Pretty Random Thoughts

I Am...

2011-12-10T13:23:00.003-06:00

A meme inspired by my Pal Amber at a Little Pink...

1. I am good at…fashion and decorating, spelling and word games, socializing, entertaining, making people laugh, shopping and driving a stick shift--haha!

2. I am happy when… I am driving my car (although not in rush hour traffic), listening to music, exercising, eating well, spending time with friends, snuggling with my pets, when I am shopping and when I have on a cute new outfit and my hair has been professional styled! Also, when I am on a plane to somewhere fun!

3. I am working on… making boards on Pinterest and organizing my walk-in closet so I can donate some things as well as consign some others. My closet = disaster.

4. I am interested in… so many things, traveling, reading, meeting new people, wanting to learn a new language, and taking classes in basically anything.

5. I am always… worried about something ridiculous.

6. I am enjoying… the holiday season. I love this time of year - the hustle and bustle, the decorations, the music, the lights, the anticipation.

7. I am in… in my house at my Yellow Pottery Barn Desk.

8. I am reading… "I Don't Know How She Does It" (like the Sarah Jessica Parker movie)

9. I am concerned about… animal welfare and homeless animals - I am a big advocate of animals.

10. I am looking forward to… 12 days off for Christmas vacation!

If you do this meme, let me know--I love to read them.

Read more here and here.

New Blog

2011-12-10T08:37:00.001-06:00

It's so funny how I don't blog anymore (please sing to tune of "It's So Funny How We Don't Talk Anymore", Cliff Richard, circa 1979). Yes, I am old!!

My New Year's Resolution (and I don't really make those) is to blog more in 2012. I was up at 4:30 a.m. to drive Eric to the airport, as he is flying to New Hampshire, via Detroit, to visit his parents this weekend and so I was up super early. I have a whole list of things I want to do this weekend - update my blogs, write in my journal, make boards on Pinterest, organize my closet, bake Christmas cookies, meet two groups of friends for brunch, buy some more Secret Santa gifts, finish putting up the last few Christmas decorations in my house. It will be interesting to see how many of my goals I accomplish!

Anyhow just checking in. I hope everyone is having a Happy Holiday Season!

Read more here and here.

What Holiday Is This?

2011-11-18T10:51:00.002-06:00

I actually agree with this cartoon--Thanksgiving does get over-shadowed by Christmas and Christmas trees & decorations do start appearing in the mall as early as September which is definitely ridiculous.

But having said that, I have already been listenting to Christmas music in my car and I have the urge to put up all of my Christmas trees this weekend. So I am split...

What camp do you fall into? Christmas now? Or let's wait and have Thanksgiving first AND then get into the holiday spirit?

Read more here and here.

An October Recap

2011-11-17T10:40:00.003-06:00

October is my favorite month. It has my birthday and Halloween and apples and pumpkins and witches and chilly nights and bonfires and pretty leaves and fun-sized candy bars.

This October started with a bang--literally. I was driving this car

and almost hit this creature.

So I braked and I got rear-ended on my way to work. I was pretty shaken up because a) I almost ran over an animal and b) I caused damage to such a delightful yellow car!

The other driver was a mom with her small child who just happened to live in the same townhouse development as me. We were about a mile from our houses. We called the police and no tickets or citations were issued. I think he felt we were both equally at fault--she for following too closely and me for braking for an animal. He told me, quite frankly, that I should have and I quote "taken the squirrel out".

I stood my ground and said I would always brake for animals. And I always will--that is not going to change. I am still sad about the time I ran over an oppossum. Or the time a bird flew into my windshield. These are things I don't forget!

Later that day I declined a visit to the doctor for whiplash and went to work at our Annual Warehouse Sale at a certain upscale fragrance company I work for. Somehow my name tag got lost in the chaos and so I was Lucy, your friendly cashier!

This was honestly not the best day of my life! Look at the look on my face!

The next day was better. My dear pal, Amber, came up for a visit. We went to the warehouse sale - much more fun as a customer! Then we went to Crave with a bunch of my girlfriends and had a little early birthday lunch and drinks, and we did some shopping/browsing at Anthropologie and then we went to see "What's Your Number" which is based on the novel 20 Times A Lady by the wonderful Karyn Bosnak! I loved the movie and will definitely be buying the DVD when it comes out.

After the movie we went to Flame for a yummy dinner.   We were pretty tired after that so I made sure Amber got checked into her hotel and then we went to get her car and then I headed home for some sleep!

**(Then we realized Amber had forgotten her designer shades in my car so we made plans to drop them off the next day when Eric and I were out and about and Amber was checking out of her hotel.)

**Not sure why I included this in my post--haha! Definite a sidebar. :-)

Things continued to get better when we left for my birthday weekend extravaganza to Southern California. We stayed in Newport Beach and rented a lovely white Eclipse convertible (like I used to have!) and I did a lot of shopping and ate a lot of cupcakes and drank a lot of wine and did some more shopping and celebrated my birthday over dinner at Melting Pot. We met my friend Angie for lunch one day and my other friend, Katie, for brunch at her fancy hotel (St. Regis in Dana Point!)--she and her husband just happened to be visiting at the same time.

Then it was back to Minnesota and time to celebrate my good friend, Jason's 40th birthday. We have been friends since he was 21, can you believe it? There was wine and cake and a cute doggie.

The month finished up with Halloween, of course.   We went to the Screamtown Haunted Houses with our neighbors and it was so much fun. Of course, I was the girl who got picked on the most by the actors. Go figure!

Noodles dressed up like a banana split for the Halloween party at his vet's office. But he has lost so much weight on his diet that his costume no longer fit properly. I bought it on clearance at Target last year but this year he is too skinny! He spent Halloween night answering the door for the Trick Or Treaters in an orange Halloween t-shirt with fur trim & glitter.

That was October in a rather long nutshell!!   I will put up some pictures at my other blog so stay tuned if you are into that kind of thing!

Read more here and here.

I Promise I Will Be Back!

2011-11-09T09:32:00.001-06:00

I know, I know. I am such a bad blogger. October was my hiatus and November is quickly becoming mid-November so...I promise to be back! Don't give up on me.

This is kind of depressing!! I want to do a recap of October with all of its ups and downs and always my favorite month (birthday month!) and tell you what is going on with me now. But right now, I am off to the doctor--wish me luck! My blood pressure has been going wacky!

Read more here and here.

A - Z

2011-09-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

This idea comes from my pal, Amber at A Little Pink in the Cornfields who is coming to hang out with me in a few weeks for my early birthday weekend!

A. Age: I haven’t decided what age I am going to be this year, but my birthday is coming up – October 13th!

B. Bed Size: Queen

C. Chore that you hate Housework in general – that is what cleaning people are for—and husbands.

D. Dogs: My Pug, Noodles who is my best friend. I wish I could have a second dog as well, but so far my husband has vetoed that idea. So far. I never give up!

E. Essential start to your day: Coffee and Kare 11 Sunrise on the couch—and if I am really motivated, I will watch it while doing the elliptical.

F. Favorite Color: I go back and forth between purple and yellow. But right now, probably yellow.

G. Gold or Silver: Platinum

H. Height: 5’3” on a good day but in reality just a tad under

I. Instruments you play: Sadly, none

J. Job Title: Receptionist extraordinaire

K. Kids: No, thanks – all my “kids” have 4 legs

L. Live: Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area

M. Mother’s Name: Glenda Jean

N. Nicknames: Les, Lester, Pookie, Ladybug, Junebug

O. Overnight hospital stays: I had major surgery in 2003 and was in the hospital for 3 days.

P. Pet peeve: Negative, complaining people, people who don’t use their turn signals or know how to zipper merge and people who are rude in general and also in traffic. People who put an “e” on the end of my name even if they have known me for DECADES.

Q. Quote from a movie: It’s A Desperately Important Scarf – from “Confessions of a Shopaholic”

R. Right or left handed: Right

S. Siblings: One brother who lives in New Zealand and a sister who died as a baby

T. Time you wake up: 5:30 a.m.

U. Underwear: I like boy shorts

V. Vegetable you hate: Green beans, broccoli, lettuce on sandwiches, brussel sprouts – for a vegetarian, there are a lot of veggies I don’t like!

W. What makes you run late: Pets, traffic, weather, not allowing myself enough time

X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth, broken leg, mammogram

Y. Yummy food that you make: I make a really delicious dip known as crack dip. You can get the recipe here.

Z. Zoo Animal: Baby elephants, big cats, zebras.

P.S. I also did this in March - let's see how well my answers match up!!

Read more here and here.

Hello September

2011-09-11T18:19:00.000-05:00

Hello, blog, it has been awhile. Yes, I am still here. I am not even sure where August went and now we are almost halfway into September. To be honest, I have been journaling more than blogging so I guess that means I am being uncharacteristically introverted. I am trying to get back into the habit of keeping a daily journal but I don't want to do that at the expense of my blog--so I am hoping I can keep up on both. Anyhoo--August was a busy month.

I took a watercolor painting class. I dabbled! It is harder than it looks!

And am trying to get back into yoga at Yoga Fresh in Woodbury.

And horseback riding.

I went to a psychic party where the psychic told me that I am psychic--which I have known for a long time. Of course, I think everyone has psychic abilities, we just don't all tap into them and some of us are more developed.

At my psychic reading, my horse Cocoa came forward and said she was glad I have taken a renewed interest in horses. Cocoa was a horse I had when I was growing up and honestly my renewed interest in horses came about when I was was on Mackinac Island and I went riding. It all kind of came back to me. I have been looking into some local riding stables. I always wanted to learn how to jump. The day that I signed up for riding lessons was the day of my psychic reading and there is no way on earth the psychic could have known that. I really do think Cocoa was sending me a message.

I was really looking forward to my Minnesota Blogging Get Together with Cathy and Lisa and Marcy and Michael and Margaret, but it kind of fell through at the last minute. These are the bloggers I have had a few dinners with plus a Christmas cookie exchange. But we are hopeful we can get together in October instead. Do you know how hard it is to get a group of people together with everyone's varying schedules? I adore these 5 fellow Minnesota bloggers!

But happily I got to go to brunch with some other bloggers Amber, Amber and Lisa. Amber at A Little Pink I feel like I have known forever at this point in time but Amber and Lisa were new to me and it was so fun to meet them. Lisa lives right here in Minneapolis! And Amber I have been reading for awhile--she lives in Canada! These girls are all wonderful and I feel lucky to know them!

I went to both the Iowa and the Minnesota State Fairs. I am truly just a Midwestern girl who loves her state fairs. I don't think you can ever take the Midwest out of me! But you can definitely take me out of the Midwest; I am ready to move to California....um, yesterday!

Last weekend was Labor Day and the unofficial end to summer. It ended on a very bitter note as I had gone to Iowa on Saturday to visit my mom and got home Saturday evening. We have a two-car garage and 3 cars so someone always ends up parking in the driveway. This time it was my VW Beetle, Daisy. I didn't think much of it. I left my car in the driveway and on Sunday Eric and I went to brunch and did errands in his SUV and then he went to play golf and I lazily hung out at home not going anywhere. It wasn't until Monday afternoon that Eric noticed someone had keyed my car!

Some vicious vandal(s) maliciously gouged their keys all the way across my driver's side. I am assuming it was a random case and not someone who really knew me, but it made me very sad and angry and I felt violated that someone would do that to my car in my own driveway in a nice, safe neighborhood. I don't exactly live in the "hood".

At an rate, I called the police and filed a report and got two damage estimates, both around $1100. We have a $1,000 deductible so therefore this will be an out-of-pocket matter. One of life's unexpected unpleasantries for sure.

So that is how my summer and ended and fall began - I am hopeful that this will be a great fall and hopefully this was not an indicator of things to come!

Read more here and here.

Cake Pops!

2011-08-19T09:48:00.000-05:00

My friend, Stephanie, made cake pops last week and they were de-lish. She was kind enough to share the process with me so I thought I would share it too--it could be a fun weekend baking project!

Bake a regular cake.

Let it cool.

Add frosting. ¾ of a regular sized tub.

Mix.

Roll into balls.

Freeze balls for about 15-30 minutes, depending on how cool your freezer is. Or you can put in the fridge overnight.

Buy chocolate candy chips from Michaels or Joann’s…they come in all sorts of fun colors. They have coupons

Melt chocolate – directions are on the bag.

You really want the chocolate to be the right consistency, or else you’ll have a hard time dipping the cake pops. If you need a thinner consistency, add a little bit of vegetable oil. The candy chips cool fast, so you may have to reheat.

Dip cake pop stick into chocolate, then put on cake ball.

Dip cake pop in chocolate. You may have to spoon some of the chocolate onto the cake pop.

