Amazing Saturday

Though it's only 2 pm, today has been a wonderfully perfect day.  Joshua and I got up early, as he needed to head to work at AMS and I wanted to get up and enjoy some time with him before he left.  I also had mentioned that I would make my delicious blueberry muffins for the guys at the shop.  Well, I was lacking a few ingredients so I headed up to the grocery story, and let me tell you, I will be shopping early Saturday mornings from now on because the place was empty...unlike last week's Sunday afternoon experience of jam-packed aisles.


So after whipping up a double batch of muffins and taking them down to the guys I decided to go for a run.  I've been very diligent about working out, but I haven't been running and I want to get going again.  One quick side note, I have to thank my co-worker, Shannon, for being a wonderful workout pal...we've now worked out every week day for the past 2 weeks!  So I headed out on my run.

View from the corner, where I start my runs

My goal was to run for 30 minutes and I almost made it.  I ended up cutting my run short by 5 minutes because the loop I took brought me back to my house faster than I thought and the slight hill I had to run at the end about killed me.  I was, however, pretty proud that I ran 2.89 miles in 25 minutes...that's not to far off from 3 miles OR 30 minutes!  The thing I love most about running the the peacefulness of it.  Yes, I get tired and am ready to quit most of the time...but I love putting my music on and hitting the pavement.  Everything else going on just melts away and I am at total peace.


After my run I went out in the backyard to soak up some sun and read some more of Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist by Michael J. Fox.  I have been reading this book for quite a while..but just haven't quite finished it.  This isn't because it's a bad or a hard read...but simply because I have other stuff going on. While outside, I discovered that our rose bush has bloomed!  Joshua and I didn't even know there was a rose bush in our yard until this sprint and now there are several beautiful deep pink flowers.

The long vine.  We had to wrap it behind our fence post
because it was obstructing the use of our sidewalk.

Close up of the beauties.

A single shot, SO pretty!

I'm tempted to cut a few off and bring them inside to add some beauty to our house...but they're just so pretty all clustered together.


Now I'm off to enjoy the rest of my afternoon!  Have a wonderful weekend.

A Green Pug

My friend Ashley sent me this video today...in honor of Earth Day.  This pug knows all about being green...and is very well trained.  Enjoy a bit of Earth Day fun!

Fort Worth trip

I never got to post about our trip to Fort Worth while my family was in town.  We went over early to go to the Art Festival downtown on Main Street, which had some really cool stuff.  Joshua founda guy who made all sorts of little people out of spark plugs.  He had figures for pretty much every profession and hobby...and of course Joshua loved that he had motorcycle riders.  Here's an example of Dick Cooley's work with his website below.

www.sparkplugguy.com

There were some AMAZING wind veins on display.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the artist but here is an example of the extremely intricate sculptures.

They had tons of moving parts and were just really fun to watch.  this is one of the largest ones on display but there were all just as intricate.

I also found an artist I absolutely love.  Dolan Geiman produces mixed media works and describes his work as "contemporary art with a southern accent."  I love the antique quality and the diluted colors that are used.  You can find examples of his works online:  Dolan Geiman.  Here are few that I absolutely love.

Queen's Garden Collection (Zinnia

Made in the Shade Guitar (Medium) Collection

After the art show we headed to down to the Stockyards to see the cattle drive that they do TWICE daily.  I was actually really excited because I thought it would be really cool to see the longhorns...but honestly, I was a little disappointed.  I was expecting at least 100 steer, but really..there were only about 20.  We did get some fun pictures though!

Stopped and got a beer at the Bull Ring.  Interesting fact, you can carry an open container within the Stockyards!

Railroad Crossing.  This was right where we sat for the cattle drive.

Dad and Mom waiting for the cattle drive.

Me and Joshua on Exchange Street

The cowboys and the cattle.

It was quite a fun day in For Worth!  Great way to spend the day with family...and the weather was absolutely perfect.

We Are the World Remake

I know I know..I'm a little behind the times.  When the "We Are the World" remake was done in February in a tribute to Michael Jackson, and also to help raise funds for Haiti I remember thinking to myself, "Awesome, I should definitely download that song."  Then, I never did anything about it.  So tonight I was on itunes and remembered to check it out.  I first went to YouTube and watched the video:


I may just be emotional..but it was quite the moving video.  I immediately went back to itunes and downloaded the song.  In addition to being a great song, the proceeds go to Haiti, a country still in great need of help.

