the spiral diner

the spiral diner is heaven for vegans. it's a cute little diner with lots of yummy food and everything on the menu is completely animal free. the original location is in fort worth, and they recently opened a second location in dallas. alan took me to the new one last night on one of our surprise dates!

now, i have been vegetarian for almost a year, and vegan for not quite as long. which is great. i love it. but one of the things that you give up when you give up meat is the ability to walk into a restaurant and just order any old thing off the menu. you have to ask a lot of questions, do a lot of research, think really hard - just to eat a meal. you have no idea what an amazing treat it is to go to a place like the spiral diner and be presented with this extensive menu of delicious food and know that you can, in fact, eat all of it. anything. guilt free. i was practically giddy last night at dinner. and the best part? my carnivorous husband loved it too.

fashion research

today i went shopping for work-related research purposes. (oops, i accidentally bought some clothes for me while i was out. but anyway.)

and, our boss approved a group trip to the movie theater to see the new sex and the city movie. for research purposes, of course. (i didn't go, as i have had a long-standing date with some of my favorite girlfriends to see the movie tomorrow. but you get the point.)

not many people get to spend a workday at the mall, is all i'm saying. i'm one of the lucky few, and i am thankful for that.

air conditioning

it's lovely days like these when i thank my lucky stars for a little invention called air conditioning. during the long [endless] texas summers i come home every day sticky all over, just from the ride home and the walk upstairs to our third floor apartment. it's a blessing that i often take for granted, but to be able to come home to a nice air-conditioned apartment is a blessing nonetheless.

other people's babies

our friends have some seriously cute kids. they are absolutely beautiful, super sweet, well-behaved, and all-around lovable. they are the kind of kids that make us think we could totally have kids.

...then we remember, when you have your own kids, you don't get to give them back at the end of the night...

red nail polish

sometimes, all you need is a little bit of red nail polish.

it's a surefire way to remind yourself that you are feminine, fabulous, and maybe even just a tiny bit scandalous.

long weekends, part 2

i couldn't have asked for a better long weekend...

yesterday alan and i packed some snacks and headed out to the lake for a long walk. when we'd had enough of the heat, we went to my friends' parents' house (also my parents' friends' house - crazy!) to hang out by the pool and eat and drink. there were baby birdies and a baby bunny living in the back yard.

this morning we went for another long walk, and ever since we got home we've mostly just been watching movies and napping and generally being lazy. this is the life!

happy memorial day!

long weekends, part 1

alan and i are off to a pretty good start this long weekend.

friday night we took it easy - i think we were both still tired from our crazy weeks at work. we did a little bit of shopping, followed by a little bit of grocery shopping. we watched the season finale of grey's anatomy that we had missed on thursday night (thank you, dvr!).

yesterday, we both slept in, but somehow we managed to make it to our late-morning couple's massage. after lunch we saw indiana jones (i'm proud of us - we haven't seen a movie in the theater since... i don't know... harry potter maybe? anyway). we took a walk, and then that evening we went to our friends' house for a birthday-party-cookout. it was so good to see so many of our friends (it's been a while)! we were home and in bed by midnight-thirty, and scoop let me sleep till 9:30 this morning!!! he must know how much i need to catch up on my sleep.

and now... breakfast!

burt's bees

how do i love thee? let me count the ways...

your lip balm is pure deliciousness. you make my lips tingle with freshness and un-chapped-ness. and burt, your soap bark and chamomile face wash is heaven. creamy, creamy heaven. it smells like nature and happiness. your packaging is delightful and so is the fact that your products are 97% natural.

a good night's sleep

last night, i got a full eight hours of sleep - for the first time in at least a week. i had my hubby next to me, and my kitty by my feet... it was amazing. i felt like a whole new woman this morning. and i plan on repeating the cycle tonight.

happy birthday, scoop!

homecoming II

alan got a pretty big promotion a few months ago - one that we are so thankful for and excited about, but one that requires him to travel a lot more often (which we are less excited about). he left for his first official trip in this new position on monday, and it seemed like he was gone forever but he finally came home this afternoon.

