Love this.

My cousin, Michelle, is a super talented painter.  She does amazing work in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.  She has done work on Extreme Home Makeover AND last I heard she was going to paint Jewel's house in the near future? 

I saw her a couple of weeks ago when all of the girls got together and she gave us all one of these

 

How cute is that?!  The lipstick print is painted on.  A really cute idea for a group of girls.

I love it.

Thank You

This week, I got this print in the mail

But I didn’t buy it.

Maybe 2 weeks ago, I put a link to it on the left sidebar, where I put everything I see that I love.  I have a thing for birds.  But not pigeons.  Or seagulls.

This week, I got it in the mail.  I was so confused.  I went and checked my purchase histories…nothing

I emailed the seller thanking her for the gift, but she didn’t intentionally send it to me as a gift, and she is just as confused as I am.  We have concluded that someone bought it from her and asked her to ship it to me.

So whoever you are, thank you so much.

I love it.

And while we’re here, check out yumiyumi.  I want one of everything.

Channeling my Inner Emma Pillsbury or Mr. Rogers

I counted this morning

I have 26 cardigans.  They are my staple.  I love them.  And pencil skirts.

But mostly cardigans.

I wear them 99% of work days.

If you ever need to get me something, and haven’t a clue, a cardigan is a safe bet.

These make my heart skip beats

(From left to right)

Anthropologie Whirl & Wind Cardigan, $88.00

Ann Taylor Loft Ruched Trim Cardigan, $59.50

Mossimo Pointelle Cardigan, $17.99

Merona Essential Cardigan, $19.99

Banana Republic City Cardi, $69.50

J. Crew Featherweight Pocket Cardigan, $39.99 (I have this.  Bought it yesterday; love how light it is for hot Houston summers)

Gap Pocket Cardigan, $34.99

J. Crew Fiore Cotton Cardigan, $69.99

Anthropologie Scribbled Bouquet Cardigan, $98.00

The Bayou City Art Festival Stole My Wallet

My favorite Houston event was during a gorgeous Spring weekend.  I had one of those days with Lu where her sole purpose was to help me spend some money.  Those are the BEST days!

Just a few highlights and a little game of find the bike parts

This is a painting!  I still can't get over it.

This!  Is the train I talked about on My List

I got DC some of this guy's stuff.  And 2 prints.  And some glass thingies.

Then DC asked me how much I spent and all of the sudden, I didn't really feel like talking.

The bike is finito!

Check out this fox.

New bar tape, old shifters that DC fixed, new (to me) stem DC snagged from the local bike shop mechanic for a mere $10

new silver brake cables, same brakes from when we bought it

New white Specialized saddle.  The same one I have on my commuter bike

and new Specialized tires that DC says won't pop...I think that's sort of like when his dad told me there weren't snakes in the water at the lake house...and then that night he was killing an anaconda in the back yard.

 

DC spent his entire Sunday afternoon building her while I was in The Woodlands running a muck with my roommate from college (you can watch her inform the Amarillo, Texas population here).

Thank you for my bike, DC!

Grease Monkey

I know was going to post a delish recipe today, but DC and I got to work on my road bike last night, so I decided to post some bike progress instead, mostly for the fellas who read.  And Liza!

Here she is before

The pictures aren't great.  Our light fixtures are yellow.  some are white. and it was night.  Ugh I hate apartment lighting.

DC taught me how to take off the horrendous bottle cages, the wheels, both brakes, derailleurs, shifters (wait he took those off), chain, bar tape, & brake cables.

Ya'll I think this bike sat buried in a dirt pile in someone's yard for years.  because people have those.  It was so dusty and grimy.  The shifters wouldn't even move and I thought we would have to buy new ones (based on my extensive knowledge of bicycles...as DC says "Your sarcasm is dripping off of that").  But my engineer scientist nerd (the good kind...) of a husband fixed them.  It was incredible.  I was amazed.

