Taken @ 11:17 am EST

Goodbye my apartment in West Hartford, Connecticut. Tonight, we’re staying with my mum & she’ll be driving the husband and I to the airport tomorrow. She’s also kind enough to be watching Monster while we’re away.

Hooray for a week in Florida! This will be my first real vacation in 8 years! We’re also visiting my husband’s family for the last time before he goes to Marines boot camp in a few months.

Expect to see lots of sunny, near-tropical photos for the next week.

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Taken @ 9:37 am EST

Dried flowers: not the best chi, but boy do they smell great!

Over at my mum’s house on this gorgeously sunny Tuesday, doing laundry before the trip to Florida on Thursday. Always nice to be in her company.

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Enter: Amy’s Bowls. These vegetarian frozen meals are so tasty you forget they came out of the freezer. I first discovered Amy’s while living in San Francisco. My husband is a big meat eater, but even he enjoys having Amy’s Bowls for dinner 2 times a week.

Each meal contains less than 500 calories, though be sure to watch out for the sodium – eat only 1 of these a day! For dinner, we eat a side salad first & feel pleasantly satiated after our Amy’s Bowls. Just 5 minutes in the microwave and they’re ready.

Should we all eat more whole, unprocessed foods? Yes – duh! But I’m happy to have Amy’s Bowls as a part of my regular diet, thanks to their family-owned pride & use of organic ingredients. Visit Amy’s website to see more of the Amy’s Bowls (I’ve posted my top 3 favorites here) and check out the other hundreds of tasty foods they make (big fan of their pizzas & soups too).

[Images courtesy of Amy's Kitchen]

Taken @ 11:53 am EST

Vibrant colors are slowly returning to the neighborhood.

Only 12 days until the “official” start of Spring … & only 4 days until the hubby & I visit his family in FL. This is the first time I’ve seen them since we got engaged AND married!

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Taken @ 2:05 pm EST on Saturday, March 6th, 2010

I did it again! You probably noticed that there was no Project 365 photo for Friday. What a crazy day it was – I don’t think I’ve ever run so many errands … *exhale*. My creative inspiration is slowly returning, along with the Springtime sunshine (woot!). A week-long trip to Florida (March 11th-17th) is going to be a great reprieve.

The stark reality that my husband will be leaving for Marine boot camp in less than 3 months (June 1st) becomes more real each day. So many little details still to wrap up before thing, including whether or not we’ll be extending our apartment lease. The only method for sanity: taking it one day at a time & embracing each moment with warmth.

Taken @ 9:44 am EST on Sunday, March 7th, 2010

Me and my favorite fuzzy man have been spending lots of time together. He’s been quite cuddly & I gladly welcome his company. The massive amounts of sunshine we’ve had the past 2 days have been a blessing as well. Though Monster doesn’t fancy being outside, he loves to look outside. Warmer temps mean I can leave the back door open and he spends hours just starting out of it, waiting for birds to fly by.

[Images taken by Victoria Klein]

Taken @ 10:52 am EST

Mmmmmm, garlic. I never used to like garlic, and too much of it can make me queasy. In moderation, it tastes great is great for your health. My husband and I tried a restaurant on Tuesday that features garlic in every dish – I liked it even more than I expected!

How do you like your garlic: raw, mashed, roasted … ?

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Taken @ 10:42 am EST

It’s the little things that matter, no? Big house, fast car, closet full of clothes? Don’t give a crap about that stuff. I’ll take my favorite jeans, cuddly cat, and a juicy apple instead.

One day, my hubby (then-boyfriend) came home with this adorable bear – just ’cause. Could I live without my black bear? Of course, but it’s emotional value makes it far more important than the latest electronic toys or DVD releases.

In our modern culture, it’s so very easy to get caught up in the spend-spend-spend mindset. Few are immune to it, myself included. Even when I know I need to buy something (don’t have it but actually need it to stay healthy or progress in life), I’m happy to do the research & find the best deal. Developing and maintaining that kind of patience is just as hard as it sounds … but if it’s tough, then it’s worth doing.

Note: cheap does not = best; quality over quantity!

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Finding Aimee’s illustrative works in the December 2009 issue of Yoga Journal (YJ, stop being so awesome!) led me to her website. From there, I found that Aimee has both a blog and an Etsy shop! Swank

With a client list ranging from the Wall Street Journal and Good Housekeeping to publisher Simon & Schuster, it’s clear I’m not the only one who fancies Aimee’s talents.

(From the December 2009 issue of Yoga Journal – enchanting, no?)

[Images courtesy of Aimee Sicuro]

Taken 11:11 am EST

Though out of sight now, the sun made a brief & shining return this morning.

I’m able to walk outside without my winter coat on.

Spring is so close I can smell it!

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]

Taken @ 7:28 am EST

There’s no better way to start your day than a great cup of tea (take that, Folgers!)

Note: This photo is also a personal accomplishment, as I’ve been hoping to capture steam for awhile. Woot! Yet another swank way to start my day (and week).

[Image taken by Victoria Klein]