Once chocolate has covered the cake pop, tap the pop on the side of the bowl to get off excess chocolate.

Add sprinkles or whatever you want (crumbled cookies would be good too….)

To cool, place in a colander or buy a piece of Styrofoam. You may have to put them in the fridge to cool, but they cool pretty fast.

SOUNDS FUN & RELATIVELY EASY - HAVE YOU EVER MADE CAKE POPS?

Read more here and here.

CONTEST

2011-08-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

Stop by my other blog to find out how you can win a lovely Thymes candle in Verbena Bamboo!

Read more here and here.

An Easy Post

2011-08-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged in AGES! This is an easy one to get me back on track. I got it from my friend, Emily at Lacey Maybelle--she is fantastic - check out her blog. I promise to do a more structured update, but for now....here ya' go!

1. What is your occupation? Receptionist at the corporate office of a well-known bath & body co.

2. What are you wearing right now? Jeans, flip flops and a white top from Nordstrom over a pink tank top—I went very casual today.

3. What are you listening to right now? KDWB

4. What was the last thing you ate? A candy bar—bad me!

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes, and it is my preference!

6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? One of the purple shades

7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? A customer

8. How old are you today? Legal

9. Favorite drink? Coffee and white wine

10. What is your favorite sport to watch? Football

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? Highlights

12. Favorite reality TV show? Real Housewives but only Bev Hills, Orange County and New York—the others are annoying!

13. What was the last movie you watched? Planet of the Apes

14. Favorite day of the year? My birthday!

15. What was your favorite toy as a child? Barbies and stuffed animals and model horses

16. What is your favorite, fall or spring? Fall (my birthday)

17. Hugs or kisses? Depends from who!

18. Cherries or blueberries? Cherries

19. Favorite dessert? Can’t go wrong with carrot cake or cherry pie

20. Living arrangement? Married with pets

21. What is on the floor of your closet? More like what isn’t on my floor! Shoes, clothes, handbags—yikes!

22. What did you do last night? Went for a walk, did the elliptical, played Words With Friends & read a book before falling asleep.

23. What are you afraid of? Mice! Eek!

24. Plain, cheese, or spicy burgers? None! I am a vegetarian. I don’t even like veggie burgers because of the texture.

25. Favorite breed of dog? Pugs, Shih Tzus, Cairn terriers

26. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

27. How many states have you lived in? 3 – Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin

28. Celebrity crush? Johnny Depp forever

29. Ever driven a motorcycle or heavy machinery? Shockingly yes

30. Who is your favorite NFL team? I like the Seattle Seahawks

31. Do you have a house phone that is not cordless? No, this isn’t 1990! :-)

32. 10 inches of snow or 100 degree weather? I die in hot weather. 10 inches of snow is nothing!

33. What sports did/do you play? Tennis

34. Married? Yes!

35. If not, dating anyone? Not this week!

36. If so, what is your favorite thing about him? He puts up with my nuttiness.

Read more here and here.

Things That Make Me Happy

2011-07-15T11:06:00.000-05:00

I have a running list of things that make me happy. One of them is this! A real life Barbie car.

I very rarely ever see a pink VW Bug in Minnesota-Wisconsin, really only ever in Southern California but I saw one last night on the way home.

Cute!

Adorbs!

Happy Friday!

Read more here and here.

Randomosity

2011-07-13T17:32:00.000-05:00

Not sure that is really a word, but if it isn't, I don't care--then I just made it up! Today is Wednesday, July 13th, which means my birthday is exactly three months away and also the number 13 is lucky for me so I mailed in my raffle entry today to win a 2012 Porsche. Even if I don't win (but, I AM GOING TO WIN) the $100 goes to the lung cancer foundation. Also, I have always thought Wednesdays were my lucky day and they are doing the drawing on October 16 and October is my lucky month.

I wrote about this on Facebook and one of my friends insisted that there is no such thing as luck. To which I replied adamantly that I am a big believer in luck. How about you? Do you believe in luck?

In other news, I just finished Candace Bushnell's latest book in the Carrie Diaries series (a prequel to Sex and the City), Summer And The City. It was wonderful; I loved it. I just love how Candace Bushnell writes--she inspires me.

You can follow her on Facebook and she is having a promotional contest called What Would Candace Do where you can ask her a question regarding fashion, relationships, lifestyle, etc., and each week she chooses the 2 or 3 most interesting to answer. At the end of the summer she is going to choose her favorite question out of all of them and the person who asked that question receives autographed copies of the Carrie Diaries and Summer and the City, and an autographed I Love New York t-shirt. How cool would that be? I am still trying to think of a really good question.

Tell me in the comments if you believe in luck and/or if you have read either the Carrie Diaries or Summer and the City. Or if you have ever won a raffle for that matter!

Happy July 13th!!!

Read more here and here.

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

2011-07-01T07:10:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy & Safe 4th of July weekend!

Be sure to stop by other blogs (links below!) for some pictures of Mackinac Island and some shopping on Mackinac.

Read more here and here.

Ten on Tuesday On A Wednesday Because I Am Late Like That

2011-06-29T14:46:00.000-05:00

Today's 10 on Tuesday are inspired by Amber at A Little Pink in The Cornfields, of course!

1. What’s the recipe for your favorite drink? (Smoothie, alcoholic, coffee, whatever.)

I can’t think of any drink recipes right off the top of my head unless it would be a mimosa (orange juice & champagne, easy peasy) otherwise I take my coffee black, my water with lemon, and my iced tea with lemonade (good old Arnie Palmer!). In a related matter, I really want to try the strawberry frozen lemonade at McDonalds, but I am sure it has a gazillion calories.

2. What kind of razor do you use?

A few Christmases ago I received an electric razor as a gift and I really wanted it, but guess what—like many gadgets that you think you have to have (think Roomba!) I never use it. I like my cheap old disposable razors in the popsicle colors.

3. Who is your favorite Sesame Street character?

I don’t have a favorite Sesame Street character, honestly. Maybe cookie monster??!! I like cookies!

4. What makes the perfect salad? (Lettuce type, toppings, dressing, etc.)

I am a vegetarian who doesn’t really like lettuce all that much - the best salads have pasta! And chick peas. And blue cheese.

5. What was your favorite subject in school?

English, art and history – I hated anything to do with math and science and was not a fan of gym class.

6. What’s your favorite summer tradition?

Going to Mackinac Island, S’mores, patio dining at my favorite restaurants, fireworks, brunch cruises on Lake Minnetonka – summer when the living is easy!

7. Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? How do you combat them?

I never had allergies until I hit my 30s and now I think I am allergic to cats, lilies, my dog, wine and dust! So I wouldn’t say they are seasonal but rather situational! The only thing that really helps is Benadryl and I hate how it makes me feel—all tired and dopey.

8. How often do you have to charge your cell phone?

Constantly. I think Words with Friends is really a drain on my iPhone. I charge it in my car(s) when I am driving and a few times a week I try to remember to hook it up to my Mac and get a really good charge. And I try to remember to turn it off at bedtime. BTW, if you play Words With Friends, find me at Leslialison.

9. Do you have a bucket list?

Not officially, just a vague notion of things in my head. I should make a list. Lists are good!

10. Do you have any desire to go back to school?

Yes and no. I always say I want to finish getting my degree in interior design, but no because I don’t want any more student loans. It was such a relief to pay them off.

THE END

Read more here and here.

When Did I Become 92 Years Old?!

2011-06-27T16:28:00.000-05:00

This is what I look like lately! (I realize the girl above is not 92 years old! The picture is a perfect example of my position lately and I just FEEL like I am 92 years old. )

When it comes to exercise, I am not that extreme--I do like to exercise about 40 minutes a day--but light exercise like walking and the elliptical and casually pedaling my bicycle around the neighorhood is my speed. I don't like anything like heavy weight lifting or running. I figure I do just enough to stay in shape and be able to indulge in the occasional French Toast.

But lately my back has been killing me, not all the time but sporadically. It really started to hurt this weekend when I was out shopping, heaven forbid! Whereas last weekend I went horseback riding for an hour and rode my bicycle for 16 miles and walked all over Mackinac Island and nothing--no pain, I felt fine. But try to run around Costco and Target and the grocery store and owwwwwwwwww.

Eric finally got fed up with me and bought me a pair of ATHLETIC shoes because he doesn't like how I run around in flip flops and heels and I even work out that way--well, not heels on the elliptical but I have been known to go for a walk in them! It is his opinion that I am not giving my back enough support in my choice of footwear.

So anyhow I now own some white trainers with light blue trim. And we will see if it helps. My massage person says I need to stretch before and after exercising. So I am trying to remember to do that. Or it will be aspirin and a heating pad for me!

Anyone have any back ache stories or home remedies to share? Thank you in advance!

Read more here and here.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

2011-06-16T17:19:00.001-05:00

I really, really have to get better at updating this thing or I will lose my readers. You know, all 3 or 4 of you at this point in time! It has been a hectic month of June so far. The month started off with me getting waylaid by either food poisoning or a stomach bug--I am still not sure which it was but let's just say I have been avoiding sushi and Greek salad with feta cheese for the past two weeks!

I had just recovered when Eric's parents arrived for a visit from New Hampshire. We did a lot of entertaining and eating and drinking and then I think I broke my baby toe or severely bruised it (something about peanut shells and a Twins baseball game and a veggie dog and a hard metal seat--I will spare you the details--just know my toe looks like a Vienna sausage and it sort of limits my choice of footwear).

Anyhow we went to the casino and to a Twins game and out to eat at Joe's Garage and Pier 500 and did a lovely brunch cruise down the St. Croix River. It was a lot of eating & drinking and I only worked out one night the entire time they were here so am feeling fat. Have to get back in the groove! I did work out last night but I had to do the elliptical in flip flops because of my toe. I wore a really cushiony pair so that was nice but I kind of felt like I didn't have much traction. It has rained the past two nights but I am hopeful I can do a walk tonight.

So they left on Tuesday morning and now this weekend Eric and I are taking off for a lovely trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan--one of my favorite road trip destinations! It is all about bicycles and fudge and relaxing and unplugging. This time I also bought us tickets for a ghost tour of some haunted places around the island and I am also hoping that we can go horseback riding. You can rent a horse for $40 per hour.

So I am all excited about that! And that is what has been going on with me in a nutshell. I will put up some new pictures over at Daisy Chloe.

Happy Weekend Eve!

Read more here and here.

Happy Memorial Weekend!

2011-05-31T09:57:00.001-05:00

This is a little bit of a belated post, but I hope everyone had a lovely extended weekend! Shockingly, I went into the weekend with no plans to speak of and no travel plans, but I still ended up doing something fun every day.

Saturday I waffled between driving to Iowa to take my mom out for lunch or driving an hour north to the outlet mall in Albertville. The outlet mall won out; sorry, Mom!   Eric and I had lunch at Boston's Gourmet Pizza in Maple Grove (wine and cranberry pecan salad for me) and then we hit Nordstrom Rack where I scored a cute pair of flip flops and some Pink Sugar perfume at half price! Half price I tell you!   Last week, I paid full price at the regular Nordstrom, so from now on I think I need to check Nordstrom Rack although I am not sure that they always carry Pink Sugar.

Then we proceeded on to the outlet mall where Eric bought me a really cute black skirt embellished at the hem with a black & white polka dot flower. It is really cute! Then we did some boring guy shopping at the Levi Store and the Nike Store - yawn!! :-)

At Bath and Body Works I found a couple of very adorable car air fresheners shaped like turtles. I got a yellow one for Buttercup and a purple one for Daisy. The yellow is a peach bellini fragrance and the purple one is coconut.   Also some strawberry anti-bacterial soap, small enough for my purse, and then a bottle of Coconut shower gel.

I also got a couple of peanut butter oatmeal cookies at Mrs. Fields. It was a successful outlet mall shopping day!

Sunday, Eric had golf so I met my friend Sara at Starbucks at the Galleria in Edina and we talked FOREVER. I had Tazo Tea Lemonade in Passion Fruit. 2 of them. It was good to catch up with Sara.

Then Monday I went to see "Bridesmaids" with my friend, Donna and her younger sister, Megan. We saw it at the West End in St. Louis Park where we had VIP seating. I had white wine and chips and onion dip. The movie was really pretty funny, made more so by the two glasses of wine, I think.   I highly recommend seeing all movies at the West End in VIP!

I also planted some things to remember two of my best friends who are no longer with me. I like to do this every Memorial Day to remember my dad and my cat, Chloe. This year I planted an orange geranium in memory of my dad and for Chloe, catnip, of course!

So that's it for my weekend--it was lovely. Now back at the office on a Tuesday, but it seems like a Monday, but thank goodness it is not!

