. So, I'm going to a new meeting tonight and I'm excited about making this change to get myself re-motivated for my weight loss.

Albatross

2010-07-19T11:44:00.002-05:00

Lately my weight has been bothering me quite a bit and now that school is basically done, it's time to put my focus back on getting healthy and fit. I really want to get to a healthy weight and feel good in my body. I also am tired of being limited by my weight and my fitness level. So I'm ready to jump back in and make myself a priority. I have no illusion that this is going to be easy, but I won't get anywhere if I don't try.

Here's what I need to focus on:

Tracking what I eat

Attending weekly meeting and weigh in

Drinking water

Morning yoga sessions

Being mindful of what I eat/drink - making healthy choices

Getting all my workouts in at the gym - and being present and focused during

Making my weekly 5k walk

Taking my daily vitamins and supplements

Taking care of my skin

Staying on track with all of this by journaling and/or blogging

Ok, that's a lot. But, I can do a little bit at a time so that I don't get overwhelmed. I just need to re-focus so that I'm not just going through the motions, and also I need to be consistent until it all becomes a normal part of my routine. I want this to be a lifestyle. I want to be able to live with any of the changes I make. I'm not dieting and I'm not doing this for the sole purpose of losing weight. I want this to be my life.

So, I'm going to check in weekly with myself and see how I'm doing. I thought it would be good to determine what I'm going to focus on this week and also give myself some weekly inspiration.

So, this week my focus is on drinking water. As hot as it is outside, being hydrated is especially important. I learned that the hard way this weekend. So, I think it's a good place to start. I have a 32oz bottle of water sitting on my desk and I want to drink three of these a day. I'm going to focus on getting one down though.

And for my weekly inspiration: this gorgeous dress from Anthropologie.

I'll check in next week to look at how I did.

Shooting Without a Tripod (or How I Spent My 4th of July)

2010-07-06T09:39:00.002-05:00

Every so often I make a food request to Eric, and one of the things I love about him is that he always comes through for me. For dinner on the 4th, he grilled hot dogs, made baked beans and coleslaw and bought me root beer. So yummy!

Although the night before it rained something fierce, the 4th was sunny and clear, so we were good to go out and see the fireworks. Eric looks forward to the fireworks every year and he was really disappointed by our fireworks experience last year in Miami. Suffice it to say that last year we pulled the car over to the side of the road and watched the ten minutes of fireworks through the back window of the car. Not ideal. But, this year, Eric got some amazing photos of the fireworks. Mine...notsomuch. I think they would have been pretty good if I'd taken Eric's advice and used the tripod he brought for me.

Since I am stubborn and thought that surely I could take great handheld photos, you can see my results. My fireworks look a bit more like silly string than fireworks. Not quite as impressive as I'd hoped.

Ah well. It was a great night though, and I was happy with my Sonic Campfire Blast that Eric bought me on the way home (and a Banana Shake for himself).

No work on Monday the 5th, so we continued our weekend long movie marathon. It's been so long since we've watched movies that we thought it was a good time to get caught up. We finished up Season 2 of True Blood, caught some of the Star Wars marathon and also watched Sherlock Holmes, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, Ghost Rider, Wanted, American Pie: Beta House and finally rounded it off with the new Star Trek. It was so much fun to just sit and watch movies together. I loved it!

And Eric surprised me with two new variations of grilled pizza for dinner last night.

Chicken Fajita Pizza...

And Chicken Pesto Pizza...

They were both sooooo delicious! I can't decide which one was my favorite. I hope he makes these again.

And Eric's mom just got back from visiting Grandma and she came by yesterday to bring us these Italian cookies she brought back for us. We had some of the three-color cookies and they were fantastic. I can't wait to try the others.

All in all an excellent 4th of July weekend. And maybe next year I'll use a tripod.

First Book of Summer

2010-06-30T12:41:00.003-05:00

I'm starting to settle in a bit to life after school. Still no sign of when I can get my certification exam scheduled, but that will happen sooner or later. I picked up my first book for the summer, a book that I bought as a reward for passing my recent certification exam, along with Catching Fire. I was so excited with my purchase because it symbolized being one class away from the end.

I do love new books. Anyway, I read Catching Fire immediately and blazed through it. This trilogy is so good. If you haven't read The Hunger Games, go out and get it! I read Hunger Games in December, finishing it up on Christmas Day and I'd been holding out on buying the next one. But, anyway, as you can see from the passenger seat of my car - both Catching Fire and Water for Elephants came home with me that day.

In my recent post on my plans for Summer Reading, I'd put Water for Elephants on the top of the stack in my mind. I started it a few weeks ago and was instantly sucked in and I was a little surprised. This book and I do have a bit of a history. When it first came out and everyone and their aunt was reading it, I became interested in it. But, I'm not really someone who jumps on the bandwagon of what "everyone" is reading. So, I didn't think too much about it. Later on, someone mentioned that the book had a lot of animal cruelty in it. Well, that was it for me...I decided I just wouldn't read it.

At one of my recent book club meetings, one of the women I often chat with mentioned Water for Elephants and when I expressed my reticence, she basically told me to get over it and read it anyway. So, here we are.

Let me just say that this book was wonderful. Each part of what occurs serves to build the reader towards what happens in the end - which is precisely what a book should do. It wasn't like the book had any gratuitous violence in it, but everything served its part in setting the scene. And all in all, the book is really rather enchanting. I love the dual timelines and how they interweave. This book was so well-written and intriguing that I have been kicking myself for not reading it sooner. So, thanks to my book club buddy for telling me to suck it up and read it already.

I have to take a little break from my summertime reads to read my next book club selection - The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk. It's a fat one!

A New Day

2010-06-03T12:53:00.003-05:00

Although I am still waiting to schedule my certification exam, I'm starting to get my life back in bits and pieces. It's like suddenly I can breathe freely again. This past weekend, I was so thankful to have three days rather than just two. It's like I got to start my summer and my new life off with a bang. And what did we do for three days? Not a damn thing. We hibernated in the dark air conditioned house and watched old videotapes - playing videotape roulette "I wonder what's on this one?". Let me tell you, the Beijing Opening Ceremonies were fantastic. Oh, you already knew that since it happened two years ago? Ok then, moving right along.

Yesterday was the day from Hell. And unfortunately, my crankiness was sparked off the night before so it was a long day from Hell. Needless to say, it was topped off by some idiot (me) completely destroying (aka deleting all the data and then saving and closing) a spreadsheet that I need for my monthly report at work. Said spreadsheet included a number of pivot tables and 16,000 rows of data. I did this at 4:45pm. Awesome.

But, the complete highlight of my day? After work, after the gym, I got to go home. I got to have dinner with my husband. I got to watch crappy Wednesday night tv with him and talk about our days and just relax. There is nothing better than that. Ok, well maybe there is. I get to do it again tonight. I just can't even begin to tell you what it's like to actually come home, have a hot meal and spend time with my man. That little hole in my heart was filled.

Verge

2010-05-25T22:00:00.005-05:00

It's a strange limbo I'm in currently. After two years and fourteen days, I've finished my coursework at school. I've earned six certifications and am only waiting to hear from PMI to schedule my last one. So, I'm done but yet not done. It's a weird place to be in. I feel some of the relief, but I don't feel like I can embrace it completely. Perched on the cusp of freedom.

And it seems sort of surreal. I don't have a grasp of what returning to regular life will be like, or more than a vague memory of what it was before.

Eric and I have been married four years, and I have been in school for half of that time. I know that while this was a necessary thing, I regret being away from my husband for that length of time. After awhile, the fourteen hour days start to wear on you, and those around you. I have made it through with only a handful of the friendships that I started out with too, which pains me.

Being at this place means that I have the opportunity to take a look at my priorities and refocus in those areas that have been lacking attention and energy - particularly those precious relationships that fill my heart. I hope it means I won't be such a bitch all the time either. That may, however, be inherent.

Being on the verge of something more has also, surprisingly, led to a reawakening of my creative self - a self I thought was long buried. I find my thoughts turning to ideas for writing - poetry, stories, novels. In the last two weeks, I've also thought about opening myself back up to art. Art is always a constant in my life, but creating it is something that I haven't felt compelled to do in years. Shortly after we got married, Eric encouraged me to get out my paints, my easel, my charcoal and sketch pads. He wants to make sure I don't lose that part of me that is so important to who I am. A large portion of my authentic self. In the past couple of weeks, thoughts of painting and drawing have flitted across my consciousness, but the itch to actually pick up a brush and lay down paint blobs is getting harder to ignore.

I am holding myself back, for now, keeping myself partially restrained because it's not quite time...I'm not quite done. But, when it is time I hope to explore who I am now, who I've become and what that means to my art and my voice.

Summer Reading

2010-05-04T16:44:00.002-05:00

I am looking forward to a time in the not-so-distant future, when school is out for-evah and I can relax into my late spring and early summer indulgence of reading for pleasure. During this last class I've been hard-pressed to do any reading that is not related to school, in fact I haven't been inclined to read even if I did have the time. So, in an effort to have something fun to look forward to at the end of the month, I've selected a few books that I want to tackle immediately upon passing that certification exam.

I recently purchased Water for Elephants, which I am looking forward to greatly. So I knew that one had to be in the mix for sure. But, what else to choose? I let my fingers run over the spines of the books on my shelf and came across The Mermaid Chair. That one has been on my shelf for ages. It looks like it will be a good choice for summer as well.

Back in March, when I purchased Water for Elephants, I was actually at the book store for a birthday gift. I picked up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver for her. It reminded me that I still had an unread Kingsolver sitting on my bookshelves. And summer sounds like a perfect time for it the rather aptly named book, Prodigal Summer.

I'm looking forward to losing myself a bit after having spent the past two years submerged in school. I think these books are a good start. I've stacked them on the living room mantel, so that I know the promise of lazy weekends is drawing closer.

Scent of a Woman

2010-04-26T08:52:00.002-05:00

I think fragrance is an essential part of how you present your self, a piece of the complete picture people see. I certainly don't condone swathing yourself in something that anyone at twenty paces can smell, rather it is like a little reward for those that you allow close enough to you to catch a hint of. Since smell is such a powerful way to catalogue and evoke memories, it should be a priority in any woman's beauty and fashion choices.

Around Christmas-time I ran out of one of my choice perfumes, Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker. I also wear Lovely and tend to save it for the warmer months. But, with an empty bottle in my possession, I decided that I would replace it with a new fragrance. But, what to choose? I went out the week before Christmas (bad idea) and tried to find myself a new scent that was "me". Other than the amusing show of watching two young guys attempt to help each other buy perfume for their girlfriends, the shopping trip was a total bust. I gave up, discouraged, and have continued to stare at that empty bottle on my dresser for four months.

So, here I am with Spring beckoning me to try something new, and I think I've got my choices narrowed down to a few. While I'd like to have a bottle of each, I think I'll just go with one new fragrance for now.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

Chanel Chance Eau Tendre

Marc Jacobs Lola

I am enamored with perfume, and so the idea of finding a new sensory identity is rather exciting to me. And one of the reasons I'd like to have a collection of scents to choose from is so that I can decide "who do I want to be today". And I kind of love that.

Tea at the Arboretum

2010-04-19T12:39:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, in honor of my needlework guild's tenth anniversary, I attended Afternoon Tea at the Dallas Arboretum. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, even with the threat of a spring rain. Of course, the Arboretum is lovely this time of year with bursts of color everywhere you look. I arrived early to help set out gift bags and other goodies. We've been planning this tea for months, so it was exciting to finally see our efforts come to fruition.

The room we were in was beautifully appointed and the menu was amazing as well. For our first course, we were served Zucchini Dill Soup with a Cheese Wafer. This was delicious. I would have gladly had about four more of these.

Our first course was accompanied by Watermelon Peach Mango tea.

And tea was served by a very sweet gentleman in white gloves.

Our second course was a selection of tea sandwiches including Turkey with Herb Butter on Rosemary Bread and Egg Salad on Onion Bread (top tier), Banana Nut Bread with Cream Cheese and Creamed Cucumber on White Bread (middle tier), and also Chicken Salad on Croissant (bottom tier).

The sandwiches were no less delicious than the soup and were accompanied by Strawberry Vanilla tea.

Dessert was presented on a three-tiered server as well, and of course I had to have one of each (except the strawberry only landed on my plate for photographic purposes - no allergy attacks here!). Our third course consisted of Pecan Tarts, Petit Fours, Chocolate Dipped Strawberries, Lemon Bars, and Orange Currant Scones with Strawberry Jam (none for me, thank you) and Clotted Cream. The scones were still warm and were absolutely scrumptious paired with the clotted cream.

Tea for our final course was a choice of Earl Gray or Papaya Hibiscus Herbal. I chose the more exotic of the two, although Earl Gray is a favorite of mine.

It was a lovely afternoon, and I wished I'd had more time to walk through the gardens while I was there.

I think high tea could become a habit of mine.

Four Years

2010-04-05T15:51:00.003-05:00

Each year, the beginning of spring brings with it Easter, warmer weather, everything blooming and mine and Eric's wedding anniversary. This year marks our fourth anniversary, and according to the list of traditional anniversaries the fourth anniversary is the fruit and flowers anniversary. I've attempted to find a gift for Eric each year that holds with that traditional list. For our first anniversary, I made Eric a photo book of our honeymoon (paper). He took the most amazing photos of Rome, that I felt I needed to do something special with them. For our second anniversary, I presented him with our wedding quilt (cotton). It was made out of the blocks we had our wedding guests sign instead of a guest book. And last year, for our third, I gave him a leather-bound Family History book (leather) that I look forward to filling with him. He's been researching his family's genealogy since we got married, and I felt it was important for us to begin writing our own history to add to it.

