What I'm loving...

:: Best Birthday Date Night Ever. My amazing husband took me out Saturday for the best birthday date that a girl could ask for.  Amazing steak, bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with gouda, too many glasses of delicious Malbec and conversation that made me feel like the most loved woman in the world.  It was awesome.  It is not very often that we can sneak away for a night of full luxury, but it is that fact that just makes it all the more special.  Thank you, David.  You are one of the great ones.

:: Fifty Shades of Grey.  Whew! We are reading this book for book club and holy smack is it steamy.  It has been getting a lot of buzz recently from the media; and after reading it, I must confess that I don't understand what all the fuss is about.  But if you are looking for a little extra spice, well... the book may give you some ideas.

:: Wearing sassy business shoes.  Most of the time, my days are spent in flip-flops or TOMs.  But now that I'm no longer working from home and am back in an office setting, it is so fun to dust off a few of my favorite high-heeled shoes.  It is like an instant confidence boost every time I put them on. Love that!

:: The Killing on AMC.  We recently watched the first season on Netflix Instant Queue.  The second season is currently showing.  If you are not already watching this show, you should be. This moody, Seattle-based crime thriller centers around the murder of Rosie Larsen, a high school student who is seen briefly at the beginning of the episode as she attempts to flee from an unknown assailant.  As with many of AMC's top shows, the writing is fantastic and the characters have depth.  Outside of that I can't explain what makes this show so great.  It just is.

:: Every night just before bed, Little B asks for The Music.  This translates into a loud singing session where David, Little B and myself are soulfully bellowing out Adele songs that are playing in the background on Pandora or YouTube.  Little B loves it.  We are each handed a crayon to serve as our microphone.  And let me tell you, Sister can wail.  She knows to close her eyes tight on the important notes in order to emphasize Adele's passionate words.  It is quite hysterical to watch.  But I love that it has by accident become a nightly family tradition.

Read More

Thirty Five

The two most important days in your life are... 

the day you are born, 

and... 

the day you find out why.

~ Mark Twain

Another year has come and gone. These past 365 days have been a whirlwind of change. A new city, a new home, a new diet, a new job, new friends and now a fresh start as I get ready to embrace another year of life living. 

As I look back on the ebb and flow of this past year, I recall where I have achieved and where I have failed.  Thirty four was an incredibly tough for me. One of the rougher years of life.  Lots of loss, stumbles and heartache. But it is with a thankful heart that I count my blessings that outnumber the troubles.  For it is through the trials and tribulations of life that self discovery is made.  I made it. I am still breathing.  I appreciate what I do have even more.  And I am hopeful for the dreams yet to come.

When I think about my day of birth, I have never been the type to be sad about getting older.  I am not bothered by the thought of more wrinkles or the understanding that I should start stocking up on Spanx.  I don't miss my childhood or my twenties or even my early thirties.  For each of these times in my life represents a chapter, the next one better than the last.  Instead I take the viewpoint of "Whew!  I can't believe I have made it this far!".  Birthdays are like bragging rights.  Another year to tuck under my belt of life adventures.  

With year thirty five, I have been given the gift to do something with my life.  And though I often have no clue as to what that something is just yet, I will live it purposefully day to day.

So hello to thirty five.  What is the first adventure that  you have planned for us?

Read More

Fort Worth Botanic Garden

A couple weeks ago, we stumbled across a magical place right smack dab in the middle of the city - The Fort Worth Botanic Garden. 

We have been twice this past month.  The first time it was just us girls going to see the amazing butterfly exhibit.  But the place is so extraordinary that we headed back a few days later with David to just get lost wandering their extraordinary gardens.  There is so much to see.

We smelled flowers, were surrounded by hundreds of butterflies, and walked under the most beautiful tree canopy.  And as I can personally attest to, it is perfect place to take a kid with energy to burn.

The best part... depending on where you go and what you do, many of the gardens are free.  Love that!  I may keep that in mind the next time I need a quick zen moment.

Read More

Fiercely living life

Whoops!  I forgot to blog.

Life is busy in that full, busting at the seams, life living sort of way.  Really good, but really crazy.

New job.
New school.
A quick trip to Austin.
New friends.
Old friends.
And my birthday coming up this weekend.

So please forgive my absence as I fiercely live life.

I will be back to business here soon... with lots of greatness to share. 



Photo via Mary Ruffle

Read More

Exciting week coming up

This next week is going to be full of a lot of exciting beginnings for us.  New job, new school, new routine.