i missed him so much it was ridiculous. i'm in my second week of my new job, and it has been absolutely insane - really good - but insane. i can't even tell you how much i needed a hug and how good it feels to have him in the same state/city/room as me. i just feel... safe. and whole.

it's like i'm not at home unless he is there with me. because, he is my home.

another beautiful sunrise

complete with silver lining and jesus rays.

what a beautiful way to start the day.

gold stars

i'm definitely the type of girl who appreciates a gold star every now and then... a little pat on the back has always been able to motivate and encourage me so much more than anything else.

of course a gold star must be earned - i don't want one that i didn't work hard for!

weddings

i love weddings.

and i love all things wedding-related.

i love the way that a bride looks at her groom, and the way that a groom can be brought to tears by the vows he speaks. i love the idea of a room filled with loved ones and love. i love the flowers, the music, and all the tiny details that make a wedding unique to each couple. i love the champagne, the cake, the toasts. i love the hope. i love the love.

happy birthday, jason!

a reminder

"happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."

- denis waitley

happy wedding day, carl and sarah!

the non-hangover hangover

today i am very. very. tired.

last night i went to my friend's bachelorette party while alan went to the corresponding bachelor party. we both had a lot of fun, but neither of us is used to staying out till 3:30 a.m. anymore. i'm pretty sure it was past my bedtime before we even got to the first bar.

so in any event i've been a little sluggish and out of it all day. but the good thing is, i'm not actually hung over. i had enough to drink last night, without going overboard, so that this morning when i woke up all i felt was sleepy. no headaches or other post-party fun stuff.

three cheers for the non-hangover hangover!

i made it!

well, friends, i officially survived my first week at my new job. it was hectic, and overwhelming, and full of blisters; but each day has gotten just a little bit easier, and i can't wait to see what else lies in store for me.

i've got a busy weekend ahead of me - bachelorette party tonight, friend in town tomorrow night, wedding sunday - and before i know it i will be tackling my second week at the new job!

soy chai lattes

did i mention there is a starbucks IN my office?

dangerous, but oh so delicious.

bandaids

mine have hello kitty on them. they're cute. and even in the face of the most monsterest blister ever seen, they put a little smile on my face.

new job

so yesterday was my first day at my new job... and it was definitely overwhelming, but it was a really good day.

the building itself is beautiful - full of natural light and trees - but i think it might take me a little while to learn my way around...it's crazy to go from a building of 120 people to a building of 5,000 people. everyone seems so cool and so nice. my new boss made rice krispies treats with icing that said "welcome olivia" and there was a big banner up outside of the cubicle. my bfw

from my previous job is working there too, in a different area, which is really great too.

as much as i hate being the new kid at work, everyone went out of their way to be friendly and to make me feel at home. i'm sure it's going to be overwhelming for a while, but i'm happy to report that day one was a success!

new job sushi

two years ago on my first day at work at my first "real" job, my best college girlfriends and i went to dinner at my most favoritest sushi restaurant.

today on my first day at work at my new job, my best college girlfriends and i went to dinner at my most favoritest sushi restaurant.

oh, happy day!

mommies

"a mother's arms are more comforting than anyone else's."

- princess diana

i have been blessed in my life with some truly amazing mothers.

mommy
my mother is an inspiration - she is an incredibly strong and intelligent woman with an amazing heart and a wicked sense of humor. i have always been able to look to her for support and guidance through anything. i continue to be amazed by the things she has done in her life, for me and otherwise, and i am so thankful for the way our relationship has grown over the years.

mommy #2
i met mommy #2 in sixth grade. she is my best friend carolyn's mother. carolyn and i were inseparable for over seven years, so we basically grew up at each other's houses. her house was my house, and my house was her house; her mommy was my mommy, and my mommy was her mommy. even now i still consider her my mommy #2.

