living with the lowrys

2012-02-13T05:58:00.000-05:00

Someone also learned how to blow a little bubble.
{Kayla's valentine idea}
{Kaden's valentine idea}

2012-02-11T09:02:00.003-05:00

I have this firm belief that kids will tell you all their secrets over salsa and chips. That's why we dig in on Fridays after school. It helps us all catch up before the weekend, and we are becoming salsa aficionados.

book club

2012-02-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

What a fun night. I just love going to book club with my favorite ladies. I couldn't help to think of how we've all changed and grown up so, so, so much. One of us even drives a minivan. Gasp! :) We also were able to peak inside our old dorm. My only regret in life {so far} was my undergrad experience. I wish I could go back and do it over. I would choose a different major, stay on campus, not work so hard off campus, worker harder in my classes, study abroad...

i love...

2012-02-03T06:43:00.000-05:00

chocolate almond milk
when a student gives me gerbera daisies for no other reason than just to brighten my day
working out, getting laundry done, and dinner made before Jason comes home from school
let me correct that - i love having those things completed
driving with my windows down in February
a weekend with no plans {skiing was cancelled due to warm weather and no real snow - boo.}
a fresh new haircut {three inches cut = about five pounds of hair}

2012-02-01T05:33:00.000-05:00

2012-01-30T18:57:00.001-05:00

We had quite a fun time this weekend hanging out with our Atlanta family. It was a quick trip with lots of reading, technology, playing, eating (!), and spending time with one another.

Does anyone else feel like it's our right to pass along the starring and laughing at the big peach on I-85 in Gaffney, SC? We were able to do that twice.

five things

2012-01-25T19:01:00.000-05:00

1. We're finally finished with our visa applications for China. I was so nervous putting my passport in the mail. I can't believe our trip is right around the corner. After looking at the flight schedule, I still have a really hard time comprehending time zones. What is scarier is that I actually used to teach 6th graders about time zones.

2. We are eating some yummy things this week, and I was trying to get Jason to like eggplant. He approved of this recipe. Here is a new recipe I tried this week from Vegetarian Times (click on the photos for link). They have my favorite search feature, because I can search by season.

3. I'm so excited about making valentines with Kayla and Kaden this week. Here's a hint for Kayla's...

4. I look way too forward to watching The Bachelor. I'm excited this season because I actually think Ben is pretty "normal" considering some of the bachelors of the past. Plus, I really like his hair.

5. Where is the snow? It doesn't snow a lot here, but I want one snow day this year. Just one.

2012-01-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

Jason is working on grad school work like he has been all week. He seriously worked about eight hours straight yesterday, and it looks like he's going to do the same today. I've been doing fun stuff like grocery shopping, cooking, working out, and reading for pleasure, while listening to the rain outside (greatest part about not being in grad school!).

We are going to be very busy the next two weekends (so excited about a trip to Atlanta and going skiing), so we had to sacrifice this weekend for those. It's worth it.

2012-01-18T20:16:00.001-05:00

Jill brought her dog, Riley, over on Sunday for a walk on the beach. Oh, how I dream of taking my pups over to let them run on the beach. It's on their bucket list for sure. This is the best face ever! It expresses such pleasure - sort of how I felt over the weekend.

2012-01-16T20:46:00.001-05:00

We spent the long weekend with friends at the beach, eating, drinking margaritas, laughing, playing games and telling stories sleeping, reading, and relaxing. I can't think of a better way to spend a weekend.

2012-01-13T16:27:00.000-05:00

I love...

Friends who aren't vegan, but bring you a vegan cupcake at their birthday dinner.

Realizing how much an old friend makes me laugh.

A student who thought I wore a wig - seriously?

When I told my students I was going to the beach this weekend, and they asked what I would do since it's so cold out. I said I would read and relax - you know, grown up stuff. And then a student said, "And drink beer?"

Yes, I've only been back a week, but I'm ready for an extra day off.

2012-01-07T18:44:00.002-05:00

Jason and I sort of made a resolution. We don't "do" resolutions, really, because they usually end in failure. In fact, I'm cheering on the failure of a lot of gym goers right now, because I want my nice quiet gym back. Usually, most people quit by March. So, we've made a goal to go on more actual dates. If we don't watch ourselves, we'll just end up watching Netflix on the couch every single chance we get. This weekend, we headed out for a nice hike with my Bailey girl. We are also trying to do more things with the dogs separately. I had an awful nightmare last night that I was putting Bailey to sleep, so I felt guilty.
It was a most gorgeous almost 70 degree winter day. After our hike, Jason and I went to the North Face store to buy him a winter coat. He was wearing flip flops making his purchase. Crazy weather, but I'll take it.
My new favorite picture of myself - messy hiking hair and all.

