..::V A M H::..

Minneapolis Highlights & Chi-town

2012-01-16T09:28:00.000-06:00

Vinny's sister, Andrea, and her boyfriend, Jason came to visit for a long weekend in early October. We decided to take the ultra-touristy route and head to Chicago for the weekend. Neither Jason nor Andrea had ever been to the windy city. We took them on a short, sweet trip of Minneapolis (downtown MSP, Juicy Luicy and the MoA) -- before heading to Chi-town!

Overall the trip was a success....freezing....but beautiful! Andrea and Jason have a thirst for travel and Vinny and I are always happy to oblige.

Living in Minneapolis for 6 years I had never heard of the 5*8 Club (fo' shame). Andrea had seen this local hot spot on the Food Network and requested we make a stop.

Juiciest Lucy I have ever seen! I had the veggie burger but wow did those ooey-gooey-cheese-filled patties look delicious!

Squiiiiish

A quick trip to the Mall of America...

On our way to Chicago -- a giant orange moose overlooking a lake.

Only in Wisconsin people...only in Wisconsin

We finally made it to Chi-town! We stayed at the perfectly located and beautiful Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.

My favorite spot in Chicago -- The Bean!

A nasty storm started rolling in so we did what all people should do....PIZZA.

The storm lasted about as long as it takes to devour a pizza. We headed to the ~~Sears~~Willis Tower for some views of the city at night. On the way we ran across a Occupy Wall Street protest parade. It was pretty neat to see! Their "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out" chant was in our head for hours.

Is it just me or is the Willis Tower entrance in the exist opposite location of however you approach it?

The night view was ah-mazing. Twinkling lights reaching as far as the eye could see.

The clear-bottom sky box was a new addition since our last trip -- it was pretty trippy! The boys had a really hard time standing up there!

Don't look down!

Chicago theater...

A cute sign I noticed on our architectural boat tour:

Those were the skyboxes we stood on the night before! Eeek!

Girls Gone Wild

2012-01-12T09:21:00.000-06:00

(I'm probably going to regret that post title)

Breakdown of our annual girl's get-together from September! We were blessed to return to Fort Myers, FL this year. That place is heaven on earth y'all! Even without nine of your best friends it would be amazing. We stay at a condo on the Marriot Sanibel Harbour Resort property (and frequent their pool and restaurants quite often!). It is so beautiful and peaceful, big enough to escape rowdy bishes like us even!

Let's get to the pictures shall we?

Together at last! We hadn't seen Emily since she became a mom, at least two years. It was a wonderful reunion. These girls are my sisters from another mother.

First stop....liquor store....(I'll be honest, our eyes are a lot bigger than our tolerance, most of those bottles went home full or close-to-it!).

We did a lot of Skyping with the "missing" girls, the hubby and kids at home too! Not the most glamorous shot but a glimpse of us Skyping with Natalie. If you look close enough you can see my mascara streaked across my face from crying -- she started it!! It truly wasn't the same without her!

Drunken Skype with Mandy -- I can't imagine what it was like to hear 9 loud, drunk, giggling girls, all talking at (delayed) once over the computer. It was a good time for all!

Get outta town with this kid! I love G and his mama.

Lets get this party started! We made ourselves at home at the condo pool, which was completely ours for the most part (we scared away a few couples I think).

Mmmmm....Beth made some awesome guacamole! We ate it before we could even make it down to the pool!

The following night, once everyone had officially arrived, we headed out on the town. Beth made reservations at the best restaurant on the water, Doc Ford's. Delicious food, great view, live band, hottest bartender ON EARTH! Poor fella had no idea what hit him when we made our way to the bar! He was a great sport and I'm pretty sure I tipped him 50%.

From there we made it to the beachside bar we hit up last year. We walked on the beach, drank ourselves to silliness and danced our asses off. To the point that I attempted to leave the beach with two different shoes on, one on the wrong foot. Wowza -- good times.

Luckily, I was in good company with some drinking experts! Woke up the next morning feeling perfectly fine (alka seltzer before bed!). We spent our final day on Sanibel beach, squealing in the ocean and continuing our grand.ol.time.

Our attempt at creating this picture....FAIL.

We made it back to our condo in time to shower, get ready and see this beautiful sunset (this is SOOC, iPhone camera!!).

Hopefully our annual pier group shot!

See you next year ladies - love you, mean it!

If you have any questions about Sanibel Island or Fort Myers, let me know!

Twenty-Twelve

2012-01-08T22:14:00.000-06:00

I miss blogging. I miss being able to scroll back and find the highlights of our year. Facebook Timeline just doesn't do it for me.

So I'm back to it -- chronicling VAMH travel, highlights and life events.

Let's catch up on the last 5 months....

September -- annual girl's weekend! We returned to Fort Meyers, FL -- and, as usual, had the time of our lives. I hope to dedicate a full post to this but in case I don't -- a link to Beth's perspective!

September 13 -- my sister announces she is pregnant! Words cannot describe the excitement and anticipation that follows. I am so excited to be an auntie! December we found out ITS A GIRL! Which started a shopping spree that will likely be life-long. My favorite purchase so far? These:

Early October, Vinny's sister and boyfriend came to visit for the weekend. We headed to Chicago and had a great touristy weekend! Chilly...but great. Chi-town is one of my favorite cities for sure. Again, I hope to dedicate a full post with pictures to this weekend -- it's photo-worthy!

On Halloween our world came crashing down. We tragically lost one of our best friends, Sean. For the last 4 years we were together 7 days a week, during work, after work, weekends, vacations -- you name it. I affectionately called him "3rd wheel" -- but in reality -- I was often the 3rd wheel with him and Vinny.

The loss of Sean will forever be a turning point in our lives.

The entire month of November is a blur -- ending with Thanksgiving weekend in Boise and my family and then off to Boston for Sean's memorial. Boise was a very family-oriented time. After any tragedy it always feels good to embrace family. I know I was still deep in mourning because I only took one picture the entire week in Boise. This is it, painting pottery with my sister (and niece-to-be)!

Boston brought a flood of memories and healing. Being surrounded by a group of friends that feel like family and have been around as long as family. Celebrating and honoring Sean's impact on all of our lives was the goal -- and we accomplished that.

Wrapping up 2011 we headed to Charleston to be with Vinny's family. The week was full of shopping, digitizing home videos, eating, sleeping, drinking, laughing -- and even a dance party in the kitchen. We rang in the new year very low-key -- just the way we like it!

Here's to twenty-twelve! If there is anything I've learned in twenty-eleven -- live life to the fullest, love your loved ones to the fullest and no regrets!

Puffy Paint FTW

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

Along with thousands of other 'pinners' I fell in love with a simple canvas project that involved puffy paint.

This is my version, a giant Mandala-inspired design. I never intended to puffy paint the design but after not being in love with my paint pen version I decided to go for it! I drew most of the design by tracing a set of nesting bowls, some parts are free hand but the bowls really make most of it!

I then spray painted it a solid color (I wouldn't recommend spray paint, after 3 cans its still uneven in some areas). I imagine regular paint and a smooth foam roller would be ideal!

Can you spot my mistake in this photo? I completely forgot an entire section and didn't notice until it was hanging up over our bed!

3rd Times a Charm?

2011-09-06T08:43:00.000-05:00

I'll look back at this blog and wonder what the heck happened to me the summer of 2011? Work and school is "what happened to me!" I've been learning how to create montages in Photoshop, masks, lassos, etc. Creating totally random images like this, this and this (ten things I can't live without).Writing research papers on The Benefits of Direct-to-Consumer DNA Testing to Humankind. Working 12 hour days, 5 days a week. Good times.

But this weekend I had a gap between classes and a three day weekend so I painted our living room (3rd color in 5 years). When we moved in it was a light honey color, I quickly painted it a dark brown/green (Mississippi Mud), when we made the Living/Dining Room switcharoo I painted the room a medium gray (Silver Fox). I never loved it as Silver Fox -- way too monochromatic and light for my tastes.

I really wanted to paint the room blue -- I needed color. But after living with four different paint sample swatches for a week I just couldn't do it. I'll accessorize with color I guess! The dark grown/brey (Stardust) adds beautiful contrast and I am ~~finally~~ happy. The large canvas to the right of the couch will be transforming and moving, replaced by a gallery wall that expands over from the shelves.

I love twinkle lights, they may be silly or tacky but I love them.

Bad Luck Charms

2011-08-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week we were super blessed to be invited to the Twins vs. Red Sox game at Twins Stadium by a co-worker of Vinny's! He has great seats right behind home plate!

Our seats were amazing! Should've been the safest spot from a foul ball (my worst fear). Of course, a foul ball came right to us, bounced off my toe and rolled two rows ahead of us to an over-joyed little boy.

The stadium is amazing, located right in downtown Minneapolis -- it feels like an updated Fenway Park (or so I imagine)!

Before the game started -- happy fans!

The weather was PERFECT!

I've been to three Red Sox games -- Vinny and Sean have been to SIX Red Sox games in the last 5 years. They lose, every.single.time! We are bad luck charms I guess! (Vinny's sad face cracks me up, I really had to coach him on this one!)

CRACKING up at Vinny's pout!

We lost but it was a GREAT night anyways! If you ever have the opportunity to see a game at Twins Stadium I HIGHLY recommend it!

DAMN it was a mess, can you imagine having to clean up EVERY single seat?

Roadtrip to Madison

2011-08-07T10:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks back I took a little trip over to my closest BFF in Madison (how sad is that?)! D and I try to get together at least twice in a year and so far we have succeeded! Alabama Beth was supposed to join us but family (rightfully) took priority. We sure did miss her all weekend! :(

Vinny and I are thinking that it might be time to add onto the family and I knew I had to go to one of my greatest parental inspirations for advice! As Beth called it, my baby recon trip! Dusty has a plethora of experience from her upbringing, her job and her first year of motherhood -- naturally I took full advantage of that. We had a great weekend hanging out with Kate, munching on delicious food, drinking wine, shopping. Basically, doing what we do best! Dusty even ran 9 miles in the morning while I slept (like I said, doing what we do best)!

We hit up the farmer's market where I was introduced to Stella's Bakery Cheese Bread -- I've been dreaming about it ever since. Seriously -- its worth mail order. I also tried a new veggie, the Kohlrabi -- YUM! And some cheese curds and cherries too!

