Friday, September 24, 2010

hmm...

This post about distraction is really hitting home for me. In some ways this is exactly how I have been feeling, and perhaps why I have not been such a good blogger as of late.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

tag a friend

How creepy is this new facebook feature...

They put a random shaded, zoomed picture up in the corner and ask you to tag the tiny highlighted face...it creeps me out.

And by the way, Friend, if you read my blog, it's not you that's creepy...it's the feature.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

satellite

So I was in a little fender bender a couple of weeks ago and my car has been in the shop. My rental has satellite radio and I am dreading the day that I have to give it back. Here are the songs that make me stop my station surfing and belt it out.


Jonah Smith - World Without Love

I tried to add the others with grooveshark but it is apparently struggling. And I can't find any normal youtube videos of them (no that the Jonah Smith video is normal...just sayin) so I will just list them here.

Pink - Glitter in the Air
Plain White T's - Rhythm of Love (acoustic version is great)
MercyMe - All of Creation

I have really random taste in music...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

these days

I haven't been a good blogger.

But these are some things I'm loving right now:

{chill - specifically Tart with cocoa pebbles, coconut & blueberries}

{a bazillion students back on campus}

{freshly grated Parmesan cheese}

{Project Runway & Top Chef}

{fresh cherries}

{friends with a new baby!}

And these are some things I'm not loving right now:

{those dumb Bravo commercials with all of their "stars" around the pool}

{the heat - it's freakin' hot}

{no parking spots to be found}

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

book tables

I am loving these book tables I saw on Design*Sponge. I'm thinking I definitely want to do this!


'Cause I have so much free time now that Camp is over!!!

Monday, July 19, 2010

operation: get my life back

Camp War Eagle 2010 is over! Here are some shots from our banquets this weekend and some of my favorite people.


Now, it is time to get my life back. I have a long list of things to do. They are listed below, not necessarily in order of importance, but in the order I will be doing them.

1. Sleep.

2. Clean my office. It's overwhelming. And it it's a problem for me, then it's a problem.

3. Talk to John about something other than Camp War Eagle.

4. Get my hair done.

5. Spend some time with family and friends in Tennessee. I cannot wait.

6. Eat real food not prepared by Tiger Dining or Chic-Fil-A.

7. Get re-focused with diet and exercise. Which means making a reappearance at the gym.

8. Use my spa gift certificate I got from the Head Counselors.

9. Clean my house.

10. Finish some personal projects that I have been working on for a long time.

11. Get ready for the Fall semester.

12. Blog more.

I can't wait to do the first one...

Sunday, July 4, 2010

flag day

I meant to post this on Flag Day, when it actually happened, but I forgot.

So, close your eyes and pretend it is Flag Day...

As I was driving to work this morning, the radio announced that it was Flag Day. Well, the radio didn't announce it so much as the morning radio personality did, but you get the idea. It struck me that I don't even really know what Flag Day is. I mean, I can make a guess based on context clues (as Mr. Pedigo used to say), but nothing for sure.

So, just in case you were also wondering, it commemorates the day that the US flag was adopted, on June 14, 1777. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson made a proclamation that officially put this day on the calendar. Well, he didn't put June 14 on the calendar...it was already there. He put Flag Day on the calendar.


It just so happened that I was running a bit late for work that day and parked in a meter spot that just so happened to be directly in front of the flag pole next to Samford Hall. As I got out of the car I noticed that the ROTC cadets were marching up to raise the flag for the day. For some reason it really captivated me. As far as they were concerned, no one was watching. They marched in a straight line up to the flag pole with their solemn faces and 90 degree turns. They did this out of requirement, out of duty and out of respect. I stood there for a few minutes watching and since that day have been thinking about the flag and what it means and patriotism in general.

I don't think I would label myself as patriotic. I definitely wouldn't label myself as unpatriotic. I don't wear red on 4th of July (or on a normal day - fiery coral maybe, but not red). I own no American Flag paraphernalia. And I don't want to put a boot in anyone's a$$ (thank you Toby Keith).

I consider myself to be a very objective person. So objectively, I can say that my country is not perfect. In general, I would say our flaws are arrogance and lack of perspective. Nothing is perfect, right?