So, what to do for fruit & flowers? I finally opted to purchase something for our home. We've recently been reworking our living room and have finally branched out from decorating our home with something more than just the amazing travel photos Eric has taken on our adventures. We both have a love of maps (we even purchased two in the Bahamas which is where he proposed). When I saw this beautiful hand-tinted map, I thought it would be perfect not only for the fourth anniversary, but also as something for our home. Something we could appreciate and enjoy every day, just like each other.

And to carry on with our fourth year theme, Eric made dinner reservations for us on Saturday night at Hibiscus. The food was absolutely amazing, and we had such a wonderful evening together. We talked quite a bit about our honeymoon in Rome and wanting to return there someday.

Here's what we ordered:

Appetizer

Domestic Farmstead Cheeseboard

(with Quince Jam, Local Honey and Sourdough Crostini)

Salad

Burrata & Tomato

(Burrata Mozzarella, marinated red & yellow tomatoes with EVOO)

Entree

Me: 9 oz Prime Tenderloin

(Brown butter asparagus)

Eric: Roasted Liberty Farms Duck Breast

(Grilled sweet corn and bing cherry sauce)

Dessert

Panna Cotta Crisp

We also had drinks with our appetizer and then some exquisite wine with our salads and dinner. Everything was heavenly, and while I hear the deep dish macaroni and cheese is the best, I was very happy with everything I ordered. It was a special treat and one I'm so thankful for.

And Eric bought me a little something I've been wanting for awhile...

We had such a lovely anniversary, and I can hardly believe four years have gone by. We still get anniversary cards from many of the sweet friends and family that attended our wedding. Our wedding must be a sweet remembrance for them as well, which really makes me smile.

Last Two Days of Photos

2010-03-23T10:35:00.002-05:00

3/21/10 - 3/22/10

So, this marks my last two days of the 365 Photo Project. It's kind of a shame that I didn't go out with more of a bang. But, it is what it is.

Progress photos of And They Sinned - my New Year's Day new start.

That's all folks!

Week's Photos

2010-03-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

3/14/10 - 3/20/10

A few years ago when my Great Aunt died, her daughter offered me her quilt scraps. As time went by I gave up hope of every seeing them. But, at Christmas she sent me a Christmas card and asked if I was still interested. I replied that YES I certainly was still interested. And last week a big box arrived with treasures in it.

The colors and patterns speak volumes, don't they?

And in the box was this complete quilt top. As far as I can tell, the majority of it is hand-pieced. And you can see how big this thing is!

A little closer look at the blocks.

Look at that sweet little cattywampus corner stone too.

I intend to finish these into quilts so that I have this piece of my past (and one that I contributed to as well).

The last of the treats from Sylvia...gummy vampire bats.

Of course, I don't like licorice, so I just ate the wings off them.

The remains of the day...

A Week in Photos

2010-03-14T10:30:00.000-05:00

3/7/10 - 3/13/10

Sunday was day 2 of the workshop. I started stitching petals for my three-dimensional flower. Now that I'm done, I'll cut that yellow thread and the petal will detach from the fabric and I'll be able to tack it down to my piece to form a flower.

A view of the finished sampler. See all the dimensionality of it? Yes, you can actually peek under Adam's fig leaf.

82nd

2010-03-08T09:11:00.002-06:00

Oscar night again. One of my favorite nights of the year. For whatever reason, I didn't talk about last year's Oscars here on the blog, I must've been sleeping on the job! But you can see my thoughts on the 2008 Awards here. And of course, one of my favorite parts of the night (other than the montage - because we all know how I love a good montage) is the Red Carpet. It's always fun to see what everyone's wearing.

There was not a lot of red this year, which is what I'm typically drawn to. There was a lot of gold though. This year several of my favorites were all in the same color family - grey. While some tended more toward the lilac, and some more toward the dove or blue grey, I found myself drawn to them over and over again. Photo above is Elizabeth Banks. This was a gorgeous gown and my first favorite of the night. Below is Helen Mirren, who always looks amazing, but I think this silvery grey suited her well.

Kate Winslet is a favorite actress of mine, and so I am always curious to see what she's wearing. In this metallic gown, she looked very old Hollywood. I love her "Veronica Lake" hair. And look at that necklace! What a statement piece of jewelry. It appeared to be canary diamonds and white diamonds. Lovely!

And Kathryn Bigelow in another beautiful grey. I loved the detailing on the top of a very simple gown.

There were a few that I really loved that weren't in the grey category. I loved seeing Kristen Stewart in this gorgeous midnight blue dress. She looked amazing and thank God the Joan Jett mullet didn't make an appearance.

I love Maggie Gyllenhaal and I always look forward to seeing what she's wearing. I was not disappointed at all and I thought this dress was one of my absolute favorites of the evening. It looked gorgeous on her and the color was so vibrant.

Vera Farmiga also chose a stand out color. I loved this cranberry/fuschia dress with the beautiful fan pleats.

And of course I was happy to see some of the stunning purples on this Red Carpet that I loved at the Golden Globes. Zoe Saldana chose this amazing gown with what looked like an encrusted bodice (yay sparkly!) and then the beautiful ombre ruffles at the bottom just completed it. Fabulous!

And of course, one of my favorite categories of the awards is Best Costume Design. Sandy Powell (who also did The Other Boleyn Girl and The Tudors) won for her costume design on The Young Victoria. She has previously won Oscars for Costume Design on Shakespeare in Love and more recently, The Aviator.

Well-deserved, Ms. Powell.

I hope you enjoyed the night!

A Week in Photos

2010-03-07T10:28:00.000-06:00

2/28/10 - 3/6/10

I went to a workshop on Saturday with Amy Mitten. I'm in love with her thread, particularly the names of them.

She designed an anniversary sampler for my guild's tenth anniversary. This is my little bitty start.

Week's Photos

2010-02-28T10:23:00.001-06:00

2/21/10 - 2/27/10

So so so tired from Nashville. We got back Monday night (we drove). And I got right up Tuesday morning and went to work.

Sylvia brought these fantastic things to me from Germany. You literally cannot just eat one. OMG they were so good.

And I had to share these fabulous tags that my friend Laurie made. She sent these in her Christmas cards to her friends, but unfortunately mine got returned to her. She delivered them to me personally the last time I saw her. They are just wonderful. Laurie is such a talent.

I thought I'd share my necklace that we finished in Nashville. It is a stitched piece that is in a glass pendant frame. Love the red.

Sylvia also presented me with this owl. I named him Claus.

A Week in Photos

2010-02-21T10:14:00.001-06:00

2/14/10 - 2/20/10

Photos from Valentine's Day can be seen here.

On Thursday I headed off for Nashville to attend the Needlework Market with a friend. She asked me to come and help her with her booth.

This license plate in the parking lot gave me a giggle. I knew we were in the right place.

And a woman named Gigi from France, who has an amazing and lovely blog, had this piece displayed. All cross-stitch. It was hanging from one of the walkways overlooking the center area of the hotel.

One vendor had antique samplers for sale. So lovely.

And in our room one night we worked on finishing some pieces we had stitched into necklaces.

That's Sylvia's pretty piece.

Cooking for My Valentine

2010-02-17T11:19:00.004-06:00

Cooking is not my thing. Baking yes, cooking not so much. But since I can't live on cupcakes (well, I probably could), my baking takes a backseat to Eric's excellent cooking. I do have my moments, like our annual Eggnog & Dessert Party. But, for the most part there is only one cook in our kitchen. So, for Valentine's Day I wanted to do something special for him that showed him how much I love him. I decided I would cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for him. For breakfast, I made him blueberry muffins. He loves blueberry muffins and it's been awhile since I've made them for him, so it seemed like the perfect choice. They were delicious, and he had breakfast for a couple more days as well.

For lunch, I wanted to venture out to something I've never made before. I needed it to be relatively quick and easy because he is usually starving for lunch when he gets home from the grocery store. I found a recipe on Mrs. in Training's blog for Buffalo Chicken Calzones that looked like a winner. I altered the recipe just a bit. Instead of using regular chicken breasts and hot sauce, I got "Blazing Buffalo Chicken" from the deli counter and had them cut it into really thick slices, which I cubed. It had a ton of flavor and was really easy.

I could only manage to eat half of my calzone (these things were huge!), so I reheated half of it at work for lunch the next day. Still yummy! Eric brought home a couple of bottles of Grape Crush for lunch. How much do I love Grape Crush???? Mmmm!

And finally, for dinner I had been contemplating lasagna, but Eric is not a huge fan of lasagna. I decided I would Soprano it up and make Baked Ziti. I've never had Baked Ziti, but it sounded good.

I modified this recipe quite a bit. Instead of ziti, I actually used whole wheat penne. I only used one jar of sauce (Classico Fire-Roasted Tomato and Garlic). The recipe called for sour cream, which I thought was weird. So, I used a 15oz container of Ricotta and I mixed in frozen (thawed) spinach. I liked the color and flavor that added, so I was really glad I went with that instead of the sour cream. It turned out really tasty.

And it's been very tasty as leftovers too! But, of course, we couldn't have Carb-Fest 2010, without a little dessert, now could we? I went back and forth on what to make and eventually decided that rather than make something "valentiney" with pink frosting and such, I'd just make something that tasted good. So, I whipped up a lemon cake with lemon frosting.

My cake decorating skills leave something to be desired, but who cares once you cut it?

Eric brought out a bottle of champagne for our indulgence as well.

It was a wonderful Valentine's Day. I was really happy how all the food turned out and I think my efforts showed Eric how special he is to me. But OMG I was so full. I think I'll leave the cooking to Eric for awhile and let my apron have a rest.

Week in Photos

2010-02-14T09:46:00.000-06:00

2/7/10 - 2/13/10

We had snow again. It started during the night.

And continued on throughout the day.

When I woke up the next morning, the world was still blanketed in snow. Such a rare occurence in Texas.

The branches on our trees were so heavy with snow they formed this little enclave. I felt like I was in Narnia. Where's Mr. Tumnus?

And Eric and I went out to take photos of the snow later in the day. We walked around the park behind our house.

It was so hushed and quiet. It's one of the things I love about winter.

And Eric made me a snowball.

Kids in Texas do not have sleds. So these were making due with pool floats, inner tubes, a laundry basket and even the cardboard box from a 24 count of beer.

Such a beautiful day. And it was even better because of the walk with my husband.

A Week in Photos

2010-02-07T09:25:00.000-06:00

1/31/10 - 2/6/10

Guild night on Tuesday. Kim's secret stitcher gave her some fun Mardi Gras stuff in her bag.

And Kim gave me a scarf she made for me. Isn't it fantastic??? I'm so in love with it. And she made it skinny like I like too.

I spent Saturday afternoon making sand bags for Eric to use at the studio out of old jeans.

And we had so much fun at the Crystal Palace event, we decided to go to the Dallas Burlesque Festival held at the Texas Theater. So much fun. I loved this performance to Lady Gaga's "Teeth". Seriously love that song.

And who doesn't love a good fan routine?

Clean Cup, Move Down

2010-02-03T11:10:00.003-06:00

In December, a small group of friends got together for a tea party. The party was to honor one of our dear friends who was moving to Germany. We booked High Tea at a local tea room. I have never been to High Tea, but having a love of the art of Tea as well as those wonderful Victorian and Edwardian eras, I loved every minute of it. If I had been dressed better, I would have felt like I was in the midst of an Ivory-Merchant film.

We chose several different teas to sample, the pot in the photo above held some Cranberry Rose tea. Delicious, and appropriate for the season. I tended to stick with the Earl Gray, personally. With milk and sugar, as is appropriate.

The mis-matched china was so fun too. I loved all the different tea pots.

Our hosts at the tea room spared nothing to make sure we were well taken care of and prepared with every possibility for our tea.

And, then they brought out the first course. Little sandwiches on a pedestal. With the crusts cut off no less. Be still my heart. As well as I remember, there was wild rice and chicken salad, cucumber (naturally), turkey breast with cream cheese, and one other that escapes me.

All on delicious bread, no less.

Next we indulged in scones and sweet breads. These were complete with Devonshire cream and fresh strawberry reserves (alas, I am allergic so no preserves for me). I believe we were treated to lemon poppy seed bread, cranberry walnut bread, cranberry scones and cinnamon scones. These were all melt in your mout delicious. And the Devonshire cream added just the perfect touch to the scones.

And then onto the pastry course. A little key lime tart, with strawberry on top (mine was removed quickly thereafter), a little almond (I think ) pastry covered in powdered sugar, and a decadent little chocolate cake in the shape of a rose dusted with powdered sugar. So good.

We ended our tea by sharing memories of our friend, bestowing some going-away gifts on her, and many many photos of all of us together. It was such a lovely afternoon, and one I will remember fondly. I hope there are many more High Teas in my future too.

Week in Photos

2010-01-31T15:28:00.000-06:00

1/24/10 - 1/30/10

Not much to report this week. Jut loving my silver feather earrings Eric bought for me at the Red Earth Festival we went to in Oklahoma a while back.