Read more here and here.

My Summer Reading List

2011-05-21T09:25:00.002-05:00

Summer is upon us and it has come to my attention that there are a couple of classics that I have never read. It is shocking, I know! The first one is To Kill A Mockingbird.

I started to read this book when I was younger because growing up it was in our house, but then I didn't. Now I am going to!

The second book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

I recently uploaded this book to my Nook Color and now I am determined to read it.

I can't believe I let these classics pass me by. Have you read one or both? Did you enjoy them? Comment please!!

Read more here and here.

Good Old-Fashioned Midwest Salads

2011-05-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

I stopped by my pal, Margaret's wonderful blog and I saw her recipe for Strawberry Salad. I hope she doesn't mind if I share it here with you! It got me to thinking about "salads" in the Midwest and the particular kind that we make with Cool Whip and cream cheese and Jell-o. I think those types of dessert-y salads could be particularly indigenous to the Midwest. I have lived in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin my whole life and I think so!

Here is Margaret's recipe:

STRAWBERRY SALAD

8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar

20oz can crushed pineapple, very well drained
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup nuts - I used pecans
10oz frozen strawberries, thawed
Cool Whip - about 2 cups

Cream sugar and cream cheese. Add pineapple, bananas, and berries. Stir in nuts. Fold in Cool Whip. Freeze in a 9x9 pan. Remove from the freezer 20-30 minutes before servings.

And then I was also reminded of a salad that I like to make called Snickers Salad or Caramel Apple Salad

SNICKERS SALAD

For that you will need

One package of instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces of Cool Whip
6 Snickers candy bars
6-8 green apples

Follow the directions to make the vanilla pudding and then add the Cool Whip and blend. Core (obviously!) and chop up the apples, and also cut the Snickers into bite size pieces and blend into the pudding mixture.

Voila! Salad!

Do you have any recipes for your region? Share with this Midwestern girl!

Read more here and here.

Words With Friends!

2011-05-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

I am addicted to playing Words With Friends on my iPhone. If you play, please find me. I am at Leslialison.

Thank you!!

Read more here and here.

Something Borrowed!

2011-05-10T16:33:00.002-05:00

I saw "Something Borrowed" twice this past weekend & it is easily my favorite chick flick of the year so far!

I read the orignal book by Emily Giffin when it first came out, but when was that? 2003? 2004? 2005? But it has been awhile. Therefore, I cannot tell you for sure how much the movie followed the book, but I am sure they took some liberties with the story. Nevertheless, I loved it!

Target has the book so I might want to re-read it. Here is the story in a nutshell without giving anything way!

It is about 2 best friends, Rachel and Darcy. Rachel is the serious brunette who went to law school and Darcy is the bubbly blonde and the one for whom things always seem to be perfect. She always gets what she wants. She is not as serious or as smart as Rachel. Darcy is engaged to Dex whom Rachel went to law school with.

Two BFFs played by Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin (who is adorable!)

Rachel had a crush on Dex in law school and he on her, too--but neither one knew how the other felt (although the chemistry was undeniable!), and Rachel never felt beautiful enough for Dex. So it was Darcy who ended up with Dex.

Fast forward to present day and Darcy is throwing Rachel a surprise 30th birthday party...and that is when things between Dex and Rachel start to heat up again!

Anyhow I won't spoil anything for you. It is a lovely movie & a delightful way to spend a few hours--although my husband might not agree with that!

Read more here and here.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T08:57:00.000-05:00

Read more here and here.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-05-05T17:17:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know it is Thursday and this is from a couple of weeks ago even, but nevertheless--here are my Ten On Tuesday....on Thursday.

1. How many blogs do you read every day and what are they? (I’m talking the ones you NEVER miss)

I read many, many blogs so don’t feel slighted if I leave you out. It doesn’t mean I don’t read your blog! These are just my few “go-to” blogs whose addresses I have memorized and who I do check on every day.

The Chloe Conspiracy

Glammed If You Do, Glammed If You Don’t

Slice of Pink

A Little Pink in the Cornfields

Crazy Aunt Purl

Pretty In The City

(I completely plan to go back and insert links--I just wanted to get this out there!)

As I said, there are many, many more; these are just the first ones I like to check on first thing every morning!

2. How many “best friends” do you have? Do you have different “besties” for different areas of your life?

This may sound like a cop-out but my best friends at the moment are my husband and my dog. I have many, many, MANY girlfriends in my personal life and at the office and also through blogging, but I don’t have a best girlfriend anymore which kind of makes me sad. But there is not just that one female friend who I do everything with and share everything with. Maybe that just comes from getting older and being married and growing apart from certain people.

3. What’s your daily make up routine?

Philosophy’s Hope In A Jar moisturizer with sunscreen, then a primer—I like either a Sephora primer, a primer by Smashbox , or a really good primer by L’Oreal that just smoothes my skin and gets it ready for foundation. My foundation of choice and my newest favorite right now is L’Oreal’s Magic Souffle—I just put a little on and it blends right in and makes my skin really smooth. Then I use a little Maybelline illuminator powder on my cheekbones, bridge of my nose, forehead (making a W shape) and then sometimes a little on my chin. Followed by a plum colored blush by Cover Girl. As far as eyes, I curl my lashes and then put on several coats of Cover Girl Lash Blast in black, eyeliner pencil (I like blue), and sometimes a little highlighter on my brown bone. The highlighter is from Sephora & the shade is Aspen. For lips, I like Lip Venom lip plumper, Philosophy Red Velvet lip gloss (sadly this has been discontinued!), and sometimes a little Revlon lipstick in raisin or plum shades. And that’s it. I can do it all in under 10 minutes. But reading this, it sounds like a lot!

4. What is your ideal girl’s night?

Dinner and girl talk over glasses of wine. It is also fun just to sit around in sweats or pjs and watch movies and eat junk food—but I haven’t done that in ages. Maybe I should!

5. Do you keep up with your nails/toenails or are they au natural?

I get a pedicure every 3-4 weeks, more in the summer and I generally do my own finger nails. I like color, no naked nails! I am lucky in that we have someone come to our office every other Tuesday for manicures & pedicures.

6. What’s your best roommate story (assuming you had a roommate at some point in your life)?

I once had two male roommates; I would not recommend this to anyone – they were both complete slobs. On the other hand, when I had female roommates, it completely ruined our friendships—one permanently and the other one temporarily. I don’t recommend moving in with girlfriends either. Yikes! In my memory, roommates involved arguments over boyfriends, food in the fridge, cleaning, borrowed clothes, etc., etc. Not fun. Before marriage, my best years were when I had my OWN place!

7. What’s your “go to” outfit that you wear more than anything else?

Jeans, heels (because I am short!), cute top, cute scarf to tie everything together.

8. Do you have a beauty secret?

I really believe the two best things you can do for your skin and keep yourself looking young is a) exfoliate (sugar makes a great scrub and I love anything by Olay), and b) stay out of the sun and, if you are going to be in the sun, wear sunscreen. Oh, and one more thing and this is so true—a smile is your best accessory! (Cheesy, I know!)

9. Did you read Seventeen magazine growing up?

I loved it!

10. How did you learn to put on makeup?

Self taught. I often “played” with my mom’s makeup. I started wearing mascara occasionally when I was 13; by the time I was 15 I was wearing more & more makeup and sometime around 16 I discovered eyeliner. I wouldn’t say I always wore it well but I had fun.

Read more here and here.

Update * Update * Update

2011-05-04T19:03:00.000-05:00

I updated ONE of my blogs. Not this one though--ha ha! Stay tuned tomorrow (perhaps!). In the meantime, stop by Daisy, Chloe....and read my update!

Happy Wednesday!!
xoxo

Read more here and here.

Blast From The Past

2011-04-15T17:23:00.000-05:00

I found this post from almost 2 years ago--May of 2009!! I thought it was interesting especially because THIS May 13th, I will be attending a Jennifer Lancaster book singing with my good friend, Amber!!

I recently put a How Well Do You Know Lesli quiz on my Facebook and most of my friends got 80 to 90% correct. But that could be because I made the questions super easy. A few questions tripped everyone up--such as what is my middle name and what happened to me in the second grade.

So I decided to make a little refresher list of stuff about me--and I have to give credit for this idea to Michelle over at Just Jump.

1 - My middle name is Alison, not Anne as most people would guess. Lesli Alison is the name!

2 - In second grade, I was I was voted the cutest girl in my class.

3 - And shockingly sent to advanced math.

4 - And spent most of my time drawing & playing with Barbies while in class

5 - Fast forward, I met my husband at work when we both worked at a collection agency.

6 - He did not attend interior design school with me.

7 - Nor did we meet on a cruise ....

8 - And not in line at Taco Bell either!

9 - I am 5'3" barely and maybe even 5'2" and 3/4th--but I round up

10 - I have been a vegetarian since I was 6 years old

11 - I don't like watching sports of any kind on TV, but I am all for attending live events because there is always people watching and snacks

12 - My birthday is October 13 & that makes me a Libra

13 - I have lived in the states of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, but would love to live in California, Washington State and Hawaii & hope to add them to my places of residence some day

14 - I went to school for interior design but somehow wound up as a receptionist at a bath & body company

15 - I decided a long time ago I am never having children

16 - My maternal instinct comes out for my cats and my Pug

17 - My favorite colors are lavender, pink and yellow.

18 - I wear a lot of pink.

19 - And black.

20 - My favorite shows are Gossip Girl, Real Housewives, Samantha Who (farewell!), Ugly Betty, Tori & Dean, and Denise Richards, It's Complicated.

21 - I like watching a lot of reality shows, but not Survivor or Amazing Race.

22. My favorite movies are Confessions of a Shopaholic, Clueless and Legally Blonde.

23 - I am scared of mice and rats.

24 - I am also scared of being fat, ugly or poor.

25 - To that list add house fires and becoming blind.

26 - I have always wanted to own a Porsche

27 - And a Volkswagen Beetle - either in pink or light yellow

28 - I have seen Legally Blonde the musical twice

29 - My favorite concert ever was Britney Spears Circus

30 - My favorite Las Vegas show was Donny & Marie

31 - I love reading ...

32- Almost as much as I love shopping.

33 - I don't really cook but I like to bake

34 - I collect Hello Kitty

35 - I have a Pug named Noodles

36 - And would like a girl Shih Tzu named Betsey Johnson

37 - I miss my cat, Chloe, every day

38 - I have my backup cats who are very much loved, but not the same as Chloe - she was one of a kind

39 - I keep this blog because I love to write & be creative and make new friends

40 - I will probably regret not going to the Jen Lancaster Pretty in Plaid book signing!

Read more here and here.

Getting To Know You ...

2011-04-11T14:25:00.001-05:00

Today's idea for a blog post comes from Amber again, surprise, surprise!

1. do you watch/read the news?

I usually read the Minneapolis news on- line and I do like to watch national news on CNN. However, I try not to over-dose on too much news – it can be really depressing. I just like to stay informed on current events.

2. how would you describe your "look"?

I am a girlie girl and very much into fashion so I like to be very of-the-moment. My favorite designers are Rebecca Taylor and Nanette Lepore and I like the whimsical style of Kate Spade. My fashion icons are Carrie Bradshaw and Lauren Conrad.

3. did you play sports in high school or college?. No – so not a jock!

4. would you rather give up lipstick/gloss or high heels?

Neither!!!!!! I am only 5’3” on a good day so I need my heels and I am never without my lip gloss. This is a neither situation!

5. what's your favorite show to watch on tv?

Real Housewives of Orange County!

6. would you rather bake or cook?

Bake. Cupcakes, cookies, cake—all fun!

7. shorts or skirts?

Skirts! I love skirts because they go along with my girlie girl, romantic style. See #2 above.

8. what's your favorite scary movie?

Rosemary’s Baby – classic scary

Be sure to stop by other blogs during the coming week--I will be adding weekend updates with photos from a prom dress event and surprise birthday party and sharing what I bought and doing a review of some great makeup I found. Noodles also went to Starbucks with me so be sure to check back for pictures! Updating soon! Happy Monday!
Read more here and here.

Happy April!

2011-04-01T14:48:00.007-06:00

Happy April! Despite the wet, slushy half inch of snow we received last night (which has since melted - see other blog), I still say spring can't be far behind!

So Happy April & Happy Friday and here are two of my favorite things!

Champagne and gummi bears are wondrous things!

Read more here and here.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-03-30T16:44:00.000-06:00

Ten on Tuesday even though it is Wednesday. Whatever!! :-) When I first saw this on Amber’s blog yesterday, I almost decided not to do it because I am the girl who really doesn’t cook. I can make easy things like eggs and spaghetti, but I seriously can survive on cheese & crackers and Minute Rice. I am not a foodie! But then I decided what the heck!

