BusyGirl

ten gentle reminders

2012-02-28T08:33:00.000-05:00

Borrowed from Sarah Tucker Events

[hottest Florida wedding stylist ever]
who borrowed this from the lovely Kate Spade.

Who can do no wrong in my book.

Just a good reminder for a Tuesday.

*******

I went to Connecticut this past weekend for a surprise visit.

My cousin was having a reception for her wedding in Alaska.

Going back is nostalgic, but I am beyond glad to be home.

There's something about your own bed, own shower, own home.

And of course those puppy tail wags when you walk through the door.

Also, Adam painted more trim while I was gone.

I love him more than homemade spaghetti and meatballs.

Enjoy your week!

a new sport

2012-02-20T10:49:00.001-05:00

I ate breakfast in bed this weekend.

Because the idea of moving to the couch was just too much to handle.

Plus my bed is full of pillows and warmth. Why move just so I can eat my bagel properly?

When I did finally emerge from my cocoon of blankets, Adam and I went to practice volleyball at the health center. And ran into a 64-year-old British guy who thought Adam needed to hone his soccer skills a bit.

Adam used to be a world-class soccer player. Before his knee surgery.

He even played in Europe.

::proud wife::

So this new European sport was right up his alley.

I give you: soccer raquetball.

The most creative name ever.

It's racquetball. Played with a soccer ball.

Observe.

I'm not even going to attempt this.

He clearly has the upperhand(foot) in this sport. I'll have to beat him at something else.

Like synchronized swimming.

food coma

2012-02-15T10:44:00.000-05:00

I'm not quite sure how it's possible that I'm still completely full 16 hours after eating.

Well done Strip Steakhouse, well done.

In other news...

You can find me over on my twinie's* blog today.

Talking about my first Valentine's Day with Adam.

The romance was a'swirling.

*not really my twin. we pretend and that's alright.

day of love

2012-02-14T07:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm sending you some love.

With the full disclosure that next year it will be my face on that card.

What can I say...I have an in with the card gods.

I have big plans today.

Getting my car washed.

Making banana bread.

With plantains though. We'll see how this pans out.

And dinner at our favorite spot with my husband.

I'm pretty smitten with him.

Don't wait up.

when i grow up

2012-02-09T10:16:00.000-05:00

It's crazy that I'm 26 and still have the phrase rambling through my mind.

Aren't we supposed to be doing what we were going to do by now?

Adam and I went to the mall the other night. Shoe shopping.

For him. Not me.

My husband has a shoe and coat addiction that I haven't quite found the cure for.

But that's something to discuss at another time.

We were walking in front of this group of teenagers who were, well, being teenagers. Adam stopped to 'tie his shoe'. Actually, he just stopped and bent down until they passed so we wouldn't have to walk in front of them anymore.

We're officially old.

And over teenage antics.

Just tack that onto the long list of reasons why I'm aching to find my passion in life.

I think I'll start with when I was eight and I was going to be the greatest, bestest teacher in the whole wide world.

No really.

My little sister, Wren and I created a school in our basement. An easel and old school desk were pulled front and center. My mom's sewing table acted as the teacher's desk. And stacks of paper, pencils and stickers were plentiful. I was constantly creating handouts, drawing on the board, pacing back and forth as my 'students' completed their assignments.

I was a pretty stellar teacher.

Though I cannot for the life of me remember what important facts I taught at the wise age of eight.

I did enjoy grading though. And putting stickers on papers.

The rush of being Mrs. Thompson (of course I was married (to JTT). It was part of my American dream) soon faded and I moved onto many other careers through my childhood. Including but not limited to:

a boat captain

a wedding planner

an architect

a ballet dancer

and

perhaps the most prestigious job of all...

a hot dog vendor

What can I say? I had big dreams.

And I guess at 26 I still do.

be mine

2012-02-08T07:35:00.000-05:00

I'm super excited for Valentine's Day this year.

Mainly because we're going to my favorite restaurant.

And there are big plans afoot.

I like to surprise my hubby. Even if it's just with something as simple as hot dogs for breakfast.

We never really put all that much emphasis on Valentine's Day. Because we try to celebrate love every day. With the little things. Like the fact that Adam did the dishes last night.
My heart did a little pitter-patter at that.

