.

Dont' call it a comeback.

2011-12-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

I'm bringing the blog back!

I've had many a change in my life as of late, I'm engaged and planning a wedding for Aug 18th 2012, I quit my job and moved an hour south to Cincinnati to start my life Luke, I'll be getting back into being creative and crafting for the wedding, I'm a new aunt to my sisters little girl, Coraline and to my best friend who might as well be my sister's baby boy, Siddhartha.

Its safe to say my life has made a total 180 and I am loving every minute of it and feel so blessed.

I'm currently OBSESSED with Pintrest and am doing a lot of wedding planning/finding inspiration through it and need a place to put it all together, so that is why the blog is coming back.

I know my life will be full of adventure and excitement in the up coming months and want to share it all and remember it all.

So I hope some of you are still around and still following, I've still been reading blogs but not commenting much and that will change as well! I miss the blog scene a bit and can't wait to get back into the swing of things!!

I'm going to put together a post of wedding plans that have been made so far but until then, check out my pintrest, follow me on instagram-sandydeer.

best summer ever

2011-08-11T23:18:00.000-04:00

It has been such a long time since I blogged which is silly because now is the time that I should be blogging the most!!

I have soooooo many new, wonderful, fun, beautiful things going on in my life right now that I should be documenting it all!!!

But I suck and have been too busy soaking in every last minute of it all that I haven't taken the time to do anything but just enjoy myself and the people around me.

Instead of talking about the last however many months, I'll just talk about the two most exciting things that have happened to me since I last posted!

And they are:

I am going to be an aunt...twice!!!

My sister is pregnant and due on Oct. 8th.

She and her husband aren't finding out what they're having so I won't know until its born if I'll have a niece or a nephew.

And my other "sister"/best friend, Stephanie, is pregnant as well and is due Oct. 18th.

She and Ravi did find out the sex and they're having a boy!!

So at least I know I'll have one nephew.

My life is going to be filled with all the things babies in the next couple months and I'm totally ok with that!

I love planning parties, buying gifts and spending time with wonderful people so its perfect that they're having their babies so close together!!

There are lots of other pregnant ladies in my life right now or ladies that have had babies recently and while I am not ready at this second to have one myself, it makes me think about how wonderful it will be when I am ready that I'll have so many amazing people and babies around to share it all with!!

I fell ridiculously, crazy, stupidly, wonderfully in love with this handsome fellow, Luke!!!!

We've been friends for 6 years and it seems like us dating has always been on the verge of happening, so when it finally did in May, it just took my breath away!

I don't think I've caught it yet or will anytime soon!!

Things have been on the go since our first date and while we'd both like to relax and have time to ourselves, its been soooooo amazing experiencing so many new things with him.

He lives an hour away in Cincinnati but we've made it work wonderfully and I get to see a city I've spent lots of time in but never really explored and I get to explore it with him.

And when we're in Dayton, I get to experience my own city like its a totally new place.

Doing everything with him is like doing it for the first time.

Places take on new meanings, inside jokes are formed, little details of something he said or how he looked are etched in my brain and I'll remember then each time we visit that place or hear a certain song or eat a certain food.

I could gush about him non stop, about how talented and creative he is.

How sweet and kind and giving he is.

How much he loves his friends and family and Monty, ugh it melts my heart!

He is the most genuinely beautiful person, inside and out.

I feel like a better person just being with him.

Bottom line-he makes my heart so incredibly full that sometimes, I swear I can feel it spilling over.

bad days, good friends

2011-02-03T16:37:00.000-05:00

Once again, I did not get back into the swing of things when it came to blogging on a regular basis since my last post.
I've had a lot going on, nothing good and haven't really felt like sitting down and blogging about the bummers in my life.
I've had some issues at my house-flooding, sewer back up, plumbers being to the house twice in the past week for hours upon hours into the night and day and now I have been with out power/heat since Tuesday evening with power lines down in my yard and on my roof and probably won't get it back until Saturday or Sunday.
Luckily, I have nice neighbors who ran an extension cord from their garage so I could use a space heater until I couldn't take it any longer and went to Ravi and Stephanie's for the night. Ravi is always saying we should have a sleep over so what better time to have one than when you've been alone for a couple days and in desperate need of friends!! They made me hot, yummy food and coffee and gave a warm bed to sleep in.
On top of their kindness, my cousin was nice enough to pick up Monty on his way up north and drop him off at my parents house so he wouldn't destroy Ravi and Stephanie's house after being cooped up with me for two days!

This morning I went to the gym to work off some of my pent up energy/frustration only to find after taking my shower that their hair dryers were broken...boo!! I had to just hang out in the locker room until my hair was dry enough that my flat iron would finish the drying process. It is just not my week!!
Besides the bad weather and house issues, my Grammy passed away a few weeks ago and while we all knew it was coming and that she was miserable and was ready, it was still shocking when it did happen and I haven't really dealt with it yet.
Not to mention I had to spend time with family who are not my biggest fans. At a time when we should all be there for eachother, I just got mean looks, ignored, talked about and just made to feel like crap.

Other than all that I've just been working and working out like usual. I have big plans of starting my spring/summer workout routines and can't wait to get more into them, I always feel better when I feel like I've kicked my ass at the gym.

I applied for a job that I think I would really enjoy over the weekend, but haven't heard anything. I'm hoping the interview process has just been delayed because of the horrible ice storm we had the last couple days and that I hear from them soon.

I've also got a bit more done at the house as far as decorating goes. It feels like it is taking me forever and I just want it done but I don't have everything I need yet since it takes money and I'm a little low on it.
I am happy with how everything is coming together though and I hope I can find the last little things I need in the near future so that I can have a belated house warming party!!

Its almost time for me to leave work and I'm hoping that when I stop back by my house that the power is on, but I'm not getting my hopes up since I think it is just me in my neighborhood without and they're focusing on large outages first and individuals last...sucks for me.

I hope anyone else who has had to deal with this storm is safe and warm!!

A post for Sam!

2011-01-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

I'm still not back into blogging like before but I received such a sweet email from the lovely, Sam, asking how I was and wondering about my blog so I thought I'd do a little post for her!!

I don't have any pictures yet of the house, I'm still not happy with how everything is so probably no pictures until then. I still have things sitting against walls and boxes here and there which don't make for cute photos.

A lot still needs hung and put away and I am soooooo anxious to get it done. I did get a buffet my dad found for free all sanded/painted and moved in, so once I get the drawers lined and am able to store some stuff I think I will be a lot happier and feel more organized.

I also got my dad to hang a piece of pegboard in the spare room where I have all my craft stuff and I found a pegboard hook set for $11 at Home Depot, so I'm starting to get everything in there a bit more organized as well. Now I just need him to haul down my shelving units so I can finish that room up.

Other than trying to get more done around the house, I've been obsessed with watching the show, Bones, on netflix. I love it and love the relationship Bones and Booth have. Though I did find myself crying during the episode I watched this morning because of how sweet they are with each other but yet neither of them will make a move, ugh, I'm such a sappy, sappy, lonely girl.

Another thing I've been obsessed with, roasted veggies. They have been many of my meals for over a week now and I doubt it will change anytime soon. I change the seasonings each time, mix the roasted veggies (usually cauliflower, broccoli, onion, green beans, sweet potato) with quinoa and get a healthy, filling meal with leftovers that last me a couple days!

I wish I had more exciting things to talk about than pegboard and roasted vegetables, but I don't. I have had no progress in meeting anyone/going on a date, I haven't gone out and done anything for awhile besides work and the gym so no fun outings to tell you all about and that leaves me with pegboard and veggies...oh well!!

I'm still blogging, sort of.

2010-12-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I last posted.
I just haven't felt much like blogging or being on line in general.
I've been working extra days/hours and spend 99.5% of my time online, so when I'm home with free time the last thing I want to do is be on the computer.

I'm still not entirely settled in to the house.
I have a few more things to move, hang, find places for etc but for the most part Monty and I are enjoying ourselves and the space.
Monty is especially loving having a yard to spend time in despite the fact its not fenced in and he has to stay on a lead.

My Christmas day was nice, my mom went to the hospital the night before when chest/neck pains but was released Christmas day afternoon with all the tests they ran returning good news leaving them to believe it was stress.
However the fact that she was in the hospital and my parents living 30+ minutes away from the Air Force base, meant it was up to me to cook all the food and get everything ready.
We had a Mexican fiesta of vegetarian tacos with roasted potatoes, veggie grounds and lime/cilantro rice, healthy/homemade roasted corn/cream cheese jalapeno poppers and a few sides and desserts.
I got almost all the food done by the time my dad got back from picking my mom up and we were only a couple hours off what we had scheduled.

I got some super cute clothes, jewelry, a few items for the house, lots of coffee, a healthy dog treat cookbook, an amazing snood, candy, ornaments, a lunch tote and I can't remeber what else.
I think for the most part everyone liked the gifts I gave/made and Monty loved all the little toys and treats I found for him.
I didn't get any pictures because I was so busy and my mom didn't want any taken of her because she came straight from the hospital and didn't get the chance to get cleaned up, so I don't have any cute pictures to share.

My new years plans are up in the air right now but it doesn't matter much to me. I don't have a significant other to share the moment with so it makes no difference to me where I sit the moment the ball drops. Which also means I did not make my goal of getting a date before the new year. Perhaps I'll just reset the goal and hope to have at least one date by next new years, though with my track record that is near impossible too!!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday and have a wonderful new years!!

small update

2010-12-12T18:10:00.000-05:00

I'm all moved in to the new house.
I haven't done much decorating yet because I'm a little nervous to use the power drill by myself but hopefully my dad will be able to help me this coming weekend!! I'll get some pictures to post then. Maybe that will get me back into blogging. I just haven't felt like being online much lately.

I joined Ravi and Stephanie's gym and have gone to a couple classes with her! Dance, dance and spinning...I loved both. Even though I felt silly during dance, dance it was a lot of fun and good new workout!! Spinning wasn't as scary/hard as I thought it was going to be and am excited to keep up with it!!

Friday my mom brought Monty down so that night I had Ravi, Stephanie and Sabin over for dinner and to hang out!! I was happy to have finally be able to have them over and host a dinner, I can't wait to do it again!!! Perhaps I'll have a little Christmas party!

Its been snowing all day today which means I have one happy pup!! Monty LOVES to play in/eat snow and I've had to drag him back inside when I get too cold. I think he would stay out for hours if I let him!
I on the other hand would much rather stay inside watching The Office or do a little Christmas shopping with Stephanie, which is how I spent my day.

I'm making everyone in my family gifts but decided to make my immediate family gifts as well as buy them something, which means I have to get a move on the gifts I'm making.
I have soo many started but only a few finished. I still have time though, I'll make it happen!!!

Is anybody all finished with their shopping/gift making?

q&a from Sam

2010-12-07T14:57:00.000-05:00

I've never done a fill in the blanks/q&a thing on here, but the wonderful Sam tagged me and I have nothing to do at work...so here it goes!!