My vegan idol, Alicia Silverstone. You should get her book if you haven't already, The Kind Diet.

1. What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then tried and liked?

Some friends convinced me to try the food at an Indian restaurant. I still do NOT like Indian cuisine though!

2. Do you subscribe to any foodie publications? If so, which ones

My husband gets one, I think it is Cooking Like or Healthy Cooking or something like that, but I never look at it.

3. What ingredient do you find yourself reaching for the most when you cook? I like to add pepper to everything!

4. Are there any foods that you hated as a child, but then learned to like as an adult? No, actually the foods I liked as a child I still like. I do not have a very sophisticated palate! And the foods I hated – like red meat – I still hate!

5. What do you like to eat that others may consider weird? First of all, I am a vegetarian and I know a lot of people think that is weird, but it is something I am passionate about and it is not just a phase. I have been a vegetarian since I was 6. Secondly, I love mushrooms, beets and olives—and so I know a lot of people don’t like those things! I also love tofu.

6. What is the weirdest ingredient you’ve ever cooked with? I guess tofu.

7. Do you have any major food allergies? No, although sometimes wine makes me sneeze & that makes me wonder if I am allergic to grapes!

8. Is there an ingredient that you would like to cook with, but are intimidated to try? Saffron and truffle oil because they sound glamorous and rich and exotic.

9. Do you bake? I love to bake. In high school, I baked a lot and that is when I really learned. Baking is so much more fun than cooking.

10. If you could go on any “foodie” show to compete, which one would it be, and why? Cupcake Wars!

Read more here and here.

You Should Know ....

2011-03-28T19:05:00.000-06:00

I have it on good authority that Whoopie Pies are the new cupcakes!!

What do you think?

Read more here and here.

ABCs of Me

2011-03-27T12:46:00.015-06:00

I borrowed this blog idea from one of my new favorite blogs, The Southern & Girly Diva. She has great taste and she is only 14!

Age: I say I am 28 FOREVER. That is my story and I am sticking to it.
Bed Size: Queen but I would rather have a King to hold all my pets! Oh, yeah, and my husband, too!
Chore you hate: I love my cats but scooping out their boxes is my least favorite chore. Part of it is because their boxes are located under the basement stairs and getting to them gives me a backache.
Dogs: One Pug, Noodles - he is wonderful!
Essential start to your day: Coffee, of course!
Favorite Color: I truly love all colors but my favorites are lovely lavender and sunny yellow.
Gold or silver: Silver.
Height: 5' 3" on a good day.
Instruments that you can play: None. Okay, maybe a triangle or the Xylophone, I like to think. Or a tambourine. No, not really! Coffee cans?
Job title: Receptionist Extraordinaire
Kids: No, thank you. My kids all have four legs and paws.
Live: Twin Cities Metro Area
Mom's name: Glenda
Nicknames: Pookie, Miss Kitty, Kathy Holiday or just Les for short
Overnight hospital stays: September 2003, I had my right ovary removed - I had an ovarian cyst the size of a small football. I only have one ovary now.
Pet peeve: People who have known me forever & still put an "e" on the end of my name. It's Lesli with an i!
Quote from a movie: Isn't my house classic? The columns date all the way back to 1972. - Cher, "Clueless"
Righty or lefty: Right paw
Siblings: One brother, now living in New Zealand
Time you wake up: 5:30 a.m. - I get up that early to work out
Underwear: I adore boy shorts
Vegetables you dislike: Green beans and brussel sprouts
What makes you run late: Everything! But definitely traffic is the main culprit
X-rays: The dentist
Yummy food you make: I make a delish crack dip. You can get the recipe here.
Zoo favorite animal: koalas and pandas and baby elephants

Read more here and here.

Fabulous Friday Finds

2011-03-25T15:23:00.010-06:00

I am enchanted by this cupcake kit. It comes complete with little poodles and Eiffel Towers to top your cupcakes with! Let's have a cupcake party!

Or how about sweet polka dot bunny book ends?

Or this retro one-piece red swimsuit?

Above items are all from Modcloth.com

Happy Friday!

Read more here and here.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-03-22T10:57:00.025-06:00

Day Two of being home sick with a sore throat & some flu-like symptoms. I thought I would catch up on my blogging before the Thera Flu kicks in and I have to go take a nap with my pals!!

Once again, I am inspired by Amber. She keeps me blogging!

1. What condiments are always, always in your fridge? For me, there always has to be mustard and hot sauce and blue cheese dressing.

2. How do you like your steak cooked? Your burgers? Not in any way, shape or form. I am a vegetarian and stopped eating red meat when I was 6.

3. What’s your favorite use for fresh tomatoes? I like them in a caprese salad, you know with fresh mozzarella.

4. What’s your go-to dinner when you haven’t planned anything in advance and you don’t feel like going out? A bowl of cereal works in a pinch!

5. What’s your favorite snack food lately? Almonds and string cheese.

6. What’s your favorite weekend breakfast to make at home? I don't really cook but I like it when someone makes me waffles!

7. What’s your favorite thing to grill? How do you do it? I am not much of a griller. But I do like S'mores. Does that count?

8. What’s your favorite wine for under $10? If you’re not a wine person, what brand of beer is your favorite? I can find a good white wine or sparkling California wine for under $10 at Trader Joe's.

9. Give us your most delicious cocktail recipe. I don't cook & I don't really mix drinks that well either!! But I like the pre-mixed Skinny Girl Margarita from Bethenny, just add some lime juice. Or a mimosa - orange juice and champagne, easy peasy. Sometimes I make weird drinks like 7-Up with white wine.

10. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled with cheddar or a cheese & mushroom omelet

HAPPY TUESDAY - Okay Thera Flu, do your thing!

Read more here and here.

Ten on Tuesday

2011-03-15T14:38:00.034-06:00

Okay, I am doing this as inspired by Amber!

1. What is your cleaning style like? I don't really clean. I leave that up to my husband. My area of expertise is just making things pretty & arranging things to look nice. Not fond of housework. We used to have a cleaning lady, but unless you can find someone reliable, I don't really recommend it. I had an Anthropologie rug ruined, a wedding gift vase broken, and my walk-in closet flooded by a leaky toilet (don't remember the exact details--I think her mop handle bumped something!). I take that back--paying someone to clean can be a good experience. Nothing like coming home to a sparkling clean house. But you definitely take your chances. For awhile we tried to do the clean 15 minutes per day thing but that kind of fizzled out. It was cutting into my reality TV time--kidding! (sort of).

2. What is your favorite thing to add to an outfit to take it from casual to classy? A cardigan, jewelry, heels and a nice handbag.

3. Do you like stormy weather? I love thunderstorms, and snow storms can be fun too--as long as I am safely inside my house!

4. What is your favorite cold treat on a hot day? Strawberry ice cream

5. What is your favorite warm treat on a cold day? Hot chocolate

6. Who is your favorite animated character? Mickey Mouse

7. What do you keep your jewelry in? I have a couple of flower hooks from Anthropologie that hold necklaces, and a shabby chic style jewelry armoir (tiny!), and some little dressmaker figures that hold jewelry, and finally some small hatbox type things--also full of jewelry. I have a lot!

8. Do any of the rooms in your house have a theme? Not really unless you count the guest bathroom which has sort of a jungle-y theme. There is a toucan mural painted on the wall and a tiny tree frog painted by the electrical outlet and a guest towel with monkeys....so maybe!

9. Do you watch any interior design TV shows – if so, what is your favorite? I watch them ALL! I especially like Divine Design, Color Splash and Designer Challenge.

10. When was the last time you did something risk-taking? I must not be much of a risk taker because I can't think of anything .... at .... all. I better work on that!

Read more here and here.

Woof, Woof!

2011-03-14T15:10:00.034-06:00

I want a second dog. My husband is being stubborn and won't give in to me this time. Of course, Noodles is my one and only true dog love at the moment.

True Love

But through my friend, Amber, whose aunt does dog rescue and through Amber's friend, Shannon, who fosters dogs, I have become aware of a Shih Tzu who is in need of a good home. I would love to take him in. His name is Pooh. But I would probably change his name to Mr. Jones (like from the Counting Crows song). But Eric is not budging.

That's Pooh in the back of the photo. The two dogs were on their way to an adoption event to find their fur-ever homes.

To satisfy my Shih Tzu fix, I get to babysit (dog-sit) Roxie whenever her owners go on vacation. She is sort of like my part-time dog and also a Shih Tzu. You have probably seen her around my blog or on Facebook.

Little Roxie Fox!

I love Shih Tzus as we had one when I was in high school. His name was Dewey and he was wonderful!

Lately, I have also become enchanted with Cairn Terriers. There were a couple of them at Noodles' doggie daycare who were adorable. They are just like Toto! I would also like a Cairn Terrier.

A Cairn terrier - so cute! Just like Toto.

Anyhow, right now Eric says no but I take no as just a jumping off point, a place to negotiate. I never take no for an answer. I seldom give up! How do you think I got Noodles?

What do you think? Do you have to run things past your signficant other? Of course, a second dog can be a big change to a household and is a commitment for the lifetime of a pet. I am a big believer that if you adopt a pet, then you just made a commitment. Pets are not disposable. So, of course, all people concerned have to agree on the addition of a new four-legged member to the household.

I am just wondering, what sort of things do you have to run past others in your house and do you have any tips for swaying my husband? Ha ha! Leave any tips in the comments section.

And you can read more from me here and here. It's where I also blog (on occasion - bad blogger!)

Of Sweet Animals, Emails That Go Unread & Long Lost Cousins!

2011-03-02T15:58:00.036-06:00

How is that for a title?!!

First of all, I am always excited to find a new author and I think I have found my newest favorite! Katrina Kittle. Her latest book and the one I just finished reading is "The Blessings of the Animals." Her book was featured in the "Twin Cities Live" Book Club as a selection to read and since I love the co-host of "Twin Cities Live", Elizabeth Ries, (isn't she lovely??) I decided to put it on my To Be Read List. And, I am so glad I did!

The book has everything--heartwarming animals (even a goat!), a divorce, complicated relationships, a gay couple, adoption, Alzheimers, etc., etc. The main character is Cami who finds herself after her husband leaves her. She finds herself through her animals and learns from the animals in her life and others what makes her happy and what doesn't. I just cannot recommend this book enough and am probably not doing it justice with my review. So just read it! I promise you that you will love it!

And in other book news, I am really bad about reading one of my personal email accounts. Okay, it is my hello kitty email account and the email address that I give to readers of this very blog! But my secret is I seldom check that account. I mean, I can go months! It is not my primary account or even my secondary account-it is my tertiary account! Anyhow, I recently got around to checking it and.......drum roll....I had the sweetest email from writer, Sally Koslow! She had read my blog review of her book, "The Late Lamented Molly Marx" which by the way, I also loved and immediately added Sally to my list of favorite new authors and I rushed out and got her other two books, With Friends Like These and Little Pink Slips.

But I just have to say I love her eleventy times more for sending me a personal email and wishing me a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, and then I didn't even read her email until a few months later.

Anyhow, she is absolutely lovely so you need to read her books, too! And follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

And as for me and checking my Hello Kitty email, I got another surprise when I decided to start going through some very old emails that had not been opened. 1,240 some to be exact! When I got to September of last year, I found one that asked, Are you my cousin? And it listed the names of my mom and my grandmother and complimented me on my fashion sense....and it was from a long-lost cousin that I had lost touch with. She lives in a different state and is 10 years older than me, but she used to babysit me and she is a Libra like me!

I instantly emailed her back, explaining how I never check that email account. Well, maybe every few months, but now I tell you people, I am going to check it every single, solitary day! And then I tracked her down on Facebook. And, inpsired, I tracked down two other cousins, this time on my dad's side of the family.

My own immediate family is quite small--just me and my brother and my mom these days. I don't have children. I have my husband and I have his whole family. But there is something special about cousins. All female. I always wanted a sister (I had a sister who died before I could know her) so I kind of feel that maybe my new found cousins could be like sisters!

Note to self: Always check your email!

Read my other blogs here and here.

HAPPY MARCH!!

Book Nook

2011-02-20T15:58:00.009-06:00

I read the above a few weeks ago and have been wanting to tell you all about it. I always love memoirs and so I was searching for diaries on Amazon and I stumbled across this book from the mid-90s. It is basically told in excerpts of a diary that spans several years as Rosemary struggles with her weight.

From Goodreads:

For anyone who has ever wrestled with a weight problem and for the millions of avid readers of diet books, here is the poignant story of one woman's daily struggle to control her weight. This edition includes an updated section in which the author explains how she finally achieved her weight-loss.