Here's where the fun began. Jason and I found a juice and smoothie shop for an after hiking pick me up. I was so excited to find what I thought would be a little gem. I should have walked straight out of the shop when I saw they offered Red Bull juices and smoothies. They didn't even have an actual juicer and no veggies. Seriously? You can't call yourself a juice shop. I want to see freakin' vegetables entering the juicer and nothing else. They do juice their own wheatgrass, or so the clueless teenage employee said, so we tried that. I actually had never had a wheatgrass shot before. Don't fret. This is my taking a shot of anything face. I was actually drinking the chaser to the wheatgrass. I chose mango juice, and I just said a little prayer that it didn't contain high fructose corn syrup. The wheatgrass tasted just like you'd imagine grass to taste. Not terrible. I'd do it again. Just not at this so-called juice shop.

2011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

2011 was such a bittersweet year, but aren't they all? It got better as the year went on. I have finally stopped writing 2001 on my classroom board. My students make fun of me a little. Here's a recap of our year...

January's highlights included a sampling of my photography in a local art gallery, and a skiing trip with Aaron and Paige. It was the first time skiing for Paige and me, but we totally rocked it. In fact, I think this is my sport.

In February, I lost my grandmother. It was one of the hardest things I've ever gone through. I find so much comfort in knowing we had such an amazing relationship, and that I was able to spend her last lucid moments with her. I think of her everyday, and I imagine I always will.

On top of losing Grandma in February, I was so sick. I think I caught swine flu from her. It took me forever to shake it, especially considering how exhausted and emotionally drained I was. We headed straight to Bald Head Island {my favorite NC beach} for an entire week. We read and slept and were delightfully bored.

In April, we visited my cousin and went horseback riding. Kayla and Kaden were over the moon about it, and I was so excited to ride again.

Over Memorial Day weekend, we took Kayla and Kaden on a ferry to Bear Island, which was new to us. It was an amazing day on a pretty desolate beach.

In June, Jason and I flew to Portland to visit my dad and we ate our way through Portland and Seattle. I just fell in love with Seattle. I would move there in a hot second.

Jason went to Paris in July without me. He was on a trip to train for our China trip this spring, and he had an amazing time. I was, and still am, beyond jealous. However, he didn't get to see New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys perform live like I did.

We went to visit Jon and Grace when they first moved to Asheville {my second favorite place in NC}. We attended the first VegFest there.

In September, we went to the beach with my aunt and had a fabulous time sitting on the beach and talking without interruptions. I also was able to take some amazing photos of my beautiful cousin and her friends.

In early October, Jason and I visited New York City. We had the most amazing time eating our way through it and scoring tickets to Saturday Night Live. I was also able to catch up with two high schools friends - Wade and Kim.

We also visited Washington DC in October. We went with David and Alice to museum hop over a weekend.

In November, we went to my mom's house for Thanksgiving and had an impromptu photo shoot in a field by her house. It just happens to be one of my favorite photos.

I celebrated my 30th birthday in December with one of my closet friends since middle school. We had an amazing dinner and fire on the beach, and it was definitely a night I won't forget any time soon.

So what am I looking forward to in 2012?

hanging out with friends and family
skiing with Kayla and Kaden
our China trip in March
planning a fun summer trip?
Jason completing half of his MBA program

There's just so much to be thankful for.

2011-12-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

I love blogging. However, in the past year, I feel I got away from the whole reason I started blogging and have started loving it less and less. I laid out my intentions in my very first post,

OK, I admit it. I have made fun of people who blog. Who do they think they are? Do they think they lead such interesting lives that other people would actually care? After reading (actually getting sucked into) other blogs, I now understand that it's not really for other people, it's for themselves. Well, at least that's how I'm going to justify my blog. It's like scrapbooking for free. I can also change my blog if I don't like it, which works for me, since I'm such a perfectionist. So enjoy, or don't, but I will, because this is the scrapbook of our lives from this point forward.

I have removed the ads and the counter that tells how many people follow my blog. I've stopped participating in link-ups and mass commenting. I can't keep up. That's not how I want to spend my free time. I could easily get sucked in and stop living just so I can keep up with other peoples' lives. That makes no sense. Instead, I will be at the gym, taking a yoga class, cooking dinner, reading books, and enjoying my life. I may not blog everyday, which is what I've tried to do the last year, but I will blog about three times a week. That's my completely attainable goal for the blog.

