Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

If you don't like gross things (sorry for this childish humor and behavior at the end of it) don't read through this whole post...

I hope everyone had a happy Halloween. We had a pretty good day and had a fun time at the Fraser's house tonight. Paul and I made these cupcakes for the party. Oh don't worry, they are as delicious as they look. 

Paul isn't much for dressing up for these kinds of things so I got one of our friends (Jacob) to dress up with me as the Spartan Cheerleaders from SNL. Please excuse the picture, I look awful but wanted to show the outfits I made.

So because Paul doesn't like doing this kind of thing, he and Jacob's wife Amy, decided to be party poopers. Literally. Hahaha. That's what the boy gets for not wanting to be a cheerleader with me. And again, sorry for this...

There's one in all of us...

I'm still digesting. Most definitely not a child's movie, which I knew all along. The man with his three year old daughter obviously hadn't heard however and ended up leaving before the end. Well that is after she kept saying, "This is awful. This movie is awful." The set was good and exactly like I expected it to be but like I said, still haven't decided how I feel about it as a whole. I do know I loved the music.

Friday, October 30, 2009

groggy forgetfulness

I have got to start writing down blog posts ideas right when I have them. This morning I had yet another brilliant idea of what to write about while I was still lying in bed, groggy and by the time I was eating my cereal, it had left me.

This weekend will be busy. I have a costume to make, we have three Halloween parties on the books (although we may not be attending all three), a movie to see and little odds and ends to do.

What's on the books for you this weekend?

Thursday, October 29, 2009

happiness and envious moments

I've been through phases my whole life where I don't have everything that everyone else has and my life just isn't as good as everyone else's. I've always wanted something in order to make my life right or perfect and happy.

The last couple of months (for the most part) I have been learning to love and enjoy what I have right now. There is a song that came out a few months ago that talks about learning to enjoy where you are at in your life right at that moment because one day you are going to look back and miss that moment. I am going to miss this house that is falling apart and our quiet time with just the two of us. One day we'll be in another house with kids and I am going to think about the beginning of our life together and am going to miss it. I need to enjoy it right now. 

So after saying all that....let me indulge in a little life envy for a couple of moments. The blog world has been bad for me in this area because I get to see into so many people's lives and homes and have been getting a little envious. Couples are renovating their little old homes and making them look fabulous. And other people are spending their days at home while I am working away in my office (which I still like...but who doesn't like being at home?). The house work has been my biggest struggle. We have a charming old home and when we have people over they are always telling me about how much they love it but it is in no way "designed". It is so hodge podge and not in the "Anthropologie" way that I would love for it to be in. Our kitchen really needs to be done, and I have everything I want to do to it and the only excuse for it not being done yet is purely financial. It has nothing to do with being lazy or just not getting to it but we can't afford it right now. The trim on the house needs to be painted a different color - but it keeps raining and it's getting colder and I am so jealous of all these people who have their crap together with their homes. I have already told a couple of people that I will use them - not a request but more of an order - especially with my brother.

OK - envy moment over. Back to enjoying our life right here, right now.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

weekend update

Contrary to what my husband may say I said over the past few days, I had a pretty good weekend. Saturday consisted of a bit of cleaning, grocery shopping, lots of laundry (I mean lots), Ghouls Gone Wild, cooking tacos and helping Betsy on her project. The parade was a lot of fun and I think it was better than last year. I think the spectator count doubled too.

Sunday was a busy day at church since Paul was supposed to lead a prayer for first service and our class was in charge of children's church during second. Paul was leader for children's church this week which always gets me all frantic and worked up. He always does a great job and after every Sunday he does it, I have to kick myself for getting so tense but sometimes I just want to shove him off that podium and do it myself. [Insert control freak joke here].

I've noticed I haven't been as good about carrying our camera around and documenting what we have been doing. I'll have to get better about doing that.

