homemade soup

alan and i made vegetable soup yesterday, and it is so tasty! it's chock full of delicious veggies and is just the right amount of spicy. the best part, though, was making it together. :)

the halfway point

i can't believe that half of 2008 is already behind us! it seems like only yesterday i was complaining that january was too long, and here we are at the halfway point of 2008. it's been a great year so far, and i've certainly had no shortage of things to be thankful for, so i have high hopes for the second half of this year... but what i'm learning is that my life is as good as i make it, and that my happiness is directly affected by my attitude.

unwedding day

a friend of mine was engaged once. it was an icky situation. it wasn't right. thankfully, she made sense of the ickiness. she made the right decision. it was the most difficult decision, naturally - i have no doubt it was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do - but she knows that she is much better off for it. she knows that she deserves better. i'm thankful for her strength and her courage, for her intelligence and of course for her friendship. and i am truly truly thankful that she is not getting married today to the wrong one.

(love you)

parking garages

i would just like to take a moment to express my appreciation for the modern architectural structure known as the parking garage. when it is insanely hot outside and the sun is beating down, the parking garage keeps my car shaded and cool (or at least...less hot).

three cheers for the parking garage!

being a grown-up

i think i only truly realized it today: i am a grown-up now.
i'm not sure when it happened, and i'm not sure if i like it, but there's no turning back now.
i have a college degree and an amazing husband and an apartment and a crazy cat and a corporate job and lots of bills and responsibilities. i have to balance my work life with my home life and my family life and my social life (i'm still learning). eventually there will be a mortgage and a baby and after that a million other things, big and small, that will change my life.
my only hope is that i will remember to appreciate this life, live it to the very best of my ability, and enjoy this crazy ride while it lasts.

"go confidently in the direction of your dreams! live the life you have imagined."

-henry david thoreau

successful surgery

yesterday my friend had surgery to have her tonsils removed. the surgery was a success and now she is safe at home, resting and recovering... and probably eating lots of yummy ice cream i hope!

tin cup pie

there is a little town in the rocky mountains of colorado called tin cup.

there is a little restaurant there where they serve tin cup pie.

i don't know what it is, exactly - some mish-mosh of pudding and sweet, sweet chocolatey goodness - but is absolutely heaven on earth.

happy birthday, mom mcd!

comedians

"the very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, 'you know, i want to set those people over there on fire, but i'm just not close enough to get the job done.'"

george carlin

may 23, 1937 - june 22, 2008

kitty cat quirkiness

my cat barks at birds, chews through the catfood bag, sleeps under the sheets, plays with socks, can't resist a drawer, opens cabinet doors, puts ponytail holders in his food dish, chases ice cubes, tips his litter box, lies on his back with his feet in the air, attacks suitcases, runs headfirst into windows, and "helps" make the bed. he's never been into milk or fish or any of the human foods that cats typically like - he's a catfood and treats kind of kitty. he's a bit of a loner, but he does like lots of attention first thing in the morning and as soon as his parents get home from work. he's the softest kitty ever and he always smells good (his litter box is another story). he loves to get brushed and he loves to sit on anything that happens to be on the floor. also, he is left-pawed, just like his mommy.

a little time to ourselves

the last few weekends have been really great - lots of friends and family time - but definitely super busy, and maybe even a tiny bit exhausting. add to that the fact that alan has been out of town all week, and suddenly i feel like i haven't gotten any good quality time in with my husband in like a thousand years. (yes i know this is quite an exaggeration but that's how i feel!) so it's just really nice to have two whole days in a row with no obligations and nothing to do other than hang out with each other and do a little bit of catching up. sometimes we just need some anti-social-ness.

:)

happy (fri)day

this has been another crazy week - things were pretty nuts at work, and alan was out of town again - so i haven't been feeling like myself too much lately.

but the craziness has subsided at work, and we even got to leave early for a big group happy hour today at 3:30! alan got on an early flight back to dallas this morning, and the moment i found out that he was safely back in the same state as me, i felt ten million times better.

i survived this week. i drank some beer. my honey is home. i feel like i won the prize!

happy first day of summer!

little things

...caterpillars

...smoothies

...little notes from my hubby

...meows

...my favorite spoon

...instant messenger

...pilot pens

...toast

...shade

...giggles

...pickles

...pretty paper

...frogs

...daffodils

...lemonade stands

...board games

...chandeliers

...snowflakes

...pockets

...cupcakes

happy songs

there are some songs that you just have to sing and dance to - the ones that have the power to instantly lift your spirits and bring a smile to your face. for me, oye como va does it every time. also: anything by queen. i can't help myself.

love

"there is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."

