wishbones & the art of right regrets; volume ii.

new adventures for 2011.

2011-01-19T19:30:00.003-05:00

i've started a new blog about my adventures going through all of the coupons in the 2011 entertainment book for richmond, virginia and other money-saving tips. come visit me at: http://livingfrugallyblog.com

xo,
r

again, i apologize.

2010-04-07T10:45:00.000-04:00

i am still very sorry for being m.i.a.

but,

i can tell you a little bit about what i have been doing.

i accepted a new position at a new consulting company

in richmond, virginia

that i am very excited about!

a little bit more responsibility

and a little less stressful environment.

i am very excited!

but this meant saying goodbye to all of my wonderful coworkers

i hope to keep in touch with them

and would like to publicly thank them

for all that they have taught me in the last four years!

i also took and passed the praxis 2 for earth science,

in the hopes that in the next few years

i may move on towards the teaching field.

i have extensively been researching evening classes

for teacher licensure programs

and met with education professionals in the area about my future transition.

(becoming a teacher is hard work...!)

hopefully

i will have a little more "rachel time"

to accomplish my hugely-long to-do list

finally upload pictures from JANUARY

i have to start that etsy shop

finish a lot of craft projects

get ready for my baby sister's graduation

potentially start marathon training

start organizing curriculum

plan some vacations

(including obx with my family,

beach with the girls,

delfest!!!!

and to chicago in a week and a half

to see my fav les!)

so happy spring,

and here's to new beginnings ( :

hi!

2010-03-15T15:05:00.001-04:00

sorry i have been m.i.a.

SO much going on.

good stuff!

just a lot of stuff!

dogsitting

(no longer sure i could handle 2!)

tests

trying to set up my etsy shop

(clearly not as timely as i would have liked)

exciting surprises from my main man

(wicked!)

visiting friends

learning to fry wontons

running 1/2 marathons

you know,

the usual ( :

i saw this today.

thought it was too cute!

the following was found posted very low on the refridgerator door:

dear dogs & cats:

the dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food.

the other dishes are mine and contain my food.

placing a paw print in the middle of my plate does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish,

nor do i find it aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

the stairway was not designed by nascar and is not a racetrack.

racing me to the bottom is not the object.

tripping me doesn't help because i fall faster than you can run.

i cannot buy anything bigger than a king-sized bed.

i am very sorry about this.

do not think i will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort.

however, dogs & cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep.

it is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other,

stretched out to the fullest extent possible.

i also know that sticking tails straight out

and having tounges hanging out on the other end to maximize space

is nothing but sarcasm.

for the last time, there is no secret exit to the bathroom!!

if, by some miracle,

i beat you there and manage to the get the door shut,

it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob

or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door.

i must exit through the same door i entered.

also,

i have been using the bathroom for years.

canine/feline attendance is not needed.

the proper order for kissing is:

kiss me

THEN go smell the other dog or cat's butt

(or your own)

i cannot stress this enough.

( :

xyz

2010-02-17T22:16:00.000-05:00

we are spoiled, rotten Generation Y kids

born between 1978 and sometime in the early 90s

think MTV before “The Hills,”

Atari

and baseball with long hair, mustaches and no steroids.

We’ve experienced Nintendo,

AOL when it was dial-up

and all the girls in the chat rooms were models

Windows (or MAC)

Doom on a 3.5″ floppy

boy bands

iPods

iPhones

& college degrees that stuck us with a mortgage in student loans.

credits: blast

but trust me on completing a triathlon.

2010-02-10T18:10:00.001-05:00

in college i was part of

jmu club triathlon.

i did it for the motivation

there were always people to work out with

great cycling classes

reserved pool times.

unfortunately,

i didn't find the other members particularly friendly,

but maybe i was too busy

with my own friends to notice.

i was cleaning out some of the folders

on my mac

to free up some space

and found this document -

triathlon advice

(based off the sunscreen song);

surprisingly fitting

for my

half marathon race

on feb 28!

here it is:

Ladies and gentlemen of JMU TriathlonClub, if I could offer you only one tip for the future, completing a triathlonwould be it. The benefits of this sport have been proven. The rest of my adviceis nothing more than my own meandering experience which I will now impart.
Beware of train tracks,especially those on Route 11. But it is acceptable if you do not. Chicks digscars. Go to meetings. Enjoy road trips. It is the best way to get to know yourteammates since they have nowhere to hide and they can not escape. Secure bikeracks.

Your sleep and meals two days/nights before the race are the most important.Expect to toss and turn the night before the race. Name your bike. Stay awayfrom high fiber, greasy, caffeinated, or different foods from your normal dietthat may cause stomach problems. Unless, of course, you want to spend the racein a port-a-potty.

Carbo load. Eat bread. Garlicbread. What your body does not need, you will get rid of race morning. Don’tforget to have your run number on when you cross the finish line.

Give positive comments to others during your race. Cheer for people before andafter you race. Thank volunteers. Make lots of noise. Remember, the crazier thebetter. Do not be surprised if you pass buff studs. Do not be surprised if youget passed by a 50 year old.

Enjoy your body. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Use it every way you can- trythree ways within an hour (swim, bike, run). And remember, you look hot inspandex.

Wear purple and gold. Use body glide. On your feet, in between your toes, innerthighs, behind armpits, between your butt. Anywhere to prevent chaffing.Fundraise.

Expect to be hit with propelling objects like arms and legs during the swim.Expect your legs to become Jello when transitioning from the bike to the run;feeling like you are moving backwards is normal. Expect the unexpected (like aflooded transition area).

Drink water. Drink Gatorade. EatCliff Bars and Cliff Shots. But do not do anything differently race day if youhave not done so in training.

Do not attempt to put on a tight jerseyor shirt after the swim unless you want to give spectators a good laugh. Havean extra of everything.

Don’t forget to smile, have fun, and realize you are doing something few areever able to dream of. Stay in sketchy hotels. Enjoy the post race food.Consuming twice the amount of calories you burned can be expected. Keep yourold race bibs.

Do not shower for as long as possible. You will want to show everyone your bodymarkings. If showering is a must, then I suggest getting some sun. This willcause your numbers to appear white on your red skin.

Don’t agonize over times.Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in theend, it's only with yourself. After all, it’s the experience that counts.

But trust me on completing a triathlon.

>} >.

2010-02-09T10:36:00.005-05:00

february playlist
inspired by all sorts of

love:

love for a significant other

a woman

a great year (this year's love)

love for those less fortunate

(esther, world on fire)

love for a sister (caroline)

love for a better life

or a higher power (love in the remains)

love for your favorite [childhood] place

(shady grove, blue ridge mountains, 29 [inspired by rt 29 in virginia])

or your favorite morning ritual
(two cups of coffee).

so without further ado,

& in alphabetical order (for lack of a better option)...

accidentally in love - counting crows

ain't no reason - brett dennen

all you need is love - the beatles

arms of a woman - amos lee

at last - etta james

better love - steel train

blue ridge mountains - fleet foxes

bulletproof weeks - matt nathanson

caroline - old crow medicine show

cheek to cheek - frank sinatra

cheer up - ten shekel shirt

crazy love - van morrison

do you remember - jack johnson

drifting - bebo norman

esther - sara groves

everybody's gotta learn sometime - beck

falling slowly - glen hansard & marketa irglova (once soundtrack)

for emma - bon iver

free - phish

the heart of life - john mayer

how to save a life - the fray

i and love and you - the avett brothers

i'll be - edwin mccain

if there's love - citizen cope

if you never got sick - the wallflowers

if you see her, say hello - bob dylan

jealous of the moon - nickel creek

jeanne - air

kodachrome - paul simon

light my candle - original broadway cast of rent

little room - norah jones

lonelilly - damien rice

love in the remains - dave barnes

masterfade - andrew bird

mexico - james taylor

nothin' special - del mccoury band

omaha - counting crows

on your porch - the format

paperweight - joshua radin & schuyler fisk

pink moon - nick drake

please come to boston - joan baez

please read the letter - robert plant & allison krauss

sea song - lisa hannigan

sere nere - tiziano ferro

sex on fire - kings of leon

shady grove - doc watson

some kinda love - the velvet underground

swallowed in the sea - coldplay

there is you - dailey & vincent

this year's love - david gray

true companion - marc cohn

two cups of coffee - josh kelley

world on fire - sarah mclachlan

29 - justin rosolino

i hope you're inspired, too! ( :

say hello!

2010-02-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

we finished setting up our flickr site today:

flickr.com/photos/wishbonestwo

photog friend!

2010-02-01T09:22:00.001-05:00

photo credit: rebekah girvan photography

yesterday we had lunch & coffee

with an old friend of mine from harrisonburg,

rebekah!

besides

being a fabulous (dog) person

and having a deep spiritual conversation with h

on their first day meeting (so sorry r!),

and nearly getting stuck in richmond,

she is a fabulous photographer!

i hope she doesn't hate me for reposting

the picture above from a wedding she did on saturday.

but it is beautiful and i love it.

all of her pictures,

even the traditional posed ones,

seem like she has captured some candid moment in time,

some conversation

or laughs

or smirks.

check her out at her website:

rebekahgirvan.com

or her blog:

rebekahgirvan.blogspot.com

i really hope she gets snowed in

in richmond again soon.

( :

tumblr?

2010-01-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

dear friends,

i now have a new inspiration website:

wishbones.tumblr.com

you can follow me there in google reader

or on tumblr.

i created this to add creative

and random

photos and quotes.

love,

top ten.