But what better day than to go a bit over the top to show someone you care?
I already sent out my diy bunting valentines...but I'm still brainstorming some gift ideas for my mama and close friends.

Here are some of my favorite finds to make your Valentine's Day as special as the person you share it with.

i love you card - letterpress venn diagram card - lionheart card - scooter and hearts

heart shapes pancakes - ginger coffee cookies - chocolate raspberry hearts - brownie heart cupcakes

heart shaped soap - heart shaped tea bags - valentine's day coffee cup warmers - you make life sweet cookie cups

weekend

2012-02-07T08:06:00.000-05:00

Our internet went out this weekend.

Which was a blessing in disguise.

Realized of course, after I spent a few hours taking Time Warner Cable's name in vain.

Then I spent the weekend internetless.

And even put down my phone for most of it.

I journaled. Planned trips. Created. Dreamed.

It was somewhat blissful.

I also consumed a lot of tea. Went wine tasting with my girlfriends. Took a nap. Played hide-and-seek with the pup. And finished our valentines.

It ended up being one of those weekends I kind of needed.

Even if it wasn't what I had planned.

french onion soup

2012-02-03T08:55:00.002-05:00

I haven't talked about food in a good minute.

So I'll share with you one of my epic successes of the past month.

French Onion Soup from scratch.

I even made it twice. Just to make sure the first time wasn't a fluke.

Sometimes I amaze myself.

For those of you cooking up a storm for your Valentine's Day surprise, this would be a great soup and salad course. Before the big entrée.

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 onions sliced

4 garlic gloves chopped

3 bay leaves

5-6 sprigs of fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1 cup of red wine (I use Cabernet Sauvignon, preferably one with plum or berry undertones)

3 tbls of flour

2 quarts of beef broth

french baguette, sliced about 1 inch

grated Gruyere cheese (I used mozzarella too)

Directions

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are very soft and caramelized.

Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated.

Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.

Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.

Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

When you're ready to eat, toast the baguette slices on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping halfway through. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and toast until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup in bowls and float the baguette on top.

on the rebound

2012-02-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

From the depths of my bed.

Where I snuggled with my pup.

Survived on Earl Grey.

And amused myself with Vogue.

Okay, having the flu wasn't that bad.

But I'm still glad it's gone.

diy bunting valentines

2012-01-31T07:53:00.000-05:00

I sometimes am not in the mood to buy cards.

Because they can be so dang expensive.

[a fact that will amuse those of you who know what I do for a living]

Last year I designed my own Valentine's Day cards in Adobe Illustrator and printed them out on cardstock.

This year I went a bit more hands on for a more whimsical approach.

To create you will need just a few things that you probably have laying around your house.

cardstock

fabric (mine is from the dog's halloween costume, a baby quilt, leftover curtains and a random fat quarter. I should be on an episode of fabric hoarders)

sissors

glue stick

red and white thread

sewing machine

stamps and ink pad (both of mine are from Target)

The how to? Pretty simple :)

First, cut a bunch of different sized triangles from your fabric.

Then arrange five or six of them (depending on your card size) in a curved line.

Secure with a little bit of glue so they stay in place when you start sewing.

You probably could hand sew these if you wanted to, or glue a piece of ribbon down as the bunting line. I used my sewing machine, putting the white thread on my bobbin (so it would blend in on the inside of the card) and the red thread on top.

Stitch a curved line following the tops of the bunting flags to secure them.

Using stamps, or your favorite pen, craft your message inside the card.

I've been obsessed with using these mini alphabet stamps lately. I love how perfectly imperfect they turn out, not quite in a straight line or all with the same amount of ink.

Plus I found them in the Target dollar bin last year.

Can't beat that.

You can see in the card above why I used white thread on the bobbin - blends in the stitching a bit instead of having a red line on the inside.

Sign and send you Valentine to someone special!

on blogging and life

2012-01-27T13:44:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of posts floating around as of late regarding blogging, readers, comments and the balance of it all.

I won't reiterate all the discussion. But here are some stellar reads:

Em - E - Jenni - Megan

I really try to keep it real here.

Sure I share all the adventures I have and a bit too much about food.

But there are embarrassing moments and soul-bearing posts too.

Life isn't always days at the lake and sunshine and laughter.