I found Paul's birthday present this morning and I think he's going to be shocked! I wish I could share but he's sort of my biggest fan on here and I'd hate to ruin the surprise. Maybe I'll share after his birthday in two weeks.

Monday, October 26, 2009

figuring out what type of person I am...

I wrote this a few months ago on a church bulletin shortly after I had started my blog when I was still trying to figure out what to write about. I don't think that this blog has become about what I wrote below but I still feel this way and wanted to make sure I didn't lose it.

I need an outlet to be honest. Church people will think I am a sinner, outsiders will think I am a hypocrite. Maybe I am. But I have to think there are people out there just like me; that are constantly struggling to blend their lives appropriately.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

say this with some enthusiasm:

THIS IS THE MOST PERFECT FALL EVER.

I am a little bit obsessed.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

papaya, chartreuse and pool say what?


I don't know if these are accurate of my personality but I like the colors right now and I like what they say. I doubt that these characteristics ooze out of my body but I'll work on that because I would like to be like they say I am!

I found the color selector from Little Bits & Blogs but the colors can be found here. Check your favorite colors out!

cardboardlove.com

Maybe I swoon over this because I know I have rough days and Paul has said things like this before. When I saw this online I about broke out in tears.


The whole website makes me swoon for that matter. 

jewelry lust


blog inspiration

I am falling madly in love with blogs that post things purely because they want to. They aren't recollecting what happened at work or telling you what they had for lunch. They are out there just to post their favorite items, things that inspire them. They inspire me. I am not able or willing to put forth that much work to find things on a daily basis that I adore but these blogs are a daily read for me and the things they find are inspirational (not only as a designer but just as a human being).

My most recent favorites are:
Creature Comforts
Elements of Style
Little Bits & Blogs
My Favorite Things

Hope you enjoy them!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

honest sadness or determined happiness?

I am at place in my life where I am trying to decide if it is better to feel each and every emotion as fully as it can be felt or if I should choose to push past certain emotions and be determined to live a happier life all the time.

When I am depressed and cranky about something should I allow myself to feel depressed all the way through? Should I embrace that feeling and after I am finished with it move on to the next emotion needed? Or should I choose to be happy even though things make me sad, should I choose to be positive and happy?

I've seen people who do both and I don't know who I admire more. People who choose to live as honest as they feel or people who chose to make their life positive (and in turn it becomes that way).

Can you do both? Can you be a wishy-washy feeling expresser?

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

calming inspiration

Today is going to be yet another good day, because I'm going to make it one. How could it not be when you run across a photo like this!? Check out Mandy Lynne's work here.



Let's pretend like that's the mailbox I come home to everyday. I love her photos, especially the ones of the ferris wheel and the typewriter. Adorable.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Chardonnay, Pumpkin Ravioli & Patience

Tonight I'm feeling like I am a wife-extraordinaire. Gas, groceries and wine were bought, dinner was made, Paul was made to sit down and study and now I am about to finish cleaning the kitchen.

For the wine: I just needed a cheap, white, dry wine to make dinner with and so I ran by our local wine shop and picked up a Chardonnay by Darby & Joan. I'd be lying a little if I pretended like I didn't pick it up for its vintage/hippie label and the fact that it had the name Darby in it. I say I'm a wine snob, but I can pick wines just as Willie Nillie as the next person.

It's good, but not earth shattering. If you need something to cook with and want something to drink with while doing so, it works.

What was for dinner you ask? I made cheese ravioli with a pumpkin sage sauce. However, I didn't have sage so I used half rosemary and half thyme and I used wheat ravioli. Next time, I will have sage and I won't use the wheat, it had a funny texture. But it was delicious and I can't wait to make it again. Felt very fall-ish. And I made fruit salad with mandarin oranges, pineapple, kiwi and pomegranate. To which my husband made a comment about liking fruit salad only when the fruit was from the US. That boy doesn't know what he is missing. I'll eat the entire bowl in one sitting. I don't need him and his fruit prejudices in order to enjoy my meal.