Why did you create your blog?
I had one on livejournal but was over and it so I moved to blogger!
What kind of blogs do you follow?
All kinds-fashion, lifestyle, food, health/fitness, photography
Favourite make-up brand?
I use a bunch of different brands but I would have to say I've always been happy with the Sephora brand stuff I've bought, though I do like Mac foundations-I just can't afford them.
Favourite clothing brand?
Most of my stuff is from F21 or BP from Nordstrom but mainly I buy what I like whether it be from F21, Kohls, Target, Macys...
Your indespensable make-up product?
Foundation. I wish I had perfect skin but I do not.
Your favourite colour?
Green...all different shades. Kelly, mint and pea green are probably my favorite shades.
Your perfume?
I LOVE Allure by Chanel but only in the hair perfume which they don't make anymore....so I guess now it would be Chance by Chanel, Sula Champagne Sugar or this cheapo stuff they sell at Charlotte Russe.

Your favourite film?
I have a few but I'll just stick with Breakfast At Tiffany's.

What country would you like to visit and why?
There are soo many! I work at a travel agency so I see amazing places everyday in brochures and emails, but definitely Croatia, Morocco, Turkey, Italy, South Africa, Baku, New Zealand and Iceland because they all look beautiful and have history to them. And Japan because I would like to see where I was born and spent the beginning of my childhood.
(Kate's addition) Prefer lying down or being on top?
I'm with Sam...no answer!
Write the last question and answer it yourself:

If you could eat any animal in the world, what would it be?
Silly Sam!! I guess if Sam finds a T-Rex to eat I would maybe have a little taste, probably not though!

How do you take your coffee or tea?
I take my coffee a few different ways-if using a flavored creamer or just that, no sugar. If plain creamer then I add a little sugar or sugar free syrup and no sugar. I take my tea plain or with a bit of honey.

pie makes everything better

2010-11-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

Hannah is back in San Diego and while I had a very fun but somewhat odd time with her while she was here, the late late nights and the bars that still let people smoke inside have left me rather sick and exhausted.
I have been living off Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup (amazing) and orange juice to help keep whatever it is from getting worse.

There are times when I wish I was a bit more exciting and that going out may help me meet someone, but the experiences I had last week have not convinced me of that.
The guys I met were way too touchy, creepy and super drunk...I don't want a guy like that, no thanks.
Things got out of hand a few times, resulting in some verbal fights and threats and I don't want that energy in my life and don't want my friends to have to be in those situations.
I'll stick to coffee dates, netflix nights, board games, bonfires, shows, shopping, working out, hikes and the bark park...there has to be some single guys out there that enjoy all that stuff as well.

I still had good talks with three friends, all of which I don't see often enough and it all left me very happy and nostalgic for when I saw them all on a regular basis.

Starting Thursday I'm going to start moving things into the house and can't wait to be all settled in so that I can have a little gathering of my favorite people and dogs.
I never had people over to my last place because the neighbors were soooo horrendous and loud and to be honest, it was embarrassing for me and I just assumed no one wanted to come over.
Hopefully this house is not only a place where I am comfortable but my friends are as well, because I would really like to try to have a home for the first time since I moved out back in 2003!!

Yesterday after work I got coffee and pie with Stephanie and had good conversations. Plus, pie always makes everything better and by the time I was headed home I was feeling better than I have the past couple days.
I'm sooooo happy I'm going to be just five minutes away from her, Ravi, Sabin and all my other friends instead of 25 so that there can be more coffee and pie dates!!!

I'm still working extra hours at my job and am super happy about it, even though there is nothing for me to do besides knit people things for Christmas.
I just finished a scarf for my little cousin and am now making a coffee cozy!!

I know a lot of you girls are super crafty, are any of you making gifts for friends/family this holiday season?

moving

2010-11-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

I got the house and after a few days of worrying about whether or not it was going to be the right move for me to make in my life right now, I decided to go for it.

A lot of things were said and happened this week with my friend in town and seeing other friends that I don't see that often, that made me see that either I just don't have the luxury of moving someplace new and expensive right now, or that my age shouldn't be as big as an issue as it is to me a lot of the time and that success and living your dream doesn't mean you have to leave the people and places that helped you get to where you are.

So all that plus talking about all my worries with Stephanie and getting my dad to go see the house and tell me its in good shape swayed me to take it. I've got the keys and can start moving stuff in and then officially move in/live there next weekend.

extra hours and out of towners

2010-11-18T19:51:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been a mix of bored and busy.
And when I'm bored, I'm crafting and haven't been keeping up with my blog or the blogging world.

I have been having a fun time creating things though, none of which are 100% yet except for the infinity scarf I made my friend Hannah who is in town from San Diego for the week.
I decided to make something for her boyfriend too.
I'm not his biggest fan but I don't hate him.
Sometimes though I worry he hates me and this girl has been one of my best friends for the past 11 years so I'd like for him not to, so maybe a little handmade gift will win him over.

Tonight she and I are going out for drinks with another one of our long time friends.
Going out for drinks means they will get wasted and I will be the DD...fine by me since I don't drink anyway.
I'm excited to see her, she got into town Monday but went to Chicago for a day with her mom to do some Christmas shopping and visit a friend of hers, so I haven't seen her yet and the rest of her week is filled with family obligations.
I guess I need to plan a trip to San Diego if I want to see her more than once while she is here. (STEPHANIE, you should go with me if I ever go again. I always go to San Diego alone and I think it would be a lovely trip for us!! I'll start a savings for it.)

In other news, I worked a lot of extra hours/days this week which is awesome for me even though I was pretty bored most of the time.
The additional money will come in handy because I found a house to rent!!
It isn't perfect but I think I can make it nice and the pros outweigh the cons.
There are no closets except for a super small one in the larger bedroom (who builds a house with no closets??!!) and the yard is not fenced.
BUT there is no additional fee at all for Monty and a washer and dryer is included, so I will make due without closets.
I should find out tomorrow if I get approved (fingers crossed) but don't want to get my hopes up, I have a crappy crappy income and even though my parents will be co signing for me I'm still worried because I just took out a loan for my car so I feel like that makes me an even less desirable renter.
Oh growing up.

yay for new recipes!!!

2010-11-13T11:05:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent the majority of my morning and early afternoon making a couple new recipes I found the other week and have been itching to try!!

The first is for a vegan friendly soup that is perfect for this time of year. I found the recipe on The Gluttonous Vegan, which is one of my favorite food blogs because not only is she super cute but she has the most amazing recipes like avocado fries?!!! I'm going to make them soon!!!!

The soup is called, roasted broccotato soup with chickpea croutons and it is sooooo soooo yummy. I didn't snap any pictures of the process or finished product but there are plenty on The Gluttonous Vegan site. I changed a couple things, like using red potatoes and doing three cups of veggie broth and one cup of soy creamer instead of four cups of veggie broth. I made mine lumpy like she suggested and it turned out just like her pictures! Oh and the chickpea croutons are a great touch!!

The next recipe I saw on The Cooking Channel and is for Horchata.

I've been wanting to try this drink for awhile now but have never made it to the restaurants that have it or found a recipe that didn't seem super complicated.

This one was pretty straight forward and I was in a cooking mood so I gave it a go.

The recipe calls for peaches however I left them out because I didn't have any and I wanted to try the original flavor of the drink first before a fruity version.

My blender sucks and I didn't want to add as much sugar as it called for so I don't think it turned out exactly right, but I will definitely give it another try sometime at a restaurant.

I had been in a cooking rut and am glad to be out of it because I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. Have any of you tried new recipes lately that you would recommend?!

cute stores and ginko leaves

2010-11-13T09:05:00.000-05:00

The weather has been soooo lovely lately and I feel like it is the one good thing I have going for me right now, so I have been taking advantage of it.

Troy is a pretty cute town and I would enjoy it so much more if it was a few exits closer to Dayton, had more diverse/veg friendly culinary options and if I had a friend here.

I don't though so the only time I ever venture downtown or anywhere besides my gym is when I take Monty with me.

So the other day I decided it was time to get out.

We've been going to the bark park in the next town over but I felt like a change so the other day we switched it up. I think he enjoys downtown more than the bark park.

Our walk around town was nice, I enjoyed the nice weather and pretty ginko leaves that are covering the sidewalks and Monty had a blast doing what he loves to do sniffing and peeing.

I love that pretty much the only trees along the square (what we call the downtown area) are ginko trees. The leaves are so cute and the prettiest shade of green in the summer and then yellow in the fall.

My favorite shop downtown (even though I've never been in it) is this little old timey shoe repair shop that is tucked in a corner down one of the cobblestone alleys.

sooooo cute!

We snapped some pictures, got asked about 5 times who was walking who and had three dirty/rude comments yelled at us from drivers.

I had enough of comments, so I got a soy autumn delight (coffee with white chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut) from one of the coffee shops and we sat on a bench together and listened to the music they play through the speakers around the square until Monty fell asleep and my drink was gone.

Today is the last day of 70 degree weather in the forecast so I'm going to try and cram in as much out and about time as possible!!!

A teeny tiny post

2010-11-12T21:29:00.000-05:00

I'm slacking at posting again even though I do have a couple things and pictures to post from the past week.
I've mostly been working, crafting, hanging out by myself or with Monty and watching lots of episodes of How I Met Your Mother which is so cute and I don't know why I never watched it before.
I'll make time for a real post tomorrow but for now I'm going to enjoy a cup of coffee and watch some more How I Met Your Mother.

yay for russian tea biscuits and sewing machines. boo for mean dogs and stolen ipods.

2010-11-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

This week was just another week.
It had some ups and some downs.

I lost or someone stole my ipod and I have checked with every place I have been this week...but no luck.
I went through all the password changes, registering it as stolen etc. Its just scary and annoying to know someone has something with pictures of your life, emails, numbers, addresses etc.

Monty got attacked by a mean dog at the bark park and got his ear split open. It was pretty bad at first and bled all day after we got home. Its clotted up now and looking a lot better...thank goodness!!!

I got coffee with Stephanie one day after work, it was much needed...we hadn't been in sooo long!! Despite the fact that Starbucks has their holiday cups out, we both stuck with our soy iced coffees. I'll get a hot drink when there is snow on the ground. After coffee, I hung out with her and Ravi and they invited me to stay for dinner which was super yummy.

I drove all over the Dayton area looking for houses/apartments yesterday and found a few to call about. They were all nice, so I'm worried they'll be out of my price range.

I FINALLY started up my sewing machine and just practiced stitching straight lines, uhhh I did ok....practice makes perfect so I just have to keep practicing.

I came up with lots of cute ideas to make for Christmas gifts for people this year. My family outside of my parents are Debbie Downers at Christmas (actually all holidays) and don't do a gift exchange or anything, but I always try to have something for everyone because thats part of Christmas-sharing and giving.

A local grocery store, Dorothy Lane Market, had Russian Tea Biscuits in their bakery yesterday...they are sooooo good and I always forget about them because I try not to even look in the bakery! They just popped out at me as I passed by and it had been a crazy amount of months since I'd last had one, so I treated myself, plus they're sooo big that it lasts me a few days.

My macbook keyboard is messed up, it types G's with S's and W's with T's. I need to take it to get fixed before my warranty runs out, but the closest Apple store is an hour away, blah.

Time to practice sewing some more!!
Have a lovely Sunday!

fall fashion week-sunday

2010-10-31T19:20:00.001-04:00

I'm sad that today is the last day of Emery Jo's Fall Fashion Week, I have had such a good time and have met so many sweet, stylish ladies!!!
I realize I look angry in the first picture but I'm not! My dogs were barking like crazy, so I shot them a disapproving look which the camera caught. I was too cold to keep trying for better pictures, so I kept it and went inside for a hot cup of coconut cream coffee!!

tank top-charlotte russe ($5.00!!)

cardigan-nordstrom

belt-f21 dress

scarf-f21

boots-charlotte russe (I just noticed my boots didn't make it in any of the pictures, but they're the same ones from most of the previous posts)

earrings-f21

rings-gifts

My bangs all of a sudden had a major cowlick this morning, so I tried something a bit different...I braided them over!! I must say, I like it! It solved the cowlick problem and added a bit of fun to my usually boring hair.