2010-01-31T21:19:00.000-05:00

it's no secret that i'm in love with gossip girl.

so i was pretty excited when a friend of mine sent me

these top ten lists.

my favorite,

surprisingly,

isn't chuck's top ten nyc restaurants

but

dan's top ten books of 2009.

coincidently,

a lot of these are on amazon's best books of the month lists.

the list & my comments:

this is where i leave you by jonathan topper

heartfelt family drama/belated coming-of-age story; sounds like dan's life in a book.

too much happiness: stories by alice munro

short stories; with a theme - who are we? do we change in relationships?

eating animals by jonathan safran foer

i loved foer's everything is illuminated -

this book sounds like a mix of foer & michael pollan (my favorite food writer).

i've put this one on my list,

although i've never heard any of the gossip girl characters say anything about food.

the believers by zoe heller

you may remember heller from the screenplay notes on a scandal...

the believers is set in nyc in 2002,

a comic novel about hypocrisy of all kinds - fitting for the nyc socialites.

the blonde of the joke by bennett madison

"val, friendless and adrift, finds francie and adopts her religious devotion to slutty ensembles and shoplifting." sounds like georgina to me!

sag harbor by colson whitehead

autobiographical novel about a black student in an elite manhattan private school -

i can see dan's character relating to feeling out of place...

nocturnes by kazuo ishiguro

i loved ishiguro's never let me go -

this a collection of 5 short stories that seems somewhat similar to her other novel.

await your reply by dan chaon

a thriller - about the "lives of three strangers interconnected in unforeseen ways."

the help by kathryn stockett

i have heard great things about this book from my stepmom,

but i find it hard to believe dan's character from gossip girl would read it -

it's about a black woman and social activist in the age of

country clubs and the civil rights movement.

changing my mind: occasional essays by zadie smith

short stories on topics including "literature, movies, going to the oscars,

british comedy, family, feminism, obama, katharine hepburn, and anna magnani"

sounds interesting.

they were fun to research!

i'm not sure i'll add any to my bookshelf

except maybe eating animals.

for now

but i am counting down the days

until the next new gossip girl

and my celeb crush

(chuck bass)

and listening to eric's #10 best album of 2009:

bon iver's blood bank ep

( ;

adventures inside.

2010-01-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

my man:

one of my many new tricks using adobe lightroom:

grayscaling & color using brush.

yay snow!

the other chuck.

2010-01-30T21:00:00.000-05:00

photo credit: ansel adams gallery

i am obsessed with national geographic magazine.

my dad gets the subscription

and we get all the back copies.

i am amazed at all of their photography
and stories.
recently this one caught me by the eye.
the photograph in the mag is of pia bay in chile.

"it is scarcely possible to imagine any thing
more beautiful than the beryl-like blue of these
glaciers, and especially as contrasted with the
dead white of the upper expanse of snow."

[charles darwin,
january 29, 1833]

snow!!!!

2010-01-30T13:23:00.000-05:00

i just saw lovey's blog had this fantastic entry,

and i thought i'd recopy part of it here.

we did get snow this morning

i say this morning

because we stayed out until 2 am

and it was freezing

but there was no snow yet!

i shoveled more than 6 inches at 11 am

and by noon,

nobody could tell,

theres more than 6 inches on top of it already!

i came back inside,

and h made me some fantastic french toast

from challah bread.

no lies.

h is a great french toaster,

but this was THE best!

and i did try going to the store yesterday afternoon

for pizza, chips, salsa, and cookie dough.

and it was PACKED!

so without further ado,

here is how we richmonder's do:

1. someone says snow is coming to central virginia

2. we richmonders start paying attention

3. someone says it's coming to richmond

4. we richmonders really start paying attention

5. someone brandishes the word "accumulation"

done. finished. over. we who call richmond home all-out lose our minds.
in the case of snow, it happens like this:

Tuesday morning: The word "accumulation" is used.

Tuesday afternoon: Accumulation confirmed. All weekend plans put on stand-by or out-right canceled.

Tuesday evening: First trip to supermarket for bread, milk, wine, beer and cookie dough.

Wednesday morning / afternoon: Calls around town for sleds begin (for the record, Richmond.com is one step ahead. No one has them; Pleasant's is expecting a shipment on Friday).

Wednesday evening: Local news does a story about the run on supermarkets for bread and milk. Second trip to supermarket for extra bread and milk, plus frozen pizzas and non-perishables, because you never know.

Thursday morning / afternoon: Spend workday obsessively checking the forecast. More calls for sleds. Search online for sleds, but decide against them because you can't believe how much sleds actually cost.

Thursday evening: Meet friends out for drinks or dinner because you never know when you'll get out again. Realize you forgot to buy bagels. How could you forget bagels? Third trip to supermarket.

Friday morning: Alternate staring out window for snow and consulting forecast for exact snow start time. Cancel the rest of weekend plans.

Friday afternoon: Weather.com reports that it is snowing in your area. Run to window. Spend at least one hour yelling at weather.com because it is clearly not snowing. Ask boss about company inclement weather policy. Complain about said policy. Wait an hour; ask boss if company is closing early.

Friday evening: Fourth trip to supermarket on the way home for last-minute necessities, like chocolate and fancy hot cocoa. Alternate staring out window and watching local news for exact snow start time. Watch the Closings scroll to see if your work is closed on Monday, because you never know.

Friday night: Snow finally begins. Call/text all of your friends and family to see if it's snowing in their area and to make sure they're OK in the storm. Update Facebook status to reflect snowfall in case you missed anyone. Order pizza so you don't have to break into rations too soon.

Saturday morning: Marvel at snowfall. Fling pets / children into the snow so they can marvel and so you have pictures for your Facebook page.

Saturday afternoon: Drive or trudge to nearest hill and attempt to sled on a cookie sheet/shower curtain/trashcan lid/pool float.

Saturday evening: Meet friends for out for drinks or dinner to celebrate snow.

Sunday: Eat leftover pizza and stare out window, watching snow melt. Obsessively watch Closings list. Feel happy when the county you once lived in announces closing and then sad because you never became a teacher and now you have to go out, clean off the car and then go to work tomorrow. Plus you've got all that bread and milk to eat.

enjoy the snow!

or your weekend, wherever you are,

and be safe ( :

working from home.

2010-01-29T09:09:00.000-05:00

sorry i haven't posted in a while

busy schedules at home

plus

traveling for work

plus

training for a half marathon

do not lend well to keeping up with the blog

but i've been trying to keep up with reading yours!

today, however, i installed lightroom 2.6

(YAY!)

and have loads of errands to run for work

but hopefully i'll be able to make some time

to have lunch with h

get some laundry done

and make an emergency grocery trip

before all this snow hits!

for today

however

i wanted to share with you a post i recently found

about tips for

working from home.

everyone always asks me:

don't you LOVE working from home?

don't you LOVE working in your pjs?

do you get bored? lazy? lonely?

i don't love it,

although i love the situation it puts me in -

getting to live with my love

and near my loves

in the city i love,

but i wouldn't wish it on anyone.

i always wear "real clothes"

although usually jeans.

i don't get bored or lonely.

if i do i work from a coffee shop for a bit.

i try not to be too lazy.

but this post really highlighted some GREAT tips

some that i stick to and work for me

and others i've never heard of

and some i want to try.

some of her tips

(just the main bullet points):

be healthy

this is probably one i'm pretty good at

and that has improved greatly since working from home.

i eat a good, healthy breakfast & lunch,

and i'm not as stressed when i go to bed

knowing if i don't get to shower until noon it's okay.

get up and get dressed in the morning as if you have a "regular" job

i strongly agree.

set mini-deadlines

i'll only let myself check google reader & twitter

if i can check something off my list ( :

keep up with the housework

this is really easy when you have to spend hours

on long conference calls

mostly on mute hehe.

get out of the house once a day

i usually walk the pup

or go out to lunch with a friend

or walk to the coffee shop

or if it's raining, do work from the coffee shop.

it feels good to have a change of pace!

work of a task list

love this -- i use tadalists to keep my to do lists

personal & work related

gaurd your time

i find it easier to do this from home

because at the office i was very social

and now i can choose when i'm ready to "chat"

and when it's time for work.

allow plenty of time for pootling

see conference call, above.

nap

i don't always get to do this,

but sometimes if i'm having a really hard day

i'll spend an extra half hour in bed

(clutching my phone of course)

and work through my lunch.

reward yourself frequently

i usually do this by taking a fru-fru lunch

going out

or watching trashy tv for a 1/2 hour

or making cookies.

break the rules sometimes

i am not afforded this luxury

but occasionally

i'll run a personal errand after i run 8028320 work errands.

all my time has to be accounted for,

so it's not really breaking any rules.

do you work from home?

how do you function?

do you wish you worked from home?

january faves.

2010-01-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

apologies for the lack of a creative photo

adobe lightroom has been ordered

and is currently being held hostage

by my wonderful artisitic sister.

i thought i'd share some of my favorite recent purchases.

since i'm bored.

and really excited about them.

my new camelbak has saved me (thanks h!).

before i met my bpa-free friend,

i spilled water ALL over me

on the treadmill.

now i drink confidently.

vera bradley hanging organizer

in "sittin' in a tree" pattern.

vera was so smart to redesign this.

i figured,

at the rate i travel

i ought to be organized.

les recommended this book.

i'm throughly enjoying it thus far.

although it is a little wierd.

moleskine extra small journal

in hot pink (obvi)

(i purchased from barnes & noble).

love these!!!!

i have to confess

i haven't tried this dry shampoo yet

but i was so excited to get it!

i'm currently waiting 'till my hair gets greasier.

ewww.

i got this magazine

from a "cash-in" of my jetblue frequent flier miles.

best (free) investment yet!

i've made 13920 things so far!

hope you're having a good week!

can't buy love.

2010-01-18T08:41:00.002-05:00

i'm twenty-five.

it seems that all of my friends in long term relationships

are all getting engaged and/or married.

more power to them -

but it's not for h & i

right now.

i feel no pressure and no rush

and no fear of a need to prove our commitment to each other.

i think we have a good, healthy, loving relationship

if i do say so myself.

the past few months have felt like something out a movie:

stories of
cheating, backstabbing, heartbreak.

couples with

amazingly decorated houses

in the most amazing neighborhoods

amazing designer clothes for their

amazing high-profile jobs to come home to their

perfect families

with

hatred

lying

cheating

infidelity

and a lack of love.

private jets and

thousand-dollar coffee machines and

children and

posh vacations

can't put together a relationship again.

my heart breaks for them.

and i am reminded

(yes, me, albiet my obsession with designer jeans

and wanna-be perfect decorating)

that money can't buy love

and that i am so thankful for what i have

in my family and friends

and my wonderful boyfriend

and my unconditionally loving puppy.
so thank you
to all those who love
on me and on the world
because lord knows we need it.

rva shout out!