On the note of pomegranate, am I the only one who thinks it looks like caviar? I've never had caviar and don't know if I ever will, but caviar looking pomegranate is one of my favorite fruits.

I am learning a lesson in patience right now. And learning to trust God and his all mighty plan. My status last night read, "Waiting on the Lord. Until then, I'll be in the bath". Tonight may be a repeat of that.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

bubbles

There are few things in this world that I love more than bubble baths, as my husband clearly knows since he bought me new bubbles for my birthday.


Black Currant Vanilla and Lavender Vanilla from Bath and Body Works are my two new favorite smells. I am sure I will regret this in an hour when I can't fall asleep but I am off to take one now! My other new favorite? Shea Cashmere lotion and hand cream from B&BW. You'll fall in love, I promise.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Everything's awesome and nobody's happy.

Today I turned 24 years old. We came to see my family (in Texas) and spent the day looking at photos of Europe, at a marching band contest, napping and going to a wedding. The evening is ending with pizza, full size fireworks across the street and cake. Fabulous.

Everything is awesome. Get happy people.

Friday, October 16, 2009

floundering technology

I think my iPod mini is about to kick the dust. PS - the iPod mini obviously is a discontinued model because it took me way too entirely long to find a photo of it in the color I have. The volume jumps all over the place when I try and slightly adjust it and it has just started randomly going off in the middle of songs (even though the battery isn't dead). I got it for my birthday from my parents for I think my 20th birthday. So it's made it four years...

I'll be excited to get a new one, and hopefully the Classic model, because if I buy any other model, they'll discontinue it a week later.

I suppose we should get Paul a new cell phone first since his screen is cracked and half of the image is missing. If only it can hold out a couple of months more so we can sync our contract renewals.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

my office attitude

I am starting to realize that I allow my job to run my life. Lately, I have been relatively good about separating my work and personal life but I still struggle to leave it at the office. Not the work but the attitude. Now, when the day at work is fabulous like it was yesterday, it is a good thing to bring home that positive energy (and I do) but when the day goes wrong, how do I leave my negative, gossipy and angry attitude at the desk? It ruins my evenings and I know it is slowly chipping away at Paul and I need to stop it. Maybe it is literally something I tell myself everyday before I walk out of the building. Maybe I stop at the door and tell myself that the bad attitude has to stay in that building and it will be waiting for me when I get back if I want it. And then maybe it will just stay there. I'll try it on my next bad day and I'll let you know how it goes.


Speaking of offices, ours is just about finished with its renovation and...it looks nothing like above. Working in the commercial field our offices tend to lean to the much more modern, bright side. We have bright purple, tomato red and turquoise with a bright modern collaboration space and it works great for us and what we do. But if and when I go back into residential (which I do miss a little bit) a portion of my office would look a little something like that.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

frustrated

I'm feeling a little out of my league right now.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Getting Organized (Now)


We are getting our stuff together. I am making lists, making calendars and we are going to be an organized, well oiled machine of a family. If I have to set timers and reminders to keep us on track and clean and healthy, so help me, I'll do it. Now, we will just have to get a cute new planner...

Future Living Room?



I doubt I could get Paul to go for it, but if I did, I'd do this in a heartbeat. I mean, a pink leather upholstered ottoman?! Yes please.

I also forgot it was October...which means Breast Cancer Awareness month. I typically don't forget this, however, traveling made me forget about a lot of things. Let's see how much pink I can incorporate into my posts for the rest of the month shall we?

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Favorites from Europe

I have a few new favorite things:

1. Whipped Honey. It is delicious on croissants. This is courtesy of Germany.  I know they have it in the US, but Germany is the first place I ever had it and therefore it gets the credit.

2. Mayonnaise on french fries. Sounds disgusting but it may be the only way I eat fries from now on. Kiss that ketchup goodbye. Thank you Amsterdam. 