So, here's MY creative space. Just like I intended all along.

2011-12-26T16:51:00.000-05:00

i love...

citrus fruit and vegan eggnog pancakes
lot of laughter
surprise presents
my soda stream
plain seltzer
dogs under the table
reading, reading, and more reading
lying around like the lazy bums we are

hope your holidays were just as enjoyable

2011-12-26T16:21:00.000-05:00

Last week was all about working around our condo. We have put off painting, fixing the caulking on the molding, organizing, and such for a long time. We are usually traveling over track-out, but we aren't this break, and Jason doesn't have class. It was perfect timing. Jason painted {actually, he's still working on the trim as I type} and I shopped and organized. I won that deal for sure.

We also caught up with Grace for lunch at Luna's Living Kitchen after a disappointing trip to IKEA. They just didn't have what I was looking for this time. I was going to buy some frames for a gallery wall. I just didn't like how cheap their frames felt. I think I'm just going to build my gallery wall slowly, so I can get different types and sizes of frames from a variety of places.

However, lunch was fantastic. I would recommend the burger. It came with the most beautiful salad ever, which cheered me up on such a rainy Thursday.

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

We went to my mom's house on Sunday with Kayla and Kaden. They played with their Christmas gifts most of the day, and were excited to find out that we are going skiing soon. We're shooting for February, but waiting to get Jason's syllabi before setting a real date.

Jason and I are tracked out now, and have nothing planned for the next 20 some days. It is the best feeling in the world!

2011-12-19T11:03:00.001-05:00

2011-12-18T19:57:00.001-05:00

Kayla spent the day sketching designs in her sketch book and learning to sew by hand. I've never seen this girl so focused all.day.long. She is quite the artist and really impressed us all. Her designs look rather professional, and it was her first attempt. We may have a future fashion designer on our hands.

double digits

2011-12-17T11:13:00.003-05:00

I cannot believe my cousin, Kayla, is 10-years-old today! I remember when she was born, and her mom let me be the first person to babysit her. I was so scared and excited! I knew this little girl and I would have a very special relationship. I'm so glad I'm able to spend time with her each month, and I just love the person she is growing up to be. I can't wait to surprise her with birthday pancakes and her present tomorrow!

What is your favorite part of the school day? Recess

What is your favorite special? Gym

What is your favorite food? Pizza

What is your favorite color? Pink

What is your favorite animal? Cat

If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? Hawaii

What is your favorite book? The Wizard of Oz

What is your favorite dessert? Chocolate ice cream

What do you want to be when you grow up? A fashion designer

If you could have one wish, what would it be? For my family to have a lot of money

What is your favorite thing you did last year? Going to the water park

What do you want to learn next year? More about science

Anything you'd like to be better at? Math

secret santa

2011-12-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

Each year, teachers at my school draw names for Secret Santa. Monday through Wednesday, we are supposed to give little $1 gifts, and Thursday, we give a $10 gift. These are all approximate values. Each person fills out an interest form. Luckily, I knew my recipient, so it made it a little easier. She's a cake decorator, which is why I bought her the best vanilla extract ever from Williams-Sonoma. Hoping she'll love it at the reveal today after school.

Homemade dog biscuit recipe coming next. They are amazing and easy. Jason was sort of munching on the dog biscuits along with the dogs.

clearly, i suck at lists

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

1. Run a 5K - I will never do this. I hate, hate, hate running. I'd rather get a pap smear AND a colonoscopy in the same day. Seriously. I am only doing workouts I like from here on out.
2. Go wine tasting in wine country - Thought we were going cross-country again, but didn't.
3. Visit New York City (hopefully, with friends)
4. Go skinny dipping somewhere cool - I need chlorine. I'm still on the look-out for the perfect spot.
5. Visit the North Carolina Museum of Art
6. Build myself a fort in the living room
7. Take ballroom dancing lessons - Jason is just not so excited about this one, and lucky for him, he's in his MBA program now and "too busy."
8. Be able to do a headstand in yoga - I can totally do this and a back bend!
9. Watch Casablanca
10. See a musical on Broadway - we did even better in my opinion here and here.
11. Learn how to play one song really well on my harmonica - Not so much...
12. Learn to love camping
13. Sew something that does not look like a kid sewed it - Didn't do it.
14. Go ziplining - Didn't do it.
15. See the Grand Canyon - Thought we were going cross-country again, but didn't.
16. Donate blood regularly - Didn't do it.
17. See one of the last space shuttles take off - Didn't do it, but I'm blaming this on the amount of days I took off after my Grandmother's death. In hindsight, I totally shouldn't have taken an extra day. Still kicking myself...
18. Learn how to change a flat tire - As long as I'm still pretty enough to have men do this for me, I see no point in learning how. Just kidding a little there. I know how to do this in theory, but have never tried it.
19. Take a class to learn more about Photoshop - I did this online, and have learned a lot through trial and error.
20. Try flower pollen as a supplement
21. Go skiing
22. Relearn French by going through the textbooks at school - Didn't do it.
23. Make a piece of pottery with my mom - Didn't do it, but need to.
24. Ride a horse again
25. Start my own business - sort of
26. Write my closest friends letters to tell them how much they mean to me - Did this for my birthday weekend.
27. Ride in a helicopter for fun - Didn't do it.
28. Ride in a hot air balloon - Didn't do it.
29. Sell a photography print
30. Celebrate my last night of being in my twenties - Not really. I was fighting with my husband because I thought we were going to miss the last ferry to the island, and he totally forgot my birthday. I was so disappointed, but forgave him because he has had a hard semester. However, I will be holding this over his head until we are dead.