I cleaned all of the parts we took off.  We use Simple Green.  I think most cyclists do.  Then again, I have no idea what I base that on.  Then I cleaned the frame.  And we found this.

The original price tag.  I think D said this is a 1999 Trek.  I almost got kicked out of DC's family when his dad found out I got a Trek.  Now I'm pretty sure I'd be out for good if I weren't so dang cool.  The tag says this bike is from Bike Barn.  BUT!  As I type, DC is at his dad's shop spending plenty of money on parts.  He rarely leaves there without doing so.

Anyone have a shorter stem?  This one is for someone with ape arms.  I'll trade you.  Then I'll take back the comment about ape arms.

So this is where she is now.  All cleaned up and ready to get new parts.

We're definitely going to get a white saddle and white bar tape.

Silver cable housing.  New pedals.

That's about all she needs.  She is SUCH a steal.

Hopefully we'll finish her up this weekend and plant our seeds that have all sprouted (except the blasted peppers), and we're gonna spend some time at the art festival.

The weather is too amazing to be inside, people.  Unless you live in Brooklyn.  Or DC.  Or Newport.

Happy weekend!

Some Girls Get "Just Because" Flowers.

I get a "Just Because" road bike.

DC brought this home for me last night totally out of the blue.  I am WAY excited about it.  I have big dreams for her...lots of things to change, but plenty we will leave on her.  DC is going to teach me about bike maintenance as we fix her up, an I'll probably chronicle that a little on here.

I think I see a duathlon in our future together, you sweet ride, you.

My husband rules.

Things I Bought That I Love- The Food Edition

Welcome to the 2nd Things I Bought That I Love post! See the first one here.

Today, I present to you: Food I Bought That I Love.

(Prepare yourself for the worst pictures ever taken in the history of the camera).

MOTT’S 100% JUICE POPSICLES

Remember when you were a kid, and you’d throw yourself on the Crocodile Mile for the 47th time, run into the house cutting your feet on the sharp grass, and grab one of these in-between slip-n-slide runs?

Who didn’t love Pop-Ice? If you say you didn’t, I say you were probably one of those kids who played Nintendo every split second of every summer day, and now you have terrible vision. Or you were the weird kid with every food allergy possible. Or you’re a liar. Every kid in America loved to suck the last few drops of lime juice through the plastic tube. Now that I’m an adult,I can’t really afford to put 64g of sugar in my body all at once not to mention the artificial coloring/flavors and the chemicals they use to make these. But, I still love a good popsicle.

I told you the pictures were awful! Gah!

Mott’s makes 100% juice, no artificial flavor/coloring, 100% deliciousness in my mouth. They have 4 flavors, (my favorite is apple), and we eat about 3 of these every night (Devin- 2 1/4, me- 3/4, or a whole one if I can eat it fast enough before Devin gets to mine). The only problem with these is we have only found them at Costco. However, if you aren’t a member at Costco, for a small service and delivery fee, we’ll get you some, too.

KALE

Don’t gag quite yet.

I have a really fabulous sister-in-law for about a million reasons, but one of them is that she taught me how to make kale and make it g-o-o-d. I was never into the stuff, mostly because I never thought to buy some and try it, but Amy has me hooked.

Kale can be found in the produce section near the bunched spinach (not the bagged kind), bok choy, collard greens, etc. It comes in a huge bunch and is super cheap. You could probably find this at a farmer’s market, too. Kale is a great source of fiber, protein, gives you TONS and I mean TONS of Vitamin A and lots of Vitamin C (to fight off any H1N1). It is also by far the dirtiest produce I have ever purchased in my life, so make sure you wash it really, really well.

I washed the Kale (about 3 times) and let what I wanted to eat dry on a paper towel. Side note: We keep our greens fresher longer by washing them and putting them in these bags. We also have one of these. They really work. Kudos to Mrs. Thomas and Nikki for one of many stellar bridal shower gifts.

