Vida

happy valentine's day

2012-02-14T10:37:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope you have something special planned with someone you love. I like Valentine's Day. For no special reason, but I think it is nice to show your love (and I think gratitude comes naturally during Valentine's Day too) for people you care about. It's sweet.
Something you don't often hear from a single gal. (However, for those single gals out there who aren't so keen on Valentine's Day... give this a gander.)

I have a few different love themed things to share...

#1 This is a beautiful photography series by Lauren Fleishman Love Ever After. Literally, just beautiful in so many ways. Check it out!

Little by little we age but we don't change in our hearts. Love gets stronger. That is the way I feel. I believe he feels the same way. Yes, he was my first love. My first love and my last.

—Leila Ramos, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

#2 I got some Dove chocolates from a volunteer at work. I love Dove chocolates almost solely because of their sayings inside. Here are the ones I got:
Discover how much your heart can hold.
Remember your first crush.
Get swept away by love.
Go where your heart takes you.

#3 Here are a couple songs for you to enjoy

#4 What did I do for Valentine's Day.
I made cards.
I made a cup of green tea, pulled out my craft bag, turned on pandora love station (yes, as I found out, it exists ;) ), and got to work

I love cards. I think they are the most important part of any gift. I'm not exaggerating at all. I helped my cubemate come up with his Valentine's Day gift and I even told him the card is the most important part. Maybe it's just me. But that's what I think.

Usually I get made fun of for my homemade cards, but I don't care.

I didn't make these, but they are beyond cute and an awesome idea...

(via)

#5 I really hope you saw google's Valentine's Day thing. It was adorable!

week over

2012-02-10T20:30:00.000-06:00

Thank the Lord.

This week has been blah in a world where blah means awful.
Which partly explains my absence from this space. The #1 reason being no internet.

With that said, I still had some lovely moments and times too. It was just stressful and annoying. I even went in to work late this morning so I could take my favorite yoga class. I needed it. I needed Toni to get me back on track.

Comedy Thursday was helpful =) (Kyle & I had fun recapping it today.)

And Ellen's been awesome!

video platform video management video solutions video player

I honestly could not agree with Ellen more on this. We need to work on being in the moment more.
Have you ever gone out with a friend and they are distracted by their phone the entire time? It is one of my biggest pet peeves, although I'm not sure the best way to say, "Could you please put your phone in your bag so we can have a real conversation? The text message or phone call can wait (unless it's a special circumstance)." I said please. I know that wouldn't go over very well.
I talk about this with my cube mates a lot and this week I had another conversation with Rubina as we drove to a school and we were talking about a news story that said you shouldn't be distracted by your phone on a first date. DUH! I love what she said. You shouldn't be distracted by your phone on any date or it's not going to work.
And I couldn't agree more.

(via)

this video cut off the part where she says "I also stand for dance."

LET'S LIVE IN THE MOMENT, be good people, & DANCE

beautiful glasses

2012-02-06T14:37:00.000-06:00

Last week I had an excellent no spending any money week. Yea me! That lasted until Sunday when I bought some beer for the Super Bowl party I went to. (Binny's make your own 6-packs are wonderful.)

Today was errand day though so I knew I'd have to spend some money.

I had some pants I needed hemmed so I made my way to my favorite (aka cheapest) hemming place. They really are significantly cheaper than any other place I've been in Chicago.

I saw some adorable glasses in the window of a thrift store I hadn't been to before: Land of the Lost.

aren't they sweet? =)
Noticing the trend of sunflowers... they're my favorite
4 for $15

they fit nicely with my collection ;)
the other one's were my grandma's

a big improvement from the FEST cups from 2006

little bit of chivalry

2012-02-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

I had a couple things I wanted to share that I'm thankful for this week.
I'm going to go with one.

Last night I went to yoga on my way home from work. I waited for the elevator and the nice man paused so I went in first. (I wish I knew where the stairs are. It's only on the 5th floor.) That was nice of the man.
Then another man got in as the doors were closing.
When we got to the first floor I was standing in the back, but they both paused, looked at me, one even motioned for me to go first.

This is the best example I could find (via)

It was nice and I'm thankful there are still people like that in the world.

Maybe they were in their 40s, which they were. I don't care. It was nice.

I'm an independent person and this doesn't change that at all. I'm just grateful for nice little gestures like that in the world.

yoga & running combined

2012-02-03T10:21:00.001-06:00

I've mentioned before my feeling that yoga makes me a better person. It does. I think yoga helps me personally feel better about myself and more understanding about life.

Running. Running makes me a better person too. The difference I think is running makes me a better person for other people that I interact with everyday. My best thoughts about what I can do for others and some great, creative brainstorming sessions happen while I run. As well as making lists (in my head) of things I've meant to tell people (nice or informative things) or do.
I read a different blog that seemed to be a great explanation of how I feel while running. When I read it I wanted to yell, "YES! Exactly!" Here's a little excerpt:

"Truth be told, I do most of my deepest and best thinking while running. I have never been able to figure out why this is the case. Is it related to the endorphins? Am I so in the moment that my mind and spirit simply open up? I don’t know the answer, but I do know that running does magical things for people. It just makes us better. Not only in the physical sense, but in our hearts and minds too.
Running is expansive – it opens you wider than you thought you could go. It gives you courage and confidence to tackle other parts of your life that might otherwise feel unmanageable or impossible.
When I started running three years ago, it was to do a marathon. Plain and simple. To me it was only a physical endeavor, an athletic goal. Before that time, I thought running sucked. It was hard and I hated it because I’d sprint down the block and almost throw up. I had no clue you could pace yourself. I also had no idea what would happen to my psyche once I settled into my runs and listened to my body.
For those who don’t run, I’m not sure they get it. There are a lot of people out there who not only kind of don’t like to run, but they actually HATE it. But for those of us who can’t get enough, it seems it is as much mental and spiritual as it is physical. Running is healing."

(via)
Oh, and I'm registered for my 4th marathon. October 7th. Chicago. Bam! Registration is already at 30,000 so if you're interested... don't delay!

Biking just sort-of relaxes me.
I often give myself pep talks on my way into work (when I'm not on the phone with Karen).
And on the way home I try to forget about the day and relax a bit.
I'm very happy this winter has been quite mild so I have been able to ride almost the whole time. I do try to give my knees a bit of a break in the winter and focus on speed (on the treadmill), lift weights (in classes only - I hate it - I have to be forced), and spin classes with my favorite instructor. Basically just giving my knees a break from pounding the pavement all the other seasons of the year.
Although sometimes I slide in runs because I need it. Yes, need.

wall decals

2012-02-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

i got an idea about putting up some temporary wall decals (possibly from the Nate Berkus show...) So going along with my new decorating, I got some!

i decided i wanted a wall decal, but wasn't sure what of. so i thought... 'if i could paint something huge on my wall. what would it be?' a huge sunflower. bam. i looked for sunflowers.

they got here and perked my apartment up =)

Then I found this post. We'll see how the decals work out and next maybe I'll get some tile tattoos.

Chicagoans

2012-02-01T12:30:00.000-06:00

Oh, Chicagoans...

One of my favorite parts in Time Out magazine is the 'Heard on the Street' section.
Here are a couple of my favorites from a recent magazine:

one of these I can literally hear Karen saying to me
in my head

This video is pretty awesome. It's obviously from a northsider's perspective. (It was taped mere blocks from my place.) It's funny anyway.
I watched it with a cube mate and we had to remind ourselves to laugh quietly so we didn't miss the next funny thing we say. Correction: I had to remind myself to laugh quietly so we didn't miss the next funny thing we say.

COLOR

2012-01-31T22:36:00.001-06:00

When i opened up my email and saw this...

(via)

I could not have been happier!
I LOVE color!

My favorite recent find are these Red Keds (no, they're not really Keds, and I am aware that's just a brand name, but everyone knows what I mean when I say that). $6.50 at Forever21. They have lots of colors and different styles (with laces, without laces, etc.). Mine are a bit big (no half sizes), but for $6.50, I'll deal with it.

cube mates

2012-01-29T16:38:00.000-06:00

I have some pretty awesome cube mates
- "pretty"
= I have some AWESOME cube mates.

Luckily none of them are like this. =)

But really...
I think some changes are coming to my treasured cube.
I am thankful for my cube mates.

They make truly awful days bearable.
They make me laugh at least once everyday.
They go along with my crazy ideas or find a calm way to talk me out of them.
We help each other, without expecting anything in return.
They make me feel anything's possible.
They help me come up with silly things to make the day more interesting.
They are good sports when we play little pranks on each other. They're willing to laugh it off with me.
They brainstorm with me beyond expectations.

And they listen to all my stories, which can sometimes be quite long with lots of tangents (and they actually look interested). So they are either some pretty awesome actors or they're just THAT awesome! And they even allow me to interrupt their work to tell them my silly stories that randomly pop in my head. Don't worry. I try to control the number of times I interrupt them a day, but even with that control, it's still a lot.

Oh, and they take the dome out with me, which alone is enough of a reason to like them. (And they don't insult my driving.)

yeah, these are the only pictures I have of them together. (decorating for christmas)

We got Magnolia's cupcakes for taking a survey

we were in the recap of the holiday party.
rubina & i drinking
kyle mcing the trivia
=)

greenest restaurant

2012-01-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

Check it out!

Chicago has the greenest restaurant in the US.

(and it's delicious)

The Nation's First Certified Organic Roof Top Farm
(via)

(via)

library all at once

2012-01-26T19:31:00.000-06:00

I am a big fan of placing holds on books I want to read through the library's website. It's quick and easy. I request it online. They send me an email saying a book or movie is waiting for me. I walk in the door over to the hold shelf, find my name, wait in line, walk out.

See... easy.

Right now it seems all my books are coming in at the same time. Which means I have a lot to read and fast.

But I haven't updated my books on here in awhile so here you are...

the immortal life of henrietta lacks - rebecca skloot

this book has all kinds of issues brought up: race, medical ethics, consent, abuse, etc. it's a historical fiction book focusing on the cancerous cells that kept on living from henrietta lacks, but many other issues are touched on too. this would be a great book club read, lots of discussion points.

is it just me? or is it nuts out there? - whoopi goldberg

check 3 on the female comedian books (2 to go)

basically it's a book on manners for adults. not exactly funny. but an easy, fast read. i agreed with whoopi on most things so i didn't feel like she was yelling at me, but if i didn't i could see how you wouldn't like being told you're doing everything wrong and your manners suck.