But I can say that I'm proud to be an American (thank you Lee Greenwood). And I am thankful for the men and women who made/make it possible for me to live freely. The men and women who protect not only my rights as a citizen, but the human rights of people around the world. I am thankful for the soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines. I am thankful for the government officials who devote their lives. And I am thankful for the ordinary civilians who make bettering our world a priority.

I am thankful for the freedom to love my country while at the same time, wish for it to be better.

Now open your eyes.

It's not Flag Day anymore. It's July 4th.

For several years we celebrated the 4th with a cookout at my Uncle Sam's house. Yes, I have a real Uncle Sam - a retired Marine. We would have burgers and beans, volleyball and great conversation. Someone would yell "Whoa Nelly!" (inside joke). I miss my family today.

I am thankful to be part of this one nation under God. That's right Mrs. Brinkmann, there's no comma.

And I am hopeful for a future of liberty and justice for all.

Friday, July 2, 2010

lists

Stumbled across listography today after stumbling across this great list.

It's already sucked up too much of my time. I've created 4 lists so far, including a list of lists I want to make. Crazy?

I'm sure they will appear here sooner or later. First up will be things I want to do before I turn 31.

Why 31? Because 30 is too soon. No need to freak myself out.

And I need to make 31 more interesting. 30 is already a milestone in itself.

Good times.

Monday, June 28, 2010

new favorites

In my short time at Bonnaroo a couple of weeks ago I found a new favorite band.

They are great! Take a listen...

Friday, June 18, 2010

missing them

For some reason right now, I am really missing my friends. A lot.

The last few times I have been to Tennessee I haven't been able to see them. They're crazy schedules and our awesome families have kept us from spending quality time together.

And then there are my friends scattered all over the place that I may have not seen in over a year.

I live for the day that the smart men and women of the world invent a teleportation device. I should probably start investing money in that research right now.

Lately, almost everything fun I want to do seems less fun because I can't do it with my best friends. I want to be in their presence, hear their voices and feel their hugs. Most of all, I want to laugh with them!

This is how I feel about my friends -

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin


And I miss them. A lot.

And I'm a little sad. No, a lot.

I love you! A lot.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

to carry

If I had a guitar, I would carry it in this.




And I would like to pack my weekend clothes in this.

from Pedlars via Oh Joy!

Friday, June 4, 2010

good music

I've been enjoying some amazing guitar playing by Andy McKee as the soundtrack to my work week lately. I could listen to him all day long.

Enjoy.



Tuesday, June 1, 2010

so so busy

These past few weeks have been insane.

Barely time to breathe.

Every day I sit down and think...this is the day I will remember to do a blog post.

Or not.

Here are some things that have been keeping me going...

dark chocolate

John

good music (Avett Brothers specifically)

iced grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte

John

fun coworkers and great students

season and series finales

lots and lots of water

John

visions of July

phone calls with my mom

thoughts of professional friends across the country going through the same thing

tiny bits of retail therapy

John


How did I get so lucky?

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

wrap up

I just remembered I never wrote about Day 3.

It was basically just breakfast and a search for a suitcase because we bought too much wine!

Breakfast was at Crepes, etc. I had some delicious farmers cheese pancakes with lemon curd and blueberries and John had a crepe with steak in it.

And we found a duffle bag at wal-mart. Success.

The highlight of the day was seeing some friends once we got back into Birmingham. We watched the Derby, drank mint juleps and went to dinner. These were friends from grad school and undergrad that I don't see often enough! A great mixture of reminiscing and getting to know who they are now.

All together, a great mini-vacation before my summer craziness begins.

Friday, May 7, 2010

rain delay

Day 2...

Started off with breakfast at Rooster. Yummm. John had what he has declared the best breakfast ever, the rooster slinger. I do have to admit, it was pretty good. But I also greatly enjoyed my goat cheese crepe. They also have a fun mimosa and bloody merry menu. I had a bellini, because I love them. And it's hard to find a real bellini, not the crazy frozen concoction, just champagne and pureed peaches.

We followed breakfast up with a trip to the Arch. It was field trip day. Good views, but I couldn't handle it for long. Crazy kids.