Sometimes it's real.

There's something to be said for being able to share that freely.

With people I've never met.

But I feel like I know some of them better than myself.

And so I'm thankful.

For having someone halfway across the world send me an email with a perfectly sarcastic comment to make my day that much brighter.

For someone a few states away to send me the sweetest snail mail card.

For someone two hours away to send me the most-needed pick me up package.

For anyone to leave an uplifting comment or tweet.

Right when I need it most.

I never asked for anyone to do this.

I never expected anyone to.

I am absolutely amazed by the friends I've made through blogging.

It's internet ~~dating~~ friendship at its best.

You guys are the bees knees.

Even though I wasn't aware that bees even had knees.

*******

And onto something equally as amazing and vague.

I had some pretty steep New Year's Resolutions.

Let's tackle #5: Aspire.

I've been chasing a dream for a couple years.

And recently realized I was chasing the wrong dream.

But that's okay. It's okay to get lost now and then. To follow something blindly.

It always leads to something better.

Finding your passion in life isn't easy.

And when you do find it, it can be terrifying.

Terrifying or not, I figured out what I want to do with my life.

I suppose [vaguely] putting this on the internet is my way of holding myself accountable.

So that's it.

I'll keep you posted.

beauty with a purpose

2012-01-25T12:15:00.001-05:00

I rarely post something on the fashion blog I write for and feel the need to post it here as well.

But some things just need to be shared.

And I want to make sure no one misses out.

There are over 27 million slaves in the world today.

Over 2 million people are trafficked annually.

Those numbers are absolutely astounding to me.

And frightening.

And while many people and non-profit organizations are fighting to end human trafficking, I was amazed to find one for-profit beauty company with such a mission.

Radiant Cosmetics was founded on the belief that for-profit companies should be working just as hard as non-profits to transform the world into a better place.

Brilliant. I know.

But why cosmetics you ask? Well, the cosmetics industry generates $170 billion annually. Women dominate this industry and of the over 2 million human beings trafficked each year, 80% are women and girls. Nicole Marett, the founder and owner of Radiant Cosmetics has a dream to awaken a generation of women to not sit back and allow this injustice to happen to our fellow sisters.

Her dream is to set the captives free, one lipstick at a time.

At least 20% from every Radiant Cosmetics purchase is donated to help stop human trafficking.
And believe me, it isn't hard to find something you love.
Currently I'm in love with their moisturizing lipsticks. Bold, rich colors like Park Avenue combined with Vitamin E are the perfect way to brighten up your face.

Currently on a spending freeze but want to help spread awareness?

Radiant Cosmetics is running a campaign TODAY by asking women everywhere to model your favorite lipstick and take a photo holding this sign:

Upload them to Radiant Cosmetic's facebook page TODAY and you could win some amazing lipstick prizes!

For more information on human trafficking and what you can do to help, please visit http://radiantcosmetics.org/human-trafficking for resources.

something's different

2012-01-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

I got a makeover from Lulapalooza Designs.

Lula is the bees knees. Gorgeous, brilliant and great to work with.

Also, she's from Lisbon, so she has that international flair.

I'm smitten with the new look, are you?

more food

2012-01-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

I apparently don't do anything in the winter but eat.

I'm not really seeing the problem with this.

Today is Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon.

Cue Sisqo's 'unleash the dragon' playing in your head. It happens to the best of us.

We have some friends who are part-Asian and extremely good cooks. That combination comes in handy around Chinese holidays.

So we all got together and had a big Chinese New Year celebration, complete with too much food.

Just kidding, there's no such thing as too much food.

I'd love to tell you what we ate, but I couldn't pronounce, let alone spell, anything.

I did consume dried fish flakes. Which were a surprisingly salty treat.

Adam and I threw together some potstickers, which were pretty good for our first attempt working with wonton wrappers.

Those suckers took us 20 minutes to find in the grocery store.

But the real show-stopper was this dish I will call 'soup' because I don't know the actual name.

It was tasty.

By the way, I was born in the year of the Ox. Which won't come around again until 2021. I think I might throw myself a party that year. Kind of like a Chinese New Year, the best year, party.

*******

Congrats to Candice for winning the Poshlocket giveaway! It must be fate that you share your name with one of the pieces :)

baby it's cold outside

2012-01-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

As in nine degrees.

