run and seek [apryl's catharsis]

...and quotes...

2011-01-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

I like quotes. I use to write different quotes in my journal as a source of inspiration. I think a good quote can lift your spirits, open a door, give you closure, show you a different perspective, inspire you, and motivate you. I'm in need of some motivation, inspiration, perspective change. I'm searching for a catalyst.

This is one of my favorite quotes and how I felt for most of my 20's:

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.”

- Alfred D. Souza

This one is probably better than telling someone to SUCK IT UP. :

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Wayne Dyer

This is what I have on the first page of a journal I started last year.

“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospection”

-Anais Nin

Oh Bruce you are very insightful on my inability to finish creative projects:

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

I think we're prone to dwelling on the past and the what if's but we just have to acknowledge our choices and make different ones in the future. Let it go.

“Don’t let the past steal your present” – Cherralea Morgen

Simply put:

"If you want to change the way people respond to you, change the way you respond to people."

Timothy Leary

My last quote for the day:

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results." Art Turock

Welcome Back

2011-01-10T18:52:00.000-08:00

After two weeks of vacation/inventory I am back at work. Woo! I love the feeling of getting back to work after being away for awhile. Everything feels "shiny and new". As expected we were VERY BUSY! So far we haven't had people complain that we were closed for two weeks which is typical of our first day back. My customers really believe that we have an obscure schedule that seems to change monthly.

Today I love running

2011-01-09T20:37:00.001-08:00

Today, I love running.

@ mile 1 - What a beautiful day for a run. Look at all these people out today.

@ mile 2 - Chatting it up, this is good. I like having friends to run with.

@ mile 3 - I'm not "loving" the run at the moment but hey check that out, it's the ocean. Pretty. My shoulders are cramping. Shake it out. Relax.

@ mile 4 - Hey, check that out we're coming up on good old Encinitas. This is nice, one more mile and we can turn around. Shake out those shoulders. RELAX!

@ mile 5 - Umm, what the fuck? Toes? Hello? Why are you tingly and numbish? Eh, blah. Time for a bathroom break and to stretch out every part of my body.

@ mile 6 - Toes are still numbish. Shoulders are still tight. I must continue the small talk and gaze ahead for some distraction.

@ mile 7 - I think someone turned my legs into lead weights. Extraordinarily hard to pick them up. Must go faster. Do not stop. Must make it to the sign.

@ mile 8 - This damn road is really freaking long! My body is extremely TIGHT!!! My feet are cramping. Stupid shoulders need to relax. Fuck you road! I will take you down!

@ mile 9 - Just grinding it out. I'm freaking hungry. We've passed at least 5 breakfast restaurants. These Shot Blocks aren't making the cut, maybe they can make meat flavored ones. On second thought, maybe not.

@ mile 10 - Me and you road. It is just me and you! My feet are sore. My shoulders are tight. My legs feel heavy and my ankles ache. I don't have time to chat. I going to get this done!

I repeat.

Today, I love running.

Spartacus

2011-01-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

I just discovered a new show to watch:

I'm happy that we can watch all the episodes On Demand because I still haven't acclimated to waiting a week for each episode. The show gets better with each episode and the large amounts of nudity don't hurt either. The second season "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" starts Jan 21 and is a prequel to "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". I'm sad because the actor, Andy Whitfield, who plays Spartacus was diagnosed with cancer and will not be returning to the series.

What are you reading?

2011-01-06T22:15:00.000-08:00

This is what I'm reading:

Never After - 4 short stories based on fairy tale weddings with a twist. I call it the anti-fairy tale book. I use to love fairy tales but I realized that real love is not like a fairy tale, then I said fuck fairy tales.
Got Fight? - If you want to know what it's like to be an MMA fighter this is a good book to read. Forrest has a funny take on every part of being a fighter.

3. Domino: The Book of Decorating - Great ideas with lots of pictures. A good place to start if
you find yourself lost in the decorating world.

suck it up and run

2011-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

I miss running.

I miss wanting to run.

I miss pushing myself when I run.

I miss the connection I had with running.

I miss loving the run.

I ran today and it was underwhelming and eye opening at the same time.

I realized that I have low expectations of my running performance.

I allow myself to under perform constantly.

I have three half marathons this year and I have no drive to improve.

I say that I want to be faster BUT I am not putting in the work to become faster.

I have developed a whatever happens attitude which is great in certain aspects of my life but not when it comes to training for half marathons.

I have chosen to run half marathons because I like the feeling of accomplishment, but if I don't have the commitment to train I should just stay a casual runner.

I am in serious need of a "suck it up" and get training speech.

read the sign

2011-01-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

I am absolutely astounded that people can't read the sign I have taped to the entrance of the store.

Dear Customer,

I know the door is glass and you can see me working inside but WE ARE CLOSED. Looking at our business hours, checking your watch, tapping on the door and ignoring the 8 1/2 x 11" piece of paper stating that We are CLOSED for INVENTORY is not the magic combination that gains you entrance into the store. I understand that you only have one thing to sell but we are still closed. When I typed out the sign I took the time to make sure the font was the correct size and the important bits of information was in bold. I know that this is inconvenient for you but standing at the door, crouched uncomfortably under the metal security gate reiterating the information on the sign is extremely inconvenient for me. I want to just stand at the door pointing and tapping the sign while staring you in the eyes and smiling like a maniacal clown. The sign is located 12 inches to the left of our business hours, eye level and in the center of the door.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THE DAMN SIGN!

Thank You

The girl who wasted her time making an informational sign only for you to completely disregard it.

How the 60 Day Challenge Came and Went

2011-01-03T16:27:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have forgotten that I took part in a 60 Day Challenge; I had forgotten myself. I've been preoccupied and I wasn't very committed to adhering to the rules. I did well the first 45 days but the last 15 days I went back to my old ways. I'm not upset or disappointed because there is always another day. I ate two bags of Funions and a bag of Flamin Hot Cheetos on the way to Mammoth and I enjoyed every bite. I just want to eat the same way I did when I was a teenager, at least for a few days, and I don't see anything wrong with that. If I didn't have a decent metabolism I would definitely weigh a lot more. I love food and at this very moment I really don't care about the amount of nutrition less calories I am ingesting.

Weekend Highlights

2011-01-02T22:42:00.000-08:00

Driving in traffic that involves snow doesn't leave me much choice but to list out what has transpired during the past three days. If I do not distract myself from the total morons that are allowed to drive a vehicle I may actual jump out of this Suburban and slap them till they cry. So here we go:

1) Hanging out with teenage boys is pretty entertaining, they say some of the most ridiculous stuff.

2) I rode on my first ski gondola and I'm pretty sure that when they say it can fit 15 people they're referring to midgets and children.

3) Just because you pay $11 for your breakfast doesn't guarantee you hot food. I ordered two eggs over easy and when I "popped" the egg it was lukewarm.

4) When you pre-purchase your lift tickets always check that the dates are correct. We had lift tickets dated Dec 1 instead of Jan 1. Thankfully the nice man at our hotel was able to correct that for us.

5) I learned from the kids and Tosh.0 about, "What What (In the Butt)".

Now you know, too!

6) Making a snow angel when you're in your 30's is just as fun as when you were a kid.

7) Wind and snow are my least favorite combination when I'm on the mountain or sitting on a lift.

8) If you are in Mammoth on New Year's Eve make sure to make reservations at the restaurants in the Village or else you'll be paying for room service. Also, if room service tells you that you'll get 3 large chicken strips don't believe them; they're lying.

9) Found it astonishing that I could over pack on clothes and under pack on underwear.

10) Cannonball!

11) When you're checking out of a hotel make sure your phone is not on silent. This will prevent you from having to go back to the hotel, getting a hotel employee to escort you back to your room, walking up seven flights of stairs because the elevator is packed full of hotel guests checking out, going through the hotel room only to find that your phone is laying on the floor in the back of the Suburban.

12) Singing "Loving You" by Minnie Riperton at the top of your tone deaf lungs while snowboarding down the mountain is totally amazing especially when everyone you know is trying to get away from you. La, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la La, la, la, la, la......Do do do do do

13) "It's Brundon! Look up most popular baby names of 1984" - couldn't stop quoting this line from Night at the Musuem 2

Welcome to the New Year

2011-01-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

To sum it up:

"I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. " ~Anaïs Nin

New Year's Eve in the Snow

2010-12-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

I just can't help but spend my New Year's Eve in the snow. I hope everyone has a fun and safe New Year's Eve.

Mammoth from the Top

I got my car back, sort of.

2010-12-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

My car has been out of commission for three weeks and I finally got it back today! On my way home I realized that I will be returning her to the shop on Monday.

The Good:

She looks beautiful!!
I have a new bumper, new side panels, tires and my rims were fixed.
The inside is clean
The $20 I left in my center console is still there
I don't have to borrow my brother's car anymore

The Bad:

The inside smells like chemicals but I guess that is to be expected.
My trunk is stuffed with everything that was inside my car
The steering is really, really, really wonky.
My front passenger tire sticks out from the fender
My car pulls to the right
The other insurance company hasn't assigned fault because their insured hasn't given them a statement
I've had to pay for my rental car and deductible out of pocket.

Oh Christmas!

2010-12-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went faster than I could blink my eyes. Our fridge is filled with leftovers that could feed a high school football team. The kitchen counters are stacked with kitchenware that needs to be returned to their rightful owners. Herman is still decorated and only a couple presents remain underneath him. My office is stacked with all my Christmas goodies and I am so VERY THANKFUL for everything I received. I definitely got much more than I ever wanted.

For Entertaining:

I haven't opened the bottle yet but my sister says this stuff is delicious!

Rattle Snake is a pretty fun game, especially since you have to use hematite magnets (pictured below) as "rattlesnake eggs".

For Working Out:

A few things from my favorite Canadian athletic apparel lululemon. These are the best fitting, most comfortable, unique workout clothes I own. They aren't cheap but they are worth every penny.

Stride Jacket

Run: Outward Bound Pant

The Outward Bound pant has a nice water repellent front and stretchy tech fleece on the back. They're a little long but they have free hemming.

Run: Ambition Crop

When I pulled these pants out of the box I was really worried they wouldn't fit. They looked like they would fit a 13 year old girl but these pants are unbelievably stretchy and "hold" everything in.


Push Ur Limits Tank

I should probably start training so I can use all this awesome gear.

For Fun:


Stocking stuffers and gift cards

Initial Coat Hangers from Anthropologie

I am a sucker for initials. I don't think we can ever have enough.

Handmade:


Hand dyed alpaca yarn

Made by Tracy

I LOVE, LOVE handmade presents. I especially love this scarf. The colors are beautiful and the yarn is unbelievably soft.

Because I am SPOILED:

55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS

I got another lens!!!! YAY! YAY! YAY! Seriously AWESOME!

Burberry Trench in Honey

OMG!!! EEEEEEEEeeeeeeeee I have a Burberry Trench! I hope it pours for the next two months. I want to wear this everyday!!

I got THE Louis Vuitton beauty case I never thought I would own. I want to chain this to my arm and use it as a purse. I want to go to Europe hop on a train ride with my Vuitton case and Burberry trench coat to meet my husband for a romantic rendezvous. Yes, I am still a cheesy romantic.

The thing about nephews, at least my nephew

2010-12-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

Nephews are really funny and very particular.

He doesn't like telling me he loves me even if I've professed my love for him several hundred times in the span of two minutes.

Even though he dislikes wearing hats he'll wear the smallest, funkiest (ugliest, really) hat out to lunch. I tried to talk him out of it but he was pretty excited to wear it with his (my) sunglasses.

He shows up at your door with a bunch of toys but still wants to play with all the ones you have.

He shoots you with his toy guns and laughs when the "bullets" hit you.