In the afternoon we ventured out of the city to visit a couple of wineries. We weren't super impressed but did find a good lunch at Wine Country Gardens in Defiance.

Really the whole point of the trip was seeing the Cardinals play. Unfortunately the weather forecast for Friday night was not promising. But I told John I would sit through any amount of rain for him to get to see the game....because that's the kind of person I am.

It was sluggies night at Busch Stadium...yes...we both got a Cardinals snuggie...

We got to the stadium and stumbled across a very nice scalper right away. He had some seats under cover, which I strongly encouraged John to buy. They ended up being in the Red Bird Club, which meant we got to ride an elevator up. Yes, we were special.

The game started on time and everything looked rosy until about the beginning of the 4th inning. It started misting, then sprinkling, then raining, then pouring. Then the light show. I mean the lightning was unreal - gorgeous and scary...I love storms. They stopped play and covered the field halfway through the 5th.

Yes, that is the radar on the jumbotron. And yes, that red area was headed right toward us.

That was about 8:45. Around 10:55 it finally stopped raining and they began working on the field to start play again. At this point, there were approximately 5 people left at the game...well maybe a few more than that. And to John's utter delight - they let everyone move down to the good seats! We were about 8 rows back right behind home plate. And the first Cardinal up to bat was Albert Pujols. Who is hot.



Unfortunately, the Cardinals didn't pull out a win. If they had called them game in the 5th inning instead of delaying they would have won. But oh well, at least we got to see a whole game!

Fun times!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

st. louis

John and I went on a mini-vacation to St. Louis this past weekend. Southwest had cheap flights and he loves the Cardinals.

We had a great time exploring St. Louis and really just relaxing. Forgoing an expensive hotel room, we found a great apartment available to rent. It will definitely be our go-to place to stay when we make inevitable return trips.

I found some new favorites while there so I thought I would report back.

The apartment was on the edge of a super-cute neighborhood in the Central West End. Thursday we had lunch at Pi and enjoyed some deep dish pizza. For drinks, John had some kind of whiskey concoction that he loved. I don't remember exactly what was in mine, but I included agave syrup and basil and it was delish.

We walked around for a while exploring the area, including the gated street communities - a unique part of St. Louis. After our walk we stopped in a wine shop, The Vino Gallery. There, I found my new favorite wine. Seriously, it's delicious. But I can't find it online - guess we will have to go back to St. Louis to get more!

And that was Day 1...

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

xtra

is only one less letter than

extra

what's the point?

discuss.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

meet-cute

I don't watch commercials (thank you dvr), but I might if they were all like this.



Who knows what a meet-cute is? And where I got it from?

Friday, April 9, 2010

satc

I can't wait for this movie. After watching the first trailer, I though the desert/camel story line was going to be cheesy...and it still may be.

But when I got to 1:45 in this trailer, I felt my heart leap!



Who wants to go with me?

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

montana shapes up

This is totally random...seriously...

But you know those shape-up shoes that look really strange? I've been talking about them for a while and how they totally don't make any sense to me. And they are expensive! And not cute!

Well I saw a commercial for them this morning. And guess who is endorsing them? Joe Montana! I had to rewind and listen to the voice over again to make sure I heard and saw the name correctly. Some people will do anything for money...

Imagine my surprise when I couldn't find any video or pictures of him actually wearing the shoe...

What a strange marketing decision!

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

a message

Life is so busy. Sometimes it seems I don't have time to even think about what I'm doing. I'm just on autopilot.

But this week, I have continuously been interrupted with the message of Easter.

And what a message it is.

What He did for us is unimaginable. He bears the burden of my sin. I am forgiven and my sins are forgotten. In God's eyes I am His perfect child.

The sorrow of today leads to victory.




If you're interested, here are a few of my favorite "Easter" songs. (warning: the videos are possibly {definitely} a little awkward...but it's the easiest way to find and link them)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

what next?

Life rolls out in pieces. For 18 years I lived a life neatly divided by summer vacation. Every 10 months I got a 2 month break and then an exciting new adventure. Even before I started school, I celebrated summer with my mother who got to be home from work.