Put the kale on the little baking sheet for your toaster oven (I say this like I assume you have one, but another thing I never did until I married Devin was use a toaster oven. I never owned one. Stop judging me, and if you don’t have one, I think the regular oven on broil will work fine). Cover it with a little bit of olive oil and salt. Stick it in on 400 degrees for as long as you like (the longer, the crispier)

There you have it. One thing to note- it looks like a ton of kale when you are prepping it, but it shrinks and you may end up wanting more, so go ahead and pile it on when you’re putting it on the baking sheet. Amy eats hers with an egg on top, or with some delicious soup. After I ate this first helping and had Devin try it (he loved it, as he loves anything that is edible), he begged me to make more with an egg on top. It was superb.

EDAMAME

I have loved edamame for a very long time. Here I go again on the health info, but edamame is an excellent source of protein with very little extras, meaning, sometimes when you find something that is a great protein source (or anything else), you often get a lot of sugar added, or a lot of saturated fat, or a bazillion carbs etc. Not with edamame.

This is seriously in my top 5 favorite snacks ever.

So, once again, Costco comes through. For the record, we never really shop there- maybe once every 2 months when we need more popsicles and edamame, and once every 6 months when we need more toilet paper…because that is how long it lasts us. That place is unreal, though- I walk around wondering for what occasion someone may need to buy 8 gallons of mayonnaise all at once. Sick me out dot com. Anyway, Costco carries these:

It is a huge box, but inside are twelve of these little containers:

They are already portioned out for me, and all I have to do is cut a slit in the top and microwave for about 2 1/2 minutes. It is so much easier than buying a $4.00 bag of edamame from the grocery store and feeling like I need to cook it all at once. Also, I started taking these to work (wrap them in foil to keep them cold, and when I get to work, I stick them in a freezer until I am ready for them) and they make a great mid-day wake me up snack. The great thing about edamame is it really fills you up without the consequences, and it provides an energy boost.

I don't know if any other store sells these, so again, we will purchase them for you for a small fee.

CRAVE Cupcakes

Before you think I really am obsessed with completely healthy foods, well, I am to an extent, and maybe I wouldn’t say obsessed. However, I am really blessed to be married to someone who has the same eating habits/preferences as I do. It makes life easier.

But, I like a good treat every now and then, especially after a tough spin class like this particular day. Cue Crave Cupcakes.

Crave is a Houston cupcake shop that has perfected the cupcake art.

I sent a couple dozen of these to Devin’s office for his birthday last year, and THAT is how you win some hearts, people.

Cassie and I took Avery to Crave last weekend. It’s really fun for kids because they can watch them making the cupcakes from the outside window, and it’s like an old-time slash modern (figure that out) bakery on the inside. Stainless steel mixers (like mine thanks to OV06), bakers hats and aprons, cupcake displays…so nostalgic.

I loaded up on some for Devin (on the top is carrot cake and strawberry, on bottom is lemon and chocolate on vanilla).

Look at those little muffin-tops-o-heaven.

I’ll have you know I only had half of the carrot cake cupcake

…best decision of my life.

Naturally, they made Avery happy.

She had the chocolate on vanilla

And then she felt guilty for eating it…

Yeah, right.

Crave has certain cupcakes that they make on certain days, so scope out their website for the daily menu.

They also have great coffee, so you know I’m sold.

Go check them out. You won’t be sorry unless you eat too many and end up looking like this kid (Thanks Zach)

Things I Bought That I Love

I read a blog, written by The Office's Mindy Kaling, where she writes about things she loves. She's a busy lady and hasn't written a new post in 3 months, but I still like to read the archives. To my disappointment though, the things she has bought that she loves are usually a smidgen out of my price range (or common sense). So, consider this the poor man's (or frugal man's? smart man's? man who doesn't make $250,000 an episode?) Things I Bought That I Love.

My tea and coffee tins!