When he tells you that he likes dragons, it doesn't mean he wants to watch How to Train Your Dragon. We watched it to the end even though, at times, he would "hide" behind the couch and watch it. In the end he loved the movie.

He is so confident in his bowel movements that he poops with the door open.

He loves turkey sandwiches with ketchup. However, he does not like eating turkey that look like an animal.

Walking to lunch is more fun when you're playing I Spy. You should try it.

Apparently he wears sunglasses but only when we wear sunglasses. It is a good thing we have a play pair of sunglasses.

He despises taking photos. As you can tell I don't really care because I take them anyway.

He likes cats. My cat does not like anyone who is under 4 feet tall and makes sudden movements and a lot of noise. I thought that buying him this ring would keep him away from my cat, it did not.

After Christmas presents

2010-12-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

I love getting packages in the mail, even if they were suppose to be here before Christmas. My best friend is extremely thoughtful and this year her present to us was a custom family sign similar to the one below. The design is the same except it is on a black background with white lettering. I was SOOOOO EXCITED when I opened the box. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee, A M A Z I N G!!!! Now, I have to decide where to hang it.

She ordered it from MRC Wood Products on etsy. He can make the signs in different fonts and color combinations for a pretty affordable price.

Prompt: Feet

2010-12-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Feet

If your feet could talk, what would they say to you right now?

Woman you need a SERIOUS pedicure. You need to slather more lotion on us during the winter time. It would be appreciated if you soaked us in warm soapy water every week and hired a man servant to give you a good foot massage. You should stop wearing high heels after you force us to run long distances. We aren't a big fan of this distance running you're doing so we cramp up and form blisters in hopes that you will give up this ridiculous pass time.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T23:00:00.000-08:00

I almost went an entire Christmas season without hearing this song on the radio but I finally heard it today! I know the song is a little depressing when you listen to words but just focus on George Michael playing in the snow and everything will be okay.


bostonherald.com

At times it is hard to look forward to Christmas because of all the stress that comes along with planning dinner, getting presents and traveling but I hope everyone has had a beautiful day spent with those that you love. Merry Christmas!

Picking up things on the way home

2010-12-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

A new table:

I haven't been in any of the antique stores in my neighborhood for a few months and since my sister was in town thought it would be a good idea to peruse a few stores. I probably should patronize these stores more often but my bank account would be empty if I were to indulge my every want. I learned a new decor word today, demi-lune, which means half moon in French. The sales lady at one of the antique stores used it to describe a half circular table that pushes against the wall. We saw three different style demi-lunes and the one that was the perfect size was the most expensive (of course). I hate that we found something that we didn't even know we wanted. A demi-lune would fit perfectly at the bottom of our stairs. Something small enough to fit on the landing but big enough for a tray to throw our keys in. This is what a demi-lune table looks like:

Spin that globe:

I've been looking for a globe for my office. If you look at any apartment therapy house tour, there is at least one photograph of a globe or group of globes in someone's home but that isn't the reason I want one. I've always liked globes. My mom had one in our house and I would spin it around and where ever my finger landed that is where I would imagine my adventure beginning. Today I found the perfect globe for my office.

I could have easily bought a blue globe or a beige globe BUT they aren't as eye catching as this black globe. Plus, I haven't seen ANY globes during my thrift store/antique store shopping sprees and this had my name all over it. From looking around on the internet these were made sometime between the 1940's-1960's. There are so many interesting things to note on this globe, for instance the many different country names. There is Siam (Thailand), Burma (Myanmar), Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (Sudan), Bechuanaland (Botswana), Tanganyika (Tanzania), Rumania (Romania) and much more. On the top part of the globe is a time dial to help you with time zones around the world.

Time dial


Siam

Animal what?

My sister and I bought some really random, totally cute, fuzzy animal rings. I bought a dog and she bought an owl. We actually walked two blocks back to this store in order to buy these rings.

Pretty awesome for $1.00!!!!

What is it with the letters?

I'm a little obsessed with our initials (T and A) which we've morphed into TnA. Everyone needs a little TnA in their lives. :) If I see letters I always dig to try and find a T, N or A. Our house has initials in almost every room and today was an opportunity to add to our collection of letters.

Umm, Where the hell did you come from?

2010-12-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

I sat down to have some lunch and I noticed something staring back at me.

Hello there Mr. Owl.

That owl was not a part of my bookshelf menagerie and I believe that my sister left it there for me. After assuring me (with a smirk on her face) that she didn't bring it with her I messaged my husband. Below is the conversation that occurred because of this owl.

Recipes to try

2010-12-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

I am officially on V A C A T I O N!!! (This has nothing to do with recipes but I wanted to let you know.)

My sister came up with a Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal Bites (no eggs involved) cookie recipe that you may want to try out:

2 bananas, overripe is fine
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp soy milk (almond milk works great too!)
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups quick cooking or rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
handful of raisins or chocolate chips
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (optional)
a fork or potato masher
big bowl
cookie sheets

Directions:

In a big bowl he'll mash bananas with a fork until smooth, careful the bananas are slippery at first! (A potato masher makes this part a bit easier.)
Add peanut butter and give it a good mix.
Add the soy milk, vanilla, sugar and pumpkin. Mix it well.
Add the remaining ingredients: flour and oats, chocolate chips and/or raisins and stir it until everything's well combined.
Next, drop spoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheet into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes, or until done.

Depending on the size of your spoonfuls this recipe will yield more than two dozen yummy bites!
Gluten allergy? This recipe can be made gluten free by using gluten-free flour, or, omitting the flour completely (the texture will be a bit different but the cookie will still hold up). Make sure to get oats that are certified gluten-free; oats themselves don't have gluten in them but they can be exposed to wheat and other ingredients in the process of manufacturing or being made into oatmeal.

Also my sister created a recipe for Sugar Plums if you're interested in giving that a whirl. It looks pretty interesting but I am not a big fan of coconut or the flakes that come from them or those dried figs.

What You Need:

1 cup dried golden raisins
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried figs
1/4 cup Honey
1/3 cup coconut flakes or powdered sugar
1 cup pecans
2 tbsp orange juice
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Knife for chopping the ingredients, or, food processor
Small and large bowls
Wax paper (optional)

What To Do:

If you're using a food processor, combine the nuts and dried fruit: raisins, apricots and figs and pulse together until finely chopped. Otherwise, and more traditional, finely chop each ingredient by hand—adding each batch to a large bowl. This, if done by hand, is probably the most time consuming part so take a break, put on some music, switch off with someone else!
This next step can be done while someone else is cutting the fruit and nuts, or in between: in a small bowl combine the spices, honey and juice. Set it aside.
With a clean hand mix together the chopped fruit and nuts in the large bowl.
Once that's mixed up add the honey-spice mixture. Try to spread everything around evenly, making sure to cover it all with spices and honey.
Once everything's mixed together thoroughly you can start pinching off and rounding bits into sugar plums! Wash your hands off for the next step:
First, dust a clean work surface with an even layer of coconut shreds - a cutting board or baking sheet is great to work on.
Use a half tablespoon to scoop out bits of mixture and roll them into balls with your hands. This part's nice and sticky! One method for rounding bits of mixture is to: hold a spoonful of the mixture in your palm and close your hand around it in a fist, squeezing it together.
Then drop it onto the layer of shredded coconut and use the palm of your hand to roll it over the flat surface, almost like your hand is gliding over a marble. If the "ball" starts to crack just pick it up and squeeze it together again tightly then continue rolling it till it's covered with coconut shreds!
Continue through the mixture making your plums until you're done. Then they're officially ready to eat!

This recipe makes at least two dozen sugar plums. They can be stored at room temperature for as long as a week, or refrigerated for up to a month.
There are so many kinds of sugar plums that can be made—try dried dates and apricots with almonds, and instead of coconut dust confectioner's sugar over the top. You can make almost any combination of nuts and dried fruits to suit your taste buds!

For Christmas dinner I'm going to make Smashed Red Potatoes with Caramelized Onions. I don't really have a recipe but I've cut and pasted from several recipes to come up with something that hopefully tastes okay.

2lbs unpeeled red potatoes
32 oz vegetable broth
4 cloves of garlic
Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 tbsp of butter
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half (if you are lactose intolerant substitute with the vegetable broth you used to boil the potatoes)
2 med-large onions
3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Caramelize Onions:

Slice onions thinly
Use a wide, thick-bottomed sauté pan. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, or a mixture of olive oil and butter (about 1 teaspoon per onion). Heat the pan on medium high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the onion slices and stir to coat the onions with the oil. Spread the onions out evenly over the pan and let cook, stirring occasionally.
Let cook for 30-40 minutes. After 25 minutes reduce to med-low heat stirring occasionally

Potatoes

Peel and slice garlic.
Scrub potatoes. Peel and quarter the potatoes and put them and the garlic into a large pot. Cover with vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until the potatoes come right off a fork when you stick them, about 15-20 minutes.
Remove and drain potatoes.
Combine butter, vegetable broth and/or milk, caramelized onions, parmigiano-reggiano, salt and pepper.

I'm really hoping this comes out good because I'm pretty much "eyeballing" everything.

Ke$hA, The Love Boat and the song that is ALWAYS in my head

2010-12-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

What do they have in common? They are two songs stuck in my head! How it happened I don't know but they won't get out!!!!

DAMN YOU KE$HA!!!

"We're dancing like we're dum-dum-dum du du du dumb."

What the hell is that suppose to mean? How do you dance like you're dumb? If anyone has a clue what that means I am dying to know.

Before Ke$ha I had this song stuck in my head:

"Love, exciting and new
Come aboard, we're expecting you
Love, life's sweetest reward
Let it flow, it floats back to you"

Let it flow? It floats back to you? Sounds like something you tell your buddy when they're peeing in a pool or one of those man made lazy rivers.

Curious about the song that is always in my head? Here it is...

Loving you is easy cause you're beautiful!! La la la la la

Stormy Weather

2010-12-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

Rain. Rain. Rain.

January 2010

I love this stormy weather. I found myself turning my face to the sky and enjoying the raindrops hitting my face. Part of me wants to run and jump into the puddles but I don't have real galoshes and I don't want to have wet socks all day. I want this storm to be here forever. I want to see the streets of PB fill up like it did last winter. The streets have yet to flood like the photos above. I want it to snow in Julian. The only problem with stormy weather is the amount of stuff you drag into your house each time you enter. My kitchen is filled with gravel, leaves, muddy shoe prints and water puddles from the umbrellas. I've been running the heater non-stop and can only imagine what this will cost us next month. It isn't always sunny in San Diego! We do have winter storms that flood the malls and cause seriously damage to buildings and roads.

Prompt: Fear

2010-12-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Fear

What do you do when you're afraid?

I run. If it isn't life threatening than I have other coping mechanisms.

I use to (kinda of still do) have a fear of speaking in public (family gatherings included) which made oral presentations for school rather difficult. In elementary school I would just cry in front of the class or mumble my way through presentations. Most of the time I invested more time in finding a way around facing my fear then concentrating on over coming my fear. Through out high school I would be conveniently absent during class presentations or be involved in a group presentation where I spoke the least. I still find myself walking around my fears instead of facing them. The times that I have "sucked it up" I usually feel overwhelmingly sick and my palms sweat profusely.

When it comes to facing my fear of heights I've done much better. If I am on vacation I typically pick things that force me to face my fears. In Costa Rica I went waterfall rappelling and zip lining. I've been sky diving, rock climbing and I try and stand close to edge of cliffs just to stop my knees from shaking. I've gotten better when it comes to heights but every so often my knees get weak and I start to shake; these are the times that I have to take a deep breath and remind myself to "suck it up".