Then I went to college. From my first day in this new adventure, I knew when it would end. I had four years to live it up in the "best time of my life". And I did.

Then on to graduate school. Two years. A set amount of time to learn it all and become a real life adult.

And as I got my first job, John started divinity school. In three years it would be time for another change. At the very least, a move, maybe a new job.

Now, here we are in Alabama. Both working with no end in sight. No predetermined amount of time to be in this piece. Our life stretches before us. Like we were on the yellow brick road that lead to a clear destination. But now someone has painted over it with chalkboard paint ('cause it's trendy) and we have to write our own story.

What will be the catalyst? Will we just know when it's time to make a change? Will we be able to resist making change for the sake of change?

Now is the time when you hope to God (I'm not using His name in vain...I truly hope and pray to God) that you know who you are. That all those years of self-reflection and the trials of life taught you something. That you trust (without wavering) the person you are making decisions with.

What next?

Who knows?

Monday, March 22, 2010

ruffles

I get so excited when I start new projects. My hope is always that I can keep that excitement up until they are finished....

So, here is what I'm working on now...

some felt ruffly wall art for our bedroom (you're welcome John...).

Inspired by this tutorial...


and the colors of this dress (my favorite of the Oscar's)


I found 3 great shades of purple felt this weekend and am only looking for one more lighter shade. I spent a good bit of time yesterday cutting circles but have many more to cut! Instead of a wreath, I am doing a giant rectangle - so one big block of purple felt ruffles!

I'll keep you posted!

Friday, March 19, 2010

spring break

The weather is beautiful in Auburn today. It actually really feels like spring!

This is the last day of what is usually one of my most productive weeks of the year. The students are gone, parking is so easy and it's time for me to get some work done!

However, this year, I got sick. So, I was productive at home on Monday and Tuesday sleeping the day away. I also watched several movies - including Whit It and Up in the Air. Both great!

My 3-day work week didn't come along with quite as much productivity as I would normally like in a spring break. I did get some projects started and a couple finished. And I made major progress in my inbox.

The most important thing I got done was finally hanging some stuff on my office walls. The lovely hubby came today to help me hang - which is actually one of his favorite things to do :).

The close-up is a scarf I bought super-cheap on ebay then threw in a frame. Love it. And there on the bottom right are the 21 people I spent one of the best summers of my life with as an Orientation Leader at the University of Tennessee. One look at that picture and I am back in Clement Hall, the Beacon Drive-In, Target or the Big Orange Bash. Good times...


This weekend I'm on the hunt for bedside lamps, something to wear for Easter, black flats and a new spring purse.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

st. patrick

I don't really wear green - so I am definitely in danger of getting pinched today. Luckily, only one person as called me out on it and she was nice enough to only threaten!

So instead of my wardrobe - I decided to post some green inspiration here - I think it counts.

a calendar version of this print from Yee-Haw is currently hanging in my newly painted green kitchen now!


Lea Michele in Malandrino at the SAG Awards - My favorite red carpet look of the season!


from dazeychic on Etsy


emerald & aquamarine inspiration board from snippet & ink


georgeous clutch from redrubyrose

Thursday, March 4, 2010

blue and orange

So, this is old news. But I was thinking today about the Project Runway episode a few weeks ago in which Tory Burch blasted Amy (my favorite) for her cute outfit.

First, I think this look is cute. If only the pants were a skirt.

Second, the biggest critique from Ms. Burch was that blue and orange aren't complimentary colors. What?!?

color combos - orange


my favorite Paper Source colors: Papaya and Pool

And this post from Houzz has many more pictures.

Oh Tory.....

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

29

I think you're going to be a good year.

I celebrated you yesterday by going to work. And then to dinner. Where I officially disasterated my healthy eating. But it was all for you. And worth it. It's only one day.

The husband gave me this....

so pretty. And so useful in making some macarons.

Which, coincidentally, I had some of this weekend. From a new source. Old City Java, where my sister-in-law works in Knoxville. Baked by this person, who though I've never met, I hear is wonderful. She can definitely bake.

anyway

My parents gave me these...


I'm collecting. This was my great-aunt's pattern. Her name was Ella.