Later that night Dusty gave Kate her first haircut which was entertaining -- Kate wasn't a huge fan of the process but the results were too cute! She didn't mind her mama blowing on her neck though -- look at that smile!

After Kate's bedtime we had a coffee table picnic full of pita chips, hummus, more cheese bread, kohlrabi, oreos, wine and girl talk -- PERFECTION.

To end the trip we went to breakfast at a local place that was delicious, The Pancake House. Dusty's local friends (whom I felt like I already knew) joined us -- it was so nice to meet them!

Overall it was a great weekend! Dusty is the perfect mix of fun and business. I'm constantly inspired by her in all parts of my life and am very lucky to call her my nearest BFF!

Thunder Bay & More

2011-08-06T19:17:00.000-05:00

Continued from Part 1 -- After Duluth and Gooseberry Falls we headed to Thunder Bay, Canada for the night! My sister had never been to Canada so we thought it would be fun for her to use that new passport again! On the way home we stopped at the Grand Portage National Monument (which was open since it is federally ran!). It was a real surprise, very interesting and beautiful! The area once served as a fur-trading post for the North. We then stopped at the Alpine Slide at Lusten Mountains -- THIS was a total blast! It's basically a concrete luge that you ride down on sleds. I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area (and don't buy just one, you'll want to go again and again!). Our last stop was Split Rock Light House, we had to hike quite a bit to get into the park but it was worth the view, so beautiful!

You know I love grafitti! A train in Thunder Bay...

Thats a serious fence!

My husband, the fur-trader:

Have a dead animal or fifty...

North Shore - Daytrip

2011-08-05T01:45:00.002-05:00

When my sister came for the Britney Spears concert we tried to show her the best of what Minnesota has to offer -- so we took her to Canada. Ha! No but really, we headed up to Duluth and the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior (and then to Canada).

It was hilariously classic Minnesota in action -- the high, in the middle of July barely touched 60 degrees. Not to mention, our state government was shutdown so all of the National Parks were closed to the public. We made our way in anyways and enjoyed the sites, sans crowds! We stopped in Duluth for lunch, Gooseberry Falls for scenery and then made our way to Thunder Bay, Canada (I'll post that portion tomorrow!).

Brrrrr!

Ashley and Lake Superior!

You'll start to notice a pattern here....can you tell I introduced Vinny to Words with Friends?

We had some amazing food at Grandma's! Wild rice stuffed mushrooms (swimming in cheese) and a wild rice burger....SO good! And woohoo for having a vegetarian sister to share food with!

Ahem...

Super foggy! I love the way the houses on the hills of Duluth were peeking out!

My beautiful sissy! Even if she is completely out of focus!

Thanks to the state government being shut down....lots of empty parking lots and sites!

The chipmunks weren't so happy about the lack of garbage to snack on!

Beautiful star iris!

Gooseberry Falls!

Look at those sock bun curls!

I love tree roots...so intriguing!

Ahem...

It was so oddly (to me) misty/foggy! Reminded me of the June Gloom in Santa Monica!

Daisies make me H A P P Y

Lake Superior and my beautiful sister!

I love this dog.

Sock Bun Curls - Part Two

2011-07-23T00:07:00.000-05:00

Ok so I take it all back -- look at my sister's sock bun curls!!! We sprayed just a bit of product in her hair when it was wet, let it air dry, sock bunned it and she slept in it. The next day while we waited for our food at lunch I decided I couldnt wait anymore made her undo the sock bun. And (pun intended) they knocked my socks off!

Gorgeous huh? Once the humidity dies down a bit I'm going to give it another try!

Roamin' Holiday Take 3

2011-07-18T21:28:00.000-05:00

So as the story goes, if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome. Well all be damned if it doesn't work! Vinny and I both fell in love with Rome on our honeymoon cruise when I threw my first coin in the fountain:

We returned again in 2008 with his family -- I highly recommend visiting in the winter vs the summer. I also highly recommend packing clothes in your carry on.

On this trip, with my family, we did an extremely ambitious foot tour of the city instead of shelling out hundreds of dollars for a tour. Thinking back this might not have been the best idea but it is what it is. We saw the highlights of Rome and ate some great food!

Mmmmm pizza time!

Followed, of course, by gelato time!

So Twi-Hard

2011-07-15T00:06:00.000-05:00

Back to our Mediterranean cruise! Our first cruise stop (after a layover in Paris and a night nigh Barcelona) was Volterra and San Gimignano (which I will forever refer to as Jimmy Johns).

What a fantastic port stop! We took our only cruise-organized tour and it was perfect. While the rest of the cruise ship headed to Pisa and Florence -- we headed to the Tuscan country side. First stop was the beautiful town of Volterra (yes, from Twilight!). Volterra sits on top of a hill surrounded by intimidating walls and amazing views. Today there is a large jail on the hilltop but up to the 70's Volterra was home to a mental hospital that housed 6,000 patients (!!!). Not to mention the vampires that live in the sewers.

After Volterra we headed to an organic dairy farm for a delicious, farm-fresh, homemade Italian lunch. After lunch we headed to San Gimignano which was a beautiful, but very touristy stop.

Overall -- it was fantastic. A great taste of the country side!

It's Britney Bitch!

2011-07-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

My sister and I went to the Britney Spears concert in Saint Paul earlier this week! I highly recommend catching this show -- especially if you are a die-heard Britney fan like myself. She really is back in the game and the entire show is proof of that. She sings (!), she dances (!), she smiles and looks like she is actually loving what she is doing (!!!). The Circus Tour was good but I got the feeling she was forced into that tour, her heart just wasn't into it.

The set is amazing, the song list is fantastic -- quite a few from the new album but some classics (Slave for You, Toxic, Hit Me Baby One More Time, Womanizer, etc). There are times when its just Britney on the stage -- amazing. She is so often surrounded by dancers or fancy sets but she really just stood out as the star.

Warning -- a lot of blurrrry pictures ahead :)

I splurged on a souvenir -- $3 cup ($65 t-shirt was calling my name...but....)

After three opening acts (Nervo, Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nikki Minaj) we were unpleasantly surprised by a countdown to Britney that started at 45 minutes (!!!!). It actually wasn't too bad, plenty of time for some of the best people watching I have ever seen!

Waiting...but getting excited!

YAY!!!! Showtime!

Recognize the guy from SYTYCD? :)

She brought a group of people on stage, fun!

Sock Bun Curls - The Results

2011-07-04T00:27:00.001-05:00

As promised...the result of my sock bun. Definitely not amazing but promising. I'll definitely keep trying the technique. I ended up with quite a few kinks...and some flat areas -- but -- with a curling iron touch up I was good to go.

However, between the video (in my previous post) and this picture from (www.lovemaegan.com) -- I was pretty disappointed with my results. (edited on 08/09/2011: turns out this picture is touched up with a curling iron after the no-heat curl method! I feel much better about my results in that case!)

meh.

I Like Big Buns

2011-06-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

I have always, always loved Lauren Conrad's hair on the cover of her Style book but could never reproduce the look (A for effort, F for execution). How the heck does she get it so big? I have way more hair than she does but my bun always ended up small. Hrmph.

WELL all be damn! This weekend I ran across this blog tutorial for a "sock bun" - do you think LC has a sock in her bun?

So I gave it a try -- pretty close right? Obviously less sleek and I'm no LC but I'm convinced her bun is padded. I know your style secrets now LC! Mwahahahaha!

But wait, there's more! Supposedly I can sleep in my sock bun and wake up with perfect hollywood curls. (I'll let you know tomorrow!).

Fiesta Forever (Pizza)

2011-06-27T07:56:00.000-05:00

Fun summer twist on pizza! (Recipe below)

Heavily inspired by this Cooking Well recipe, Smoky Corn & Black Bean Pizza

Pizza Dough (I used refrigerated Pillsbury pizza dough)
Follow the directions for your applicable dough (I pre-baked, then added sauce, toppings and continued baking)

1/3 C BBQ Sauce
Sprinkle of Cumin or Taco Seasoning
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
2 Corn Cobs, corn sliced off
1 Tomato, diced
As much Mozzarella cheese as your heart desires (I used Daiya cheese)

Add after baking:

1 Avocado, diced
Chopped Cilantro (I use freeze dried!)

Barcelona!

2011-06-26T23:25:00.001-05:00

This is our second time in Barcelona -- the first time we were there for about 37 minutes. This time, we pushed it to about 37 hours! After a 8 hour flight, 8 hours in Paris, another 2 hour flight -- we took Barcelona by storm!

Our hotel was right on the main drag, La Rambla, so we were able to walk around the first night. We hit up the Market of la Boqueria (amazing!), had delicious sangria and finally, slept like babies. The next day we woke up early, checked out of our hotel and took a 'hop-on-hop-off' bus ride around the city -- time didn't allow us to hop off once unfortunately. So much more to see!

Barcelona was my mom and sister's favorite of the trip -- and Vinny and I agree, its a wonderful city, we can't wait to return (again!).

Oui Oui!

2011-06-20T08:00:00.006-05:00

Finally finished editing all of our photos from our Meditteranean cruise last month! Like Hawaii and our England/Ireland roadtrip I will drag these photos on for weeks, you've been warned!

First stop, Paris! My mom and sister have never been overseas so we knew we had to take advantage of our 8 hour layover in Paris. We were dragging ass tired but it was worth it!

Vinny and my sister, Ashley!

Macarons from McDonalds! No judging, we were on a time crunch!

The first of many caprese sandwiches/salads.

This pretty much sums our day up!

We Have A Winner!

2011-06-10T22:24:00.001-05:00

We have the Shabby Apple winner! I asked a neutral party (my boss) to pick a number between 1-48.

Apparently #43 was his football jersey number (learn something new everyday)! However, ~~in this decade~~ today #43 is one of my best friends and the winner of this super cute gray jersey dress from Shabby Apple!

Lucky Natalie!

If she wasn't so damn thin I would ask to borrow it! How amazing is this dress going to look on her? She promises to wear it at our annual Florida get together -- I'll make sure to get pictures!

Me, Beth, Nat and Aly in Fort Meyers, Florida last summer

Thanks to everyone who entered, and Shabby Apple for the chance to make someone's day! Remember, you can get 10% off by using the code, vamh10off!