Earth Day 2010

So I subscribe to an email newsletter through Whole Living, which I once received via mail...but then decided I should save the cash. Anyways, there are some interesting articles here and there and this week was one entitled "10 Ways to Make Earth Day Mean Something." Just another quick fyi, Whole Living is put out by the Martha Stewart brand..which I love. So there are 10 fantastic ideas to help love on the Earth and live a more sustainable life. I think it's important for everyone to do their part to keep this Earth a nurturing, productive, beautiful place and Earth Day is just the day to embrace those ideas.

Among the 10 things were:

Join a community garden.
A really awesome idea about gardening together. Growing fruits and veggies while getting to know your neighbors, and creating a beautiful, useful space! You can find your local community garden through the American Community Gardening Association.

Plant a tree.

Thanks Olivia for the picture!

This is probably the most traditional Earth Day activity. BUT, did you know that a properly placed tree can reduce your cooling costs in the summer and improve the overall health, aesthetic, and value of your home?

Sit down to a family dinner.

In addition to good ole' fashioned conversation, make your meal of organic, local, and seasonal produce. With nice weather spring and summer weather, take your meal outside and enjoy your food and some fresh air.

Do something outside.

Again..thanks to my awesome sister for the picture

Eat a meal outside, go on a walk..a hike..a run, sit and read a book. Just get outside and enjoy God's creation. It will make you appreciate it more..and feed that desire to care for it more.

Start your own backyard garden.
This is something I've been aching to do...but feel limited by my lack of permanence. We rent..and I want to be able to take the fruits of my labor with me..not just the fruits of the plants! I know I know, the answer to that are pots...I now have no excuses.


So pick something fun this Earth Day and give back to nature!

Some good reads

Yesterday, while being somewhat of a lazy bum around the house, I read a couple articles in Marie Claire.  Yes, magazine articles.  Marie Claire actually has some really good articles that are worth the read.  The first was entitled "My Life in a Harem" and was a Q&A with author Jillian Lauren (now wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner).  Her book her her true-story of becoming one of the Prince of Brunei's 40 girlfriends.  The book is entitled Some girls: My Life in A Harem and I have marked it on my "to-read" list.  The article discusses her sense of adventure and her life while living in the harem.  She received very lavish gifts, shopping sprees where thousands upon thousands of dollars were spent.  Though I disagree with Lauren's opinion on legalizing prostitution, I think the book will be an interesting read because it will open my eyes to a different culture and experience.

GoodReads gives the following description:
A jaw-dropping story of how a girl from the suburbs ends up in a prince's hare, and emerges from the secret Xanadu both richer and wiser 

At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The "casting director" told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay pretty American girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Soon, Jillian was on a plane to Borneo, where she would spend the next eighteen months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of the Sultan of Brunei, leaving behind her gritty East Village apartment for a palace with rugs laced with gold and trading her band of artist friends for a coterie of backstabbing beauties. 

More than just a sexy read set in an exotic land, Some Girls is also the story of how a rebellious teen found herself-and the courage to meet her birth mother and eventually adopt a baby boy.


The other article that I really enjoyed was about Tala Raassi, a rising young designer who was raised in Iran.  On her 16th birthday party, she was taken to jail and given 40 lashings for wearing a mini-skirt in the privacy of a friends home and in the company of the opposite sex.  The story is very moving and really brings to light the issues and oppression women face in Iran today.  Raassi moved to the United States after the lashings and stayed with some family while getting back on her feet.  She chose a career in fashion design to celebrate femininity and freedom of choice.  Just a really inspiring story!  You can see her line on the web: Dar be Dar, which literally means "door to door" in Persian, but is also slang for "all over the place".  You can read the article about Raassi on the Marie Claire website.

Last day of the visit

Yesterday was the last day my family was in town and we had a wonderful day!  We started out with breakfast at Bread Winners Cafe and it was absolutely delicious..as always!  Everyone got something a little different and it all looked absolutely fantastic.  I love their Cafe Mocha, it is so tasty and comes in a beautiful clear glass mug.

