Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You help me relax when I'm feeling anxious.

2 - You tell me when you appreciate something I've done for you.

3 - You let me pick all the TV shows on Wednesday.

4 - You bought be book writing software for Christmas, so I can start my book and stay organized.

5 - You are my midnight kiss! Happy New Year!!

Reverb10: Prompt 25 - Photo

I didn’t have to look back far to find this picture, it was take on Christmas Eve, the evening before I received this prompt. Jane, the lovely lady on the left, has been my bestie since 4th grade and our families have had a long tradition of spending Christmas Eve together. After college it was hard to get everyone together on Christmas Eve. This Christmas Eve was everyone was in town and our families were able to spend Christmas Eve together again. Jane’s hubby, Joe, took this picture. Lately, I’ve been feeling much more comfortable in my own skin. I remember not even trying to angle my head so I didn’t get a double chin or ask to see the picture after it was taken for deleting privileges.

I hope I can keep this feeling going in 2011.

Merry Christmas

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You drove us back from St George, in the rain the whole way, and didn't complain once.

2 - You are an excellent Wii bowler.



3 – And, a pretty handsome Mii ;-)

4 – We dressed up and went to dinner last night, just so we could do something fun for just us.

5 – You love Christmas.

Reverb10: Prompt 19 – Beyond Avoidance

Our storage closet! We have a fairly large closet on our balcony that we store all our crap, that doesn’t fit in our apt. This summer when we renewed our lease we told ourselves we’d go through the storage closet and throw out everything we didn’t need. Sell a few things and reorganize. It’s been months and we haven’t even attempted. Even worse, we added to the mess a few weekends ago. *hangs head in shame* We don’t have a very good reason for not doing it other than, out of sight, out of mind… and we’re lazy.

In 2011, I need to make an effort to actually get that done. All the extra crap is stressful and I really don’t want to move it when we leave.

Guest Post: Forty Twenty Four

This past Friday, as Hubs and I were driving out to Utah to visit his Mom and Step Dad, I guest posted for Micah and Catherine over at Forty Twenty Four.


I met Catherine on Weddingbee, she is the beautiful Mrs Joey. She and Micah, Mr Joey, were also married in August of 2009. She and her husband blog over on Forty Twenty Four, about the house they built together and living together and such. Unfortunately, their house was broken into over the weekend and several things were taken along with a set of their keys. Please keep Catherine & Micah in your thoughts and prayers.

While you’re over there please also check out my Guest Post on Hubs and my Holiday Dinner Party.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - Even though you weren't feeling the hottest on Tuesday night, you went with me to the food truck meet-up.

2 - You make sure the Christmas tree has enough water.

3 - You are really good at grilling meats.

4 - You put a lot of thought into your step Dad's Christmas present.

5 - You always carry my suitcase.

I Want, I Need, I Have to Have : Christmas Gifts

Guess what? Christmas is next week guys! Seriously, this year has gone by in a flash and I cannot believe it is already Christmas, again. I thought I’d share with you a with things I wouldn’t mind getting for Christmas, in hopes of helping you find gifts for the people on your list.


Product Body Crush on You Scrubby Wash – My all time favorite body scrub. Not only is this product is 96.5% Natural & Vegan it also isn’t super oily like other scrubs I’ve used… meaning it doesn’t make me slip and fall in the tub.


Print by artist, Nidhi Chanani – You may remember the giveaway I hosted with Nidhi a few months ago. I am absolutely in love with her work and I think her prints would make fantastic presents.



Food Themed Ornaments from Sur La Table – I seriously want all of these, so next year I can do an entirely food themed tree. How freakin’ cute would that be? I’ve already purchased one for my Dad & one for Hubs… that means I only have one ;-)

Heart Necklace in Bronze by Etsy artist Upper Metal Class – I recently fell in love with this simple heart necklace by Upper Middle Class. I love how delicate it is, while still being very geometric.

What is on your Christmas list?

Reverb10: Prompt 14 - Appreciate

This past year, marks the first year of my marriage to this guy. Yes, I appreciated him before we got married, but I appreciated him so much more after living with him for the past year. Hubs is my biggest cheerleader. He picks me up when I’m down, and not to sound to cliche, but he totally make me want to be a better person.

Don’t worry, I tell him all the time and bake him cookies :)

Reverb10: Prompt 13 - Action

I going to get off my butt and DO!