Christmas arrived and his name is Herman

2010-12-18T17:27:00.000-08:00

Herman has arrived!! Tim brought home our tree and he just barely fit into our house. I love the smell of having real trees and I'm not sure that I will convert to a fake tree. Tim wanted to cut him down a bit so we could fit the star but I opted to leave him just the way he was.

After a couple years of searching I finally found a white tree skirt that I liked and so our theme was white and gold. I didn't have to buy any new ornaments because I had most everything but I did buy two new Santa heads and some initials.

One of the Santa heads

Herman in all his glory

This year I decided to forgo purchasing wrapping paper and work with what I have available. I have a lot of kraft paper and when I run out I can "borrow" some from work. I have three rolls of green ribbon, two rolls of red ribbon and a box of red glittery foam alphabet stickers to use as labels. I had a lot of fun wrapping all the presents especially since I had to get a little creative with decorating each one to look festive. I'm planning on making gift boxes out of old Christmas cards for gift cards and envelopes from kraft paper for amusement parks passes. I haven't made gift boxes from Christmas cards since middle school; my mom had us make them for fun and we'd prop them up under one of the fake mini trees we had at home.

Just a few presents under the tree

Couldn't find the rest of my red ribbon and had to use black.

I guess Tigris is mad at us

2010-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

My cat Tigris

Tim and I have been working late or running errands before we come home which causes us to feed Tigris later than normal. We've also had plans that keep us out late and we haven't had much time to spend with her. When Tim and I got home we noticed that she threw up on our bed, apparently number two for the day. She throws up once in awhile so this wasn't abnormal. We cleaned it up and left for dinner and some errands. We decided to go watch The Tourist (don't spend your money to watch this movie) and came home late. Everything was normal. Tigris came up for some lovies and started eating from her half empty food bowl. We unloaded some things and I came upstairs to check on some emails; then I heard Tim say, "OH MY GOD!"

Tigris took a giant poop in the middle of the walkway behind our living room couch. I mean HUGE! The size of two and half vienna sausages smushed together. WTF, REALLY?!?!?! The last time she crapped on anything was the day we came back from a week long vacation in Wisconsin. You can read about that event here. Tim abandoned me while I stared and cursed at the giant log sitting on the ground and I was left to pick up the beastly poop. I'm going to have to give her a good round of petting and attention so she doesn't suffocate me while I sleep.

Oh Christmas Tree..

2010-12-16T00:28:00.000-08:00

In order to feel more festive I listened to Christmas music all day long. I have to say that it helps but I'm still not giddy with Christmas joy. However, I was REALLY GIDDY when Tim sent me this text message:

Merry Christmas Bubba.

He brought home a tree!!! EEeeeeee, so very excited! Each year, Tim chooses our Christmas tree and brings it home. When I get home from work there is a tree in our house with the lights strung and a box of Christmas decorations for us to put on the tree together. At this very moment Herman, our tree, is sitting downstairs sans decorations. One of the light strands we have is completely out and I can't hang decorations until we get another strand. Hopefully, my next post is showing Herman in all his glory. :)

What drives me crazy about shopping during Christmas time

2010-12-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

The people
The complete lack of courtesy from others while trying to find parking
The clutter created by customers who leave clothes randomly around the store
Unhappy cashiers
Over perfumed perfume counters
Snotty children who's parents have decided that they don't need to watch them while in a store
Lines and the people who are complaining about the lines while standing in it
Extremely loud Christmas music
I dislike the deep grooves my shopping bags create while I heave them around the mall
The crowds
The over packaging of products
Going to ship my purchase at the post office and standing next to people who are in disbelief that the line would be so long. It is the post office during Christmas time be prepared to stand in line.
Finding the gift you want and noticing that it is stained, chipped, torn, etc and being told they don't have anymore and can't order it.
Online shipping that is vague about the delivery time.
Running into people at the mall who you haven't seen in years and you really don't want to talk to.
Standing in line (I expect to stand in line but it doesn't mean I like it)
The panhandlers that stare you down as you come and go from the mall
FINDING PARKING thought I would mention this again
Overly happy sales people
Stores that look like a hurricane just went through it.

Things I love/like/want under $60

2010-12-14T00:24:00.000-08:00

Things that I love under $60:

I forget what it is like to walk around the mall. I'm like a guy when it comes to mall shopping; I go into certain stores and I do not browse in other stores. I went into Pottery Barn to buy a gift card and saw these cute pocketwatch clocks while I was checking out. They come in 3 different finishes (shown in nickel) and 3 different sizes. They're priced $29-$59, of course the large clock is the most expensive. If anyone needs a Christmas idea I would really like the large size clock. :)

Pocketwatch Clock from Pottery Barn

Pocketwatch Clock

I also found this cool sand timer from Pottery Barn for $20. I love it!! They're no longer available online but they're in stores. I like the little one but didn't see that size available.

My favorite after face wash, skin tightening and brightening product is Ole Henriksen's Truth Serum Collagen Booster $48. This stuff is magic. My skin feels amazing when I put it on. My favorite part is there are no parabens, chemicals or synthetics in their formula, it is completely natural. :)

The BEST eye primer in the world is Mary Kay's Eye Primer $12

My ULTIMATE lip balm is Burt's Bee's Mango Butter $2.99. I don't normally like anything mango flavored but this is AMAZING!

Coasters from Modern Twist made of food safe silicone $23 pack of 4. I love that only two corners are slightly rounded and the other two are left pointy.

Notz Coaster - Pebbles -White (FAVORITE)

Notz Coaster- Stream - Copper

Love this charging station. I want this to charge all my tech gear from Think Geek $24.99.

My favorite reusable bags are made by Envirosax. They usually come in packs of 5 and what I love is they can be rolled up and left in my purse or glove compartment. They are very lightweight and sturdy. $39.95 for a pack of 5.

Sick of propping your iPhone or iPad against something so you can watch movies or videos? Everyone needs this in their stocking MoviePeg. $7.99 for iPhone 4 or iPhone 3 stands. $19.99 for iPad stands. If you're going to try and order these for Christmas they won't get here on time. The cutoff for delivery to the US in time for Christmas was Dec 9 (the company is based in the UK).

The best travel coffee containers are made by Contigo. I've had mine for 3 years and it keeps my coffee nice and warm all day long. $39 for a 2 pack.

Another item that I LOVE, LOVE , LOVE because it keeps my water hot when I boil a whole pot for tea is the thermal carafe from Crate and Barrel. I use this carafe almost everyday. $29.95

running and stuff

2010-12-13T23:07:00.000-08:00

Sunday was beautiful. I ran by the ocean for 8 miles and was thankful for the scenery. After my run I made the stupid decision of attending a fitness mixer/boot camp. Six different trainers, ten minute segments of ass kicking for an hour. My right calf decided it would be a great idea to tighten up into a ball. I stretched and drank some coconut milk until it was better. I drank some Recoverite and ate something that was 410 calories. I rebelled against my 60 day challenge and ate homemade cinnamon rolls. I also ate a burrito. I'm feeling chubby all around and thought it would be a great idea to just eat. I ran some errands, bought Christmas presents and passed out for ten minutes during the Charger game. I still haven't gotten into the Christmas spirit and I hope that I get into it sometime soon. I hope it starts getting cooler because as much as I love warm I prefer the cold air in the morning. My feet hurt and I didn't wear heels today because they are so sore. The downfall of running long distance is how tired my feet become. I really start missing my high heels.

Prompt: Internet

2010-12-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

Prompt Internet:

Write about your first experience with the internet.

forums.majorgeeks.com

Before there was online dating sites, Google, Myspace or Facebook there was AOL. My first experience with the internet was through AOL and a phone line. I can hear the faint pings, beeps and static noises made before being connected to AOL and those famous chat rooms. My mother didn't appreciate having her phone line tied up or the bill she received after our free trial offer. I spent a lot of time on chat rooms "talking" to strangers about every subject under the sun. Anyone from the AOL days know what "a/s/l" means. If you have no idea the preceding letters means than you didn't spend time in chat rooms. Age, sex, location was a cheap pick up line for all the guys to use. Once you admitted you were female there were a lot of men that wanted to talk to you. At the time I was in a relationship but I spent many nights watching my friends pick up on the ladies this way. It was a game to see if you could get a girl to email a picture of themselves to you. Most of the time we knew the pictures were fake BUT there were a considerable amount of girls that actually sent a picture of themselves.

Chat rooms were an addiction of the 90's for my friends and I. I can remember so many weekends spent with a group of friends sitting around a computer screen and jumping from room to room. I spent a lot of time in drag racing chat rooms talking about cars and street races. After awhile you would see the same screen names and eventually you would become "friends". Sometimes groups of us would just jump on to chat rooms and talk amongst ourselves alienating anyone that popped into our chat. Those were the days where emoticons and acronyms were "born". What a brilliant idea to shorten the written word and make "faces" with your keyboard. Chat rooms moved fairly quickly and if you wanted to keep up there had to be a faster way to get your two cents in. LMAO, LOL, BRB, TTYL, :P, > : o | , :0) were important in making sure that people understood you. I made the mistake of typing in all capitals when I started my chat experience; I was informed that it was very rude of me to do that. Apparently, all caps meant you were YELLING. I'd like to know who decided that. If internet rules applied in real life than most of the notes, letters and cards I write would be interpreted as me screaming at the top of my lungs.

Oh the early days of the internet, these were fun times where you could be anybody. I know that my friends and I would pretend to be other people and then change our screen names when there was a need. Who needed to go to the mall when you could meet people while sitting in your pajamas at home. I'm not sure that I actually knew there was more to the internet than chat rooms until much later. So tell me what was your first internet experience?

#90 - Travel on a Train

2010-12-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

~~#90 - Travel on a Train~~

I pictured my first train ride to be more romantic. I expected that my first experience would be somewhere in Europe on a month long backpacking trip or in Alaska surrounded by pine trees and glaciers. Unfortunately, my huge Europe trip had some minor set backs and Alaska has yet to be planned. My very first train ride took 15 minutes and was far from romantic. I hopped on the Coaster from Solana Beach to Oceanside. The reason for the short train ride was to run from Oceanside back to Solana Beach. Stupid, right?! I willingly hopped on a train to run 16 miles back to where I started. These are the ludicrous decisions you make when training for a marathon. Thankfully, I will not be running a full marathon anytime soon.

I couldn't remember much of the actually train ride because I was so engrossed into getting pumped up to run 16 miles. The train wasn't very crowded and I sat on the second level staring at the other runners in our group. I wasn't sure if I should cross this off my list but the Coaster is a train and I did "travel" somewhere. I still plan on having a "real" train experience because 15 minutes on a commuter train is not enough. :) There are so many romantic train rides out there.

Christmas sweater

2010-12-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that more people are having ugly Christmas sweater parties and pub crawls. Last year, I was enjoying a nice beer when 30 people entered wearing some of the ugliest holiday sweaters I have seen. My favorite sweaters have the flashing lights and music. The trend of having ugly sweater Christmas parties is so high that there are several online stores dedicated to selling these sweaters.

I could continue with the list but I think four is good enough. If you don't want to click on the links I've provided some of my favorite Christmas sweaters from the sites.