Little B is starting at her new preschool.  She is nervous and excited all at the same time. We talk a lot about all the new friends she is going to make and how her teacher is so nice. We have done a tour so that she can see where she will eat lunch and where she will hang her backpack. A new purple lunchbox is easing her into this transition as she can not wait to show it off to her new teacher and friends.  I am so proud of her.  I can tell that she is consciously being so brave. She keeps telling me that she is going walk in to her classroom and say, "Hi friends!" That's my girl!

And I am starting a new gig with my first Fort Worth client, Pier 1 Imports.  Woohoo!  I am very excited about this opportunity as I am hoping it will open many doors for us.  My first day is on Monday and I feel a lot like Little B... nervous and excited all at the same time.  Maybe I should get myself a purple lunchbox to calm my jitters.

Aren't change and transition always that way?  A mix of emotions all swirled up together.  Exciting and anxious.  Hopeful and cautious.  Exhilarating and intimidating.

It is enlightening watching my girl deal with her emotions as she gets ready for a big moment relative to her life. In some ways, we are so different.  She is shy and reserved at first where I am not.  But in other ways, we are so similar. How she talks it out.  How she calms her fears.  Where she chooses to put her focus. As her mom, I do my best to help her navigate her own path through this change.  Lots of listening and the careful nudge here and there.  She is going to do great!

So wish us luck this next week!

Read More

Happy bluebonnet season!

Texas is at its most perfect during springtime.  That is when everyone falls in love with this state. Gorgeous sun, mild temps, and warm breezes on the patio. But the yearly presentation of wild bluebonnets tops my list of favorite things. 

Fields and fields of blue swaying in the breeze.  It is breathtaking.  Seeing them just makes a person happy.

So of course, we celebrated by the annual Texas tradition of snapping a few family photos amidst of sea of blue.

 
 That first photo is my all-time favorite.  It captures her grin and personality so perfectly.  And that last photo... well that photo tells me that I either need to never white again or go get a tan immediately!  Maybe both. 

Happy bluebonnet season!

 

Read More

Our Easter weekend

This past weekend was made up of everything that a perfect spring weekend could have.

romping around in the bluebonnets

dinner with family and friends

white sangria

sleeping in

a daddy & daughter park date

cinnamon muffins

exploring the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens

cute Easter dresses

chocolate chip cookies

staying up way too late

How was your weekend?

Read More

From my kitchen: Lemon Poppy Seed Almond Flour Muffins

I am in quite the muffin kick these days.  Right up there with Easter eggs, tulips, and open-toed shoes, there is just something about spring that I associate with muffins.

Hot out of the oven brushed with just a little bit of butter... is there a better way to start a gorgeous spring morning?

Plus, I like the versatility of muffins.  Using whatever you have on hand at the moment, muffins are forgiving and get along well with all sorts of tasty food combinations.  Apple cinnamon, Earl Grey and Honey, blueberry, zucchini nutmeg, banana nut... the list goes on and on.  Love that!

But today I was craving lemon.  That bright pop of yellow fit my spring time mood.  And what goes better with lemon than the good ol' poppy seed. So without further fuss, let me introduce you to Lemon Poppy Seed Almond Flour Muffins.

  Lemon Poppy Seed Almond Flour Muffins

2 cups finely ground almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp poppy seeds

Zest of 1 lemon

1-2 tbsp lemon juice
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter (or oil of your choice)
1/4 cup honey

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry until well incorporated. Pour into lined muffin tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F (or until golden brown).

Makes about 6 muffins.

Read More

Menu of the week

My sensitive tummy issues have popped back up again.  Ugh!

So this week, I am doing my best to refocus my efforts on healthy, yummy food that is grain-free, soy-free, and dairy-free.  That is a challenge during a busy week, when it would be so easy to rely on ready-made convenience food.  But that is not an option for me right now.  So I persevere with this week's menu.

Here's hoping for a calm tummy.

• Monday: Sole Meuniere on a bed of spinach
• Tuesday: Turkey legs, roasted potatoes, and sauteed mushrooms
• Wednesday: Garlic, rosemary pork with roasted cauliflower mash with truffle oil
• Thursday: Grilled salmon and pan-roasted brussel sprouts
• Friday: Eye of round steaks with roasted red pepper and basil salad

Read More

The Hunger Games movie

The Hunger Games movie.  Did you see it yet!? 

The casting was perfection.  Lenny Kravitz as Cinna.  Awesome!  Woody Harrelson as Haymitch.  Stellar.  Don't even get me started on Stanley Tucci.  And Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. So good.

I thought the movie was so well done.  They did leave out a few parts that were in the book, but I understand why.  It must be so hard to cram that much detail into 2 hours.

I can not wait for the next movie to come out.  I can't believe that are making us wait a year and a half, though.  That just isn't right.

Read More

Good Day or Bad Day?