1, 2,3, 4 & 5

Reverb10: Prompt 11 - Things

When I first read this I thought, “ELEVEN THINGS!?! Is this guys nuts?!?” No offense Sam, but I’m sure you got the reaction from a lot of people. However, since Hubs and I were busy this weekend I gave myself the weekend to think about it. Perhaps there are 11 things I don’t need in my life, or perhaps there are a couple and I don’t need to come up with 11.

1 – Plastic bags: I have a bunch of those re-useable bags for grocery shopping, but more often than not I forget them at home. Next year, I will not go shopping unless I have the bags. This will most likely also cut down on needless grocery shopping, when we have okay food at home.

Source

2 – Buying lunch: I spend way too much money on buying lunch everyday. Next year, I will make an effort to bring leftovers or make meals for lunch… most days.

3 – Gluten: Is this a cop out because I’ve already started it? Maybe. But, I’m sticking with it in 2011

Source

4 – Impatience: I am a pretty impatient person and really it only stresses me out. I’m going to make an effort to be more patient and relaxed in 2011.

5 – Judgment – I’m going try and not be so worried about what other people think of me. I guess, I’ll do this by consciously telling myself to stop when I start worrying about what other people think.

6 – Purses – I have enough, really cute purses. In 2011, I will use the ones I have and not buy any new ones.

… I may add more at a later date :)

Reverb10: Prompt 12 – Body Integration

Dang, I wish I hadn’t posted that song on Saturday! I’d just post it now because I really don’t understand this prompt. When I first read the prompt, I thought of the morning, 3 or 5 days after I’d started “the diet”. I was blow-drying my hair and I noticed I felt really good. I wasn’t sleepy, my stomach wasn’t upset and I just felt good. I felt like me. I don’t know it that fit in the prompt, but that’s the moment I thought of.

My Jam: Young the Giant – My Body

I seriously cannot get enough of this song. When it come on the radio, I turn it up really loud and dance around to the chorus.

What’s your favorite song right now? Does it make you dance?

Reverb10: Prompt 10 - Wisdom

The wisest decision I made this year was to take a food allergy test. Those of you that follow my blog know that, in hopes of ending some uncomfortable health issues, I took a food allergy blood test a couple months ago . Although not a complete shock, the biggest item I had to give up was gluten.

After 2 months on “the diet”, I posted here, on how I’m feeling now. This was the wisest decision I made in 2010 because I feel so much better. I’m healthier. And, bonus, my clothes are fitting better.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You found ornaments for our little tree that are made in the USA

2 - You want to get little 4 foot trees for the rest of our Christmases because you like this one so much.

3 - You're really excited for our Christmas trip out to St George to see your mom. It's not Christmas without going.

4 - You know how to cheer me up when I'm stressed.

5 - You're really excited to cook... er, grill for our dinner party this weekend.

Reverb: Prompt 9 - Party

I’m feeling a little worn out (writing wise) from yesterday’s prompt. Obviously my 30th birthday rocked my socks, so I’ll leave you with a picture from another great party I attended in 2010.

Here are all my DMs (ladies in a club we made up about 4 years ago). We hadn’t all been in the same place for about a year and it was wonderful to get together and celebrate the last wedding in our group. I LOVE these ladies more than words!

Reverb10: Prompt 8 – Beautifully Different

Here’s the thing – I have fairly good self esteem. I know I’m pretty cool. Like a lot of women I know, I think I could stand to lose weight, but I think I’m pretty and attractive (on most days). I find this prompt so hard because I have I hard time being all, “I’m awesome and here’s why”.

Katie from Ruffles and Truffles, went to Twitter…
and I, being completely stumped as well, joined in. A with NodakAdemic chimed in with a great suggestion (as well as a sweet compliment).


Which got me thinking, what would someone else say are my beautiful qualities? Hubs would say it’s my positive outlook on life and attitude. I thought about it more and realized that my positive outlook is thing I get the most compliments. Like, this comment from Kelly at kjpugs I received around the time I discovered my gluten intolerance.

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 2 weeks before my 16 birthday. I was really upset at first and scared, but in order to be allowed to go away to camp on Catalina the week of my birthday I had to get my self together and learn what I needed to do to take care of myself. The easiest way to do that was to have a positive outlook on the whole situation. Since then I’ve adopted the philosophy, “You may not have control over what happens to you, but you have control over your reaction”.

Yes, I still get pissed at things and overreact on occasion. But, once I’ve got that out of my system and I’m good… better.

I try to spread my positivity to others by encouraging my friends and helping them find the bright side of situations. Kate at Manhattan Actress’ tweet showed me that people do notice.
I'm happy to see I am "lighting people up".

What are your beautiful qualities?