A Week in Photos

2010-01-24T15:18:00.000-06:00

1/17/10 - 1/23/10

Although blurry, I love my new purple sweater along with matching nail polish.

And momma's got a brand new bag too...

Saturday night we went to the Crystal Palace Burlesque Show at the Lakewood Theater, which was fun. Lots of amazing performers!

Singing "Be Italian" in My Head

2010-01-18T11:30:00.007-06:00

It's been awhile since I went to the movies. Yesterday afternoon, I met up with a good friend and after indulging in Mexican food (my favorite), we went to see Nine. When I first saw the ads for this movie, I wanted to see it. And I finally got my wish!

Let me just say, I am a big fan of musicals, and of course I love a good dance number too.

I was impressed with the entire cast and loved the cinematography as well. I can't wait to get the soundtrack. In fact, I've decided I think I am definitely in need of a musicals playlist. So many favorites to include - Glee, Chicago, Wicked, you name it!

Of course, last night was the Golden Globes as well. So, after getting home from my movie I settled in to watch the red carpet coverage. I love award season, and movies are such a big part of my life (I need to work on that...I've been missing my movies with school getting in the way). There were several best dressed I found, and a lot of misses on the red carpet. My absolute favorite color of the night (although the jury's still out on the dress itself) was this gorgeous purple.

Love that color! I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and was glad to see Nine come up several times. Oh, and the Scorsese montage (I love a good montage), so awesome. I love how they opened with the music from Last Temptation of Christ. And of course, there were scenes from one of my favorite films, Age of Innocence. Love that movie! And Scorsese used a phrase that I just love, and it's one of the reasons I love movies so much, "cinematic experience". For me, movies are just not about the actual movie, but also about the entire experience: the anticipation, sitting in the darkened theater, the shared investment and reactions with the rest of the audience, the lights coming up and the credits rolling. For me, I have to see all the previews (that's part of my experience), and I stay through the end of the credits. I want the WHOLE thing. And it is one of the reasons that no matter how many DVDs we have, no matter how easy it is to order through Netflix or watch something in the comfort of your own home (with no screaming kids, phones ringing, people talking, etc.) - it is the essential cinematic experience that I love so much. So thanks, Marty, for reminding me of that.

Week in Photos

2010-01-17T15:16:00.000-06:00

1/10/10 - 1/16/10

January is usually full of thinking about new projects and starting new things.

This piece features a quote from Rodin. I can't wait to see more of it come alive.

This is a piece hanging in my local needlework shop. I am just in awe of it. The thing is HUGE!

Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

2010-01-14T13:15:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my Jan 4th post, one of the things I want to focus on in 2010 is taking better care of my skin. I've always had pretty good skin, so I can't really complain. But, I do find that as I get a little older, I am noticing that I'm growing frustrated with my skin. The biggest issue I struggle with is dry skin. I have dry skin on my face, which often precludes me from being able to wear any sort of foundation because it ends up looking horrible. I also have super dry skin on the rest of me. Of course, this problem gets compounded in the winter. The past couple of winters my hands have been in such bad shape due to all the hand-washing that I end up doing.

So, this year, I decided that I would finally do something about it. The biggest concern for me initially, is my face. I needed to take a look at my skin care regime. For several years, I had a good friend that sold Mary Kay products. I used their line and was very happy with it, until they started making changes to it about three or four years ago. I decided to go back to my tried and true Origins. I've been very happy with Origins products in the past, and so it was a natural inclination to go right back to them after being unsatisfied with M.K. But, that's kind of where it ended. My skin care regimen for a while now hasn't consisted of much, I'll be honest. I kind of got into a rut of not really caring and then I was tired at night, and well...you know.

Beginning Jan 4th, I've religiously followed my skin care regimen every morning. That includes washing my face, applying toner and then using my eye cream and high-SPF moisturizer. Plus, after emerging from the shower I've been using lotion on my entire body as well. Before slipping into shoes, my feet get a good lathering with the high-test lotion. I feel really good about having done this every morning for almost two weeks. While the habit hasn't had time to fully set in yet, I am seeing a difference.

I plan to add in a night routine once I get the morning routine fully embraced. Baby steps, and all that.

I don't know much about different skin care options, but I was a bit intrigued by some of the recommendations Slynnro gives here. So, I may have to give some of those a try. Kiehl's products have actually been on my radar to try out for awhile now. So, maybe as a reward for taking care of myself, other than the reward of taking care of myself, I'll splurge on some new product?

I also found this post interesting. Ok, maybe I'm a complete moron, but I had no idea that exfoliating was the key to helping dry skin. I love the idea of this body buffer bar, and may have to try one out sooner rather than later. In the meantime though, I thought I might give my old salt scrub a try and see what happens. I make this myself, but it's been years since I used it. Why not try it out and see if the whole exfoliating thing works? Then, I can buy a special bar that buffs my body. I promise to report back.

So, I'm feeling very confident that my new skin care resolution is working out. And the title of this post refers to a conversation I had at my last book club. The woman leading our discussion was a tiny little thing, and one of the other clubbers leaned to me and said, "do you know she's like in her 70s?" Of course, she didn't look it, not at all - part of that being how vibrant and excited she was about what she was talking about. And we pondered on this for a moment, and then my fellow clubber said "how do you think she does it?" Of course, me, being the smart ass I am, replied "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize".

A Week in Photos

2010-01-10T15:13:00.000-06:00

1/3/10 - 1/9/10

This week was all about quilting. I finished the baby quilt for Cole.

I'm really happy with how it turned out.

And I started a calendar quilt. One strip of fabric for every day of the year.

Holiday Entertaining

2010-01-07T14:38:00.004-06:00

There may be a part of me that feels like you've finally reached adulthood when you start hosting holidays at your home. While both our families are nearby, it is nice to begin our own traditions too. I mentioned a couple of posts ago that the past few years Eric and I have been hosting an Eggnog and Dessert Party before Christmas each year as a way to get both our families together in our home. With our fourth wedding anniversary coming up in April of this year, it feels like we are really starting to count on the new traditions we're creating together.

Christmas Eve dinner has always been a very important part of Eric's family traditions. Last year, we took this over from his mom and we continued it again this Christmas Eve. What I love about it is that it is a wonderful opportunity to use our wedding china, crystal and silver. This year Eric had such an elaborate meal planned, consisting of so many courses, that I was forced to turn to the internet for help in my place settings. Be assured, I think Ms. Post would be proud.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Antipasto
Bruschetta on Rosemary Bread
Two kinds of Olives
Salami
Prosciutto
Fresh Mozzarella
Two kinds of Hard Cheeses
Champagne

Dinner in Five Courses
Steamed Clams
~~~
Spinach Salad with Walnuts and Raspberry Vinaigrette
~~~
Bow Tie Pasta with Plum Tomato Sauce
~~~
Tuna or Chicken with White Wine Vinegar Sauce
Warm Bean Salad
Roasted Vegetables (Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant and Tomatoes)
~~~
Roasted Chestnuts
Fenoccio

Dessert
Pizza Dolce
Three-Color Cookies
Espresso

Dinner was really lovely, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Eric really makes a stunning meal, so no one went away hungry!

It snowed on Christmas Eve, which lasted through the Christmas morning. It's the first white Christmas I remember having.

Week's Photos

2010-01-05T15:06:00.000-06:00

12/27/09 - 1/2/10

My Christmas gift to myself, a quilt kit for a quilt called Winter Trees. The way they packaged it up is so pretty, I'm hesitating to break into it.

And a Christmas card from my friend, Kim, came with this little note on the envelope. She knows me too well.

And I spent some time quilting the baby quilt, and finally got to sewing on the binding.

I love peaceful nights where I can sit in the dark and just enjoy the lights on the tree.

New Year's Photos here.

And on New Year's Day, I always like to start a new project and watch the Rose Parade.

Welcoming in the New Year

2010-01-04T11:38:00.002-06:00

I can hardly believe it's a new year. I'm not entirely sure what happened to 2009, but there you have it. I took off work from the 23rd through the 1st, which was heavenly. Eric and I took a break from the gym and I got a break from work and school. I can't begin to tell you how nice it was to spend so much time with Eric. We also spent some time with both our families, as you can see from my previous post about the Eggnog & Dessert Party.

But, now here it is Monday - back to work, back to the gym, back to school. I feel refreshed and ready to tackle what's next for me. Eric and I have been watching Season 4 of The West Wing, and I just love this show. I never watched it when it was on tv, but I am loving watching the seasons on DVD. But, one of the things I love about the President, is he always says "what's next?" and he says it with such enthusiasm and energy. I am going to add that attitude into my life in 2010 - to always be excited and enthusiastic about my next challenge. It keeps the momentum moving forward rather than allowing me to worry or analyze the past or stay stuck in whatever I'm stuck in.

The big things on my agenda for the beginning of the year are finishing school and ramping up my fitness and health program (ie - losing weight and getting healthy). Although I did lose weight both at Thanksgiving (2.4 pounds) and at Christmas (1 pound), I am now up from where I'd been hanging out. So, first things first is to get back to where I was before all the eggnog. I go to see my doctor next week and I'd like to have some progress to show.

I'd also like to see some greater attention to taking care of myself this year - that means taking care of my body, my skin, my stress levels, etc.

And as for reading and writing - both of which fall under the category of taking care of myself, I'd like to see more entries in my journal this year. And for reading, I made it to 20 books in 2009, so I'd like to challenge myself to 30 in 2010. I think that's a reasonable goal, and it will be enjoyable getting there. Here's a list of what I read in 2009:

The God of Small Things*
Two for the Dough
Giovanni and Lusanna*
Dead Until Dark
Pillars of the Earth
Three to Get Deadly
Old Masters: A Comedy*
Dark Lover
Bitter is the New Black
The Man Who Loved China*
Lover Eternal
The Elegance of the Hedgehog*
Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
Vampire Diaries: The Struggle
The Lovely Bones
The Host
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
The Leopard* (did not finish)
Drums of Autumn
The Hunger Games

*Read for Artful Readings Book Club.

So, although I kind of hesitate to make New Year's Resolutions, because we all know the stigma attached to that, I'm going to go ahead and set my intentions for 2010.

1. Finish School
2. Recommit to my fitness and health program (resulting in reaching my goal weight)
3. Take care of my skin
4. Journal
5. Read 30 books

And of course, my mind this year will be focused on "What's Next?". Happy New Year!

Week in Photos

2009-12-28T14:52:00.000-06:00

12/20/09 -12/26/09

Some more photos of the decorated house.

The stockings I made...

Our Christmas card basket again, but now it's full!

The living room tree.

A close up of our stockings...

My childhood nutcracker. My parents gave him to me before we went to see the ballet.

It takes a village...er, I mean...here's the rest of the village.

Our Charlie Brown tree with the handmade ornaments. I really need a better looking tree, don't I?

I love the lights reflected in the photos on our gallery wall. (We actually change some of the photos out with photos from our NY trip at Christmas-time).

A couple little handmade ornaments up close.

Eggnog & Dessert Party Photos here.

Christmas Eve photos here.

And here's Romeo watching me getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner.

Christmas Eve it started snowing, and we ended up with a white Christmas.

Eggnog & Dessert Party

2009-12-27T13:26:00.002-06:00

For the past few years, Eric and I have hosted an Eggnog & Dessert Party for both our families about a week or so before Christmas. Our families rarely get together, so it seemed the ideal way to have everyone spend some time together. Although Eric does all the cooking the other 364 days of the year, the menu for this party is all mine. I try to make something slightly different every year, just to keep things interesting. This year, I decided to make Peppermint Bark, because I love all things peppermint, Gingerbread Men, and Eric requested Spiced Nuts. Somehow, the Spiced Nuts have made an appearance every year - they are that good.

I set aside some time last Sunday to do my baking for the party, which we held on the 23rd this year (schedules just didn't permit us having it any earlier).

I started out by making the much-requested Spiced Nuts. They are super simple to make and oh so good.

While those were cooling, I got busy with the Peppermint Bark. Another simple recipe. Eric hates white chocolate, so instead of using two pounds of white chocolate, I used a pound of white and a pound of milk chocolate. And, bonus, I got to use my double boiler for the first time!

Each of the batches had about eight crushed up candy canes in them. They just cooled on sheet pans, and then you break it up into bark, like Peanut Brittle (another holiday favorite of mine).

After getting the nuts and bark out of the way, I started in on my Gingerbread Men.

I would link to the recipe I used, however, the first batch of cookies I made turned out horrible. They were hard and flavorless - I wonder if I got a hold of a recipe meant for more architectural uses than for eating! So, I found another recipe, and ended up modifying it to suit my needs. For example, I grated fresh ginger.

Boy, did that make the whole kitchen smell good! This batch looked so much better even in dough form. I knew I was on the right track!

Years ago I'd actually found boy and girl cookie cutters (at Williams Sonoma, maybe?). So, I rolled them out and got them ready to pop in the oven. I didn't roll them very thin, because I wanted them to stay chewy and soft.

And, when the night of our party arrived, everything was perfect.

I would highly recommend the Peppermint Bark made with milk chocolate - it was really good.

And of course, there was eggnog. We mix regular eggnog from the grocery store with this. And a little nutmeg on top.

Pretty good spread!