I hope you all had just as much fun during fall fashion week as I did and I feel inspired to keep up and do outfit posts more often!

fall fashion week-saturday

2010-10-30T14:01:00.000-04:00

Today I opted that "perfect" fall look, that is not only comfy but cute and perfect for the events of my day-a hayride to a pumpkin patch, dinner and possibly a haunted house!

I'm in a bit of a rush, I've been cooking and getting ready all morning so I only got a couple pictures but thats enough for this outfit.

shirt-target (clearance-$4.50!!)

jeans-LC for khols

belt-from an f21 dress

boots-charlotte russe

earrings-f21

fall fashion week-friday

2010-10-29T19:40:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I am loving Fall Fashion Week!!!

I've gathered a lot of fashion inspiration and can't wait to try it all out through fall and winter!!

This fall I am loving taupes, blushes, greys/brown greys and yellows/golds....so this outfit was perfect to showcase some of that!!

shirt-h&m

skirt-forever21

cardigan-francesca's collection

shoes-the buckle

necklace-it was a college graduation gift from my parents

ring-f21

earrings-nordstrom

fall fashion week-thursday

2010-10-28T21:21:00.000-04:00

I'm so proud of myself for keeping up with Fall Fashion Week!!

I can't believe its Thursday already, everyone is looking amazing and I've "met" so many sweet ladies!!

Today was the chilliest fall day we've had so far, which was perfect because I've been itching to wear my fox tights again!!

Sorry for the crappy full body shots, I don't have anyone to take photos for me and getting a good one with the self timer is proving to be a tad hard!

Day 4

dress-H&M

tights-anthropologie

oxfords-nordstrom

earrings-nordstrom

rings-f21 and gift

Check out Emery Jo's blog to join in and to find links to all the other ladies joining in on the Fall Fashion Week fun!!!

Quiche

2010-10-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

The other day, Danielle posted a quiche recipe (click her name for the post) that looked too good not to try!

Kroger was having a sale on eggs so I decided to give it a go!!

I swapped out the broccoli for leeks (love them) and spinach and used pepper jack cheese.

I made my own whole wheat pie crust (I added flax seeds to it) and did everything else like she suggested!

She was right-it was quick, easy and super delicious!

Placing the foil around the edges made all the difference and it turned out perfectly!

fall fashion week-wednesday

2010-10-27T18:35:00.000-04:00

I am having such a blast participating in Emery Jo's Fall Fashion Week!!!

It is so fun to discover new blogs and see all the wonderful styles everyone is coming up with for fall this year.

Now onto my outfit...

Day 3-Wednesday

dress-forever 21 (I love sleeves on dresses!!)

cardigan-francesca's collection (I didn't love the cardigan with it but added it for when I went to the pumpkin patch)

belt-forever 21

shoes-the buckle (I never shop there but saw them in the window and had money left on a visa gift card, so I treated myself!)

ring-f21

nail polish-f21 (taupe...I love this color!)

earrings-nordstrom

Its not too late to join in on the fun of Fall Fashion Week

fall fashion week-tuesday

2010-10-26T20:15:00.000-04:00

Fashion Week Day 2-Tuesday

(I wanted to show the ruffles but it turned out to be a bit of a boob shot, sorry!)

cardigan-forever21

shirt-h&m

belt-from a f21 dress (this belt gets used A LOT)

jeans-lauren conrad for khols

boots-charlotte russe (these boots also get used A LOT)

earrings-f21

rings-f21 and a gift

I completely forgot I had this shirt (I love the ruffles) so it was fun to wear it for the first time for Fall Fashion Week!!

This outfit was super comfy and perfect for today, in the morning it was pretty warm so I started without the cardigan but by the time I was on my way to work the weather had turned pretty serious (windy with tornado warnings) and the temp dropped 20 degrees, so I added the cardigan!

I checked out a few Fashion Week posts while at work and everyone is looking so cute! I've picked up some fashion inspiration and can't wait to put my spin on some it!

fall fashion week-monday

2010-10-25T16:46:00.000-04:00

Yay! Its the beginning of Emery Jo's Fall Fashion week over Moms are for Everyone!!

This is my first time participating in a fashion week, so I'm excited about it.

I always mean to take outfit photos but usually forget, so this will be a nice reminder for me to do so!!

Day 1

dress-forever21

cardigan-francesca's collection

belt-from a different f21 dress

boots-charlotte russe

earrings-forever 21

rings-gift

Its not to late to join in the fashion fun:

Brick

2010-10-24T18:12:00.001-04:00

I have now seen this movie four times, three of them being within the last couple weeks (thank you, current tv) and I still have pretty much no clue what is happening ever.

Maybe the fifth times the charm?

yummy sandwich

2010-10-23T12:18:00.005-04:00

I made the best sandwhich for lunch the other day and enjoyed it so much I had it a couple other times this week (I didn't want to waste the rest of the baguette) and decided I just had to share it with you all!!

The mix of flavors may sound weird, but seriously it was perfection!!

I changed it up a bit everyday but each time it was wonderful.

you'll need:

.whole grain french baguette

. tofutti cream cheese

. peach preserves

. yellow mustard

. garlic salt

. ground black pepper

. red leaf lettuce

. yellow pepper

. red onion

. granny smith apple slices

. white cheddar cheese

. sun dried tomatoes

. spinach

. feta cheese

Cut the bread however big or small you want it and top according to your preference!

I made mine medium sized and scooped out all the bread from the middle of the two slices, making them little boats and giving more room for yummy veggies!!

I used about one teaspoon of the mustard, cream cheese and peach preserves (just enough to cover the bottom of the bread) and just a sprinkling of the garlic salt and black pepper. I wanted to be able to taste all the flavors so I didn't over do it on any one topping.

I used lots of veggies on mine, but do whatever you want and add whatever you want and change it up!!

When I used the feta I left off the white cheddar and cream cheese and switched out the red leaf lettuce for spinach and toasted it all in the oven for a few minutes once...all ways delicious!

Enjoy!

yay for crafts, clothes, coffee and cupcakes!

2010-10-22T19:08:00.000-04:00

Today I headed south and picked up a few things I needed to FINALLY get started sewing!

Of course I made an F21 stop and picked up a couple cute things.

For my crafting needs I purchased-a self healing mat, rotary cutter, yarn needles, brads and fabric.

For my fashion needs I purchased-a cute 3/4 sleeved dress, a printed button up shirt and a bottle of taupe nail polish.

I also stopped to enjoy a cup of coffee and a red velvet cupcake, but I consumed them both before I realized I didn't take a picture. They were both delicious though and I've decided coffee and a cupcake may become a bi monthly trip for me...I can't have too many cupcakes, my sweet tooth is mostly reserved for pie.

My plans for the rest of the day are to hang out with my dogs and hit up the gym!!

cup pies

2010-10-22T10:30:00.000-04:00

If any of you are like me or my bff, Stephanie, then you LOVE pie and the show Pushing Daisies!!

Pie is seriously one of my favorite things ever and enjoying a piece (or two) always puts me in a good mood, it is my ultimate comfort food.

And Pushing Daisies, well if you've seen it then you know it is the cutest show ever and you'll know where I got my inspiration from with the following recipie!!

Awhile ago I made my first from scratch, fresh fruit pie-vegan whole wheat peach raspberry. It was a messy process and probably didn't turn out as well as it could have but to me it tasted delicious!!! However because of the time it took, I haven't made another pie since...I like to have my pie readily available to eat, no waiting around, which lead to me to make the yummy little cup pies (like on Pushing Daisies) this past weekend (and again yesterday) that take half the time to make!!

They are sooooooooooo easy to make, no mess, very little time, less calories (I figured around 200) and just the right size!!

I FINALLY found a good batch of strawberries at the store, so I bought a couple containers for my oatmeal and decided I could spare some for this dessert. I needed a filler to go with it, I love peach pie so I decided to use peach preserves...plus peach goes well with strawberries!

The end result:

individual strawberry-peach cup pies!!!!!!!!!

They were sooo very good and I topped them with my healthy whipped cream and a few more strawberry slices!!!

With the cool weather coming in, these are perfect to pair with a nice cup of coffee or tea!!

cup pie recipe:

you will need-

Store bought refridgerated pie crust-the kind in a box, not already in a dish. (mine had 2 in the box)

strawberries-2 per cup pie, sliced (switch up the fruit to whatever you like, same goes with the preserves.)

peach preserves- 1 tablespoon per cup pie

brown sugar (optional)

coconut shavings (optional)

muffin/cupcake pan (ramkins or mini pie pans will work if you have them)

Preheat oven to 450 (or whatever it says on your pie crust box)

roll out one (makes 5) pie crust and use a small bowl or cookie cutter to make each crust (mine were 4 and 4 1/2 inches.)

After a few circles you'll have to pile up the dough and use a roller to roll it out for the rest of the circles.

Once you have all the crusts made place them in the pan making little cups and place 3-4 slices on the bottom add a bit of the peach preserves and repeat.

When you're happy with the filling you can either use the leftover dough to make a lattice or little hearts, pinch the edges making it into a tart or a little dumpling. ( I made a couple of each)

sprinkle to tops with a bit of coconut and pop in the oven.

dumpling (4 inch circle)

cup pie w/lattice (4 inch circle w/leftover dough)

tart (4 1/2 inch circle)

Take them out once the top and edges are a nice golden brown and the preserves are all ooey and gooey!

Let them sit for a bit and then top with a few slice strawberries (or whatever fruit you picked) and some healthy whipped cream.

healthy whipped cream:

lite whipped topping

1 small container of plain greek yogurt

combine half the container of greek yogurt with a couple tablespoons of the whipped topping and stir until they are mixed together.

But the most important part is that you ENJOY them!!

I had mine with a nice hot cup of coconut cream coffee, yum!!!

Monty and my past dogs.

2010-10-21T20:16:00.000-04:00

Continuing on with my post about the four legged loves of my life, here is MONTY!!

Monty came into my life at just the right time, I had moved back in with parents for the millionth time and no longer had friends only minutes away. Besides that, Lucky, my shepard/collie/chow mix of 14 years had passed away a few months before and I took it super, super, super hard-I'm tearing up now typing this ( I can't talk, think or apparently type about him without crying).

Monty filled my big dog void and has brought such happiness to my life every single day, even though we have for sure had our rough patches.

When Monty first came to live with us, Newbie HATED him. So much so that he stopped eating, playing and letting anyone love on him.

I felt so horrible that Newbie had such a horrible reaction to him, that I took him back to the shelter after a week because I was so worried about Newbie's health.

I reacted to taking him back the same way Newbie reacted to his arrival and after a very emotional week without him, I decided that if I was this upset without him after him only being in my life for a week then I was meant to have him as a pet and make it work with Newbie.
So that is what I did, I readopted him!
Surprisingly upon Monty's return, Newbie was very happy to see him and they've been the best of friends since!
Monty is so funny and smart, he already knew sit, stay, shake/hold hands, lay down and roll over when I got him and I have taught him to give kisses and speak.
His kisses are my favorite thing, they're soooo sweet!! All you have to do is make a kissy face and he will plant one on you (not a lick) and he love love loves to hold hands.