mommy-in-law
alan's mom is so great. she is so adorable and so kind and she gives really good hugs. she has welcomed me into her family from day one. maybe it's because she knows how much i love her son or maybe she's just that nice, either way, i know i am blessed.

grandmommies
i have the best group of grandmothers a girl could ever ask for:
my italian grandma, josephine, who always said "landagotion!" i have no idea what that means.
my dad's mother, nancy, who makes the best grilled cheese sandwich you've ever tasted.
my step-grandmother, wanda, who was just as sassy as she was sweet. i didn't get to know her as well as i wish i could have.
my grandmother-in-law, gwendlyn, who is wonderful and kind just like the rest of the mcdaniel family.

one day i will have children. i can only hope to live up to the example of motherhood that these amazing women have set for me. i am so thankful for all of them, and so thankful to all of them.

happy mother's day!

the sewing room

alan and i have been living in this apartment for almost four years. it seems like it couldn't possibly have been that long, but it's true. it is the perfect size for us and our crazy little cat.

i've been especially lucky to have my own sewing room (and my own closet!). i remember when i was living in my first apartment and i had to put my sewing machine on the dining room table and my poor roommates had to listen to me sewing (and cursing) at all hours of the night. (love you girls, by the way!) then when we moved into this apartment i had an entire room all to myself, for all of my sewing projects and fabric and miscellaneous arts and crafts. i spent the better part of my college existence in my sewing room. it's crazy to think about it now.

but the craziest thing to me is that i never even tried to decorate it. this is the room where i come to be creative and artsy and to make beautiful things, and i never really bothered to put beautiful things into it.

...until today. i printed out a bunch of artwork that inspires me and i bought a bunch of frames and i hung everything up and i absolutely love it! it's still a work in progress, but i definitely feel so much happier walking into an art room that actually has art in it. who knew?

my first "real" job

yesterday was my last day at my first "real" job. i was there for almost two years, and i still don't think my brain understands that i don't work there anymore. i am starting a new job on monday, and i couldn't be more excited about that, but today i'm feeling pretty thankful for my first "real" job...

i am so thankful to my favorite college professor, who not only taught me so much while i was in school, but also told me about the job opening and recommended me to the art director.

i am so thankful to the company that took a chance on me, a new college graduate with little to no graphic/textile design knowledge and no "real" work experience.

i am so thankful for everything i learned there over the past two years.

i am so thankful for the people i worked with there. i'm going to miss them all so much.

my boss was the sweetest most adorable woman ever. she taught me so much, and had so much patience with me. she gave us taiwanese lessons all the time, although i didn't retain any of it. she has excellent taste. and nothing in the world is cuter than when she curses.

there were only three of us in the art department, and my other co-artist was so much like me (except for the fact that she was like three feet taller than me) it was almost a little scary at times. we were in the same classes in college but we never really got to know each other until we were working together. she was my carpool buddy, my vegan/environmentalist buddy (although she's way better at being vegan i am), my walking buddy, and my bfw (best friend at work - don't worry, we made that up).

our design vp was fabulous as well. she was sassy and hilarious, she always told the cutest stories about her little boy, and she knew all the best celebrity gossip too.

the designers and assistant designers were all so cool, so much fun, and so supportive. we all got along really well, and i like to think most of us actually truly enjoyed each other. i know that's so rare in a workplace.

overall, working there was really a great experience, and i am thankful for it. i am sad to leave, but i am beyond excited about the opportunities that await me at my new job. i'm looking forward to learning even more, doing even more, and growing even more. and i will never forget my first "real" job.

baby bunnies

the other day, alan and i went for a walk and we saw an itty bitty baby bunny! we named him butters.

is there anything cuter than baby animals? i don't think so. maybe a baby animal convention. that would be pretty hard to top.

i love lamp

and yes, that is an anchorman reference.

so anyway i think it must be one of the rules of being a grown-up that is to blame for the fact that i have suddenly and mysteriously developed a strong affinity for lamps. when did this happen? i don't remember ever noticing a lamp in my life. then i graduated from college and got married and all of the sudden i'm obsessed? perhaps it was the fact that after i got married i traded in my wedding shows for hgtv. it was all downhill from there i suppose.

my first lamp love was west elm's branch lamp. we bought two of them. they are beautiful. until recently they resided in our living room. now they live in our bedroom...