Have a great weekend y'all!

The Original BFF

2011-06-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

Hiya! Crewsday ~~Tuesday~~ Thursday is a little something my friend Beth came up with to show off what my crew is up to these days.

Today I am going to ~~brag~~ talk about my oldest friend, Chandra. Not age old, but been-around-the-longest old. Really, our history goes back further than this ~~experimental~~ old brain goes.

I'm pretty sure we lived in the same neighborhood since before our school days, but I don't remember becoming friends until she invited me to a slumber party in the 5th grade. We watched Drop Dead Fred. It was love at first sight I guess you could say.

From then on I remember being together 24/7. Our moms were single and worked full time -- so we had a lot of time to explore. So what did we do? Daily walks to the 'Circle K' for Strawberry Kiwi Snapple and a York Peppermint Pattie. We'd dress up in formal dresses and combat boots, like any girl in the 90's did. We'd scramble like crazy to clean house before her mother came home from one of her 67 jobs. On more than one occasion we were chased out of people's yards for picking their flowers....(a hint into the future...).

Our childish shenanigans changed to boy-crazy sneak outs, hours on the phone, supermodel obsessions (me - Niki Taylor // her - Kate Moss), an introduction to makeup and clothes that showed a bit more skin (mostly overalls with a teeny, tiny top under).

Unfortunately this phase also brought in girl fights and drama -- which broke us apart for over a decade.

The original BFF and I - circa 1994 (makeup discovered (Revlon's Coffee Bean lipstick anyone?)

Like any similar story, Facebook brought us back together a few years ago and while we have yet to see each other in person again, it feels like we were never apart. Like my terrible behavior of our teenage years never happened.

So much has changed, she is a mother now, a survivor and a women following her dreams. You see, Chandra is now the owner of a blossoming floral business, Blush Floral Boutique. Who happens to have been featured on the wedding sites of all sites -- Style Me Pretty! This sort of talent is not learned or copied -- its a god-given talent my friends.

Chandra is taking her dream one step further this year and growing her own flowers. It truly makes my heart sing to think about it. I am proud, excited and, I admit it, a bit jealous. I wish her all of the success in the world and am so thankful to consider her my friend.

Check out her blog to read about her new journey!

Chandra's new greenhouse created from reclaimed barn wood, and a fresh bouquet -- straight from her garden!

New Camera Bag!

2011-06-04T15:18:00.001-05:00

Remember when I went to Alabama to help Beth paint her son's playroom?

WELL....being the awesome and generous (and thoughtful) person that she is, she surprised the socks off of me with a 'thank you' gift. An out of this world, are you shitting me, gift. She played it so smooth too, trickster!

One day during a paint break we were standing in her kitchen, undoubtedly eating some snacks, and I made a comment about two really cute lunch boxes she had on top of her fridge. They were a burlap material, one with a purple flower and stitching and the other had a blue butterfly and stitching.

She grabs them and says, "Oh, I bought them with you in mind -- pick your favorite one and its yours!" Giddy with excitement I snatched up the butterfly lunch box. Then she said, "Open it." What? Huh? Thinking to myself that she wanted to show me the cool compartments inside or something. But no, there was more. A card, how sweet! I open the card to find the sweetest hand written note ANDPLUSALSO....a gift card for an Epiphanie bag.

SHUTTHEFRONTDOOR.

I immediately started crying, of course. I was in complete shock and overjoyed! I've come so close to pulling the trigger on a bag myself but could never do it. Even though its something I would use often, especially when traveling, I just couldn't justify the cost for something that wasn't for daily use. So in other words, the best gift ever.

Thank you Beth, I really didn't need anything other than a weekend doing what I enjoy with someone I love but wow, icing on the cake!

And now for a laugh, I asked Vinny to take these pictures of me with my new bag. He begrudgingly obliged. He pretends he is shooting a photoshoot and just continuously snaps photos instead of waiting until I am smiling and posed. Which produces these lovely gems.

Thanks babe. Now I know how the world sees me on a daily basis. And I apologize.

On to my review of the bag and pictures, since I found them helpful when I ordered my bag!

The Good:
LOVE the interior and exterior color and the braided handle. That's really what sold me!
It holds my laptop (this is semi-related to the not-so-good list)
I love that is has the the option to do shoulder or cross body.
Construction is awesome.
The faux leather is really great, doesn't feel or look cheap at all!
Shipping box was big, the bag didn't come all squished which I appreciated.

The not-so-good (but not bad!):
While I purposely selected a bag that holds my laptop, it is BIG. I knew this going in and I am ok with it but just in case you are reading this and unsure about the size. It's BIG. And the fact that it can't really be flat because of the padding, it makes cross body wearing slightly awkward. Or at least awkward compared to what I am used to.

I'll be honest, I thought about exchanging it for the Lola but I am really in love with the grey and the braided handle. And I do take my laptop with me often, so its staying! And I am in love it!

Oh, one last thing -- I had to wait months for it to arrive! Kind of a bummer.

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway & Discount Code

2011-06-03T07:51:00.003-05:00

Ciao Bellas! We just returned from a fabulous Mediterranean Adventure with Vinny, my mom and sister! Tons of pictures and details to come on that but for now I have some exciting news! Shabby Apple contacted me about a dress giveaway and a 10% off discount code (vamh10off) for my blog audience!

What?! WHAT?! Woot! My first question? Can I enter my own giveaway? lol

I've been a fan of Shabby Apple for a long, long time. My favorite part about their women's dress line? Coverage, done cute! Those of you that know me know that I love to be covered from neck to toe and it is so refreshing to see dresses that cater to modesty but are also modern and stylish. And their swimsuit line this year? Shut the front door!

I spent the evening browsing their online store, daydreaming of vacation destinations, its impossible not to!

Today Shabby Apple and I are giving away the Da Vinci gray jersey dress from their Roamin Holiday line! I am in love the simplicity and versatility of this dress. Pair it with a spring scarf, some gladiators and big hoops for a summer road trip. Or how about a cardigan, peep toe wedges and a long chunky necklace for work. Come fall and winter, layer it with a long sleeve tee and tights. It's the dress that keeps on giving!

I'm going to make this as simple as can be, to enter:

-Leave a comment with your favorite Shabby Apple dress (make sure I can find you via your blog or leave your email address!)

For additional entries (separate comment for each):

-Like Shabby Apple on Facebook. It's the best way to find current promotions and sneak peeks!

I will pick the winner Thursday, June 9th!

This giveaway is open to US residents only.

Highest Bidder

2011-06-02T17:12:00.001-05:00

Alison, congratulations on being the highest bidder at $120 (double your original bid of $60)!

I am so excited to work with you over the next few months! We have many similarities it seems, our names and our love for modern necessities (seriously, Downy Wrinkle Release was best invention before Pinterest!). But mostly I am excited to work with someone that is thoughtful and generous enough to donate your money to help restore the lives in Alabama. Now probably wouldn't be a good time to tell you that I hardly ever work for money is it? :) But I promise, I will make it worth it!

As summer ramps up I know the hardest work is just beginning down there. My heart continues to go out to the victims of mother nature.

Thank you again, Alison -- and everyone else that bid. I was extremely flattered and hope to work with many of you in the future!

Deadline to Enter!

2011-06-01T06:52:00.000-05:00

My "Creative Concierge" auction ends tonight, around bed time (~10pm - 1am, CT). The current highest bidder is hoping you forgot about the auction and that her $100 will take the prize!

Hop on over to this post and comment if you want to up the ante!

Holiday Hangover

2011-05-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend -- I'm looking forward to a short work week!

Here comes the most random post ever, you've been warned.

Check out the playroom that my friend Beth and I painted for her son! She wrapped up the details this weekend and it looks amazing, if I do say so myself!

Editing pictures from a whirlwind Mediterranean vacation with my mom, sister and Vinny (layover in Paris)! Coming soon...

We are back to our normal Summer routine of walking three miles to Red Robin (burning the calories we plan on eating!)! Today we saw a turtle on the sidewalk! I have never seen a turtle in the "wild" before! How "wild" is the pond in the Target parking lot though really?

We picked up some brown tomatoes (aka Kumatos) at Trader Joe's this weekend -- sounds and looks terrible. Tastes delicious! If you see these, buy them, I highly recommend! They are sweeter than normal tomatoes, perfect summer side dish! YUM!

And last, but not least, stay tuned for a giveaway -- a really, really good one! Hopefully coming this week!

Creative Concierge up for Auction!

2011-05-11T11:05:00.004-05:00

Creative Concierge up for auction! What the heck is a Creative Concierge you ask? I am offering up my digital design skills for the rest of 2011. I will be your digital beck and call girl. All proceeds from the auction go to tornado relief efforts in Alabama (read more about the cause here!)

Up for auction:

A personal design package, to include 1 design per month for the rest of 2011 (June-December). If two designs are needed in one month, swap out will be honored for unused months!

An example of what this could mean for you:

June - New Blog Header
July - 4th of July BBQ E-vite
August -
September - Birthday Invite and Thank you Card (two designs since none were requested in August!)
October - Favorite song lyric-turned-wall art
November -
December - Christmas Party Invite, Holiday Card (again, two designs since none were requested in November!)

The fine print: I am not a professional graphic artist. However, I am a graphic design student (although most of the work seen below was before I enrolled in school). By December, I will officially be a half-educated graphic designer.

As the winner, send me your inspiration, your wish list, your digital dreams -- I will do my best to make it happen. Here is a small sample of some designs I have done in the past:

A few references to prove I am legit:
Beth from Unskinny Boppy (Birthday and Thank you Cards)
Beth from Unskinny Boppy (Christmas card)
D from All Things G&D (wow, from 2009! Time flies!)
D from All Things G&D
Erin from Rare and Beautiful Treasures (she's never posted about me but I do often create her blog headers! I'm sure you could contact her if you are curious about our working experience!)

Here's what you need to do:

Post a comment on this post ONLY and place your bid. Keep checking back here to the comment section of this post to see if you have been out-bid and need to up your ante a little bit. Auction payment must be made via Paypal only. Auction will end precisely at 10:00 PM Central time on June 1st, 2011.

Auction bidding begins at just $20.00!!

The highest bidder at the end of the auction wins me, at your service -- all while helping rebuild Alabama!