I'm also going to talk about my dogs that have passed away, because they made me the animal lover that I am today.

AJ, a boarder collie mix was my first pet/dog.
(aka-AJ-rooneypoo, Racedog)
(All my pictures of AJ are in a box, because digital cameras weren't around when I had him. If I find one, I'll add it)
We adopted him a few months after we moved to the States when I was five in 1989.
His litter and mother had been rescued from an abusive home, they were all tied to a tree with only a foot or so of chain to move around on with their food and water just out of reach.
I remember riding home with him in my dad's truck and how his head was way too big for his body because he was so malnurished.
AJ taught me that a dog really is man's best friend and sat with me more times that I can remember on my little picnic table while I hugged and cried on him when my mom was "mean" to me.
In return for his love, I made him treats out of dirt, wild onion, berries, grass and tiny flowers that smelled like watermelon that I found around our yard.
Thankfully, he never ate the treat because he may not have lived a good 15 years if he had done so.
While we had AJ, my dad was deployed to Saudi Arabia for the Golf War.
He was gone for months upon months and I will never forget the reunion of he and my Dad, it was very similar to this video just with a lot more running (AJ loved to run circles around the yard, hence his nickname Racedog)

My second dog was Lucky.
(aka-Luckums, Lucky Dog)

(I still didn't have a digital camera when we had Lucky, but found some prints around my parent's house)
Oh man, this dog stole my heart.
We adopted him when I was in 5th grade when we moved to a house with a bigger yard and decided AJ needed a friend.
My dad told my sister and I that we could ride our bikes to the shelter and pick out a small female dog.
So we made the ride all the way on the other side of town and somehow I convinced my sister to go along with getting the five month old, 45 lb, male ball of fluff that was Lucky.
Lucky also came from an abusive home but was eager to love and be loved.
He flinched if you moved to fast, raised your arm too high or talked too loud but after awhile he grew out of it and really came into his own.
He and AJ were inseperable, which gave Lucky a bad rap because it wasn't until he showed up that AJ started escaping the yard and my dad blammed Lucky for digging the holes, etc.
They'd go on days without us finding them but when we did, they were always side by side.
I knew it was AJ that was the mastermind because even though he loved Lucky, he wouldn't mind being on his own but Lucky, he would never let AJ out of his sight.
When AJ passed away, Lucky never left the yard on his own again.
Being a shephard/collie/chow mix meant Lucky was blessed/cursed with the thickest, fluffiest, longest hair possible.
This also meant he made the most amazing pillow and I would spend hours outside in the summer with him, laying in the grass using his belly as my pillow.

I could go on and on about my dogs, there are sooo many wonderful, funny stories about them. Perhaps I'll have to do another post at some point with a few more stories!
I hope you all have enjoyed getting to know the four legged best friends of my life, past and present!

Toby and Newbie

2010-10-21T19:27:00.000-04:00

Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet did a lovely post about her four legged bff, Madeline and encouraged everyone else with one to do so as well, so I thought I would join in because I LOVE my pets soooooo very much!!

I seriously do, I tell them all the time that I love the so much I could squeeze them to death...not exactly a nice thought but thats how strong my love for them is!!

I have A LOT of dogs to talk about, so I'm going to divide it into two posts.
First up is the two corgis, quite possibly the cutest dog breed there is!!!

I'll start with Toby.
(aka-Pookie, Pookaburrah, Pooh-bear)

I got Toby for Christmas my senior year of high school in 2002.

He was four months old and came in a little purple shirt in a box complete with a bow on top.
I cried when I opened the box and saw him in all his teeny, tiny cuteness.

From day one he has made the most horrifying/cute noises and even though they are loud and annoying after a minute, they're one of my favorite things about him because I have never heard another dog make noises like that and I can tell what he wants or how he feels by the noise he makes.

Unfortunately he took more of a liking to my Dad than to me (I joke and say he is the son my Dad never had) but I still love him to death!!

Next up is Newbie!!!
(aka-Newbs, NewNew, NewNew Poopface and Newbie One Kenobi)

Newbie is the picture perfect corgi.

My Dad works for the county and does maintenance at all the county buildings, including the animal shelter.

They knew we had a corgi (Toby) so when Newbie showed up in the shelter, they called to see if he was ours...even though they knew what Toby looked like and Newbie is Toby's opposite.

They really called because they knew my Dad would take one look at him and adopt him...and that is just what happened!!

He had belonged to an older lady who no longer could take care of him but she had apparently smothered him with love and attention because he literally begged to be pet.

He showed us he could sit up and beg, sit and shake hands (we call it paw-paw though).

He was a perfect fit from the get go and has done nothing but put smiles on our faces everyday, even though he loves to eat dirt and cat poop.

Ugh, I just love them soooo much!

bloodbuzz ohio

2010-10-21T13:06:00.002-04:00

I am currently obsessed with this band and this song:

I love love love it.

Stay tuned for a few more posts of things I love, including a post inspired by Danielle's (sometimes sweet) about her four legged best friend, some yummy recipes and a couple crafty things I've been up to!!

yay for campfires, vintage baseball, enchiladas and knitting!!!

2010-10-18T16:48:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to slack on blogging again, which is silly of me because some fun things have happened the past couple weekends!!

Last weekend, Ravi and Stephanie had a campfire birthday potluck for me, everyone made super yummy food and it was the most perfect way to spend my belated birthday.

During the week I've been going to the bark park in Tipp City a lot or taking Monty on long walks around downtown. He loves looking in store windows, smelling and peeing on everything and all the people who are out and about. He is such a social butterfly!!

Of course I've also been spending a fair amount of my time working out and hanging out with Ravi and Stephanie, both are things that have to happen numerous times a week or I just don't feel like myself!

Saturday after heading to Cincinnati to use my birthday coupon from Anthro (I didn't find anything worth using the discount on), I went to Ravi and Stephanie's for a campfire. I love sitting around a fire and talking, it feels more intimate and relaxing.

Sunday was the vintage baseball game in Tipp City, it turned out not to be as exciting as I thought it would be. In my head I imagined it being like the party Rory attends with Logan in Gilmore Girls that the Life and Death Brigade throws. While it was nothing like in Gilmore Girls, it was still cute that there are vintage baseball teams and they did talk old timey-instead of "run!" they said "leg it!"

During the game it was decided Erik was coming town later and we'd make enchilada's and hang out, which was awesome because we used to make enchilada's quite often and its always a good time when Erik comes. The enchilada's were soooooooo good, we made fake chicken, cheese and pineapple instead of the usual plain cheese!! The evening was spent watching tv, talking and lots of laughing-always a good way to spend time!

Today I've been working on a couple knitting projects and playing with the pups, they love the chilly weather we're having today and I do too!! I wore the foxy tights (blogger is being difficult and won't let me upload pictures right now) from Anthro today that I ordered with a gift card my sister got me for being in her wedding!!

yay for a big update about last week/weekend!!

2010-10-06T18:47:00.001-04:00

So much happened last week and I've been a bit busy this week too, so I am just now getting time to make a post about it all!!

Last Thursday was my 26th birthday (blah...sooo old!!) and the week/weekend of my sister's wedding. I was kind of bummed and figured I wouldn't get to do anything for my birthday because everyone was preoccupied.

My grandparents and parents along with my uncle who was in from southern Georgia offered to take me out to eat but made it a bit difficult for me to pick a place so when we finally decided I was over it.

However, they surprised me and invited my two best friends-Ravi and Stephanie and we ended up having a great time!!!

We went to a local Chinese, Japanese and Thai, China Dynasty,that has a special "secret" vegetarian menu and lots of wonderful choices.

My parents got me a sewing machine

(sorry its a crappy picture. Apparently, this is the recommended sewing machine if you want to hem jeans...which is one reason I wanted a sewing machine. I'm only 5'2" and can NEVER find jeans that are the right length.)

Ravi and Stephanie got me some goodies to get me started sewing

and it all came in the cutest tote ever that Stephanie made!!!

I LOVE the fabric, squirrels are one of my favorites and it is perfect for fall!!

I got some sweet cards

My favorite being from Ravi and Stephanie! They wanted to find a ferris wheel (hence the card) to take me too since I've never been on one but they didn't find one. BUT then the next day Stephanie did and we're going to it in a couple weekends!!!

Friday morning my mom and I headed out bright and early to meet my sister and her fiance to make the corsages and boutonnieres for her wedding.

After we finished at the Flowerman, my mom and I finished up a few things we needed to do for the wedding and I got my bangs trimmed for the first time in a year...I'm horrible at haircuts.

I know they look pretty much the same but they are seriously a lot shorter...like 4 inches shorter. I'm happy about it.

We then headed back to Dayton for the rehearsal/dinner, the rehearsal was at the venue the wedding was being held and we had dinner at Marion's pizza.

Saturday was the wedding so in the morning I picked up the flowers, got coffee with Stephanie and then headed to the hotel to get ready.

I didn't get any pictures from the day because I forgot my camera at home, but once she gets some I'll make sure to share them!

A mutual friend of the my sister, myself and the matron of honor did everyone's make up, I wore false eye lashes and I LOVED them...I'm obsessed.

I did my sister's hair and after having not used a curling iron since highschool, I was pretty proud of myself for how her hair turned out!

Everything went smoothly at the wedding even though it rained most of the day and by 8:00 I was exhausted. I packed up some extra cupcakes and headed to Ravi and Stephanie's since Erik was in town and then headed home after cupcakes and coffee to let Monty out of the porch room he had been in most of the day. My parents had friends check on the dogs every once in awhile and apparently Monty gave everyone a hard time about going back into the room and just wanted to play!

Sunday was grocery day, relaxing and hanging out with my grandparents before they left for Florida Monday morning.

Monday my mom and I ran errands returning things that didn't get used at the wedding and using a coupon I got for my birthday for a free entree at First Watch.

Yesterday I worked and relaxed all evening.

Today was running around with my mom while she paid bills and did some errands for my grammy. On the way home we stopped for pie at the tiniest little diner, Sam and Ethels (STEPHANIE!!! I totally forgot about this place having PIE!!!) in Tipp City. My mom got cherry and I got coconut cream and a cup of coffee...yum. It had the most amazingly flaky, buttery crust.

Now it's sweet potato taco time and watching Friday Night Lights on the Family channel. Tim Riggins makes my heart go pitter patter.

quick week/weekend update

2010-10-03T10:32:00.000-04:00

A lot has happened this week and I haven't been able to make a single post about any of it because I've been rather busy!
So here is a quick update until I get pictures loaded, taken etc and can share it all with you with a proper post:
My week consisted of work, my birthday dinner, wedding rehearsal and dinner, making corsages and boutonnieres, getting last minute things for the wedding, getting my bangs trimmed, gift shopping, coffee with friends and then all the events that take place the day of a wedding!!
Today will be spent relaxing and maybe making a trip to the bark park since the dogs are pretty upset about being left alone for 12 hours yesterday!

BonBon Rose Girl giveaway from Lulu's!!

2010-09-29T17:17:00.001-04:00

The lovely ladies over at BonBon Rose Girls are having a super generous giveaway sponsored by Lulu's. You get a $100 gift card to the store which is more than enough to pick up a few great items for fall!!!