Yesterday was a crazy, crazy day. 

We started our day just like every other day.  Coffee, breakfast, running out the door to work, and cramming in some last minute errands before lunch.  But once the noon hour hit, it all changed.

Storms clouds grew darker and darker by the minute.  The rumble of thunder kept getting louder and louder.  Soon after that, hail made its presence known by threatening to break through the windows.  And then came the sirens.

Oh goodness. 

Nothing fills this Texas girl with more terror than the holler of a tornado siren. 

I grabbed our box full of emergency items, woke up my girl from her nap, shuffled her and our dog into the bathroom (most interior room of the house) and hung out close to that room for the rest of the afternoon.  Sitting in a bathtub, I spent the time checking the weather updates on my phone and texting back and forth with David (who was hunkered down in the boiler room of his company's building) and the rest of my friends and family spread out across the metroplex.


Little B and I were very lucky.  The many funnel clouds and tornadoes were to the north and east of our house.  So we knew rather quickly that we were fine and in the all clear.  However, at that point my worry then became so focused on my friends and family that were still in the path of the storms.  And what made it even scarier is that many of them in offices did not even know what was going on until I had called or texted them.  There were 3 separate storm areas and I had loved ones in all of them.

I can't really explain how I felt watching live TV and seeing a tornado come out of the sky and touch down.  Seeing the flying debris and tossed 18-wheelers and knowing that you are watching the scene unfold in real time is surreal.  I felt like my heart stopped when a tornado narrowly missed a huge school. 

This was the real thing.  This wasn't a weather man being overly dramatic about a little bit of hail.  This was serious.

But isn't it crazy how quickly a day can change from good to bad back to good?

• All of my friends and family are safe and sound without a scratch on them.  Amen!

• In the midst of such as wild and crazy day, I had a fantastic day for my career.  While hunkering down in the bath tub, I got a phone call out of the blue that presented me with an work opportunity that I am crazy excited about. 

• While there is destruction scattered across the metroplex, I have not heard of any fatalities.  Amazing! That is a miracle in itself considering the number of tornadoes that touched down.

So with all that happened yesterday, was it a good day or a bad day?  I think it all comes down to perspective. My vote is for good day.

Read More

On friends and laughter

When talking about friendship, I used to think that loyalty was the most important element.  And while it is still a mandatory trait that I require from all those who are close to me, I think there is one more trait to go on that must-have list... the ability to make another person laugh.

I believe that when a person laughs they are in their truest self.  And I am not talking about fake laughing or courtesy laughing.  Heck no!  I am talking about the kind of laughing that leaves your sides aching, your cheeks fatigued, and your soul replenished.   A laugh like that can change a grumpy day into a fabulous one.

A true friend is someone who can make you laugh whether you are having a good day or the crappiest of days.  And the best part of it is that you don't have to be the wittiest or have the best joke.  No, it can be as simple as reminiscing over a long-ago memory, watching a funny movie, or my all time favorite - perfecting the not-on-purpose-clutzy-move (I am king in that arena).

We all have those kind of friends... the ones that can make you laugh like no other.  Where every time you see them, you usually end up giggling about something.  Those are the people that I want in my life.  And that is the friend that I strive to be for my loved ones.  For laughter can take the sting out of a broken heart, a lay-off, a fussy baby, or a rainy day.  It may not cure the ailment in that exact moment, but it will for sure aid the healing process.

Who doesn't need more laughter in their life?  I sure do.  I thrive on it.  I feel most like myself when I am laughing.  And laughing just feels so damn good!

So on that note, I am off to find my laugh for the day.  Which friend should I call first?

Read More

A girl and her camera

My little mini-me.  We are the same in so many ways.  And whatever I do, she wants to do too.

So in order to keep her from sabotaging my camera, I gave her one of her own.  It is an old film camera that I had back in college.  Holy smack... is that camera considered vintage now?  Oy, I hope not.

Anyways, I don't think a day goes by that I don't pull out the camera to snap a few photos.  Usually I am taking pictures of Little B, a recipe I'm making, or even just a few shots to play with the light.  And true to form, my little mini-me follows along to do the same.

She hasn't quite figured out how it all works, but she understand the general hold-it-up-to-your-face action.  I think we may have a budding photographer in our midst.

Read More

Menu of the Week

photo by Martha Stewart

• Monday: Sauteed zucchini with lemon and mint
• Tuesday: Skirt steak fajitas (Paleo style)
• Wednesday: Grilled salmon, green salad and roasted potatoes
• Thursday: Honey mustard slow cooker pork ribs and broccoli
• Friday: Asian lettuce wraps

What are y'all eating this week?

Read More