Buy This, Not That

2011-05-03T21:38:00.001-05:00

I ran across this fabulous sign on Pinterest a couple weeks ago. I've been pining to purchase it to hang in our entry way. It would remind me of my wonderful southern friends that I only get to see a few times a year. Seriously, is there a friendlier greeting? No.

But then.....I was reminded that there are people in need of common toiletries, food, water, light -- the last thing I need is a sign to hang in my entryway.

Many people lost their cars in the storm, stores are completely out of many items. Imagine not having a place to bathe, go to the bathroom, sleep. Imagine worrying about where your child's food, diapers and comfort is going to come from. Imagine having a medical condition and no way to relieve pain. Imagine digging through the rubble of what-used-to-be your home with your bare hands. It literally causes my heart to ache.

So instead of buying a fabulous 'hey y'all' sign -- I bought a lantern, batteries and a can opener and sent it directly to Christian Mission Services from their Amazon Wishlist (how awesome and simple is that?!). And I write this to encourage you to do the same.

They are working day and night to distribute such items to people who are trapped and in need.

Photos from Beth Bryan -- a home of a co-worker lost in the storm.

What's For Dinner?

2011-05-02T08:49:00.001-05:00

It wasn't intentional but we have a mighty green menu this week! Coincidentally, I read an article last week about green vegetables reducing stress, sah-weet! I had to share our menu this week because I am starving and anxious for each meal!

Gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n with Brown Rice and Broccoli
Mediterranean Chopped Salad - Seriously, this simple salad is amazing. We've had it every week for the last 4 weeks!
Avocado, Tomato, Edamame, and Red Onion Salad with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette
Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas (I don't use the croutons or cheese)

Sweet Home Alabama

2011-04-28T21:23:00.000-05:00

My friend Beth was spared in the natural disaster that raced through the south yesterday. Many people were not, with loss of life climbing by the hour, water shortages, power outages, total destruction. I know the royal wedding is exciting, and yes, I'll be watching. But please do not let the party across the pond overshadow the horrors our fellow Americans are experiencing.

Here's a simple way you can help right now: Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross if you want to help those affected by the storm that hit Alabama.

Source - Jason Clark

Royalty

2011-04-27T08:18:00.006-05:00

You can call me Countess Allison Eugenia Marounberton of Shoreviewton, my royal wedding name. Also, if you need some assistance on attire, CBS has got you covered.

I am ridiculously giddy over the royal wedding, I'm contemplating watching it live, anyone else? Totally ridiculous but I love weddings and this is going to be the wedding of the decade, at least!

I've even gone so far as to choose an outfit, a hat is a must! (I'm secretly hoping hats come back in a big way in the states! If anyone can make it happen, it's Kate Middleton!)

HA!

Oh yeah, weigh-in time?

2011-04-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

I'm going to predict the future -- right here, right now. I am not going to be 155lbs by the beginning nor the end of May.

Start 0 - 173.5 (Feb 17th)
Week 1 - 169.5
Week 2 - 169
Week 3 - 166.5!
Week 4 - 171
Week 5 - 168.5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10 - 168 (April 25th)

Am I surprised? No.
Am I disappointed? Sure.
Am I thankful its in the downward direction? Yes.
Am I thankful I have the ability to maintain my weight? You betcha.
Am I going to buckle down and be 155lbs by the end of summer? Probably not.
Am I going to eat an abundance of fresh, delicious and healthy food until I burst? YES!

unthawing

2011-04-22T11:25:00.000-05:00

Are you there Mother Nature? It's me, Allison -- regarding Spring.

Hurry.

Finally - some very small signs of Spring up here in the frozen tundra! This winter was especially brutal, with record breaking amounts of snow. I thought it would never melt. Its been a painfully slow start to Spring -- or maybe I'm just impatient.

I just love how everything is brown and dead but those weeds show their bright green faces the minute the snow is gone! Le sigh. I know what I will be spending Easter weekend doing!

Hawaii Wrap-up!

2011-04-16T23:40:00.000-05:00

After the cruise we stayed one night in Honolulu -- at the Outrigger Reef, which I highly recommend! Thoroughly enjoyed Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial and a tour of the USS Missouri. The Pearl Harbor exhibits were recently renovated and they were just brilliant and amazing. Such an educational and somber visit. We spent our last day at the Dole Plantation (not worth it) and driving up to the North Shore.

The Hawaiian islands will forever hold a special place in my heart and I look forward to out return!

Boston!

Boise!

Minneapolis!

USS Arizona Memorial

The spot where WWII ended on the USS Missouri

Honolulu

View from our hotel! Waikiki Beach

Leonard's Bakery - Malasada Puffs

Dole Plantation

Yum! Pineapple soft serve!

Not-so-yum.

North shore

I did. And I'll be back!

Kauai - Part Two - Nature and Luau!

2011-04-10T21:04:00.000-05:00

Kilauea Point was a nice stop -- don't get your hopes up for an amazing lighthouse. However, nice bathrooms, amazing views (whale sightings) and birds everywhere. It was worth the stop!

Kalalau trail - yeah, I was not dressed or ready to hike so I didn't LOVE this but it was neat! Very muddy and slippery!

And finally Smith's Family Luau! This was so fun, holy cow -- the grounds are BEAUTIFUL! The food was delicious (and yes, vegetarian friendly!)! The show was highly entertaining. I would recommend this to anyone!

Chickens on the beach (ack!)

Part Two!

And I thought I was going to starve to death..HA!

Beer man to the resuce!

United States Stereotypes

2011-04-06T09:38:00.001-05:00

Witty art -- headed my way! Click on the picture to order a copy for yourself!

The Big Island continued...

2011-04-04T01:03:00.000-05:00

Ugh, will I ever finish posting our Hawaii trip?

We ended our trip on the big island in Kona! These are the stops we made:

Punalu'u Black Sand Beach (I pretty much died when we saw the turtles!!)
Painted Church
Kona Beach

Sadly, this beautiful beach front street was damaged by the recent tsunami from the Japan earthquake. You can see a video here with water rushing over these beach walls into the hotels and stores.

First Stop This Morning...

2011-03-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

Target.

To pick this up:

And I had the same small, but noticeable, anxiety I have when buying things such as: feminine products, laxatives, underwear, pregnancy tests, you get the idea. I tried to find the cashier that would be the least humiliating. I decided I should pick an older guy (clueless) or a chick to my equivalent (because cmon, what 25-33 year old chick doesn't like Britney? That works at Target? It doesn't get much more pop culture people!). I thought about sneaking in the CD with other really sophisticated products like ziploc bags, light bulbs and high heels.

Luckily, I found a lone cashier, a 60 year old man. He knew exactly what was up as he had just seen Britney on Good Morning America that morning! So in the end I didn't feel too foolish actually purchasing the CD. I saved the full-on embarrassment for when I was spotted singing at the top of my lungs as I pulled into the parking lot at work.

Maui and The Big Island

2011-03-23T06:56:00.000-05:00

Our last lazy day on Maui was spent in Lahaina lounging on the beach and strolling the seaside shops.....(hello sunburn and the best shave ice ever. ever from Local Boys)

The next stop was the big island where we headed to Volcano National Park! Steam vents, craters and black molten lava as far as the eyes could see! The most interesting part of the entire park to me was driving to where the lava flowed over the road and into the ocean. Sweeping away 'road closed' signs and whatever else was in its path!

Week 5 - Weigh In

2011-03-21T14:57:00.000-05:00

Start 0 - 173.5
Week 1 - 169.5
Week 2 - 169
Week 3 - 166.5!
Week 4 - 171
Week 5 - 168.5

5 pounds in 5 weeks -- Steady as we go...

Considering my goal has me with 13.5 lbs to lose in 7 weeks...I better get my butt in gear!

Maui Continued - Halekala Sunrise

2011-03-17T00:17:00.000-05:00

Add this to your bucket list folks!

Watching the sunrise on the edge of a volcano summit, above the clouds. Stunning.

And totally worth getting up at 3:30am.

Week 4 - Weigh In

2011-03-16T09:37:00.000-05:00

I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! I'm overweight! Blargh!

Start - 173.5
Week 1 - 169.5
Week 2 - 169
Week 3 - 166.5!
Week 4 - 171

The experts are not lying -- quality of calories, schedule and sleep are important to weight loss. These past couple weeks have been brutal at work - capital B R U T A L. I have been tracking my intake, I'm on track there -- but when the calories are crap, my schedule is crap and sleep is non-existent, it doesn't matter.

My body is giving me a big eff you.

Things my body said these last couple weeks:
1 - not eating anything until 4pm, and it being a bag of pretzels from the vending machine is not cool
2 - eating a healthy breakfast only to eat nothing again until 10:30pm and it being a half of a pizza and beer, not cool
3 - staying at work, completely immobile from 7am to 10pm, not cool
4 - sleeping 4-5 hours a night, not cool
5 - sleeping 4 - 5 hours a night all week and then sleeping until 4pm on the weekend, not cool

Hoping next week is better, on the scale and in general!

Frost Yourself

2011-03-09T08:38:00.006-06:00

Boy I tell you what (said in my best Idaho accent) -- my DIY jewelry holder is the project that keeps on giving!

Original post (hahaha at the amount of necklaces I had back in 2008)

Second post (Necklaces - apparently they multiple like Gremlins!)

This summer (yes, almost a year ago) my in-laws came to town. When seeing my jewelry display in the bathroom my mother-in-law said, "it reminds me of that movie where they tell Kate Hudson to "Frost Yourself" at the jewelry party..." LOVE IT!

You remember the scene right? If not, I know you remember the dress! (fun fact, one of my prom dresses was this color!)

Nine months later I finally put that inspiration into play and ordered a vinyl sticker for a couple bucks off Etsy (I could make my own now with my Silhouette!). Three months later I actually hang it up....

Week 3 - Weigh-In

2011-03-07T07:29:00.000-06:00

I'm so thankful I'm not doing this ala Biggest Loser in a sports bra and shorts on TV. With that mental image, lets get straight to it:

Start - 173.5
Week 1 - 169.5
Week 2 - 169
Week 3 - 166.5!

Woot! I had a new BFF this week, Will Power. Will was with me day and night -- except Tuesday when I ate an entire flatbread pizza and drank an pitcher of Shandy (beer+lemonade). Apparently Will couldn't refuse those $6 pitchers either. After that little incident I ate very clean for a few meals and thanked my lucky stars that mishap didn't stick with me all week!