In addition, my mom gave me life. Something I greatly appreciate. And on her birthday no less. She once called me the gift that keeps on taking.

I'm a fan. Of her that is.

Monday, March 1, 2010

oh, canada

What a great Olympics!

It started out with some technical glitches - but I liked the way you made fun of yourself at the Closing Ceremonies.

I love the Olympics. I love the stories. And the looks on the athlete's faces when they realize they won! Or that that they did better than expected!

Here are some great images (see more).

best outfit of the games!



heart and soul


my new favorite event - snowboard cross - so exciting!

and here's a great Olympics commercial!



Best part about the Olympics? I still have hours and hours of unwatched competition left on my dvr. Even though I already know who won - I will definitely be watching!

Friday, February 26, 2010

mi cocina {dried chickpeas}

So...it has been a while since I've done this. I promise its not because I haven't been cooking new things. I have! I just haven't had time to write about it.

This is one of my favorite new snacks. John and I have been trying to eat new and better things and these have been a life saver for me over the past few weeks.

Dried Chickpeas
2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper

Toss the ingredients then spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes or until golden. Shake the pan a few times during cooking.

These are delicious! You can alter the spices to your liking. I haven't been using that much salt but more cayenne pepper. I also tried it once with some Mexican chili-lime spices instead of the pepper. It was good, but I like the cayenne better. I will keep experimenting.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

little green notebook

This is one of my new favorite blogs.

She is a very talented DIYer. Not sure where she gets the time.

I'm thinking about doing these great pelmet boxes for my bedroom.



She makes it look so easy...not sure if I'm that talented!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

favorites

My firefox favorites went away a few weeks ago.

I got them back yesterday.

It was like being reunited with a long-lost friend.

I skimmed through quickly to be reminded about what was there...

this post from a mother

this letter from a father

this great picture

these turkey mini-meatloaves

this great wreath (it could be for Spring right? not just Christmas? maybe in square?)

Hey favorites. It's good to have you back.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

slammed

at work.

barely time to breathe.

or eat.

but this is what I am listening to to calm myself down...



and this



and this

Thursday, February 4, 2010

for my hearth

I would really like to get some floor pillows to add a little more seating on the hearth in my living room. Here are the options I have found...some are out of my price range...but still great!



a little random...but pretty great


from West Elm


these would be the aforementioned "out of my price range" from Viva Terra


as would these from Design Within Reach

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

the lost boys

I mentioned watching God Grew Tired of Us last weekend.

If you haven't seen this, put it on your list now. And get to it fast.

This clip is heartbreaking and hard to watch. It is so unbelieveable that this happens in our world in our time.



This clip is also unbelievable. Try to imagine for a minute going from a tent camp in the African desert to an apartment in Syracuse or Pittsburg. What a foreign world. You are suddenly expected to assimilate into something you never knew existed. While once you thought of nothing but hunger and survival, you now walk into a grocery store with more food than you could eat in your lifetime.



But the end is the amazing part. To see how far they have come, and how committed they are to changing their world. It's not a story about lost boys making good in America. It's about heartache and courage and hard work and remembering your past and changing your future. And it's good.

Friday, January 29, 2010

mi cocina {egg drop bake}

Who needs another super simple way to cook eggs? Me!

This recipe is so easy and takes barely any time. We made two adjustments: we added mushrooms and cooked it in a larger dish because we didn't have ramekins.

So, we just covered the bottom of the 7ishX9ish shallow oval casserole dish with onions, tomatoes and mushrooms then added enough shredded cheese to cover them. We dropped about 7 eggs spread out evenly and popped it in the oven. It did take longer to cook - I'm guessing because it was bigger. We probably left it in a little over 25 minutes. didn't try it reheated as leftovers but John did and he said it was good.

We did this for dinner, but I am going to try it next week for breakfast. I do have ramekins now so I am going to put in the veggies and cheese the night before then drop the egg and cook it in the morning. Should be super simple and fast.

Maybe I will add spinach? Maybe zucchini? Yummm...

ps22

If this video doesn't bring a smile to your face...then I just don't know. These kids are so fun to watch!