1984 - george orwell

this man is seriously a genius. the book was written in 1948. i have to stop and wonder how we came up with it. it was interesting reading this book, while at the same time reading Time magazine's person of the year article: The Protestor.

it's definitely a very powerful warning against the dangers of a totalitarian society and quite scary in fact. whew, the mechanisms of control... and manipulation.

i would like to ask all those politicians running right now if they've read 1984. if yes, what did you think? I think that would tell us a lot about them.

is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns) - mindy kaling
check 2 on the female comedian books (1 to go)

whew... after finishing such a depressing book (1984) i jumped right into this one. i'm glad i broke up the seriousness with some fun.

this book was awesome. it was so funny, a great twist on an autobiography. my favorite chapter: Best Friend Rights & Responsibilities

the girl who would speak for the dead - paul elwork

apparently this book is a bit of historical fiction, inspired by the Fox sisters in the mid-nineteenth century. since i've never heard of them the historical part didn't mean much to me, but it could to you...

you can question how you feel about all kinds of issues in this book: spirituality, love, honesty. it's thrown in there. there was never a real build-up and event, but it was a quick, rather interesting read.

The White Woman on the Green Bicycle - Monique Roffey

this book is full of topics! from how much of yourself to give up for the other person in a relationship, children, affairs (emotional vs. physical), racism, hope for change, trying to blend in. kind-of one of those heartbreakingly beautiful books, full of questions.

even in winter

2012-01-25T18:58:00.001-06:00

the lake can be pretty

25 Here I am!

2012-01-25T18:27:00.002-06:00

My actual birthday (Thursday) just was... I guess.

My cubemates were wonderful. I asked them not to plan anything or make a big deal out of my bday and that's exactly what they did! Thank you. =)
I got to work after a pretty annoying commute... ugh that bus driver. Anyway I got there to find two very sweet and hilarious cards and some delicious yogurt covered pretzels.

That night was the 21+ event at work (meaning I had to work late and it was a very busy day). Oh, well. The theme was Chinese New Year (p.s. I made-up that cocktail. Yea me!) so I got to see a pretty awesome dragon dance.
It was a crazier than usual event (involved a bit of running... literally).

Saturday I took the day off for a "me day."
It was a bit of a bust, but at least I wasn't at work.
Saturday night I went to a dive bar with a few of my friends. I took my camera with the intention to get some awesome photos. I basically failed and took less than 5. Oh well. Here they are:

andrew didn't smile in take 1
so...

take 2

AND NOW I'M 25!
I'm quite excited to see what 25 has in store for me.

prayers

2012-01-22T13:16:00.003-06:00

I'm very thankful for everything involved with my birthday (I'll do a post on that later). But sometimes something happens that puts life into perspective and it makes you thankful for a lot.

i've mentioned jess on here several times before. She's been my best friend since 6th grade (we both have an array of embarrassing stories about each other). Of my friends she knows me the best (besides Karen). We've been through a lot together.

some school lock-in in middle school

trick-or-treat for canned goods junior year
i won scariest costume. yes, really.
it may have been from sympathy.
that's flour on my face. it rained. think about it. it becomes like plaster.
on my face.

senior year

graduation

after high school, I headed to Chicago and she stayed in Missouri for college. We stuck together through it all.

She was always willing to let me take pictures... =)
(thanks jess)

She married Jarrit in August 2009.

Since then they've been building their lives together. Including building a beautiful home.

They broke ground over a year ago & they worked so hard finishing it, doing as much as they could themselves. Which was A LOT! Jarrit is very handy.

Jess came to Greta's baby shower after a morning spraying the insulation in their home.

Every time I talked to her, at some point in the conversation, I always asked, "How's the house coming?" or "What are the house updates?"

I spoke with her Monday, January 16th & we excitedly discussed the finishing touches, the last thing was supposed to happen this week. (They lived in the house while they worked on it.) We were SO excited for their home.

Thursday, January 19th she called & left me a voicemail for my birthday. I didn't listen to the message until Friday. (I'm bad with voicemail.) I immediately felt something was off in her voice.

We know each other a bit too well for our own good. When I'm really upset about something I can't seem to shake and I'm not ready to admit it yet, I typically try to avoid her calls because I know she'll see right through it.

Karen said she thought something happened, but didn't really understand what. Then Dad called me (news travels fast in a small town, especially bad news) that Jess & Jarrit's house had a fire.

He mentioned someone set-up an account at US Bank in Ste. Genevieve, but I still didn't really know what happened.

So I kept calling her.

Maybe it was a bit annoying and pushy, but I love her and I was worried. So I kept calling.

When we did talk and I asked what I can do she of course said everyone is being extremely generous and helping them get clothes, soap, etc. They didn't just have a house fire. Their house burnt to the ground.

She asked me to pray for them.

I will pray for them of course, but I want to do something more.

I really want to sit with her for hours give her lots of hugs and just talk and talk. That's hard to do when you're hundreds of miles away.

This is when I contacted Dad about this fund set-up to get the details. And I'm going to get together the best gift package I've ever thought up. (At least I hope so.)

I asked Mom what the most helpful thing someone did for her after our house fire (I was in 7th grade... it's all a blur at this point).

*She said my Aunt Marcia & Grandma did our laundry, since we were at a hotel for awhile. (I remember living in that hotel for weeks-Jeff, Karen, & I shared a room-Jeff turned on Walker Texas Ranger and the first scene was an arsonist setting fire to people's houses. I started crying immediately. Let's just say Jeff didn't watch that episode of Walker Texas Ranger.)

*She said someone finding us a house we could rent so we could have a place that was ours in the process.

*Routine. She looked for routine so she could go on. She said everyday she would go back to our half burnt down house (full of smoke damage) and open and close the curtains because that was her routine.

So that'll put things into perspective.

I ask you to pray for them as well as they figure out what their next steps are going to be.

winter biking culture

2012-01-18T20:02:00.001-06:00

I'm officially in the winter biking culture!
Here's what I learned:

*Lots and lots of layers
* Allow time to put on lots of layers.
*And time to take them off again.
*Bikers acknowledge each other now... not in the summer. Make eye contact (that's the only part of your body that's exposed) and nod slightly. No smiling, your mouth is covered too.
*Be prepared for the weird feeling of sweating in certain body parts and losing feeling in others.
*We all look funny, but that's ok. We need to stay warm.

*And pray. Oh pray, the wind isn't blowing against you.

black out

2012-01-18T18:21:00.001-06:00

If you don't already know (sorry this is so late... work gets in the way) =)...

Wikipedia is having a black out today
and
Google is showing solidarity with wikipedia

SOPA and PIPA bills are currently in Congress and they will drastically change the way we use the internet.

These sites could NOT have made it easier for you to let your representatives know how you feel about the bills. Google has a petition (click the black box) and when you enter your zip code on Wikipedia it gives you a list of your representatives and links to different ways to contact them.

Not having Wikipedia impacted me today (and it was only 24 hours). I can't imagine what it will be like without Wikipedia at all... ever.

Learn about the bills and let your voice be heard!

weekend fun

2012-01-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I'm turning 25! For real! I'm actually pretty excited =)

I'm trying to embrace my birthday this year. (Contrary to the usual trying to pretend it's not happening.)

Last weekend my family came in to celebrate and we had some good times.

*Stanleys. I don't know how I never went there before. It's awesome! And very inexpensive. Fruits + Veggies + Inexpensive = Very Happy Lisa

*Mana. Delicious!

*Karen threw me a surprise dinner with all the trimmings.

I think this is one of those posts where I'll let pictures tell the story.

Every time someone picks me up from work... pictures happen

Yum... Mana

Mom went for Ann Sather's French Toast Delight (recommended by Rachel Ray)

flowers from Karen

Mom coincidentally had brunch at Blue Owl on her way to Chicago and got the pie!!!
How many apples do you think they use in one pie?

Thanks Karen =)

surprise dinner via Karen

and my favorite part: hanging out with Karen & enjoying more of Grandma's delicious Angel Food cake. Yum! (It was ABSOLUTELY worth getting 4 hours of sleep before a dome day.)

oh politics

2012-01-16T11:03:00.000-06:00

i was never pressured into politics.

which you may find surprising considering my dad is a lawyer (and interested in politics). he obviously has his political beliefs, but he never pushed them on my siblings and I (and actually we turned out with quite different ones). besides encouraging us to vote, there was no pressure.

during the last presidential race (i know politics is more than every four years... give me a second) everybody was all riled up (as they should be, especially considering we were in college).

i was excited on voting day, but leading up to it, not so much. politics wasn't my "thing". I would listen to my friends who were into politics, and listen respectfully, but when i couldn't contribute to the conversation it quickly faded. (how much fun is it to just spill all your beliefs and get no feedback? ok, sometimes maybe it is. but not always.)

i'm becoming more and more involved in politics and i'm kind-of excited about it. i think it's probably just a natural progression for me. this time around i'm soaking up the information and able to offer little contributions (i still have a long way to go). but hey, it's a start.

here's a video that one of our discussions at work brought up and i love it. (it's short, give it a listen)

snow

2012-01-15T10:40:00.000-06:00

I came to the point that I did not enjoy snow. I guess this feeling developed from living in Chicago because I feel like I enjoyed snow growing up.
This week we got about 5 inches of snow between Thursday night and Friday morning.
I'm really trying to embrace my winter orange ideas and find some joy in the snow.

Here's what I found in the last couple days:
*Play
During lunch time Tuesday & Wednesday, my cube mates-Kyle & Rubina-and I went for walks because it was so nice outside (like 50).
Thursday as the snow was starting to accumulate during lunch we decided we should walk from the cafe to the staff entrance (a very short distance). Tuesday & Wednesday we planned this walk and brought our coats and we were prepared. Thursday it was definitely not planned. In fact, I think all three of us thought we were joking, until we did it. =)
I tried to get a snowball fight going. I threw a few at Kyle, but it never really got going.
It was still fun though and I think exactly what I needed in order to attempt to embrace the snow.

*Look up
Stop for a second while you're on a walk somewhere and look up. (I say stop first because I don't want anyone to fall.)
The trees are actually quite pretty with snow on them. Look at that beauty, rather than the sludge of the sidewalk.
But be careful.

I figure I need to embrace the snow or it's just going to bring me down... for several months.