And for whatever reason, I didn't take photos of the goodies last year. Along with the Spiced Nuts, I made Peanut Butter Fudge and Swedish Melting Moments Cookies. Yum! The year before, I made Fudge and Chewy Chocolate Ginger Cookies. Don't they look good!

So much fun! I wonder what I'll make next year?

Week in Photos

2009-12-20T14:45:00.000-06:00

12/13/09 - 12/19/09

It was finally time to do a little holiday decorating around the house. Every year I seem to do it a little bit differently.

I loved the look of the cranberries in the vase in the guest bath.

And Eric bought me these three nutcrackers to supplement the one I have from when I was little. These guys have a little bling to them though.

And this year, I decided to pull out some of the Christmas decorations I've made myself, like these pillows. I'm very proud of the Believe pillow I cross-stitched and then finished into a pillow.

My little Peace pillow that sits in the holiday card basket.

And of course I had to get out my Dickens Village. These little lighted houses make me so happy.

Another winter cross-stitch.

And it makes me happy to see the gifts for our friends and family under the tree.

I like to put all of my handmade ornaments together on one tree (we've been putting up two trees for a couple of years).

And Eric put a train around the smaller tree this year too. Now we have two trees and two trains!

I love love love the lights on the garland going up the banister, and the lights on the tree. Little white lights are all we use.

And somehow I ended up with enough time this year to make some handmade gifts. It was so fun spending an afternoon gift making! I hope to do it again next year. There was something just so relaxing and comforting about it, because I didn't allow myself to stress about it or put pressure on myself to finish anything.

Last year I had bought the supplies to make little Christmas tree earrings for a few people, but never got around to making them. This seemed like the perfect time. And as you can see, I had a little forest of trees on my desk!

I think they turned out pretty cute!

And every year my friend, Julia, and I pass this friendship ornament back and forth. I'm always at a loss as to what to put in it the year I have it. But, this year I decided to make her a bracelet. I found these photo charms at the craft store, and I printed out some photos of her husband, their three girls, and the ocean (since they take an annual trip there every year) that she had sent to me and put them in the photo frames. I've blocked out the photos of them here for her privacy. But it was awfully fun to make, and I love the dark blue crystals I found to make little drops between the photos. You can see the friendship ornament in the shot too - it's hard to find something that fits in there!

A busy week for me, but a fun one! And there's more...

Christmas on the Square photos here.

Trains at Northpark photos here.

All Aboard!

2009-12-19T18:51:00.000-06:00

Every year Eric and I have a tradition of going to the Trains at Northpark. We always enjoy it, and although the setup is pretty much the same every year, it's part of our tradition.

Going to see the Trains benefits Ronald McDonald House, and you can see that there are even cars that with a donation can be painted with the donor's information. There are so many donated train cars already running on the tracks that they've had to put the overflow here.

The exhibit is a bit like taking a tour across America. We start with San Francisco...see Lombard Street?

And the painted ladies (the houses - don't go looking for trollops)?

When you move a little further along, you find the desert and some hobos. Did you ever read that book about the Boxcar kids?

And there's even a whole section for Dallas. See Reunion Tower?

A riverboat...

And even the circus...

Don't you love the striped big tops?

But my favorite parts are the winter in the city scenes... I love all the shoppers with their packages.

Look at the little wreath on the wrought iron fence!

The National Tree in front of the White House....

Even a vintage Winnebago trailer (I believe referred to as a Mini-Winnie)!

And the cabs in New York City. Love the Volkwagon with the Christmas tree strapped to the roof!

Such an attention to detail in these scenes. And you could literally spend a long time looking at all of it, which is why I never complain that we go every year!

It's also fun to see how the mall is decorated. I loved the reindeer hanging from the ceiling.

Until next year!

Christmas on the Square

2009-12-14T15:29:00.000-06:00

On Saturday after my usual 3 mile walk, I decided to stop and take some photos at the Town Square. It was a beautiful day, and although the weather and the trees are still telling an autumn story, the square definitely felt like Christmas.

Even though I don't live in any kind of quaint Prairie Home Companion-type town, the town square makes me feel like I do. Especially when it's decorated for Fourth of July or Christmas.

Don't you love the big decorated trees?

And I love the garland and wreaths decorating the buildings.

I'm so glad that I decided to stop and smell the roses today. It was a beautiful morning, and while the square was still quiet, I managed to take a few photos to share with you.

Week in Photos

2009-12-13T14:41:00.001-06:00

12/6/09 - 12/12/09

Photos from the Going Away Tea here.

I love this snowflake brooch my MIL gave me. And I love wearing it on this sweater.

Week's Photos

2009-12-06T14:35:00.000-06:00

11/29/09 - 12/5/09

I made this for my guild's annual ornament exchange. I'm thrilled with how it turned out

And speaking of the guild, photos from the holiday party are here.

A friend bought me a box of Twilight Sweethearts. Love the ones that say "Bite Me".

5K Recap

2009-12-03T16:36:00.002-06:00

Boy, am I behind on posting! It's been crazy busy the past few months at work, school and at home. So, here I am now to give you a little update on my most recent 5K. This one took place at the beginning of November, in Plano. One of my walking buddies and I signed up and did this race together, which was great. I didn't take my camera with me, because that morning I just felt the need to push myself and not be hindered by carrying a bunch of crap.

We had a great start to the race, we decided that we would push ourselves to run portions of the route. So, we'd pick a point to start running and an end point. We ran a bit and then walked a bit. It was working out nicely. After each bout of running, I was able to keep up a good walking pace while still slowing my heart rate back down to an "I'm not able to keel over and die" beat.

The route itself was very nice, and mostly well laid out, as you can see.

Unfortunately, the people in charge decided that having participants wait at an intersection while traffic moved along during a TIMED event, was a good idea. In fact, they must have thought it was a great idea. So, we waited with the nice police officer until we were allowed to go through the intersection. And off we went!

Throughout this entire walk/run I felt pretty good. I kept up a good pace and I didn't feel like I was going to fall down dead at any moment (unlike the Southlake 5k). My walking buddy and I eventually went at separate paces, but finished within a couple of minutes of each other. I ran the last little bit into the finish line, which I was very proud of. I wanted to make a good showing there at the end!

Even with the whole red-light-traffic-debacle, I still managed to come in at 49:50!

So, I started this whole 5k training thing in June of this year. I participated in my first 5k in August. Here are my times for my 5ks:

McKinney Historical Run: 56:10

Race for the Children 56:03

Jogging for Johnson 51:32

Arbor Day Run 49:50

As you can see, I have taken about 7 minutes off my time, since beginning this journey. And, in the last 5k, I even added a bit of running to the mix. Not too shabby!!

So I am very proud of myself, proud of my accomplishment, and I continue to walk 3 miles every Saturday morning with my walking buddies. I'm hoping that I'll continue to improve my time and one day maybe I'll see a finish closer to the 30 minute mark! I'm not currently signed up for another 5k, but I'm keeping the option open. It may be next year before I fit another one in, though.

So, thanks for checking in and I'll try to get the posts out more often!

Guild Holiday Party

2009-12-02T14:38:00.000-06:00

Every year my guild has a holiday party hosted in one of the member's homes. This was my second year to attend, and even with the bad weather we had a good turnout. One of the things I love best about holiday parties is seeing how other people decorate for the season. Our hostess this year has an amazing home and the decorating was just stunning.

I loved the red and white tree in the family room. It was filled with birdhouses, nests, berries and cardinals.

I was amazed at how many stockings she had made for her family!! Just completely in awe. I've made two and that was an accomplishment!

There were little bits of the season tucked throughout her home. I loved this little terrarium with the pine trees inside.

On the sideboard in her dining room was this Dept 56 Nativity set up. What I would give to have one of these of my own. Stunning!

I loved the garland on the banisters.

And another beautiful tree in the formal living room. It looks like another Nativity on the piano as well.

Such a gorgeous home on any day, but seeing it lovingly decorated for the holiday was amazing. The food everyone brought was wonderful - a veritable feast. I brought a delicious spinach artichoke dip that had a little kick to it and was oh-so-good. I'm still trying to recover from the chocolate Amaretto cake though.

Week in Photos

2009-11-29T14:29:00.000-06:00

11/22/09 - 11/28/09

My very good friend, Sylvia, is moving to Germany in December. Together with three mutual friends, I worked on this over Thanksgiving. We stitched this and are having it framed to give to her before she leaves.

And I worked on a little something for myself. I stitched it with wool thread and plan to frame this to use in my seasonal decorating next year. Plus, I just love the wool felt acorns made by a fellow guild member.

No idea why there are no Thanksgiving photos, but I'm sure it has something to do with whatever family drama was going on. So let's just stick with my crafty stuff. But you can take a look here if you want to see my decorating from last year.

Week in Photos

2009-11-22T14:26:00.000-06:00

11/15/09 - 11/21/09

Organizing thread for some Christmas projects - a Nativity piece and my annual Christmas ornament for Eric.

Standing in line to see New Moon on opening night.

Week's Photos

2009-11-15T14:24:00.000-06:00

11/8/09 - 11/14/09

See Margaritas and Fajitas here.

Nothing else for this week.

Sunday Night Cocktail - Margarita

2009-11-09T15:40:00.001-06:00

Sunday night again and time to decide what cocktail I'd like to try. Eric was making fajitas and black beans for dinner, so I thought a good margarita was in order.

Cadillac Margarita

2 oz. tequila
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
1 1/4 oz. Rose's Lime Juice
1 lime wedge
Salt to taste
1 lime slice

Shake tequila, Grand Marnier, and Rose's Lime Juice well with ice. Rub outside rim of deep-saucer champagne glass with lime wedge and dip in salt. Strain contents of shaker into salt-rimmed glass. Garnish with lime slice.

And let me tell you - those fajitas were damn good with the margaritas. Mmmm!

A Week in Photos

2009-11-08T14:20:00.000-06:00

11/1/09 - 11/07/09

Trying to choose fabric that works well with my threads for my New Year's Day project.

Yeah, it was a slow week.

October's 5k

2009-11-06T16:39:00.001-06:00

In June, I began training for my first 5k (this is walking that we're talking, not running quite yet). In August, I did my first 5k then in September I did two more. October's 5k was one that I walked as part of Team GOsmart. I was chosen for this team by my trainer for the first 5k I did (the one associated with Weight Watchers). I was so proud and excited when she asked me to be on her team for this GOsmart race. The GOsmart team was sponsored by Omron, who is a company that makes pedometers. And boy has my pedometer been getting a workout over the past few months! Anyway, this 5k was chosen by Omron for our team to participate in, and we've been steadily training for it.

There was a 1 mile fun run before the start of the 5k. I love seeing the kids race this. It's amazing how fast the little ones can do a 1 miler!

And this was my first race where I got an actual timing chip to wear...the other races just gave us that disposable timing strip. So, I felt all professional and stuff.

Waiting for the race to start...

And we're off. The last 5k I did, I didn't take too many photos because frankly there wasn't much to take photos of. But, I made sure I had my camera with me along this route. And I'm glad I did...

Don't you wish you had a mailbox like that? Keep in mind, many of the homes were were passing on our route are million dollar homes (all my pics of the houses were blurry unfortunately).

And we saw the Carroll Dragon. Although, he looked like he had an unfortunate crick in his neck. He had music though, so that was fun!

It really was a perfectly beautiful day to have our race.

This course was really the hardest one I've done, I think. Even including the one I did in the rain. Somehow, this whole course seemed like it was uphill. But, I finished and did it in record time (for me). My last race I came in at 56 minutes. This one, I finished in 51.50. I am so proud of me for that. I'd really like to come in under 50 minutes for the next one. I think it may require adding in some running with my walking, which I am nervous about, but I'd really like to keep improving on my time, so that's what it may take.

The race was coupled with a festival and bake sale afterwards. We went on home after finishing, but I managed a photo of one of the bake sale cakes.

I've signed up for another 5k, which you can see in my sidebar. Here's hoping I can come in under 50 minutes!

A Week in Photos

2009-11-01T14:17:00.000-06:00

10/25/09 - 10/31/09

Making progress on my Halloween project. Of course, it has a graveyard on it.

Finally finally finished the quilt top for the baby quilt. Love how it's turning out.

I wore my "Halloween costume" around the house on the 31st.

Top...

Bottom...

And I spent my evening indulging in my annual ritual of watching Bram Stoker's Dracula while I worked on my Halloween sampler.

I do love me some Halloween.

Dutch Apple Pie

2009-10-26T09:08:00.004-05:00

Usually for Eric's birthday, he requests the special cake I make for him (which I need to share). This year, he decided he wanted something different and requested an apple pie. This would be only the second apple pie I've ever made. Of course, it's only been a few years ago that I first even had apple pie (I know, shocking).

My first apple pie was made in my beautiful Emile Henry pie dish (in red, of course). Anyway, that apple pie was made with both a top and bottom pastry crust. I even cut little stars out of the top crust because I was making it for Memorial Day. (Pardon the bad photo)

Well, for this adventure in pie making, Eric requested a Dutch Apple Pie with the streusel on top rather than a top pastry crust. Also, the recipe he wanted called for a graham cracker pie crust. I admit I was leery. But, I moved ahead with my pie and cut up apples then added sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg to the mix.

I couldn't use my pretty pie dish due to the graham cracker crust of it all, but when it came out of the oven it looked and smelled heavenly.