If I win (fingers crossed) I will definitely be ordering the following:

Frankly, Scarlet Red Satin Dress

Meet Me in the Mojave Vegan Leather Handbag

Blossoms for Breakfast Blouse

Kristin and Megan's blog is always a lovely place for fashion inspiration, finding out about new bloggers and awesome online sales and yummy recipes-so if you haven't paid them a visit, now is the time to do so!!!

Yay for Francesca's Collection SUPER SALE!!!!!!!

2010-09-24T09:52:00.000-04:00

Recently I've talked about a little boutique that I frequent-Francesca's Collection

(dress and cardigan are from Francesca's)

If you haven't checked out the store in person or online, now is the time to do so!!!!

They are having an additional 30% off all sale items in store and online!!!

BUT THERES MORE...add the following two codes in the promo code section and you'll get 40% off your highest priced item AND 25% your total order!!

I got a dress that was on sale for $19.98 for $5.35!!!

*promo codes:

welcome (40%)

bonjour (25%)

*they may only work for new accounts

Here are some of my favorites in their sale selection-

Memory Lane Cardigan-$24

Shocking Details Dress-$19.98

Nice and Easy Tee-$4.98

Among Many Dots skirt-$14.98

Wishing You Well scarf-$9.98

All the prices listed are without the extra 30% off...they take it off once the item is added to your bag!

The rest comes off after you apply the promo codes.

Those are just a few of the wonderful sale items! Go look at the rest, its worth it!!!

yay for giveaway goodies and crafting!!!

2010-09-20T17:11:00.000-04:00

With all the hustle and bustle that went on last week with making crafts for a shower, parties, car appointments, work and weddings I completely forgot to post pictures of the amazing goodies I won in Katie's giveaway and of the goodies I made for my sister's shower/bachelorette party!!

the twig pencils are my favorite!!

.I bought tea cups at thrift stores, painted and wrote the girls names on them. I also wrote the date of the shower on the bottom of the cup and put a cupcake in them for our dessert!

.I made yummy mint and vanilla candies and filled a bag with them for a sweet they could take home!

. The mason jars were thrifted as well, I found cute little cupcake charms that I wrapped around the jars with ribbon. We used them as our glasses for the evening.

.It was a baking themed party (though it didn't really turn out that way), so with a cute $1 owl stamp I found and some index cards, I made a recipe "book" that they can fill with whatever recipes they'd like!

With all the lovely showers/parties and weddings I've been to lately, it really makes me wish I had more to attend! I love making goodies myself as well as seeing all the cute, creative ideas my friends come up with!

yay for weddings!!

2010-09-19T17:58:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I went to the wedding of one of the sweetest couples I know.

It was one of the loveliest days I've had.

I forgot my camera but Stephanie got some cute photos and already made a sweet post about the wedding, so if you'd like to see and read more hop on over to her post!!!

yay for boots!!

2010-09-10T11:44:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I wore boots for the first time since late spring and oh man did it fill me with that lovely fall feeling!!!

I also wore a dress that I bought at the beginning of summer for the first time! It has long sleeves so it was too hot to wear it during the summer, plus it gave me something to look forward to once the weather cooled!

I absolutely LOVE the dress!! Its from Francesca's Collection, they have stores all over and super duper cute clothes, purses, shoes and other goodies! My cardigan is also from there!

Yay for lovely fall clothes!

Oh and how cute is Monty?! The camera caught him mid scratch.

errands, doggie playdates and $5 pumpkin spice iced coffees

2010-09-08T21:45:00.000-04:00

Today was such a lovely day!!!!
I wore boots for the first time since late spring and had my first pumpkin flavored drink of the season with Stephanie!!

During the day, my mom and I hit up Target, Party City, Hobby Lobby, Elder-Beerman and visited my grandparents for a bit.
I got lots of craft goodies to make for the shower/bachelorette party I'm throwing for my sister and am super excited to get back into craft mode.
I let being creative go once I moved back to Troy and didn't have my own space anymore and three rowdy dogs running all over the place.

Ravi and Stephanie came up with Sabin in the evening and we ate dinner outside while the dogs played!
Like always, we had good conversations and lots of laughs watching the dogs playing.
After dinner, Stephanie and I took Sabin and got $5 pumpkin spice iced coffees...$5?!!!
We were informed this is not a crazy price because there are three shots of expresso in it...except we got the iced coffees not lattes so I think he was mistaken.
Oh well, they were pretty good and I doubt we'll be back there anytime soon.

Thats all for today, time to read a bit in my book before bed...I know it's early but Monty and I are sleepyheads today!

a quick fall wishlist and a big thank you to Katie of I Go By Katie!!!

2010-09-08T16:31:00.000-04:00

Fall is right around the corner and so is my birthday!!!

I love that my birthday is in the fall, it is the perfect reason to ask for and shop for lovely fall goodies.

Here are some things I'm loving for the fall and would make lovely gifts for any of you with fall birthdays!

bows are a must have for me right now!

i love that they are quilted

the cutest way to drink tea on a cool fall day!

i love the neck!

to me this is the perfect fall red

dogs and cardigans are a perfect pair for fall weather!

a girl can't have enough boots

and of course, the perfect belt!

The lovely lady, Katie of I Go By Katie makes the belt shown above as well as super darling moccasins-check out her etsy to see all the goodies she has for sale!!

Recently on her blog she hosted a giveaway and I was lucky enough to win!!

I can't wait for the packages arrival and to begin filling the notebooks with thoughts and ideas this fall!

Thank you Katie for hosting a incredibly sweet giveaway!!

yay for parties!!!

2010-09-03T18:58:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it is September already!
I'm definitely excited for this month, and not just because it's my birthday month but because the leaves start to change and you get a mix of warm and cool weather...which means I may be able to bust out the boots and tights!!

I worked an extra day this week and I definitely needed it moneywise! This is going to be an expensive month for me with two weddings, a bachelorette party, three wedding showers, dress alterations, a car payment, credit card payments and of course my shopping addiction. They are all worthy things to be spending money on though, except maybe the shopping addiction.

Speaking of the weddings/showers, last weekend was a friend's bachelorette party and it was a lot of fun!! We went to a roller derby match in Kentucky, which was quite confusing and after we met up with the bachelor party for dinner! It was so great to see everyone and to hang out, because it doesn't get to happen too often because we all aren't in the same city/state.

Tomorrow is the couple's wedding shower, so it will also be another lovely day spent with friends! Stephanie is throwing it and she has talked about some of the cute things she is doing and food she is making, so I can't wait to see the decorations and eat the food!!! I love having plans on the weekends so I have an excuse to get out of Troy and when the reason is to celebrate with friends, even better!!!

Today I bought their wedding gift off of etsy and I cannot wait to give it to them! I love shopping for and giving gifts. I wish I had a significant other so I could get one made for myself!!!

I hope you all are enjoying September as much as me and have wonderful weekends!!!

omg!!

2010-08-31T10:18:00.001-04:00

fox tights?! yes, please!!!!

weekly finds

2010-08-26T19:07:00.000-04:00

(source)

those three things helped make my week!

Fulton Farms

2010-08-24T10:30:00.001-04:00

After Monty and I got back from our walk downtown, my mom and I headed to our local farmer market. I never get there as much as I want so just like the visit downtown, it was much needed. We left with two pies and a cute bottle of coconut flavoring. The pies were delicious and the coconut flavoring has made for some yummy muffins and iced teas!!!

Sandy and Monty go downtown

2010-08-23T20:26:00.000-04:00

Monty and I ventured downtown Friday afternoon to snap some photos and take a much needed walk, since moving back to Troy I've slacked on our walks and we both definitely miss it!

The local art theatre has this amazing ivy covered wall and old doors, so it made for a perfect little photo shoot spot.

We spent most of our "walk" at the emergency exit door of the theatre because Monty could not get enough of the popcorn smell and listening to the movie that was playing.

It was a lovely walk and I've decided Friday's will be the day he and I head downtown and find cute places to take pictures!

quick two week recap.

2010-08-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

Whoo, it's been awhile!!!

My days have been pretty low key as of late.
Last week I dog/cat/house sat for Ravi and Stephanie while they went to Vegas, the animals were super good and it was nice to be back in Dayton.
I watched both seasons of Pushing Daisies, a documentary about obesity in America (I forget the name), 180 south, Doubt, Sunshine Cleaning, part of a horrible movie Anne Hathaway is in called Havoc, the first five minutes of Boondock Saints II (it was too stupid to keep watching) and I think that is it.
I also ran two miles almost every night and took Sabin on lots of walks.
I did a bit of shopping at places I don't get to go to anymore and went to Starbucks to get coffee and fill out invitations for my sister's shower/bachelorette party.
It was a nice week away from Troy but I was missing my Monty and being around people.
I lead a pretty lonely life without Monty, Ravi and Stephanie.

This week has been work, working out, job and house/apartment searching.
I've inquired about a few jobs on craigslist but they all turned out to be scams. Boo!!!
I applied for a job as a teacher's aide a week or so ago but haven't heard from them. Oh well.
I have a couple more places too apply to so perhaps one of them will work out!!

As far as the rental search, all the rental houses around here are either gross or way over priced so the search has been slow. I haven't had much luck in the apartment search either since I'm looking for one that is part of a duplex and not a big complex.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed I find something soon. Troy life is not for me and it is getting me down.

Well, the sun is shining and Monty and I are sick of sitting inside being lazy so we're off to stroll downtown and take some photos!!!
I hope you all have a lovely Friday!!

heart pies

2010-08-08T21:59:00.000-04:00

I made my very first all from scratch pie!!!!

vegan peach raspberry pie.

making pie is hard work. even when it is not looking perfect.

but who cares how what the lattice looks like once its done and ready to eat?!

not this girl.

you never learned, the rules have changed since we were nine

2010-08-08T12:54:00.000-04:00

I've had a bit of a roller coaster week involving the boy who I just can't seem to get over....but now I think this is it. Between Monday and Friday it was just back and forth, good and drama, lots of things being said and we both changed out minds from what we said we wanted on Monday. Now though I believe it is finally over between us.
He has opted that we not talk. I'm having a hard time with this because I feel bad that he feels that way. Deep down though, I know not talking is probably for the best and will make moving on and feeling good again easier.
Luckily, I had Ravi and Stephanie who let me cry the for the millionth time over this boy while eating pie in their living room and also to give me their honest opinion and advice without saying "I told you so"...which is probably what I deserved and what should have been said.

Other than that I didn't do much this week besides working extra days and hours, which is wonderful (but boring) because I have my first car payment due soon!! I am enjoying my car but am scared of putting miles on it. I know that is what cars are for, but I seriously drive soooo soooooooo sooooo much and it worries me this car will end up like my last one.

Yesterday I ended up going to Dayton earlier on in the day than usual and spent the whole day hanging out with Stephanie and then Ravi when he got off work. Stephanie made us iced coffee and we had lots of girl talk, then we went to F21 for a bit-I got a pair of cute heart tights that I can't wait to wear, we made a yummy dinner, watched Arrested Development and then took pie to Starbucks and had more iced coffee. It was a lovely lovely lovely time.

I've got no plans for today but definitely want to spend it out and about!!
I hope you all have a lovely day whatever you do!

This and That v. 2-birds.