I'm very thankful for those walks and I'm thankful for this orangeness, which will surely make my winter much more bearable.

suzy homemaker

2012-01-11T15:48:00.000-06:00

I mentioned around New Year's Day that I cleaned my apartment from top to bottom. I swear, when I do this I always feel like my apartment is huge!

I've also been cooking up a storm... not really. But I have a few cooking adventures to share with you...

I love pretzels. Like to an unhealthy amount. For Christmas Mom & Dad gave me pretzel mix that I could make.

I was curious to see how difficult/involved it would be.

It wasn't bad at all.

A couple notes:

-Hey you, yeast, I'm not afraid of you anymore! (think of our friend in Home Alone)

-Thanks for teaching me how to knead, grandma. i don't kneed often. I don't have a lot of counter space. (don't worry, i recognize this is a poor excuse.)

my beautifully kneaded dough

yum

Sunday night some girls had a tea party I went to and took some cookies. I took probably the easiest cookies you can make... cake box cookies.

You take any cake box you like add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup oil. Done. Cook at 375º for 8-10 minutes.

My favorites: funfetti cake box or devils food cake box with peanut butter chips

Monday I made a delicious soup (for my lunches this week).

It was probably the least expensive soup I've ever made (seriously under $5) and it made A LOT of soup.

It was so good, I'm going to share this recipe with you from 1000 Vegan Recipes

Mexican Fideo Soup with Pinto Beans

makes 4 servings (unless you want some HUGE servings, it makes at least 6)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

8 ounces fideo, vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch pieces (fideo is very easy to find in your grocery store's ethnic section)

1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 (15.5 ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4-ounce) can chopped hot or mild green chiles

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

6 cups vegetable broth or water

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

1. In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Remove the onion mixture with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. In the same pot, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, add the noodles, and cook until golden, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes. Be careful not to burn the noodles.

3. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, chiles, cumin, oregano, broth, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the onion mixture and simmer until the vegetables and noodles are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro, and serve.

Now I'm ready to conquer pizza (including the dough). I found an awesome recipe I'm excited to try.

swinging in the moonlight

2012-01-10T15:23:00.000-06:00

Saturday night there was a beautiful full moon. (Not sure if it was actually the full moon or if it was actually Sunday night. I like to pretend there is a full moon for several days, rather than the one official night.)

I was riding my bike home in the beautiful, warm night in my fleece and warm vest. The weather's been amazing. I mean, I can hardly believe it's January. 50º! I'm not complaining!
Although, my wise cube mate, Rubina, reminds me it's probably not all that great when you think about the plants and animals it's throwing off...
This is true, but I do still appreciate the warmth.

Anyway though...
I was on my bike ride home from work on Saturday and decided to stop and swing

full moon =)

swinging

my bike patiently waited for me while i had my fun

I loved it.
When I told Karen about it she said, "you're so random." As I told her, I don't see anything random about it. It was nice and warmish, there weren't any kids to fight for the swings with, and I like to swing.

why/when running?

2012-01-09T13:32:00.000-06:00

randomly people ask me when and why I started running.
This is actually a story I remember (mostly... some of the details are vague, you'll see).

In sixth grade I wanted a pair of running shoes. Athletic shoes. I was in middle school now and all the 7th and 8th graders had athletic shoes they wore in gym class (not quite sure why I actually wanted the shoes, but that sounds plausible).
I told my mom I needed a pair of running shoes.
She saw right past that and asked me if I would use them. Of course I will! (My one hour of gym everyday.)
She said if I proved I would use the running shoes, she would buy me a pair. Sure, Mom, of course.

(If you don't know this about me, if you tell me I can't do something or put me up to a challenge, I will most likely do it.)

This was the deal:
I had to take a piece of paper where I wrote out the agreement.
I had to run everyday after school (it may have been 4 times a week, but we'll say 5 for obvious reasons). It didn't matter how far I ran, but I had to go run.
Then I had to come home and Mom had to sign off that I did in fact go for a run.
I had to do this for 3 months (it may have been 1 month. It was definitely 1 or 3. We'll go with 3, again, for obvious reasons).

Then Mom would buy me some running shoes.

Fun fact: what shoes was I running in while proving I needed running shoes? They were bad.

the shoes Jess so fondly called my Coca-Cola shoes

despite what this ad may be trying to convince you, they are NOT athletic shoes. But we could get one pair of shoes to start the school year and these were the ones I picked so I couldn't get another pair once school started.

But guess what?
I got my shoes after completing my running (and I'm sure complaining endlessly). I think I still have that first pair of tennis shoes (although they may have been thrown out when my parents moved) they are now green from mowing the grass.

So that's when and why I started running. Granted I didn't start running long distances until I did it on my own in college. (Unless you count the 2-mile in track, which I don't.)

I'm really happy Mom made me do this. Those shoes meant something. That's why I held on to them for so long. I also appreciate that Mom & Dad didn't just hand over whatever we wanted (ok, maybe sometimes they did). I can think of several stories right now, off the top of my head where they did a similar thing as this.
(Thanks Mom & Dad!)

It's funny because back then my yearly shoe became running shoes and I probably didn't need them that often (because I didn't run that many miles). And now my running shoes are so expensive I hold off and hold off to get a new pair (even though I'm over on the number of miles you should run on the shoe).
Oh how things change....

what's with all these oms?

2012-01-08T13:09:00.000-06:00

a few weeks ago i was talking with my cube-mate, rubina, trying to learn more about her youth. (she grew up in india.)
we got on the topic of yoga. as you know i'm a pretty big fan of yoga. she mentioned she doesn't especially like how it's become so commercialized because the foundation of yoga goes against that. i can definitely see where she's coming from, but I do think it made it possible for yoga to spread and more to enjoy it's benefits.

during this conversation she told me namaste means hello, but that's not all it means. it means the divine in me recognizes and salutes the divine in you. you're supposed to have your hands together in front of you (which i would call prayer position), maintain eye contact, & bow your head politely as a sign of respect.
i generally say namaste once in every yoga class i take and I didn't know that. That's bad. I really appreciated her telling me this so I can be a bit more knowledgeable.

i made it back to my favorite class a couple weeks ago and we did the somewhat common chanting of 'om.' I was happy I now understood namaste (which we also did), but now I wanted to understand om.
I got on the internet and searched around. Whew, a lot of people have a lot to say about what they think om represents.
I decided to be smart and just talk to Rubina about it again.
She said om is the sound of the universe and chanting it in classes is attuning yourself to the universe (she didn't even need to use google... just her brain).
So all my notes I took while trying to figure this out were a waste. But I got my answers!

Rubina was very modest and said not to quote her... blah blah blah. I trust her and wanted to share, but I figure I'd say that since she sort-of told me to.

I will say if you're looking into giving yoga a try (or another try) don't let one teacher, style, or studio make up your decision. Try many different studios/teachers/styles. I tried a studio last year that I shall not name. It wasn't for me. (I'm not saying the name because maybe it is for you!) But I have a yoga instructor i LOVE, some I think are ok, and I'm still trying others. You have to find your fit.

This may sound silly or weird, but I think yoga makes me a better person. I'm sure people who practice will understand. Those who don't, feel free to think I'm crazy (we're all entitled to our own opinions), but also think about giving it a try.

I'm thankful for Rubina for sharing her knowledge and yoga for being wonderful.

coolest small town?

2012-01-07T12:54:00.001-06:00

so apparently there's a coolest small town competition by budget travel.

and...
guess which small town is in the running?
if you guessed where i grew up... you're right!

they did spell it wrong... it's ste. genevieve not st. genevieve (imagine learning how to spell that in grade school.)

i'm not going to vote, i mean to each their own...but yeah.
you have 24 days left to vote. (guess this is a long contest?)

(these are some engagement photos i took for my middle school friend a couple years ago)

Bolduc House (mentioned) is where Jess & I worked in middle/high school

The Old Brick (mentioned) is also where Jess & Jarrit had their first date and got engaged

i decided rather than using pictures off wikipedia i would just use my own...

senem's coffee & tea house

2012-01-06T11:13:00.001-06:00

i don't love groupon.
i don't hate it either.
i just don't use it all that often.

monday i spent the day with one of my friends who loves groupon. she said her and her boyfriend gave them as gifts and they pick their nights out based on their groupons. i see no problem with this at all. so while we were out, we decided it was time for lunch and she suggested we check groupon now for suggestions.
long story short, it didn't work out.
but, it did get me thinking about groupon again.
i think that's what influenced me to check out the groupon nows happening near my place.

i found a breakfast groupon to senem's coffee & tea house. it was so sweet. don't be thrown off by the entrance, it's rather ~~scary~~ interesting. as soon as you walk through the door, i promise you'll be overwhelmed by cuteness.
the lady working was so nice and took my groupon no problem.
they brew metropolis coffee and i checked out the prices (even though i just used my groupon) and it seemed reasonably priced too.
i can honestly say i wouldn't have entered this place without the groupon, but i'm definitely going back.

i love supporting local stores.
no, this won't take me away from coffee & tea exchange completely (come on, it's on my block), but this has a little area to sit and relax for awhile too.

entrance - see what i mean? (via)

inside - completely different (via)

---------------------------------------------
p.s. feliz Día de los Reyes a todos mis amigos de México
y disfrutan todos los regalos =)

sunset!

2012-01-05T18:16:00.002-06:00

i saw the sunset today!

this is very exciting news because lately when i come out of the basement (aka work) the sun is already gone and it's a bit sad.

but not today.

thank you days for getting longer

also on my ride home, i was downright comfortable in my gloves, hat, scarf, light winter coat, and tights. this is definitely abnormal. yea!

and there's this one section on the path that is a sheet of ice right now (yes, the same area i fell last week). i've been walking my bike across it all week (today was difficult with no-traction shoes... i fell while walking). tonight was the first day there was some progress (less ice). i still had to walk, but i can see the progress and it makes me very happy.

yea for the winter being orange =)

oprah's favorite things

2012-01-04T20:32:00.000-06:00

maybe i'm just not up on the buzz, but i feel oprah's favorite things passed by rather quietly this year. (maybe because she wasn't passing them out to hundreds of people... just a thought.)

but i heard about it because a restaurant near where I grew up was featured this year: The Blue Owl in Kimmswick, MO. Their levee high apple pie was on the list. specifically their carmel apple pecan pie.

yes, it's for real and not an exaggeration.

i have no idea how they make it so high, but i've eaten there a few times & had the pie a couple times. it's a cute little restaurant.

in fact, the recent demand they experienced made them hire more staff... like i said it's a tiny place.

so yea for the blue owl!

happy 2012!