It smelled so heavenly in fact, that I was tempted to cut right into that bad boy while Eric was out. I refrained and instead settled for this...

Hmm, apparently I should have taken photos before cracking this open. Yummy, nonetheless.

And, on Eric's birthday, we cut into that lovely pie and I have to say, the graham cracker crust was surprisingly good. I think I prefer the pastry crust, but the streusel topping is a definite yes.

Week's Photos

2009-10-25T14:11:00.001-05:00

10/18/09 - 10/24/09

We celebrated Eric's birthday over at my ILs.

He got his standard birthday cake which is a yellow cake with a layer of strawberries and whipped cream icing. His mom and sister really make the best cakes. But the irony that strawberries are one of the few foods I am allergic to doesn't go unnoticed. I just eat around them.

And for his actual birthday, I made him something special too. Dutch Apple Pie photos here.

And this is Othello sitting with me on the couch.

The Art of the Chair

2009-10-23T14:43:00.001-05:00

I know I've mentioned before that I attend a book club at one of the local art museums. What I love about the program is that the books often are selected based on having some tie to art and particularly to the current exhibition. A couple of years ago, we read the book One Vacant Chair, and Joe Coomer himself came to talk at our discussion. The book was so good, and the discussion was one of my favorites. Ever since reading that book I have been struck by images of chairs. I loved the idea in this book of the artist that drew your attention to something so simple, but also so varied and complex, as the chair. This book was one of those that stayed with me, you know the kind I mean.

Recently, through a recent post on Mojito Maven's blog, I was introduced to the beautiful work of Kimberly Applegate. What I love most about her paintings are not just the vibrant colors and that they are of chairs, but the amazing characterizations she makes of the chairs. Her chairs take on the personality of the art hanging above them. They are fun and whimsical, while also showing a deep love and respect for the pieces she is reproducing. With permission to do so, I wanted to share with you some of my favorites (although it's so hard to choose!).

I have such a love of Georgia O'Keefe, especially her gorgeous poppy. She, like Frida Kahlo, had such a way with color. And look at the gorgeous chair. Georgia once said (I'm paraphrasing), that she painted big because she wanted people to pay attention to her work. I think that confidence is reflected in this chair, the bold print, the shape, even the legs. This is a chair you pay attention to.

Ingres's Grand Odalisque is one of my favorite paintings. The rich and sumptuous detail of his work just sucks me in. That turban of hers, and the peacock fan. When I was in college, working on my art history degree, I wanted to have a collection of odalisque (reclining nude) paintings. There was something about them that I found so sensual and feminine. Another favorite is Modigliani's Reclining Nude. And what I love most about this particular painting is not just the pairing of a chair with a gorgeous, intricate back, but the position of the chair itself. The chair itself repeats that coy, over the shoulder glance. Love it.

The last one I've chosen to share (although I could go on and on and on - there was a beautiful Japanese chair, two lovely chairs that were paired with Vermeers, etc.), showcases a very sleek black chair paired with Sargent's Madame X. Can I just tell you, that this painting is probably my favorite painting ever. There is something about Sargent's work that is exquisite. I once wrote a poem comparing Madame X to Countess Olenska in The Age of Innocence. Anyway, I recently got to see the Sargent in person, and it literally stopped me dead in my tracks. While I would never have chosen this chair to pair with it - the choice is perfect! That chair is all about sleek curves. Such an amazing piece. I think too that Madame X is all mystery and apparent indifference to the audience, while the chair itself is also turned slightly away from the viewer, giving nothing.

Art, to me, is like breathing. So, when I stumble across something amazing and beautiful - especially when it touches on something that I already love, it is magical. I hope you take a moment today to pay attention to the ordinary objects around you, and perhaps take a moment to appreciate its beauty. What kind of chair represents you?

Bluebird of Happiness

2009-10-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

So much has been on my mind lately, and part of what has been on my mind is whether or not to share it publicly? My intention with this blog was to put myself out there, and share my thoughts, my journey, and my passion for all things beautiful and stylish - including design, fashion, art, travel, etc. My blog falls far short of some of the amazing design and fashion blogs out there, but in the end - this blog is all me. I don't get a lot of traffic on this blog, which is perfectly fine with me. Yes, I would love to occasionally know that someone is reading and that what I had to say was worth putting out there publicly, but it's not the reason I do this.

One of the things I've been struggling with a lot lately is not feeling like I measure up. Part of this is because I'm struggling with losing weight. I am making progress, but it is slow. I've touched on the topic before, I think, that I love fashion and really want to dress and present myself well but I run into a couple of obstacles with that. One being that since I am changing sizes, and won't be in a certain size very long (hopefully), I don't want to invest much in a transitional wardrobe. Second issue is that I don't have the kind of budget I'd love to have for clothes and accessories that a lot of other people do. Granted, I have some nice pieces, but the majority of my wardrobe isn't high quality. So, when presented with an obstacle like this, I tend to go into the mode of doing nothing. Which bothers me. I had gotten to a point in my life where my motto was "feel the fear and do it anyway". Thus, the reason I started posting my "wardrobe picks" posts. But then I quit doing it for a variety of reasons explored here. I have contemplated even deleting the posts from my blog completely. But, then there's a part of me that feels like once I reach my goal weight, those posts are probably going to be important to me as part of my journey. So, for now they stay. But, God, I hate seeing myself in photos sometimes. Guess it's all the more reason to really put 110% into getting where I want to go.

I love love love reading other blogs that are witty and smart and where the blogger makes self-disclosures about their own journey. And when all that is paired with photos of their beautiful home/wardrobe/life I love it even more. Part of why I love it is because it gives me something to aim for, a little piece of "hey I want that in my life". And there are a lot of people that hear or see things about my life and think that it's perfect or that I have everything and am so lucky. But, although I am so grateful for almost every single part of my life right now, I still want to strive to make those parts that I am not so happy about better.

This past week has been filled with ups and downs. The ups being that I completed another 5K. And my completion time was six minutes faster than my last 5K. I am so proud of myself for that. A couple of the ladies on my team are planning on continuing our Saturday morning walking and we'll see where that takes us. We walk 3 miles every Saturday, which is very rewarding and when I go to my weigh in afterwards I feel so light and full of energy, regardless of what the scale says. This past Saturday, the scale read a 3.4 pound loss, which I am ecstatic about! I hope that means that I am past my plateau and can move forward with more losses now. And, my walking partner is also a part of Weight Watchers and is a size or two smaller than me. She is going to bring me her clothes that she can no longer fit into because they will fit me. She didn't get to wear them very long, so it's like I'm getting new stuff for my closet! And it solves my temporary problem of not wanting to invest in transitional clothing.

So, anyway, it's been a little rough the past few weeks and I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed with stuff going on in my little head plus feeling bad about the weight. But, I think things are turning around. So, I'm going to work on encouraging myself, celebrating my victories and "feeling the fear but doing it anyway". And I'm going to continue to take my inspiration from here, here and here.

P.S. - sorry if this post was a little all over the place. But, hey, that's how I roll.

A Week in Photos

2009-10-18T14:08:00.001-05:00

10/11/09 - 10/17/09

Not much going on around here. But I have been working on the baby quilt.

Jogging for Johnson photos here. (and frankly, I find this an unfortunate name for an event)

Fair Day

2009-10-15T11:00:00.003-05:00

I remember when I was in elementary school and every fall, we got one Monday off for Fair Day to go to the State Fair. I think we were even given a ticket too. It's been awhile since the Fair Day's of my youth, and I don't know if they even still do that anymore. Since Eric and I have been together, going to the Fair has been an annual outing. Eric has introduced me to so many fun traditions, that we have now taken on as our own. So, last weekend we decided to brave the overcast skies that were threatening more rain and go to the Fair.

I always love all the light and bright colors at the fair, especially against the drabness of the fall weather.

The Fair usually showcases vendors demonstrating the latest gizmos and gadgets. I'm not ever interested in that, but I loved watching this pumpkin-carver at work. Look at the size of that pumpkin!

And every year one of the main thing people talk about in relation to the Fair is the food. There is of course, a new fried something every year. This year, they were offering fried butter and chicken fried bacon too. Fried Coke is kind of old hat. But, I'm more of a traditionalist.

Eric and I split the goodies that we get, so that we can have a couple of different things throughout the day. And I never miss an opportunity to split a pretzel with him, he's a man after my own heart.

No cotton candy for us, but I did think it was pretty all lined up.

And of all the rides at the Fair, I again lean toward the traditional. The carousel is always one of my favorite things to watch. I just love the colors and the lights, and all the pretty horses.

This was my favorite photo of the day...I caught Aladdin in the mirror of the carousel.

The past couple of year's I've dragged Eric into the Creative Arts building to see all the quilts and cross-stitch pieces, hooked rugs and other crafty items. And there's always that huge display case of all the food winners.

It started getting dark and chilly, so we decided it was time to head home.

See y'all next year!

Week in Photos

2009-10-11T14:05:00.000-05:00

10/4/09 - 10/10/09

State Fair photos here.

But I just had to share this photo of a hooked rug in the textile building. The colors are just gorgeous. I really want to learn how to hook rugs.

The Last of Summer

2009-10-08T10:00:00.004-05:00

Although my thoughts, and the weather, have already turned to fall I thought I should probably wrap up my Miami posts (since I am a total slacker and still telling you about the trip we took in JULY). So, here are our last two days. On Saturday, which was also 4th of July, we went to West Palm Beach to visit Eric's grandma. We haven't seen her in awhile, so it was nice to get to visit with her while we were there. We went to her community's hot dog cookout and ate with Grandma and her friends, and then played several rousing games of bingo, one of which I won. Afterwards, we had cake to celebrate her birthday and then drove over to Palm Beach to The Breakers.

It's a beautiful hotel, but we spent most of our time in the bar.

I had what they call a "Tri-Colada" which is made with three kinds of rum and has rum drizzled on top. Heaven. And the bar is actually an aquarium, so you can watch little fish swim around under your drink. This is where Eric's cousin proposed to his (now) wife.

After drinks at The Breakers, we headed out for dinner and then fireworks. Grandma really hated to see us go, but I think we all had a good visit.

The next morning we headed out for Bal Harbour Beach and took off our shoes and walked along the shore.

It was such a nice morning, so relaxing. And I just enjoyed being with Eric and the two of us having just such a wonderful time alone and away from it all.

After lunch we headed out to the Fairchild Botanic Garden to visit the Chihulys.

Isn't is beautiful? Eric and I have now seen his work in so many places like Nassau, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and now in Florida. So fun.

This is one of his ikebana pieces, I believe. I love how they are tucked into the plants, and just become another organic part of the whole.

Well, after that it was time to go home. I'm so glad that we were able to take a trip this year. I really didn't think we were going to be able to, but Eric surprised me with this trip. So there you have it, the last of the recap of our trip. And now we can officially move on to fall. I have State Fair photos to share next time!

A Week in Photos

2009-10-04T13:59:00.000-05:00

9/27/09 - 10/03/09

Day two of the workshop. I think my class piece is turning out pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.

And I ordered one of these boxes. I think it will be a great addition to my 4th of July decorating. Plus Americana is just cool. They actually had boxes for each state, but I liked the USA one.

On my way home, there was a storm rolling in.

And within minutes it was coming down.

I spent some time working on finishing up my class pieces on Saturday. I wanted to get them done while the finishing was fresh on my mind. The only thing I'm missing is some silk ribbon for the ties for my little bags.

And my Limited Edition threads came for a Halloween piece I'm going to start. Love the names of these - Dried Blood, Sarcophagus, Burial Ground, Coffin Lid, Witch's Wart, Nightmare, Zombie Flesh.

A Week in Photos

2009-09-27T13:47:00.001-05:00

9/20/09 - 9/26/09

On my way to school, I saw this guy in the parking lot. He's huge!

See what I mean? He was having a little snack and wasn't at all bothered by me taking his photo.

Got the stitching done for my workshop. I am in love with these colors.

And some photos from the workshop.

I almost hated to crack open my jelly roll of fabric.

Afterwards there were margaritas. The blurriness of the photo is in direct proportion to the size of the margaritas.

Eastwick

2009-09-23T09:51:00.004-05:00

Miss me? I know I've been a bit under the technological radar lately. I think it's a combination of the weather, allergies, work/school and busy-ness that are making me into a bit of a recluse. But, here I am, alive and well and looking forward to another new tv premiere tonight. Guess what it is...

I heard this one described this morning as "Sex in the City set in Salem, Massachusetts". It looks good to me.

I had to include this next photo - I think I am in love with that kitchen. Do you see that Moroccan lantern? Be still my heart. This scene reminds me a bit of Practical Magic - love that film - and that kitchen.

And I am so glad that even after the demise of Lipstick Jungle, which I was sad to see go, Lindsay Price is back in this new series. Oh to look like Lindsay...

And of course, we can't forget the original. Witches of Eastwick, anyone?

Susan Sarandon, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jack Nicholson...an excellent film for playing Six Degrees of Separation (or Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon), which I know you are.

And I was shocked and apalled to hear that my dearest Eric has not seen this film? Seriously? I am going to have to rectify the situation immediately.

But, Michelle, dear...we're going to have to talk about that hat.

The Week's Photos

2009-09-20T13:45:00.000-05:00

9/13/09 - 9/19/09

Went to my parent's house over the weekend for a co-celebration of mine and my neice's birthday. We had Oreo cookie pie.