2010-01-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

do you get daily candy?

i found it while living in the dc metro area

and when i moved to richmond

i started getting the

"everywhere" edition.

today

in the everywhere edition's

weekend guide

is a link to

none other than

carytown's boutique

need supply company

it's been one of my favorite little carytown shops

since i was a teen.

nice to see some recognition!

less is more.

2010-01-07T09:24:00.002-05:00

i have been loving reading everyone's resolutions lately!

i am pretty good with resolutions.

in 2008 i ~~resoluted~~

resolved

to stop drinking soda

and start a blog

and be at peace with my life.

in 2009 i resolved to

take more pictures

learn to be a good pet owner

get outside more.

i did pretty well.

in 2010

i will resolve to:

(monetary guidelines in parentheses)

drink more water (free).

moisturize (about $10/month).

do more yoga (more than i anticipate).

spend less and save more (hopefully beaucoup $).

put v in dog therapy class (up to $100).

run a half marathon ($135 and cashing out my ff miles).

take more pictures ($0).

learn web design ($?).

see more live music (at least $150).

waste less (less $).

one of my themes this year

with the exception of moisturizing & taking pictures & seeing music
(you get the point)

is a friend's mom's favorite quote:

less is more.

(i always used to be a bratty child

and say

"no pat...

less is LESS than more."

now i know.)

so we shall see friends...

all help & encouragement is much appreciated.

like a gem.

2010-01-06T14:18:00.000-05:00

h wants date night tonight.

what to do,

what to do?

i was browsing around some local richmond websites

style weekly

richmond good life

skirt

to find something interesting to do

since the byrd is playing

paranormal activity &

where the wild things are (bleh).

i found no good ideas for tonight.

but

i did find a fantabulous review

for a wondiferous restaurant

and a true gem

(no pun intended):

garnett's.

really.

if you haven't been there,

please go!

it's even better than what they say.

and even cuter than the pictures.

you absolutely must get a lemon nana.

so...

any ideas for date night?

xoxo, me.

2010-01-05T15:16:00.000-05:00

confession.

i have a really

REALLY

unhealthy

obsession

with

gossip girl.

don't hate

but my favorite character

chuck bass.

he's my celeb crush.

we're allowed those,

right?

for our sanity...

and

if you know me well

you would know

LOVE

chic lit

(my favorite book

is pride & prejudice

and i've only read it

about 6 times).

what does chuck bass

have to do with

amazing literature

you ask?

he is in the 2010

film

wuthering heights

heathcliff.

eeeeeeek!

hopeless, and a romantic.

2010-01-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

nearly missed

the missed connections

but happened to find

this amazing blog/artist.

this missed connection

is my favorite

and consequently

the first.

if i wrote one

for when i met h

(for the nth time)

it would say:

w4m - barely 24 (at the time)

you had a yellow shirt

sleeve ripped off

and now around your head

banana thunderrrr

you screamed.

you didn't notice me

in radiant red

yet.

i think i remember you

crutches boy

from my college

freshman year dorm.

radiant red

went home

with a cold

from drinking too much

pool water.

thanks for the splashes.

can i have your number?

ooopsies.

2010-01-04T14:18:00.000-05:00

gentle readers,

after brief recklessness

with my most favorite beer

my computer is now

completely

dead.

and off to the factory it goes.

and $700 out of my pocket flies.

sad days.

may be short on post for a bit.

so sorry.

please forgive.

love,

seven plus 1 +++

2009-12-23T09:42:00.003-05:00

i have seven wonderful girlfriends from home.

they are all crazy in their own special way,

and i love them all for it.

every year for christmas,

in lieu of giving seven gifts,

we all go out to a nice dinner and pay for ourselves.

last night we went to avenue 805,

(and although i thought we'd get kicked out for being so loud)

it was wonderful.

every year we make predictions for the next year.

typical predictions include

marriage

new house

new car

new job

etc.

the theme this year was
men in twenty-ten.

lovey did me last year.

she reminded me that she predicted i'd move back to richmond

(which i laughed at

at the time)

and that i'd still be with h

(yay!)

and she got me again this year

(unfortunately for her, i like her predictions)

she predicted in 2010 i would:

take more vacation

still be with h ( :

start something new

be more crafty

and the one i hated most:

v won't get a puppy sibling yet.

boo.

i love our holiday traditions

and i love being in richmond to share more moments with my best girlies.

what holiday traditions do you have?

announcements.

2009-12-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

after making a lot of christmas gifts this year

including multiple scarves

and some other goodies

yet to be seen,

i've decided to create an etsy shop.

unveiling of the etsy shop

anticipated

early january 2010.

keep your eyes peeled!

as of now, i am only creating favorites.

got any favorites i should check out?

snow day(s)...

2009-12-20T12:56:00.000-05:00

had a wonderful snow day yesterday

and a second wonderful day

in the making

today!

our neighbors are

absolutely

without-a-doubt

wonderful!

we woke up yesterday morning

(let's be real - afternoon)

and they were shoveling our front steps!

yesterday afternoon

we took the pup

and played in the snow

with m and her bf

who loved v

(even if their kitties didn't)

and served us delicious hot cocoa!

we relaxed
(and played with the new computer)

and then went to our first christmas party of the season!

don't worry,

only 1 block away!

good music

good drinks

good friends

and a few good tacky sweaters

(photos to come).

today we got up

(h woke me up telling me

that he loved me more

than paula dean loves butter

how sweet!)

got ready

and walked to ellwood thompson's with the pup

for some farm-fresh eggs

potatoes & bacon

(from the hot bar)

sourdough bread

(to-die-for)

and coffee.

plan for today:

finish decorating tree at h's dads

finish up holiday present crafts (knitting, mostly)

cleaning up

more relaxing

( ;

less than a week to christmas!

i hope there's a little bit of snow left for an

(almost)

white christmas!

6 days!

2009-12-18T10:01:00.001-05:00

greensleeves just came on my ipod

and it made me excited

(it's my favorite christmas song

along with

i want a hippopotamus for christmas)

for christmas morning

and

making this delicious

baked french toast
while wearing
this glorious robe.

mmmmmm....

update.

2009-12-18T09:47:00.001-05:00

7:40 am

me: "baby, your laptop is in richmond!"

h: "oh..."

7:46 am

me: "BABY, it's out for delivery!"

h: "i told you, i never doubted fedex."

yeah right.

i do have to say
it got from shanghai to richmond
in one day
i'm pretty impressed.

sighs.

2009-12-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

h ordered a new laptop from hp a few weeks ago.

(if you signed up for verizon fios you got a $299 gift card for hp)

he is like a little kid waiting for christmas morning.

(he currently is using my laptop as his computer is slowly dying.)

every day he gets up and checks the hp website.

it was still in production 5 days after the estimated ship date.

thought someone was going to reach through the phone...

but yesterday

it shipped!

today it was ready to be accessed on fedex's website.

it's currently in shanghai, cn.

"is there a shanghai in connecticut?"

he asks at 7:15 am,

"what's the abbreviation for connecticut?"

"ct," i say.

wishful thinking.

on the way out the door for v's walk,

"how long do you think it'll take to get here from china?"

on the way back into the house from the walk,
"do you know which way the tradewinds go?

is it faster to fly from china to here?

how long is the flight to china?"

shouting from the shower,

"if it shipped at 4 pm, is that our time or china's time?

what time is it in china now?"

getting dressed,

"can you refresh the fedex page?

anything changed?"

on the way out the door,

"what if it's like castaway?!
and the plane crashes
the there are fedex boxes everywhere
and a local finds them

and steals my laptop

and goes back to his island

and listens to itunes?"

"it is coming with an american power cord,"

i say.

"well it does have a battery,"

he replies,

"what if it doesn't make it!?"

one step out the door,

"you'll be here to sign for it, right?"

poor guy.

making himself sick over it.

if you're reading this,

it's now been updated.

it will arrive on december 22

at 10:30 am.

but it's still in shanghai, connecticut for now.

love,

me.

advice.

2009-12-16T13:33:00.000-05:00

i was just speaking to my good

albeit unemployed

friend

(here's your long-awaited shout-out)

he told me he's no longer fretting

that he is unemployed,

because

if you are unemployed for 6 months

and you anticipate living to approximately 70 years,

that is 0.007% of your life.

so don't fret friends

who may be job-searching.

it's no a big deal

in the long run.

xmas 2k9.

2009-12-16T12:23:00.000-05:00

i sent out my christmas cards monday.

i thought it would be cheaper to get them done on etsy

and print them at ritz camera

and buy envelopes from staples.

bad idea.

next time, i'd rather just do them on minted

but i thought i was running out of time.

i won't even go into the fact that i couldn't find a single picture i liked.

we took 84 thousand.

h & v were tired of me.

so i just picked an older one.

i was so exhausted from trying to do it myself

i just sent them out

there is no personalized message.

my apologies.

i do love you all dearly.

i just wanted them to be over with!

but they did turn out lovely.

thank you krysta.

life with v.

2009-12-16T09:16:00.000-05:00

life with a 75-pound black lab is always interesting.

there is a little park about a block from our house.

it's fenced on three sides

which is great for obedient dogs

maybe not for bumbling, goofy, curious black labs.

yesterday was a trial run (no pun intended).

we attached two leashes together and ran circles with her.

there was another dog there

(a really cute, older yellow lab)

playing with a tennis ball.

v tried to join in...