2012-01-01T22:19:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2012 is here for another 365 days. (or less, if you believe the world is going to end)
i like the sound of 2012
i'm excited

do you make resolutions?
i made a few, but here's one that i'm really going to start...

Thank people too.
Maybe that sounds silly.
Yes, I thank people with words when I'm at the grocery store, etc. I say thank you a lot. But how often are people much more excited/willing to tell a story when something goes wrong or someone is mean rather than when something goes well (or according to plan).
Let's take the Christmas megabus trip for example. Yes, I reported the bus driver and got my money refunded (he really was quite mean and didn't do his job). I feel kind-of bad about it. But you know what, the bus driver I had on the greyhound was very nice (and not only because I was comparing him to the mean one). I emailed them to recognize him too. Because he deserves it.
At work the floor staff loves when they get positive comment cards.
That recognition means a lot. I feel that it's not the norm anymore.
When something doesn't go right I can be quick to ask who can I talk to about this, what's your name (so I can report you), etc. (I worked in a gift card fulfillment place answering phones. I've been on the other side.) Am I that quick to ask the same questions when I receive excellent service? No.
So there it is. That's one of my New Year's Resolutions: take the time to give recognition when it's appropriate. Not just think I should and forget or get busy and don't do it.
Give credit when credit's due.
Greyhound sent me an email thanking me for taking the time to recognize my driver and they would let his supervisor know. That was nice of them too. See, it just makes everybody feel better.

------------------------------------
I'm starting out the new year with a clean apartment!
I dug in pretty hard for day one, taking a few breaks. I even cleared off the decorations on the walls in my bedroom and I'm planning a new decoration for my living room. (And I'll have to come up with something new in my bedroom too.)
Then I wrapped up the day watching When Harry Met Sally. That movie cracks me up. And I love the old people with their stories interspersed throughout the movie.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to spend the day with a friend, but then I'm wrapping up my New Year's of cleaning and I'm excited.

good-bye 2011

2011-12-31T16:23:00.000-06:00

i was going to do a final list of green trends of 2011, but honestly it's quite depressing and i didn't want to end 2011 on a bummer note so if you'd like to read that one or any of time's other lists feel free to check them out.

i am currently working on my 2011 reflection to truly let it all go.
out with the old.
in with the new.
(don't worry, i'm journaling that. i won't bore you all with the gory details here)
i had a bit of a bummer 2011 so i'm ready for 2012. it's pretty exciting.

i hope you all have a wonderful new year's eve and you spend it doing whatever you like to do. (i feel like there's so much pressure for new year's... maybe more than any other holiday.) so the way i see it, if you're doing something you love whether that's with a special someone, a bunch of special friends, a special movie, a special treat, a special sleep...
whatever it is. if that's what you want to do. that's all people need to know.

this video seems to be very popular right now... and it's cute. So enjoy!

top 10 songs 2011

2011-12-31T10:34:00.000-06:00

remember how i said yahoo had all kinds of top 10 lists. well, i sort-of lied, compared to time. they have to have at least 100. it's insane.

you can feel free to peruse any of the lists here.

i'm going to feature a couple today and then we'll say good-bye to lists for 2011.

first up
SONGS
10- Foster the People 'Pumped Up Kicks'
9- St. Vincent 'Cruel'
8- Tyler the Creator 'Yonkers'
7- Cults 'Go Outside'
6- tUnE yArDs 'Gangsta'
5- Nicki Minaj 'Super Bass' or start this at 1:40ish or better... 3:50ish (minute markers)
4- Jay-Z and Kanye West 'Otis'
3- Mayer Hawthorne 'A Long Time'
2- Adele 'Rolling in the Deep'
1- Florence + the Machine 'No Light, No Light'

what songs did I play most this year? (or they really cheered me up when they came on)
The Temper Trap 'Sweet Disposition'
The Blow 'Hey Boy' (there's a lot of talking... start at like 4:40)
Matt & Kim (everything) especially 'Yea Yeah' and 'Cameras'
Paper Thick Walls 'Orange Tree'
Martin Solveig 'Hello'
Noah and the Whale '5 years time'
Florence + the Machine 'Dog Days Are Over'
Hot Chelle Rae 'Tonight Tonight'
Brady Bunch 'It's a Sunshine Day' (no i'm not kidding) I can pretend it's sunny, even when it's far from sunny. (riding my bike in 20° takes a strong imagination...)

and countless others
that turned out to be a ~~bit~~ lot longer than planned

just as a disclaimer i don't love the songs because of their videos. in fact, i don't like some of the videos, but i do love the songs

top 10 sports 2011

2011-12-30T12:42:00.001-06:00

maybe yesterday was a prelude

the wall street journal provided a top 10 sports list to 2011

10. Baseball Gone Wild

9. Women's World Cup

8. Pack, Back

7. College Conference Ridiculousness

6. Mavericks d. Heat Schadenfreude

5. Tebow-Mania

4. The NFL and NBA Lockouts

3. Novak's No Djoko-vic

2. Penn State

1. Game Six, World Series, Cardinals-Rangers

(in case you didn't notice... the cardinals are #1!!!)

(via wall street journal)

an AT&T man came and visited me this morning and said, "I was wondering where that area code was from (on my phone) and i quickly figured out St. Louis when I looked at your apartment."

so maybe i have a few cardinals things on my walls...

this gives me goosebumps...

my year with the cardinals....

christmas weekend recap

2011-12-29T10:21:00.000-06:00

card from one of my good girl friends in Mexico (Vero)

isn't it insane how we spend so much time preparing for christmas and then, BAM, it's gone!

my christmas "holiday" was just that. fast.

friday night i headed to st. louis and monday morning i came back to chicago.

friday karen picked me up and we headed to wild lights at the st. louis zoo. (you can find free parking without too much trouble, but there is a $5 admission)

purple tree!

helloooooo wildlights

we took some funny photos to entertain ourselves

hello mr. penguin

then we headed to the city museum. which was awesome! so much fun!

we slid around on the ground

climbed through small spaces

climbed through airplanes

peak through holes

and had lot's of FUN!

played around outside in sweatshirts because it was SO nice

went down lots of slides

hurt our knees (you should have seen karen's bruised knees the next day)

A+ for the City Museum

then we drove around to check out house decorations, which were pretty crazy. awesome.

full night. =)

saturday (christmas eve)

karen & i walked from her place to starbucks, where we were asked if we're twins ;) we did say the same exact thing at the same exact time...

we met up with mom & dad and headed to the fox to see beauty & the beast. i saw the show in chicago over the summer with a friend. but this time i could see their facial expressions! (thanks dado!)

we stopped by the arch to take some photos.

(no coats necessary!!!)

at night and on christmas we had family get togethers and fun stuff like that (i don't have any photos of that)

monday

long story short i didn't ride the megabus to chicago. (as planned)

the bus driver didn't change the sign that read "st. louis chicago", check tickets, or make any sort-of announcement.

i ended up on the greyhound with several others who were sort-of screwed over by megabus.

i'd never taken the greyhound before, but i had an exceptional bus driver. 7 hours on the bus later i finally made it to chicago.

let's just say it was a stressful day.

-----------------------------------

things haven't turned up this week, unfortunately. it's been frustrating.

among other things i had my first bike accident in quite awhile. (read: it wasn't that bad. there were no cars involved.) careful when riding on ice!

there are 2 guitar players on my floor now. i think this is a definite plus! (there was only 1 before) would it be weird if i set-up camp out in the hallway?

christmas is right around the corner

2011-12-21T21:45:00.001-06:00

with christmas right around the corner i can hardly believe it's only 4 days away. it always seems to sneak up, even when you spend a month preparing.

i'm finishing up my list of things i wanted to do for christmas. no, i didn't accomplish it all, but i came quite close. (and some things that weren't on the list)

of course we had to decorate our cube with lights
i don't know why that didn't make my list to begin with

tonight i went to zoolights with a couple friends, which was fun.

i have a couple things to share with you.

last minute greening up your holidays here.

AND tomorrow is the winter solstice! what does that mean? tomorrow is the shortest day of the year... and then the days get longer and longer! hooray!

little comedy relief

2011-12-19T14:31:00.000-06:00

the holidays can be a little stressful so here are some gems from youtube so you can get some comedy relief.
feel free to laugh out loud.
i did.

if you watch 2:45 to the end, it'll be worth it. i promise.

hilarious!

bike riding through december

2011-12-14T20:09:00.000-06:00

the weather's actually been decent for bike riding!

there were a few rough ones... snow thursday night so there was snow still on the ground for my trip in to work on friday. but. did you know? they sort-of plow the lakefront path. they definitely put salt down (there are remnants of that on my bike).

ok... so i guess you can't really see the salt in this picture. trust me. it's there.

saturday the high was in the 20s. needless to say many body parts were numb when i arrived at work.

i'll still take that over the bus any day.

yesterday there were SO many bikers riding to work. the most i've seen in quite awhile.

this news cheers me up too!

it helps make the intro to winter a little better =)

holiday happenings

2011-12-13T13:30:00.000-06:00

in the last week i've done a lot of christmas things around town here's a little snippet of photos to share with you...
Christkindlmarket with co-workers

Hot Mulled Wine (Glühwein) & potato pancakes for me

Rubina

Robert & Annie have cube decoration wars for Christmas (2nd annual). Annie made a Gingerbread house in Robert's cube. I convinced him to use the door.

Dinner at Walnut Room with Emily

While we waited our hour and a half we walked over to the bean to hear the Friday night carolers =)

trees in the walnut room

Emily & I soaked that time... for several reasons... 1 catch up time 2 enjoy the trees

you may not be able to tell, but that's us

Maybe this isn't super holiday related, but I love the MCA
it has to be my favorite museum. i love when i can immediately love an artist... this time Ron Terada
oh, and i love that it's free...