2010-08-07T10:24:00.000-04:00

theme-birds.

this-wallpaper

that-tattoos

.bird on your shoulder

Last Week update

2010-08-02T10:24:00.000-04:00

With all the excitement of my Pre Shark Week Shark Week, I haven't done an actual "life update" post in awhile!!
Nothing huge has happened but I have had a few lovely days with some of my favorite friends!!

On Monday Ravi and Stephanie brought Sabin up to play with Monty, Newbie and Toby...they had sooo much fun! I had fun as well, I got us all La Fiesta and we sat outside eating and having good conversation!!

Tuesday was work and then meeting up with a friend that just moved back to Troy from LA. He and his girlfriend of five years broke up, so he is here to save money and figure out what he is going to do next. It was nice catching up but he did not want the night to end!!! We got coffee, talked about life, went on a walk, stopped by his parents to say hi, went to Frickers where an Army recruiter tried to recruit us and then went on another walk!!! I didn't get home till 1:30 am!!!

Wednesday Stephanie and I met up in Tipp City to shop at their little vintage shops. Its always fun to go to the stores, but it seemed like it was all the same stuff and I hadn't been there in months!!! It was also super duper hot so after a couple stores we went to a coffee shop and had pina colada lattes...yum!!! I forget what I did the rest of the day besides going to the gym.

Thursday was just work and working out again.

Friday was National Cheesecake Day so in the evening I met up with Ravi, Stephanie and Luke for some yummy 1/2 priced cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory!! After we hung out and played games at our friends new apartment.

Saturday morning I had a 1st birthday party to go to for one of my cousins, Ellery. She is such a pretty baby, if I ever have a daughter I want her to look like Ellery. The party was in the morning because they had a family reunion during the afternoon, that meant we got yummy breads, jams, muffins and donuts to eat instead of cake and ice cream!!! Fine by me.
That night Stephanie invited me to go see My Fair Lady with her, Ravi and Erik at The Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton. The theatre shows old movies during the summer when they don't have plays going on, so its always a special time!! I hadn't been there in years since they had a Marilyn Monroe summer movie series and I went to see Some Like It Hot.
After the movie we got coffee and talked for a couple hours, which is always a good time.

Yesterday was a slow day of playing with the dogs, grocery shopping, browsing Goodwill and a new boutique that opened in Tipp City and treating myself to a pina colada iced coffee (better and cheaper than the latte) and hitting up the gym before the premiere of SHARK WEEK!!!!

Whoo, so that was my week....sorry I jammed it all into one long post. I guess I need to start making regular daily posts to avoid that. I also need to start taking and posting pictures again!!! That will be my goal this week.

Shark Week 2010

2010-08-01T19:46:00.000-04:00

(source)

Sharks are cool. Learn how you can help to save them.

Shark Week 2010 Show Schedule

Day 7 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-08-01T09:45:00.001-04:00

EEEEPPPP!! I made this post yesterday and forgot to hit publish post!! Oh wells!!

For the last post of my Pre Shark Week Shark Week, I'm sharing two crazy shark videos!!

Surfing With A Great White Shark - Watch more Funny Videos

craziness!!!

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/shark-bites-caught-on-film.html

Only click the link if you don't mind seeing blood and the icky aftermath of a guy getting attacked by a shark during a show for Shark Week 2007.

more craziness!!!

Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie

2010-08-01T09:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I watched the most amazing episode of Unique Eats on the Cooking Channel!! It was all about desserts and featured some super cute places, most importantly Four and Twenty Blackbirds in Brooklyn, NY where they sell ONLY PIE!!!! Seriously, I was in awe of the place!!! I loved everything about it. Perhaps I should grab Monty and pack up my car Brooklyn bound and fulfill my dream of eating pie everyday and working in a pie shop!! I told Stephanie about Four and Twenty Blackbirds last night and suggested we open our own pie shop...someday. The episode also features Babycakes, a vegan bakery in NYC that has the best looking donuts I've ever seen and the Van Leeuwen ice cream truck that has a pistachio ice cream made with pistachio's harvested every two years off the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily!!!!!!!

Video: Desserts

Day 6 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-30T17:59:00.000-04:00

i need this nail polish!

and this ring.

shark dress by olivia rubin

oh and I also need this ice cube tray!

love it!

Thimble and Acorn

2010-07-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

Etsy is featuring the cutest seller/shop, I am loving her interview and designs!!!

(source)

Day 5 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-29T22:58:00.000-04:00

Love These Movies.

National Cheesecake Day...tomorrow!!

2010-07-29T09:21:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is National Cheesecake Day which means 1/2 price slices at The Cheesecake Factory!!!

I need to eat a slice of this!!!

Day 5 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-28T21:54:00.000-04:00

how precious.

My #1 life goal, above all my "normal" goals like getting married, having kids (maybe), buying a house, etc. is seeing/diving with a Great White Shark.

It may be a goal for some of you too, just lower down on the list.

If it is here is a list dive companies from some of the best places in the world to see Great Whites...so start planning a trip!!!

South Africa:

White Shark Diving

Shark Cage Diving

Australia:

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

Shark Cage Diving

California:

Shark Diver

San Diego Shark Diving

Hawaii:

Hawaii Shark Encounters

Day 4 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-27T19:02:00.000-04:00

Its a song about Great White Sharks, what more can I say?!

The Great White Shark Song

National Geographic | MySpace Video

I need two. One for my Mac and one for my car.

This and That v. 1-yellow

2010-07-27T18:41:00.001-04:00

I am going to start a new feature on my blog called-A little bit of This and A little bit of That.

There will be two different categories-this and that but they will both follow a theme and be filled with all things inspiring and lovely.

So here we go into post #1-

yellow.

This=fashion

That=interior design

1.the perfect shade of yellow

2.what a pretty pillow to rest your head on

3.yellow+ruffles=the perfect combination

4.yellow in all the right places

5.you're the yellow bird that I've been waiting for

6.who doesn't love the yellow and grey combo?!

Day 3 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

It is day three of Shark Week on Filled With Wanderlust and to start this post off I'm featuring a song!!! It isn't about sharks but the title of it is "Shark in the Water" and it is pretty catchy so give it a listen and buy it on itunes if you like it!!

Up next is this super cute shark hat!!!

Poor Monty, he is going to be happy when Pre Shark Week Shark Week is over and quit making him into sharks!!!

Loving the ocean and its other creatures comes hand in hand with loving sharks, which means one of my favorite things to do is visit aquariums/zoos!!! Here are a few of aquariums that I think are worthy of a visit!!

The Newport Aquarium in Newport, Kentucky is only an hour away and is filled with soooo many lovely sea creatures including sharks and a shark petting pool!!!! If any of you are ever in the southwestern Ohio/northern Kentucky area I highly suggest you make a stop in Newport and visit not just the aquarium but the town itself, it is super cute and one of my favorite places to go for a quick day getaway!!

The next aquarium, The Oceans Exhibit is inside the Indianapolis Zoo and has not only sharks, but sea lions, polar bears and so so much more!!! They even have an Underwater Dolphin Dome!!!!! I have been dying to visit the zoo for sooo long and have yet to make the trip, but maybe before the summer is over I'll finally make it...I haven't gone anywhere all summer so I think I deserve a little vacation!

The Two Oceans Aquarium in South Africa pretty cool not only because it is in South Africa, one of the best places in the world to see Great White Sharks, but because if you are a licensed diver you can dive in the Predator Exhibit and feed the fish in the Kelp Forest Exhibit!!!

There are public aquariums in just about every state in the US making them the perfect place to go to for a few hours of fun this summer!!!!

Its a pretty good song, maybe you know the rest.

2010-07-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

They are playing Columbus on Wednesday...the question is do I go or not?!

I am in desperate need of some fun but it is an hour plus drive and costs $20.

Oh decisions.

Also make sure to listen to the interview and live set they did Thursday on NPR's World Cafe!!

Day 2 of Filled With Wanderlust's Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-25T15:30:00.000-04:00

It is day two of my Pre Shark Week Shark Week here on the Filled With Wanderlust blog and today I am featuring another silly shark game and a piece of art work I've been eyeing over on Etsy for months and months!!

The game is Shark Attack Game found on freeonlinegames.com and while it seems simple enough, you direct the boat around to save the people in the water while avoiding the rocks and sharks...for some reason at first I sucked at it but I refused to give up and eventually got the hang of it (kind of)!!! Go play it for yourself and see if you can save the swimmers!!!

Onto the print, it is from the lovely Berkley Illustration shop which is filled with whimsical portraits of animals, creatures, superheroes etc and all at great prices!!!
There are multiple portraits that I adore, but in sticking with my love for sharks and the theme of my blog this week I must feature this guy:

How dapper does he look in pinstripe suit and tie?! I love it!!

I have already found some more great shark related sites, videos, merchandise, etc to share with you all the rest of the week and can't wait to show you all (not that anyone cares that much about sharks, but I'm having fun)!!!

Pre Shark Week Shark Week

2010-07-24T16:38:00.001-04:00

In honor of SHARK WEEK (my favorite part of the summer), I thought I would do my own Shark Week (a Pre Shark Week Shark Week) and make a post every day dedicated to all things shark, leading up to the premiere on Aug 1!!!

Of course, to start things off I'll feature the awesome website The Discovery Channel has set up for Shark Week!! It is full of information, games, videos and merchandise...yay!!!

Here are the things on the site that I'm loving!!!

.The Shark Munch game is super cute and I love what happens to the humans when you eat a squid, so go play to find out for yourself!!

.The show I'm most excited about is Best Bites, it sounds like it is going to be amazing!! I'm especially excited that it is going to show highlights from the last 20 years of Shark Week!!! I have some wonderful memories of the older years and am excited to see if they show some of my favorite moments (I realize that statement makes me sound like a loser, but I don't care...I LOVE SHARKS!!)

"BEST BITES
Premiering Wednesday, August 4, 9PM e/p
Late, Late Show Host, CRAIG FERGUSON has always loved SHARK WEEK. But when he gets the chance to get off the couch and be in the show, he gets in way over his head. Discovery wants him go to the Bahamas to swim with, touch, and, if he has the guts, FEED sharks. And Ferguson starts to have second thoughts about getting close to the apex predators of the sea. Especially since he will not have the protection of a cage. Everything Ferguson sees and experiences reminds him of what he has learned from watching the Discovery Channel. Woven into Ferguson's journey are clips from the scariest, most exciting moments of the last 20 years of SHARK WEEK. The results are funny, scary, and ultimately very moving. Terrified of getting in the water and too proud not to, Ferguson makes the leap into an ocean full of hungry sharks."

.They even have a hilarious/creepy feature that allows you Shark Yourself!!! I sharked Monty and I must say he is one silly looking shark!!!

.Don't forget to check out the Top 100 Shark Facts and learn some new and interesting things about sharks!!! Here is a sad fact everyone should be aware of:

62. "While many of us have learned to fear sharks, they're the ones who should fear us. People are sharks' biggest predator. In fact, humans kill more than 73 million sharks annually."

.I think by now it is clear that I am serious about my love for sharks and from some of my past post it may be obvious that I also love shopping, so the Shark Week Store could very well have been made just for me!! I want one of every thing in it but for the sake of this post I will narrow it down to my top three items!!

A shark keyboard?! Yes, please!! Too bad I have a Macbook, otherwise I would totally buy this.

Holy crap!! A 7 foot inflatable shark is just what I need sitting around the house (I'm not being sarcastic).

