happy scrappy

So tempted to get this gorgeous October kit from Studio Calico because it make me want to scrap. I've never ordered a kit from them before, but I've heard good things from other people.

Can't think about this for too long because it may sell out!

randomness

1. I am re-organizing my scraproom and closet. . .again! It drives Jay nutty when I get in this mode, but it needs to be done. Most of my supplies are in the closet and I tend forget what I have so don't use it. One day I'll get it just right!

2. Loving the running and weights workouts. Almost five months and counting. My runs finally feels somewhat enjoyable. I am slowly working my way up to 10k mileage, then hopefully 10 miles. Jay hopes to run the Army 10-mile Run next fall in Washington, D.C., perhaps I will join him too!

3. Getting ready for another try at IVF though from a different angle. And we're starting to research adoption. If you can spare a prayer for us I would appreciate it.

4. I haven't scrapped in months and terribly miss the creative process however slow mine is. I have moments when an idea comes to me, but no time create or no pictures.

5. Not looking forward to cleaning our rental condo. I am hoping that because our tenant was a family with a toddler that they kept the condo exceptionally clean.

6. Excited about the Fall TV season which starts in earnest this week. As you already know I'm lovin' Glee, but there are several new shows premiering that I'm looking forward to: NCIS: Los Angeles; Flashforward, and The Good Wife. And of course there are the returning shows: Heroes, Smallville, Supernatural and Criminal Minds. Need to watch all my Drop Dead Diva episodes soon to make space on the DVR because I can't possibly watch all of these shows during the week!

7. Happy that today is the first day of Fall. Just wish the weather actually reflected it.

8. Still wanting, needing to re-connect with my faith. Felt such a deep connection when I was leading a student choir in college (so long ago). Have not felt that same connectedness since.

9. I've been on a reading tear since coming home from vacation the last week of August. Finished Belong to Me, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Twilight of a Dark Queen. Right now I'm set to read Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. I need some fiction suggestions since my book basket currently only contains non-fiction which I'm not up to reading right now.

10. And lastly, grateful that my lupus is relatively in check, no aches or pains out of the ordinary.

Please join me in wearing an LFA purple wristband until there is an FDA-approved medication specifically for lupus. It's been 50 years since the FDA approved a medication to treat lupus -- when Dwight D. Eisenhower was President!

so much to do, so little time

Had a great, albeit short, weekend! And althought it was jam packed with errands and to-do's it was nevertheless enjoyable! Caught up with a bunch of talented and crafty ladies on Saturday; such awesome cards. Stepped in for my sister-in-law at the last moment. Created this quick and simple card to share! Also made a bowl of my new favorite appetizer to make and share: Tuscan Bean Dip with pita chips (see an August blog post for a picture). So easy, so yummy!

After my not-so-early Sunday morning run (woohoo, I finally got to 5 miles!), I had a spa appointment here with my favorit anestitist, Julie. Then I did some scrap shopping at Michael's (got a couple punches) and Scrapbook U. I've been contemplating getting a new trimmer and spent a considerable amount of time at both stores checking various brands. Liked the Purple Cow trimmer; but the price tag, not so much. The lifetime warranty is definitely a plus though. In the end I just bought the Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses Collection Pack. Yes, I'm already envisioning Christmas cards dancing in my head!

Jay and I topped off the weekend with a homemade Chipotle BBQ Chicken pizza and a bottle of Malbec. So delish! And we finished the entire bottle, again! Love that he makes the dough. Love even more being in the kitchen with him and cooking together (there's a scrapbook layout waiting to happen)!

Enjoy the first day of Fall! xoxo

bring on the heat!

The forecast for the Bay Area this weekend is heat, heat, and more heat. I say bring it on! It just gives me another excuse to hang out at the mall (and maybe get a little shopping done).

I'm going to try to make the most of it though. Planning on getting crafty tonight, making pizza with Jay sometime this weekend, and hoping to catch at least the Emmy's Red Carpet!