Karen & my busy filled day (with lots of christmas thrown in)
we scoured the city riding bikes and having fun! =)

my man karen got me from Christkindlmarket (yes, we went back). He's going to decorate my place ALL year, not just christmas... i don't care if he is an ornament

one of the few relaxing parts of the day ;)

christkindlmarket

jewel is selling little table top christmas trees (pots?) for $20. i'm aware of this. but i decided to make my own this year.
i painted popsicle sticks and put things on them that defined my year and then made a construction.
(why is my star purple? what's red and green mixed?)
i did have a lot of fun with this.
i would not recommend transporting it in your bike basket. many pieces broke off (one was completely lost). i mended it back together and i like it.

my christmas tree 2011

yesterday night i baked cookies for the work cookie exchange happening wednesday. it was pretty much a disaster, but whatever. it is what it is and i'll try not to let people know i brought them.

tonight is the work party.

all these happenings help make the beginning of winter a bit more orange =)
AND today was in the 40s!

should we see charlie with santa?
yes!

green up your holidays

2011-12-12T08:02:00.003-06:00

with all the holiday festivities making them "green" may be the last thing on your mind. planning a party is hard work and connivence usually takes the front seat.

i have a little list of things you can do to "green" up your holidays.

maybe you can pick one or two...

1. use recycled wrapping paper (i like to use newspaper)

2. recycle your tree

3. buy recyclable christmas cards

4. buy rechargeable batteries

5. buy led christmas lights (if you need to buy a new set)

6. use washable dishes, table linens, napkins, cutlery

7. lower the lights (it saves electricity and sets the mood) ;)

8. keep recycling containers in view so guests know you're recycling

9. local food

10. don't overheat everyone. rather than opening the windows and wasting heat when the room is full of people, turn down the thermostat.

(read more here or here or here)

techies

2011-12-11T20:28:00.001-06:00

this week i'm super thankful for those techies out there.

yesterday my computer was experiencing some major issues.
I've had this computer for around 4 years and it would make sense that it's end might be near. (although i hope not because i love it and new computers tend to be expensive)

i did some searching and found these tips. i tried basically all of them and then realized there was one more i could try.

then my computer worked again. hip hip hooray.
they saved me from taking it in and spending money i didn't need to and the stress of it all.

so i'm super thankful people are willing to share their expertise.

although this experience has convinced me i need to buy an external hard drive. very soon!

Cardinals update

2011-12-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted about the cardinals since the world series, but a lot has happened!

In case you haven't heard (I hope you have) Mike Matheny is the new Cardinals manager!
I feel like that decision happened at rapid speed, but maybe I'm just used to the politics and extreme slowness that happens at work. (It took over 6 months to hire an Assistant Director... not an exaggeration.)

I have heard people wonder what happened in that interview to make him chosen over oquendo (third base coach)?

I have a positive attitude about this. I'll miss Tony, but I trust the Cards and I'm excited that they're keeping the job in the organization. I guess I feel like he'll understand Cardinals baseball and the way we do things a little better.

Articles were written about how great of an opportunity managing in St. Louis would be. Speculations were made.

And Matheny came out on top.

oh... and. pujols is no longer a cardinal.
he's heading to the angels in la.
$250-$260 million for 10 years! i'm not kidding.
the cardinals offered $220 apparently. and when i heard that i decided it was time to let him go. I said this before. We can't afford to spend that much on ONE player and still have a contending team. That's one reason I love the cardinals.
yes, pujols is an excellent player and he did amazing things for the cardinals. thank you, pujols.
but if they spend that much on one player for TEN years, ticket prices would go up, affecting everyone. this seems rather selfish to me (i know spoken like a true liberal).

people seem to think we'll still contend without him. (i like that way of thinking).
we'll see next year...

so it's been fun pujols. the cardinals will always remember you and after this all dies off give you the respect you deserve (my facebook blew up yesterday with all kinds of comments).

(via)

wintertime recipes

2011-12-08T18:07:00.001-06:00

both these recipes are perfect hearty meals for the cold of winter!

cinthya came over one night and we cooked together. it was so fun and involved a serious catch-up session during and after dinner.

we made a ravioli vegetable lasagna

yum!

when i'm at my parents, i cook. i just do.

over thanksgiving i made beans and greens chili. it was pretty delicious, if i say so myself. and VERY easy!

how do you know this chili was really good and not just another chili?

karen doesn't like chili or anything with too many vegetables.

this chili had both and even she liked it! if that doesn't give it a high rating, i don't know what can.

time for another book update

2011-12-07T20:52:00.001-06:00

Seriously...I'm Kidding - Ellen DeGeneres

so now i'm up to two of the four lady comedians who all released books around the same time. tina fey-check. ellen-check. now i feel like since i started i should read mindy kaling and jane lynch too. i liked ellen's book. very quick read with short chapters, but it was fun dispersed with serious points that were delivered in a funny manner. very ellen.

Blankets - Craig Thompson

back to my surprise that graphic novels are not actually funny. this is another one. it's sort-of an autobiography, graphic novel style, of first love. a little sad, yes. graphic novels can be an interesting way to switch things up. i definitely recommend giving them a try.

Girls in White Dresses - Jennifer Close

this was a chick book (that's what i'm going to call them from here on out. like chick movies). i wasn't super impressed to be honest. it was about a group of girlfriends as they got older (from college graduation-early 30s). it was very honest and true to life, but i feel like that's what i'm going through right now and it's just life.

jemima j - jane green

another chick book via karen. that's exactly what it was. a cute read with a cute love story and self-discovery. i'll admit it was hard to put down there at the end with all the close encounters and misses.

breakfast at tiffany's- truman capote

i didn't love this book. i know it's a classic and that's why i read it, but i thought i was just getting into the story when it ended. i felt like something was coming and end. i didn't really get it. there wasn't much of a climax or story, etc. just wasn't quite for me. but i hear the movie's actually quite different so maybe i'll put that on my library list.

included in the breakfast at tiffany's book were 3 of capote's short stories: "House of Flowers," "A diamond Guitar," and "A Christmas Memory."

all these were rather sad and definitely didn't have happy endings. they usually had death or someone's departure. The stories did show several varying relationships and while they were together, they were happy. i think it's a great way to think about enjoying the time you have with people while you have it.

i continue to work my way through the women comedian books that all seemed to come out this year... more to come. one i think i'll have to pass on is chelsea handler's book. i just don't think i'd find it interesting.

-ellen - check

-tina fey - check

-whoopie

-jane lynch

-mindy kaling

ALL this year! crazy!

happy st. nick's day!

2011-12-06T19:37:00.001-06:00

Did you celebrate St. Nick's Day growing up?
We did.
We would get small gifts like our favorite candy or earrings something like that, but it was just a fun little something to find in our stockings in the morning on December 6th.

St. Nicholas had a reputation for secret gift-giving. They say Santa evolved from St. Nick. And today is his feast day.

Have you ever heard of it?
Apparently it's most popular in the US in areas with strong German influences like Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. (thanks wikipedia)
According to Wikipedia you're supposed to put out shoes. And when I wished my co-workers a Happy St. Nick's Day, Kyle asked, "Is that the shoe one?" My family never put out shoes, but apparently some people do.

I just love it as an official beginning of Christmas.

So here we are.
Christmas 2011!

Time to pull out the Christmas movies and jump into the season even more.

do you have a favorite christmas movie?

i feel like i have love actually on repeat during the holidays and it doesn't bother me at all. yeah, i watch love actually all year, but especially at this time of year.

i watched & read a christmas carol.

i've also been watching a lot of abc family christmas movies. no, that channel doesn't come through my antenna, but everyone can watch hulu. they're awful and great at the same time.

hulu even has A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Thank you hulu!

use your own bags

2011-12-05T09:38:00.001-06:00

everyone's doing a little extra shopping these days with christmas gifts to buy and many sales to take advantage of. so while you're doing your shopping i encourage you to bring your own bag.

"In a landfill, plastic bags take up to 1,000 years to degrade." (via)

You can easily find reusable bags that fold up really small.

(via)

Stick one of those in your purse or bag for the day and pull it out when you make a purchase. Just remember (especially if you use these bags for grocery shopping, which I hope you do) wash your bags every so often.

a fun little quote from ellen's new book:

Seriously...I'm Kidding By: Ellen

"Another thing you can do is take reusable bags to the grocery store. Now I always thought a reusable bag that you bring into a store was called a purse, and from what I understand putting things in your purse while you're shopping is called shoplifting. So, shoplift."

old friends

2011-12-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

This week one of my oldest friends definitely came through for me. Actually, Jess is my oldest friend (besides my sister). We've been through a lot together, since the beginning of middle school.

Now, we don't get to see each other very much. She went to a college near our hometown, got married, and moved back to the street she grew up on. But even without seeing each other (or using the internet) we do pretty good at staying in touch. The good old phone. That's how we first developed our relationship and it's how we sustain it.

Sometimes too long passes before we catch each other and have a nice chat, but we did last Monday and it was just what I needed.
We quickly run through what we've been up to and jump into deeper stuff.

She calmed me down and the fact that she knows so many of my experiences she gives some of the best advice.

So this week (and always), I'm very thankful for her.

------------
a minor other thing I was very thankful for this week:
Last school year Liz & I went to a school with the dome and a person cut off part of our rental car and it created a very long day. Rubina & I went back to the school Tuesday. The day was actually going exceptionally well for being a dome day. All day we had a little pit in our stomach that the car wouldn't start at the end of the day.
BUT IT DID!
thank you person for not sawing off a part of our car again.

welcome december

2011-12-02T08:44:00.000-06:00

#1 i can't believe it's already december, but since i feel that at the beginning of every month these days... let's move on

i brought in december by jumping on the holiday train and stopping by 4 different holiday themed things after work.

*i checked out the new lightscapes on state street
*checked out macy's windows, which are beautiful... as usual
this year it's about wishes, etc. while thinking about ornaments
cute cute cute

*i stopped by igo's holiday party
*then headed to one of a kind show at merchandise mart. i got free admission. (it's only december 1-4) it's huge and all kinds of different art creations by hundreds of different artists. i didn't even come close to covering it all, but i still really enjoyed it. it was hopping.
i really enjoyed the etsy corner. if you can't make it to the show this week and you're looking for handmade gifts i highly recommend etsy. i love it.

here's one stand i thought was super cute: megan lee designs. and i realized they sell their stuff at one of my favorite card places: inkling. she has some pretty fun graphic tees.

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so hello december.
thank you for arriving rather mild. i was quite comfortable walking around in my light winter jacket, gloves, toms without socks....

the view

2011-11-30T19:14:00.001-06:00

When I walk outside to the chilly air after work to start my bike ride home, this view helps me be a bit more positive.

sweet, little memories

2011-11-30T19:08:00.001-06:00

Today my cubemates and I had a fiesta celebrating ourselves. I planned it before I took my time off so we could celebrate the work we do and have a little fun.