3. And last but not least, Sissy Boy. I wish they had an online store because it was like a European Anthropologie and I would send lots of money their way. I was in love.

Europe 09 - It's a long one...

I thought about blogging a lot while we were gone; I missed it. We rarely had internet access which was fine considering we were always exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel, but I was constantly thinking of things I wanted to write about. But now that I am home and some photos are uploaded, everything I wanted to write about seems to be escaping me. I will, however, give you a run down of our trip.

I know I already posted about Cologne a little; but to re-state,that is where we started our trip. Well technically it was where we spent the first night. We arrived in Amsterdam at 8:00 am on Saturday morning and hopped onto a train immediately heading to Cologne (after a quick, unplanned stop in Utrecht to change trains). Our train ride to Cologne was a hoot. We were on a high speed train with great cars and plenty of space, plus it wasn't too crowded.

Sitting caddy corner to us was an old man who was keeping to himself for the most part but of course as soon as Paul hopped up to go to the cafe car for some coffee he started to try to talk to me. In Dutch. Of which I know very little and none of what he was saying were things like "Hello" or "What is your name?". So I just smiled kindly and nodded a little bit. Who knows what I was agreeing to. Paul had been gone for a few moments and I was playing poker against myself when I noticed after looking at the floor that one of the old man's pant legs was normal but the other one was bunched up around his foot. It seemed strange to me so I slowly and carefully followed the line up his leg where I arrived at his upper thigh - which was fully exposed. I immediately turned my head to face out the window completely embarrassed that this old man's pants were falling off and we didn't speak the same language for me to give him some warning. Paul came back with our coffee and after a few moments I told him to take a look. He was just as embarrassed as I was and we figured we would just make it to our stop and then hop off the train so the poor guy could realize what happened without anyone in the car. But alas, he wanted to get up and walk around. Paul and I immediately started staring at each other. We had no idea what to do as this old man slid off the side of the seat with his pants down around his thighs, his rear facing Paul. A lady sitting behind us gave a little shriek and it was if all of a sudden he realized he could feel air where he shouldn't be able to. She did speak Dutch and decided she would help him get his suspenders fixed. What a way to start Europe right? A half naked 80 year old man on a train.

We got to Cologne without a hitch (if you don't consider naked old men a hitch) and as we started to walk towards the front of the station, there it was: Cologne Cathedral. It was beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. I wrote about our first night in Cologne here. The next morning, we woke up, had breakfast complete with whipped honey (which my dear friends, is divine) and headed out to explore Cologne. We walked down to the Rhine and walked along with our coats and our umbrellas listening to the church bells calling for morning service. We took back alleys and empty streets until we were fully immersed in Cologne and taking photos of all sorts of things. We didn't have much time because we were leaving for Basel, Switzerland later that morning.



Basel was my favorite. It was our best hotel. They had the best public transit. The City was clean and beautiful and full of history. Sundays in Europe are a day of rest. Unless you are a hotel, a hotel restaurant/bar or a McDonald's, best bet is, you are closed. No matter. I loved the exploring. Up every hill and around every corner was another building lined street with ivy and cafe tables and I wanted to move to Switzerland right then and there.



We visited their City Hall, which was beautiful, and spent the evening strolling along streets snapping photos. We split a salami pizza on the Rhine enjoying each others company (after a small fight between us about whether or not people were eating as well, and if they took credit cards) and taking in the scenery. Our hotel was the tallest building in Basel; we spent the end of our evening on the top floor overlooking the circus across the street and the city lights.  Oh yeah, the zoo!  From our room I watched a llama try to sit on the back of another... no, they weren't having sex, just one sitting on another's rear end.