Buyuglysweaters.com


UglyChristmassweaterparty.com

I would pair the vest and sweater together for a nice layering effect. Good color combination and the snowmen on the vest make me giggle. :)


UglyChristmassweaterparty.com


UglyChristmassweaterparty.com


uglychristmassweatershop.com

This advent calendar Santa sweater is the most amazing sweater I have ever seen.


uglychristmassweatershop.com

I found a site where you can create amazing Christmas sweaters like this number I made. Click here.

christmas deco what

2010-12-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Christmas hasn't arrived at this house yet and I'm a little sad. I have presents piled in the Unicorn den and my mantle is starting to fill up with Christmas cards. I don't have a tree or Christmas lights. I did find some magnetic snowflakes and threw them on top of a side table but I need more than that. Did you know that there are only three weekend until Christmas? Last night I was with my niece and tried to sing a Christmas song to her but couldn't think of a single one. My mother would be disappointed if she knew that after years of subjecting me to Christmas music I couldn't remember A (ah) single Christmas carol. I couldn't even remember Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and I played freaking Rudolph when I was six. What a sad reality I live in that I can't remember Christmas carols. I couldn't even sing Jingle Bells. Freaking, Jingle Bells?! This weekend I will infuse my house with some holiday spirit. I'll wrap some presents. I will drag out the decorations. I will take some pictures to prove that I've made some progress. I might even get Christmas cards sent out. :)

A year in Facebook status

2010-12-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

I think I'm one of the few people who actually deletes all her Facebook statuses and posts. This past January, I spent an entire week deleting everything I posted in 2009. This year I was a little more efficient and deleted my posts at the end of the month. I leave some posts as a reminder of how I was feeling that particular day or because the post made me laugh. On Facebook. I've seen my friends posting a Facebook status compiler and wanted to see what updates I had left. Sometimes it is nice to see what has happened to you in a given year, like Cliff Notes but ADD Cliff Notes.

holiday accidents

2010-12-07T21:44:00.000-08:00

I got into a little car accident today. I can still hear the metal to metal contact of the cars colliding. There were no injuries. Thankfully. The entire process took 2 1/2 hours to finish. I'm not sure what is going to happen to my car and I'm pretty sure I didn't take out everything I needed to. I haven't been in an accident for a very long time and during the entire process I really wanted the situation to be over.

I really hope tomorrow is better.

60 Day Challenge Update

2010-12-06T23:10:00.000-08:00

I haven't lost any weight. :(
I've eaten two burritos since the challenge started.
I make up for the calories I've cut out during dinner time.

I'm glad that I'm not eating pastries in the morning or burritos for dinner but I'm feeling stuck. I haven't been really committed to making exercise or nutrition a priority. This time of year is a killer when it comes to my commitment to fitness. My mind is filled with ideas for presents, Christmas dinner, snowboarding, vacation, etc. I am much more concerned with my social life then working out and eating right. Yesterday, I ran 6 miles after a late night and a mild hangover. I had enough sense to know that I needed to get out and make this run happen. My feet cramped like hell and I was really thirsty the entire time; I'm happy that was the worst of my problems. I still haven't made the mind body connection with running but I'm okay with that. If I keep showing up to run it will happen. Although, I don't feel like I'm making progress in this 60 day challenge I will continue until it is done. Even if I am not losing the weight I don't need the pastries, chips or burritos. I just need to concentrate on my portion sizes. How is everyone doing with there challenge?

Prompt: Last night

2010-12-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Last Night

What did you do?

got dressed up. wore really cute heels. curled my hair. put my game face on. smiled a lot. shook hands and danced like a crazy person. took a prom photo. mass produced art and giant macaws. vodka. martini glasses. sarcasm and shit talking. laughing hysterically. something like the electric slide. laughter. youth. early morning. late night. designated drivers. vegetables and ranch. jackets. beautiful coats and dresses. remember that an 8 mile run awaits in the morning. martinis still are delicious. water is my friend.

#55 Eat the Rossini Burger

2010-12-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

~~#55 Eat the Rossini Burger @ Mandalay Bay~~

Would you pay $60 for a hamburger?

Most people would answer, "NO!"

I say, "Why not?"

I have spent more money on things that have been less fulfilling than a hamburger. Besides, when the hamburger is located in Sin City I would have wasted the money on gambling or liquor. You're probably wondering what is in a $60 hamburger; I will tell you. The Rossini burger has Kobe beef, sauteed foie gras (duck or goose liver), shaved truffles, on an onion bun. The preparation included foie gras, truffles and a rich brown sauce, Black Perigord Truffle. Yum, yum. The Rossini burger is served in two locations in Las Vegas both in the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Fleur de Lys or Burger Bar. If you go to Fleur de Lys you can order the Rossini burger with a bottle of Chateau Pétrus 1990 and Ichendorf Brunello stemware, specially imported from Italy, which you get to take home for a cool $5000. If you go to Burger Bar you can get the Rossini for $60 and get more of a mid-west diner experience. I know that I had originally wanted to go to Fleur de Lys but the timing worked out perfectly to eat at Burger Bar.

Was the burger worth it?

YES! I ate the entire burger.

It was messy to eat because everything was so soft and delicious but I'm also a messy eater. I wish I ate more lady like and less like a teenage boy after football practice. The truffle sauce was delicious and I poured it on during each bite.

TGIF

2010-12-03T23:54:00.001-08:00

busy.

customers waiting. full house.

overflowing recycling bin. the trash smelled like rotting food.

my desk is filled with captain america toys and coin sets.

I decided that I would order a warm cookie and oreo shake with my lunch.

I regretted that decision.

The regret didn't stop me from eating some cheesecake as a snack.

I did drive around for 30 minutes looking for parking because of a holiday event at the park.

The sushi was worth it.

I had a caramel apple spice and walked through walmart.

I bought some toys but didn't see anything people of walmart worthy.

and it is time for change

2010-12-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

I wish my nights were more productive. As I sit to write my nightly entry my mind clouds over and I struggle for a topic. I am overcome by sleep. The Sandman is sprinkling his sleep dust in my eyes and I cannot concentrate. The more I try to stay present in my life, the less I can articulate what is happening. I've always been like that, though. I'm much better when I've had time away. The nights have always been my time to wind down and process my days but right now I just want to sleep. I think it is time to change some things. Possibly running and writing will be a new theme in my life or driving and dictation.

When Happy Meal Toys were the Shit!

2010-12-01T23:20:00.000-08:00

I've ordered Happy Meals from childhood to now and I have to say the toys aren't very cool anymore. I went to my mom's house over the weekend and brought back a box of toys, Happy Meal toys. The box had an assortment of Happy Meal treasures from Bernstein Bears, Muppet Babies, Mac Tonight, even non-McDonald's toys. However, the COOLEST Happy Meal Toys were the McNugget Buddies. There were 10 characters total, unfortunately, I only have six fully clothed ones and two naked ones.

All 10 McNugget Buddies


My Buddies

Please excuse the crap on his face; I couldn't scrub it off.

When this promotion was happening my brother was working at McDonald's and he would bring home what he could. I remember being so disappointed when the promotion ended and I didn't have the entire set. Do you remember the McNugget commercials? They had each McNugget dressed up in funny costumes, rapping, singing and talking. The McNuggets were marketing genius!!! They were such adorable characters.

After the McNugget Buddies there were the McDonald's Changeables. These are possibly the most disappointing transformers but what do you expect they are food transformers. This commercial is pretty awesome, though.

Here are my three Changeables. I remember having the shake and fries but they've disappeared. It is too bad they don't have a McRib Changeable. Now that all these toys are out of the box, I will put them in the toy box for my nieces and nephews to play with. I really would like to bring them to work but my desk is already packed with toys.

Toys and stuff from back in the day

2010-11-30T23:52:00.000-08:00

This season always brings me back to when I was a kid and made a list for Santa a million miles long. Of course this led me to YouTube and searching for toy commercials from my childhood.

I always bring up Poochie and most people look at me like I said a bad word. NO ONE ever remembers Poochie but watch this video clip and hopefully it comes back.

I never had a Monchichi when I was a kid but as an adult my Monchichi is hanging out in my office.

I always wanted this game because the commercial was so cool. As an adult, I do not think this commercial is cool but I still want the toy. After watching this commercial I want to mimic the pose the kid makes after beating the game.

I SERIOUSLY wanted this but who didn't. It is freaking Teddy Ruxpin!

Lite Brite anyone?

My Little Pony, my little pony...I met one of my best friends while trying to re-attach her My Little Pony's tail.

This one is for my sister.

Not a toy but totally AWESOME. I think McDonald's should bring back the McNuggets.

Holiday Stress

2010-11-29T22:48:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to have a pre-December holiday anxiety attack. I can feel a small breakdown coming my way. Thinking about scheduling Christmas dinner, birthdays, presents, snowboarding trips, etc is getting my insides all wound tight. I'm trying to breath and relax but I don't think I can stop the anxiousness from exploding sometime between my morning run and dinner at Benihana. This is the point where I miss being a kid. I really prefer that someone else deal with the logistics and I can just show up and eat food.

When you google holiday stress there are pages of video and articles to help thwart depression and a mental breakdown. Holiday stress is so prevalent the Mayo Clinic has 10 tips to help you prevent stress and depression during the holidays. I don't usually get depressed during the holidays but I definitely get stressed. I'm not worried about the upcoming Christmas party bonanza, buying presents, cooking for Christmas or the lack of down time. I am anxious about scheduling and Christmas cards. I'm also afraid that I may snap while I'm shopping at the mall and re-enact the following video.

While searching through YouTube I found the "12 Pains of Christmas". How could I forget about this? At least this made me laugh. I think among one of the many anti-holiday stress lists laughter was listed among the stress relievers. Smile and Laugh a lot the holidays are here. :)

Prompt: Happy

2010-11-28T22:54:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Happy

Complete this simile: As happy as...

a pig in shit. I wonder why that would be the first thing that would come to my mind when reading this prompt. I guess because I think pigs are cute even though the smell of their troughs and general pen area make me want to vomit. Maybe it is because I don't mind where I am I can make the best of it. I don't know that I would be really enthused about rolling around in shit. The pig above is very happy but this nice pink pig below looks pretty happy, too.

and finally the shelves are decorated

2010-11-27T21:11:00.000-08:00

I finally finished my bookshelves. I kept all the photographs in the shelves black and white. It took some searching to find the photos and I'm still searching for more. I tried to make sure to have a good representation of both sides of our family but it has been hard. When I was in the Philippines I was looking for old photographs from both sets of grandparents but wasn't able to find any.

I kept the shelves filled but not "stuffed". I like having the mix of photographs, books, magazines and tschotskes. I like milk glass and I'm spreading them through out the house instead of putting them all in the bookshelves. I didn't buy a single new frame for these shelves. Everything here I already owned. I actually gave frames away because I have so many.

I'm still looking for the perfect mirror or canvas to hang above the fireplace but I think the drawings I brought back from Costa Rica will work for now. I'm happy that I finally have these in a frame instead of in a box.

Now that I'm done I realized that I have to re-arrange the mantle for Christmas. :/

#21 - Cook 100 Different Recipes (11/100) Cheddar-Ale Soup

2010-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

#21 - Cook 100 Different Recipes (11/100)

I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. The key is to have crispy bacon. Thanks Jenn (my sister in-law) for giving me the recipe a la Williams-Sonoma. This is not a low calorie soup.

Cheddar Ale Soup

Topped with toasted croutons, crispy bacon and a drizzle of first-press olive oil, this soup will satisfy hearty appetites on cold winter days.

Ingredients:

4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 3-inch strips
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pale ale
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Toasted croutons for garnish
Olio novello for drizzling

Directions:

In a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

Discard all but 2 Tbs. of the fat in the pot. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the onion, carrots and celery, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ale and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire, milk and broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the cheese by the handful, stirring constantly; do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish with croutons and the bacon and drizzle with olio novello. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

Today I am Thankful for:

my family and friends
being able to go for a 5 mile run
having my Cheese-Ale soup come out pretty good
heaters and a fireplace that work
the Roomba
a four day weekend
fuzzy socks
warm apple pie
the two sodas I drank today
still not having pastries, mexican food or chips even when I had a cheat day.

What are you thankful for?