Rosemary was a teenage beauty queen who married young (18 years old!), and gained weight with each pregnancy; she had 6 children. She was obsessed with chocolate in particular and had 6 kinds of favorite candy bars that she would hoard and eat in private. Of course, I have never weighed 300 pounds but I found the book very relatable in many ways as I think most women would.

The book reads like a very interesting diary that you want to keep turning the pages of. You watch as Rosemary starts a new diet, begins to lose weight and then falls off the wagon. She would repeat the cycle over and over and over for many years. She is a wonderful writer. I recommend this book!

Read more here and here.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-09T17:43:00.013-06:00

About 2 million years ago I was given the Stylish Blogger Award by Tina for two of my blogs. In order to accept the award, I need to list 7 random things about myself and give the award to others.

Because two of my blogs were chosen, I put 7 random things on each of them.

Here’s one of the seven:

1. My favorite movie has to be “Confessions Of A Shopaholic”. I can and do watch it all of the time. Isla Fisher is wonderful as Becky Bloomwood.

2. I am not a fan of New Year’s Eve at all – it goes back to when I was 22 and a certain someone broke my heart. Of course, I am way over him, but I still don’t like going out on New Year’s Eve. But let’s just say he wanted to turn back the hands of time a few years later. He couldn't.

3. In 5 years I definitely see myself living in Southern California and in 10 years let’s say Maui!

4. My favorite physical feature is my hair – it is thick and in good condition no matter how many times I change the color or torture it with flat irons or curling irons.

5. My least favorite is my stomach-it will never be flat no matter how skinny I get so I guess that is just the way it is short of liposuction!

6. My current obsessions are eating at California Pizza Kitchen (I love the fish tacos) and the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal at McDonalds—I love the apples, raisins & cranberries and the idea of a hot breakfast on a cold morning.

7. My favorite night of the year is Christmas Eve—it is so calm and peaceful and magical (unlike New Year’s Eve!)

Stop by my other blog and I will tell you 7 more things and select others to receive a Stylish Blogger Award!!

You can always read more from me here and here.

A 15-Minute Challenge

2011-01-20T16:03:00.017-06:00

I got this idea from the truly KIND and INSPIRING Janet at Slice of Pink. One of her New Year's Resolutions was to spend 10 minutes each day cleaning her home and her husband would also spend 10 minutes. Together that would give them 20 minutes of cleaning per day or 140 minutes per week or 600 minutes per month. You get the picture. Janet's plan is to have her cleaning out of the way so she can spend her Saturdays in a coffee shop reading Vogue. Sounds like a plan!

Well, I decided to also implement this cleaning plan except I read it wrong originally and so I decided to do 15 minutes of cleaning each night and Eric will also do a matching 15 minutes. Together we will get half an hour in each night.

Well, we started this on Monday night and so far I have dusted, cleaned all of the counters and surfaces in the kitchen and both bathrooms, threw away a bunch of beauty products & old lotions, scrubbed the sinks, cleaned the litterboxes, sorted through mail & bills and Christmas cards, did a few loads of laundry, etc., etc. With the exception of the litterboxes, these would have been things I may or may not have gotten around to doing over the weekend.

Eric has cleaned the second bathroom, shredded paperwork, folded towels and sheets, emptied the dishwasher, Swiffered, vacuumed the furniture, etc., etc.

It really doesn't take much of a chunk of time out of my evening to get these tasks done & it is amazing the stuff you can accomplish in 15 minutes. And when the 15 minutes is up, I am done. I can then work out or veg out in front of the TV guilt free and the house looks respectable!

Our townhouse is not really big--I think it is oh, 1,500 square feet, 2 bedrooms, 2 stories, with a full basement, but we have a multi-cat household with a pug, too, so when you add pets into the mix, it is a constant effort to keep things neat.

I think this could be a good plan to keep things in order during the week though so it is not so overwhelming on the weekend. I would like to start spending either Saturday or Sunday mall walking - that is walking around the mall before it opens to get in some exercise. I will try to get Eric on board for that, too--since it will probably be MARCH before I can walk outside again and I miss my walks!

So what do you think? Do you prefer doing a few things here & there, or spending a couple of hours on the weekend doing your cleaning?

I also blog here and here.

Okay, I Refuse ...

2011-01-13T15:29:00.012-06:00

Refuse to be a Virgo! In the past few days there has been some hub-bub about all the zodiac signs changing and so everyone's sign is going back to the previous month's sign. So if you are a Libra, you are now supposedly a Virgo. If you thought you were a Virgo, well guess what, you are a Leo. Etc., etc. Something about how the earth has shifted. I am including the link to an article here.

But I think this is bogus! I have been a Libra my whole life (ha ha!) and I fit all the Libra traits. I don't see msyelf as a Virgo at all!

A Libra is fair and just, charming, easy-going, social, indecisive and flirtatious. A Libra appreciates beauty and luxury to the point of being a little self-indulgent.

Whereas here are a few traits I found about Virgo. Critical, conservative, meticulous, modest, purposeful. I don't think that describes me at all!

What do you think? How can we go from thinking we are one sign to being told we are another? Do you believe in astrology? Do you read your horoscope? Have you ever had your chart done? Do you have an attachment to your sign like I do?!!

Read more here and here.

Ten On Tuesday

2011-01-11T16:45:00.022-06:00

I don't always remember to participate in Ten on Tuesday, but sometimes I am inpsired by my friend, Amber!

1. Is there a band/artist that you HATE?
I find the Dave Matthews Band annoying & I am not quite sure why. Their music just grates on me.

Sorry! I know a lot of people really enjoy their music, including my good friend, Will. Who hopefully doesn't read my blog--ha ha!

2. What do you do when you get a gift that you do not like? How do you react?
I act suitably grateful because it is the thought that counts, but in the back of my mind I am considering how I am going to exchange it or re-gift it!

3. How is your work office/cubicle decorated?
With lots of pictures of my pets and a couple of plants. I always like to have a candle or two burning. I have a Kate Spade calendar and lots of colored pens.

4. Do you use all of your vacation every year?
Heck, yeah! I use every last minute. In fact, it is only January 11th, and I have already used up this year’s floating holiday!

5. Did you have a real or fake Christmas tree?
I have several fake trees and would you believe 3 of them stopped working? The lights stopped working. New trees are in my future for next year. I like white trees and purple trees. I do have a small purple tree. I am thinking a big white tree like I had when I was single. Having said that, I do love the way real trees smell but they are not very pet friendly. But I like them—they remind me of childhood when we ALWAYS had a real tree.

6. If you could have anything for dinner tonight, what would it be?
Well, I am probably going to have a Lean Cuisine or a Healthy Choice, but if I could have anything I would say let’s go to the Melting Pot for cheese & chocolate!

7. Do you bite your fingernails?
No, but my husband does & it drives me bananas. I am not a nail biter.

8. How many cups of coffee do you drink each day?Too many! One when I get up in the morning. Two or three when I get to work. Another one in the afternoon as a pick me up.

9. Do you have a nervous tick?
If I am nervous, I play with my hair.

10. How often do you vacuum?I don’t vacuum. My husband does. We used to have a cleaning lady, now I have Eric! But we don’t have carpet anywhere in our house, so mainly we Swiffer. I do like the furniture to be vacuumed—pet hair!

Not The Ballerina of My Jewelry Box

2011-01-09T11:02:00.010-06:00

I went to see "Black Swan" on Thursday afternoon. I had been wanting to see this movie and I was really curious because it had so many mixed reviews. Now that I have seen the movie I understand the MIXED reviews. It was dark, disturbing, depressing, artistic, beautiful, thought provoking, and depressing - did I mention depressing? I left the theater definitely not feeling happy or bubbly.

In fact, my vet even sent me a message on Facebook that if she had known I was going to see Black Swan on this particular day, she would have tried to stop me. She thought the movie was too anxiety inducing and I was already having an anxious day since my vet was performing surgery on my cat, Trista!

I would not discourage anyone from seeing this movie & everyone has to form their own opinions. While I absolutely appreciate the artistic merit of the movie and appreciate the acting of Natalie Portman, it is not a movie I would ever want to see again. But having said that, I am not sorry that I saw it - it was a worthwhile way to spend two hours on a Thursday afternoon and it is one of those movies that everyone is talking about. It is also the kind of movie where you go home and two hours later, you are still thinking about it.

What was real and what was Natalie Portmann's character only imagining? The message I took away from the film is not to DIE trying to be perfect. Oh, and don't ever let anyone put anything in your drink!

I am almost positive that this movie will pick up a lot of awards and nominations, but I am also just as sure that I am more of the chick flick kind of movie-goer and I freely admit that. I don't NEED my movies to be dark or thought-provoking. I would just as soon look at a pretty set design and laugh at a romantic comedy. But this movie was a psychological thriller so I didn't go to it expecting to laugh or feel good.

So having said that, I am probably not the target audience for a movie like Black Swan. The costumes in the final scenes of "Swan Lake" were magical. That is what I prefer to remember -- not the blood and gore.

Discuss?

Book Nook - My First Book Review of 2011

2011-01-04T16:35:00.015-06:00

I just finished reading "Unbearable Lightness; A Story of Loss and Gain", Portia De Rossi's memoir of her life with an eating disorder. I think of Portia De Rossi as the beautiful Nelle Porter on "Ally McBeal" and, of course, as Ellen DeGeneres' partner and now wife. But this book gave me a totally different perspective on her.

I found her whole account of developing and living with an eating disorder endlessly fascinating. It seems that her eating disorder went all the way back to when she was 12 years old and had begun modeling but could never be skinny enough and then it followed her when she became an actress on "Ally McBeal" and as a spokesperson for L'Oreal for hair products.

Of course, it wasn't all about being as skinny as she could be. As she pointed out herself, it was partly a way to rebel against her mom for not accepting her gayness and also she just seemed to loathe herself - she could never be happy or free as long as she kept the fact that she was a lesbian hidden. She was living a lie.

It was interesting to read about how she obsessively weighed and measured all of her food, counted calories religiously and exercised rigorously. At one point, she was only consuming 300 calories a day--oatmeal with Splenda & spray butter for breakfast, a third cup of tuna with spray butter for lunch, a small portion of ground up turkey with spray butter for dinner, and sometimes for dessert Jell-o with, yes, you guessed it, more spray butter.

She ran on the treadmill in the morning, on her lunch hour and again at night. She sprinted up and down the steps of her apartment. She got out of her car on her way to work just to run.

Of course, she overcame her eating disorder and she attributed part of it to the healing relationship she developed with her horse and being out in nature. It was good to read at the end how happy she is with Ellen and her animals and their life together and how she finally has peace and acceptance with her family knowing she is gay and loving her no matter what her sexuality.

Now she is at the weight her body is meant to be at--she doesn't diet anymore or count calories or obsessively study the labels on cans of food or drive all over town looking for a certain fat-free yogurt. She doesn't work out at gyms. She does things she loves for exercise like walking her dogs, riding her horse and playing tennis.

I would recommend this book as a very fascintating look inside the life of a TV star and her struggle with self image. I found it to be very well written and felt like I was there with her experiencing everything. I really liked the way she wrote - it was heart wrenching and beautifully, honestly written.

My Year In Review

2010-12-29T07:54:00.102-06:00

Almost time to say, "2010, See Ya!". As I have done on my blog every year since 2007, I like to write a little recap of my year and look back and reflect. So here goes!

January

I dealt with the post-holiday blues by dabbling with the thought that I would take up knitting. I did NOT learn how to knit this year. Maybe next year. I had a bulb garden.

You should always stop & smell the flowers, says Noodles!

Cats really are curious! That's Baxter

And Noodles modeled his latest winter sweater.

This cozy sweater features a fur collar

And I shopped A LOT and spent a lot of money. I recapped some of my spending here. On January 20, I had an epiphany. I needed to put down the plastic and start living on cash only. I made it my goal to only buy essential items only and declared it My Year of No Shopping. I started a second blog to chronicle my journey.

February

Eric and I flew to Southern California for a winter getaway. I actually won 2 round-trip tickets on Sun Country Air on Twitter and off we went. We flew into San Diego and spent time at all my favorite places - La Jolla, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Fashion Valley, Fashion Island, Sprinkles Cupcakes, The Melting Pot.

Yum! Red Velvet

I got to hang out with my girlfriend, Angie, one day and my other friend, Jodan, another day.

Champagne brunch

I spent Valentine's Day alone because Eric had to fly to Jamaica for work, but I got a big bouquet of flowers, an orchid plant and See's chocolates.

Gorgeous Valentine's Day bouquet

March

Eric started a new job in March after 14 years at his former company. It would turn out to be a "mistake", but we wouldn't realize that til later! My friend Amber and I went to a book signing for Jodi Picoult's new book. And I entered Noodles in a Cutest Dog contest. He didn't win even though I pestered all my friends on Facebook and Twitter to vote for him.