...until she was sling-shotted with the leash.

oops.

this morning the sky is a perfect blue

no clouds at all

and, under my request, we took her to the park

with her harness
(she always behaves better with the harness)

and let go (!!) of her leash.

we threw the tennis ball back & forth for about 20 minutes

she was a very good girl!

no running after rogue squirrels

and no running into oncoming traffic!

she is pooped now.

this is where i found her after i got dressed

underneath my desk

sniffing around.

she almost never sits on the hardwood

(it's cold!)

when there are beds and couches and chairs around.

it also doesn't help that h made beef jerky last night.

and the whole house smells like dog food

can't wait to try it tho.

a year in fotos.

2009-12-14T17:41:00.002-05:00

january: new years in richmond

february: del mccoury in alexandria, va

march: v playing in the snow

april: jenny's wedding

may: planning for our company networking event at the corcoran, washington, dc

june: out with the girls

july: whitewater rafting in west virginia

august: baltimore national harbor

september: our new place in richmond!

october: apple picking in charlottesville with my favorites

november: h's dad's surprise 60th (with his bro)

december: jmu!

spicin' it up.

2009-12-14T12:34:00.001-05:00

every year h & his brother take care of their dad's stocking, filling it with his favorite candies, cordial cherries, mints, sausage, homemade beef jerky and homemade curried pecans. last year, i was a bad girl, and devoured handfuls of these before he packaged them. this year we bought 2 pounds. ( :

this is h's favorite recipe. he still pulls out his mom's cookbook, complete with notes in the margins about what to add, what to leave out, and what to try next time. these pecans make a great gift - just cook 'em up and divide into festive take-out containers like these cute pyramid ones from etsy.

photo credit

sandy's curried pecans

ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp seasoned salt
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp worstershire sauce
1/2 to 3/4 lb halved pecans

directions:

heat oil over medium heat and add curry powder, seasoned salt, worstershire sauce, and hot sauce - mix well.
add pecans and stir - coating all. cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
line cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. spread out nut mixture until flat.
bake for 20 minutes at 300 degrees F.
let cool completely before removing from pan.

what special treats do you make during the holidays?

childhood memories.

2009-12-12T15:40:00.000-05:00

i have fond memories of evenings growing up.

dinners on the grill.

or breakfast for dinner.

watching the simpsons.

listening and practicing piano.

and, as i was recently reminded, playing deer.

(normal kids play house. rural kids play deer).

but mostly,

we got excited for brooklyn bridge.

i loved that show.

i wanted to BE in that show.

it went off the air after only 2 or 3 seasons.

we didn't love another show like we loved brooklyn bridge.

although american dreams and freaks & geeks came close.

both also cancelled.

why do they cancel the good shows?

according to wikipedia & imdb:

brooklyn bridge aired on cbs between 1991 & 1993

about a jewish american family living in brooklyn in the mid-50s

based on childhood of exec producer gary david goldberg

won a golden globe

nominated for an emmy after the first season
(again... why do they cancel the good shows?)

cast of marion ross (happy days), peter friedman, jenny lewis (rilo kiley)

theme song by art garfunkel.

i remember being enamored with alan's life

he had a romance with this irish girl, katie.

just found out that katie was played by rilo kiley.

who i saw in concert open for coldplay in 2006.

small world.

well folks,

good news.

(as far as i know my sister is the only interested party)

allegedly, cbs is set to release brooklyn bridge on

march 16, 2010.

don't get excited and try to buy the dvds online before then.

the only people who sell them now are scams

(according to internet reviews)

i'm not sure if this date is legit,

but i sure hope it is.

suggestions from the best.

2009-12-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

les's christmas list for best friends who love owls and shabby chic finds and that live 795 miles apart:

le crueset dutch oven
dishtowels from target here and here.
Mastering the Art of French Cooking by julia child (les says: which also appears on my christmas list!)
magazine subscriptions; (les says: i have been enjoying body & soul - a publication of martha stewart; its tagline reminds me of you: balanced living in a busy world)
anything from anthro (les says: I would highly recommend riding boots---they are much more versatile than cowboy boots anyway.)
a keurig would also be handy (les says: i am ambivalent about them because they generate more waste than a coffee maker, but it's so convenient and fun and gadgetey!)
soap of the month club, like this local one from vermont.

shalom.

2009-12-11T13:15:00.002-05:00

i know i've been posting a lot about christmas.

but let's not forget our roots here.

at sundown tonight

hanukkah begins!

to celebrate

i've researched

and found a list of 50 plus

stars of david

in hollywood.

starting with none other than one of my favoritist actresses,

miss natalie portman.

photo credit: coco&kelley

(also on the list:
my celeb crush robert downey junior - sighsville
striking beauty keri russell
big love's ginnifer goodwin
and more)

check them out

and light a candle tonight

to celebrate

one of many miracles

this holiday season.

xmas+crafts=fun.

2009-12-11T10:08:00.000-05:00

so i did finally get my act together and get my stockings & tree skirt made.

i bought the fabric weeks ago...

the felt was nearly out of stock...

i had to go to 2 places to find the pinking shears...

and the lady behind me thought i was going to make the ugliest curtains on the planet out of my silver & gold home decor fabric (hehe)...

my inspiration for the felt stockings came from this stocking from hable construction for $76 (eeek!)

and the tree skirt.

let me put a little disclaimer.

i love sewing. looovvvveee it.

but:

i cannot for the life of me use a pattern.

i'd say i did pretty good.

my plan is to put the tree overtop of the skirt. if i need to, i'll cut a slit in the back.

it's felt so it won't tear.

i was pretty pleased with how everything turned out. kind of shabby chic.

i'm glad the edges are all raggedy.

i'm glad that not everything matches.

it just feels right.

it just feels like christmas.

finally!

2009-12-11T09:59:00.001-05:00

finally, finally...

i put ~~some~~ most

(i don't have a whole lot)

of my holiday decorations up, with the exception of the tree.

i tried to keep it simple.

i finally finished making my stockings and tree skirt (post to follow)

and pulled everything up from the basement.

i even wrapped the majority of my presents (!)

now i'm ready for the tree.

(hint hint, honey)

most all my decorations are from target, crate&barrel outlet, & thrift stores.

are you ready for christmas?

holyholymoly.

2009-12-10T16:42:00.004-05:00

just got the new anthropologie catalog and i want
E V E R Y T H I N G.

like:

credits: candied sweetbriar cardi, longing-for-yellow dress, elevation boots, toasted meringue cuff, clothbound penguin classics: pride & prejudice (my fave).

... now going to go back to drooling since i can barely afford to even own the catalogue. ( ;

pageants.

2009-12-10T12:24:00.003-05:00

my dear college housemate helped choreograph the christmas pageant at a local church here in richmond, west end assembly of god, so h & i went last night to see the play. i was excited to see her work, but not so much about seeing the play itself.

i have to say, i was thoroughly impressed. even though there was a live camel and people hanging from the ceiling and a really creepy jesus and a showtune at the end...

the play this year was an original script and score (amazing btw) called no man's land based loosely on the movie joyeux noel about the treaty between the french, germans, and british on christmas eve of world war one (h loved this).

if you live in richmond and are free the next few nights - you should go see it!

impressed.

2009-12-10T07:25:00.002-05:00

one of my high school friends is visiting for the week, and after i let him borrow my computer on a walk around richmond, this is what i found... completely un-edited, wonderful pictures of the city of richmond from the eyes of someone who hasn't seen the city in 9+ years... i love it. (although i wouldn't expect anything less from him.)

maymont

james river

snail-mail.

2009-12-09T12:22:00.000-05:00

photo credit

who doesn't love getting snail mail, especially christmas cards?

send me your address via e-mail to:

wishbonestwo[at]gmail[dot]com

and i'll add you to my list! ( :

mind&body

2009-12-09T07:57:00.005-05:00

tree pose in pyramid lake, nevada, august 2008

{the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes.}

-marcel proust

this quote is from a travel yoga book les gave me a few years ago that i was looking through at breakfast this morning. last night i went to an excellent yoga class at (i'm almost embarrassed to say this), gold's gym. it wasn't power yoga, it wasn't fast, but it was a great workout for body and mind. if you live in the richmond area, you are missing out if you haven't taken rosemary's class.

wish i was a beatnik.

2009-12-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

it's tuesday. on tuesdays, expenses are due for work. this requires me to clean out my purse at least once a month (i have to pay the bill somehow...) today i found a piece of paper i ripped out of skirt magazine in aiken, south carolina. i thought i'd share because i found it a particularly moving small shred of paper.

Muse: Jack Kerouac's "Rules of Spontaneous Prose" cut out of Utne Magazine years ago and carried with me every time I've moved. Still hanging on my mood board. Find it, print it, post it where your mind's eye will catch it daily."

jack keroauc's rules of spontaneous prose:

1. Scribbled secret notebooks, and wild typewritten pages, for yr own joy
2. Submissive to everything, open, listening
3. Try never get drunk outside yr own house
4. Be in love with yr life
5. Something that you feel will find its own form
6. Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind
7. Blow as deep as you want to blow
8. Write what you want bottomless from bottom of the mind
9. The unspeakable visions of the individual
10. No time for poetry but exactly what is
11. Visionary tics shivering in the chest
12. In tranced fixation dreaming upon object before you
13. Remove literary, grammatical and syntactical inhibition
14. Like Proust be an old teahead of time
15. Telling the true story of the world in interior monolog
16. The jewel center of interest is the eye within the eye
17. Write in recollection and amazement for yourself
18. Work from pithy middle eye out, swimming in language sea
19. Accept loss forever
20. Believe in the holy contour of life
21. Struggle to sketch the flow that already exists intact in mind
22. Dont think of words when you stop but to see picture better
23. Keep track of every day the date emblazoned in yr morning
24. No fear or shame in the dignity of yr experience, language & knowledge
25. Write for the world to read and see yr exact pictures of it
26. Bookmovie is the movie in words, the visual American form
27. In praise of Character in the Bleak inhuman Loneliness
28. Composing wild, undisciplined, pure, coming in from under, crazier the better
29. You're a Genius all the time
30. Writer-Director of Earthly movies Sponsored & Angeled in Heaven

money issues.