I wish running was like coffee

2010-11-24T22:56:00.001-08:00

I wish I thought of running the way I think about my coffee. I don't think about whether or not I will have it; I just have it. A cup of coffee is like brushing my teeth and putting deodorant on. Now, how can I put running into the same category? I'm having a mental struggle with my commitment to running. I've been here before but this time I'm really missing a connection. Before, I showed up and hated every moment until the end. Now, I think about it and never show up. Somehow I need to make the connection because I've committed to running the Triple Crown (three half marathons in the same year). I know how much I love running. I've lost weight running. I'm a much saner person when I run. I clear my mind and release a considerable amount of aggression while on long runs. How can I get back to running?

The easiest answer is to just go out there and do it. While on my way to meet for my run tonight I had to remind myself of a quote I use to have written in my planner, "90% of life is just showing up".
Take a look at the big picture. The big picture is I have 9 weeks until my race, January 23.
Sit down and make a schedule.
Run with friends. Would it be strange to run on the phone with friends and family in different locations of California?

I have this entire Thanksgiving weekend to think of a plan. I'll let you know what I come up with.

when are you having kids?

2010-11-23T21:31:00.001-08:00

When are you having kids? This is the standard question for a married couple in their early 30's. I understand the curiosity but at times I am annoyed by the question. I know that I have a limited window before I am considered in the "advanced age" pregnancy category but I am in no rush to bring life into this world. There is an immense amount of responsibility and sacrifice when you have a child and at this very moment I am a selfish person who is not ready to sacrifice. Most of my friends have children, toddlers to be exact, and I am not ready to be in that situation. Is that so bad? I enjoy spending time with my husband and going on trips together. I like having a quiet house and sleeping in on the weekends. I am perfectly happy just being a married couple with no kids. At times I feel like an oddity, like I'm in a sideshow and people have come to stare at the married couple with no kids.

Our three neighbors have children, each evening and weekend we hear the kids laughing, screaming and chasing each other around the yard. The kids come by the house to see what we are doing or chase Tigris around trying to pet her. Hearing them running around makes me smile. I love being around my niece and nephews, my godchildren and my friend's children. Seeing their personalities developing is amazing. Time moves quickly when you use children as your life markers. Literally, from diapers to junior high before I could snap my finger. Before you know it I will look like a rolly polly and give birth to a giant beast of a child. Until that time, Tim and I will be selfish with our time together, travel as much as we can, enjoy sleeping in and hope that one of our friends will have another baby so our future child(ren) can have friends their age.

Nonsense - what really happens in my mind

2010-11-22T22:23:00.001-08:00

I'm facing a different direction in my office. My husband is moon walking to the right of me and singing Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. I think I'm starting to like the chaos in my office. I want to write about nonsense. I really like a coat this woman was wearing at the Charger game and I couldn't stop staring at her. I wasn't staring at her because I wanted her coat; I noticed the coat while staring at how extremely arched and short her eyebrows were. She had great boots, too. I noticed a lot of women who's calves were to thin for their boots. I really dislike it when calves are too thin for a pair of boots. I find it hard to think of presents for other people when I am inundated with emails about sales, discounts and Black Friday ads. Why does it get harder to be creative with presents as you get older? Is it complete laziness or lack of time?

The heater works beautifully in this house. Hopefully, I will figure out how to use the fireplace without burning the house down. I should have Tim work on that since I've never had a fireplace. Well, I have, but flipping a switch to turn a fireplace on doesn't really count. I've decided the next time I use bleach I will have to wear crappy clothes because I can't seem to keep the bleach off my clothes. I noticed some bleach spots on my jeans while I was at the Charger game tonight. The spots weren't horrible but I am not happy. Why are there so many morons at Charger games? You know the drunk idiots that can't have friendly banter back and forth with opposing fans. Also, why do they seem to always be around Tim and I? I wonder if the thermometer on our heater works. I hope so because this is the first time we're running it.

I should order some Christmas cards and buy beer tomorrow. I want another slice of apple pie. At this point it is too late to heat the pie in the oven. I guess I could microwave it but I'm pretty sure it will explode, like a Gremlin. That made sense in my mind but doesn't really make sense written down. I wish I could purr like my cat. I think that would be awesome. Shower tonight or tomorrow? I have to make a mental list of what I need to do. I should probably use my phone My eyes are really dry. My butt and thighs are sore from my workout yesterday. I really wish Tigris didn't weigh my left arm down by laying on it but I love that she always sits on my lap when I blog.

This is what happens when I write exactly what comes to my mind in the span of 15 minutes.

Prompt: Frugal

2010-11-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Frugal

Write about an area in which you don't want to be frugal.

I don't want to be frugal with my adventures. I want to hop on a plane or car and head off to a foreign place. I don't want to limit myself to the place I live. I like to learn new things even if it is about where I was born. I can learn to be frugal about everything else in my life but I don't want to be frugal with adventure. I just wish I started taking trips earlier in my life. There is so much out there to explore, I just need to get there. I like to believe that when I have kids that our adventures will not end. They may be closer to home or less extravagant but they will be adventures. My Mom always did her best to make sure that we were always discovering something or learning about different parts of San Diego. I wasn't able to drive across the States like some of my friends but I did go to Canada from here. I never want to frugal with adventure, ever. :)

How about you?

Pieces of Home

2010-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Home. How I love this place. Inside and out, unique. A home with history, a story behind its walls.

Holidays

2010-11-19T23:17:00.001-08:00

I realized yesterday that next week is Thanksgiving. I knew Thanksgiving was near BUT I didn't realize how close it really was. Adulthood really makes time pass by quickly. I'm barely aware of what is happening for the Holidays but I think after this weekend there will be no rest for my household. Busy, busy, busy. There are presents to be bought, cards to be sent, parties to attend, snowboarding to be done. My mind is swirling with ideas and lists but no plan. I will not get very far without a plan. Every year I say that I should shop through out the year but that never happens. Every year I always buy the kid presents first but then end up struggling to get something for the adults. This year I am starting with the adults. Does anyone have a strategy they use for Christmas shopping? I probably will not be shopping on Black Friday unless there is a really phenomenal deal. I'm more of a Cyber Monday girl.

Well, Tigris is weighing my hand down with her large head and I'm falling asleep. Hope your week was fabulous and may the weekend be even better.

thanks mr. googly eyes

2010-11-19T01:16:00.000-08:00

I was lost in thought about my horrible running performance and work to do's when I looked on my dashboard and saw him. He sat there staring at me with his googly eyes and I laughed out loud. This green fuzzy ball with the googly eyes pulled me out of my mental banter and made me laugh. Without saying a word he snapped me back into the present. I've been so lost in my days and overwhelmed with so many thoughts that I don't feel like I'm participating in my own life. I'm either in the past or thinking about the future all while missing what is happening right now. It is time to make some changes and stop being on automatic pilot. Googly Eyes was going to sit on my desk but I think he'll stay on my dashboard to remind me to make an appearance in my own life

Are you attending your own life?

Quantitative Easing

2010-11-17T23:07:00.000-08:00

This video has been the talk of CNBC and it helps explain what is happening to our economy. ENJOY!

I like other people's style

2010-11-16T22:41:00.000-08:00

I really love other people's style. I like deconstructing their outfits and I always wonder why I don't think to put certain things together. My own personal style is in limbo. I'm still buy things that I like but aren't necessarily "my style". I've become lazy about putting together "outfits" and would prefer if someone would come over and choose my clothes for me. Before the end of the year I will be cleaning out my closet, for the third time, and becoming pickier about my clothing purchases. Until then I will find inspiration in other people's style. All these pictures are form Hel-Looks.com


Photo Credit

This is her description of her style: "90's kinder whore style inspires me."


Photo Credit

Her style: "I like elegant, black and slightly old-fashioned clothes."

Photo Credit

"Vintage has been inspiration for many years."

She's inspired by fairies and elves. Can you tell?

"The holy trinity of my style is: vintage, Finnish design and random finds."

"I like vintage clothes with a shade of fetisism and military-feminine styles." I think she means fetishism but I get it.

These photos are from Copenhagen Street Style:

I want to live somewhere cold and I can indulge my coat obsession. :)

Haphazard Editing

2010-11-15T21:27:00.001-08:00

I've been complaining about my messy house for months and to be perfectly honest nothing much has changed. Tim and I made a run to the dump this past weekend and I've been making a rather large giveaway pile. I've been complaining about my house for months and it is my own fault that the progression has been so slow. I know better than to tackle multiple rooms at once but I did it anyway. Every room in this house looks like it has been ransacked by thieves which induces a lot of unneeded stress on me which then trickles down to my husband. In order to solve the trickle down effect, The Man and I did some editing. Our process was rather simple and helped in removing some of my stress.

We picked out all the furniture that we no longer needed, didn't fit our style or couldn't be modified to fit our needs.
We donated the furniture, gave it away to friends or broke it down and took it down to the dump. Sadly, a project that we started last year was broken down and thrown away.
We took out all the things that needed to be put in the carport or returned to his Mom's house.

Now, that all the big pieces of furniture have been removed from the house, each room looks less cluttered. What I am left with are things that just need a final resting place. I've been working on the living room for a couple weeks and I want to stop and work on my office BUT I have to FINISH this room before I move on. I still have a to hem curtains, find a way to plug in the lamp I bought 3 weeks ago, clear off the mantle, figure out what I'm putting on the last 2 bookshelves and find a place for all our DVD's. I'd really like to do some other "crafty" things but I will have to push that off until I am done with all the other rooms.

I still haven't used the desk in my office as an actual desk. At the moment it is the dumping ground for CDs, my journal, my camera, books, random knick-knacks, etc. Until yesterday the office floor was covered with picture frames, plastic bags, gift wrap tissue, external hard drives, photographs, books, old paperwork and shredded paper. Tim asked me if this was what the inside of my mind was like and I looked around and nodded. My mind is a whirlwind and I'm physically exhausted by my own thoughts. I can't just finish a single project; I must be working on another one simultaneously in order to feel more productive. The problem with that is I create mini explosions everywhere instead of one giant one. Ugh, it is a vicious circle/cycle but I will get through it and then we can finally have a "house warming".

Prompt: Books

2010-11-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Books

How do you treat the books that you read?

Unfortunately, I am not careful with the books that I read. I break the spines on paperbacks but I don't fold the corners over. I prefer hardback books because I am sure to always put them on the bedside table. I have a habit of falling asleep with really good books and lodging them between my bed and the wall. Depending on the book I make notes in the margins and highlight paragraphs. I always take the dust covers off hardback books and use receipts as bookmarks. I wish hardback books were lighter and I really wish bookstores wouldn't put stickers on the dust covers. I'm not extremely anal about the way others handle my books. As long as it is returned in one piece I am happy. I think books are more attractive when they have been worn; I look at it as a sign on a good book. When I borrow books I am very careful; I don't break their spines. I figure if you own a book and haven't broken the spine, you probably don't want me to do it for you.

Velvet Paintings

2010-11-13T23:26:00.001-08:00

The German shepherd is a velvet painting hanging in a store somewhere in Encinitas. I thought this velvet painting was rather interesting and part of me wants a velvet painting of my own. I don't really know anybody that wants a to have velvet art hanging in their house but I like "weird" stuff. Velvet paintings make me think of Tijuana in the 70's and Elvis. There are a lot of Velvis paintings (Velvet Elvis) out there and most of them are very strange.

Umm, Jesus and Elvis? Why?

Creepy Christmas Elvis


www.thevelvetstore.com

Indian Elvis? Really?

Animals are also a popular theme on velvet paintings. Take a look at these donkeys, puppies, cats, etc.

I'm not really sure that this one is a donkey.

Why does the puppy look like it has a hair piece?

Yes! Unicorns in space! This is amazing!

Wow, this is horrible.

I even found this snazzy painting of pre-face lift Kenny Rogers.

I'm not sure I can find anything to top this velvet painting.

Is it bad that this one makes me laugh and I'd hang it in my house?