April

I ALMOST accepted a new job but instead I ended up going from 32 hours a week to 40 hours at my current job. What a difference it has made in my paycheck--ha ha! I did my yearly volunteer work at "Ever After Gowns" to make sure that all deserving high school girls can have a beautiful prom dress, shoes, accessories and a lovely prom experience.

May

I went to Vegas on a family vacation (my husband and I, my mom, and Eric's parents as well) and stayed at the Wynn Encore and we had a fantastic time.

My mom had a penthouse room - here is the view from the top!

Vegas all lit up at night!

Eric and I saw Holly Madison in Peep Show. I had the most delicious Frrrozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity.

Frrozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity

Went to the top of the fake Eiffel Tower in a windstorm.

Eiffel Tower at Paris Hotel - in a windstorm--I was seriously freezing

Ate a lot, shopped (a little), drank a lot. A mention as to the shopping - Vegas is when I fell off the No Shopping wagon and bought a Kate Spade clutch. Oops!

Pretty Kate Spade clutch was my shopping downfall

This was also the month that Noodles and I did our annual "Walk for Animals" to help raise money for the Humane Society.

Noodles takes a break!

A wagonful of cute pups!

June

My favorite part of this month was when my favorite part-time dog, Roxie, a little Shih Tzu came to visit. I think she ended up staying about two weeks. I love her! Little Roxie Fox. I can't wait til her owners go on vacation again!

Roxie!!

Another favorite thing about this month was my first Minnesota Bloggers Dinner with Margaret, Cathy, Lisa, and Marcy. The gang! We have since had one other dinner and a Christmas Cookie Exchange and added Michael to our little group.

July

Easily my favorite part about this month was our weekend getaway to Mackinac Island, Michigan. We took Noodles with us and bicycled all over the island. I love this island. No cars allowed--you have to walk, bicycle, or get around by horse. It is lovely! There are cute boutiques, fudge shops, Starbucks, wonderful restaurants. It is lovely!

On the ferry

I rode this bike everywhere!

Mackinac Bridge

August

In August I was off to New Hampshire to visit Eric's family and it included a trip to Boston and Newbury Street, one of my favorite places to shop. It also included a trip to Salem, Massachusetts home of the witches. I love it there, the history and the magic. And we also went to the Yankee Candle headquarters in Deerfield, Massachusetts which was very cool. August was also State Fair month here in the Midwest. I went to both the Iowa State Fair and the Minnesota State Fair.

Ferris Wheel!

Iowa State Fair

Minnesota State Fair

Another thing worthing mentioning about this month is when my blogging friend, Michelle, interviewed me for her blog. You can read my interview here. I was honored!

September

I was a very bad blogger in September; my posts were practically non-existent! Between two blogs, I only had 5 whole posts. One thing that stands out about September was the horrible idea to get all my medical appointments done in one day. On one day I went to the gynecologist and had a pelvic and pap smear and then a mammogram and then I went to the dentist. What was I thinking??!! Afterwards I went to lunch with my husband and then went shopping and had a cookie at Macy's. At least those appointments are out of the way!

October

My favorite month. I celebrated my birthday at The Melting Pot.

My birthday dinner at The Melting Pot

I celebrated Halloween.

A witch & her familiar

And then two days after my birthday and four days before his own, my husband lost his job. I threw him a surprise 40th birthday party anyway.

Surprise! Does he look surprised & delighted??!!

It was a very interesting and crazy month and I was slightly worried about being poor, but I also knew we would prevail. This was also the month that I decided to start a new blog and phase out the other two. I felt like Pretty Random Thoughts was no longer fresh and I had failed in my No Shopping at Girl In Kate Spade Mittens. So I started a new blog where I hoped to combine the best of both worlds. I gave it the same birthday as me - October 13.

November

Hooray, my husband was offered a new job and he really likes it. We had our first snowfall on November 13th. We had a low-key Thanksgiving at home, just the two of us.

First Snow of the Season

December

I missed my other two blogs, so I brought them back. I now blog at 3 places and I am happy with that. December had some down days. As in, I wasn't always my usual perky self, but my friends helped to cheer me up. And December had a ton of snow, well over 30 inches on the ground.

More snow!!!

Eric and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on December 13th. You can read about that here!

What I will remember about December is how many people touched my life and the true spirit of Christmas. I made a wonderful new blogging friend, Tina, who I know will be my friend in the New Year, too! A friend from high school sent me a box of fun Vera Bradley items which she totally did not have to do. She is very kind! And something touching happened on Christmas Eve that I have not mentioned on any of my blogs. A friend's mother died of cancer earlier in the month. Her mother was very special to me and often sent me hand-made cards. She made them with rubber stamps. Well, on Christmas Eve no less I received one of the most special rubber stamps--a cat holding flowers - that was the stamp she used to make me a birthday card years ago. My friend included a very sweet note about how she knew I was the person whom her mom would most want to have this stamp. I cried. And I realized I am very blessed and surrounded with many, many lovely and wonderful angels.

Christmas Eve, always my favorite day of the year - with my pals, Noodles & Baxter

xoxo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I Resolve To ...

2010-12-28T10:11:00.010-06:00

It is getting to be that time of year. Time to make out my New Year's Resolutions for 2011. Twenty - eleven! Can you believe that??? Where did 2010 go? Definitely I blinked and the year was gone. I guess it really is true that the older you get, the faster time flies.

While I do love list-making, I am not exactly always on board with New Year's Resolutions. For one thing, everyone always makes the same ones--mainly to lose weight. And then everyone goes all crazy with dieting and exercise for about four days and then they fail. Some years I don't make resolutions and some years I just like to make predictions.

This year I find myself in a more goal setting frame of mind, so here goes:

1. Lose 5 pounds. I don't even really NEED to lose 5 pounds, but it seems like it would be something good to do for myself. Some of you might not know this, but last year over a period of about 6 months I lost 33 pounds. And it was not like I was plus-sized before or shopping at Lane Bryant (not that there is anything wrong with that!) but I was definitely on the train to Chubby Town so I did it the old-fashioned way. I worked out every single day, no matter what, and I kept a food journal, trying to keep myself around 1200 calories per day. Of course, some days I went over and that was okay. Now I wear a size 4 to size 6 depending on where I shop and I am happy. I don't need to be a size zero or super skinny as long as I am toned and at a healthy weight. But I tend to gain about 2 or 3 pounds of water weight whenever I have PMS so I decided if I lose 5 more pounds I will be just slightly better off and I can probably do that by cutting out a glass of wine here and there, and a cookie or two. And I continue to be very diligent about exercise. That is key.

2. Pay off 4 credit cards. If you follow me on The Girl in Kate Spade Mittens that goal sounds very familiar. In fact, it was my goal from last year. Guess what--I still need to do it. I have two small balances on two of my department store cards (Bloomingdale's and Von Maur) and I still need to pay off Macy's and my smallest Visa balance. I can do it!

3. Pay down $6,000 in credit card debt. By May of last year, I was down $3,000 in credit card debt. Now I am only down $855. I backslid, it is true. Redoubling my efforts to try to live on a more cash basis.

4. Contribute one percent more to my 401k plan at work. I want to do this every year. I won't be young forever!

5. Save $2,000. I have 3 separate personal savings accounts - a Smarty Pig, an ING and a US Bank S.T.A.R.T. My goals for them are pretty unstructured, but I like one of them to be for short-term, one for long-term and one for emergencies.

6, Be happy and grateful and laugh and smile and be silly at every chance.

7. Blog more and comment more.

What are your resolutions?

P.S. I almost forgot to list the most important one. Cut out the clutter! Keep every closet, drawer and cupboard NEAT. Throw away, donate and shred. Edit. Yes, the show "Hoarders" on TLC freaks me out.

The Infamous To Do List

2010-12-27T11:30:00.012-06:00

I always have one, a To Do list. Sometimes it is on a scrap of paper, sometimes in the little notebook I carry around for jotting down ideas, things I need to buy, a book I want to read, a song I like. Anyhow there is always an unending To Do list somewhere and it is never more ambitious than when I have, oh, say TWELVE WHOLE DAYS OFF at Christmastime.

My friend, Sttaci, gave me an entire stash of "L" notepads and memo pads and magnetic pads that are PERFECT for making my lists. You know, "L" for Lesli. I have a fondness for the letter L!

My list this morning looks a little something like this:

Thank you cards. For all those wonderful Christmas presents I received. I found some thank-you cards from years past, but chances are, I will need to buy more thank-you cards.

Update my address book. I still carry around a purse-sized address book that is about 10 years old. Somewhere, but I can't even tell you where, I have the cutest Anne Keenan Higgins address book that I need to transfer all my addresses to. Only I can't find it. But maybe I will come across it this week.

Since I am:

Working on my walk-in closet (always!)

Clearing off my dresser

Straightening my yellow Pottery Barn desk (my gawd I have paperwork that is pre-historic!)

I also received for Christmas the Nookcolor from my husband and so far I have charged it for 3 hours, put on its cute lavender cover (still waiting for Kate Spade to come out with a cover for the Nookcolor version! like they have for the regular Nooks), navigated my way around until I am halfway familiar, and listened to Pandora while working out. I want to actually purchase a book or magazine. I received many Barnes & Noble gift cards for Christmas because everyone knew I was getting a Nook.

Buy a purple Christmas tree. I actually did that yesterday!! I returned one of my gifts that really wasn't to my taste or decorating style and I used the store credit to purchase a 2-foot purple Christmas tree instead for next year.

Melly. Okay, this is a store at the Galleria in Edina that has a certain kate spade velvet bow bag that I want. I think it would be perfect for New Years Eve and it is now on sale.

Williams Sonoma. I have a $30 coupon because I spent so much there on a gift for my husband, the cook. I bought him a very expensive pressure cooker. I know nothing about cooking and if it doesn't involve making cute cupcakes, forget it. But Eric is really into cooking and this thing does everything in a fraction of the time it would normally take.

Workout

Workout

Workout

Yes, I really listed that 3 times. I am planning to work out a total of 90 minutes today. I am 2-3 pounds heavier than normal and it is true it could just be PMS weight gain, but it could also be all of those holiday treats so I figure I better nip it in the bud now!

So that's my list. I better get busy!

xoxo

What's on your list? Are you on a staycation this week or are you at work?

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T07:05:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends & readers!!!

A Christmas List

2010-12-23T10:38:00.017-06:00

This post is inspired by my pal and fellow blogger Margaret the Minnesota Mom over at Happy To Be From Iowa.

Things I Love About Christmas

Christmas lights around various neighborhoods

White Christmas trees

Poinsettias

Beautiful gift wrap and ribbon

Decorating the house & tree

*Fruitcake (yes, seriously!)

*Chocolate covered cherries

*Christmas Cookies

Glittery ornaments

Christmas cards from my friends

Packages in the mail

12 days off from work

Gift cards

Christmas movies on Lifetime Fa La La La

The magical feeling I still get on Christmas Eve

A Christmas stocking bursting with fun things

Vintage Santas

**Pets sleeping under the Christmas tree

Things I Don't Love About Christmas

Candy canes

Crabby people

Long lines

Ugly Christmas sweaters & sweatshirts

*Weight gain!

**Cats climbing the tree

When it is over - the blahs

Taking Down the Tree

But mostly I really LOVE Christmas. Merry Christmas!!!!

Molly Marx!

2010-12-17T14:54:00.012-06:00

I saw this book at Target in November and made a mental note of the title for future reference. (Okay, I had Eric take my picture holding the book so I would remember!). So when I was at Barnes & Noble a few weeks later, I bought it with a gift card.

It was one of those books that I loved so much that I HAVE to read the other books by the same writer, Sally Koslow. I am still trying to be good with my money so I always turn to my Public Library first and fortunately they carried both of her other books. On the other hand, I also have a policy of BUYING the books of my favorite authors because I like to support them.

But the next best thing is blogging about a fun new writer and that is what I am doing.

The Late Lamented Molly Marx is a humorous, yet touching look at life in the hereafter--or rather Molly observes life going on without her as she visits from the "Duration" and she also relives some of the moments in her life and marriage, time spent with her daughter, sister, parents, best friend and lover. Shortly before she died, she had been having an extra-marital affair and was going to put an end to it and try to focus all of her energies on her marriage. But, well, something happened along the way.

I loved this book, the writer's breezy style, attention to detail, and character development. It really makes one stop and think about how short life is, about the choices we make, and how important love is.

Anyhow that was my take on the book. It goes under the category of one of my favorite books of 2010.