That's why we need music and the arts in public schools.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

reading

I'm a fan of the Penguin Classics cloth bound books. I could buy them all today. But I won't.

I got Great Expectations for Christmas and I am going to make myself finish it before I buy another. What a great way to read the classics!

I think I will go for The Picture of Dorian Gray next.

Then Wuthering Heights.

Now where to find the time...

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

we saved the princess

It was a great weekend! I spent lots of quality time with the husband and we got lots done! Some was work, some was fun, but it was all great.

I got done...
{one coat of kitchen paint, played with the dog, halfway cleaned my bedroom, saved the princess, taught Sunday school, slept late, watched God Grew Tired of Us (more to come on that later), caught up on Tivo, finished the tote project (more to come), hung out with John}

I was lacking in these areas...
{reading, watching Big Love, grocery shopping, going to the gym, other kitchen projects, and another recipe for this week}

However, as you will see, the list of things I did is much longer than what I didn't do!

I forget sometimes how nice it is to just be with John. We have a pretty good time together. And even though he gets a little made at me when I mess up in Super Mario, or I get frustrated that he kills me by going to fast through a world...we make a pretty good princess saving team!

And the kitchen...the verdict is not yet in. It's pretty bright for now, but hopefully a second coat will calm that down.

Unfortunately, the paint was not restricted to the wall...Juneau ended up with a big green dot on her back. Oh well.

Friday, January 22, 2010

production junction

This weekend will be productive.

I am expecting a lot out of the next two days. They will be filled with fun, work and rejuvenation. This is what I will do:

{paint my kitchen}

{play with the dog}

{clean my bedroom}

{save the princess}

{go to the grocery}

{read}

{teach Sunday school}

{sleep late}

{watch God Grew Tired of Us}

{catch up on tivo}

{finally put away all of our stuff from Christmas}

{finish a DIY tote project}

{start some DIY kitchen projects}

{pick out a new recipe for next week}

{hang out with John}

{watch some Big Love}

{go to the gym}

{get ready for another week}

That's a lot! I'll report back with some results on Monday!

mi cocina {sausage and sweet potato soup}

You may be thinking what I thought the first time I saw this. And what John thought when I asked him if I could try it. And what everyone else has thought when I have mentioned it....um....that doesn't sound good.

but

don't be deceived. It may not sound good, but I promise, it is delicious.

however

Buying the right kind of sausage=fail
Everything else=success!

You can find the recipe here. Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite recipe blogs. She is so descriptive - and pretty funny too!

After some difficulty finding Chorizo in our area, John finally found it at Fresh Market. I wasn't sure if it was the right kind, but we figured we would go for it. Well, apparently, it was smoked, and apparently, we shouldn't have put it in a pot with oil. Because our house looked like it was on fire there was so much smoke. And when I took it out of the pot it was hard as a rock. So, we threw that away. But, we had a little leftover we hadn't put in the oil so we just saved that and threw it in at the end and it was fine.

Other than the sausage debacle, the soup was super easy. I didn't chop anything ahead of time and it still took less than an hour start to finish. John is not a huge sweet potato fan but he loved it. He's also not a huge spinach fan so I didn't put in the full 9 ounces. However, next time if I chop it smaller I will add even more than it calls for. We did add one can of white beans and will probably add two next time.


In summary, it was really good. You should make it.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

away we go

I am really loving my netflix subscription. We've only gotten a few dvds so far, but I've enjoyed catching up on Big Love. And Away We Go was fantastic.

If you haven't seen this movie, you are missing out. I love the stroller scene. Laugh out loud.

The soundtrack is great as well. I am definitely a new fan of Alexi Murdoch and really enjoy George Harrison's What is Life.





I watched the movie a couple of weeks ago and have thought a lot about it since. It was so quiet and unassuming. Different people flowed in and out of Burt and Verona's life as they searched for their place and what they needed out of life.

It was a great lesson in making purposeful decisions about the kind of life you lead. Nothing is predetermined. Your decisions are your own.

In the end, all they needed was each other and a stronghold on a piece of the past that was lost.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

frozen yogurt

A few months ago Cambridge Coffee in Auburn closed. It was a sad day.