Reverb10: Prompt 7 - Community

The obvious first community that popped into my head after reading this prompt was Weddingbee and the community of bloggers I’ve met through Twitter. You ladies rock! But the community that has really stood out in my mind lately and especially in 2010, has been one I’ve discovered. This community is one I’ve found at school. I’ve been attending idi (Interior Designer’s Institute) for almost 5 years now and it wasn’t until this year that I actually make real school friends. This may sound said, but when you only go to school part-time and at night, it’s easy to just come and go without forming a bond with the people in your class. Yes, I’ve made a few friends in each of my classes, however it wasn’t until this year that I started talking and even hanging out with friends from school, outside of school. It has been such and blessing and honestly, a lot of FUN!

Next year I hope to join a church community. With so much going on, I’ve found it way to easy to say, “I’m too busy for Church.” But, I miss the community and the connection with God. I would really like to be able to say at the end of next year the community I (re) discovered was Church :)

Reverb10: Prompt 6 - Make

I make all kinds of food all the time… well, not all the time, when I’m in school, but often. In school I also get to make boards and floor plans. I’m lucky in that get to “make” a couple times a week.

So, what is something I want to make? Something I need to clear time for? Art. The space above our sofa has been empty for over a year now. Hubs and I just can’t find (and agree) on something to hang above the sofa. It’s either the wrong color, shape or price.
 
We’ve known for awhile that we want 3 similar pieces spaced evenly apart. We know it can’t be too busy or dark because this room is really poorly lit. We also know we’re going to have to make it ourselves… or at least that’s what we’ve discovered in our search for the perfect art. We need to take the time to get the canvas and other supplies and create these pieces.

* Don’t get me started on the vulture hanging out on-top of my grandmother’s china cabinet. He went up there one Halloween and the Hubs has refused to part with him since. He thinks it’s funny… I don’t :-P

Potato Latkes

This weekend was the first weekend in 12 weeks I haven’t had homework. I didn’t even really know what to do with myself. All day Sunday I was in the oddest mood and I think it was because I felt guilty for relaxing. I started feeling a little less funky when I started dinner. I haven’t had the time to cook something from a recipe in, you guessed it, about 12 weeks. I think I made 1 new dish this quarter. Poor Hubs said he’s so excited to eat better now that I’m on break.

So, what did I decide to make first? Potato Latkes. Amy with Playing House tweeted about her favorite latkes recipe last week at the start of Chanukah.


I knew I had to make them this weekend. I’ve been craving latkes since Hubs bought applesauce over a month ago. I LOVE me some latkes with sour cream and applesauce! Hubs had never had potato pancakes (excluding the time, recently, when we bought them from a street vendor in Austin) and excited to try the sour cream applesauce combination.

How did I make them?

(Click recipe to enlarge)

Amy wasn't kidding, these are the best potato latkes you will ever make. I'm so glad we had leftovers because I can't wait to eat them again tonight.

Reverb10: Prompt 5 - Let Go

I’m late posting this one because I can’t think of anything I let go… which means I let something go, but it wasn’t something (or someone) I really needed or making a huge impact on my life… I guess. Perhaps I'll come back to this one at a later date.

Edit 12.07.10: So, I thought of something on the way to work this morning. Formspring. I started Formspring around the same time as everyone else. I quite a couple months later because I found it was a source of stress and rejection. Stress because I felt I had to answer the questions as quickly as possible. And, rejection because "why is so-in-so asking her questions and not me?" Phew! I felt so much better once I quit.

Reverb10: Prompt 4 - Wonder

Why is this prompt so tough? Probably because I can't think of a way I've cultivated a sense of wonder this year.

Perhaps school. I'm always amazed at what my fellow students (and I) accomplish at the end of a class. The great ideas everyone comes up with and how we all finish above a beyond what is excepted of us, when it seems we will never get the bare minimum done.

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You bought my sparling red wine to celebrate finishing my finals.

2 - You emptied all the trash that was pilling up in the kitchen.

3 - You trimmed the basil plant back so it could grow in better.

4 - You watched Top Chef with me last night, even though you don't really like competitive cooking shows.

5 - You put away your suitcase from last weekend before it did.

Reverb10: Prompt 3 - Moment

I happened to check my email last night before I went to bed and noticed I’d already received today’s Reverb10 prompt. I was excited, thinking I could get a head start writing in my head. However, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I remembered it in the shower this morning and immediately thought of my 30th birthday. For those of you don’t remember, or just started reading my blog, I embraced my 30s with open arms, excited about everything that was going to happen in the next 10 years.