2009-12-07T12:06:00.002-05:00

yesterday h & i went to the green valley book fair and to take some pictures in the snow with v at our alma mater, jmu. we attempted to take a christmas card photo with wilson hall & the tree, but the tree looked pathetic, and after being in the car all day, so did we. pictures to follow...

on the way home, h & i were having some political discussion about i don't remember (i was too sad that kline's had closed by 6pm even though their website clearly says it should be open until 9pm), when i realized that h didn't know who bernie madoff was. this led to reading wikipedia articles on my phone for over an hour. it is insane to me that all that money, that had been promised to all those non-profit organizations, could just disappear.

this morning les "sent" me a link to a washington post article about neel kashkari, former aide to hank paulson. really makes you think about what happiness is. you should read it.

lovely screen shot from my computer.

i just can't stop thinking that this man went from small-town guy to capitol hill to paulson's aide, to distributing $700 billion dollars (and making it to sexiest men alive?), a horrible life (health & family)... and dropping it all. amazing.

i just can't stop thinking about it...

getting into the spirit...

2009-12-03T17:26:00.000-05:00

by listening to this wonderful christmas cd from sufjan stevens...

and putting up decorations...

and lighting some candles...

and making some yummy molasses spice cookies?

now. all i need is a tree. ( :

get busy living.

2009-11-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

Regina Brett's 45 lessons + 5 to grow on...

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

blessed&thankful. amen.

2009-11-25T12:40:00.001-05:00

last night we did our first annual (can i say that?) girls night christmas dinner at my house. i have been friends with all but one of these girls since i was 12, and some of them since i was 5! most of us (now) live in richmond, with the exception of b, who lives in new orleans and was home for the holidays.

i got 2 rotisserie chickens, made pw's mashed potatoes, and rachael ray's soup-ed up boxed stuffing with walnuts & apples & red wine. everyone brought a dish: l's baked mac&cheese, lu's cheesy broccoli&rice, e's squash casserole, e's green bean casserole, jenny's sweet potato puree, k's pumpkin pie... it was SO delicious.

but the best part was the friendship. i love these girls and we've been through really thick and really thin. there have been babies and marriages made, relationships broken, families changed, hearts and minds broken, but we have all come out okay - okay, and together.

here's to many more!

happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving geologists.

2009-11-25T10:44:00.003-05:00

(almost) official.

2009-11-23T08:05:00.000-05:00

sorry for the lack of posts. a 70-plus-hour workweek followed by a weekend of moving and (trying) to be lazy do not equate to a highly-motivated me.

h has officially moved in, nearly everything but signed the lease now. some things i welcomed with open arms (amazing new bed) and others... well... big sigh. ( ; my office has been converted into a "man-cave," but not to my dismay. although i originally scoffed at this idea, it proves to be an EXCELLENT place for me to put all of the things that don't "match" the rest of the decor, plus is like a room that h can feel like is his own in a house that has already been decorated by a super-type-a woman. a huge big-screen tv, exposed brick walls, a bathroom, a couch and recliners, soon to be a fridge, and now there's talk of a bar...

after a long day of cleaning, moving, trying to watch football, and more moving, we made heidi's broccoli cheddar soup with some disclaimers - ours looked nothing like hers... it looked more like panera's version. we used sharp cheddar, frozen broccoli cutlets, and we left our broccoli and potatoes chunky. we mixed in some flour and cream to thicken it. and served it with some cheddar jalapeno bread. what a great fall sunday dinner in front of football for our first night of being roommates!

i'm super looking forward to thanksgiving dinner with my girlfriends tomorrow night! so excited we'll all be together...!

crazy pup.

2009-11-14T18:12:00.000-05:00

thankful.

2009-11-13T12:06:00.000-05:00

just in case you needed a little realization that life is bigger...

bigger than my industrial job.

bigger than delayed planes and trains.

bigger than my designer jeans.

bigger than deciding what wine to drink with dinner tonight.

When I heard the news,
My heart fell on the floor
I was on a plane on my way to Baltimore
In these trouble times its hard enough as it is
My soul has a known a better life than this

I wonder how so many can be in so much pain,
While others dont seem to feel a thing
Then I curse my whiteness,
and I get so damn depressed,
In a world with suffering,
Why should I be so blessed?

I heard about a women who lives in Colorado,
She built a monoment of sorts behind the garage door
Where everyday she prays for all whom are born
And all whose souls have passed on
Sometimes my trouble gets so thick
I can't see how Im gonna get through it
but then I'd rather be stuck up in a tree
Then be tied to it

There is so much more.

I don't feel comfortable with the way my clothes fit
I can't get used to my body's limits
I got some fancy shoes to try and giggle away these blues
They cost a lot of money but they arent worth a thing
I wanna free my feet from the broken glass and concrete
I need to get out of this city
Lay apon the ground stare a hole in the sky
Wondering where I go when I die
When I die.

[there is so much more - brett dennen]

rainy days.

2009-11-12T08:50:00.001-05:00

it's nasty out here today... makes me glad that i flew back from ithaca last night instead of today! they've even closed some of the schools east of us...

i'm sad that v & i can't go out for our morning walk, and she's sitting her moping around all day, but i love listening to the rain on the skylight above the steps. i'm curling up in my favorite cuddly sweater, my warm slippers, with a cup of hot cider and enjoying an hour or so to myself this morning (yesterday was a long day) to plan out some craft upcoming projects:

a fabric covered cork board (mine is plain menswear fabric) for my necklaces which are currently in knotted balls in my jewelry box with some fabric covered push pins (of funky fabric), of course
plotting where i can find a headboard to repurpose and fabric to make a funky fabric covered headboard for our soon-to-be empty 2nd bedroom
cinderella inspired buttons for a scarf and hat set for my favorite 4 & 1/2 year old for xmas (all i can find were these)
make vintagey christmas ornaments like the ones farbs had on her blog a few weeks ago
figuring out how to make gloves like these delightful fingerless ones!
and finishing up some christmas presents in the making...

...back to work... have a great day! ( :

i love letterpress.

2009-11-09T16:00:00.000-05:00

i saw these books at barnes & noble and i am in love. i know this sounds ridiculous, but they would perfectly match the colors of my bathroom. h would call materialist. i would call me perfectionist. they are $10/each.

could not put this down.

2009-11-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

a few weeks ago, h & i both had a bookstore craving. we love books. we love reading books. we love having a book collection. we don't, however, enjoy spending money on books. we have gotten most of our books from yard sales, thrift stores, or (our favorite) crazy used bookstores like capitol hill books in southeast dc. we happened to both have gift cards for barnes & noble (or nobles if you add the letter "s" to absolutely everything like i do), and decided to waste the good part of an afternoon just browsing. (even though i went in with a list - i knew what i wanted well ahead of time.)

after LOVING the glass castle, it was only natural to pick up half broke horses by jeannette walls as soon as it came out... (& after i read this review from the ny times).

...and not put it down until completed. i read this book this week in my travels to ohio and south carolina, and finished it in about 4 hours. my only complaint was that it wasn't longer. it was WONDERFUL. all i could think about while i was reading it was that i wanted to be lily casey smith. i really did not want this story to end! lily was a rancher, a teacher, a wife, a cowgirl, a mother, a hardass, an unbeatable poker player, a schemer, a cowgirl, a pilot (almost), a survivor, a great daughter and sister, a home decor enthusiast, did i mention cowgirl, and above all, a realist.

there were some really good quotes about life lessons in the book as well.

"god deals us all different hands. how we play 'em is up to us." -lily's dad
"only difference between a traitor and a patriot is your perspective." -lily's dad
"teaching is a calling, too." -mother albertina
"when god closes a window, he opens a door. but it's up to you to find it." -mother albertina
"i was teaching them things they need to know, which made me feel like i was making a difference in their lives. i never met a kid i couldn't teach. every kid was good at something, and the trick was to find out what it was, and then use it to teach them everything else." -lily
"nobody's perfect. we're all just one step up from the beasts and one step down from the angels." -rosemary

sigh. first things first. nice pair of cowgirl boots, please!

[long overdue] champaign/urbanna update.

2009-11-06T17:26:00.001-05:00

i had the most wonderful food & friends experience last month in illinois. two restaurants in particular deserve some shout-outs - the courier cafe (photos above) in urbana & the red herring also in the urbana/champaign area.

les & i went to the courier cafe for saturday breakfast. the decor was the cutest and the food was great! i had potato pancakes and les had a traditional eggs & potatoes breakfast with some dark chocolate coffee (mmmm...).

just as she explained here, les started out telling me that the red herring was similar to our favorite college restaurant, the little grill in harrisonburg, virginia (just a peek at their website makes me wish i was there right now!), and honestly, she couldn't have been more right! les, machel & i went for lunch. it was a little different than the little grill, but the food was on par. if i could get the recipe for their falafel, i would be in heaven!

i should also mention that les is the expert hostess! her apartment was super cute, equipped with the cutest decor. i loved her shabby chic bedroom rug & shower curtain (she always gets the best finds)!

i love her style & loved hanging out & seeing her new location! bottom line: i can't wait to go back!

book-smart.