...because, on monday, fate stepped in and brought me to pier one, a store that i have never purchased anything from in my entire life, and i came face to face with these gorgeous and oh-so-perfect-for-our-living-room lamps. and on sale, no less! perfection. i am officially smitten.

food for thought

"consciousness is like tofu. its taste completely depends on what it is marinated in. when we 'marinate' our consciousness in gratitude, we become more grateful people."

leopardness

i have a picture up in my cubicle of some guy in a leopard suit. not in a sexy way. just a weird random sort of way that reminds me not to take myself so seriously. it makes me happy.

now that i think about it, leopards in general make me happy. so does leopard print.

a perfect sunday

today has been just about as close to perfect* as possible.

i woke up at 6:50 am and it was already light outside, which always seems to put me in a good mood. i drank my morning coffee, and after that i went to work out (alan was still asleep). when he woke up, we ate breakfast and spent a little time doing chores around the house. the weather has been amazing - between 65 and 79 degrees, sunny, breezy - perfection. so we decided to go to the park, where we walked around a lake full of lily pads, surrounded by lots of trees and birds. there were a bunch of us ducks there, and we even saw two itty bitty ducklings! after that we headed to the mall to eat lunch and do some window-shopping. at williams-sonoma they had samples of these ridiculously delicious chocolate mini cupcakes (i ate two). the people-watching at the mall was fantastic as well. on our way home, we stopped at the pet store to pick up some food for mr. scoop, and the humane society was there with a bunch of adorable kitties and puppies to love on. of course, a perfectly perfect sunday would have involved me bringing home one or two of thes adorable animals, but what can you do? anyway, now we're home and looking forward to a perfect sunday night...

*i am aware that my idea of "perfect" is not overwhelmingly exciting. in fact, some might even call it "boring." i'm not worried.

a new purse

we just got home from our saturday shopping and i am happy to report that i am the proud owner of a lovely new spring purse! it is perfectly in between dressy and casual; it is not too big and not too small. it is just right, and it makes me so happy!

now we're off to dinner with friends, followed by drinks with more friends!

happy saturday!

jesus rays

i think it's the prettiest thing ever when the sun shines through the clouds in just the right way so that you can see the path of each individual ray of light.

my friends and i used to call them "jesus rays," because they look like a picture of heaven... they give you such a feeling of hope, and the feeling that no matter what is going on in your life, there is something bigger out there than you, whatever that may be.

better together

a happy song for this first happy day of may by a singer who makes me happy, jack johnson:

there's no combination of words
i could put on the back of a postcard
no song i could sing
but i can try for your heart
our dreams, and they are made out of real things
like a, shoebox of photographs
with sepiatone loving


love is the answer,
at least for most of the questions in my heart
like why are we here? and where do we go?
and how come it's so hard?


it's not always easy and
sometimes life can be deceiving
i'll tell you one thing its always better when we're together
its always better when we're together
look at the stars when we're together
its always better when we're together
yeah, its always better when we're together


and all of these moments
just might find there way into my dreams tonight
but i know that theyll be gone
when the morning light sings
and brings new things
but tomorrow night you see
that theyll be gone too
too many things i have to do

but if all of these dreams might find their way
into my day to day scene
i'll be under the impression
i was somewhere in between
with only two
just me and you
not so many things we got to do
or places we got to be
we'll sit beneath the mango tree

it's always better when we're together
we're somewhere in between together
it's always better when we're together
yeah, it's always better when we're together

i believe in memories
they look so, so pretty when i sleep
hey now, and when i wake up,
you look so pretty sleeping next to me
but there is not enough time,
and there is no song i could sing
and there is no, combination of words i could say
but I will still tell you one thing
we're better together