On the night of my 30th birthday my parents threw me a little party and invited a couple of my closest friends.


For dinner my parents flew in Maryland blue crabs covered in Old Bay. My father made his famous Tom-tini (SUPER strong lemon drops) and I drank mine from my special martini glass. We all sat around the table outside and ate crabs on newspaper, just like I had done when I was little visiting my family in Maryland. (Except, this time with booze). My sister made the fluffiest and most delicious cake and decorated it with multi-colored coconut.


I can still hear everyone laughing around the table and smell the Old Bay seasoning and sour lemon. It was chilly out, as this past summer was unseasonally cold her in Southern California.

I will always remember this night. I was so thankful to have everyone there that night to celebrate with me, what I look at as, the being to a very exciting time in my life. I felt very loved and very adult. Is it weird that I didn't feel like a real adult until my 30th birthday? Maybe, but it also has a lot to do with my answer to Prompt 1.

Reverb10: Prompt 2 - Writing... er, Design

Am I allowed to change a prompt? Because, I did.


While I find writing this blog important it isn’t so important that I need to eliminate anything to be a better writer. I don’t consider myself a writer, and perhaps that is why I’ll never be Dooce or Barefoot Foodie. I’m okay with that. My blog is just an outlet.

However, I do need to concentrate more on interior design. There are things I do in my breaks between school and even when I’m in school that I should cut back on and re-focus my free time. TV. I know I can’t eliminate TV from my life because it’s my veg time. It helps me relax from everything else going on and de-stress. I do know that I could watch less. When I completely bored and watch TV I could be improving my Sketch-up skills or finding materials and furniture and saving them in organized files.

P.S. As soon as a wrote that first paragraph I remember the book I want to write and the outline I need to get cracking on now that I have a month off from school. Ooops! Okay, bored time will be split between the two until I get that outline done.

Favorite Things: Baby(ish) Blanket

Two years ago for Christmas I bought my mom this insanely soft and cozy blanket from Restoration Hardware. We’d spent the past year attending 3 baby showers and my Mom kept saying how she wished they’d make those uber soft baby blankets in adult sizes. As luck would have it I found one in Restoration Hardware that Christmas.


After snuggling with her’s a couple times on Christmas I went back the next day and purchased one for myself. It is by far my favorite snuggle blanket in our place. Hubs loves it too! We get under it together when we watch TV.

Due to the power of Twitter I found out that my favorite blanket is currently on sale from $29 (down from $59) at Restoration Hardware! Seriously, if you’ve even wished for a baby blanket in your size, you will love this blanket!

*Restoration Hardware did not give me anything to write this post… although I would totally take a free blanket… in Graphite ;-)

Reverb10: Prompt 1 - One Word

Today’s prompt is from Gwen Bell, who by the way is awesome!


I had to think a bit to find one word to encapsulate this past year. Partially because I’m getting over this head cold and my brain is all foggy. I had to concentrate really hard to remember what’s gone on this past year. Hubs and I celebrated our first anniversary, we’ve gone on a bunch of trips. We’ve witness our friends get married and engaged. Then it hit me, one word that encapsulates the year 2010 for me is proud.

I’m really proud of everything I’ve accomplished this year. I’ve improved greatly at school and I’ve been proud of everything I’ve turned in… okay, almost everything. I finished my recaps on Weddingbee, which most Bees will tell you is quite an accomplishment. I started an exercise routine I like and I’m losing weight in a healthy way. These may not sound like major accomplishments to some people, but for me I’m pretty proud of myself. Since college I’ve always lost steam at the end of a class and I’ve not always had the motivation to kick butt until the end – I did that this year. I’ve never been a very good writer… the fact that I have a blog is insane to me. The fact that I was accepted to blog for Weddingbee is even crazier. I’m proud that I finished the whole process. I’ve always struggled with my weight, for as long as I can remember. I’m happy to be in a place where my clothes fit, I’m eating healthy and exercising regularly.

I’m also proud of Hubs. He’s done amazingly well at his job. He got a promotion and a raise in this economy, beating out someone in his department who’s worked there a lot longer. During the oil leakage he took an interest in saving the sea turtles and has continued that along with other cause effecting our environment and animals.

Together we’ve made an effort to eat and purchase responsibly, when it’s much easier not to. We buy locally and organic whenever possible and try make all major purchases products that are made in the USA.

Next year, I would be happy if I could use the same word :)

What is one word that you would use to encapsulate your 2010?

Are you doing Reverb10?