From Amazon:

"The circumstances of Molly Marx’s death may be suspicious, but she hasn’t lost her joie de vivre. Newly arrived in the hereafter, aka the Duration, Molly, thirty-five years old, is delighted to discover that she can still keep tabs on those she left behind: Annabel, her beloved four-year-old daughter; Lucy, her combustible twin sister; Kitty, her piece-of-work mother-in-law; Brie, her beautiful and steadfast best friend; and, of course, her husband, Barry, a plastic surgeon with more than a professional interest in many of his female patients. As a bonus, Molly quickly realizes that the afterlife comes with a finely tuned BS detector.

Exploring the bonds of fidelity, family, and friendship, and narrated by a memorable and endearing character, The Late, Lamented Molly Marx is a hilarious, deeply moving, and thought-provoking novel that is part mystery, part love story, and all heart."

Baking Time

2010-12-11T19:23:00.015-06:00

I have been doing some baking and wanted to share some recipes.

This is a family favorite that my mom always makes every Christmas!

Cherry Mash Candy Bar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
12 large marshmallows
dash of salt
1 (6 ounce) package cherry chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups finely chopped peanuts
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Combine butter or margarine, sugar, evaporated milk, marshmallows, and salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cherry chips and vanilla, stirring until well blended. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9-inch baking pan and chill for 2 hours. Melt chocolate chips and add the chopped peanuts and peanut butter. Stir until well blended. Spread evenly over the top of the first layer. Chill until firm, then cut into bite-size size squares.

Rocky Road Candy Bark

This is a recipe from June at Merrier Shopping. I have made these about 3 times this year already. Great for cookie exchanges and gift giving and they travel well.

See recipe here.

Cherry Date Nut Balls

These delicious cookies come from my Minnesota blogging friend, Michael.

Get the recipe here.

I will have more recipes to share later this weekend. Happy Baking!

Best Jelly Bean Ever

2010-12-02T15:58:00.006-06:00

Yes, it's me. I am back! I am just going to use this blog for my most random thoughts. So here is my random thought for the day.

Coldstone Creamery Jelly Belly jelly beans are the best creation ever! I have them for a snack almost every day and I like mixing them with almonds. They come in yummy flavors such as Birthday Cake Remix (which is my real life Coldstone Creamery favorite flavor) and Strawberry Blondie.

So anyhow I mix 10 jelly beans (40 calories) with 7 almonds (40 calories) and there is a snack for less than 100 calories. Try it!

Questioning, Juggling, Pondering

2010-12-01T14:07:00.006-06:00

Maybe it is the Libra in me wanting everything to be balanced or the Gemini rising in me that has a dual nature, but I often have two million things going on at once. My social calendar fills up fast. Sometimes my plate feels too full. But I honestly think I like it that way or I would get bored. I like to keep lots of balls up in the air, so to speak! A natural born juggler I am!

Anyhow, if you are reading this, you probably already know that I have had 2 blogs for awhile and recently started a 3rd blog to combine the two. But today I flipped back to this old blog and I missed it. Yes, I am missing the 3 years of history that this original blog has. Wondering if I should still continue to update it from time to time, just for old time's sake. So maybe....

But then if I reprise this blog, I will feel like I should update my shopping blog too! Or actually my not shopping blog that turned into a shoppping blog because I am a shopaholic and I can't stop...because believe me I tried!

Hey, I can have 3 blogs, right?

P.S. I just changed the title of this post--it sounded like it was going to be all serious and introspective like I was questioning life. Nope-just trying to decide if I should keep all 3 blogs going.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Hello!

2010-11-08T17:07:00.002-06:00

Come & see me here!!! I have a possible give-away, Halloween pictures, a recipe, things I believe in. Check it out! It's my new home.

I Am Moving!

2010-10-28T09:33:00.005-05:00

In 2007 I started Pretty Random Thoughts with all my random thoughts about shopping, pets, reality TV, getting my hair done, handbags, etc. And then in 2010 I started The Girl In Kate Spade Mittens as an off-shoot as I attempted to not shop and save money and cut out all credit card usage. That plan sort of crashed & burned in May when I went to Vegas and fell in love with a particular Kate Spade straw clutch. So that blog sort of morphed into more about what I bought and what I wore!

Now I am finding that it is impossible to do justice to both of my little blogs so I would like to combine then into one new, fabulous blog called Daisy, Chloe, Noodles and Petunia. Daisy is my cute little VW Beetle convertible, Chloe is the best Siamese cat in the world (r.i.p.), Noodles is my slightly naughty but wonderful Pug, and Petunia is my pink retro cruiser bicycle complete with a basket, flower and bell. So that is where the name came from.And the new blog will continue to be my random thoughts and also have lots of posts about shopping & what I wore. And I want it to have the same birthday as me, October 13th!'

I hope everyone will stop by my "new place" and become a follower, and to get things started I would like to have a Giveaway, so stay tuned!

Another Minnesota Bloggers Dinner

2010-10-04T17:21:00.014-05:00

From left to right, Marcy, moi aka Lesli aka me, Lisa, Cathy and Margaret (not pictured Michael - he took the picture!)

A few weekends ago, I got together with my blogging friends again for dinner. This was our second outing - our first was back in June and you can read about that here. This time we met at La Grolla, a delightful Italian restaurant in a super-cute downtown St. Paul neighborhood that I really did not even know existed. I need to get to St. Paul more often. I admit, I am more of a Minneapolis girl but St. Paul is great, too! I really wish I did more things in St. Paul.

Please be sure to click on the link above - as well as being able to read about our first blogging dinner, you can get links to the blogs of these other fun and fabulous bloggers. Because it is after 5:00 at night & I really want to get out of the office, and I am too lazy to re-link. So please click & I apologize in advance for my laziness & for my bad blogging as of late.

Our next get-together is going to be a Christmas cookie baking exchange. Remember if you are a Minnesota blogger, we would love to meet you and we are lots of fun to hang out with! We laugh, we eat, we drink - it's great!

P.S. This time we were joined by Michael, a friend of Margaret's and he was just wonderful. He has a blog, too. Well, of course! I need to get that link for you.

Joy

2010-09-15T17:38:00.009-05:00

This list of joys is inspired by my friend, Gina, at LilMissFina. Here is my own personal list:

i love

blogging
reading
writing
my dad (miss him every day!)
cats
flirting
laughing
walking
my pink bicycle, Petunia
fashion
shopping
little dogs
kittens
brunch with the girls
flowers
massages
pedicures
blowouts
ice cream
crushes
my cat Chloe (again, miss her, love her every day)
taking pictures
Facebook
Twitter
my favorite blogs
thank you cards
birthday cards
believing that things happen for a reason
winning stuff & feeling lucky
the law of attraction & creating the life I want
optimism
cherry pie
strawberry shakes
being at my happy yet curvy size 6
Fall
To Do Lists
my food journal
my personal journal
my Pug Noodles
fresh new fun calendars
stickers
Gain laundry detergent in Apple Mango Tango
fashion magazines
chick lit
memoirs
going on trips
flying first class
fancy hotels
driving a stick shift
my Beetle convertible, Daisy
yellow
rainy days
Thunderstorms
Halloween
Christmas Eve
My birthday
Cupcakes
Felt tip markers
Macaroni & cheese
baked potatoes or mashed potatoes
Hearing my favorite song
Crack dip
Baking cookies
Almond cookie candles
Chocolate covered cherries
Wine

These are mine! What are yours?

I Am ALIVE!!

2010-09-13T16:54:00.006-05:00

Oh, my gosh, I am here, I am not dead! I realize if I fail to update my blog, sooner or later I am going to lose my 12 readers. And also, as you will note below, I have a semi-finished post as well. Jeez louise!

Well, let's see. I went on vacation the last week in August. Eric and I flew out to the lovely New England area of our country. We stayed for the most part at his parents' house in New Hampshire, in a skinny little bed in the guest room, which is basically a bed sandwiched between two computer desks. Yes, his parents have one old dinosaur PC and then a newer one, and insist on keeping them both in the guest room. You literally can't get to one side of the bed without climbing over a computer chair. But I digress.

We did spend one night in Boston happily at the Hilton. It was a great room with a comfy bed and a gym where I could exercise and lots of wine. We had spent that day sightseeing--we went to the Yankee Candle Flagship Store and Candle Museum in Deerfield, Massachusetts and I highly recommend that for all candle lovers. Then in the afternoon we visited one of my favorite places, Salem. I love all that witch stuff although admittedly it is "funner" to go in October.

We spent one day at Eric's sister's house - she and her husband have a great house on the lake with a Beagle named Elvis. And there was wine and crack dip. And I was able to amaze and astonish Eric at my unknown talents of being able to throw a football and shoot a basket. Yes, he was totally shocked. He doesn't know I grew up playing with a lot of boys! I might be a girlie girl, but I still have a few secrets!

Another day was a beach day, so hot I honestly thought I was going to die. But I had some really yummy crabcakes for lunch and you guessed it --wine! That afternoon we went to one of my other favorite places - Newbury Street in Boston for some window shopping. I honestly didn't buy anything!

We flew home on Monday night and on Tuesday afternoon I went back to work. Just getting caught up on things. Obviously not blogging, but you can almost always find me on Facebook. Today I tweeted for about the first time in two weeks!!

We also went to the Minnesota State Fair over Labor Day weekend - I had to get my mini donuts and S'mores and wine--honestly, I am not a wino! I will try to post some pictures soon & get the post below updated. I just wanted to say I am back and alive!!

xoxo

Ten On Tuesday

2010-08-24T11:26:00.022-05:00

Today's Ten on Tuesday is a little more involved than usual and may take me a day or two to get it done. It is told in pictures! Okay, this is a work in progress but I am going on vacation so I thought I would share what I have so far and then finish it up later.

1. Your house

2. Your shower

3. Inside of your fridge

The fridge is pretty bare! All I see are bottles of booze, some pickled herring, cream cheese and Laughing Cow cheese. Oh, and some cardboard that stuck to the shelf--yeah, I should try to get that off. In all fairness, we have been out of town a lot and we eat out a lot. Our refrigerator is pretty pathetic!

4. Your Pet

5. Favorite pair of shoes

My favorite shoes this past summer have been my gold, crystal encrusted flip flops by Guess. I have worn these shoes to death and into the ground. See how beat up they are? I have walked many, many, many miles in these shoes and I don't think they have much life left in them. I am thinking I am going to go to DSW and see if they have left on clearance.

6. Most comfortable seating area

7. Favorite coffee cup

8. Laundry

9. View from your office

My desktop - business card holder, photos of Chloe and Tiffany (both r.i.p.), my bicycle postcard collection, and a picture of Roxie - Noodles is there, too--he is off camera!

The lobby

Lots of greenery

My desk again, what I see when I glance to the right

And sometimes I see this lovely lady, Lily the wiener dog!

10. Spouse or significant other

Another Beauty Product Review

2010-08-18T17:03:00.008-05:00

I received a sample of Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion mascara in Very Black in my role as a Bzz Agent.

I was very excited to be part of this campaign because I am always on the quest for the perfect mascara. One that doesn't smudge or flake or clump, and one that makes my lashes look longer and thicker than they really are. I am really happy to report that this mascara does not clump even though I put on 3 coats this morning on my top lashes. And it lengthens my lashes wonderfully. And I have had no issues with smudging at all today which is really saying something! I also love how light-weight it feels, not heavy or sticky.

So if you are looking for a new mascara, I suggest you head to your local drugstore and check out Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion in the purple container. I will definitely buy this product.

DISCLAIMER: I am a Bzz Agent and received this free product to try and review. I have not received any monetary compensation, and the opinions above are my own.

Ten On Tuesday

2010-08-17T11:36:00.008-05:00

1. Where did you go to college?

I went to Lowthian College of Design.

2. What did you study?

Interior design, retail store layout and fashion history

3. Was college really all that it was cracked up to be?

I loved it!!!

4. How far were you from home?

My school was in downtown Minneapolis and I lived in Edina so only about 20 minutes

5. Did you have the same roommate all four years?

If my cat, Tiffany, counts, then yes! And sadly I did not go for the whole time – I am a design school dropout who still hopes to someday finish her degree. Bad Lesli

6. Where did you order food from at 2am?

My own kitchen. Usually cheese and crackers and lots of coffee if I had to do a design board at 2 a.m.

7. Did you date in college or were you tied down?

I was engaged but I do think my going to school while also working 3 jobs contributed to the downfall of our relationship. Think no free time ever. But he is one of my best friends to this day.

8. Funniest drunk college moment?

Sorry, I don’t have one. Not that I didn’t drink, but I went to college as a working adult so I think that is a whole different experience!