Which isn't really all that cold for Ohio. That's the sad but true part. I'm not at all a cold weather person and Ohio is pretty much next to last on my list of places to live. But we live here for certain reasons - that's a whole other post someday. And until we can retire south of the snow line (in like sixty years), we have to come up with ways to stay warm in the cold.

Like stop in at a hole-in-the-wall Cambodian restaurant.

We pass it all the time, but never think to go.

They have the most amazing homemade spring rolls.

I might just order eight of them next time for my meal. They were divine.

The best part was that you have three levels of spiciness for your food (mild, medium and hot). So naturally we ordered medium, which was spicy enough to keep us warm inside.

Oh pickled cabbage. You are the way to my heart.

Err, stomach.

I think we may have found a new favorite.

I love discovering amazing food.

Impromptu date nights.

And staying warm.

*******

ps - last day to enter the poshlocket giveaway!!

poshlocket giveaway

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

Pretty enamored with this Penny Gibson Moon bracelet from Poshlocket.

It's so gorgeous. And I cannot wait to pair it with more outfits for a bright pop of color. The quality is amazing too.

Which doesn't help my bank account since now I'm coveting about twenty other pieces from this fabulous online jewelry store. Particularly the Candice Pearl Pave Ring, Wynona Belt Bracelet and the Hallie Honeycomb bracelet.

In love as well? Lucky you, because Poshlocket is giving one Busy Girl reader a $20 store credit!! And with the majority of Poshlocket jewelry being between $10-$35, you have a lot of gorgeous pieces to choose from.

Oh and did I mention they have free shipping?

Music to my ears.

How can you win this $20 store credit to Poshlocket?

So glad you asked.

MANDATORY ENTRY (leave a comment):

Visit Poshlocket and let me know what your favorite piece is!

Other ways to ENTER (leave a comment for each):

Follow Busy Girl via Google Friend Connect

Like Busy Girl on Facebook

Like Poshlocket on Facebook

Follow Poshlocket on Twitter

Tweet/Facebook/Blog about this giveaway

Winner will be selected THIS Friday, January 20th by random.org
[open to US residents only]

half moon

2012-01-16T20:42:00.000-05:00

Winter in Cleveland can be downright depressing.

Other than the fact that we finally, finally got hit with a legitimate snowstorm this weekend.

Hey, if it's going to be cold, why shouldn't there be snow?

It's hard to incorporate bright colors in the winter, since the majority of my colorful clothing isn't quite winter-appropriate . So even if I'm bundled up in neutrals, I like to add a pop of color.

I felt very equestrian in this for some reason.

This Penny Gibbous Moon bracelet from Poshlocket brights up my day. The bright turquoise and tangerine remind me of warm summer days on the water.

Even on days when the weather is a little chilly.

[ruffle shirt from urban outfitters, cardigan from loft, jeans from express, belt from f21, bracelet c/o poshlocket]

Also, I successfully executed the fish tail braid. I think.

It seems so simple in concept but apparently my fingers are not as coordinated as I'd like to think.

Not bad for the first attempt that stayed for more than twenty minutes.

progress

2012-01-15T18:15:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm taking my new year's resolutions seriously this year.

I've kept up with my line-a-day-journal.

And painted lots of trim.

Because the previous owners painted the majority of it dirty ivory color. And the portions left along are all different types of wood and no where near match each other. It really makes the house seem like a cave in the winter.

So I grabbed my paintbrush (and my husband) and got to work.

Three coats of Behr Interior Satin paint later we went from this:

[sorry older photo, excuse the dog]

To this:

I could just die I'm so happy.

The way to my heart?

White trim.

Don't ever say you don't know what to get me.

homemade stir-fry

2012-01-10T08:03:00.000-05:00

We have this little market in the town I grew up in. It's a cool 35 minutes away from our house now, but whenever we go to visit my mom we make it a point to stop there and stock up on, well, everything.

Which means we eat healthy for two weeks.

And Wendy's stock goes down.

I'm sure they'll survive the hit.

Last night I grabbed pretty much everything and threw together stir-fry. Which, minus the sodium from the soy sauce, is rather good for you.

And super-easy to make.