Maui Continued - Road to Hana

2011-03-06T22:35:00.000-06:00

Like I previously admitted, the road to Hana was slightly torturous...but the end result was SO worth it! Tucked away off the main road was an amazing black sand beach -- stunning!

"After driving nearly to Hana you will see a sign on the right side of the road indicating Waianapanapa State Park to the left. This sign is a little bit premature, but continue on down the road for a hundred feet or so and you'll see another smaller sign, and Honokalani Road on the left (on some maps, including the Google Map below, this road is called Waianapanapa Road). The park (and beach) are all the way at the end of that road."

It was Super Bowl Sunday :)

Brought to you by the Letter E

2011-03-04T08:16:00.002-06:00

Goooood Friday morning! Returning to the Encyclopedia of Me!

Etsy - Who doesn't love this land of homemade goodness?

Earrings - Don't go a day without them

Eyeshadow - Can't resist palettes upon palettes of eyeshadow (really, how many shades of brown, purple, gray and taupe can a girl have? The answer is 48 and counting...)

Edward - Team Edward FTW

Email - The bain of my existence. I love thee, and I despise thee. The 12,000+ in my inbox at home, 8,000+ at work. Archives after archives. I have anxiety just thinking about it. Unfortunately, can't live without it!

Have a great weekend!

Week 2 - Weigh In

2011-02-28T10:33:00.000-06:00

169.

Much due to:

Still in the right direction I suppose and its all my own fault! Cookies are gone, back to tracking, crossing my fingers for next week! I caved into a local Groupon for pilates, I'm scurrrrd but also excited! Dreaming of looking like Jennifer Aniston (ha!).

Maui - Part One - Road to Hana

2011-02-27T23:29:00.001-06:00

Our first port was Kahului on the island of Maui! We took a shuttle from the ship to Thrifty -- picked up our Ford Focus and headed for the road to Hana.

We trusted in our book and stopped at a restaurant outside the city of Paia (it was so hard to pass all of the fun restaurants, most of which claimed to be the last stop before Hana!). It was SO worth the willpower! Mama's Fish House was quite possibly the highlight of our trip for me! I really can't describe the ambiance, view or food. The first picture below is the view from our open-air table! {swoon}. The second and third picture are from the grounds of the restaurant. {dreamy} I was almost brought to tears I was so happy and loved it so much! (vegan friendly too!)

The diagram below is really no exaggeration of the twists and turns of the road to Hana! WHOOWEE! I have never experienced a blink of car sickness but the road to Hana pushed my limits! If I dare looked at my phone, map or the book -- for a quick second -- I paid for it for the next 15 minutes. I never had to stop but lots of fresh air, deep breathing and eye focusing! The trip itself was fun and beautiful, although it got a little tiresome.

The end result (not actually Hana) was absolutely worth it -- pictures of that coming next. I was really bummed there wasn't a non-scenic-route back but again, it was worth it. Just keep your eyes on the road!

Left or Right Brained?

2011-02-23T08:16:00.002-06:00

AMAZING advertisement created by Y&R for Mercedes Benz.

Left brain: I am the left brain. I am a scientist. A mathematician. I love the familiar. I categorize. I am accurate. Linear. Analytical. Strategic. I am practical. Always in control. A master of words and language. Realistic. I calculate equations and play with numbers. I am order. I am logic. I know exactly who I am.

Right brain: I am the right brain. I am creativity. A free spirit. I am passion. Yearning. Sensuality. I am the sound of roaring laughter. I am taste. The feeling of sand beneath bare feet. I am movement. Vivid colors. I am the urge to paint on an empty canvas. I am boundless imagination. Art. Poetry. I sense. I feel. I am everything I wanted to be.

Which one are you? VAMH is the exact definition for each!

Week 1 - Weigh In

2011-02-21T08:32:00.000-06:00

My official start weight was 173.5 on Monday, Feb 14th (175 was what I weighed on the morning we landed after our trip, the next day I was 173.5 which is more what I was expecting and consider it my actual start weight!)

This morning....drum roll please.....169.5!

As I know, and Weight Watchers warned me, this type of weight loss is too high but common for the first week. I fully anticipate it to be a one-time only occassion but I'll take it! Good weight loss average is two pounds per week, this prevents anemia, muscle loss and heart irregularities -- I surely do not need any of those. ;)

Week 1 was tough, not going to lie. It became very clear as to why I wasn't losing any weight. My "treats" or "splurges" had become a daily event and that adds up! Peanut butter is also my biggest enemy -- not having that in the house is probably the best idea ever for this journey. Calculating the nutrition of a dinner is painful but with the online management system I only have to do it once. I didn't take extreme advantage of the "free fruits and veggies" rule on the new WW plan but it did save me from snacking a few times -- Hmmm....apple or crackers. Apples are "free" -- apple it is!

Thanks again for all the support! I'll be back next Monday for weigh-in report #2!

Hawaii - Day One - Oahu

2011-02-21T01:21:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned last week -- Vinny and I took off for a heavenly vacation to Hawaii. My god, was it heaven.

I really want to capture our memories for each island as well as help others who may be taking the same journey -- I know I was assisted so much by reviews and tips online.

I'll start with Oahu -- where we began and ended our trip.Upon arrival the air was warm, even though it was after 9:00pm. We took a shuttle to pick up our rental car and headed to Waikiki for the night. Waikiki reminds me a lot of Vegas -- sans casinos. One main strip, full of ritzy stores (think Prada and Gucci but also Fossil and even a Forever 21), all open until at least 11:00pm at night. The streets were lined with cars, the sidewalks were lined with people. This is my kinda town....

We stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani, which was not bad but I wouldn't recommend it. A/C didn't work well and there was no elevator in the parking garage (carrying suitcases up and down 4 flights of stairs is not how I want to start my vacation). We didn't do much the first night since it was about 4:00am Minneapolis time by the time we were checked in and settled.

We woke up early the next morning and headed out to see what Honolulu and Waikiki had to offer, we didn't have much time -- our cruise ship left that afternoon but we did what we could. Which involved eating at Cheesecake Factory (very authentic huh?) and walking the miles and miles of open-air shopping malls. Vinny picked up a new pair of sandals and we headed to see the beach. STUNNING beach! Views of Diamond Head and what appeared to be miles of sandy beaches. We didn't stay long but we will next time :)

As afternoon rolled around we made our way back to return the rental car and hop on a shuttle to the Pride of America. We've cruised with Princess on three occasions but this was our first with Norwegian. I have enough to say about the cruise ship for a separate post! Our first night we got the lay of the land and settled into a quiet corner of the ship to share a bucket of Hawaiian beer ($35 for a six-pack....gulp). The cruise ship offered a pub crawl as we sailed away from port ($20, 5 drinks, 5 bars). Needless to say it was highly entertaining to observe....each person participating had their nickname taped to their chest -- my favorite? A couple from Minnesota, "Snow Bunny" and "Snow Plower" -- ha!

Weight Loss

2011-02-17T19:50:00.001-06:00

In case you can't tell:

We just returned from a fabulous vacation and cruise in Hawaii (reviews, pics, deets to come on that soon). Vinny and I both get a bug on vacation -- its called the 'omg I don't want to end up like these people - we need to lose weight' bug. People watching on a cruise ship is top notch. Especially at the buffet (my preferred eating location on a cruise, I roll high class like that). So many people that struggle to walk, all ages, size and shape and it scares the living shit out of me. I do not want to be prohibited from the life I love and the things I love to do because of my knees, my hips, my ankles not being able to handle the abuse of my excess weight.

So Monday -- I jumped back on the Weight Watchers wagon -- hoping to drop the 20lbs I need to to be the highest weight in the range for my height, 155lbs. By May. I'm typically not one to drop weight with hard work and dedication without an event of some sort (my wedding, being a bridesmaid, etc) so this is a first. Intentional dedication, for no good reason at all other than to be healthier and most likely happier. I have slowly dropped 30ish pounds since going vegetarian and then vegan but I've been stuck in the 175 range for over a year, clearly my plateau and easy maintenance weight.

So here it is -- my details and pictures -- for the world to see and keep me on track. {gulp} You all are my "wedding/beach/event" that I need to stick to this!

Brought to you by the Letter D

2011-02-08T21:39:00.001-06:00

B, C....and now.....D

Desert -- a native from Boise, Idaho I am a desert climate lover. I didn't even know what humidity was until I was well into my 20's and took a trip to Florida. You might find me lying on a rock like a lizard soaking up some rays! (photo by the fabulous Seth Lemmons)

Drums -- Travis Barker isn't so bad either ;) Drums are definitely my favorite instrument, drum line, rock n' roll drums, congo drums (preferably played by a naked Matthew McConaughey), if its a drum, I love it!

Dancing -- I dance like a white girl, clearly evidenced in the photo above. But I love dance like a fat kid loves cake. Dance competitions, dance reality shows, dance movies, dance recitals, dancing with my bff's.

The Doors -- Thanks to my step-dad who introduced me to The Doors before I knew how to walk. Jim Morrison and his tunes take me back to my childhood days and I love them the same today. Related -- how awesome is this staircase painted with The Doors lyrics?

Damask and Dots -- who doesn't love 'em?

Linked Up Here

Is This Not the Most Amazing Idea?

2011-02-05T11:26:00.001-06:00

I wanted to title this, "My Husband is Going to Kill Me", but I think I already have one or two of those. Sounds like I need a new Label.

Anywho - how freaking awesome is this? I soooo want to do it. Without even asking I know it will be a big N-O from Vinny. Le sigh. Marriage is tough huh?

Found at this blog -- which I love -- and have never seen before! I love when that happens :)

Date Night Hair

2011-02-03T08:27:00.001-06:00

My super-talented friend, Natalie (owner of Piggy's Place), made me this gawgeous pale pink satin flower to wear on an upcoming vacation. I couldn't resist trying it out while getting ready for a night out! A low, messy side bun, 631 bobby pins and one beautiful flower, romance!

Perfect for Valentine's Day too! The best part? Less than $10! Eat your heart out Forever 21!

I swear I'm not nekkid -- just figured my fluffy pink bathrobe wouldn't accent the flower so well!