2009-11-06T15:04:00.001-05:00

as a tight-knit extended family of 12, we try to consolidate the inter-family gift giving by having a thanksgiving "secret santa." last year, we tried (i organized) a white elephant gift exchange, which went rather well, but did not bode well for future events.

this year, i tried to get out of organizing anything. in the past when we did the traditional secret santa, you sent in the list of things you wanted. might as well just spend $50 on yourself and call it a day. i mean, what fun is that?

so, i decided to try something new. my first suggestion was voted down by the "aunts," the ruling party in the family p: everyone donate $15 and we decide on a charity, much like a giving circle. oops. people want gifts and we already feed the homeless after thanksgiving dinner. ugh.

next idea: book exchange. in a family of doctors (and to-be doctors), accountants, architects, scientists, humanitarians, and artsy-folks, this will work. hopefully. everyone brings 1 wrapped, new (sigh, i wish it didn't have to be, but if you did so well they already own the book, what's a person to do?) book ($10-$15 limit since the economy is a hurtin') for a selected (by me) person. i am praying to the god of secret santas that this works out flawlessly. considering the only responses i've gotten have been "oy!" (thanks, dad), and "make sure i get so-and-so, they are the ONLY one that will get me something i want," (coughauntcough), praying is all we got right now!

don't let anyone know that i'm really quite excited about this. ( ;

family recipe.

2009-11-05T21:37:00.000-05:00

meet jenny. and jenny's mom. this was taken right before jenny walked down the aisle at her wedding this past spring. they look amazingly not nervous. crazy, i know.

jenny's mom's caesar salad is a favorite in my group of friends. even h asks if it's "regular caesar," or "jenny's mom's caesar" salad. jenny even carried the recipe down the aisle as her "something old." ok, ok. that's a lie.

i'm sharing it with you because i no longer buy bottled caesar salad dressing and you deserve to know why.

jenny's mom's caesar salad
(right from the horse's mouth)

ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
sea salt & pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder/dry mustard (hope there's no difference)

1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 package/head romaine lettuce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
croutons
1 raw egg, beaten
cooked chicken strips or sauted shrimp (optional)

directions:

in a small bowl, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper. let sit as long as you possible can wait until you are ready to start eating (20-30 min?). the flavors need time to meld together.
add dry mustard and worcestershire sauce and stir.
add romaine lettuce to a large bowl and mix in dressing.
add parmesan cheese and croutons and toss until coated.
add beaten raw egg, toss until coated (i add a little at a time, and don't usually use the whole egg). top with chicken strips or sauted shrimp if desired.
serve IMMEDIATELY. ( : and don't tell your squirmy boyfriend there's raw eggs or he will be scared to eat it.

(early xmas?) shopping deals.

2009-11-03T11:06:00.003-05:00

some of these are going to expire soon, so i thought i'd post fast.

from now through december 24, l.l. bean is offering $10 gift cards (towards the next order) with any purchase of $25 or more in stores, online, over the phone and catalog orders (didn't know people still did catalog orders!). limit one card per customer per day.

bath & body works has tons of great promotions going on... keep up with their website for up-to-date deals.

shutterfly is offering a free 8" x 11" custom cover book when you buy one. place two 8" x 11" books in your cart and use the coupon code FALLBOOKS09 by november 6.

if you're crafty, you're in for a treat with u-fab's 2nd annual trunk show this weekend (friday & saturday november 5 & 6) in richmond.

check out richmond bargains blog for more (and not just in richmond)!

love.the.zza.

2009-11-03T08:45:00.002-05:00

sunday afternoon, my friend corey hosted a pampered chef party... i do have some of their products, but i had never been to one of the parties - it was a great way to spend a rainy sunday! i came out with a couple christmas presents (& some wonderful bamboo spoons for me!) and this great recipe below.

i told h i was making it for him for dinner yesterday (with a few changes from the pc recipe), and he was mortified that i was going to try to make a pizza for him, the pizza king (his username has been known to be LoveTheZZa). but he loved it, and i'm sure you will, too! it's super easy, especially if you use the microwave - a definite crowd pleaser. i wish i could have taken a picture, but it was gobbled up faster than i could say "cheese!"

spinach carbonara pizza
(inspired by the pampered chef recipe)

ingredients:
1 pkg (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
6 slices bacon, cooked (i microwaved mine)

1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves (about 8 cups)
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan cheese

1 cup jarred alfredo pasta sauce
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Additional coarsely ground black pepper

directions:

preheat oven to 375F (or whatever is on the pizza dough package). unroll dough over bottom of lightly greased pizza stone or baking sheet. gently stretch and press dough to cover bottom of pan.
bake 10 minutes or until crust begins to brown; remove pan from oven and let cool.
meanwhile, slice cooked bacon into 1/4-in. pieces.
place spinach and garlic into microwave-safe bowl. cover bowl and microwave on high 2.5 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted. press spinach to side of bowl. dab excess moisture with paper towels.
add alfredo sauce and black pepper to spinach. mix well.
to assemble pizza, spread alfredo spinach mixture to edges of crust. top sauce completely 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and bacon. sprinkle with parmesan cheese and additional black pepper, if desired
bake 7-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden brown. remove from oven to cooling rack and let sit for a few minutes before slicing.

Yield: 6 servings

From Pampered Chef: Nutrients per serving: Calories 400, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 37 g, Protein 20 g, Sodium 1310 mg, Fiber 2 g

inspiration:

2009-11-02T16:21:00.004-05:00

"in the depth

winter,

i finally learned that

there was within me

an invincible summer."

-albert camus

washingtonians rekindle.

2009-11-02T12:03:00.003-05:00

for the win... ( ;

2009-11-02T09:13:00.001-05:00

first off, thanks to all who commented and who are now followers!! i love hearing about your favorite cookbooks and stories and meeting new bloggers!

the winner (as determined by random.org) of the pioneer woman cookbook is: Lis "...my favorite cookbook is my old standby - Better Homes and Gardens (Breast cancer edition) it has everything basic and tried and true! But I'm always looking for new ones!! :)" congrats!

please send me an e-mail at wishbonestwo(at)gmail(dot)com with your full name and address and i will get that out to you as soon as possible!

last night h & i made pioneer woman's lasagna (we substituted ricotta cheese instead of her suggestion of cottage cheese and used no-boil lasagna noodles) - simple, easy and wonderful! we made her meatballs with the leftover ground beef for tonight. can't wait to try them!

happy monday!

vote for layne!

2009-11-01T11:50:00.002-05:00

my dear, dear friend layne is in the gap casting call... if you like what you see VOTE here everyday!

fine print: through november 17, 2009 - registration required

happy howl-o-ween!

2009-11-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

we only had a few trick-or-treaters before we hit up our list of parties... but a good time was had by all!

mr. green & miss scarlett in the hall with the knife and the rope, respectively.

and after hours of searching & hot gluing, c became a very successful chiquita banana lady:

how to: paper garland

2009-11-01T11:00:00.076-05:00

i got this idea for paper garland while at my favorite paper store, paper source in washington, dc, last year, and finally got inspired when i saw it here on design*sponge a few weeks ago. ginkgo leaves are one of my favorite designs - a symbol of love, peace, hope, and longevity. and in glittery brown and gold, green, and yellow, they're a perfect fall decoration! (this would also be great for tree garland!)

paper garland

materials:

- sewing machine (if you don't have one, some stores, like g street fabrics in the dc metro area, will allow you to rent, and some cities have sewing cafes, like honfleur home's sewing cafe in the marimekko store in silver spring, maryland)

- thread (about $2 at your local craft store)

- paper cut outs (you can use scrapbook papers, die-cuts, or recycled paper or magazines. i used these ginkgo cut-outs from paper source - they also have fall leaves, flowers, and other holiday designs).

directions:

after you've cut your paper, use a sewing machine to feed the die-cuts under the needle, one at a time. you can either feed them in directly after one another or slightly overlapped for a more rigid look, or leave some space in between for a looser, random look. keep some thread at either end to to hang or add ribbon for tying.

always in for a deal!

2009-10-30T17:04:00.001-04:00

for those of you who i know love "sample sale" websites like ruelala, gilt group (gilt, giltmen, fuse), ideeli, hautelook, etc, i just found out about another one: swirl, from the people who bring you daily candy!

they are currently taking pre-registrations, and offering the first 100 early members $100 gift cards to swirl! according to the fine print, looks like this contest ends at 11:59 PM on 10/31/09 and winners will be drawn on 11/9/09.

only one catch - you need to be a daily candy subscriber to sign up. so sign up for daily candy everywhere, or wherever you live (dc, nyc, chicago, & more), and start finding out about their deals & finds! if this website is anything like the others, it will be invitation only, so best to get in early, there are usually perks for referring your friends!

I swear, he did this on his own accord.

2009-10-29T20:50:00.002-04:00

OMG!! Faithful readers... I have the most amazing boyfriend alive! He dressed up in my favorite khakis of his and shaved and brought me flowers and took me on a date tonight!!

Just kidding. But not really. This really is H. And I did take Rachel on a date tonight. I decided, from my small list of places approved by Rachel that were participating in Richmond's Restaurant Week, to go Stronghill Dining Company. But I didn't let her know ahead of time.

I remember now why I choose not to go to the fancy restaurants... and it just so happens to be the same reason I think Rachel really wanted me to go to a fancy restaurant... portion control.

The food at this place was pretty good but I don't think it was excellent but what do is I know I am not a holy crap-get-a-life-food critic from Top Chef. My only real problem arises from the fact that I am a real man who LOVES to eat. I strongly support venues that serve buffets from the sunrise to well after the sun goes down (places such as Golden Corral). There really is nothing quite like a smorgasbord of delectable treats to get the senses tingling with excitement (and more bang-for-your-buck)!

Case in point - they served the very first course - an oyster mushroom and duck confit miso soup, in bowl-like dinner plates. We had to swirl the soup to create a vortex and then move the spoon in the opposite direction to scoop up the fishy broth. And it was fishy. There were easier methods such as tipping and slurping but again we were not at the Golden Corral. I decided to order a new beer to go with the steak I ordered. It was a very nice beer - Jefferson Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout. It was pint size so I thought it would be perfect for the size of my steak. Ohhh was I wrong. I should have ordered a shot of beer instead. Dessert was a pumpkin apple pie. It was light and fluffy. Again a small portion on a giant plate with a giant mint leaf. Good, but nothing like those rich, creamy desserts you can get elsewhere.