- george sand

kisses

my husband is the best kisser in the whole wide world.

i remember our first kiss so vividly - i remember feeling like it was the first kiss in the history of kisses. i remember feeling like i didn't know what was going to come next for us, but whatever it was it was going to be something pretty amazing...

and it was.

fathers

just as i have been blessed to have many amazing mothers in my life, i have also been blessed with some truly fantastic fathers.

my dad is my dad, and we are a lot alike in a lot of ways. i look just like him. we have the same sense of humor and the same stubbornness and the same love for spicy food and tabasco.

my step-dad is patient and kind and he makes my mommy so happy. i couldn't possibly begin to thank him enough for that.

my father-in-law has been so warm and welcoming since the very first time i met him. he always has a story to tell or a good piece of advice for every situation.

i have also been blessed with some really wonderful grandfathers in my life: my grandpa w., my keepaw d., my step-grandad, and my gran'pa-in-law. these are the men who taught my dads how to be men (and how to be dads).

happy fathers' day!

on friendship

"true happiness consists not in the

multitude of friends, but in

their worth and choice."

- samuel johnson

the today show

i remember the today show being on in the background every morning while my mom and i got ready to go to work and middle school, respectively. i remember matt lauer and bryant gumbel and katie couric reporting the top news stories every day, i remember al roker back when he was still fat, and i remember willard scott and his smuckers birthday reports. they were a party of my everyday life for years.

now that i am out of college [read: waking up earlier than 10:00 am], i have renewed my today show tradition. even though some of the faces have changed, there's something about the familiarity of the jingle and the nbc peacock and al roker's catch phrases that just makes me feel like i'm starting my day off right.

farewell to tim russert, nbc's washington bureau chief and moderator of meet the press. you will be missed.

a clean house

there is something so satisfying about a clean house - especially if it's a clean house because you cleaned it. our apartment has been a bit of a mess for a little while now, partly because of busy schedules and partly because of apathy... but i got home from work a little bit early today, and two hours later the world is a better place because the laundry has been put away, the counters have been scrubbed, the dishes have been washed, and the carpet has been vacuumed (thanks to my lovely husband and our lovely dyson). i find that cleaning can be quite therapeutic - i know that at least my inner neat freak is at peace.

fonts

i love fonts. i could spend hours looking at them. i suppose that makes me a bit of a nerd. font nerds are cool, though, right?

design star!

the season premier of hgtv's design star aired on sunday night and i am so excited! i haven't watched it yet but i am about to go get cozy on the couch with my hubby and my dvr, so you'll have to excuse me for making this a short one...
happy tuesday!

happy birthday, shekita! happy birthday, mommy #2!

another dose of SATC goodness

my friend elysa can find anything on google. so when we found ourselves obsessing over a piece of artwork in carrie bradshaw's apartment in the sex and the city movie, she worked her google-magic and found it, naturally. turns out it's a wool-and-silk needlepoint wall hanging by paul smith worth multiple thousands of dollars (*sigh*)... but it is absolutely beautiful and i plan on trying to recreate it somehow and at some point because i do LOVE it.

costco

alan and i went to costco today. i love it there. there is so much stuff to look at. for some reason it so fascinating to me to see food items in ridiculously large quantities. we bought five pounds of organic carrots today (for $5!) and don't worry, we'll eat them all. we also enjoyed ourselves some delicious samples along the way. what's not to love?

five senses

i love the smell of coffee grinds, salty ocean air, and crayons; i love the smell of my husband's skin and the way it makes everything all right; i love the smell of garlic and onions and peppers being sauteed in a pan; i love the smell of chai and of changing seasons.

i love the sight of mountains in the distance, of feathers floating on a breeze; i love the way that light dances across the bottom of a clear blue swimming pool;i love to watch baby animals as they stumble through the first stages of life; i love the colors of dawn and i love the sight of fireflies against an evening backdrop.

i love the taste of cold cereal with soymilk; i love the complex flavors of very dark chocolate and the way it satisfies my sweet tooth in just the right way; i love the cold sweet burst of fresh citrus on my tongue and the effort it takes to eat a grapefruit; i love cinnamon and i love mushrooms and i love the challenge of spicy foods.

i love the feel of damp grass beneath bare feet and the feel of a perfectly timed gust of wind; i love the weight of a brand new empty sketchbook in my hands and the feel of blank paper; i love the feeling of safety and happiness that comes from being all wrapped up in someone's arms; i love the surface texture of an oil painting; i love the warm vibrations of the satisfied purr of a cat sitting on my feet.

i love the sound of rain falling outside and the thunder that goes along with it sometimes; i love the way that football noises just sound like fall; i love the sound of european police sirens and the sound of fireworks; i love the sound of ducks quacking.

happy birthday, clarence! happy birthday, j.r.!

the key to a happy life

"gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more."