1. Its a tie!!!!!

The shark hoodie and 4D shark anatomy puzzle are equally awesome and it is taking all I have not to order them both!!!

There are soooooooo many more features to explore on the site, so have a look around for yourself and stay tuned the rest of the week for some more shark related blogs!!!

FINALLY!!!!!

2010-07-21T10:18:00.000-04:00

smiles

2010-07-19T16:58:00.000-04:00

Here are a few things that have put a smile on my face today!!

the theme for etsy's handpicked items (i lllllooooovvvvveeeee sharks)

driving my used but new to me car (nissan versa)!!!

this super cute dress that I won on ebay for $5.50!!!

it seems like all those little things add up in the end

2010-07-14T13:24:00.000-04:00

I've had a rough past few days.

However, having all this crap happen has pushed me to keep trying to change my situation.
Since Saturday I've applied for more jobs than I can remember, inquired about many apartments in the Cincinnati area, found out more about the pilates instructor program and have done an extensive car search (mine is finally done for).

I haven't heard back from any jobs yet, heard from a couple apartments about their pet policy, found out I can't combine the four pilates classes into one quarter and found a couple cars that look promising...so we'll see how things turn out.

I'm not getting my hopes up about all of it because it is a lot to hope for all at one time, but perhaps one or two will pan out.

I've been working an extra day at work the past month and have been asked to for two more weeks, so that little bit of extra money is going to help a tad when it comes to the car situation.

Other than that, I haven't been up to a whole lot.
On Saturday I went to my Grammy and great uncle's 89th birthday party, my Grammy went into the hospital the day before so she wasn't able to attend but my uncle still had a good time.
Sunday I went to a baseball game with Stephanie for a bit, it was too hot and boring to stay the whole time though. After we got pizza and watched Arrested Development once Ravi got home from work.
Monday was Stephanie's birthday and a couple of her friends and Ravi put together a dinner celebration at Cheesecake Factory, so I went to that. I didn't get to enjoy myself much, because my car broke down right when I got there and I had to wait for my parents and the tow truck to come and didn't get to eat my food but at least I made it down!

That sums up my weekend.
Time to get back to the little bit of work that I have left!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE!!!!

2010-07-12T11:40:00.001-04:00

Today is the lovely Stephanie's of you're the only thing I wouldn't change birthday!!!

She is the best, most amazing and fun friend I could ever ask for and you all should stop by her cute blog and wish her a Happy Birthday!!!

quick update and some pictures

2010-07-08T22:24:00.001-04:00

I am back to slacking on posts.
I haven't been up to much other than the usual-hanging out with Ravi and Stephanie, hanging out with Monty, working and working out.

I've been able to pick up a couple extra days and hours at work so the extra money will be nice, even though there is never anything for me to do on the extra day...oh well.
There are also some changes coming to my job which I'm not totally excited about but I was told nothing will change for me, we'll see.

I'm still searching for jobs outside of Dayton and rethinking do the pilates program in Cincinnati. I really think it could be something I could enjoy doing, I just have to stop being so stubborn about money and other issues.

I had a low key fourth of July, my mom and I watched Troy's fireworks from my grandparents back yard. They live on the river across from the baseball stadium where they set the fireworks off from, so they are pretty much over top of us. My grandparents haven't come up from Florida yet this year, so it was just us and a couple of my parents friends from the American Legion.

I'm also staying strong with my moving on from the guy who is no good for me, though just yesterday he caused a bit of a hiccup in our just friends relationship...nothing I can't handle.
Today after work I met up with Stephanie for coffee and to tell her about the hiccup. After coffee she made a delicious dinner for us and we watched a couple episodes of Arrested Development before I headed back to Troy.

I'll leave you with some pictures from a hike Monty and I took in Yellow Springs with Ravi, Stephanie and Sabin last week!

we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow

2010-06-28T17:04:00.000-04:00

I spent Saturday in Columbus with Ravi, Stephanie, Erik and his new girlfriend eating super yummy veggie hot dogs at Dirty Franks, shopping at F21, getting caught in the rain, drinking bubble tea smoothies and laughing a lot.
It has given me a bit of the traveling bug.
I would love a little weekend getaway.
Nothing fancy.
Just a couple days of fun exploring new places and feeling new things.

indianapolis

ann arbor

louisville

chicago

pittsburgh

These may not seem like the most exciting places, but they're all a five hour drive or less which is perfect for a quick getaway. Unfortunately it probably won't happen (stupid money), but a girl can dream.

never succumb to the war that you fight in your heart

2010-06-23T17:38:00.000-04:00

I was just going to ingnore the fact that this time last year I was a mess but I feel like I have made a complete 360 since then and really want to address it.
June 20th last year was spent sitting on a curb, crying on Kyle's shoulder outside of Luke's birthday party at LaserWeb.
My heart was broken and I was completely absorbed by it.
Since then I have slowly found myself again and had the heartbreaker in and out of my life numerous times.
I finally realized I am better than what I was allowing to happen with he and I.
I told him anything but friends was 100% out of the question.
He didn't really get it and that caused me to pull away even more.
I know it was up to me to finally get over him and be done with all this but my friends have helped sooooo soooo much and have continued to up to now and will in the future.
It took them telling me I was good enough for a guy that I thought would never consider dating me, seeing that I do fit in with people I don't know that well and three days of smiling and laughing with the best people I know for me to realize I don't really even need to be friends with him.
I am now fine with him not being a big part or small part of my life.
We haven't talked in three days and I am a-ok with it.
This year I spent June 20th inside at Luke's birthday dinner smiling and laughing and just so happy that I have great friends, old and new.

I am ready for something new and exciting and want to continue feeling this way, which won't happen as long as he and I are in constant communication.
I feel like maybe I'm getting my hopes up thinking things are going to start happening for me, but I guess its better than feeling like I don't deserve to be happy.

three days of food and friends.

2010-06-21T20:05:00.000-04:00

I had yet another lovely weekend with some of the best people I know.
Friday was a cookout filled with lots of laughter and lots and lots of yummy food...veggie burgers, pasta salad and strawberry shortcake to name a few!!
I kept my mind and heart open to a new possibility and it was no where near as scary as I thought it was going to be-I was a bit nervous to do so and still am because I don't know what to do about any of it or how to go about it but that is no reason to stop trying or keep me from continuing on with my fun filled weekend!!
Saturday I sat in the sun reading for hours and then ventured to Dayton to get Panera and Starbucks with Ravi and Stephanie, always a good time and good conversation.
Sunday I hung out in Troy with my family for Father's Day sitting in the sun, watching the dogs play in their pool, going to a dog show for a bit and eating yummy veggie pizza. The evening included sushi with friends for Luke's birthday, silly/inappropriate conversation, coconut cream pie, comedy central presents and falling asleep on Ravi and Stephanie's couch.
Today I have been super duper lazy watching lots of NatGeo, Comedy Central and Weeds...I need to get my butt of the couch and go to the gym and then on a run!!!

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

2010-06-14T21:57:00.000-04:00

The words may not have come out when/in the way I wanted them to but they are out there now. He knows how I feel and respects it. I know how I feel and am ready for what comes next.

(source)

hogs and dogs

2010-06-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

Yesterday ended up being pretty nice so I got outside a bit to do a little photo shoot that my dad asked for of him and his harley. Of course I couldn't pass up getting pictures of the corgis and their hair cuts they get every summer, soooo cute!!!

brucifer and his harley

after this picture he almost ran toby over.

toby!!

mom and moo

newbie being the cutest thing ever.

fresh cut grass.

free music sampler-npr/bonnaroo

2010-06-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

NPR is offering up another FREE sampler of music from some of the bands playing at Bonnaroo, so do yourself a favor and download it because you just may love it!! My favorite song on it is "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" by Mayer Hawthorne, it has such an upbeat summer feel to it.

i love my friends and flag day

2010-06-13T15:11:00.000-04:00

I have had such a fun filled weekend and am sad that it is coming to an end!!
Erik came into town and it was so good to see him because it had been a couple months!!
I spent the past two days in Dayton with Stephanie, Ravi and Erik and the hang outs have consisted of coffee, good conversation, silly conversation, inappropriate conversation, a board game marathon, yummy food, wanting pie but not getting it, planning my move to chicago, late night drives, coffee cake, trying to watch movies illegally, now and then and lots and lots of laughing.

Despite the lovely weekend and my friends rooting for me and wanting the best for me, I woke up today feeling like I have backed myself into a corner when it comes to my silly guy situation. I have allowed myself to get comfortable hanging out with him without feelings and it pisses me off. It is not what I want and I know I do it because I keep thinking maybe something will change. It didn't last year and it won't this year. I want to move on. I want a new experience. I don't stand up to him enough and now I feel like it could hold me back in other situations. He hurt my feelings so much and for some reason I can't find the strength to tell him we have to be JUST FRIENDS and stick to it. We were suppose to hang out today but he made other plans, so tomorrow we're having lunch or a lunch date as he put it...I'm going to figure out what to say and hopefully get the words out of my mouth tomorrow.

Tomorrow is also Flag Day and for the past couple years my Dad has been putting on a flag burning ceremony along with the American Legion he is the commander of. The Troy Daily News put an interview with my Dad on the front page of the paper that will hopefully bring more people out for the service despite the fact they are calling for rain tomorrow. He is so proud of his service in the Air Force and it is nice to see his community take notice of the good he is doing. He asked me to take pictures of the ceremony, I am not expert in any way shape or form so hopefully I get good ones to post!

some questions

2010-06-11T11:07:00.000-04:00

The darling Sam tagged me to answer some questions which I never got around to finishing the day I started, but better late than never so, here we go!

1) What super power do you wish you had?

I wish I had the super power of never growing old, oh how I fear getting old.

2) Who is your role model and why?
My mom for being so giving.
Stephanie for being such a wonderful listener and always being able to put a smile on my face when I am blue.
Ravi for always seeing the best in people and situations.
My GB and Poncho for never staying in one place for too long no matter the connections they have there and always doing what they want....perhaps they are why I can't commit to anything.

3)If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

I would own a cute little boutique or coffe/tea shop.

4)Zombies or Vampires?
Um, zombies. or vampires. I have no preference.

5)What is your favorite kind of food?

PIE!!! yaka soba. food from la fiesta. brussel sprouts. crazy bread. pickles. chips and salsa.

6)What did you want to be when you "grew up"?

Indiana Jones and a wildlife photographer for National Geographic.

7)Best place in the world?
The best places in the world that I haven't been to-Croatia and South Africa.
The best places in the world that I have been to-Misawa (what little I remember of it) and San Diego/La Jolla

8)If you could start a band, what would you name it?
blanket. I don't know...its the first thing I saw when I looked around the room.

troy strawberry festival pictures

2010-06-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

strawberry festival 2010.

highlights-

.monty being the best dog ever during a 2 hr parade

.deep fried strawberries

.la fiesta with ravi and stephanie

.strawberry donuts and coffee in the morning with the family

npr diary sharing project

2010-06-03T14:13:00.000-04:00

I saw this story on NPR and it reminded me of all of you lovely blogger ladies!
The Hidden Lives of Girls

I think it is a neat idea and am considering submitting some pages. What do you all think, would any of you submit pages?

bark park fun

2010-06-03T10:11:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of the bark park pictures from the other day!!

Toby is ready to go home.