Well, I have learned to stop making lists in my next 30. It only makes me feel like a failure. I only accomplished about half of what I set out to do. I thought several things would happen this year that didn't. I thought we would be driving cross-country again this summer, but that was not a good decision for us, since I moved classrooms and needed more time at school over the summer, and we were saving for Jason's tuition.

But I did have a great year, and I rolled with it, rather than thinking about this list. Obviously. Moving these items to my bucket list. But I don't really have a real bucket list, because I suck at lists. I'm good at just living in the moment, so I'm doing more of that.

30th birthday weekend, part 2

2011-12-13T04:00:00.000-05:00

We spent Saturday afternoon on the beach together. It was a gorgeous and sunny day.
When the sun began to set, we took dinner and s'mores on the beach, and I felt like Barefoot Contessa.
Jason built a fire on the beach. That was the only thing I wanted all weekend, and we applied for a permit weeks ago. We had to watch the wind speed all day, hoping it would fall below 10mph.

We wrote messages in a bottle and sent them off with our email addresses on them. We are hoping they make it farther than Myrtle Beach, but I sort of throw like a girl.
It was such a memorable night with the best friends a girl could ask for.

30th birthday weekend, part 1

2011-12-11T19:13:00.001-05:00

I have not had a birthday party since I was a little girl. I even skipped my "Sweet Sixteen." I was making out in my mom's minivan instead. True story. I think that's what I should have planned for my 30th! Next year, it's on. I was a little disappointed that several of my friends could not join us. However, we truly loved having Jon and Grace with us for the weekend.
Jon and Grace came on Friday evening, after I spent the day at the spa. We ate vegan crab cake pizza, ate cake, and drank way too much wine {I think that was just me!}. On Saturday, we slept late, ate Grace's monkey bread, and traipsed around the island. We had big plans for Saturday evening, so we went back to the house to prepare...

training graduates

2011-12-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

My dogs and I graduated from training last night. We have been working with a dog trainer the last six weeks every Tuesday evening. They used to pull on their leashes when walking and made fools of themselves {and me} when we would see other dogs. Not any more! Several things have surprised me during this process:

1. That Bailey, at nine years old, could most certainly learn new tricks. She's awesome!

2. Jack Russell terrier mixes CAN be trained.

3. I have some super serious anxiety about Baxter being hit by a car. It has most definitely subsided, especially since our trainer now has me training him on a 25 ft. lead that stays on the ground. I can step on it in an emergency, but it's pretty cool that my dog will stay when I tell him to.

4. Bailey is actually my dog. Not Jason's. We've "fought" over this for nine years. The trainer said she was my dog, so it must be so.

5. The dogs have the worst and best of my personality. Bailey is a little neurotic and a pleaser, while Baxter has a streak of stubborn I'm all too familiar with.

6. I actually don't have to do this for Baxter. He was just ruling me a little.

7. My neighbors are actually complimenting my dogs instead of running the other way.

8. I'm even more in love with my dogs now, and I think they have bonded more with me. We snuggle a little closer and Baxter wags his tail at me more. Sometimes, he'll just run into another room like he hasn't seen me in ages.

It's been a commitment - 40 minutes each day for the last six weeks - but it has been so worth it. It's not over now, since I'm training them on my own to do even more advanced stuff on the longer lead, and we may incorporate hand signals, too.

OK, off to blog about my birthday weekend and my 30 before 30 list. It's coming, I swear.