My tiny steak and Rachel's two giant scallops.

Out of a possible 45,692 points, Stronghill Dining Company received a total 27,656 points

But truth be told, in the end, I wouldn't trade a date night with Rachel, regardless of the location, for anything because I am firm believer in its not where you are but who you are with - even if it was a date spent at a buffet. That served pizza.

The end.

TWO! & my first giveaway...

2009-10-29T17:00:00.002-04:00

two, yes TWO, copies of the pioneer woman's cookbook arrived today (i only ordered one), but since it was more expensive to send it back, they told me to just keep it!

i've already browsed through it (immediately, of course), and it is exactly like her website - detailed and full of pictures and stories, and just the right recipes. nothing too fancy, although delicious, down-home cooking. i can't wait to try her chicken pot pie - and she even got my all-time favorite breakfast dish - toads in a hole! ( : this is quickly becoming my new favorite cookbook (& i think h will enjoy the recipes more than my usual organic-pile-o-mush)!

i say, this calls for my first giveaway. now, i know i'm a newbie, but maybe we need some rules. first of all we all know i LOVE cookbooks, so:

what's your favorite cookbook?

whether it's your grandma's old cookbook, your collection of newspaper clippings and handwritten notes, or a fancy-shmancy cookbook, i want to know what inspires you...

one entry: leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite cookbook.

two entries: leave a comment on this post sharing your favorite cookbook AND become a follower or let me know that you're already following me.

contest will end sunday, november 1 at midnight EST and i will choose the winner randomly and announce the winner sometime on monday, november 2.

good luck & check back monday! ( :

h. age 16? grand canyon.

2009-10-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

uh oh.

2009-10-28T12:30:00.000-04:00

so yesterday was my first personal training appointment that the gym forced me to attend. i met with steven who first yelled at me about having no goals, and then made me feel like an idiot for not tracking my caloric intake. so i decided that i would write everything i eat in a day down. on tweetwhatyoueat. i'm in front of a computer, or with a cell phone all day, so why not?

apparently i am under-eater. i should be consuming AT LEAST 2,000 calories/day to maintain my current weight (135 lbs) and body mass index (22%). i'm not even getting close. oops. i already inputted all of yesterday and today (w/ projected dinner):

i suppose you can't see, but the total for today is 1,317 calories (yesterday was 952). there is NO way, that if i ate the "active lifestyle" estimate of 2,600 calories i would maintain my weight. are they crazy? am i crazy?

still debating if personal training is worth it. sigh.

so sorry.

2009-10-27T11:52:00.001-04:00

i wanted to apologize for my lack of posts recently, as i have been insanely busy at work and preparing surprises for some lovely people!

i wanted to dedicate this post to goals. i think the first post i ever did (when i was using iweb) was about my resolutions/goals for the year. it's no longer published, but here it is from my desktop:

little did i know what i had coming for me - buying a digital camera, "adopting" a dog, meeting h. 2008 was a good year.

well. i'm starting early this year. now that i feel "at home" in richmond again, i think it's time to develop some new goals. this whole conversation was sparked when i joined the gym last night. in my "free personal training session" tonight, i have to discuss my goals with my new friend, steven. i thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head when i told him i had no goals. he told me to sleep on it and we'd meet again today at 5. so guys. i have till today at 5 to make me some goals. i didn't really want to loose a weight, or get muscle. i just want to remain the same. maybe i could improve my mile time or be able to run a little bit longer. the more i thought of it, the more i had... the worst part is, i'm really bad at goals if they're too boring (like, "work out more"), they have to be more interesting. and not too many. i won't be able to keep up with them.

so my goals:

still: take more pictures. i was doing well for a while, but i am still missing the small, everyday stuff. h's football games, beautiful days in the park, new fun places. also going along with this - uploading my pictures more often.
stress management. don't get worked up about small things. case in point: this morning when i hung up for the nth time on the guy from hp who insists he can't fix my printer. my sister says i should do this when i'm stressed:

plan out my meals. this should be better with my new pioneer woman cookbook, and the real simple easy, delicious meals cookbook i got my eyes on. this also goes with:
eating healthier & shop locally. excited about visiting some more farmer's markets, even though they won't be open for much longer.
run with a goal. i'm not much into work-out fads. i'm okay with running, and i'll run for miles w/out getting tired. i just get bored. so i made myself a goal that i can't reach in one sitting (like i did with the 10k). 13.1 miles this time. now i have to convince my sister to let me run it with her! hopefully steven will like this goal.
write more snail mail ( :
shop more efficiently & stick to my budget. especially during the holidays. amen.

what are your goals for the rest of year? got any tips for me? ( :

pricey snacktime.

2009-10-19T20:12:00.000-04:00

i was a few minutes early to auntie's house, so i stopped by whole foods to pick up some hors d'ouvres in an effort not to eat all their food... i picked up some olives (a family fave), rosemary & sea salt crostini, and a new (to me) cheese from meadow creek farms in virginia called appalachian tomme. it was reasonably priced ($14.99/lb), and good flavor - not too hard, not too soft, and not too pungent. highly recommended. even the teenage boy who "hates cheese" loved it... check out meadow creek farms' cheeses online.

whole foods also has a lot of coupons for staples (milk, butter, juice) in their bi-monthly newsletter, the whole deal. the coupons aren't available online, you'll have to check the stands by the door or ask a cashier, but their easy-to-make meals are available here. this month they have a coupon for $1 off method products (love them - especially whole food's specialty ginger yuzu scent)!

it was a little pricier than a mcdonald's snackwrap, but delicious none-the-less!

who can pass this up?

2009-10-19T11:20:00.000-04:00

thanks to lisloves for this:

send us an email to VIP@traylorpapers.com with your name & address and we'll send you a free customized card with your name. tell us your favorite colors and/or style (i.e., whimsical, classic, girly..., etc.) and we'll try to make you a match ;) BONUS: post this offer on your blog or wall, send us a link and we'll send you a few extra! Good thru 10/28/09!

i looked around the traylor papers site... they have some super cute stuff including lily pulitzer designs, customizable invitations, monagrammable notes, etc!

i love these simple notecards:

and these address label stickers:

coming soon...

2009-10-13T15:03:00.000-04:00

i'll be out for a few days, but stay tuned for a tutorial on how you can make a t-shirt blanket like these ones:

there you go again.

2009-10-12T22:42:00.002-04:00

i thought h was going to punch me in the face when i told him we were having squash quesadillas for dinner (not the biggest fan of the veggie). he was little more excited about tomatillo salsa, tho. i got the tomatillos from the farmer's market, and the squash from our local organic grocery store, ellwood thompson's. served it all up with some fried sweet corn with williams-sonoma chili-lime rub (thanks noel!), affectionately called "mexi-spice" at our house, avocado slices with sea salt, and finished with some grape pie, courtesy of our houseguest, matt (& straight from naples, ny) shared with some good company...

this recipe was courtesy of smitten kitchen and it really was as beautiful as it looks! i did everything nearly as she described, with the exception of subsituting anaheim peppers instead of jalapenos & poblanos - just a little more mild! and, at h's wonderful suggestion, added cilantro & a splash of lime to the salsa verde.

i'm even excited about the leftovers!

photo from smitten kitchen.

h's comments: "don't tell your friends i'm going to punch you in the face... what are they going to think about me?"

dear h:

2009-10-12T19:48:00.007-04:00

please take me out for restaurant week (october 26 - november 1) in richmond. 3-course-meals for $25/person. plus they donate at least $2 to the central virginia food bank. plus the food (although you wouldn't know it different from pizza) is bangin'.

we could go to: delux, julep's, rowlands fine dining, six burner, stronghill dining co, or more.

please.

love,
your most lovely girlfriend.

new lunch spot.

2009-10-12T17:15:00.000-04:00

photo from palani drive's facebook page

one of my college housemates suggested we meet for lunch at palani drive in the westhampton/libbie neighborhood. what a great lunch spot (or after dinner beer stop)! wraps were decent size, about $6-7 each, and their frozen chai was delightful. i hear their yuengling drafts are $1.75!

...but the conversation was unbeatable. glad she's back! ( :

why i love rva part ii.

2009-10-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

i'm not the smartest crayon in the box apparently, as i couldn't figure out how to add this to my last post w/ video. ( :

just stumbled upon this GREAT blog entry about all the great places (from food to boutiques to festivals) in richmond from none other than design*sponge! please check it out if you live here or every aspire to visit! (which, after watching the video below, you most certainly cannot resist!)

now... i must get to bed before i'm in trouble for blogging in bed!

why i love rva part i.

2009-10-11T21:47:00.001-04:00

photo shoot.

2009-10-11T21:35:00.000-04:00

photo shoot for inserts for our new address cards (below) from paper source in dc. that store is my addiction. the cards should be in the mail shortly... ( ;

love this!

2009-10-09T12:00:00.001-04:00

super cute prints from lisa marie norton on etsy or on her website l.m.n.o.p. this one just happens to look like venus! ( :

it also reminds me of super cute ceramics from appalachian spring.

new things.

2009-10-09T08:43:00.003-04:00

i got this cookbook last year for my birthday from my wonderful auntie who knows how much i love to go to the farmers market & attempt to cook my purchases. although it's divided into seasons (which i like) and a has a few great photos (which i love), i hadn't found anything to cook in it. until last night. i made chicken drumsticks stuffed with lavender chevre (farmer's market pick) and served with cous cous (the food so nice they named it twice) and swiss chard (another farmer's market purchase).

i also made a little cucumber and mint (from corey's garden -thx!) salad with feta from eat well, my most recent favorite cookbook.

and while we're talking about cookbooks, let's talk about how much i can't wait for my pre-ordered cookbook from the pioneer woman!

can't live without: beauty edition

2009-10-07T23:06:00.002-04:00

1) aveda exilir leave-in conditioner (just found out it's discontinued) 2) nivea a kiss of moisture hydrating lip gloss, $3, drugstores 3) trish mcevoy "tubes" lash curling mascara, $28, nordstrom 4) origins a perfect world skin gaurdian, $35, origins stores 5) vivite facial products - i love the exfoliating scrub and night cream; $50 and $80, respectively; medical spas only (in richmond - bella donna) 6) boots almond pistachio & olive exfoliating soap bar, $5, target

new banner.