Also, Natalie commissioned me got a joint venture at Piggy's Place. I create the wood pieces using paint, decoupage, paper, etc. Then Natalie fancies them up into bow holders, how fun are these?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-02T09:22:00.000-06:00

are so boring...but what other excuse do I have to post pictures of the cutest.dog.ever? Stay safe out there!

Brought to you by the Letter C

2011-01-31T08:33:00.003-06:00

Back for another edition of my personal alphabet encyclopedia! Link up over at Shannanigans if you want to join in!

I missed out on the letter A -- check out the letter B and here is the letter C:

California -- I don't care that the cost of living is insane, the chance of an earthquake is insane, the state budget is null, the foreclosures are out of control, the crime, the smog, whatever. I don't care. I want to live and die in California.

Camera -- You may have noticed I love my camera. I'm not so great at using it but there is not much in life that brings me as much joy as taking and editing photos. I am also enamoured with viewing and collecting other people's photos!

Coffee -- Now that I'm 30+ my taste buds have been worn down enough to enjoy a cup of black coffee. And I really, really enjoy it.

Charlie -- Do I really need to explain this? My furry soulmate.

Clementines -- I had to add this because I've eaten 4 of the big boxes of them in the last month. I can't stop.

(Color - Chairs - Chandelier -- color, something you also might have noticed I love)

My New Toy!

2011-01-25T19:56:00.001-06:00

My mom spoiled me BIG time for Christmas (and as you can see below...shocked me BIG time too!). I casually mentioned to her once that I would love a Silhouette SD Digital Cutting Tool -- but that it was too expensive to ask for and something I would never splurge on. Well come Christmas day......

When I got home I instantly had anxiety over the machine. I was worried I wouldn't be able to figure it out or it wouldn't be as amazing as I had imagined. I was wrong. Super simple, plugged my Mac right in, opened up the software (very similar to PSE or similar) and went to town.

My friend (and personal vegan baker), Beth, asked me to create some birthday goodies for her son's 3rd birthday. I created the invites and thank you cards digitally and then a coordinating banner and cupcake toppers using the Silhouette SD. Unfortunately I am a little disappointed in my first creation....I still had a case of anxiety which inhibits my creativity :|

I hope next time I can do something a little more exciting and creative but I don't think G will mind if his birthday banner isn't ultra creative and complex!

Thank you again mom, I can't wait for project #2!

The monkey has a face now :)

Invite and Thank You card! Isn't he the cutest?

Casting Call!

2011-01-25T08:29:00.002-06:00

I may or may not be casting myself in an imaginary movie.

While doing my casting research I did a few celebrity look-a-alike to find the actress who would play me, and the actor who would play Vinny. I was mistaken for Katie Holmes once upon a time so I had already cast her for myself. Low-and-behold...MyHeritage.com's face recognition program agrees! And Vinny's first pick is good too (Jason Biggs was my first choice!).

Anywhoo...for your viewing pleasure....the runner-ups (you know, in case Tom won't let Katie out and Howie is too busy touring with NKOTBSB ~~(who wants to go with me to their concert puh-lease?!?)~~.

#1 Aight...I'm with ya....good start!

#2 BWAHAHA!

#3 Doesn't get more 'All-American' than this folks....hahahahahahahaha!

#4 ROFL!!!!

The Best 15 Minutes of Your Life

2011-01-24T22:54:00.001-06:00

These videos have brought me to tears (laughing) -- two days in a row. I have watched them all three or four times, at least!

If you don't find humor in things like LOLcats (like my husband...) move along!

You know you're loved when....

2011-01-19T10:12:00.000-06:00

...a non-vegan makes you a dozen+ cookies from a recipe that calls for this stuff:

btw -- ENER G -- I'm available for photography and graphic design aid :)

My dear friend Beth went on a journey that even I have not ventured down in the last year -- vegan baking! I'm honored, humbled and so thankful! And happy. And maybe a pound or two heavier. Those were some damn good cookies! Check out the cookie dough and recipe over on her blog!

Thank you again Beth, you're the sweetest friend a girl could ask for!

If This Trees a Rockin' - Don't Come a Knockin'

2011-01-18T21:51:00.000-06:00

Oooh look, in the tree, 'Hey Squirrel!'

I said HEY! Look at me when I'm talking to you Mrs. Squirrel!

Oh snap.

'scuse me

Brought to you by the Letter B

2011-01-17T08:34:00.001-06:00

I'm joining Shannon over at the Shannigans for a personal alphabet encyclopedia. Every two weeks Shannon will post a letter (A-Z) throughout 2011. The task, using the letter come up with things that you like, do, appreciate, covet or just find interesting and write about it!

And by the end of the year, we'll have a whole encyclopedia of ourselves! Link up over at her blog if you want to join in!

I missed out on the letter A -- so I start my encyclopedia with the letter B!

Brugge - I fell in love with this city during our European road trip last May. The saying, 'All Who Wander Are Not Lost', was made for this city. We wandered and wandered and wandered the streets; every door offering a unique color, knob and knocker. Amazing restaurants, friendly tourists and natives. Go there.

Britney Spears - I love this girl. Through the ups and downs. Bald or with ghetto-extensions. I even named my kitty after her, way back in 2002. Britney's new song is amazing and I know the album will match. I hope she does another tour, I'd be there in a heartbeat!

Boston -My honey's hometown. One of my favorite cities in the US to visit. So much history, pride, diversity, passion, and more.

Britney the cat - Still hurts. a lot.

Boise - Home sweet home, enough said!

Bunting & Blue & Birds - I couldn't help but incorporate a few other 'B' items that I love into my picture above. I just placed my order with Mada's Place for the cutest Spring bunting -- full of stripes, flowers and polka dots in happy spring colors! The porch just isn't the same now that my Halloween and Christmas bunting had to be put away.

Menu Planning - Dinner for the Week!

2011-01-16T15:50:00.001-06:00

I've had a few people ask what a typical weekly menu looks like for us now that we eat a primarily plant based diet. I just finished planning and making our list for the week so here it is!

We've been eating this way for so long I don't know how it comes across to the average person -- is it totally gross sounding? Weird? Surprisingly normal? Thoughts?

Lemon Pepper Pasta with Artichoke Hearts
Mock Tuna Sandwiches with Kale Chips
Ginnifer Goodwin's Bok Choy and "Chik'n" Salad
Black Beans and Rice
Amy's Pizza (because sometimes you just need dinner ready in 12 minutes with little effort)

Style.....and now Function!

2011-01-14T13:32:00.001-06:00

The striped entry is now functional! The husband's hat collection has grown tremendously over the last few years and the storage we had (a canvas tote) just wasn't working. Hats were being buried in the bottom and were never getting their opportunity for use -- how rude!

I was originally inspired by this image a long time ago -- way more 'design' than function right?

The hats ~~must be approved~~ are hand-picked by me to make it onto the hooks (no baseball hats please!). Luckily, these displayed also just happen to be the most often worn!

Comfy

2011-01-13T09:12:00.002-06:00

This guy cracks me up!

New Must-Have!

2011-01-12T08:39:00.004-06:00

My little sister, Ashley, bought me the most useful gift for Christmas this year! Living in Minne-snow-ta, gloves are essential. When I lived in Idaho I thought gloves were essential. No really. Gloves are essential in Minnesota. Not an accessory, not to match your scarf, not to keep your fingers warm. To keep your fingers alive.

My smartphone is pretty essential too. In the past, the two did not get along well. But now, I have myself a fancy pair of Isotoner smarTouch gloves! Basically, the pointer finger and thumb have 'conductive' thread that tricks your phone into thinking its your finger so you dont have to remove your gloves to text, facebook, email -- all that important stuff! The term "conductive thread" kinda scares me for some reason but it works! For real.

Thanks sister, I love them!

Black Bean/Sweet Potato for the WIN

2011-01-11T21:41:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law made these over the holidays and a love affair began -- a new member of the recipe rotation for sure! Very similar to a black bean/sweet potato chili recipe I posted before but I love these way more.

This is how I throw them together....it's open to modifications in preparation and ingredients for sure!

Microwave a sweet potato (I have an 'potato' button!)
In the meantime, heat up a can of black beans (I buy them already seasoned)
Throw in some salsa, some corn, anything you like really!
When the potato is ready slice in half
I scoop out about 3/4 of the inside (and just eat it!)
Fill the potato with the bean mixture
Top with more salsa, guacamole or faux sour cream (or ketchup)
Top even further with green onions or cilantro
Dig in!

photo source and another version!

New Year's Resolution - 4 for 4?

2011-01-02T08:31:00.000-06:00

2008, 2009, 2010 I made and met my new year's resolutions! I still can't believe it to be honest, I am definitely not a 'follow througher' by nature!

2008 - Cook dinner based on a planned menu! Which includes just one trip to the store per week and no wasted or excess food! Here is how I do it...

2009 - I'm pretty sure I was too traumatized from losing my luggage on the way to Italy and Lebanon to think about any sort of resolution for 2009. I guess you could say my resolution was to be re-united with my luggage, which I was. (3 months later)

2010 - Vegan (food)! Out of a possible 1095 meals a year (365x3) I am proud to report that ~~very systematically guesstimated~~ 945 of them were 100% vegan in 2010! 100% of the 1095 were vegetarian. It has been so much easier than I could imagine and absolutely one of the things I am most proud of in my life. The hardest part is traveling which is to blame for most of my diversions. The second hardest part is remembering to be proud of my dedication and not fault myself when things don't go as originally dedicated.

2011 - House cleaning routine/schedule/checklist!

I have a feeling that I'm more of a 'one day a week' than 'little bit at a time' type so I am going to cater towards that. My plan is to devote my 'big' cleaning to a weekday so that I can fully enjoy my weekend! I searched the internet and found multiple schedules, tips and ideas -- but none of them seemed right to me -- until I came across this one. Is it bad that I always relate to the overwhelmed mother when in my reality I am the exact opposite? Eh...owell!

PS I'd also like to resolve to correctly say the year -- I still say 'two-thousand-eleven' -- Argh! Must get on the 'twenty-eleven' train soon!

2010 Christmas Card Designs by Yours Truly

2010-12-20T08:55:00.005-06:00

I love to design cards/invites/etc and I am blessed with a group of friends that are patient and willing to work with me and my design process, which isn't the quickest or the best! This year was especially fun, so many fun couples and families to work with!