Why I love them:
- They fit perfectly in my cabinet next to my 34 coffee mugs.
- They tell me what's in them
- I love coffee
- I love tea

I am particularly fond of the coffee one, only because my coffee scoop from Italy slides perfectly through the handle . They were made for each other. If I had the counter space, I would display them for all the world to see, but we live in an apartment. Apartment=no counter space.

Tea and Coffee tins: $6 each, Hobby Lobby

Who needs a Yankee??

I love love love my apple scented Organic Living candle. Its smell is light enough, so I don't choke, but strong enough to get rid of any burnt dinner smells. Not that I ever burn dinner. Ok, so the greatest thing about these candles is the surprise you get when you open the jar! My luscious juicy apple candle (I made that name up because I don't know the real one) has the cutest plastic apple in the wax on the top! As the candle melts, the little apple goes down with it. The Candy Corn has plastic candy corns! The Ocean Mist has little seashells! The Birthday Cake has little plastic confetti! The Cinnamon has cinnamon! I'm done. But seriously, for 1/3 the price of a Yankee candle with scents that are just as enticing, I'm sold.

Organic Living Candle-o-surprise: $7.99, Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Tommy can you hear me?
Can you feel me near you?
Tommy can you feel me?
Can I help to cheer you.

Toms. Devin got some. They're gray and so cute on his Flintstone feet.


Lu got these when she spent the weekend with me. She calls them Mo-Mo shoes, after her grandmother, who wore weird shoes.


And please look at the ones they have for kids. Not that I think it's a good idea to spend this much on kids shoes, but...Break. my. heart.


Toms really look like these house-shoes that my grandma, Nanny, makes. It's just a couple pieces of polyester sewn together to keep your feet warm (I'll make some and put them up...as soon as I get a sewing machine), but slap some rubber on the bottom and dadgummit, Nanny could have been BANKING. But you know what? Nanny never gave shoes to kids in need. She gave them blankets that she made by hand, but that's irrelevant.

Toms come in so many colors and designs. I almost worry about them falling into the croc-pot, and I don't mean my next favorite thing...I mean this. The best thing about them, though, is that when you buy a pair, Toms gives a pair of shoes to a kid in need. You all know how much I love that. If Devin would let me, I'd buy all of the Toms at Whole Earth Provision.

Toms: $34-$54 (remember, you're buying a kid shoes), www.tomsshoes.com

The greatest invention in the history of anything ever invented.

Feast your eyes on this bad boy.
I guess I am not allowed to call it a Croc-pot if it isn't that brand? Whatever. Rival, Slow cooker, best friend, what I would take to heaven if I could...call it what you want. This thing makes my life glorious. Actually this plus this:

And I just bought this one from goodwillbooks.com

So, these books tell you what all to throw in there. Stir it a little, and set that fancy timer. When the time is up, it changes its settings to "keep warm" until you get home. Usually, I find something that takes 8 hours to cook so that when I get home, it has only been warming for about an hour. So picture this. Devin and I get home, we eat, we go work out, we clean the kitchen and oh my land! It's only 7:30! We have the whole evening to do anything we want...which usually doesn't include TV because we don't like it much.

In addition, my friend Emmy told me about Croc-Pot liners. At first, I didn't know how I felt about cooking my dinner for 8 hours in a plastic bag, but when I realized I wouldn't have to maneuver that huge pot in our midget-apartment sink, I was sold. Emmy also told me one of her favorite places to eat dinner is Target. I said, "You mean like when you are shopping there and it's dinner time, you like to sit down? Or, do you mean you and Brett are trying to pick a place to eat and one of you recommends Target?" She said the latter. So, yeah...


When I registered for my Rival slow cooker for my bridal shower, I really didn't think I would use it. Now, I am in a bad mood if I can't make at least one meal a week in it.

Rival Slow Cooker: $29.99, wherever you want to buy a slow cooker
Slow cooker liners: $4.99 for 8