More rain this week.

And yet another 5k. This one was the Race for the Children in Lewisville. Here's a photo of the race start at City Hall. Pretty early morning sky, huh?

Did I mention I have You Ottoware Purple on my toes too? And I am in love with my new Bonnano sandals. They were a birthday gift to myself, and they just arrived!

How I'm Feeling Today

2009-09-16T15:36:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I don't have a credit for this photo...if you know where it came from let me know so that I can give credit.

Week's Photos

2009-09-13T13:41:00.000-05:00

9/6/09 - 9/12/09

Gathering fat quarters of some 30s Reproduction fabrics for a baby quilt for a friend.

Pollo Asada with a fresh tomato salad.

New manicure with OPI's You Ottoware Purple. Love how it matches my ring, don't you?

This guy was outside my office window. Sometimes I have days like this too.

Reading in the car before class while the rain came down. I love that this chapter is called "Contented Little Sips". If you want to read a great book, try The Elegance of the Hedgehog. We are reading it for book club and it is fantastic.

Every night Eric makes our protein shakes for the next day. Mid-morning snack, before gym, after gym.

And on Saturday we participated in the Dallas Heart Walk....in the rain. We tried to stay under the tent until the walk started.

I did like seeing all the colorful umbrellas though. But, note to fellow walkers - if you cannot control your umbrella, please don't walk with it. You are going to stab someone in the eye. And P.S. - you are wider with an umbrella, so keep that in mind too. K, thanks.

I'm so glad Eric and I did the Heart Walk together. It really meant a lot to me. I hope we can do it again next year too.

Looking Forward to Fall

2009-09-09T21:51:00.001-05:00

Now that it's September, I definitely feel that the transition to fall is upon us. Even though in Texas we are still in the 90s, I can't deny that the Tuesday after Labor Day always marks that season change for me. My summer white handbag went back into the closet, and I've picked a decidedly fall color for my manicure this week. The other thing that tells me that fall is here? The new season on tv. Now, I don't really watch a lot of tv, due to not being home a whole lot. But, there are a few shows that I try to keep up with. And starting on Thursday there will be a new one added to the mix.

Photo from The CW

I've been looking forward to this one for awhile. I haven't read the books, although they've been newly acquired and are waiting patiently on my bookshelf. And since it is all-vampires-all-the-time around my house (well, for me anyway), this one looks like a winner.

And of course, the other show I'm looking forward to?

Photo from The CW

Gossip Girl. Can't wait for this one to start next week. xoxo

Fall is really a time of year that I love. I wish that we lived in a climate where we could enjoy fall a bit more. Texas seems to be basically way hot, or cold. There's really no spring or fall to speak of. At least that's how it seems to me.

But Fall also means the countdown to one of my favorite things...

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Halloween. I love Halloween, in case you hadn't guessed from my past posts on it here and here.

And no October is complete without a trip to the State Fair. Eric looks forward to that every year.

Now, I'm wishing there was more pumpkin bread left.

Holiday Weekend Fare

2009-09-07T11:07:00.005-05:00

One of the best things about a holiday weekend is being home with Eric - no school, no work, no gym, etc. And one of the perks about being home with Eric is his cooking. I take home-cooked meals with me every day during the week for lunches and dinners, but there is something to be said for having the food fresh and not microwaved. Saturday night Eric decided to make Moroccan Lamb Burgers.

The recipe is one that my best friend made for me on my last visit to her in Rhode Island. I've since begged it off her and now it is one of mine and Eric's favorites. The burgers are made with ground lamb and have a variety of amazing spices mixed in like saffron and cumin. We serve them inside a whole wheat pita and top with a yogurt and dill sauce and fresh tomatoes. Accompanying the lamb burgers tonight was some Greek pasta salad and a chickpea salad that had edamame and cranberries in it. OMG it was all so good. And that lemonade Eric found at Sprouts was killer too.

Eric even went back for seconds on the burger. No pita needed, it's good all by itself.

A Week in Photos

2009-09-06T12:55:00.000-05:00

8/30/09 - 9/5/09

Eric and I signed up to do the Dallas Heart Walk and when we picked up our t-shirts, they were giving out these cookies from Tart Bakery. That's a little musical note on the heart - tied in with our t-shirts. I love how this photo came out. I guess I'm better at macros sometimes than anything else.

Lamb Burgers and Lemonade here.

South Beach

2009-09-03T09:33:00.003-05:00

I am so far behind on posting on the blog. But, I am trying to catch up! You may remember that over fourth of July weekend Eric and I went to Florida for a little vacation? I blogged about visiting Little Havana in this post. I thought I'd post some more photos before it was December and I was still talking about a trip from July (bad enough it's September). Anyway, I thought I'd share with you our excursions to South Beach.

I've never been to South Beach before, so I was excited to see what it was all about. After we had lunch in Little Havana, we drove over to South Beach and walked around. I was amazed at all the Art Deco architecture. I mean it isn't just a building here or there, it's every building. That completely surprised me. I love the port-hole style windows.

And the color! I was loving all the color.

After a little visit to the World Erotic Art Museum, which is an excellent collection of some amazing art and some that borders on bizarre (no photos there, kids), we wandered past this mermaid sculpture that Eric knew was in the vicinity. He knows how much I love mermaids. This piece is by Roy Lichtenstein, who is known for his "comic strip" inspired art.

For dinner we decided on a Japanese-Vietnamese restaurant. The food was excellent, and the presentation was delightful. We started with some spring rolls.

Eric had duck, I believe (sorry for the blurry).

And I had curry chicken. Look at those lovely mango slices too.

After dinner, we headed back to the beach with the hopes of taking some photos at sunset. Unfortunately it started to rain, and continued to rain. But, I liked this shot I got of the deserted beach.

We decided to return to South Beach another day, in order to get our sunset photos and after dark experience.

We started off the afternoon with a little tasty refreshment. You cannot beat that!

We wandered along the beach and enjoyed ourselves.

We ate a fast and delicious dinner at Johnny Rockets which is sort of a 50s style burger joint with amazing burgers. And, it allowed us to get to our sunset.

And walking back along the street, I quickly realized that South Beach after dark is very different than South Beach during the day.

It's like it becomes a totally different place, even the buildings don't look the same. And it's definitely a different crowd.

But the energy here is definitely infectious. The photo below is of the Gianni Versace mansion, that is now a private club.

South Beach is really an amazing experience, and I'm so glad that Eric wanted to share this with me (having gone to school in Ft. Lauderdale, this is his old stomping ground).

I still have a few more photos to share with you from our trip, but at least I'm more caught up now. Hope you have a fabulous Labor Day weekend. I am looking forward to a little break!

Zoolander

2009-08-31T16:11:00.001-05:00

Every so often I join Eric and the photography group he's a member of on one of their Photowalks. Over the weekend, the group went to the Ft. Worth Zoo. I usually enjoy the zoo, and thought it would be a great way to practice my photography and maybe learn a thing or two.

These guys cracked me up - the 'roos were just chillin'. And let me say I don't blame them - it was H.O.T. (August in TX, go figure.)

Oh how I love the little white spots on the tiger's ears. Wishing I had a better zoom on the camera.

The lions were enjoying an afternoon snack.

I loved this mosaic.

Love this photo. For some reason I was so enthralled with these little bunches on the trees. They looked like little paper lanterns almost. But I am glad I got the zebras in the shot too.

This is probably my favorite photo of the day. He was quite content to sit in that little square alcove.

And just in case you think going to the zoo doesn't fit into your workout schedule. Take a look at my pedometer for the day. That's over 15,000 steps in a day!

The Week's Photos

2009-08-30T11:48:00.001-05:00

8/23/09 - 8/29/09

So my long weekend was rather productive craft-wise. I finished the little pincushion I was working on here. Isn't it cute?

I also finished my Peacock Pinkeep (ie the ice cream sandwich). I love how it turned out.

In fact, I was so happy with how it turned out, I sent photos of both pieces to the designer. Even if you're not crafty, you've got to take a look at the beautiful photos on their blog. They always inspire me to do better with my photos.

I also finished this little stocking. My birthday is only days apart from my Grandmother's. We used to celebrate our birthdays together every year. She used to grow African violets, so this little stocking seemed like the perfect thing to stitch around her birthday and mine. Again, I wish this photo was better.

And finally, one of my birthday gifts from Eric was this gorgeous glass ring. It reminds me of Saltwater Taffy. Too bad I couldn't get an un-blurry photo of it. My photos kind of went downhill in quality this week.

And lastly, we went to the Ft. Worth Zoo with the photography group that Eric belongs to. The photos from it are here.

A Week in Photos

2009-08-23T11:36:00.000-05:00

8/16/09 - 8/22/09

My birthday week.

My ILs gave me this beautiful orchid for my birthday.

And I'm so in love with the morning light in my kitchen window. Too bad I have to look at my neighbor's cars because they can't be bothered to park in their flippin' garage. Where was I? Oh yeah, pretty orchid in the morning light.

I made this little birthday stocking for myself. Too bad it looks so crappy in this photo. Now to actually make it into a stocking.

I took a couple of days off work to enjoy my birthday, so I decided to work on some of my craft projects. First order of business was to give this wicked sharp curved needles a try.

And what did I do with those needles? I worked on putting this pincushion together. My frankenstein sewing will be totally covered by trim (don't worry). But, while I was working on this, all I could think of was that this looked like a huge cookie/ice cream sandwich. That amused me to no end.

I definitely enjoyed my time off from work. And I got a lot done in my craft room.

A Week in Photos

2009-08-16T11:29:00.000-05:00

8/9/09 - 8/15/09

I titled this one "Bluebird of Happiness". You may remember my photo of the necklace when I made it. I just love the combo of the bird and the blue top.

Went to see Harry Potter with my HP buddy, Sherri.

One of my favorite polish colors - Essie's After Sex. Appropos to the book I'm reading. I love this photo and how the colors pop.

Pulled into the parking lot at Barnes & Noble and looked up at this. Had to have a photo.

This was my Friday night SSB (Secret Single Behavior). Not overly exciting. Just some stitching and watching reality tv.

I splurged on some sock yarn from Sunshine Yarns. These are mini skeins in her Twilight colors...Edward, Bella, The Meadow, Isle of Esme, Vampire Baseball and Vampire Blood. Can't wait to do something with them. Guess I need to relearn how to knit first. But I think these may somehow turn into a scarf for moi.

And some threads I bought for a project as part of my birthday gift to myself. Love the colors!

Celebrating my birthday at my ILs. This was an Italian Cream Cake. Mmmmmmm!

Sunday Night Cocktail - Devil's Tail and Prince Edward

2009-08-13T09:01:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I've shared a Sunday Night Cocktail. And since it's almost the weekend again, I thought it was a good way to ring in a Thursday. Today I've got two for the price of one for you. First up is the Prince Edward, which was Eric's drink. He enjoyed this one, and it allowed us to again use some of that Lillet that he'd purchased for the sole purpose of making a Vesper. Here's the recipe for a Prince Edward...

Prince Edward

1 3/4 oz. Scotch
1/2 oz Lillet
1/4 oz. Drambuie
1 slice coctail orange in syrup

Shake Scotch, Lillet and Drambuie well with ice.
Strain over rocks into pre-chilled old-fashioned glass.
Garnish with orange slice.

Of course, you know me with the garnishes. So, no orange slice here. But Eric enjoyed his cocktail, nonetheless.

Now, for me we whipped up a Devil's Tail. And of course, I was thrilled when it turned out pink!

Devil's Tail

1 1/2 oz golden rum
1 oz vodka
1/2 oz lime juice
1/4 oz grenadine
1/4 oz apricot liqueur
1/3 cup crushed ice
lime peel

Blend rum, vodka, line juice, grenadine, apricot liqueur and ice at low speed for 10 to 15 seconds. Pour into pre-chilled deep-saucer champagne glass. Twist lime peel over drink and drop into glass.

Powerfully pleasant rather than pugnacious.

As you can see, we went with a martini glass rather than a saucer champagne glass. Although I do dearly wish I had some of those. Anyway, although I had very high hopes for this drink, it was way too strong for me. I probably would have also enjoyed it more had I not had an allergic reaction to it, which involved my throat closing up. Nice. So, I won't be going back for another one of these any time soon.

But, the evening was supplemented with great food. Eric made grilled pizzas, which is one of my favorite things. He even made a dessert pizza for us to share (his half had banana slices on it).

That's my pizza on the left. It had sauce, onions, fresh basil from the garden, chicken, roasted garlic and cheese. It was soooo good. I think Eric's also had banana peppers and roasted red peppers.

He also made a "white" pizza that had grilled chicken, roasted garlic, olive oil and cheese on it. This one was my favorite I think.

So other than the cocktail fail for me, it was a fabulous evening. And so tasty!

My First 5K

2009-08-10T10:35:00.004-05:00

For the past two months I've been training for my first 5k. I signed up for the training through Weight Watchers as part of their Momentum Challenge this summer. It was a pretty cool deal, you signed up and got to work with a trainer for eight weeks, getting you ready for a 5k at the end of the training. Plus, I got a cool 5k charm for my WW keychain. So anyway, Saturday was the 5k our team had signed up for. We chose the McKinney Historical Run 5k. And let me just say, for the record, that we were walking not running. I'm not quite up to the whole running thing yet, as my knees keep telling me! Our team has basically been walking a 5K every Saturday morning for the past several weeks in training. So, we knew we were totally ready for the big day.