My friend Beth took these adorable pictures of her son, instantly I thought of the famous 'naughty or nice' Christmas tagline! She recently moved as well so I included a short 'change of address' at the bottom!

My beautiful friend Dawn and her husband are so fun! She recently lost her kitty too and wasn't feeling very festive, I hope these designs cheered her up.

The winner!

My friend Marcia and her beautiful twins! They are half Jewish so the cards couldn't be too 'Christmasy' -- also, she knows herself well and these might go out for New Years so, again, very vague but still wintery and could easily pass for Happy New Year cards!

My hilariously fun friend, Aly and her husband, are Auburn alumni and HUGE fans (in case that wasn't obvious!). How fun are these cards?

My friend Angela is a repeat customer and I love designing for her and her hubby. She gives me almost total freedom to design to my heart's desire, I had a ton of fun creating this options! She couldn't choose one and decided to send a variety, love that!

And finally, our 2010 Christmas Card! Oddly enough when it comes to designing our cards I was completely stumped. A friend of mine told me, "I know a couple of mechanics that have cars that don't run so well!" I guess its similar! At the final hour I came up with this design, a tribute to our travels -- Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas in many languages along with some photos from our Annual Honeymoon!

I love a good statement ring....

2010-12-01T08:58:00.001-06:00

Festive statement ring -- $6 Target (surprise!) It looks like a real ribbon but its actually metal!

Stretchy is good, pants and rings.

Striped Entrance

2010-11-30T09:25:00.000-06:00

I was most definitely inspired by Rachel over at Pencil Shavings and the many other bloggers out there that have horizontal stripes. To name a few....G&D, Joi, Ten June, Abode Love, Jeremy & Kathleen, Three Men and a Lady...etc...etc...etc!

I'm glad I finally took the plunge, in a small, simple space! :)

Wowza!

2010-11-29T08:59:00.001-06:00

How amazing and random is this?

found here

"The artist is Dalton Ghetti. Born in Brazil, 49 year old Ghetti says he has been carving since he was a schoolboy - things ranging from stones, large piece of wood, soap, broom hands - until he found this niche."

Messy Fabric Flower Brooch

2010-11-25T12:26:00.000-06:00

I've told you about Piggy's Place before. And now I am the proud owner of some Piggy's Place goods, I'm here to show them off!

I asked Natalie for a purple brooch for my jacket, a 'funky' magnet for my cubicle and a BSU korker for my niece -- wow did she deliver! I am so in love with each and every piece! I quickly placed an order for brooches for almost every girl in my family!

Become a Facebook fan for exclusive coupon codes, including some Thanksgiving deals!

PS -- thank you all so much for the kind words in my previous post. I am forever grateful to each and every one of you for the support and empathy. thank you, thank you. {hugs}

One Week

2010-11-24T19:45:00.001-06:00

One week ago I said goodbye to my best friend.
My loyal companion for the last 8.5 years.

One week later it is still impossibly painful.
Painful to see the spots she should be in.
Painful to pick her hair off of my jacket.
Painful to see her best friend, Charlie, search all over the house for her.
Painful to feed Charlie and see her empty bowl.
Painful to sit in the silence of the night, waiting for her me-ow.
Painful to look at my hands and realize I can't remember what she feels like.
Painful to be, without her.

One week later I try to focus on the good times.
The day she became mine.
The days of her "nursing" on Charlie.
The day she returned home after being missing for a week.
The day we practiced riding in the car.
The day we drove for 20 hours to Minnesota.
The day she came home after being sick last year.
Every single day of the last 8.5 years.

I took this photo just 4 days before she was gone. I had no idea this would be her last photo. Our last weekend.

Oh I miss you baby girl.

Last Day for Scentsy Catalog Party!

2010-11-12T10:49:00.000-06:00

Just in case you wanted to order, my catalog party closes tomorrow!

I received my order yesterday, ooooh I highly recommend French Kiss! Snowberry and Silver Bells are great Christmas/winter scents as well! I'll be honest and say I don't love Eskimo Kiss, its not bad but not in my top 20.

I am also in love with the plug-in warmer! Perfect for a bathroom!

Click Here for more information

Click Here to start shopping! (remember, checkout the closeout section!)

Back to School - Week One

2010-11-11T09:28:00.001-06:00

So here it is, the end of my first week! I'm taking three courses this semester, one eight week and two four week sessions. Currently -- Student Study Skills....thrilling. And Illustration Fundamentals.....yikes!

My illustration assignment was to draw a still-life with minimal detail (basically just getting scale and perspective correct). I wish all homework could be this enjoyable! I also really hope to learn a lot in the next seven weeks!

Ooofdah -- I'm such a beginner! Much more difficult than I was anticipating!

Back to School

2010-11-09T09:19:00.001-06:00

Most of you already know but since I consider this blog to be my historical calendar I figured I should post about it!

After taking a year off I have decided to take the steps to finish my (undergrad) degree! I searched high and low for an online graphic design program, which is the only way I can finish in my lifetime while working more than full-time. In the end, I selected Herzing University's Bachelor of Science Graphic Design program. Much to my amazement. when I e-mailed admissions on Oct 15th I found out that I could start as soon as November 1st!

Wow. No second-guessing this huh?!

Hitting the Trends at Home Goods

2010-11-08T08:41:00.002-06:00

If I'm not a sucker for all things trendy then I don't know who is....thank goodness for Home Goods prices!

Square cake plate -- $12.99 (for the cake I never make and the party I never have)

White ceramic owl vase -- $16.99 (for the umbrella I don't have and the location I don't have (hello wagging dog tail))

Keep Calm and Carry On Pillow -- $16.99 (for the couch that is already overflowing with pillows that get thrown on the floor so we can sit)

It's Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Christmas

2010-11-05T12:55:00.001-05:00

Hi all! I am having a Scentsy catalog party! What is a Scentsy catalog party you ask?

Scentsy is a delicious company that sells decorative warmers that melt amazingly scented wax by the heat of a light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame! No more soot or fear of burning the house down -- all while still having the aroma of heavenly scents! I plug mine in every night when I get home from work, I just love it!

My mom actually signed up as a consultant recently. I'm pretty sure, she alone, kept them in business prior to becoming a consultant! :)

So here I am, having a catalog party! You can order directly through her website!

Christmas season is upon us, I think these are awesome gifts; it's how I received my first warmer and bars and I have been in love ever since! ALSO -- every order that comes in will be entered into a drawing to receive two additional bars!

Orders shipped to a location within the contiguous United States:
1. With a retail value of $.01 - $49.99, shipping will be $5.00.
2. With a retail value of $50.00 - $149.99, shipping will be 10% of the product total.
3. With a retail value of $150.00 or more, shipping will be FREE.

Festival of Lights

2010-11-05T07:56:00.003-05:00

Many of my co-workers are in India and with their families for this long holiday weekend but a few are here in the US. I cannot imagine spending a holiday, like Christmas, thousands of miles away from my country, culture, family and friends. No matter where you are, Vinny and I want to wish all of my Indian co-workers and friends a very Happy Diwali!

Deepavali (also spelled Divali in few countries) or Diwali, popularly known as the festival of lights, is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.

Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Halloween Pretties

2010-10-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

The most perfect Halloween porch ever, by Pottery Barn (of course)

My Halloween 'costume' for the year...

And finally, a collage of the cutest Halloween stuff ever.

sources 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My Friends are Amazing

2010-10-28T09:40:00.001-05:00

HOLYCOW! My friend Natalie has just opened an Etsy shop full of adorable hair accessories! At the moment they are mostly for little ones but I see a few I might wear and I know she has more to come! I also know she has bow holders coming soon... :)

She added a few new varieties to her shop this morning and I am in love! Dammit I need a kid or niece or something! Seriously, Natalie -- you are super talented girl!

Fabric flower on skinny elastic band

Fabric flower on skinny elastic band

Kanzashi Style Fabric Flower on crochet head band

Pitterpatter goes my heart! How cute are these korkers? They don't have to be sports related, the bottlecap and ribbon colors are 100% customizable!

Korker hair bow with personalized bottle cap

Butternut Squash Soup & Garlic Pumpkin Knots

2010-10-25T08:52:00.000-05:00

Butternut Squash Soup

Inspiration Source

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 small potatoes, cubed
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 medium butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cubed
32 fluid ounces vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 450, spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Spread diced vegetables onto cookie sheet and place in oven for ~7 minutes, until slightly roasted and softened. Pour stock into pot, add vegetables from oven. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender.
Transfer the soup to a blender, and blend until smooth. Return to pot, and mix in any remaining stock to attain desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

Garlic Pumpkin Knots Recipe

Anyone else HAVE to read while eating? I'm glad it's something Vinny and I have in common :)

Chicago Part II

2010-10-23T14:03:00.000-05:00

We recently drove down to Chicago to meet a couple friends that are driving from Boston to California. This is our second time to the big city and I still don't feel like we have even scraped the surface! Chicago is amazing, as big and busy as NYC but with a mid-west vibe.

We didn't realize it but we arrived on the same weekend as thousands of other people. Those "other" people were in town to run the Chicago Marathon (10-10-10). In the end the marathon didn't make much of an impact, other than seeing a lot of really healthy, thin people (a lot of hobbling thin people on Sunday!). Some roads were closed, the park was taken over by sponsors and the like but it didn't affect our experience at all. The weather, like it seems to be everywhere, was unseasonably warm -- in the 80's and sunny during the day, clear and in the upper 50's at night. Perfection.

Love and Marriage....Love and Marriage....

The bean, one of my favorite parts of Chicago. So fun! (day and night!)

Ulanna is our traveling buddy -- she was in Paris with us last year. I think I have this exact picture of her doing the same thing in Paris!

Not only were there runners in town but there were giant Lego sculptures too. Vinny and Olek (Ulanna's brother) doing their best...uhh...Lego impersonation.

We had drinks at the top of the John Hancock tower. Its the best way to see the view in my opinion -- you can pay $15 for a ticket to the observatory. Or, go to the bar/restaurant a few floors below and have two beers for $14.

All of the buildings were illuminated in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

We hit the Navy Pier...

We did an architecture river tour...

Can you see the new glass bottom observation decks they added to the ~~Sears~~ Willis Tower?

Corn cob building...