2009-10-07T22:06:00.003-04:00

i took these photos (banner & below) in evanston, chicago. i'm excited for some upcoming visits to the midwest! ( :

and p.s. i lovvvve sunflowers!

thanks to picnik for editing tools.

vote . . .

2009-10-06T23:20:00.003-04:00

...for treat in the washpost express night out best of 2009 for washington metro area HERE.

hip to be green.

2009-10-06T14:55:00.004-04:00

just got these super cute green sleeves in the mail from etsy! love them! can't wait to use them for snacks!

lustful monday.

2009-10-05T11:29:00.004-04:00

there are so many things on my list of things i would love to own if a) i could afford them and b) i could figure out how to get my grimey little fingers on them. for instance:

garance dore for gap t-shirt. i can only find this on e-bay for, oh, $158. boo.

new music... thursday.

2009-10-01T14:36:00.002-04:00

i used to buy a new cd or song every tuesday on itunes. since my mac has been down for a while, i haven't, but buz got me a itunes gift card for my birthday, and i thought i'd get something new for my trip to insanity to take the test of insanity. so i caved. i bought kings of leon. and i am obsessed.

listen for yourself.

i also realized buz has her own tag. she must be pretty cool!

completely voluntary.

2009-10-01T10:29:00.002-04:00

my company, wsp group, is one of the first companies in the uk to offer a completely voluntary program for it's employees to track personal carbon emissions and be either a) monetarily rewarded for decreasing their emissions or b) fined if they do not meet the limit (up to 100 pounds).

read the article from bbc here: Employees Fined for CO2 Emissions

would you sign up for it?

09 . 09 . 09

2009-09-09T12:14:00.005-04:00

"this is the first day of the rest of your life," said sharon, the most wonderful lady ever who sold me my babylock grace sewing machine this morning at all brands sew & vac in the west end(highly recommend this place). i'd been researching for a while (as you should to drop 1/2 a grand on a little machine). they were having an amazing sale, and the sewing machine came with unlimited instruction hours...

SO excited about starting my projects with these:

future outdoor cushions (thanks ewl!)

future bedroom curtains...

...and t-shirt blankets! ( :

the fabric i bought this weekend at u-fab in carytown, a fabric outlet that i mentioned a few days ago.

et tu, brute?

2009-09-07T20:15:00.004-04:00

photo source: http://www.southernexposure.com

just made jen's mom's famous caesar salad. i wish i could have taken a picture, but it was gone before i could say "dinner's ready!"

this recipe definitely deserves a share. i felt a little weird about the raw egg, but e told me not to think about it ( : it was delicious!

nancy's caesar salad (+chicken)

ingredients:

1/3 c. olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

dash of sea salt & cracked pepper

1/4 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 head romaine lettuce
1 c. chicken slices/shreds (i used about 1/2 a small rotisserie chicken)
1/2 c. shredded or shaved parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

directions:
in a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt & pepper. let stand 1 hour. add in mustard and worcestershire sauice. stir, then add in torn pieces of romaine. add parmesan (i used shaved pecorino romano) and croutons and toss until well coated. add in the raw egg, toss until well coated. serve immediately.

3-day-weekend-plans.

2009-09-06T11:04:00.007-04:00

pretty excited about this 3-day weekend. yesterday we didn't do much... ran errands, yardsaled a little bit, watched the first bit of college football... but it doesn't really matter because we still have 2 days left of the "weekend!"

plans for the rest of the weekend:

buying paint to finish the foyer piece i bought at a yardsale last weekend (already sanded, for $40). i'm thinking about painting it red, but we'll see how i feel when i get to the store! hopefully our local pleasant's hardware will be open on sundays. welcome to the south...

going to the grand opening sale that started yesterday at u-fab (thanks alison!), a discount fabric store that i just found out about! h has been bugging me to get some curtains in my room... it's too bright to sleep in! (as i type this, he and v are laying in bed, snoring in rythem... guess it doesn't bother him too much!) it's been hard to match my crazy comforter and green walls again, without whiting out the whole room.

catch up on some photography... since i moved i've hardly taken out my camera.

corcoran gallery of art, networking event, june 2009

go to h's dad's house for dinner... this could be the meeting of the daddys, as he's invited my old man too (who is on-call, but is going to try & come)... more on this later. we're also planning on sanding an old ugly side table for the living room. i'll have a before and after of all the things my new roomie c & i have been up to!

going to river with baby v and her boyfriend, vasco, a dopey golden retriever. i am vowing to take photographs, that is, unless i get trampled. i am having a little puppy syndrome. i almost took mocha home with me yesterday from petsmart. in fact, i may add going to get her to my list of things to do this weekend. baby v would LOVE her as a little sister! (well... maybe not... but i would!)

photo courtesy of b.a.r.k.

oh yea... and relaxing... ( : that is, until my babylock comes in, and i have to start on all my new projects!

tastyyyy.

2009-09-01T19:00:00.000-04:00

so one of my most favorite blogs, the pioneer woman, has developed a new website, tastykitchen. if you haven't been to either of the websites, you absolutely must! even h sneaks a peek over my shoulder when i'm reading her stories & recipes!

feeling inspired a few weeks ago, i went through all my old magazines (real simple & cooks illustrated are my favorites), and ripped out all of my favorite recipes in an effort to consolidate and simplify and make it easier to decide what's for dinner. i put them all in individual sheet protectors, and even threw in some loose recipes that i had been keeping in an expandable file that i never looked at. in the last few weeks, i have cooked more good recipes that have been hiding in my box of old mags in my basement than i could have ever imagined!

i decided to put the one i'm trying tonight -cauliflower casserole - an old standard (the zucchini version) of a good friend of mine, and one i've tried on several other occasions - onto tasty kitchen. i made it tonight for our cookout w/ h & his roommates. we'll see how it fares in the land of testosterone!

lots to catch up on.

2009-08-31T20:00:00.000-04:00

has it really been 3 WHOLE months? no way. besides the fact that i have crashed 2 computer this summer, i have a whole list of other excuses, promise!

-at the time of my last post, i was recovering from m's wedding at delfosse vineyards near charlottesville, va. h&i stayed the night and enjoyed a very southern wedding brunch complete w/ shrimp & grits before heading to monticello on sunday.

-h's & my birthday celebrations (june 16 & 15, respectively). i got a toddy coffee maker, pretty cool! if you have instructions on how to use this effectively, please let me know! i have to experiment.

-4th of july beach trip w/ the fam & h... was great! it went by too fast! but the house was perfect, and the company was unbeatable.

-july 11 i won a free ice cream party from edy's & invited h's neighborhood. v was abused by screaming children with stick fingers and one little girl nearly cried when we told her she couldn't have h's mullet wig. ( :

-we went rafting with the rivermen on the new river in mid-july with some coworkers & friends. it was so great, we're going again for the gauley (eek!) in september!

-my last weekend in northern virginia we went to baltimore for the day w/ m to go to the aquarium and inner harbor. this was the peak of my apartment hunting craze and i nearly decapitated my ever-loving boyfriend. poor guy. it was a great day, tho! i'm sad to miss mrs. m!
-I MOVED! on august 1, back to my hometown of richmond. i love my new neighborhood. precisely after i moved, i spent 3 straight weeks traveling for work. i now work from home, so i have to be extra-diligent about my blogging, i mean, working. it helps when you don't have a computer! i've spent the last month or so decorating, and really trying to make this place feel like home. i'm pretty happy with it! ( :

i've been missing my friends, and my family that lives up north, and my sister, but overall, i feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! i finally feel happy, and relaxed, and at home! more pictures & updates to come.

happy birthday mom!

2009-06-02T20:49:00.001-04:00

we love you & wish you were here to celebrate your 60th! ( :

hi again.

2009-05-28T01:07:00.002-04:00

it's way too late to post, but i'm still alive... it's been a crazy week. a's last week in town, trying to get ready for another weekend while recovering from last weekend. going to a vineyard this weekend for m&m's wedding...!! seems like we've been planning this thing forever, right?

i'm excited for a weekend of dancing and doggies and driving, oh my!

( :

and DEFINITELY looking forward to some moonbeans coffee next week!

new lunch fetish.

2009-05-21T11:28:00.002-04:00

just discovered urfa tomato kabob (thanks ab!) in chinatown in dc. i couldn't find a website, but they have great lamb kabob, falafel, and tomato kabob (kabob with rich tomato sauce) sandwiches served on freshly made buns (a little thicker than pitas). a sandwich and fries or chips and a drink is between $8 and $10. i got the falafel sandwich- it was loaded with very moist falafel patties, hummus, tomatoes, onions and cucumber and had tahini sauce and hot sauce on the side. its behind the verizon center, so the street parking during lunchtime wasn't hard to find at all. if we weren't in such a rush, we would have munched outside under their awning. highly recommended! ( :

miss mccain.

2009-05-19T23:01:00.004-04:00

i know i've said this before, but i LOVE meghan mccain. we have lots in common:

we are both 24 years old.
we are both obsessed with shopping.
we both despise sarah palin & her annoying family.
we are both pro-sex (education) & pro-gay marriage.

betcha didn't know that! if you doubt me, watch her on the colbert report from may 18 (3rd part of the show) or read her blog and change your mind immediately. she may look up to her dad, but she's nothing like him. if she is the future of the gop, i'll change my voting status from independent.

COUNTING DOWN!

2009-05-19T17:28:00.005-04:00

we can't wait for delfest this weekend! ( : many thanks to the folk show radio show out of wpsu for giving us free tickets! HOWEVER, tickets are still available for purchase at the door!