I brought in some snacks to celebrate.

I didn't think about this when I bought the yogurt covered pretzels, but once Rubina & I opened the bag memories came back to me.
Every Christmas my Grandma would get a bunch of yogurt covered pretzels as gifts. Grandma was always willing to share and when she offered any/all of her treats when I visited, I would always go for the yogurt covered pretzels. After this happening a couple years, she started insisting i take a little bag of the pretzels with me.

This is my first Christmas in a long time without her little bag of yogurt covered pretzels. I talked about it with Rubina and explained it was a happy memory and it would just make me enjoy them even more.

i love thrifting

2011-11-30T08:06:00.001-06:00

i really do love thrifting.

i feel like it has a negative connotation and i think it's sad. At work when I get compliments on my outfit many times I say, "Thanks, it's a thrift find." (or at an outlet mall or it was my dad/mom/grandma's) I used to get a surprised look in reply (now they're used to it coming from me).

you can find some really nice stuff thrifting. honestly, it's where i buy the majority of my clothes.

one of my co-workers said i should blog about it. i guess i hadn't thought of it because it comes pretty naturally to me. i going to try to start including my hunts for bargains with you. (if i can remember... it's hard to think to share something that comes so naturally)

There are so many thrift shops in Chicago (and several very close to me). I love it. I think my favorite is crossroads trading.

When you hear the word, thrifting, what do you think?

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T12:49:00.001-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Everyone!

I hope you're having a wonderful day with friends and family.

Karen & I ran a 5K this morning to start the festivities and headed straight to Grandma's for her delicious cinnamon rolls =)

I hope you had a chance to play with google's graphic. I thought it was super fun =)

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You're welcome Mr. Turkey =)

shop small on small business saturday

2011-11-23T07:54:00.000-06:00

how do you feel about black friday? i can't really judge because i've never gone. i think it's pretty crazy. from what i've heard, i don't think it's for me. especially with my finicky enjoyment of shopping. i guess cyber monday is more my thing, but i don't really get that either. how do you find all the deals?

this is the second year of small business saturday. the idea is to go support a local business near you. i think this is right up my alley. Shopping at local small businesses is good for local economies, can be great for reducing transportation impact (at least for getting from your home to the shop), and often local businesses are vital outlets for smaller craftspeople, food producers, and manufactures.

i'm lucky that at my place in chicago i'm surrounded by small businesses so i go to them all the time and it's easy to get unique gifts for others. i'm also lucky that growing up my dad always encouraged us to shop locally and support our local businesses.

i remember going to sweet things all the time growing up to get hard candies for my dad's office. one of his ways to support a local business, rather than picking them up while he was at the grocery store. (i got to eat some too! always a plus)

a small step to being a socially responsible buyer.

it's sponsored by american express. (which is probably why it's being advertised so much this year) i guess they don't care where people spend their money, they just want them to spend it. it does make me wonder a bit.

so get out and support a local business near you. (not necessarily saturday, but always) and don't forget your reusable grocery bag ;)

dad turns 60

2011-11-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

Remember how I said "details to come..." with why i was excited for thanksgiving.

Now I can share ALL the details.

My dad's 60th birthday was Saturday and Jeff, Greta, Charlie, & I surprised him Friday night. (Karen came too and Dad was super excited to see her too, but he knew she was coming.)

We had a fun weekend visiting and hanging out (and passing around Charlie) ;)

I have a few photos to share.

Charlie's working on his fine motor skills. He liked pulling on my hair. I didn't mind.

Now I'm hanging out with my parents for the week with Thanksgiving Thursday at my aunt's.
Friday we're heading to Wichita for Thanksgiving on Saturday with Jeff, Greta, Charlie, and Greta's family.
Sunday is Charlie's baptism.
Then it's back to Chicago.

Now you see why I was excited???!?!!?

thankful for calmness through the storm

2011-11-20T19:28:00.001-06:00

Tuesday was not a great day.

(Actually Tuesday-Friday weren't excellent days.)

But such is life.

Tuesday I went out to a school with Kyle with the Dome. We got everything set-up and were ready to go right on schedule.

Long story short the main piece of the speakers shorted out. We tried everything!

The principal was not happy, obviously. And she let me know.

Kyle and I stayed calm. We took the situation we had and did the best we could. Split up tasks: he contacted the Adler so we could get working equipment and I tried to keep the principal calm.

It made the awful situation the best possible. When I'm with people who overreact they just make the situation worse for everyone.

This week I'm thankful for the ability to stay calm and understand when there is nothing else you can do, you just make the best of it.

intro to winter orangeness

2011-11-17T20:00:00.001-06:00

i decided this winter i'm going to try and be positive!

i don't like winter.
i don't.

but rather than dwelling on this fact all winter, i'm going to find things to make me happy in the winter.

i'm calling it winter orangeness. because people say the winter blues. so orange is opposite of blue. i'm going for the opposite.

the weather changed to the 30s. i'm still running outside. if i dress properly, it's not so bad. although this morning when i got home my legs were very red... it was quite cold.

i'm also still biking to work. for a few reasons: it's free, it takes half the time as the bus, and it calms me down. i won't let winter take that away from me... yet.

so my winter orangeness for today is still doing things that i love even though it's coldish...

livin an eco life

2011-11-15T14:59:00.000-06:00

Something that's really important to me is being green/eco-friendly, whatever you want to call it. I try to keep it to myself (so I'm not too annoying) most the time.
Although, not so much with Karen (and sometimes my dad). They hear about green tips and tricks and me telling them what to do all the time. One of the many things they have to put up with from me.
Anyway... where was I?

Oh, yes. I decided to share some of my tips with you. I've been planning these posts for awhile and this week is Green Week on NBC so I thought now is the time to start the posts. I'm going to have about one tip or green fact each week. I like NBC's Green Week that they say: "You don't have to do a lot, to do a lot." Which is basically what I wrote when I was planning out introducing these posts (with different words).
No one is perfect. And no one can do everything. But anything you can do, helps!

tip time: bring your own coffee cup

Nov. 3, 2011 8:31 AM "Starbucks has their holiday cups out. Not that I used one or anything. I just noticed." Text from Karen.

I may or may not harp on her the most of anyone. (Dad comes in a close #2.)

I'll admit I've become a bit crazy on this one. No matter how much I want coffee/tea, I won't get one, unless I have my own cup.

Starbucks gives you a 10¢ discount. Argo has mugs they'll put your drink in if you order "for here." As will Intelligentsia. And I think Caribou too... I won't lie to you, Dunkin' Donuts usually gives me weird looks, but they put it in my cup anyway.

Some places are giving out free coffee in Chicago this week if you bring your own mug. Check out the list here.

Take one second to think about all the cups piled in trash cans around the city. Yes, it's disturbing.

Just give it a try... =)

Today is even having a giveaway if you submit a picture of yourself with your own cup. You can enter (or read about it) here.

9 million trees can be saved annually if we all switched to taking our own mugs.

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snippets of mexico

2011-11-14T08:39:00.001-06:00

the weather this weekend was WONDERFUL! Yesterday I went running in shorts and a tshirt and I was very comfortable. I probably could have even worn a tank top... very different than my pants, long sleeve tee, sweatshirt, and head wrap thing I wore earlier in the week. I loved it and I think the cold of the week helped me to appreciate the 60s even more.

also sunday i decided to make a grocery trip to trader joes. on my walk from my bike to the store i walked by a bus stop where there was a little girl (probably about 6 years old) yelling a children's song they sing in mexico. she was having a great time and i had to smile.

i love little reminders of my time in mexico.

she was singing this ice breakerish song "quien esta ahi?" and responding "robot esta ahi?" and it keeps going

take a moment

2011-11-12T09:58:00.001-06:00

Here's an article I'd like to encourage you to read.

I'll warn you it is a teensy bit long. It's long. But worth it.

And the fact that I just said that probably fits me right in with the society that they're discussing.

Sometimes it pays off to take a break from your head and notice what's happening around you. Or always.

Watching the video weeks later, Bell finds himself mystified by one thing only. He understands why he's not drawing a crowd, in the rush of a morning workday. But: "I'm surprised at the number of people who don't pay attention at all, as if I'm invisible. Because, you know what? I'm makin' a lot of noise!"

I can admit to being guilty of what they talk about in the article. Absolutely.

Honestly, the only place I've really observed people being aware of their surroundings and offering to help others is the Lakefront Path. And that's sometimes. (not to say people don't help others in other places) This morning I tripped during my morning run. A bicyclist slowed down, asked if I was ok, I said, "yeah," he continued with his ride. The point is, he asked.
On the busy streets, I don't know if we don't want to embarrass people by asking if they're ok, therefore acknowledging it happening. I don't want to think it's just because people don't care.

"People walk up the escalator, they look straight ahead. Mind your own business, eyes forward. Everyone is stressed. Do you know what I mean?"
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
-- from "Leisure," by W.H. Davies

this sort-of fits. regardless, i like it...

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What do you think?

thanksgiving time

2011-11-11T16:12:00.001-06:00

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Yes, I like Santa. But why is everyone so anxious to start with Christmas? Why can't we appreciate Thanksgiving first?

don't get me wrong, i'm excited to watch Love Actually again (when it's in-season. i actually watch it all year long).

everyone kept talking about christmas being everywhere this month, but i really only encountered it when i walked around the mall with Greta (my sister-in-law) on Monday. it was all over the mall. it could have been december.

look what Nordstrom is doing

i'm actually really excited for thanksgiving this year...
(details to follow)

but as far as today goes... I have to share this with you because I think it's funny

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actually... at 11:11 I was running around looking for a book called The Moon Seems to Change

have a fun day!

2011-11-10T07:37:00.000-06:00

yes, i know it's cold outside, but today i want to talk about FUN!

i came across this experiment sponsored by volkswagon: the fun theory! It's about using fun to change people's behaviors' for the better.
watch a couple videos. it's pretty fun.

i figure today is just practice for the winter and we have to continue to have fun in the winter, even if it is not so welcoming outside.

Do something FUN today!

in the kitchen

2011-11-09T13:31:00.000-06:00

i've been trying out some new recipes lately (as per usual).

tomorrow one of my friends is coming over to make a new recipe she picked out so i'm excited to give that a try too!

pot roast (with tempeh serving as the meat)-who knew there is a vegetarian version of pot roast?

apple crisp

herb quick bread

today i'm going to feature my adventures making pumpkin donuts.