And we were off again. Back to Germany. Munich was also beautiful but what I would consider less charming. We spent our first evening at the Marienplatz watching the clock tower show and walking around doing some shopping. We had an "authentic" German dinner at the Hafbrauhaus where a nice German guy spent the evening chatting us up. We finished it off with dessert at our hotel restaurant and conking out in our bed. The hotel we stayed in was partially destroyed during World War II and it was awesome to see the photos of the building the year it opened, five years from that and so on. Especially the year it was hit. A huge gaping hole in the corner of the building where Paul and I's room was. The next morning we took trams and subways all over the city. I think we quite possibly saw ALL of Munich. We went to the Olympic Park which was pretty awesome and the English Gardens. We shopped some more and sat around at a sidewalk cafe taking in the crowds and the sun. 




We were exhausted by 7:00 pm and our feet were killing us but our overnight train to Amsterdam wasn't leaving until 10:45 pm so we had to keep ourselves busy. We had dinner at a restaurant next to our hotel where I had the most delicious sliced cold roast beef in remoulade sauce and bourbon infused vanilla ice cream for dessert. With only an hour to go before our train left we decided to end the day in Munich in the lounge at the train station reading and letting our feet rest.

SIDE NOTE: Let me tell you, if you liked the movie Julie & Julia, leave it at that. I thought about buying My Life in France but chose to read J&J instead and was so disappointed. I loved Amy Adams as Julie Powell and even though her life was depicted as hard and tough in the movie (including her relationship) it was just like real life. Hard but still good. This book however, is depressing and full of expletives and by the time I was half way through I was starting to talk like a sailor. Don't bother with the book not unless you want to be depressed and angry with your husband and the state of the world.

The overnight train from Munich to Amsterdam was fun. We had a first class cabin so it was just Paul and I with our own little bathroom and bunk beds and free wine. We went to bed at 11:00 pm in Germany, woke up to breakfast in our room and shortly after arrived in Holland where we spent the remainder of our trip.

A lot of people had thoughts about Amsterdam before we went. Most of my co-workers were making "wild" comments while my brother's girlfriend and her family found it quite boring. I didn't know what to expect but we bought these cards called I Amsterdam cards that gave us access to all public transit and about a thousand museums (ok, maybe 27) for 72 hours. We were in and out of museums and on and off of trams like nobody's business. We visited the Rijksmuseusm, the Van Gogh, two canal homes renovated into museums, the resistance museum, a botanical garden, churches, Heineken's museum/"experience" and more. We went on an evening canal boat ride, ate a lot of food and shopped for gifts. I wasn't bored, nor was I "wild", it was pleasant.



We took just a little less than 1000 photos and posted about 150 of them to our Flickr. I was about to start posting a lot of them, but it is just easier if I send you over there to see them! I hope you enjoy! I did!

I knocked off a few of the list items while abroad. I got 3 out of my 12 European countries taken care of. I shopped at a foreign farmer's market. I tried new foods and I went on a long train ride with Paul.

I am glad to be home. Sad to be going back to everyday life, but more on that later.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

October 3rd - Cologne, 509 Stufens and a Revelation

There is much more to come (blogging wise) however, the last thing I want to do while in Europe is waste my time on the internet in our posh little hotel posting about what I have done when there is still so much to do. This is also the first time we have had access to the internet (that we were willing to spend money on, since it is free) since we have been over here.

My original intention was to write every night a brief update in Word and then post each one when I got the chance. That however has not worked out since every night I have hit the bed harder than a sack of bricks and dozed off contacts in, makeup on and all. If my ophthalmologist or dermatologist is reading this, I am very sorry.

Since the plan has fallen through I will instead post what I wrote the first night we were in Europe (October 3rd). It is amazing that I got anything written as I hadn't had sleep in 36+ hours and was running on my last leg. I will post about the rest of the trip when I get back but until then, enjoy my first thoughts on being in Europe.



Today I got my first passport stamp.

Amsterdam Schiphol was the lucky place to achieve this honor.