Have great weekend! xoxo

acafellas

Although there were a lot of great scenes in last night's Glee episode, this was by far my favorite! Loved the Acafellas! Mr. Shuester is HOT when he's singing and dancing! And love, love, love that they did it old school! This sure brings be back memories from back in the day!



Enjoy! xoxo

anniversary dinner

While I thoroughly enjoyed the "lounge-by-the-pool/beach" part of our vacation, I must admit that the true highlight (okay, besides seeing the turtle while snorkling) was our anniversary dinner at Alan Wong's Restaurant! From start to finish, it was truly a memorable meal. (Sorry, no pictures of the awesome food, too blurry!)


Had to share the good stuff though: dessert! So yummy!

remembering

today is always a difficult. the images of the towers collapsing are etched in my mind as if it were yesterday. the horror i felt that day as i watched it unfold on tv is somehow still strikingly fresh although it's been eight years since that dreadful day.

never forget.

peace

are you ready for some football?

Football season is finally here! I am so ready for some football! It's been seven long months since the Super Bowl and I'm ready for some gridiron action! I'm ready for the bone crunching hits, the crazy passes and the amazing catches. So raise you beer to 17 weeks of pure bliss!

9 things

In honor of 9.9.09, I am thankful for:

• my husband & best friend
• my extended family
• my faith & having God in my life
• a (now clean) home
• my friends
• my 2 four-legged kids
• being healthy (relatively)
• high heeled shoes
• a job to go to everyday

What are you thankful for today!
xoxo

happy labors

Laboring...that was definitely what was happening over the weekend at my house. Me on the inside, Jay in all the other parts. The house was ready for a deep cleansing; not just a cleaning. I dusted and cleaned every inch of that house for 3 days. Now it's clean and happy again. And I'm very happy.

We had a little fun too! We made dinner together after working all day. Then we watched a couple movies and just hung out with Max & Sparky on the couch in the evenings. Even happier times!

While I do wish I had had at least some time to read or scrap, this weekend was quite fulfilling in so many ways.

xoxo

fall fashion

With Fall just around the corner, I'm loving all the fall clothing from my favorite stores like Anthropolgie, Banana Republic, J. Crew and Ann Taylor. I'm just itching to do some damage!Here are some of my favorites so far.

• I {heart} this Anthropologie Gumshoe Sweater Coat
• And how pretty is this J. Crew Jersey Ruffle-Neck Dress
• Pair this J. Crew Printed antique-ruffle top with a great pair of jeans
• For work, this Ann Taylor blouse (one of many great tops) and pants
• And some bling with this beautiful necklace from Banana Republic

So ready for the long weekend! I have a long list of chores I NEED to get through (and kind of so does Jay). But we have some fun things planned: a BBQ, renting a couple movies, and play time (hopefully) all day Monday (if we get our chores done). And I promise to get picture of our vacation up soon.

Desparately need some movie recommendations!!! Please throw some good ones my way (emphasis on "good")!

xoxox

capers & anchovies & olives, oh my!

This just looked too good not to share. Doesn't this look so stinkin' incredible? It has some of my favorite ingredients: capers, anchovies, and nicoise olives. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Must try this soon!

simply stunning

I don't usually post two times in one day, but I'm a big fan of Cocoa Daisy kits. September's kit, which is pictured above, was put together by the fabulous Ali Edwards and goes on sale Thursday (yes, tomorrow), September 3. I can't wait to get my hands on these lovelies!

birthday burger

I couldn't let a birthday pass without enjoying my free birthday burger from Red Robin. I ordered my usual: Whiskey River BBQ Burger (calories? what calories?). So good! I {heart} this burger!

hello september

ahhh, you have arrived just in the nick of time. while I know that we probably have another month or so of warm weather it comforts me to know that fall is right around the corner. i can already see small signs: darker when I wake up and the sun is setting earlier everyday. i am counting down the days until that first crisp feeling in the air signalling that fall has triumphantly arrived. for some reason the picture above captures what the end of summer feels like for me.