The 'L' running through the city is so neat -- very urban. Urban makes me happy.

Authentic Deep Dish

We took the train into some of the northern neighborhoods. Andersonville and Lincoln Square to be exact. Next time we will be eating in Andersonville, the streets were lined with middle eastern food {drools}

Mercedes that runs on vegetable oil!

Who der?

Andersonville was originally a hot spot for Scandinavians...its since been mixed up a bit more but this horse was in tribute to the original majority.

It was a quick -- but fabulous weekend! I highly recommend Chicago and I can't wait to go back for Part Three :)

Where Are You?

2010-10-22T20:52:00.001-05:00

I found this blog via....geez, I don't even know....which happened to be a Minnesota blogger who happens to also have a blog that brings local bloggers, nationwide, together!

BLOG OBJECTIVE
This blog is used as a networking site to locate other bloggers in your area (nationwide).

Create business partners, organize get togethers, make new local friends and just find out who else is blogging in your area.

Check it out!

Boo!

2010-10-19T16:00:00.001-05:00

I grew up with a mother and grandmother that decorated for every holiday and season change -- its in my blood. I tried to fight it. Decorations take up a lot of space, we move a lot. Not to mention we never have anyone to the house so it seems pointless to decorate for myself really (we all know Vinny could really care less!).

I gave up the fight this year. I might not go full throttle and put up all of my decor or buy a ton of new decor but our house will indicate some sort of holiday is approaching this year!

My new favorite holiday/celebration decoration is bunting. Big enough to make a statement (which means less is more!). Very easy to store (wont take a plastic tote in the basement). Affordable (less than $15!). And cute (which really is the top priority).

Halloween bunting came from my friend Steph @ Mada's Place. She has been enlisted by me for a bunting for every holiday/season! Thanks again Steph, your work is phenomenal (hello cute wavy stitch)! She also has some more exciting bunting additions come to her shop soon....make sure to stay tuned via Facebook!

Cute little glitter-belly bird is from Michael's! He has some DIY relatives coming soon, whenever I get off my lazy butt and get my glitter on!

Target Clearance Gold Mine!

2010-10-15T23:24:00.000-05:00

Oh Target -- how I love thee random 'knock-my-socks-off' clearance items. Thank you.

Catch a Wrinkle in Time - Deep Moisturizer - Was $17.59, Now $4.38
Make Yourself Youthful - Rejuvenating Serum - Was $21.99, Now $5.48
The Fab Pore - 15-Minute Facial Peel - Was $14.29, Now $3.57
Night in Shining Armor - Night Cream - Was uhh.....a good deal.
Oh and the cute bag they are sitting in, Was $24.99, Now $6.24!

So you can imagine how I spent my Friday night....ahem.

I am in LOVE with these products so far -- I would actually buy them at full price now that I've sampled them at the amazing prices above. My skin feels like a baby butt after a mask, some serum and deep moisturizer! Not to mention their product design and marketing is adorable and witty -- you know I'm a sucker for good design!

Cardy Boots? Yes Please!

2010-10-15T15:49:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have these boots? Rant/Rave? I'm guessing they are no good in the rain and snow which makes me hesitant but damn if I don't love them. And my cankles will too.

Super tempting in the cream/ivory color but I know that would be a bad idea!

Hmmmmm....decisions...decisions...

It's Official -- I'm Addicted

2010-10-06T08:44:00.001-05:00

Purchase #4 from Made by Sam on Etsy!

Originally I had these in mind for a Christmas cruise in the Bahamas we were going to take. Perfect right? Unfortunately plans for the cruise fell through but I have no doubt these earrings will find another occasion to make an appearance!

Yummy! New Favorite Fall Scent!

2010-10-03T08:37:00.002-05:00

OHMY.

Victoria's Secret has a new limited edition line of scents -- three of their popular scents with a touch of 'midnight' (Amber Romance, Love Spell...and....something really berry!). I love their Amber Romance but I love Vanilla Lace more. Amber Romance Midnight smells like a mix of the two, with some caramel swirled in. {drools}

The gal told me they would only last a week or so longer -- I have an overwhelming urge to clean out my local store :)

Leavin' on a Jet Plane....Again...Again...Again...Again!

2010-09-25T23:35:00.001-05:00

Whewy -- I am a traveling fool recently! While I am loving the change of scenery, great company and warm weather -- I miss Vinny (so, so much)!

Two weeks ago I headed to Fort Meyers, Florida for a dreamy weekend with my girls! Came home for three days and then headed to Phoenix for work....came home for 12 hours last night....and then off to Boise for a work/family visit for the entire week. Shortly after this trip to Boise, off to Chicago!

Picture-perfect weekend in Florida with Steph, Kelly, Nat, Peach, Aly, Marcia, Beth, Lisa and Dusty! (Ahem, M, which one of these is not like the other? Hmmm?)

In Phoenix I had dinner at the Rustler's Roost -- a CRAZY cowboy restaurant. Vinny's cousin is doing a 'Flat Stanley' project at school so he came with me to Phoenix. I couldn't resist snapping a picture of the little fella with a rattlesnake appetizer and mason jar beer! (I drank the beer....I did not eat the snake)

And well...this is the only picture I have taken in Boise so far!

Wordless Wednesday - Never Alone

2010-09-15T08:18:00.003-05:00

Buy Two - Get One Free

2010-09-14T08:12:00.010-05:00

Gets me every time (Ulta)! I was craving some warmer fall nail colors and used my 'free' option for a trendy color (Ingrid).

I don't love Ingrid as much as I thought I would -- it's less brown in artificial light. A lot more baby poop green/brown. Which is not the best look for your hands, if you know what I mean.

Next up, deep purpley black polish -- it figures that I am finally brave enough to try a trend four years after the trend began.

Green Monster

2010-09-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

I smile every morning at my bright green concoction so I thought I would share it. This is the best way for me to start the day, with tons of veggies, some fruit and calcium! It keeps me full for a few hours, its super yummy (I promise you) and its pretty -- what else could you ask for?

I start with a cup of soy (70 calories) or almond milk
I always add a banana -- because a smoothie isnt a smoothie without one
Splash of vanilla to sweeten the deal
The remaining ingredients depend on what we have in the house -- the one below I used some jarred peaches leftover from Vinny's wisdom tooth recovery, the day after I did a fresh nectarine, frozen pineapple is my favorite!
and then I stuff it with as much spinach as I can! It's crazy but you can't taste the spinach at all!

I think kids would love it too! The color is most of the fun -- the nutrition is just a bonus!

Bottoms up!

Shish

2010-09-10T09:57:00.001-05:00

Ohmyheavens. I have found my new favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities. I highly, highly recommend this Mediterranean cafe! Vinny is so lucky it is 10 miles away or I might never cook dinner again!

Shish on Grand

This is what we had on our maiden voyage:

Shish Maza Mix (VAMH shared, pictured below..sorta...)
A mixed plate of hummus, babagonoush, falafel, feta cheese, tabbouli, tomatoes and olives

Chicken Shawarma (Vinny's order)
Thinly sliced marinated chicken served in a pia with lettuce, tomato, onions, parsley and dressed with cucumber sauce

Veggie Shishwich (My order, pictured below)
Roasted eggplant, roasted red pepper, toasted zucchini, roasted squash served on a bun dressed with hummus (I opted for a wrap version!)

Chill in the Air = Chili in my Belly

2010-09-09T10:36:00.001-05:00

Beautiful Fall weather has crept into the Twin Cities the last week or so -- I don't think it's here to stay but I'm enjoying the teaser! I took the opportunity to make a chili recipe I've had bookmarked since June! It was amazingly delicious, filling and SO healthy.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small onion, finely diced
* 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile, (see Note)
* 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* 1 1/3 cups water
* 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
* 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons lime juice
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
(I think I'll add corn next time!)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and potato and cook, stirring often, until the onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, chipotle and salt and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the potato is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes and lime juice; increase heat to high and return to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until slightly reduced, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro.

Nutrition

Per serving: 374 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 67 g carbohydrates; 14 g protein; 15 g fiber; 699 mg sodium; 603 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (410% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Iron (30% dv), Potassium (17% dv).

Topped with dairy-free sour cream and freeze-dried cilantro!

Wordless Wednesday - Never Alone

2010-09-08T07:28:00.000-05:00

Kitchen fail.

2010-09-07T08:08:00.001-05:00

Foolishly, I thought this recipe would be the best thing I had ever flopped my lid on. I took pictures all along the way...even my heaping serving. It looked so delicious, it sounded so delicious.

It was not delicious.

So here it is folks. A pretty picture of a not so delicious pasta salad.

Bonne Belle

2010-08-31T10:34:00.000-05:00

My all-time favorite makeup involves heavy eyes and nude lips. I've spent countless dollars and hours trying to perfect the nude lip -- a drawer full of MAC, NARS, Revlon, you name it -- lip glosses from magazine and online makeup tutorials and I was never satisfied. Once applied on my lips they never looked the same. Le sigh.

Enter Stage:
Bonne Belle (you heard it!) Lip Lites are THE BEST for a nude lip look. The colors are perfect, the texture is perfect and the smell is the cherry on top - YUM!

Cappucino and Strawberry Parfait are my favorite but Vanilla Swirl and Caramel Latte are just as wonderful. I highly recommend all of them! I used to buy them at Walgreens or CVS but they stopped carrying them for some reason :( Walmart still carries them -- I clear the shelves anytime I am there, at $3.50 a pop, I can't resist!

No GAP

2010-08-30T09:37:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friend Aly -- who hooked me up with her Friends and Family 30% discount -- and a helping hand in the fitting room, I have a new love in my life -- Long & Lean GAP Jeans.

I started with the Curvy, obviously. Not bad.
I then tried Perfect Boot, not bad. (I really loved the double button on these, they just weren't quite right on me)
Sexy Boot. ehh...ok.

And then helpful fitting room attendant said to me -- "my favorite cut on everyone is the Long & Lean -- you should try them!"

Really? You are suggesting that I, Short & Round, should try on Long & Lean jeans? Ok!

SOLD.

My favorite part? No gap in the back. NONE. And no digging in on the sides. Like they were made for me. Unbelievable.

I guess the moral of the story is -- don't judge a jean by its name!

I cannot believe I just put a picture of my ass on the internets.