- brother david steindl-rast

random silliness

so alan has a mole on the back of his leg and i only ever notice it when i'm walking up the stairs behind him, but every time i see it - and i do mean every time - i always think he has a bug on his leg! i get really scared for about a half a second until i realize for the hundred and fiftieth time that it's only a mole. it's kind of weird i guess but it makes me smile every time.

obama-rama

from senator (and now democratic presidential candidate) barack obama's victory speech last night (read the full text here)...

"all of you chose to support a candidate you believe in deeply. but at the end of the day, we aren't the reason you came out and waited in lines that stretched block after block to make your voice heard. you didn't do that because of me or senator clinton or anyone else. you did it because you know in your hearts that at this moment – a moment that will define a generation – we cannot afford to keep doing what we've been doing. we owe our children a better future. we owe our country a better future. and for all those who dream of that future tonight, i say – let us begin the work together. let us unite in common effort to chart a new course for america."

this man is fantastic. i get goosebumps when he speaks. it was an honor to vote for him in the primary election and it will be an honor to vote for him in the presidential election in november.

plus, check out the awesome shirt i bought yesterday to celebrate. this one and this one are cool too.

best friends animal society

everyone who knows me knows how much i love animals. which means i love people and organizations that love animals.

the best friends animal society is an amazing non-profit organization that is "dedicated to the simple philosophy that kindness to animals builds a better world for all of us." their utah sanctuary is home to thousands of animals, most of which have special needs and many of which are considered un-adoptable. they give these animals the love, attention, and care that they need in order to live full lives, and they also help to find them "forever homes." the network has also led some of the largest animal rescue efforts at home and abroad.

if you ever need a good cry, you can go to their website and read the stories of some of the cats, dogs, bunnies, horses, and birds that have been rescued. you can even adopt or sponsor one (or more) of them. i can't think of a better way to spend $25.

p.s.... the kitty image up in the corner is from the pawprints project, which sells art prints of actual shelter animals. 10% of the purchase price of each print goes to a local animal shelter.

cheesy email questionnaires

i don't always have time to fill them out, but when i do, i love them!

have you ever...

( ) gone on a blind date

(x) skipped school

( ) been to canada

(x) been to mexico

(x) been to florida

(x) been on a plane

( ) jumped out of a plane

( )been on a helicopter

(x) been lost

(x) been on the opposite side of the country

(x) gone to washington, dc

(x) swam in the ocean

(x) cried yourself to sleep

(x) played cops and robber

(x) recently colored with crayons

( ) sang karaoke

(x) paid for a meal with coins only?

(x) done something you told yourself you wouldn't?

(x) made prank phone calls

( ) laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose

(x) caught a snowflake on your tongue

(x) danced in the rain

(x) written a letter to santa claus

(x) been kissed under the mistletoe

(x) watched the sunrise with someone you care about

(x) blown bubbles

(x) gone ice-skating

(x) gone skiing

(x) gone skinny dipping outdoors

(x) gone to the movies

(x) been to a drive-in movie

1. any nicknames? bebia, liv, O
2. mother's name? deborah
3. favorite drink? non-alcoholic: soy chai lattes...alcoholic: mimosas
4. tattoo? nope i'm a big wuss
5. piercings? ears only
6. how much do you love your job(s)? L.O.V.E.
7. birthplace? washington, d.c.
8. favorite vacation spot? new orleans, paris
9. ever been to africa? no
10. ever eaten cookies for dinner? why,yes
11. ever been on tv? maybe
12. ever steal a traffic sign? oops
13. ever been in a car accident? yes
14. drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door
15. favorite salad dressing? balsamic vinaigrette

16. favorite pie? punkin or key lime
17. favorite number? 24
18. favorite movie? little mermaid
19. favorite holiday? christmas, of course
20. favorite dessert? warm chocolate cake w vanilla ice cream
21. favorite food? cajun
22. favorite day of the week? saturday
23. what do you do to relax? watch tv or sleep
24. favorite toothpaste? j/a/s/o/n organics powersmile - cinnamon flavor
25. favorite smell? alan :)
28. how do you see yourself in 10 years? living in colorado with my husband and child(ren) and working as an artist in some capacity
29. furthest place you will send this message? austin
30. who will respond to this the fastest? maybe kristmas, since school is out! ;)

someone to love the me that i love

"later that day i got to thinking about relationships. there are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. but the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. and if you find someone to love the you you love,

well, that's just fabulous."

- carrie bradshaw

i went to see the sex and the city movie this weekend with three of my very best girlfriends. we were pathetic with our tears and laughter and all the hugging but it was so great. the movie was perfect, and the whole time i just kept thinking about how lucky i am, and how thankful i am for all of the relationships i have and have had in my life. i have a truly amazing set of friends and family - not to mention an amazing husband - who have all taught me, supported me, cried with me, and laughed with me. they have helped me to find out who i am, they have helped me learn to love who i am, and they have all loved the me that i love.