Other than all the chopping.

Ingredients

lots and lots of veggies - use whatever you have! Last night I used: green beans, sugar snap peas, carrots, snow peas, baby bella mushrooms, bean sprouts, green pepper, onion and broccoli.

meat (optional) Last night I used: split chicken breasts, cleaned and diced into 1 inch cubes

Soy Sauce

Sesame Oil

Minced Garlic

Brown Sugar

Water

Rice or egg noodles

Directions

Chop everything. In a small bowl mix together soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and brown sugar. I start out with 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp garlic and 3 tbsp of brown sugar. After that I don't really have exact measurements since I keep adding ingredients until I have the amount of sauce I'd like and the taste. Keep the sesame oil to a minimum as it can be overpowering and just play around with the proportions until you have a sweet garlicy sauce. You can spread the sauce further by thinning it a bit with some water.

Pour half of the sauce in a frying pan with the chicken and saute in sauce until cooked through. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add veggies to the pan and the rest of the sauce. Sauté for about 10 minutes on med-high heat.

Prepare your rice or noodles during this time. Once the veggies are done, add the chicken back in for about two minutes. Remove from heat and serve over the rice or noodles.

Easy. Fresh. Delicious. And a great way to use leftover veggies.

"i don't think that was supposed to happen"

2012-01-09T07:55:00.000-05:00

You know it's winter and that life has slowed down when we have time to go to things like a building implosion. We did other cool things this weekend like paint trim and drink wine, but I'm sure you'd rather hear about this.

We went up to the marina yesterday to get some stellar seats for the tear down of an old mining facility at the mouth of Huron River (it dumps into Lake Erie).

Here's the big boom...

[click on the picture, there's a video that I cannot for the life of me figure out how to upload]

I know, Ohio looks depressing in the winter. But I swear, it is beautiful the rest of the year.

And we have cool events like this to attend. gala, schmala. Give us a building to blow up.

inspired

2012-01-06T13:03:00.001-05:00

Feeling inspired.

By all things beautiful,

soft,

flowing,

delicious,

carefree,

warm,

and glowing.

All can be found on my Pinterest page.

Have a lovely weekend friends - xo

gettin' woody

2012-01-04T10:08:00.000-05:00

[scarf c/o french connection, peacoat from old navy]

Yes.
This is our woodpile. In all its glory.
When people come over, we get all excited and run them out to the side of the house with only short sleeves on and scream, look! Isn't it glorious?!
I think we've succumbed to suburbia.

You have to admit. It is pretty impressive.
Especially since Adam chopped all that wood.
My lumberjack.

In other news, you can find me over at Megan's [Across The Pond] today. Sharing the tale about the first dinner I ever cooked for Adam. This story regularly comes up at family gatherings when the wine has been a'flowing.

Be sure to follow Megan. She's my twin. But not really. We just pretend.

2012

2012-01-03T08:31:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the new year.

So far it hasn't been half bad.

Other than this snowstorm. But if it's going to be 20 degrees here, I'd rather there be snow.

Even if I have to do things like clean off my car after work.

Pity.

We ended up throwing an impromptu New Year's Eve party at our house.

Since no one made plans. And it's too cold to venture to the bars.

And expensive. Seriously. I'd have to sell our unborn first born in order to attend one of those events. I don't think my husband would approve.

So instead everyone came over for a casual night of celebrating.

And incredibly good food.

Adam made these mini-stuffed peppers from Giada's cookbook - mini bell peppers stuffed with ricotta and parmesan cheese, pancetta, onion and green peas.

To die for. Rather easy to make too. Recipe is here.

Maybe next year we'll do the whole formal celebration thing. So I can get all dolled up in sparkles and heels. Instead, you'll have to make do with this semi-glittery tank.

Which does not look the least bit glittery in this photo.

Oh well.

Happy New Year! May you be incredibly blessed this year!

a year in review

2011-12-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

I'll make this short and sweet.

We had a pretty awesome year, but 2012 is bound to be even better. I'm ready to ring it in with our sweet friends, glass of wine in hand and hubby by my side.

I was going to do a month-by-month like everyone else does. But instead I'll just touch on the highlights. What was important.