I was ecstatic and excited and a bit emotional. The whole trip thus far has been that way. The first few hours while at the airport and getting things in order were nothing short of routine but once we got on the plane for Europe I got sick to my stomach. Nervous energy was throbbing within every bit of my body. I have been out of the US before but never out of North America and this trip was going to prove to be a memorable one, even if I had to make it that way. I think I placed so much pressure on this trip that the whole way here I made myself a little sick with excitement and lack of sleep. The plan to sleep for five hours on the plane went out the window quickly and I believe I ended up getting approximately one and a half. The plane landed, like they always do and I realized that I was on land, like I was 8 hours ago. My excitement level dropped a couple of notches and I started thinking that Amsterdam might as well have been in the USA. The airport proved to be nothing out of the ordinary. What was I expecting? A marching band to announce my arrival and a parade leading me to the baggage claim? I was tired and my mind just wasn’t into it. That was until I got my passport stamped.

Excitement and giddiness filled my head and my heart as I thought about what I was doing. I was seeing things, I was living life. Paul and I were making memories and I could not wait to get started. So we did just that. We hoped on a train to Amsterdam Central and proceeded to make our way to Utrecht and then to Cologne, Germany. I love traveling by train in Europe especially in the fall. I mean is there a better way to spend a rainy cloudy morning but on a train touring the German country side? We arrived in Cologne, checked into our hotel and made ourselves leave as quickly as possibly so we wouldn’t get caught wanting to nap. First stop and right around the corner was the Cologne Cathedral. Amazing. Architecture amazes me in every form and medieval architecture is one of the most fascinating things in this world. It is truly inspiring. After taking about a thousand photos of the exterior and interior Paul and I decided we were going to climb the bell tower. We were caught in between two groups of people climbing. I think we all felt that if we weren’t pushing hard, we were embarrassing ourselves or annoying others. I know that wasn’t true because after only half of our racing up a spiraling tight staircase with people coming down towards us, we were all panting and thinking that we had just made the worst decision in our lives. I wanted to stop so terribly bad that I even thought to myself, “Eh, the only person who will know you didn’t do it is your husband and he has to love you anyways. Go ahead, turn around and go back.” But I pushed and we reached the platform that allowed us to view the bell and hear it as it rung. We got a small break from the rapid ascent as we viewed the large monstrosity and when we reached the staircase again and had to make the decision whether to finish going up or to call it quits and head down, I knew my vote. But Paul wanted to do it. And I wasn’t going to tell him no. He had done this before, and he was in just as bad of shape as I am now so if he can push himself to do this again, I can do it at least once. After starting up the next set of tight spiraling stairs I was thinking about how much I hated this and how I wanted to quit. Paul and I were the only people climbing at that moment and finally I said “Paul, I can’t do this, I need to stop.” But he pretended not to hear me, or he said something I couldn’t hear and so I kept going. Eight steps later I reached the top and I felt like I had run into a brick wall of crisp, cold fall air. I had never felt such a strong wind as it wrapped itself through the spires and the openings and hit my body. Cooling my breaths and my heart. I wanted to cry. I would have turned around and headed back to the bottom with only eight steps to go to the top if it hadn’t have been for Paul. I would have missed the amazing feeling of wind that I was being enveloped in if he hadn’t made me finish. I never want to quit anything again. How often have I been that close to achieving something when I decided “yea, ya know, I’ve had enough” and quit?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

the night before

We leave tomorrow morning and I have yet to pack.

I think it is absurd when people go on long trips and wait until the last minute to do the important things. Yet here I am, procrastinating, watching The Office and eating pretzels. I have a list (surprised?) which will make it super easy to pack once I get myself in there. I'm too excited to think about clothes and shampoo.

Who is excited about Lonny? Ever since Domino was taken off the rack I thought my airport days were doomed to boredom. Not anymore!!!! That is one delicious magazine. There's tons of buzz about it all over the blog world right now. Read it, love it. You can thank me later.