This little pit bull puppy was full of kisses...too bad his mom wanted to kill everyone there.

Monty two seconds after we got in the park

Newbie catching his breath in the shade under a picnic table.

yay for being done with moving and shopping trips!!

2010-06-02T18:55:00.000-04:00

My my I have been slacking in the blogging department again. I've just had a lot going on the past week, with packing, moving and cleaning. It is all done now and I'm back in Troy...hopefully not for long.
I have emailed/called about a few more apartments but haven't heard back from them and have applied for a couple more jobs. I hope I hear from them all soon!!

Besides packing and moving, I spent some much needed friend time with the two best friends I have, Ravi and Stephanie. We had yummy cheesecake factory, lovely conversation and the essential iced coffee. Even though I'm only 25 minutes away, it feels like I might as well be in another state and it makes me have second thoughts about moving to Cincinnati or Columbus. Even though I'm ready for a change and to see if there is anyone out there for me, I can't really imagine not living close to them and being able to hang out whenever.

Saturday and Sunday were spent packing up more stuff, moving it to Troy and relaxing. Moving takes a lot of me and this time it has taken even more because of how it is making me feel. I want to make the best of my time here but I don't want to get comfortable.

Sunday I finished cleaning, thanks to Stephanie for letting me use her awesome vacuum. I left the place looking better than it did when I moved in, everything looked sooo bright and clean. Even though I'm sad to be gone, I'm glad I don't have to be around the crazy people who live in my building anymore. My next place has to be a house or double, no upstairs neighbors!!

After we finished cleaning, my mom and I headed to the Greene so I could do a little shopping since Troy lacks a mall anywhere near it. I got a super cute dress at F21 and returned a dress I got from a new store there that had a big rip in it. I was sad to return it because it was so sweet but I found one on their website to replace it. There are so many sales online and in stores, I wish I could shop them all!!

Yesterday was work and meeting up with Stephanie afterwards for a coffee date and taking the dogs to the Tipp City bark park once I got back home. I took some cute pictures while we were there and will post some once I get them uploaded!!
Today I headed to Cincinnati to do a little summer/cheer me up shopping at H&M and Nordstrom, I had a coupon for H&M and Nordstrom was having a sale. I got a few cute dresses/skirts and a couple pairs of shoes. I had a nice drive there and back it took soooo long compared to how long it would have taken if I still lived in Dayton. Oh wells.

This weekend is the Strawberry Festival here in Troy, the school year in Troy is seriously planned around this festival...thats how big of a deal it is. They do have some yummy strawberry foods available but the population of Troy triples and it is a mess. I usually avoid it but I think this year I'm going to take Monty to the parade Saturday morning and venture onto the festival later on it in the day.

I hope you all have had a lovely day!!! I'm not feeling too well, so I'm going to make some tea and relax.

blogger MIA

2010-05-25T11:51:00.001-04:00

I don't think I've been on line since I left work on Thursday!! Craziness.
Well that just means I actually have things to update about, so I'm sorry if this post gets super duper long!!

Friday I moved boxes to Troy and hung out with Stephanie, we got yummy Panera and browsed a bookstore before hanging out and catching up with our friend, Rachel. It was a good night and more girls nights need to happen!!

Saturday my mom came down to load up her car with boxes and we also headed out to go a few places she likes that she only gets to go to when shes down here, since Troy lacks everything! A new little boutique opened at The Greene (out door mall) I loved everything in it and even bought a couple dresses but discovered one was ripped when I got home so I have to return in and I'm having second thoughts about the other!!
After my mom left, Monty and I went to the bark park but didn't stay long. There was a mean dog and mud puddles, Monty wasn't feeling either and hung out at the gate pretty after running around for only ten minutes.

After a HORRIBLE nights sleep I woke up early because Sunday is laundry day in Troy! I got done super early and headed back for a much needed girl talk/coffee date with Stephanie because the guy that broke my heart last year was coming down to hang out. I know it sounds dumb that I still talk to and hang out with him, but it makes me feel better about what happened and about myself that I can forgive him...forgetting what happened has proved not as easy though. Once he got here it was later than he thought he would get here so we got some food and then watched a few episodes of Weeds. He stayed the night which gave me great anxiety and I paced the apartment til 5 in the morning and woke up at 7!!

Yesterday we watched more Weeds and then headed out so he could run some errands and get lunch. We watched more Weeds when he got back (I was so anxious to find out what was going to happen that I couldn't stop watching) and then he headed home. All in all I am fine with how things went while he was here, there were things that happened and didn't happen that made me realize just what he and I are and what we will never be. What I really needed I didn't get (nothing dirty!!!) and I couldn't stop thinking about how much I needed it (again, nothing dirty!!) and it put a damper on my mood while we were out and about yesterday.
After he left I finished watching season 3 of Weeds (omg!!! soo crazy!!) and then ran off some of my damper mood. I'm glad I figured more out with he and I, I'm ready for new things in my life and I want someone to share them with and he is happy where is right now and that is fine. Ravi has an idea for me, Stephanie thinks I should join a new, bigger gym and Rachel wants to take me out on a girls night to possibly meet someone. I think its sweet that my friends are helping me and thinking up ideas when I'm ready to give up, it keeps me going.

Today, tomorrow and Thursday I have work and I have to have to have to find a book to read!! I didn't have one at all last week and the days were long and so very boring! Hopefully I'll find some thing at Half Priced Books on this visit, last weeks visits I obviously found nothing. I was a light, fun read and with Sex and the City 2 coming out, I think I'm going to pick up Sex and the City or maybe they'll have The Carrie Diaries!! If I don't find a book at least I have plenty of blogs to catch up on!

I'll leave you with an outfit picture, I got this super cute skirt a few weeks ago and wish I could wear it everyday.

You can't tell in the picture but the skirt has a tulip cut (if that is the right term) in the front...sooo cute! I love it!

Have a lovely day everyone!!

walhalla

2010-05-18T13:20:00.001-04:00

"Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name."

memories:

mountain roads. pop up campers everywhere. fire pits in the front and back yard. cooking and eating every meal outside. enchiladas. sweet tea. the heat. waterfalls. hiking. johnny cash. flannel. antique shopping. smores. cut off shorts. southern accents. new family. old family. late nights. early mornings. sun burns. roasted nuts being sold on the side of the road and how the smell carried for miles. bare feet. fire crackers every night. a dozen or more people sharing one bathroom. riding in truck beds. willie nelson. chicken and dumplings. catching a breeze on the front porch waiting for the rain to stop. wondering why it took so long to know I had a family like this.

and now wishing it could have stayed that way longer than a week at a time for a few years and that we all would have found our way back before it was too late.

update and recipe

2010-05-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

Well no exciting news on my future. blah. I don't really want to get into it as yesterday was pretty emotional and I'd rather not cry again today. I guess I keep trying even though I found out more discouraging information today that is making it hard to keep going. blah again.

Yesterday my boss called and asked me to work today, so I was glad to have something to do today and got a lot of my book read. I am excited for the ending even though I'm sure it is going to make me cry.

Today is my dad's birthday, yesterday I took him a Sandy style german chocolate cake (meaning banana instead of eggs) and it was amazing!! German chocolate is my dad's favorite so I was worried it was going to taste too banana-y and he wouldn't like it, but you couldn't taste it at all and we pretty much couldn't stop eating it. I think I'm going to try out a new topping for my banana cake this week that I think will be amazing...if it is I'll post pictures and the recipe!

Here is a quick recipe that combines two of my favorite things, salsa and guacamole!!! More specifically salsa verde..yum!! I made it Saturday afternoon and had to stop myself from eating it all by the end of the day. I didn't get any pictures of it but you can't really mess it up so don't worry and if you've ever made salsa or guacamole before then it is pretty much the same thing!

. two haas avocados

. four tomatillos

. one garlic clove

. half a white or red onion

. a handful of cilantro (i don't measure things)

. salt

. pepper

. 1/2 jalapeno

. lemon juice

1. halve, seed and peel the avocados

2. de-husk the tomatillos and quarter them

3. peel garlic clove

4. peel and chop onion

5. wash cilantro

6. remove membrane from half or all the jalapeno, depending on if you like heat or not

combine all the ingredients along with the salt, pepper and lemon juice in a food processor if you want it to be a creamy dip, if you want it to be chunky chop the avocado (and mash them up a bit), onion, cilantro and jalapeno and only put the tomatillos and garlic in the food processor to quickly chop them and then combine everything.

eat with tortilla chips or add it a salad with black beans and pineapple or add to scrambled egg whites or in yummy bean quesadilla!!

giveaway winner!!!!

2010-05-15T14:45:00.001-04:00

Yesterday ended up being pretty busy and I didn't get around to picking the winner of my little giveaway but if all goes well I hope to have some exciting news in the next couple of days concerning my future!!! If it doesn't go well then I'll bore you with ANOTHER bummer post, yay!

Ok, now onto the giveaway!! Even though there were only eight entries...a much better number than my last giveaway where I had to count through all the entries and it took forever...I am lazy and used random.org to pick the winner.

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max:
Result:
8Powered by RANDOM.ORG
(i don't know why it says 100....I put in 8 but when I copy the results to blogger it changes it to 100...weird!!)

which means DORIAN is the winner!!!

her favorite thing about spring is:

"Favourite thing about spring is all the pretty bright colors after the cold dark season. Pretty colorful dresses and food with pretty veggies."

Dorian is one of my absolute favorite blogger ladies, she is hilarious and sweet and posts silly stories about her husband that make me laugh sooo hard. If you haven't checked out her blog, YOU MUST!!

DORIAN...check your email for a message from me!!

blah rain and giveaway deadline.

2010-05-12T12:11:00.000-04:00

It is soo rainy here in Ohio and I am not a fan, I miss the sun and the bark park!! Monty is not a fan either, he is missing his lllooonnnggg walks. Yesterday the rain let up a bit though so I was able to spend a few hours outside with him after work so that he could get rid of some of his pent up energy.
Today they are calling for more rain and thunderstorms for most of the day...awesome.

I am so glad everyone enjoyed the recipe I posted yesterday and I am looking forward to sharing more!! I made an awesome "pizza" yesterday that I snapped some pictures of so I will definitely share that recipe in the near future!!

I also realized that I did not mention when I will pick the winner for my giveaway in the original giveaway post, so before I forget I will pick the winner Friday at noon (est) so if you haven't entered yet there is still time!

I have yet to hear back from any of the jobs I have applied for in Cincinnati and Columbus and I would be lying if I said I wasn't more than a bit bummed and losing hope that I will hear from any of them. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that I do not currently live in the area but with each resume I have sent a bit of a cover letter saying that if I am interviewed/considered for the job I will give my two weeks notice asap and relocate. I understand hiring someone immediately is more appealing than waiting two weeks so I'm trying not to take it personally...

My toilet is leaking...ewwww. I told my landlord and his response was "ok, I'll check it out." Uhhhhhhh...when?! Today? Right now? Tonight? Tomorrow?! Holy vagueness. Whatever, I'm not waiting around for him. He has never been reliable so he can be the one to wait for once if I'm not here.

It has been so long since I've posted a picture of myself or Monty, not that we look any different but here we are!!!

It is a cozy cardigan kind of day!

He is not a fan of rainy days.

Despite the rain I am not staying in all day, I will go crazy!! I think Monty and I may head to Troy for a puppy play date and so I can watching some silly shows on cable!!