9. Did you make it to class on time?

Strangely enough, yes, and I am notoriously late for other things in life.

10. What was your favorite class in college?

Fashion history was HARD but I probably learned the most in that class. I can tell you about fashions all the way back to the 1600s! Interior design was a lot of late nights doing my design boards and a lot of precision with measuring things and keeping it all to scale. And it seemed that in almost every class I had to make a presentation – hello, public speaking! So that leaves retail store layout which was fun. I liked learning about the psychology behind why stores are laid out the way they are. My project was a flower shop that I designed myself.

Pictures From A Weekend

2010-08-17T10:07:00.012-05:00

Eric and I had a wedding reception on Saturday night. Here we are at the reception.

And before as I posed with my kitty, Brie.

And way before I had changed my clothes or had my hair done. Me and Noodles!

And finally Sunday was a beautiful day to swing! Thanks, Sara, for cutting my head off. I kind of like it!

Beauty Product Review

2010-08-17T08:58:00.007-05:00

I received a sample of Got2B Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion through my role as a Bzz Agent. Coincidentally, I received it right after I had received a Brazilian Blowout (keratin treatment) at the salon which is a pricey service to make your hair smooth and sleek for 8 to 12 weeks. My hair is quite thick and heavy, but at the same time the texture is fine. It is long and also frequently highlighted at the salon and fairly straight but with a little bit of a wave & it curls easily. I think I was swayed to get the Brazilian Blowout because it is something new my salon started doing and it is supposed to cut way down on your blow drying time and you don’t even need to bother with a flat iron.

Anyhow I received my sample of Got2B Smooth Operator Lustre Lotion and since I had just received a smoothing treatment I definitely didn’t want anything that was going to weigh my hair down or feel greasy. This smoothing lotion smells delicious and fruity, kind of like raspberries and, as you will see, the full-size bottle is very cute and has little charms on it. I am happy to report that it does not weigh my hair down and it smoothes any little flyaways that I might still have.

I would recommend this to anyone looking to smooth their ends and it smells yummy. It is not at all expensive—I have seen it for as little as $5 or $6 at the drugstore.

DISCLAIMER: I am a Bzz Agent and received this free product to try and review. I have not received any monetary compensation, and the opinions above are my own.

Friday Night at the Movies

2010-08-15T09:37:00.018-05:00

I saw Eat Pray Love on Friday night, opening night. First I had to get my snacks! I mixed Mr. Pibb with Cherry Coke

and then added some Jelly Belly's to my popcorn.

Then I settled in to watch the movie, although predictably the theater was too cold and even though I had brought a little cardigan with me, I had on cropped jeans and my legs were freezing! Why do they keep theaters so cold? I just want to know!

And my husband was fidgeting next to me. It was not his kind of movie at all, but I felt he was due for a chick flick. Somehow he got out of seeing Sex and the City 2 with me!

So really this movie was not for everyone, maybe not ALL husbands. But I think it was beautifully done and stuck very close to the book. If you like to travel and see foreign countries that part was very well executed! And I thought Julia Roberts was lovely in her role of Elizabeth Gilbert, a divorced woman trying to find herself and find happiness.

But let's be up front here people, the REAL reason I went to see the movie was James Franco, my second favorite actor next to Johnny Depp. He was wonderful! I love him. And if I was Julia Roberts I could not have left him to go roaming around the world--hee!

Some people have asked me if they would like the movie. I really can't say for sure. I would say you should read the book first which I did when it first came out so I might need to re-read it! Then there is my friend who shockingly hated the book and I told her she should still see the movie--she MIGHT like it. The scenes are beautiful and it does feel that you have been transported to Italy, India and Bali.

It was a lovely way to spend a Friday night! Have you seen the movie & did you like it? Have you read the book? Was your theater freezing? Finally, most importantly, what did you eat?

An Indoor Girl

2010-08-13T11:02:00.020-05:00

I was thinking about this subject on Wednesday night when I went for a walk after dinner. It was just me because my husband was playing golf and it was too hot to drag my dog out for an extended period of time. So I am walking along minding my own business making sure I get 10,000 steps on my pedometer, and a bug flies into my eye. About 20 seconds later I jam a stick up my foot. And that is why I don’t go camping!

I don’t really like the outdoors unless it is on my own terms. I am definitely more of an indoor girl.

I don’t like heat and humidity combined, insect bites, itchy weeds, wet grass or mud, or peeing outside. I do like thunderstorms and pretty snowfalls, but I enjoy them more from the comfort of my own home while baking cookies or sipping hot chocolate.

I don’t like camping, but I do like S’mores!

Some things I do like to do outdoors:

Eat outside overlooking the water or at a sidewalk café or a picnic with cheese & wine and brownies (I had to throw in brownies!)

I like the beach

I like brunch & dinner cruises on boats

I like putting the top down on my convertible

I like sitting outside on a pleasant night sipping wine & looking at the stars

I love casually pedaling my bike around when the weather isn’t too sticky

As I have mentioned before, I adore fall and cooler weather with pretty trees & pumpkin patches and apple orchards

So basically maybe I like the outdoors, but on my own terms – 3 mimosa breakfast on the rooftop of a lovely restaurant – that is my kind of outdoors!

How about you? Indoors or outdoors?

My Interview

2010-08-11T19:00:00.023-05:00

My blogging pal, Michelle, interviewed me last week. You should stop by her blog. Just to recap, here was my interview. My words in orange; Michelle's in purple.

So today I want to share the thoughts of my sweet blogging friend, Lesli. I found Lesli's blog through a link on Karyn Bosnak's blog one night while I was looking around for some fun blogs to follow. The first thing I noticed about Lesli is her love of cats and dogs. She has beautiful kitties in her life and the sweetest pug, Noodles. Then I noticed she has just amazing taste in just about everything. But what really impressed me is how upbeat and happy Lesli keeps her blog. Life is definitely not all sunshine and roses, but Lesli doesn't bring daily life drama to her little corner of the web. She shares fun stories, cute pictures, gorgeous fashion, and complete grace. Plus she is tackling the most difficult task of all -- paying off her debt and trying not to spend outside of a list of rules she made for herself. Very admirable!

(Picture borrowed from Lesli's blog. Look at that cute Noodles!)

First, I just want to say I am honored that Michelle asked me to participate in this. She is one of my very best blogging friends and I am excited to be included.

WHO/WHAT INSPIRES ME?

I am inspired by fashion and beauty – I always like to make things pretty and I am inspired by things I see everyday in fashion magazines, catalogues, shopping in the mall, etc. I am inspired by Rachel Ashwell who is the founder of Shabby Chic who creates the perfect setting with her pastels and slightly distressed looking vintage influenced decors. My other inspiration comes from the whimsy of Anne Keenan-Higgins who illustrates everything from greeting cards to book covers and always manages to convey my love of shoes and handbags and cats and dogs with all of her delightful drawings!

I take my inspiration and use it when I put together outfits and accessories, or decorate a room in my house, or just want to take a picture of something I think is pretty. I take pictures of something almost everyday.

I am also very much inspired by other bloggers, especially Karyn of Pretty in the City for her humor and warmth (and a Yorkie named Bev and a cat named Elvis), Janet at Slice of Pink because she always has fun with life and talks about everything from cupcakes to bicycles, and Chloe of the Chloe Conspiracy who shops and creates fashion statements and does it all while making me laugh, plus she has two adorable Chihuahuas. They inspired me to blog and to also write more. While I do love my blogs, you will also find me journaling my more personal thoughts and I have been keeping a diary since I was 23. I just love to write.

WHO/WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?

I am especially thankful for a really great life. I have wonderful friends, some going back to high school, junior high and even elementary (thank you Facebook!) and, of course, my everyday, real life friends who have been there for me for years. I also have other great friends I have met through blogging. I have an amazing husband who is my best friend and spoils me rotten. And I can’t forget my cats, Brie, Trista and Sophie (and also Chloe r.i.p – I will love & miss her always), and my Pug, Noodles and my sometimes-dog Roxie (a Shih Tzu) who I dog-sit as often as I can!

Last but not least, I have a really great job as a receptionist at an upscale bath and body company and I am lucky to be surrounded by creative people and people who are more than just co-workers—they really are like a second family. And it is not just a job—I get to see a fragrance line take shape from its very inception to the time it goes out the door to various boutiques.

I think it is important to express gratitude every day from the smallest thing like a great cup of coffee or a pretty flower spotted in someone’s garden to the bigger things like having good health.
Thank you to Michelle for asking me to do this. I hope I didn’t ramble too much! xoxo

Be sure to stop by Michelle's blog at Just Jump.

Ten On Tuesday - August 10th

2010-08-10T11:48:00.019-05:00

1. Do you have an innie or an outie?

An innie, always. But don’t touch me there—I hate to be touched there.

2. What kind of milkshake do you order?

Strawberrry. Unless I am at Potbelly in which case I would get a Boysenberry. Yummy!

3. How often do you repeat outfits at work?

I try not to wear the same outfit more than twice a month. I mix and match pieces, but it can’t be the exact same thing I wore the week before.

4. What are your feelings about thank you notes?

I think they are very classy. If someone takes the time to give you a gift, you definitely should take the time to sit down & hand-write a thank-you card. No email. That is so cheating! Plus Papyrus makes really cute thank-you cards.

5. Do you like spicy food?

Sure, bring it on! I like such things as spicy cream cheese egg rolls and Mexican should definitely be spicy. I also like things like spice cake!

6. How many toilet paper squares do you use?

Well, first of all, I don’t count squares. Uh, I take as much as I need???

7. Were you in Girl Scouts?

Yes, I was in Brownies, at least for a few years – I think from second grade to maybe fourth.

8. Notebooks/Journals: College ruled? Wide Ruled? No lines? Spiral Bound? Plain front? Decorative?

I lke them to be college ruled, definitely lines (otherwise I will write crooked!) and definitely decorative. I use them for recording my personal thoughts so I like them to be pretty.

9. Do you snack throughout the day? What do you pack for snacks?

I am definitely a snacker because my meals are so light. I like to bring almonds, fruit snacks, string cheese, Laughing Cow cheese, Fig Newtons, Nilla Wafers. Always something or I feel like I have low blood sugar!

10. What is your favorite month? Why?

October for so many reasons. First of all, the weather is near perfect. Crisp and cool and alternating between sunny blue skies & gray skies. You can go to the pumpkin patch and the apple orchard and the nights are frosty. I love the vivid colors of the changing leaves. And then it is my birthday month so I like to celebrate my birthday for an entire week or more (October 13th!) and then I also love the fun of Halloween

Tuesday Randoms

2010-08-10T09:05:00.009-05:00

I believe in good, old-fashioned manners

Hazelnut coffee

and the hotness that is James Franco!

Can't wait to see Eat, Pray, Love!

From A Pig Roast To A Cow Tank!

2010-08-09T09:10:00.016-05:00

Sunday afternoon we had a wedding reception/pig roast to attend at Minnehaha Park. Now you know I am a passionate vegetarian so you can imagine how horrified I was at this sight, yet I could not resist snapping a picture.

I guess it is like the train wreck you cannot walk away from.

After that went to a birthday party for a 3-year-old and all the kids were swimming in a cow tank. It was held on a farm in Hastings!

Yesterday was just ridiculously hot and humid. I cannot even begin to tell you how humid, but I would compare it to Jamaica in July.

Eric and I at the Pig Roast - and this will be forever the day I remember as the day I ate too many cupcakes, drank too much wine, and then scarfed down too many Doritos when we got home.

Also, I wanted to stop at Wendy's for a baked potato on the way home, but we ran into this storm! Once it broke, we could not even see where we were going.

Bicyle Love

2010-08-09T08:53:00.010-05:00

While I was in Mackinac Island, I fell in love with this bike.

But I already have 2 other bikes at home, my lavender 10-speed that I have owned FOREVER

and my pink Schwinn cruiser named Petunia. You know, she is my car, Daisy's, cousin!

This weekend I went to a bike shop and got a yellow flower to put on my handlebars and a really cute basket, and Eric finally installed my purple bike bell. Now Petunia is all decked out!

I will post a picture of her soon.

It was ridiculously hot this weekend, but Eric and I went for a fun bike ride around town on Saturday evening, after it had cooled off somewhat. At least, there was a nice breeze although still warm.

I love bicycling and it is such great exercise while still being fun! Do you have a bike? Did you name her? What color?

xoxo

Need Your Advice!

2010-08-06T16:57:00.003-05:00

Stop by my other little blog.

I need your input!

I Am Blushing!

2010-08-05T20:10:00.004-05:00

Stop by my friend Michelle's blog - I am honored to have been interviewed by her for her blog. Her questions to me were:

What inspires you?

What are you thankful for?

Check it out and follow her!