(i love sweet recipes that allow me to cut them in half... like this one)

i've never made donuts before and i'm not quite sure what i was expecting...

suggestion #1 have a donut pan. i don't (obviously) and didn't do the muffin pan suggestion either. i decided to use a cookie sheet and form my own donut circles.

donut dough is much stickier than i imagined. i made artistic circles ;)

i left the glaze off and i thought they were delicious.

meet charlie

2011-11-08T19:30:00.000-06:00

Today was a pretty uncomfortable day... I was wet the majority of the day. (Bad decision riding my bike to work today.)

But we're talking about happy times here.
Without further ado... because I can't wait to start =)

Last weekend I was able to make a trip to Wichita to visit my brother and sister-in-law AND meet my 4-week old baby nephew, Charlie!

I hadn't been there since their wedding (almost 3 years ago) and they did a lot of home improvement projects since then: kitchen, bathroom, nursery, etc. Their house is definitely beautiful.

It's always fun to spend some time with them. (I don't get to see them very often during the year.) It's so fun to catch-up and hear what's going on in their lives!

Meeting Charlie was so wonderful! He's such a cute little baby. And I would say he's a pretty easy baby. He stumped us a few times with what was wrong, but he definitely loves to bounce and his mother's touch.
Jeff & Greta are some pretty amazing parents ;) They're super cute.
I won't lie. I sort-of wonder how they do it. I loved my time with Charlie, but I was only there 2 days. I can't really imagine it 24/7/365. Props to them.

Photos for your enjoyment:

AND TODAY HE'S ONE MONTH OLD!

comic for your friday

2011-11-04T10:13:00.000-05:00

new hair do

2011-11-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

i went and got my hair done for the first time wednesday...

i got it dyed and cut (pretty majorly...5 or 6 inches)

before the appointment i told my cubemates about it tuesday. wednesday rubina was all excited for me so she said something about it. i didn't turn around until rubina started laughing and said "kyle's not ready yet." everyone has a level of control over hair. apparently even co-worker's.

but yesterday they both approved.

Why? Because it was time for a change.

-i don't love dealing with long hair in the winter. ex: scarves, static, etc.

-this is the time of year when the sun stops naturally highlighting my hair (because i'm not in the sun as much) and it starts to look like i highlighted my hair and now i'm growing it out... roots. not attractive.

I have a few questions for people who go get their hair dyed and highlighted every few weeks:

#1 HOW???!!?!?

#2 Aren't you bored? At the end I was SO ready to go, I basically jumped out of my chair. I am too impatient for that.

#3 How do you find it relaxing? People say it's so nice. Maybe it's nice for 20 minutes. Then it's not nice anymore. It's time to go.

#4 How do you afford it? I went to the Aveda School (so it was cheaper and they did a nice job), but I still found it expensive.

So yeah, it was fun and different, but I think I'm good for another 5 years or so of not doing it again.

p.s. it seems to be a pretty big hit and it can pass as natural.

halloween recap

2011-11-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

i stuck with my find something in my closet and create a costume again this year.

saturday night i was little red riding hood. i pulled out a red cape i wore when i was 8ish and the rest of the costume didn't really matter. people knew what i was! (sorry... no pics)

next year i have my sights set on a really creative costume (still from my closet of course)... i just wasn't really feeling it this year.

favorite costume:

-french toast a girl had a piece of bread made out of poster board on her front and back a frenchish shirt, beret, and mustache drawn on. i turned to inez and asked if she was toast or a sandwich. she didn't hesitate for a second and said, "she's french toast, Lisa." ohhhhh. very creative!

-i really liked the chiquita banana lady. a long yellow dress with a fruit thing on her head. i have no idea how she made it stay.

-there was a pinocchio that was pretty awesome too!

what did i see the most? the progressive lady. i was surprised by that one.

emily and i checked out the north halsted halloween parade. that was fun and we got to see some more creative, fun costumes. it was really fun and great catch-up time.

i watched ghostbusters for the first time so that's good.

i hope you all had a lovely halloween!

HELLO November

2011-11-02T07:40:00.000-05:00

October was a pretty amazing month:

*ran my third marathon
*became an aunt
*AMAZING Cardinals month. Capped off with winning the world series!

Good luck November. You have a lot to live up to.

Yesterday I saw an older couple flying kites in the park on my ride home from work (it was so nice outside). It was super cute. So because of that November's off to a good start. It better keep going!

cards celebration road trip!

2011-11-01T09:29:00.000-05:00

5:15 am (sunday morning)- my alarm went off.

'Why is my alarm going off so early ON MY DAY OFF?!!??!' (and after celebrating Halloween the night before)

'Oh yeah, it's Cardinals day!'

And I hopped out of bed. Ok, maybe hopped is an exaggeration. But I did get up & deep down I knew I was excited.

I'm a pretty impulsive person by nature (and I have problems making decisions until the last minute). To clarify, this is in my personal life, not professionally. I'm quite rational professionally.

Yea for being impulsive.

I got to St. Louis, walked around union station for a bit and then mom and dad were there before i knew it! we found our spots for the parade about 3 hours before the parade started. dad & i ended up walking along the route to the stadium, getting tshirts, looking for onesies with world series champs on it, enjoying the crowds, and getting some gus's. then we made our way back to mom who was holding our spots and making friends with the people by us. those 3 hours went by so quickly! there was so much excitement and energy. here's a great little video recap. it was great to be surrounded by cardinals fans!

free posters on dad and my walk

LaRussa started off the parade with the Clydesdales

then i insisted we go to the stadium. we dropped our stuff off at the car and stood outside of the fence in left field (we couldn't get tickets-mom & dad tried REALLY hard though). i watched the screen and strained my ears to hear what was happening inside. i was getting a little frustrated and... they opened the gates. needless to say we hurriedly got in and didn't look back!

we got to see the clysdales come in and hear the speeches and see the highlights of the series again!

freese's (mvp) speech was short and very sweet. it was perfect.

pujol's speech (this was after a LOT of screaming) was very upbeat!

berkman's speech was well put. i was talking with dad earlier about how well berkman gives quotes and talks with reporters. he agreed. i even talked about how what was so great about this team was we didn't win because of one specific person. and that's basically what berkman said in his speech. he talked about how they needed the contributions from everyone at different points.

then la russa got up and gave a great speech. he talked about all our animals we have as cardinals ;) and took what berkman said and added to it. he said they were where they are-world series champs-because of the fans. (insert eruption of cheering.) I'm going to share the story that he shared: It was the end of August, we were 10 1/2 games out and we were playing the Cubs (insert booing). We were down 1-0 in the bottom of the 9th when all the fans in Busch got on their feet and started cheering. We came back to win 2-1 and that was our turning point. From that point on we were unstoppable.

Thanks Tony!

Mom, Dad, & I wrapped up the day with dinner on the hill. then they dropped me off at karen's (my ride to my 1:15 am bus). karen & I had a hot chocolate party. aka i was cold in her place so i had her make me hot chocolate and then i sipped it while she talked. it was lovely.

rating of the day: A+++++++++

I like baseball.

I love Cardinals baseball.

I'm a little upset about the 4 months ahead of us without baseball in my life.

and i'm very sad laRussa is retiring. i guess it's good for him, but i'm really going to miss him...
he talked about it a little bit on letterman. he mentioned how special cardinal fans are. oh yeah

he's been with the cardinals for 16 years. that's basically all i remember of the cardinals. the new manager has some major shoes to fill!

next time i'm at the stadium there'll be another flag up there

thankful to be spontaneous

2011-10-31T09:03:00.000-05:00

this week i'm especially thankful for my freedom and flexibility.

friday the cardinals won the world series.

saturday morning i found out the parade would be sunday.

i decided to go. (thanks for making my dreams come true megabus.)

i told my dad. he laughed and said, "you're just free as a bird, aren't you?" at first i was offended. then i realized how lucky i am. no, i guess i don't always want to be as free as a bird, but while i am, i better take advantage of it.

then i decided to go visit jeff & greta next weekend. and meet baby charlie!

Karen asked me why i decided to make these sudden decisions. honestly, i felt so jealous that everyone in my family was meeting charlie (and i still don't know if they're going to let me off work for thanksgiving, when i was supposed to meet him) and i was jealous i couldn't be in st. louis when the cards won. (and i'm a pretty impulsive person.) so i decided it was silly i was just sitting around sulking so i was going to DO something about it.

BAM!

so right now i'm thankful to be able to go. at a moments notice, in fact.

(p.s. a recap from my 24 hour cardinal trip... asap. worth it? yes!)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

world series recap

2011-10-29T17:53:00.003-05:00

And it's all over.

And we are the champs!

Craig came through big time: homer and this picture of him stealing a homer from the Rangers with that catch.
Not to mention the rest of the team. Everyone shined in some way or another (I just spotlighted Craig because he's my man). It was so refreshing. That's why we made it here, not by one player or another. The whole team!

Fans outside

Team rushing out from the dugout.

Yadi's reaction

No one believed in us. Everyone thought we would lose. Bam!

It was surreal in the very best way!

WHAT! A! NIGHT!

2011-10-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

Seriously!

Game 6 of the World Series Cards win with a walk off in the 11th!

My throat hurts and I think I may be a little sore tomorrow from all the screaming tonight.

The cardinals definitely took us on a ride and it was stressful and honestly pretty weird for a few innings.
And then we turned it on!
So many different players contributed and it was so so so exciting!

Freese (he grew up in St. Louis) hit the walk-off after coming through to extend the game in the 9th as well. His quote after: "I'm just glad I had the opportunity after I blew that pop-up." It's ok Freese. You're forgiven!

One of my favorite parts. Before the game the way the newscasters were talking they thought the Rangers would win no problem. I was pretty annoyed. Then I really enjoyed after the game listening to them again. Ha! Take that! The Cardinals have been proving everyone wrong for 2 months. I don't think it's very smart to count us out.

"The Cards won in the 11th inning in the 11th hour. Playing tonight for their 11th playoff victory which will give them their 11th World Series championship. All done in 2011."

Game 7 tomorrow....

My scorecard. I'm glad it ended in the 11th because I only have spaces for 11 innings.

Tomorrow will be interesting considering both managers (especially tony) used most of their benches and bullpens.