I had to get up at the ass-crack-of-dawn (aka 5am), in order to meet up with my team and get out to the race. Eric packed me snacks for before and after the race, so I was all set.

At 8am, we all converged at the starting line (unfortunately, their sign only said "finish". Fail.)

And we're off! My goal for the race was to finish in under an hour, to enjoy myself, keep up a good pace and take some photos along the way.

This is where our paths diverged from the people doing the 1 mile fun run. One of the ladies on our team did the 1 mile, with a cane. She rocks!

One of the things I loved about doing this race was that the route took us through the McKinney Historic District, and there were some gorgeous homes along the way. I love the bunting on this one. One of these days I'll have a beautiful wrap-around porch that will lend itself to bunting on the 4th.

I was glad to see our first mile marker!

Look at the gorgeous red gate at this house!!

Another mile down!

I don't know where my photo of the Mile 3 marker went, but trust me I passed it. And it was so cool because along with the race people who were along the route cheering us on, there were also people out on their porches and waving through their windows. All of them were cheering and waving and shouting "good job, keep it up!" It was so cool!

And in about 56 minutes, we made it to the finish line. And we were not last.

I cannot tell you what an accomplishment this is, and how proud of myself I am. To a lot of people, walking a 5k may not seem like much. But, it is.

I'm so glad that not only did I do this myself, but that I had a great team to do it with. And, completing this milestone I can now cross something else off my 101 Things list "Participate in a fitness event". And, I'm also signed up for two more 5Ks this year, one in September and one in October. This was a great experience!

Week in Photos

2009-08-09T11:24:00.001-05:00

8/2/09 - 8/8/09

When I was putting away my new program from the circus, I thought it would be fun to look at some of the programs I've gotten since Eric and I have been together. In fact, I loved this photo so much I've set it as my wallpaper on my phone.

And I wanted to add a little photo of these to the sidebar on my blog. Wish I hadn't used the flash though.

And I have silks and linen to start a new project. This is for a workshop I've signed up for in September through my guild.

My new bracelet. Love love love the juxtaposition of the snakeskin and the bow. I got so many compliments on this one.

I also participated in my first 5k. You can see the photos here.

Under the Big Top

2009-08-05T10:39:00.001-05:00

The past couple of summers Eric has taken me to the circus. In fact, the first time I ever went to the circus was when he took me and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. This outing was no different. I love the anticipation of the show before hand.

And the snacks...

Gotta have a sno-cone!

And of course, there is so much to see.

So much fun. My photos don't do it justice at all. I love that Eric has introduced me to the circus!

The Bangles

2009-08-04T09:44:00.004-05:00

credit

Recently, I entered a really generous giveaway on Coterie's blog, and won! I won this amazing bangle from A. Tierney. As soon as I saw this beautiful piece, I fell in love with the little seahorses. Isn't it fun? Thanks so much to both A. Tierney and to Coterie for this wonderful opportunity to own one of these. I was ecstatic when I opened up the mail on Friday evening to find my package had already arrived! The bangle was inside as well as a sweet note from the company congratulating me on winning the bangle with the hopes that I would enjoy it. And a catalog of their products as well. I flipped through the catalog and I think I'm definitely going to have to order a couple of these and maybe these. But, I am in love with my seahorse bangle for sure.

Love it! In fact, I wore it on Saturday. Eric got tickets to the circus (pics soon), and we had such a fun afternoon. That night he treated me to Nick's Pizza (our favorite), which I have not have in forever. We even split some tiramisu. And we topped off our fun day together by watching Fast and Furious. We get to spend so little time together that Saturday was just the best. And, I got to wear my new bracelet!!

I thought I'd share another new accessory too. My favorite silver watch of many years has finally hit the point of no return. I keep having to replace the battery ad nauseum, so I decided it was probably time to replace the watch. For Christmas last year, Eric bought me the most gorgeous gold watch that I absolutely adore. But, I also wanted a watch that I could pair with my silver jewelry, especially in the summer when that seems to be all I wear. So, I searched around and finally found a watch that was inexpensive but seemed to fit the look I was going for. Just something simple and classic.

I found this watch by Peugeot. Never heard of the brand with regard to watches, but it was a good price, and I liked the look of it. I actually ordered the watch via Amazon. I'm very pleased with it and my wrist no longer has to be naked on silver jewelry days. And I still have my very nice, gold watch for gold days.

Thanks, again Coterie and A. Tierney!!!

Week in Photos

2009-08-02T11:18:00.000-05:00

7/26/09 - 8/1/09

Last week I...

finished my Earth Sampler. I just love it and had so much fun working on this one. The colors are lovely.

got a manicure. OPI Cha-Ching Cherry - one of my favorites. And I'm reading Drums of Autumn.

got bit by something that strangely resembles a vampire bite on my neck.

wore my garnet ring that always brings back memories.

worked on Simple Things and tried to remind myself to keep it simple

fell in love with the bracelet I won on a blog giveaway. The seahorses are so dang cute.

noticed the crepe myrtle blooming in our front yard

and went to the circus. Photos from the Circus here.

Little Havana

2009-07-29T16:45:00.002-05:00

I realized that I am woefully behind in sharing photos from our trip to South Florida over Fourth of July weekend. And since it is almost the 1st of August, I figured I'd better get on it. Of course, being the shutterbug I am now I decided I'd better break the posts up since I have so much to show you. I apologize now for freezing up any one's pc or iphone.

So, as I may have mentioned in this post, Eric surprised me by suggesting we take a trip to Florida over the holiday weekend. Due to two cats that require daily medicating, it's been a long time since we went anywhere. And I've been really a little bit sad that we haven't been able to indulge in one of our favorite things to do - travel. Especially when everyone I talked to asked what our plans were for a summer vacation, and I had to reply "no plans". So, I was ecstatic when Eric suggested this trip.

We flew out on Thursday evening and checked into our fabulous hotel in Fort Lauderdale, the Riverside Hotel. Eric picked this hotel and it was such a great place to stay. There was beautiful tile work on the floors and walls, as well as a wonderful tropical feel.

Friday morning, we drove to Miami and decided to explore Little Havana. One of the things I really wish I'd gotte a photo of, but didn't, was the tilework on the building facades. It was all chair rail height and the front of each storefront had different tile. It was so beautiful.

There were just so many beautiful things to see, and I enjoyed some of the architecture like this old movie theater.

And of course we visited several of the cigar shops. We had intended to take a tour of one of the cigar companies, but it was closed. But purchases were made in a couple of the shops for Eric.

Cigars in hand, we went over to the Domino Park to watch the locals play. It's been years since I've played dominos (I think the last time was with my neice). I loved watching all the players surrounding the tables and enjoying each other's company and their game. And the tables themselves have a map of Cuba on them.

You can see some of the tile work right next to the domino park and the walkway with a domino pattern. An excellent place to catch a little shade and enjoy a cigar.

There was a guy sitting on a bench in front of this store, and my photo would have been so much more perfect if I'd taken it from the other side - with him and the Indian in the shot. But I am too chicken to take photos of random strangers when they're looking at me. Now, taking photos of then on the sly...that's a different story.

Key Lime Cola?? Count me in! We didn't come across any though. But, I have to say Key Lime Pie is my second favorite, right after Lemon Meringue. Just in case you feel the need to send me a pie or something.

And although we didn't find any Key Lime Cola, we did find these tasty cold beverages. Eric had the Ironbeer and I had the watermelon. Mmmm...pretty yummy with some plaintain chips.

Calle Ocho also features this walk of stars along the sidewalk. I was happy to find Celia Cruz's star. (And yes, Ms. Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine also have a star).

This was the cigar factory we had intended to tour, but it was boarded up tight. Too bad, since La Gloria No. 7s are one of Eric's favorites.

We headed to lunch and decided on La Carreta. It was soo good! Even their iced tea is good. I had a fabulous chicken sandwich with plaintain chips.

Eric ordered a Cuban sandwich (he loves these and has been missing them since one of his favorite restaurants closed in Dallas). He also ordered fried plantains to go with it.

After lunch, we went to La Casa de las Guayaberas and shopped for some authentic Cuban clothing for Eric.

From Little Havana, we headed over to South Beach for the remainder of the day. But, later over the weekend we came back to Calle Ocho and went to Versailles, another great Cuban restaurant and bakery, for late night desserts. We shared Tres Leches and Coconut Flan. Mmmm.

I'll have more posts to share photos of South Beach and Palm Beach. It was an amazing weekend!

Week in Photos

2009-07-26T11:13:00.001-05:00

7/19/09 - 7/25/09

So the week didn't start out so good. Saturday I went and did my normal 3 mile walk. Saturday afternoon we went to Lone Star park, and by the time we got home I had really horrible horrible blisters on the backs of my heels. So bad in fact, I could really walk or wear shoes. But, I wrapped myself up and went to work on Monday anyway. Good times.

Crazy alien sheep joined by a stripey snake that I love.

And I came home to this bounty from Eric.

My new little wristlet bag for storing my needles and scissors. Night Owls again.

I finally decided to spring for a new watch.

And on Saturday, I went and picked up my team t-shirt for the 5k I'd signed up for. I even got an Omron pedometer (since I was on team Go Smart for Omron). Annnnnd...the shirt was a size smaller than I expected and it fit!

And what's that there on the shirt? Well, when I weighed in at WW, I hit my 25% goal, got my 25 pound charm and also a 5k charm for participating in the 5k. Not a bad day at all!!

And so... I made snickerdoodles. They were pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself.

Summer's Bounty - Tomato Tart

2009-07-24T09:36:00.004-05:00

Several years ago, I spent a lot of time watching Martha Stewart's show on tv and had a subscription to Living that I poured through every month. This was all pre-jail time, not that the jail rigamarole had anything to do with my falling a little bit out of love with Ms. Martha. But, one might find my fascination with all things Martha to be a little bit puzzling. Why? Because 1) I don't cook and 2) I don't garden. However, I am crafty and like to decorate and entertain. And to be honest, I can cook and bake, I just rarely am inclined to do so. Luckily I am blessed with a husband who is so inclined. So, occasionally my delusions of grandeur brought on by a Martha moment sometimes end up with me purchasing some beautiful rectangular tart pans from Williams Sonoma with visions of whipping up a masterpiece of tarty goodness. I had seen a tomoto tart Martha did some years ago, and since then have wanted to recreate it.

A couple of weekends ago my good friend, Jennifer, came over for dinner. I wanted our dinner to be something summery and light. And I immediately thought of the tomato tart (read: I got a bee in my bonnet to make something). Eric bought some lovely heirloom tomatoes at Central Market that morning for me to use in my tarts. They were so beautiful!

And in case you'd like to make a tomato tart of your own, here's the Martha recipe (with my changes)...

Tomato Tart

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

2 pre-made pie crusts (I made them work for the rectangular pans)
Spread roasted garlic evenly over the dough
Place Fontina Cheese over the roasted garlic (I just cut irregular slices of the cheese rather than grating)
Arrange the sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese

Season with salt and pepper
Add more thin slices of Fontina on top
Drizzle with Olive Oil

Transfer to oven
Bake until crust is golden and tomatoes are soft but retain their shape
(about 45 to 55 minutes)
Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes

Serve warm

Mmm...these were so good. And they fit perfectly with our meal. The perfect summertime companion.

And good as leftovers too!

Random Tuesday Thoughts

2009-07-21T09:35:00.006-05:00

On several of the blogs I read, I've noticed that there has been an interest in creating a gallery wall to showcase photos and/or art. I wanted to share our gallery wall with you too. When Eric and I first got married and moved into this house, we came to a bit of an impasse about hanging art on the walls. Having a BFA in Art History, I was of course all for bringing art and loveliness into our home. But, we have slightly different ideas of what is lovely. After months of blank walls and a lot of back and forth, we struck on the idea with printing photos from our travels. It began with photos from our honeymoon in Rome and from our cruise in the Caribbean where he proposed. In the past three years we've added a few more trips to that list. Initially, I'd scattered the photos throughout the house. But, then I was inspired to hang the majority of the photos together in our entry. I loved the idea of showcasing not only Eric's photography, but also a gathering of memories of those wonderful places. Eric was a little hesitant about hanging them all together, but I ran the idea past my good friend, Jennifer, the decorating guru. And once Eric was met with the argument that "Jennifer says it will look great," we starting arranging the photos on the wall. The wall now holds photos from Rome, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Chicago. I am sure we'll be adding to this collection with our more recent trips to Virginia and Miami. I love how this wall looks, and I feel like it is very representative of us to people first entering into our home. If you want to see some other great gallery walls, take a look at Blue-Eyed Bride's gallery wall and the photo collections over at elefantitas alegres.

Eric and I found we loved traveling together so much, that I gave him this as a wedding gift. It was a promise of many more trips in the future.

And completely unrelated to my decorating musings, this morning was my first venture back to a regular yoga practice. It is so hard getting up even earlier in the mornings, but I feel so much better when I start my day off with yoga.

Photo from myyogaonline via flickr

For now, I'm going to do two mornings a week. My body was so happy to stretch today! I definitely needed it. I'm just using a DVD for yoga currently, but I'm interested in giving classes a try again. I've had two people recommend Bikram (hot) yoga to me. One girl that I see at the gym alot said that she's started doing Bikram yoga and is now in the best shape of her life. I may give it a try. There's a couple of places that offer it near me, Sunstone Yoga and Bikram Yoga Grapevine. I also have a DVD at home of Baron Baptiste's. He teaches Power Vinyasa Yoga, and from what I remember of doing the DVD some time ago, I really enjoyed it.