We rang in the new year with champagne, wine and pajamas at home with friends. Apparently going out strong on December 30th doesn't make for a fun NYE. Note to self. Stay away from the lemon drops until the new year.

I threw my best friend a london-tea themed bridal shower. She just happened to be marrying my brother. Sweet girl.

What's a better escape from the cold weather than a quick trip to LA?

Oh, and we tore up the town for Megan's bachelorette party.

And of course shed tears of joy as my best friend married my brother. Does it get much better?

I vlogged. Once and only once. Excuse my Cleveland twang. I straight up draw out my 'a' in every word.

We bought a house. Without really planning to. We walked in and just realized. This is it. And so began the moving process once again. Which took up the entire month.

My first trip to Vegas. Of course it was for work.
Kind of. I think I worked three hours. I have to say. The people I work with? Amazing.

Ricki turned ten.
And we went camping.
I formed a new appreciation for indoor plumbing. And ate my weight in Cool Ranch Doritos.

The new boat arrived. It was spectacular.

We discovered that cheap fireworks can provide hours of fun.
Managed to get some work done on the house.
And enjoy the dog days of summer.

On that topic, summer. Need I say more?

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary.
And I made my magazine cover debut.

Went on our annual trip to the Outer Banks.
Always my favorite week of the year. Seriously, it's better than Christmas that place.
Threw a trip to NYC in there too. Just for kicks.

Lots and lots of volleyball.
A few weddings in between.
A run in with the vatican.

And watching our beloved Browns with friends.

Our housewarming party (only six months late). I got pretty crafty with the invites.

The creation of the gallery wall.
And Adam bought me my first pumpkin.

I put enough candles on my brother's birthday cake that it caramelized the frosting.

But that's neither here nor there.
We fried a bird.

And toured our favorite brewery.

Seriously. People go ape crazy over Christmas Ale here.

Adam took me to see The Nutcracker.

And we spent Christmas with the most wonderful people.

[she melts my heart]

And are about to spend New Year's with some of our favorites.

I learned a lot in 2011.
How to open up.
Accept what is in my life.
Trust in others to understand.
And love every moment.

I'm so thankful for the friendships I've made this past year, near and far.

Especially far.

2012 is going to be epic.
Suit up.

for two thousand twelve

2011-12-29T07:29:00.000-05:00

[image via jessica lorren and sarah tucker events]

Twelve is my favorite number.

So to say that I'm pretty pumped about this year would be an understatement.

Also this is the year that I get to prove my husband wrong about the world ending. I'll still be throwing a big party on December 20th. Mark your calendars, you're invited.

journaling

I know this blog is basically a public journal of sorts, but believe me, you don't really want to hear about my day-to-day mundane happens. I keep the good stuff for you. I actually have been wanting to start a line-a-day journal. One that I can keep going for years, with minimal effort. I mean really, who can't find 30 seconds to write down that the one lady who always scowls at you, actually said 'good morning' at work today? Or that you're feeling incredible grateful to have Oreos in your life this afternoon? Imagine reading that years from now. And keeping track of different days throughout the years.

adventures

We did something different for Christmas this year. We gave my mom a calendar. Filled with dates. And adventures. See, living in Cleveland isn't horrendous. It's actually a city filled to the brim with culture and history. But we never indulge in discovering it. So this year, we're going to experience our home. And drag my mom along with us. Because it is a damn shame that she has never been on the Lolly the Trolley tour.

home

Eight months. Eight months we've been here. And I still feel like I'm living in someone else's house. I cannot wait to splash my vision all over the walls. Tear down those hideous curtains. Finally feel like throwing a dinner party because guests will be able to appreciate the table decor instead of being distracted by the oddly shaped spindles next to our table. I want our house to be our home. And I need to dedicate time to make that happen.

truthful

Be truthful. Not that I lie on my blog ever. But sometimes I skip over the haphazard moments in lieu of what I think you want to read. But that's not okay. Life happens. So why can't I share it all. It may not not always be pretty but I'm grateful for every up and down.

aspire

I need to find my inspiration, my dream, my desire. I keep finding myself in a rut, pouring myself into different activities just to find that it's not really what makes me feel alive. I know there's a passion somewhere. Everyone has one. I just need to find mine.

So that's it for twenty twelve.

Think it's doable?

What's on your to-do list?