Wants: A Christmas list of things that I won't be getting this year

2010-11-13T00:23:00.000-08:00

Each year Neiman Marcus comes out with their Christmas catalog filled with ridiculously expensive presents. I thought why don't I just make my Christmas list of all the things I do not need but would love to have.

Louis Vuitton Beauty Case $3,360.00

1995 McLaren F1 LM $ A few million dollars

Louis Vuitton Hardsided Luggage any starting @ $3500.00

Any of these coats from the Burberry Prorsum line from $2500 - $3600. Oh how I love the color and the cuts of these coats.

Burberry Cotton Canvas Lowry Large Bag $1500

Any lens by Canon for my camera anywhere from less expensive - more expensive

A Unicorn - price unavailable

Airia Desk

Christian Louboutin Rolando Platform pump $695

Alexander McQueen Leather Lace Pump $935

A Pegasus - price unavailable

A Bengal cat or Savannah cat . For a good breed $1000 and up.


Bengal Cat

Savannah Cat

Well there is my list of things no one will buy me. What would be on your list?

Mannequin Alley

2010-11-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

I work in an area filled with bars, tattoo parlors and women's clothing stores. My job is located on one of the busier blocks on the street and in the past 3 years my sidewalk has been over run by white faceless mannequins. Each time I walk down the street I have to dodge pedestrians, skateboarders and 20 mannequins dressed in trendy clothing. I've worked in the same area for almost 15 years and no store thought it was a good idea to put mannequins on the street to pull customers in. There are over 30 women's clothing stores in my area and none of them, except the 4 on my block, put groups of mannequins in front of their store.

picture these mannequins with really trendy clothing

A few months ago I overheard two store owners arguing about stolen mannequin hands. Apparently, somebody stole hands off the mannequins and one was accusing the other of taking them. I guess hands aren't cheap to replace. Since that argument I've wanted to go on a mannequin hand stealing rampage and super glue these white mannequins hands to the sidewalk in front of my job. The only part of the mannequin I need to help display goods are the hands and it would be a great art display to have white hands reaching out from the sidewalk. I hate that these mannequins are on the sidewalk. They are tacky and clutter an already crowded area.

Another great idea I had was to get a flame thrower and walk down the street burning all the mannequins to the ground. When I looked for pictures of a flame thrower I got this gem of a photo but I think I want something more industrial like the M2 flamethrower (2nd photo).

Photo credit

Photo Credit

I know what you're thinking. Woah, Apryl you're taking this mannequin thing a little overboard. Maybe, but haven't you ever thought of crazy things you would like to do but don't because you are a sane human being. These mannequins drive me crazy. Each time I see dogs on the sidewalk I hope they stop and pee on the mannequin legs. Stupid mannequins. I swear if one more store decides to put mannequins on the sidewalk I may have a nervous breakdown.

Love and that book about being married to a time traveler

2010-11-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Last night, I watched The Time Traveler's Wife with my hubby. I wasn't able to watch it from the beginning but I watched it to the end and I was sobbing like a little girl. The movie is based on a book and since the book is probably better than the movie I can't wait to read the book. If you've never heard of the book or the movie here is the trailer for the movie:

I don't know how well I would handle being left at any given time. I'm not sure that I would be as strong as Clare but if you know nothing else I guess it would be okay.

I want it to get cold and snow

2010-11-09T21:36:00.000-08:00

I want it to get cold and snow. I want this winter to be cold enough for winter coats and fuzzy socks. I am ready for a season and I would like it to happen now. See my little eyes surrounded by fur; I want it to be so cold that I need to wear that jacket every day. I want snowboard until I my legs fall off or I get run over by some hot shot because I'm not paying attention. I want to skip work and go to Mammoth for a little RnR. Don't you want to go?

Prompt: Who

2010-11-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

Prompt: Who

Who are you?

I am complicated. I like to say I'm simple but nobody seems to agree. I like to think I have a small amount of ADD because in the middle of what I'm doing I'll stop to go complete a new task. I am a traveler at heart and prefer road trips to airplanes. I like "stuff". I am a romantic. I am sentimental. I want to be treated like a lady but have the mouth of a trucker. I love to read. I practice anthropomorphism every day and I don't think I will ever stop. I think life is much more interesting when you have pets. I play by the rules most of the time. I hate being asked who I am. I am critical of others and I'm working on being less critical. I am critical of myself. I am a perfectionist, kinda. I am a visual learner. I'm an asshole, sometimes. I'm paranoid. I'm protective of my friends and family. I am an introvert who pretends to be really social. I am glad that time is running out for this prompt because it was difficult to come up with the few things I wrote down.

So tell me, who are you?

Swim. Bike. Run.

2010-11-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did
- Newt Gingrich

A full triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 156 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run and a half triathlon is logically half the distance. This weekend I was in Las Vegas to watch my brother in-law compete in a half triathlon. If you ever doubt the ability for humans to persevere through pain go out and watch a triathlon. The mental strength necessary to endure all the obstacles of a race that literally takes all day is immense. I watched men and women of various ages and abilities fight through soreness, pain, injury and fatigue. Their faces pulled tight in concentration while their mind flipped through an emotional Rolodex. There weren't very many spectators on the side of the road so Tim, Jen and I clapped and cheered on each person passing by. Even if they didn't acknowledge what we said, small words of encouragement can go a long way. My brother in-law didn't seem to need words of encouragement; the man makes it look "effortless". Each time we saw him he had a big grin on his face and waved to us like a celebrity. Being able to cheer him and his friends on today lit a fire under my butt to stop being lazy and start training for my half marathon in January.

Thanks Dave, Kariem, Dean, Mike, Summer, Jay & Liam for all the inspiration!!!!

A few things about my day

2010-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

1) My friend's almost 14 year old son is now taller than me.

2) I watched a teenage boy do a back flip on a razor scooter 3 times

3) I saw a very large man on a dirt bike racing around Lake Elsinore with half his butt crack hanging outside his pants.

4) My cat and the punji sticks she calls legs can place her paws in-between my ribs which causes me to wake up quickly.

5) The lights of Las Vegas are beautiful when you see them from a different perspective.

6) The hotel I'm staying at charges for wi-fi. I don't like this.

7) Was able to experience what auctions are like in small towns via videos and text messages.

8) I peed in a toilet that was so low to the ground I felt like I was peeing in a kiddie toilet.

If you make me something, I will keep it forever

2010-11-05T22:37:00.001-07:00

I like having things that my friends have created, even if they hate it.  I have drawings that my sister made while in elementary school.  I have ceramic bowls from friend's high school projects. I keep drawings from nieces, nephews, god children and my friend's children because it makes me smile.  I have photographs taken by friends that have given me at least ten reasons why I shouldn't take their "cast off" prints.  I don't care if you think it sucks. I don't care that it is too dark, too light, the contrast is off, your dodging and/or burning technique didn't come out the way you wanted; I like it.  I like it for all the reasons you hate it.  As I sort through pictures and papers I am finding all these treasures.  My walls are going to explode with all the things I have kept and I can't wait for it to be done.  Once I have my photo transferring, bookshelf arranging, picture hanging complete, my blog will be bloated with photos. 

If you're planning on throwing out anything you've made, please, make me your trash can. :)Have a wonderful weekend. 

Burritos, Butter Croissants and the McRib

2010-11-04T21:58:00.001-07:00

Four days into the 60 day challenge and I spent my entire day thinking about greasy carne asada burritos and buttery croissants. I didn't eat either but I thought about them while talking to customers and while I was eating my turkey sandwich. Yesterday, I was craving cookies and went to Trader Joe's to search out these mystical carrot cake cookies my sister was telling me about but there were none to be found. Then I started thinking if I allow myself to have cookies than I have to limit myself to a cookie a day. The other option is to add cookies to the pastry list and cut them out of my life. Currently my pastry list includes the following:

Danishes (cheese and fruit)
Donuts
Croissants (chocolate and butter)
Bagels
Beignets (anyone know of a good place in San Diego to get these?)
Scones
Turnovers
Cupcakes
Muffins
Cakes

I know that cakes, muffins and cupcakes aren't really considered pastries BUT it will not hurt me to cut them out of my diet. I could add cookies but part of me doesn't want to add cookies. I haven't allowed myself to buy any cookies so subconsciously I must have already put them on the list. I'll let you my dear friends and family decide whether I should add cookies to the pastry list. What about pies? Are pies considered pastry?

Currently, I consider a McRib in the Mexican food category. As much as I want to sink my teeth into the boneless fake meat goodness of a McRib I'm pretty sure that it is a nutritional road block.

Look at it. Doesn't it have I am really, really, really bad for you written all over it? With 500 calories, 26 gm of fat and 980 mg of sodium that little sandwich will definitely add some ripples to my thighs. Thankfully, the McRib will only be served at McDonald's until Dec 5. Now, if I wanted to be able to eat the McRib ALL year round then I'll have to move to Germany. If you would like to go to Germany for the McRib McDonald's is currently running a promotion where they will send you to Germany with $10,000 for your own McRib story. The contest ends Nov 22. Click here for the details.

Hope everyone is doing well on their challenges. We only have 56 days left. :)

What to do with those bookshelves

2010-11-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

Each morning I walk down the stairs and stare at all the tschotskes lined on the two built in bookshelves that flank the fireplace in my living room. Everything that is on my bookshelf has been there since the day we moved in. Nothing has been moved. The problem I have is a lack of books, hardbound books, to put on these shelves. When I only have a handful of books to work with I prefer that they are fairly similar in color and size. I could make dust sleeves out of colorful paper or fabric for them but then the books will look like props. The whole reason you put a book on a bookshelf is for someone to pull it off your shelf and read it. Well, I already have another built in bookshelf in the Unicorn Factory filled with books and I'd like to leave them there. I don't want to go out and buy books just to fill my living room shelves. I definitely wouldn't mind but that is my last resort.

Should I put all of my books in the living room like the picture below?


From Elle Decor

Should I do something really sparse like this built in?

from Atlanta Homes

I like the bookshelves below. I like the mix of pictures, tschotskes and books. Our shelves aren't as deep so there isn't room to place a photo in front of the books.


from Southern Living

I'm really overwhelmed. I think I have too many things residing in these built ins to clearly see what I want. Logically, I should start removing all the items that don't fit into the living room decor and see what I have left. I need to start differentiating between things that are my style and things that I like. I like a lot of things but only a few things are my style. For instance, I like shabby chic. I'm drawn to the white antiqued feminine furniture and the muted color palette BUT it is not my style. I like looking through the Anthroplogie catalog and walking through the store but once again not my style. I buy things just because I like them. I need to spend more time thinking how each item will work in my house or in my wardrobe and stop "impulse" buying.

#94 - Denim Love

2010-11-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

~~#94 - Buy a pair of expensive jeans~~

I could live in jeans; they are so versatile and durable. They can be dressed up or used to bum around the house. My love for jeans started with a pair of Levi's and my insistence on getting a size that was starvation tight. My teen years and the early part of my twenties were filled with these starvation tight standing jeans. Ladies, you know what I mean by "standing jeans". My closet was filled with Levi's and then they were filled with Lucky's. I loved Lucky jeans but my body changed shape and I didn't love Lucky's anymore. After getting rid of my Lucky's I only wore Abercrombie jeans. Then I gained weight and said goodbye to those jeans, except for my favorite pair. My favorite pair of jeans was nice enough to expand with me. Since that time, eight long years ago, I have been on a denim famine.

The work it takes and the length of time it takes to find the perfect pair of jeans can bring me close to foot stomping, cursing and fist shaking. In order to try jeans on everything needs to be perfectly aligned. The main problem I have is my thighs. The waist may fit but my thighs are ready to rip that denim apart like the Incredible Hulk.