Then we headed down to the Dallas Farmers Market...which I will have to start patronizing on a more regular basis!  We bought a bunch of fruit and veggies for dinner/dessert at a really reasonable price!  I mean..we got like 4 or 5 yellow squash for $3!  I think that's a pretty good deal.  We also got some fresh greens for salad that was amazing!  Joshua and I will have salad remaining for at least a week..and we'll have to eat salad for every meal. 








After the Farmers Market we went to the Dallas Museum of Art.  I had wanted to go all week, so I was really glad that we were able to go on Friday!  They have a really cool exhibit up right now that relates 19th century photography and painting of the Normandy coast.  

It was really neat to see the images along side each other and learn about the history and impact the two mediums had on one another.  I took an AWESOME class about 18th and 19th century photography while at the University of Georgia and it included a couple of images that were on display.  It was really fun to be able to explain/discuss those with my family. We spent about 2-3 hours at the museum..I mean, it is 4 stories of art!  After the Museum we all needed a little pick me up so we headed over to Yumilicious (used to be Yogilicious), which is one of THE BEST frozen yogurt place in Dallas.  

No offense to all the others, of course, but it was one of the first during the fro-yo, do it yourself waive..so I'm still partial.  I always tend towards the fruit flavors.  they have FRESH raspberries, kiwi, and strawberries which are soo delicious mixed in with the plain yogurt flavor and a splash of Fruity Pebbles for a little bit of crunch!


Ok..so last night mom and I cooked a scrumptious dinner.  We used the fresh veggies from the farmers market and roasted them with olive oil and italian seasoning in the oven.  Dad grilled some marinated chicken from Central Market and they turned out SO tender.  It was awesome!  We also had a great salad, some fresh sliced tomatoes, and bow0tie pasta tossed with pesto.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.


Now the family is gone..and I am left to do a little cleaning (not much though) and catch up on the laundry.  Cheers to a fun, relaxing week with my parents and sister!

Family Visit

My mom, dad, and sister are in town for the week and we've had so much fun so far.  Tuesday was spent at the Arboretum wandering the BEAUTIFUL grounds.  Their tulips are in full bloom right now..and the flowers themselves were about the length of my hand!!

One of the many tulip beds

Yesterday was spent shopping at North Park...literally all day.  We had a lot of fun and found some really good steals...One skirt at the Gap was only $7 and the other was $10!!  What a find.

Today we are headed to Fort Worth for the Art Festival and to explore in general.  We'll probably head to the stockyards after we are done with the art festival.  It's a little chilly this morning, so I'm hoping it will warm up on our drive over.  Maybe we'll get to experience the cattle drive down exchange street!  yeehaw!

Ok..that's all for now.  I'll post more about the trip tomorrow.

Easter

I am so thankful...and so blessed...to have an amazing God who loves me, and the rest of humanity enough to give his son as a sacrifice to save me from my sins.  Easter is a celebration of that love and a celebration of Jesus' resurrection.  I am so thankful to have been saved from my sins and have the gift of eternal life in heaven with the Lord.

Joshua and I attended LLUMC this morning for the Easter service.  The service was great and really celebrated Christ and his resurrection.  After church Joshua and I came home and I cooked up a wonderful Easter lunch.  We had some traditional staples: bbq baked beans, deviled eggs, and sweet potato casserole.  Instead of ham, we had steak..which Joshua grilled for us.  A picture of our delicious feast is below:

I even pulled out the china to eat on.  First time with the china at the new place.  We were out of town for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year...so haven't gotten to use the beautiful dishes.  Good occasion to use them though!

Mom, Dad, and Olivia are headed in town tomorrow, so this weekend was spent cleaning and preparing for them to get here.  Last weekend I bought a new welcome mat because we still had our Christmas mat at the front door.  This weekend I bought a couple packs of flowers and got some pots replanted and placed on the front porch.

There are two of these pots on the front porch.  I love them!

I'm so excited about the week to come.  I think my parents..and Olivia..are really going to love Dallas and we're going to have a blast!