So, today was just relaxing and stretching, but it reminded me how much I love yoga and how much I've missed it. And after walking 3.2 miles on Saturday and getting huge, really bad blisters on my feet, I really needed both the relaxing and the stretching.

Photo from leo.prie.to via flickr

A Day at the Races

2009-07-20T17:45:00.001-05:00

For the past few years we've gone out to Lone Star Park to see the races. Every year we have a great time and this year was no exception.

We get seats inside where it's nice and air conditioned and we have a good view of the track. We have lunch and get ready for the first race.

We always try to go out to the track so that we can get some photos when they're running on the track nearest us.

I love picking my horse before each race begins. We rarely bet, but it's fun to pick your horse and have someone to cheer on!

About midway through the afternoon we usually go out to see the horses getting ready for the next race. They walk them around the winners circle and you can see who you're betting on.

And look...lawn jockies...

I love a good race.

And by the end of the day, we start to wind down.

But I just love going to see the horses. (Oh, and I get to wear a hat.)

A Week in Photos

2009-07-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

7/12/09 - 7/18/09

I am so in love with our gallery wall. In fact I did a post on it here.

And the map I gave Eric for a wedding present to mark our travels together.

I eat salads pretty often for lunch which can get old. But let me tell you, the salad I had here was so delicious - avocado, egg, steak. Yum!

And rounding out the week, Lone Star Park photos here.

Chameleon

2009-07-17T08:28:00.004-05:00

Ok, so I've been thinking lately (never a good thing, probably). In my mental wanderings two things have come to my attention. 1) I cannot stand misspellings (typos we all make, granted) and 2) I need to be selective in what I choose to read.

So, as far as the misspellings go, Blue-Eyed Bride already touched on this in her recent post. But, yesterday I was reading a fanfic (my recent obsession) and two things kept annoying the hell out of me - the use of "your" vs. "you're" as in "your in trouble". One time I can overlook, but when a writer does this every time, it tells me they don't know the difference between the two. This writer is apparently also a fan of shopping at Victoria Secrets or also sometimes referred to as Victorias Secrets. First, Victoria is possessive. Second, Victoria only has the one secret. If it's so confusing, just say "La Perla".

As far as the second thing on my mind, what first brought it to my attention is the book I'm reading for Book Club. I am slogging through this book. We always get our book assignments in threes, and of this last set of three this was the book I was looking forward to. Unfortunately, it sucks. It sucks hard. And while the last two sucky book were only about 100 pages of suckage, this one is in the 250 page range. Gah! And as I'm reading along in this book, I just keep thinking "life is too short and my time is too important to be reading a book I hate." But then the other voice in my head says "but you paid for the book club session and you paid for the book, so you need to read it." So far, the "you need to read it" voice is winning out. And there are moments when the suckage level goes down just slightly and the book is readable. Can't say I'll have it finished by next Friday, though. Oh well, at least there will be wine with the discussion.

But, along with my "life's too short" revelation, I also had something else come up for me. I love reading, absolutely cannot get enough of it, although in the past few years I haven't had as much time for it. I think some of the reasons I love reading so much are because I have a very active imagination and I love escaping into a book, my suspension of disbelief kicks in really quick with a good book, and also I tend to get really invested in the characters and stories. All three of those things combined allow me to really delve into a good book and live in that world for a time. That is such a curse and a blessing. After I read a really good book, one that I have fully immersed myself in, it often takes me awhile to get back out of it. I am still thinking about it and the characters, and the feelings that the book brought up for me are still there on the surface for a time. I've never really been able to explain to anyone why this happens so strongly for me. But, it does. A really sad, depressing storyline can leave me feeling listless and depressed for days after. Also, due to my vivid imagination, I do have to be careful what I read right before bed. I had to ban myself from reading The Historian right before bed, because it stayed with me all night and I would wake up during the night totally freaked out. But, damn that was a good book. You might be thinking to yourself, if she's so sensitive why does she love vampire books? I can't answer that. And yes, admitting this does make me feel like I am totally hypersensitive, or being overly dramatic or like I have a weak constitution or whatever. But, maybe I'm not the only one that books have this effect on? What brought all of this up for me is a fanfic (yes, I know) and the storyline is just horrible. I mean horrible in the sense that what is happening in the story is horrible. And yesterday after reading about twelve chapters, I just thought, I can't take this anymore. I was so upset (granted I was also hungry and had a headache, which didn't help), that I just couldn't stomach any more of it. It made me realize that I really do need to maybe be a bit more selective with what I choose to put in my brain. I am pretty selective about television, so I'm not sure why I'm not that way with books. Maybe I'm too trusting of books, and when they let me down, I don't know what to do with myself.

So, anyway the past couple of nights I've picked up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to read when I get home. It's been a while since I've read it (this will be my third time through), and with the movie having been released on Wednesday it seemed only fitting. And I'm finding it rather soothing after all the yuck that I've put in my brain. So that's what's been on my mind and I just felt the need to share. Miami photos next time, I promise. And it's Victoria's Secret, people. Google it.

And P.S. for the fool on Goodreads: it's Yul Brynner, not Yule Brenner. Seriously.

The photo at the beginning of this post is one of the photos I took in Miami. It's a Chihuly.

Dallas After Dark

2009-07-13T12:02:00.003-05:00

At the end of June, Eric invited me to go on a photo walk around Dallas with a group of Photographers (actual real live Photographers). Although it was hot as anything, I do think it was worth going for the few good shots I got (even with my point and shoot camera).

We started off our walk at Dealey Plaza and then went over to catch some shots of Reunion Tower as the sun was setting.

We walked back past the Old Red Courthouse and then down to the West End.

I've learned that I really enjoy taking photos of neon. It could be that whole attracted-to-bright-sparkly thing I've got going on. But I took a ton of photos of the neon down here.

And those rainbow neon tubes are where Planet Hollywood used to be, I believe. Eric and I ducked into Spaghetti Warehouse for something cold to drink while the rest of the group was enamored with a horse-drawn carriage. Other than the chihuahua in a dress sitting in the carriage, I didn't really feel the need to take a photo. I think the cold drink was a better idea!

I just love the photo below, with the green building all sharp and the people below blurred.

Of course, when you're walking around with a group of twenty or so Photographers all with huge amounts of camera equipment and tripods, people ask what you're doing. I think some guys used the explanation that we were paparazzi. And while we're on the subject of tripods - let me just say, Photographers, there is a right way and a wrong way to carry a tripod. Jutting out behind you, and smacking people (me) with it every time you turn is bad form. Just sayin'.

Mmm...pizza.

And the photo below, is probably my favorite photo of the night.

I just had a point and shoot with me on the walk, so I just kind of wandered about snapping photos of whatever caught my fancy, while the Photographers set up with their tripds and long lenses and flashes. I had fun.

From West End, we walked over to the Dallas Aquarium. I was starting to get tired and hot by this time. We'd been walking for several hours at this point. Why didn't I wear my pedometer???

And our last stop of the night (for Eric and I) was Fountain Place. There are tons of fountains here, and it was really pretty lit up. I liked this photo with the pink begonias in the foreground though.

After that, Eric and I decided to head home as we were both tired. What a fun night though. Thanks, sweetie, for inviting me to go out with the Photographers! Photos from our Miami trip are coming soon!

Week in Photos

2009-07-12T10:41:00.000-05:00

7/5/09 - 7/11/09

7/5 was part of the Miami trip, see last week's post for links.

Tomato Tart photos here.

Nothing else to show this week. (Sad, isn't it?)

A Passion for Polish

2009-07-09T09:09:00.002-05:00

We are back from our trip and it was wonderful. I haven't yet had the chance to go through my photos though, so I have nothing beach-worthy to share. In the meantime though, I thought I'd blather on about something near and dear to my heart...nail polish. I can't tell you how grateful I am that Eric is understanding about the necessity of regular mani/pedis. And I take my manicures very seriously. Before Eric and I got engaged, I had a weekly ritual for my nails because I did them myself. Every Sunday night I would pick out a new color and give myself a manicure and pedicure. So every Monday morning I showed up at work with a fresh new color. I loved that. It was my little way of pampering myself when I couldn't really afford to go and have it done. And I really enjoyed it. The best part of course was picking out a new color.

I am a big fan of OPI, but I was also relatively recently turned on to Essie by a co-worker who showed up in a fabulous blood-red color. Last summer I even splurged on some new Essie colors for myself. But, I am at heart an OPI girl. And I always enjoy choosing a new color, especially as the seasons change and I can pull out my summer colors or my fall colors, etc. Even now that I have my nails done, I still bring my own polish with me. I just don't get a fresh manicure every week anymore!

Sorry for the blurry photo - the acrylic fumes must have gotten to me!

I had to laugh a few weeks ago when I realized my polish matched the book I was reading - perfect summer colors!!

And recently I made my very first Chanel purchase.

Love how it came wrapped like a little present! A present to muh-self!!

The color I went with was Cosmic Violine, after seeing it on this wonderful blog, All Laquered Up. I decided to take the plunge with this star of Chanel's Celestial Lights collection. It's a coppery brown and even though it's more of a fall/winter color. I totally rocked it on my toes this summer.

And of course you saw my vacation manicure a couple of posts ago, with my OPI La Paz-itively Hot. That hot pink was the perfect thing for South Beach. I think I may go with a brighter neon for my toes next time around (that's about the most I can get away with at el trabajo. And of course, I was inspired by Cupcakes and Cashmere's latest post. So, maybe I'll find a great bright for my little toes.

A Week in Photos

2009-07-05T10:35:00.000-05:00

6/28/09 - 7/4/09

All photos from this week can be seen here here here

Miami!!

Sunday Night Cocktail - Mumsicle

2009-07-03T13:59:00.000-05:00

I've been remiss with posting the Sunday Night Cocktail (aka what's in the liquor cabinet?), so I thought I'd rectify that right now. This is one we'd never heard of, but we had all the ingredients, so why not. Allow me to present the Mumsicle. I surfed around the web but didn't find any tidbits of information on the Mumsicle, other than just recipes. So, who knows how this drink got its name.

Mumsicle

1 1/2 oz dark rum
1 1/2 oz bourbon
1 dash bitters
1 maraschino cherry

Stir rum, bourbon and bitters well with ice. Strain into pre-chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

The night before the Mumsicle experience, Eric made a fabulous stirfry dinner and salads with ginger dressing. The wine was excellent as well, but I don't recall what it was. I love the nights that we get to have dinner together. It's such a treat.

On a completely unrelated note, my 5K training is going well and I am making great progress. I think I will be more than ready for the 5K next month. Also, my trainer is starting a new team to train for another 5K in October, and she asked me specifically to be a part of her new team. I'm excited about this and I think it will be good for me. I'm also taking advantage of the WW eTools for the first time. So far, so good. I like that it thinks for you! I won't be able to weigh in this week due to them being closed on the 4th. So, hopefully I will see a big difference next week. AND I am making really good progress at school. I should be set to take my final for the class I'm in now next week and then I just have two classes left. I should definitely be able to get finished by the holidays (Thanksgiving), maybe even by the fall. That would be fantastic! I am so ready to be done with school and back to enjoying dinner with Eric on a regular basis.

Upcoming Adventure

2009-06-29T16:54:00.002-05:00

So we'll be heading off soon for beachier climates (I won't say warmer, because really 100+ is warm enough, thank you very much). I've been trying to get myself organized and ready to go, taking care of all the essentials.

Hotel reservations at what promises to be a fabulous place to stay
A Cuban restaurant that looks amazing and yummy
Wide-brimmed hat to protect my delicate skin *snort*
Versatile white handbag
Sunblock with SPF 7000
New cute shorts that will be perfect for daytime walking and touristy things
Camera batteries charge and media cards cleared and ready to go
A new book, perfect for reading on the plane

And of course, a new manicure in OPI's La Paz-itively Hot.

I can't wait! I'll have fabulous photos to share soon!

Week in Photos

2009-06-28T10:27:00.001-05:00

6/21/09 - 6/27/09

See the White Russians here

Clementines and La Paz-itively Hot here (I am so excited for our trip, my week started out with photos of a tropical nature!)

And middle of the week stitching in my new Vera bag in the Night Owl pattern. Love it for carrying my stitching. And who can pass up little owls. That's one of my creeper projects in the bag (with a finished artichoke bed peeking out).

And to end the week, I participated in my first photo walk! You can see the photos from the Dallas After Dark shoot here. I'm so pleased with the photos I took!

Sunday Night Cocktail - White Russian

2009-06-26T17:53:00.002-05:00

There's something about a White Russian that brings me back to my college years. Somewhere in between shots of Jager and Tequila Sunrises that my buddy Felipe made for me, the White Russian holds a special place in my heart. And every so often at a bar I'll see someone order one and then I get nostalgic and wax poetic about life in the gool ol' days when my jeans were covered in charcoal from my drawing class and the soundtrack to Henry & June was in my cd player while I smoked and wrote and lived my artist's life.

Ah, White Russian.

1 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz cream

Pour the vodka and Kahlua into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
Stir.
Gently top with the cream.