"Arguably one of the greatest games in World Series history."

recently read books

2011-10-26T17:27:00.000-05:00

fleece navidad-maggie sefton

grandma lent me this book of mystery. (her favorite type) along with the story though there were lots of references to knitting (making me want to knit) and the holidays. i know the holidays will be here before i know it, which kind-of scares me. where did this year go?

one day-david nicholls

hmmm... don't really know what to say about this one. heartbreaking, just like the movie. the book was better than the movie (as usual) with the addition of several other characters thoughts and descriptions.

it looked different on the model-laurie notaro

Karen and i both said our "funny books" were the best. Mine-Me Talk Pretty One Day. Karen's-this one. Coincidentally we both got each other's respective books from the library at the same time. I kept telling her this one was ok, but it had nothing on Me Talk Pretty One Day. My favorite stories were the ones involving the author's parents, especially her Mom. Maybe because it sort-of reminded me of my mom. (Mom, I love you, but it's true.) Karen and I always say we need to write a Mom's advice book. She'll give some advice and we'll say we need to add that to Mom's advice book and she says it's a good idea because it's good advice. ;)

music

2011-10-25T17:20:00.000-05:00

lately i've been listening to my itunes music on shuffle.

this may not seem odd to you. it is for me.

i have songs on my iphone and listen to them (in order) on my bike rides to and from work. and that's what i do. i even listen to them in the same order to the point where when one song ends i know what the next one will be.

then if i'm in my place i listen to pandora. (matt & kim station)

this week i just decided to mix it up.

so i thought i'll share a few fun ones with you:

one song i heard in the summer that still makes me happy when it comes up in my music.

Orange Tree by paperthickwalls

and this one's just for fun =)

moving with the seasons

2011-10-24T16:48:00.001-05:00

I mentioned how sad I am with the end of summer.
But I keep reminding myself each season brings new things along with it (anyone else have the rent song playing in their head?)

-who wants iced anything in January? not me. who wants a hot drink in the afternoon on a summer day? not me.
-now is pumpkin anything time, which i love. pumpkin spiced lattes, pumpkin spice kisses (surprisingly hard to find), pumpkin cookies (like oreos), pumpkin muffins, pumpkin soup...
-the leaves are beautiful
-and now it's halloween time.
i was a little halloweened out after Adler After Dark's Spooky Space last week. And I hadn't even dressed up yet. Although it was funny last week when we visited a school and talked about what you can learn at the planetarium (kindergartners): stars, the moon, etc. one kid said, "halloween" after those things were listed. i laughed a little. you know what those kiddos have on their minds. (did you know: apparently, chicago is the 5th best city to trick-or-treat. i had no idea. i don't even know how kids trick-or-treat here.)

i'm excited for the halloween parade on halsted on monday.
i tried to come up with more halloween spirit by heading over to the panaderia for pan de muerto. i want to make my own ofrenda (altar-may consist of photographs, bread, other foods, flowers, toys and other symbolic offerings).
this was probably one of my favorite holidays to celebrate in mexico. i love their Día de los Muertos. I love focusing on the life of your loved one, rather than their death and celebrating that life.
so i'm excited for that too.

basically i'm trying to focus on the fact that each season brings it's own special things.

and... i'm trying to go into winter with a positive attitude.

are there cardinals fans in chicago?

2011-10-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

there sure are!
and if i had any doubt saturday night karen & i went to sedwick's (the only cards bar I know of in the city) and it was PACKED! and everyone was wearing cards gear.

(i will say i was a little nervous about going since the last time karen & i went the cards lost. but karen ensured me i was being silly and i need to start controlling some of my superstitions.)

when we were leaving someone asked "wow, is this the landing?"

yes, we could have gone anywhere and actually sat down. (we stood the whole time because there weren't any seats. we felt lucky to find a spot to lean against the wall. it was a four hour game. it was a long game.) but the atmosphere was pretty awesome.

especially at the end when the fair weather fans left.

and what did they play when the cards finished their record breaking, 16-7 win?

not an annoying song. a nice, classic song. just like the cardinals.

snippets of the week

2011-10-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

I've been super involved in the world series this week so blogging has gone to the side so i'll give you some snippets from my week:

*wednesday and thursday the weather was pretty awful here in chicago. wednesday i biked through the strong winds and rain, but thursday i was forced on to the bus. it was a very sad day. the first bus to work i've had in a very long time. (they closed the lakefront path for real this time. i saw it on the news that they weren't letting anyone by.)

*the wind thursday night blew 3 sailboats in the harbor by the shedd into the wall. friday i saw crews working on getting them out and this morning they were still working on it. i feel sorry for those boat owners.

*today one of my co-workers (he works in a different department so i literally only talk to him on saturdays when it's so quiet and there aren't many staff members here) comes down the hall while i'm getting water and starts jumping up and down raising a box in the air. as he got closer i realized he was saying "yeahhhh, texas rangers!!!" I said, "oh no you didn't... don't you worry we'll take it back tonight." maybe i'm being a bit loud about the world series. or maybe i'm just a bit loud in general.

*last friday at the young alumni reunion dinner someone i hadn't seen since college said, "oh, i miss your laugh." I forgot how obnoxious my laugh is.

*i've been quite crafty this week. i painted baby charlie's christmas present monday and sewed too. oh and the pumpkin carving...

*we carved 20 pumpkins at work for Adler After Dark. Annie and I cleaned all the pumpkins and I helped carve two of them. Yes, you read that right. Annie & I cleaned all 20 pumpkins.

*We're working on pulling November's Adler After Dark together. The theme is edible science and we're looking for a wow factor. While we were brainstorming one of my co-workers decided on a flash mob. as i've mentioned participating in a flash mob is one of my goals in life, but i'm not sure that's the wow factor we're looking for (nor do i think it really fits in the theme). but i don't have a better idea. do any of you have a better idea?

*kyle & i took dome out at work on tuesday for his first experience with the dome. it IS and experience! it was helpful to have a boy along (they're just stronger, they just are). but he did say he was impressed how i just threw everything around like it was nothing. bam. i always get to know my co-workers so well when it comes to dome time, which i enjoy. partly because it makes you go a little insane...

*I'm very sad that summer is gone. But I'm really trying to embrace fall.

(via)

and now it's time for a beautiful weekend and some wins for the cardinals!

world series: game 1

2011-10-20T09:33:00.000-05:00

"cardinal fans can't believe what they saw the last 7 weeks. no one in st. louis thought we would be here, at the world series."

could you imagine going to a world series game?

after a day full of very windy, wet bike rides, lots of pumpkin gutting and helping carve some very creative pumpkins (for Adler After Dark) i was ready for game 1!

watching the little commercials, building the excitement was awesome. my favorite had "meet me in st. louie" playing with classic pictures and clips of st. louis.

watching the lineup announcements was awesome.

it was so exciting sitting on the couch with a friend.

i can't image what it must be like to be there!

cards tickets are $280. i looked. i entered a contest for free ones.

i guess i'll just have to enjoy the games with my chicago crew. i'm excited either way. but could you imagine being there??!!?! that would be amazing!

WE WIN GAME 1!!! The sports casters said we wouldn't have a chance if we didn't. well. we did!

my man craig came through. i knew it. i just knew it.
flashback to 2006 when my man so came through.
know who my other man is? garcia. he starts tonight.

both fox casters predicted the rangers will win the series (1 said in 6, the other said in 7). but karen said regis & kelly are pulling for the cards so i guess that's good.

compilation of quotes around the web from karen:

"They've got a little magic with them," Morrison said. "They're just hot. They're not making many mistakes. [Albert] Pujols is getting hot, and that's all you need to win games. They're fun to watch right now."

"People counted out the Cards against the Phillies, they won that in five," Amsinger said. "They thought the Brewers were going to beat the Cards and they won that series. I'm done counting the Cardinals out. I really believe this is going to be a great World Series and I expect a seven-game series."

"Living here [in St. Louis], I did not see this coming, not even in the third week of September. And Texas gets another crack at it and they're red hot," Buck said. "It's going to be fun. I can't wait for it to start."

I'm wearing red tights and a red headband.
I update my co-workers on the game last night each morning afterwards.
I informed my co-workers they're going to see a lot of red for the next week.
GO CARDS!

we goin' to the ship!

2011-10-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

who would have thought a month and a half ago that we would go to the world series!!!

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
GO CRAZY FOLKS, GO CRAZY!

thankful for old friends and new ones too!

2011-10-16T20:36:00.002-05:00

this weekend was reunion weekend at depaul.

i went to the young alumni reception friday evening at luxbar

saturday em picked me up from work (we threw my bike in the back of her car). thanks em! and we pushed the wedding parties out of the way so we could take the typical chicago skyline picture. "best view of the skyline in the city (at the adler)."
we were there... why not?

Saturday night was at the Drake. it was great to catch-up with old friends and meet new ones.

i figured pictures spoke louder than words this week

but i will say one thing. that father holtschneider sure can give a speech.

and the night ended with probably the nicest cab driver i've had...ever. i'm thankful for him too!

Vida

happy valentine's day

week over

beautiful glasses

little bit of chivalry

yoga & running combined

wall decals

Chicagoans

COLOR

cube mates

greenest restaurant

library all at once

even in winter

25 Here I am!

prayers

winter biking culture

black out

weekend fun

oh politics

snow

suzy homemaker

swinging in the moonlight

why/when running?

what's with all these oms?

coolest small town?

senem's coffee & tea house

sunset!

oprah's favorite things

happy 2012!

good-bye 2011

top 10 songs 2011

top 10 sports 2011

top 10 news stories 2011

christmas weekend recap

christmas is right around the corner

little comedy relief

bike riding through december

holiday happenings

green up your holidays

techies

Cardinals update

wintertime recipes

time for another book update

happy st. nick's day!

use your own bags

old friends

welcome december

the view

sweet, little memories

i love thrifting

happy thanksgiving!

shop small on small business saturday

dad turns 60

thankful for calmness through the storm

intro to winter orangeness

livin an eco life

snippets of mexico

take a moment

thanksgiving time

have a fun day!

in the kitchen

meet charlie

comic for your friday

new hair do

halloween recap

HELLO November

cards celebration road trip!

thankful to be spontaneous

world series recap

WHAT! A! NIGHT!

recently read books

music

moving with the seasons

are there cardinals fans in chicago?

snippets of the week

world series: game 1

we goin' to the ship!

thankful for old friends and new ones too!