I've learned to always bring a size up into the dressing room. This allows me to move through any feelings of "fatness" quicker. There are certain brand jeans that I am in the middle of their sizing and there are other brands that I need to go up two sizes in order to fit in their jeans. I know that the number/sizes shouldn't matter but there are days that the number really bothers me. Hence , why everything in the solar system must be aligned in order for me to try on jeans.

This entire year I've been trying on different brand jeans in order to take myself out of my denim famine. I've had more misses than anything but it hasn't stopped me from searching for my perfect pair of jeans. My favorite stretch jeans are my DL1961 Tory's. DL1961's have a special patent that their jeans don't get loose and saggy as the day goes by. They have a low rise and make my butt look like it was ten years younger. :)

My second pair of stretch jeans that I love, love, love are my Citizens of Humanity Morrison Slim Boot Cut jeans and Citizens of Humanity Ava Straight Leg. They are like a second skin and they are sooooo soft.

Morrison

Ava

I also love Joe's Jeans. It all started with that $3 pair of Joe's Jeans I found at the local Salvation Army. They have a huge tear below the butt and are the perfect boyfriend jean. I wear them constantly. I have two pairs of Joe's in petites (hooray petites). One pair is the perfect length and the other one needs to be hemmed just a tiny bit. They are really comfortable and really soft , too.

Provocateur Amelie

Another brand jean that I like is Paige Premium Denim. I have a pair of jeans that needs to get hemmed but I've been too lazy to have it done.

Last but not least my favorite pair of organic denim jeans are made by Loomstate.

So in the past year I have managed to fill my drawers with jeans and end my denim famine. Everyone deserves a good pair of jeans that fits their body. I shouldn't have waited this long to buy mine. If you can, treat yourself to a nice pair of jeans. :)

First Day of...

2010-11-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

It seems that besides the Giants winning the first World Series for San Francisco, my friends and family were also experiencing "firsts". For me, this was the first day of the 60 Day Challenge. I passed on the breakfast pastry and grabbed a whole wheat english muffin and some nutella. During lunch time I really wanted some salt & vinegar chips with my turkey sandwich but remembered I had given them up. For the most part my first day of the challenge was uneventful. I just made sure to stay away from Mexican restaurants and bakeries. However, I did not workout today. Another part of the 60 day challenge is getting some exercise each day. This means that I actually have to implement the running schedule that I haven't been following. I also need to drive my butt to the gym and do some yoga and pilates classes. What is the point of my gym membership if I don't show up?

My mind is going a million miles a minute right now. I have a running schedule to plan, a Christmas list to make, travel to book, a house to decorate, pictures to backup, furniture to move, pictures to hang, boxes to unpack. This adulthood thing is filled with a long list of things to do. I feel like throwing all my possessions out the window and starting all over. Seriously. I am currently sitting on the floor in my office typing on my laptop that is propped up on a movable safe. I'm not using my desk because it is filled with stacks of CD's that I am sorting through, books, card and storage bins. I have four external hard drives on the floor that I will be transferring files from and I'm paranoid that something will go wrong. I have spent the last four days burning files onto DVD's and organizing them on their own spool. I think my mind is going to explode. I really wish file transfers were faster or someone else could do this for me.

You know this whole file transfer clean up started because I wanted to print out pictures to hang around the house. Once I safely back up and transfer all these photos onto one hard drive I can upload the new pictures I've taken and get some pictures printed. I've been scouring the house for random CD/DVD's that may have photos I lost on them and asking my friends to send me copies of CD/DVD's I made for them. I can't wait until all of this is done. Sorry to get off topic.

Prompt: Athlete

2010-10-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

Prompt: Athlete

Write about how you felt as a kid when you participated in athletic activities.

Anxiety. I felt a lot of anxiety. I hated sports. The only sport I participated in was the standing long jump in 4th grade for Junior Olympics. I'm not really sure how I became a part of that but it was the only time in my elementary school career I didn't feel anxious. I was terrible at kickball and was often picked near the end. Tether ball wasn't any better. My mother played softball and volleyball and in an attempt to spark any athleticism she bought me a wood Louisville Slugger, a glove, a softball and a volleyball. This didn't go past playing catch and batting in my backyard. I never tried when it came to sports. The entire team sport idea was intimidating; I was really shy and insecure. It was easier to be horrible at something than to try and become better. I was always anxious during P.E. class. In junior high I got a D in my P.E. class. I was terrible at softball, over the line, volley tennis, running the mile, flag football, everything. If I change my attitude sports would have been more enjoyable. When I got into high school I was less anxious and I actually tried. I never tried out for any sports because I was under the impression you were already suppose to know what you were doing but since I was a wife of a former high school coach I now know better.

The 60 Day Challenge

2010-10-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday, my best friend is starting a 60 Day Challenge. She will be giving up three nutritional road blocks. While I was helping her figure out what three items to cut out of her life I decided I would join her in this endeavor. I've been complaining about my eating and my body for months. My aunt gave me the book The End of Overeating by Dr. David Kessler and what better way to challenge yourself than during the holidays. Of course, there are three cheat days, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's. Coming up with my list was not difficult at all; I eat A LOT of things I shouldn't.

First on the list of nutritional road blocks are the pastries I eat for breakfast. When I order my coffee that pastry display calls my name.

Photo Credit

Look at the warm fresh baked goodness. I usually get a cheese danish, chocolate croissant, plain croissant or cinnamon roll on my way to work. I'm usually still hungry by the time I get to work and I've eaten at least 300 empty calories. I don't go to Starbucks but I will use their nutritional information for the pastries I order.

Cheese Danish 420 calories
Chocolate Death 300 calories --- I meant to put Croissant but decided to leave it the way I had it written (subconscious much?)
Plain croissant 310 calories
Cinnamon Roll 461 calories (Sara Lee nutritional info)

Second on the list is Mexican food. This is going to be difficult because my default food is either Tijuana tacos or some sort of burrito. Goodbye Sun Tacos, Santana's, Rubios, Wahoo's Fish Tacos, Chipotle, La Salsa, El Zarape and any other Mexican restaurant that I have left out.


Photo Credit

I ate a carne asada burrito with rice and cheese inside for dinner and enjoyed every last greasy bite. :) Do you want to know how many calories I consumed? I consumed anywhere from 600-1000 calories. Since I ordered this from a legitimate hole in the wall Mexican joint I'm thinking at least 1000 calories.

Rubio's carne asada burrito is 680 calories.
Chipotle carne asada burrito is 950 caloires

I think I can live without eating a 1000 calories burrito, maybe.

Last on my list is chips. I LOVE chips. I can eat an entire bag of Archer Farms Salt & Vinegar chips by myself. I can eat an entire bag of any chips alone. There are 140 calories per serving which works out to 15 chips. An entire bag of Salt & Vinegar chips has about 8 servings. So that is 920 empty calories before dinner.

Man I love to eat lots and lots of empty calories. During the next 60 days I will be keeping a food diary. When I lost 20 pounds four years ago I kept track via Weight Watcher points and that really helped me put things in perspective. I know that I've gotten out of control with my food choices and I need to get my butt back to eating all the good stuff. I'm excited to kick off the last 60 days of the year with a good challenge. This will only benefit my running.

sick day

2010-10-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

Today my brain isn't working at full capacity and I can't string thoughts together properly. I've been staring at this computer for 30 minutes waiting for something to magically appear on the screen. Tigris is purring on my lap and my husband is milling around downstairs. I dislike this gray area of sickness. I feel sick but I don't look sick. My throat is soar and it feels like sandpaper when I swallow but I don't sound sick. I want to sleep but my body isn't cooperating. My nose feels like it should be running but it isn't. It is possible that the 80 degree San Diego weather is preventing me from actually being sick. I was just starting to get use to the idea of fall when the temperature started rising.

Meh. I have heavy eyelids.

I'm taking a sick day.

Happy Friday!

white or maybe not

2010-10-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

When I look through pictures of rooms that inspire me there are a lot of rooms that are all white. I love the freshness of all white rooms. I think crisp white linens look the best on beds and I love giant white pillows. I love sheer white curtains even though I hate the idea of people being able to see directly into my living room.

What is interesting about my love/obsession for all white rooms is the lack of all white anything in my house. I have a considerable amount of white accessories but I haven't decorated a single room in this house in ALL white. Part of me is practical about having all white couches, pillows, curtains, rugs, etc. If I had white couches there would be a sense of paranoia and stress when having friends and family over. I love red wine and I've actually spilled an entire glass of red wine on my friend while we were sitting on my cream couch together. The couch was fine but her skirt was soaked. I own a white ottoman and it gets dirty by Tigris (our cat) laying on it. The reality of white couches keeps them out of my house.

I love white curtains but I don't have a single white curtain in my house. I don't particularly know why I don't have any in my house but they are non existent. I have white linens that haven't lived up to what I have envisioned. Tim and I had a duvet cover made in the Philippines that is more masculine then the feminine West Elm duvet we had before. I have a certain style that I like but my house seems to bring out something completely different, at least when it comes to the color scheme. Why is that?

#78 Jim and Ruthie are still alive

2010-10-27T22:36:00.000-07:00

~~78. Buy houseplants and keep them alive (365 days)~~

In October of last year I brought home three plants and a year later I only have two.


Mury 10/2009

Mury R.I.P August 2010


Ruthie 10/2009

Ruthie 10/2010


Jim 10/2009

Jim 10/2010

I was careful to not over water my plants but I ended up drowning Mury and Jim. I could tell something was wrong about a month before I left for the Philippines. I moved Mury and Jim into different pots and gave them new soil but Mury died while I was in the Philippines. I wanted to make sure that they weren't completely neglected while I was gone, so I brought them to my Mom's house. Ruthie stayed at our place and has survived the entire year without any help from my mom. I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping them alive and I'm pretty happy that I didn't need much of my mom's help until the end. Ruthie needs to be cheered up and I think I'm going to put her outside for a little bit. Jim is growing new leaves and I will be keeping him outside also.

I've read that most plants die from over watering because their roots sit in water and prevent air circulation. I was really diligent about checking the moisture level and making sure the water drained completely BUT I still managed to drown my plants. My mom has reminded me several times that I need to make sure the water drains out of the pot. In order to make sure I do not repeat my plant drowning I looked up some tips to prevent over watering.

Have a regular watering schedule
Check new plants a few times a week until your establish a watering schedule

Insert your index finger to the second knuckle
If you feel moisture, do not water

Use tepid water. Cold water can shock the plant.
Have good drainage.

well that isn't very creative

2010-10-26T22:13:00.001-07:00

I'm full of love and fuzz. My insides are squishy, happy and spinning in circles. I can't fully explain how I feel and I need to somehow express what is inside me. I'm so giddy that I don't quite know what to do. At the moment I'm transferring photos from my computer to an external hard drive. It is a wonder that I ever get anything creative accomplished when I'm doing something so blah. I did hang new curtains in my Unicorn Factory aka the craft room/guest room. I despise the phrase "craft room" and since the extra room is for creative purposes I think it should be fun. Who else has a Unicorn Factory in their house? I could call it the Inspiration Alcove, Idea Chamber, Schematics Lab, Center of the Universe or the Imagination Emporium. All these titles are 100 times more entertaining than Craft Room. The Unicorn Factory will be a fun room to decorate. I want it to be filled with things that make me smile. I keep tickets, pamphlets, drawings and knick-knacks from every part of my life. Now is the time to let all these things live outside the boxes they currently reside in. The only problem with the Unicorn Factory is the wall color, it is light blue. I don't like the shade of light blue on the walls. The room feels like a nursery and we can't paint.

I'm getting back to the photo transferring. I hope that I don't lose any photos in this transfer.

Today I was reminded...