I heard rumor someone was opening a hot dog shop. Yeah. Hot dogs. Another sad day.

But today was not sad.

I drove past the old Cambridge Coffee location today and saw this sign:

As I sped past trying to get a spot in the semi-close parking lot, my optimistic mind thought I read the words frozen yogurt...

When I got to work I hopefully googled and learned that yes! This is a frozen yogurt chain...with an original tart recipe...and lots of yummy toppings.

I'm sooo excited about Tutti Frutti! The website says the Auburn location is coming soon.

Way better than a hot dog shop.

Friday, January 15, 2010

mi cocina {sloppy joes}

I know....sloppy joes?

I asked John what he wanted that we never have and that's what he said. Then I asked him how to make them. He said meat and manwich.



yeah

So I googled and came across this Sloppy Joe recipe from Martha. It's a little healthier - using turkey instead of beef and adding carrots. Plus - I control what goes in it.

Full disclosure: I don't know that I would classify this as a sloppy joe. More sloppy joe-esque. But it was really good. I added a tad bit more Worcestershire and a little spicy brown mustard.

I think this would go well with rice. But I said that a couple of times and John didn't agree...so who knows.

I think he's partial to the manwich...

Thursday, January 14, 2010

wind

"I seem to annoy them. I get on their nerves. I don't know why."

Love this commercial.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

warmth

how I've missed you

In honor of spring (which feels too far away) here are some clothes I am dreaming of...


I wanted to put a sweater with it...but I am no good at pairing dresses and sweaters!
Anthropologie dress; A Little Hamster earrings and necklace; Anthropologie coin purse; Kelsi Dagger sandals

Anthropologie dress, earrings, necklace and clutch; J.Crew heels


Anthropologie dress; Stella Bella necklace; Anthropologie bag, flats and heels ( I couldn't decide!)


I guess this is still a little winterish; but you need a transition right?
Anthropologie jacket and shirt; Maya Brenner necklace; Anthopologie bag, pants and boots


I have to say, picking this stuff out is just as good as buying it, wearing it and loving it forever. Right??

Monday, January 11, 2010

television

One of my goals for this year the rest of my life is to cut out some tv. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I probably watch a bit too much.

Why, you might ask, do I feel the need to cut it out? It's not really because tv rots your brain (although it probably does). It's also not because I am not entertained by the current offerings of the magical box (because, unfortunately, I am). It's not even because I don't have time (let's be real - you can make time to do the things you love). It's simply because there are other things I want and need to be doing.

For some reason, tv has a supernatural hold on me. It sucks me in and makes me keep watching - even when it's terrible! I plop on the couch to watch one thing and 3 hours later I realize it's time to get in bed if I want to wake up even remotely close to the correct time. So, sorry television, you've got to go. Don't get too sad - I'm not cutting you out completely - just using you in moderation. That's the way to go I hear. However, you do deserve a proper goodbye.

Here are some of the programs that will no longer be graced by my viewing:


The Bachelor
I know - how could I give this up when by all accounts this is the cheesiest and most dramatic season yet? Alas, it has to be done.


Survivor
Not even the first week of a handful of shirtless, pretty men can keep me (I say first week because after that they start to look sickly).


Secret Life of the American Teenager & Make It or Break It
Oh ABC Family, how you suck me in. But I rebuke your acting-challenged actors and melodramatic storylines for good!


Scrubs
ABC, while I will be eternally grateful for your rescue of one of my favorite shows ever and for providing a proper send-off for the main characters, I must bid adieu to the new class. References to relationships aren't enough to keep me. I miss Janitor. And I miss Ted. And quite frankly, the new ones just aren't funny enough.


90210 & Melrose Place
We broke up in September, but I wanted to air our dirty laundry. We've been on-again-off-again from the beginning. It's time for me to respect myself and move on!

Chris Harrison and Jeff Probst, I'll miss you the most!


What will I be doing with my newly discovered time? Fulfill my commitment of nightly workouts, broaden my cooking and crafting horizons, enjoy working through my netflix que, and spend time with the hubby and dog. And further my obsession and hone my skills on Wii fit and Super Mario Brothers Wii!