Loving the Chevron!

In case you've been living under a rock, chevron's are a huge trend right now.  I think they're great, very modern, clean, simple.  So, when I got sick of having an ugly breaker box stare at me for the last 4 months, I decided that a piece of cool art would do just the trick, and I was dying to have some chevron pattern somewhere in the apartment.

Confessions of a New Runner

Tips, Advice and What I've Learned


I've been running off and on for years.  Over the past few months, it's become a more serious hobby including training and completing a 5K.  Running more than a mile or two, though, takes more work than one might think.  Here are some tips that I have learned since beginning my new journey.

Twenty-Seven Minutes and Nineteen Seconds

Last week, I ran my first 5K.  In 27 minutes and 19 seconds.  That's what eight weeks of training all came down to.  It's my personal best time running 5 kilometers, or 3.1 miles.  That's a 9 minute mile average.  I'm pretty proud of myself.

Proof that I ran eight minutes faster than my previous time!

Délicieux, Oui? Oui!!

Bonjour, mon amis!

Anyone like to join me for Saturday brunch?  Today's special: French Toast!  Now, when I went to Paris on a summer study abroad trip, I never saw French toast served anywhere, so I have no clue why it's called "French" toast, but I love it anyway.  We have a local mom and pop cafe in town that serves DELICIOUS breakfast.  They have THE BEST French toast that I have ever tasted!  We can't go too often, because I don't even want to think about the amount of calories in every rich, fluffy, decadent bite.  However, I love our lazy days off when the hubs and I sleep in, stay in our cozy pajamas, and eventually shuffle to the kitchen to make breakfast, or more accurately, brunch.  So, I have developed a French toast recipe of my own.  It's not particularly healthy either, but it's tasty and we don't have to leave the house to get it.  Or put on pants for that matter.
 

How Amazing is It...

...That I am up at 1:00 am?

Not very.

I worked pretty much all day, came home and relaxed while the hubs made dinner.  We watched some of the Democratic Convention, I practiced guitar, showered and am now snuggled up in bed with buzzing thoughts on my mind and a glowing computer screen in my lap.

Life's Little Adventures

Well, it's been a while. 

I've had a lot going on in the past couple of weeks. As you may know, I've been training for a 5K. Sadly, I hurt my ankle while running on the treadmill 2 weeks ago. It was slightly swollen and sore on the inner side. I tried running on it last week, but it was torture to go even one mile. So, after two weeks, several ice packs, heating pads and Epsom salt soaks, I'm going to try again. I hope I haven't lost too much stamina. The race is in less than 3 weeks.

I did the Susan G. Komen 1 mile memorial walk twice before with my Theta sisters.

If anyone would like to make a donation toward my fundraising goal, I (and women everywhere being screened or treated for breast cancer) would be SO appreciative! Click here to support my efforts and help make a difference! 

I also started my glamorous, high-paying new job! Yes, I am in fact, a cafe seller/barista at my local neighborhood Barnes and Noble. Fun Stuff. It's not exactly what I was hoping for, but I knew being in a small city with a degree in acting wasn't going to make a lot of money. I keep reminding myself that I have to work to live not live to work. Therefore, in my spare time, I am learning guitar, training for the aforementioned 5K, and writing a couple of plays. 

All Hail the Birthday Princess

I have 4 nephews and 2 nieces, all of whom I adore!  I haven't gotten to see Ryder or Maddex (my oldest sister Holly's boys) in a couple of years because they moved to Colorado, but they are adorable!  I used to see Micah (my brother Josh's son and the oldest nephew) and Colton (my sister Jen's son) fairly often, as they lived in Texas when I did.  I can't believe how big they are both getting!  Jen had her daughter, Riley, only about 4 months before I got married and moved away, so I've only gotten to see her a handful of times, but she is such a sweetie and looks like her mama.

We CAN Do It!

An Experiment with Canning Fresh Produce

Robert and I were lucky enough to house sit for the Fosters again last week.  We did the standard water the plants, feed the dogs, get the mail and keep the place tidy.  It’s a nice break from the “micro urban” surroundings of Champaign, and we get to relax in the country.  I got some writing done, had quiet runs down the country roads, and as payment for our “work,” they let us take home about 3 pounds of banana peppers, 5 pounds of huge tomatoes, about 3 gallon size bags of blackberries, and 2 bell peppers. 

It’s wonderful having fresh from the garden produce.  Robert’s mom has a large garden she harvests for months, and growing up, my mother and grandmother both gardened a great deal, so we both are used to the privilege of growing and eating our own fruits and veggies.  Weeding the garden, no problem.  Picking the produce, no problem.  Processing the produce… new experience.  We decided we wanted to can some of the tomatoes, pickle some of the banana peppers, process the blackberries and make salsa.  Lots to do.  Lots to learn.

My Bucket List

So Much to Do, So Little Time

I have a lot of respect for accomplished people; people who have set goals and achieved them.  Examples? People who can speak multiple languages, are experts at certain hobbies, have mastered musical instruments, have several degrees or have accomplished feats of physical strength and endurance.  Yes, Olympic athletes come to mind.  My talented husband also comes to mind.  He is very musically talented (piano, guitar, trombone in high school, a little bass, drums and is teaching himself banjo), and  he is getting his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering.  Smarty pants.  We both speak some Spanish, but we’re getting rusty.  I have accomplished cousins, uncles, friends and acquaintances. 

The Windy City

A few weeks ago I felt like a city mouse in the country.  This past weekend, I felt just the opposite.  Robert and I had our first REAL trip to the wonderful city of Chicago.  The first couple of times we had been there were just trips to and from O’Hare airport, so it didn’t really count since all we really saw of the city was the skyline, my friends’ apartment and inside the airport.  This time, however, we had a great opportunity to really get to know the city.  And we loved it.

We decided it would be good for me to drive there, since Robert had driven there twice before, and I never had.  It wasn’t really any different from driving in say, Houston or Dallas, except that I had no clue where I was most of the time.  We took the long way to our friends’ apartment so that we could see more of the city.  It was a gorgeous day: sunny, 75 degrees and breezy.  We saw the magnificent architecture, shopping centers, the river walk, the lovely aqua blue water and beaches of Lake Michigan and the colorful mix of people from all over the world walking the streets.  Our first impression of the city was a good one.