2010-10-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

“The object of love is not getting something you want but doing something for the well-being of the one you love.” (Gary Chapman)

Real love doesn’t only dance the night away; it commits forever. Real love goes to work each day, sits by the hospital bed, does your laundry, understands when the car comes home with a dent in the door, notices your imperfections, and doesn’t mind. Real love is a treasure and a gift. Real love has the courage to give completely of itself without keeping score, no matter how difficult or embarrassing the situation may be. Thank You Tim for being the man you are and loving me the way you do.

Prompt: Make it Work

2010-10-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

One-Minute Writer Prompt: Make it Work

How do you "make it work" (whatever "it" is)?

I always think of Tim Gunn when I hear that saying. Make it work. Except, I don't think that I'm suppose to be talking about how I can whip up a glamorous outfit from two stick pins and some leaves. Which I probably wouldn't be able to do. I can't even come up with an interesting toilet paper wedding dress when I'm at a bridal shower. This is a great prompt. How do I "make it work"?

I don't know.

Maybe I just spend a lot of time figuring out how to not make anything work. I'm really good at getting myself out of situations where I feel uncomfortable and insecure. Which is good when the situation is negative but not so good when the situation will benefit me. I guess I make things work by not having to deal with things myself. Strange since I am such a control freak.

Awake My Soul

2010-10-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

I want to run and feel the wind on my face. I want to stick my face out the car window on a two lane highway running through the middle of the desert. I want to feel the grass beneath my feet while running down a beautiful hillside on a perfect spring day. I want to feel the rush of jumping out of a plane, again. I want to run and laugh with the people I love. I want to feel the rain on my face as a beautiful storm passes across town. I want to feel the ocean crash on my feet while my toes sink in the sand. Outside my door are a million possibilities and I want to experience them all. I can feel adventure stirring inside me. I want to jump on that imaginary pirate ship and a sail off into the horizon. For the past few days I've been listening to a couple Mumford & Sons albums on grooveshark.com and their music stirs my soul.

Card Catalogs

2010-10-22T23:04:00.000-07:00

I have fond memories of going to libraries. My mother would take my siblings and I to the San Diego Library every weekend when I was in elementary school. She would walk us to the children's section and we were left to pick out our books. Sometimes she would take us to libraries closer to our house but San Diego had a larger selection and going downtown was a nice treat. I remember walking through aisles of books and the smell of the paper when I opened one to read it. As I grew older I was taught how to use the Dewey Decimal System and search through card catalogs to find the books I needed. I have a lot of love for libraries and I wouldn't mind having a piece of library furniture, specifically a card catalog. Look at this beautiful card catalog re-do. I want this buffet!!! Such a genius idea!!! If you want to see exactly how this was transformed from card catalog into this beautiful buffet go to Dream Book Design.

Here is another card catalog turned into a coffee table. I like that she left it the natural wood color and didn't paint it. She only paid $7 at her local thrift store. Seven dollars!!


Link to original post

Look at this little beauty turned into a "bookshelf".

from Poetic Home

How about a card catalog kitchen island?

I want a card catalog so bad. I could probably stick one in every room in my house. I hope somebody decides to dump a card catalog in the alley at work. Maybe I can find one on Craigslist or maybe the Swap meet will have something cool. Oh the card catalog possibilities.

Thursday Love

2010-10-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

pop thursday:

POP Thursdays is an after hours event put on by MoPA (Musuem of Photographic Art) San Diego that screens cult classic movies, allows you to walk through their current exhibits while listening to music (live or DJ) and grab some drinks with friends. Tonight, they were showing Labyrinth. They had some people from the San Diego Guild of Puppetry walking through the crowd in some creepy masks and dancing around. I love attending these events. I have the opportunity to see a great exhibit during a week night while mingling with my friends. Tim and I have never been in the theater because we enjoy standing in the lobby watching the movies with subtitles.

The guys from Alchemy San Diego manned the bar and one of the signature drinks was called "The Peach" and it was delicious. I wish I remembered what was in the drink because I'd love to make them at home. :) I didn't take any pictures of the creepy puppet people but I did take a picture of this lovely little lady hooping.

I found a new artist that I like. Her name is Maggie Taylor and she does photo montages with a flatbed scanner and a computer. I'm really drawn to her work because there is a haunting quality to each piece that I saw. I'm really attracted to artwork that has an underlying theme of sorrow, pain, darkness, illusion, etc.

One of my favorites is called Twilight Swim.

I also really like her Almost Alice exhibition based on Lewis Carroll's novel.

I love going out and finding new inspiration. I have to remind myself to take every opportunity I have to experience the world, even during a week night. I know I sound like an old lady but Tim and I rarely "go out" these days. Our weekends are jam packed with events but our weekdays are spent at home. This was a nice change of pace. What have you done to find new inspiration?

Rainbows

2010-10-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

I was picking up dinner and I didn't see this rainbow until I came back outside. It wasn't the brightest, definitely not the prettiest but it made my insides smile and my heart warm.

"Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray."

Lord Byron

Meet Elmer, our rug.

2010-10-19T21:56:00.001-07:00

I love and hate IKEA. l love that they are affordable and I always seem to find something for my house. I hate that their items can be found in every college dorm room and their furniture is essentially cardboard. Regardless, I still shop there. Their showrooms have good ideas and I really like their window and flooring section. I was in the store last week and purchased a few rugs for the house. One of the rugs was the cowhide rug I wanted. We named him Elmer after the bull on the Elmer's glue label. He is really soft and I love the white tuft of long hair on his back. :)

Elmer the Bull


Elmer our cowhide rug

While I was digging through piles of dead animal skin to find my lil' Elmer I saw a giant jute rug. PERFECT! This one was cheaper than the one I was going to order online and larger. I had to buy two. One to go under Elmer in our living room and the other one to go under the lambskin rug in the office.


Tarnby - Jute Rug from IKEA

My living room.

The sheer curtains in the center are from IKEA and I am really sad they don't have them anymore. They let the perfect amount of light inside the house but don't allow strangers to see what is happening in the house. If anyone sees these curtains please let me know I need two more panels. I hung the curtains to see what it would look like to layer sheer curtains behind a heavier textured curtain. Did you notice that the sheer curtains are hanging on the same rod as the tan curtains instead of on a separate rod behind the tan curtains? I'm trying to work with what I have since I can't seem to find curtains I like. In our last place the windows were smaller and there were less of them. In this house, it is all windows.

I'm tired of having all my pictures live inside my computer.

2010-10-18T21:02:00.001-07:00

My favorite part of being in the homes of friends and family is looking at the pictures on the walls. Since moving into our new place I've been wanting more pictures around the house. I have been more motivated since I lost over 2,000 photos from my external hard drive. If I'm going to take pictures I should have them hanging in my house not sitting in my computer. I just bought the book Living with What You Love by Monica Kosann and it reminded me that the things I love shouldn't be packed away in boxes or hidden in drawers. Homes are unique to the people living in them. In each corner there is a collection to search through, pictures to look at, books to peruse. I love the "lived in" feeling when you visit a friend's house. I enjoy seeing someones life story unfold through pictures. Tim and I have had so many adventures. I keep little mementos, take pictures, write in my journal and all these things just get stuffed in a box.

I was at my best friend's house this weekend and I love looking at the different pictures she has around the house. Most of the pictures stay the same but I look at them anyway. On my way to the bathroom I noticed she changed a picture and it made me smile. She has had a picture of us (taken 8 years ago) framed among an array of family photos and she replaced it with a picture of us from earlier this year. The picture she chose is one of my favorites and will be hanging in my house soon. :) She also has great 8 x 10 candid pictures of her family and the kids in her living room. I want a house where people look at your pictures even if they've seen them a thousand times. I do the same thing at my mom's house and she hasn't changed any pictures in the past 15 years.

Here are some photo display ideas I like. I have a ton that I could post but I think this will give you an idea. I love the way these frames are just leaning against the wall in a casual way. I don't know many people that display photographs in their dining room but what a great idea. I may do something similar in the office or craft room. This is such a simple way to display and switch photos around.


Homes and Gardens

I like the idea of hanging pictures above the bed, unfortunately, we have curved ceilings and after we make the headboard I'm not sure that I can fit pictures above it.

Photo Credit

I just found some fun wallpaper called Frames from Graham & Brown. I want to put this up in the craft room or in the office. Such a great way to display kid's art, photographs, postcards, etc.

I love this photo wall, the couch, the floors. I don't remember where I originally saw this photo but I pretty much want this room.

We have a staircase now and I'm not sure how I'll arrange pictures because the lower half of the stair case has wood paneling. I've always wanted to have pictures going up a staircase and now that I have one I'm unsure how to do it.

I really like the look of simple frames with white matting.


from Living with What You Love

Photo Credit

Now it's time to search through my computer and get some photos printed, framed and hung. Do you have pictures living in your computer or do you have them hanging on your wall?

Prompt: I run to be.....

2010-10-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Nike Women's Marathon Theme: I run to be...

I run to be ME.
I run to be sane
I run to be fit.
I run to be able to eat flavorful, calorie filled food.
I run to be alive.
I run to be free.
I run to be happy.
I run to be more awake than I was when I started.
I run to be able to meet new people.
I run to be able to see different parts of my city.
I run to be quiet.
I run to be enlivened.
I run to be seen in skinny jeans without looking like a sausage.
I run to be reminded that my body needs to be taken care of.
I run to be thankful.
I run to be aware of what my limitations are not.
I run to be inspired.
I run to be faster than I was the year before.
I run to be gangsta. (This is from an actual sign I saw during the race)
I run to be surrounded by 20,000 women on a Sunday morning in October.
I run to be stinky, sweaty & salty.
I run to be alone.
I run to be active.
I run to be at peace.
I run to be AWESOME.
I run to be in pain.
I run to be getting a sterling silver Tiffany & Co. Necklace.

Photo credit

delirium

2010-10-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

I am delirious.Whatever I have to say isn't coherent and definitely not interesting. I spent a lot of time in a car and slept for a short period of time. I have 13 or so miles to cover in a few hours and my legs are already sore. I am tired and this will have to suffice as my blog post. If you're feeling short changed, so am I. Like I said, I am delirious.

10 Things I Love about Road Trips

2010-10-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

I'm currently sitting "shotgun" in my car eight hours away from our destination. I have my comfy pants, sweatshirt and my shoes off. I didn't prep a blog post before I left and here I am stuck in L.A. traffic typing this entry into my iPhone. Thank You technology. Since I like making lists and I love road trips I thought it rather appropriate to combine these subjects into one post.

1) Funny road trip ideas like calling different McDonald's to see if they have the McRib. We still haven't found one but by the time we get home we will have eaten one.

2) Road food. Chips. Fast food. Shakes. Diners. Only the good stuff. Having a cooler of fruit and veggies is not as appealing as rummaging through a 7-11 rack of chips and chocolate.

3) The opportunity for adventure. Even if you've driven the same road a thousand times there is always the possibility of new experiences especially if you're with different people.

4) Radio stations. There is always a point during a road trip that there is NOTHING on and you have to resort to singing.

5) Conversation. Some of the best conversations I've had have been inside a car driving down the road. Even alone I've had some pretty amazing conversations.

6) Reminiscing. Every time I stare out the window I am reminded of something in my life. Mostly good stuff and every so often the bad stuff comes up but that's okay. I've got time to process.

7) Randomness. There are so many strange and ludicrous conversations and ideas that happen in a car when you've been on the road.

8) Name calling and road racing. Not literal racing but when you have the same 20 cars around you it eventually turns into a race. When you race there is always some form of name calling. Like just 5 minutes ago we were trapped next to a group of slow moving douche bag cars.

9) Bonding. If you don't feel like you're becoming closer with the people you're with, than there is something wrong.

10) Spontaneity. There is a choose your own adventure quality to road trips. At any point in time you can go left instead of right. You can stop or you can keep going. Road trips keep me young. :)