what I did:

I like having a weekend with nothing to do. Don't you?

Friday: (post work)

*Stone and I took a trip to Half Priced Books where I was thrilled to find 5 books with my name on them. Five books which totalled a whopping $14.00! Can't beat that with a stick.

Whilst walking aisle upon aisle of old delicious smelling books I happened to bump into the same, not so bad looking, man a few times. I polite smile was given by both parties before we each went our on our way. (me to my love and him to who knows where) After leaving the shop it occurred to me that had my heart not already been given to another, meeting a man in a book store would be almost the most romantic encounter ever....at least for this book worm.

(oh, Stone also found something with his name all over it....a Phil Collins CD, which to my dismay was promptly put into the CD player for the drive home)

*Stone then went out with his buddies to watch college b-ball while Matilda and I snuggled on the couch.

(bad news: Stone's car was the victim of a hit-n-run while parked downtown. NOT COOL.)

(good news: he drives a company car which equals we don't have to pay to have it fixed.)

Saturday:

*I received a post card in the mail earlier this week from a little shop in Zionsville, that Katie Jean and I visit every month or so. The post card was sent to inform me of a BIG sale....they are liquidating all of their regular clothes and focusing only on formal ware. Well, it would have been rude for us not to go and help them with their liquidation right?

We each found something too cute to pass up....did you think we wouldn't? ha!

*A night out at the bars was in order. Good times were had by all. I documented the night (via photograph), however someone (Stone) looks ridiculous in each photo so I will not be sharing.

Stone, if you are reading this, seriously STOP doing the "Zoolander Face". If you don't you will officially become a douchebag, and neither of us want that.

Sunday:

*I don't think I have had a day as lazy as Sunday. Honestly, my muscles were at risk of atrophy due to my lack of doing anything.

My Sunday....

-woke up

-started watching "The Prince and Me" on TBS

-Jennie (my sister-in-law) purchased us McDonalds for b-fast

-continued watching "The Prince and Me" downstairs....to the dismay of Stone, my bro and Jennie

-my bro, Jennie and Wilson (their dog) departed

-watched "The Prince and Me 2: A Royal Wedding" on TBS

-showered (but I totally left my hair wet and put sweats on)

-watched "The Wedding Date"

-ate some cheese and pita chips...washed it down with a glass of sweet iced tea (thank you Madre for leaving a jug of your tea at my house!)

-watched "Monster-In-Law"....Jane Fonda is a real wench. I almost turned the channel...almost

-bounced between "Lethal Weapon 4", "Liar Liar", "Spanglish" and "50 First Dates"

-ate a few pretzel chips

-took a nap

-woke up to Stone holding a plate of pasta in front of me

-watched Planet Earth on the Discovery channel. Sigourney Weaver's voice is a soothing song that gently nudged me into dreamland.

YES, I am a sloth.....

BIRTHDAY ALERT!

Today is my sister-in-law Jennie's birthday. Below are a few sweet pics of her and my bro, CJ.

Seven Loves:

Saskia shot me a sweet award....Thank you little lady!



TO DO: list seven things I love and pass it on to other bloggers that put a smile on my face.

Other than the obvious loves (family, friends and The Bitch) I love:

1. Falling asleep in the sun. There is something so delicious about falling asleep with the sun beaming down on me while a warm breeze passes over. (note: said "falling asleep in the sun" is even more awesome if done on a beach)

2. Lolita Lempicka Parfume......I wore this on my wedding day and love love love it! It's feminine without smelling like a giant bouquet of flowers. I switch between Lolita Lempicka and MARC JACOBS, but every time I wear Lolita it makes me think of my wedding day and I smile.

3. dining alfresco....Seriously, is there anything better than a lazy Saturday lunch in the sunshine????

4. Books.....the smell, the feel, the look...EVERYTHING. My house is chalk full of books (every shelf, most every table/nightstand) that I have read. Friends and family know not to loan me a book if they want it back, I'm notorious for adding borrowed books to my collection! I don't do it to be mean I just can't bare the thought of parting with a book I love!

I dream of owning my own tiny bookstore. I will fill it with love and happiness. My customers will feel at home and the little kiddos will curl up in the cozy reading corner with their favorite story and a cup of cocoa.

5. Chips and salsa.....it's a problem

6. Surprises.....it doesn't matter if it is a pack of gum, I LOVE SURPRISE GIFTS! That sounds sort of spoiled and bratty but I promise I'm neither (well maybe slightly spoiled but most certainly not rotten). For the most part the surprises I love are food. ha! Example: One day Stone popped by my office to drop off a fruit smoothie. I thought I had died and gone to heaven....it made my day (who am I kidding, it made my WEEK!)

7. "family heirlooms" .....I put this in quotes because really the things being passed down in our family might not have a lot of monetary value but they have tons of sentimental value. I love the practice of keeping something no matter the size or value (ex: I have an apron of my Great Grandmothers hanging in my kitchen) in the family for generations to come.

Most prized "heirlooms": two rings from my Grandma Harriett. She gave each granddaughter a ring before she passed (which actually are heirlooms...passed down from her sisters). The second ring she gave me is worth nothing, she couldn't even remember where she got it, but it meant the world to me. I remember her wearing it when I was growing up and always thinking it looked like a spider web on her finger. She gave it to me a year before she died. I wore it every day, it was my "something old" for the wedding. A few months after the wedding the ole thing decided it was time to retire, the band on the inside of my hand snapped. I took it to the jeweler who Stone got my engagement ring from and begged him to fix it but he said the silver was so thin there, from years of wearing it (both by my grandma and me), that it would just keep snapping. He sweetly suggested I stow it away in a safe place and smile at the memory of her every time I look at it. It now rests on my nightstand in my jewelry box. I see it every morning when I get ready and every morning I think of her.

(note: before the ring had to "retire" my niece Laney was staring at it on my finger one afternoon. She asked me where I got it and I told her the whole story. She got a look of concern on her face and was quiet for a few minutes. She then casually stated, "I like it a lot....So, is that the sort of thing that you would pass down when you die???" I almost peed my pants laughing and told her I was happy to hear she was waiting for me to kick the bucket!)

Passing on to: Andrea, Leslie and Which Goose

madness....

We celebrated my niece Laney's 10th birthday on Tuesday (her actual birthday is April 1st however they will be out of town on spring break over her b-day so we celebrate it early every year).

My grandparents, Laney's GREAT-grandparents, thought it a bitchin idea to get her (my not so graceful niece) a bow and arrow set as a gift.

A BOW AND ARROW!?!?!?!?!?

Let me clarify that while yes, the bow is HUGE and the arrows are LOOOONNNNGGG, the arrows do have "blunted" tips.

I don't care if they have "blunted" tips!....I very much enjoy being able to see out of BOTH OF MY EYES and therefore will be sure to place a phone call verifying the bow and arrow are stored safely away before I venture over to my sister's casa. What the hell!...is no place safe anymore?

In attempt to sooth my fears of being run through by one of Laney's arrows, mi Madre informed me that "it's an outside toy Court!". Hey Madre, you can still get your eyes poked out whilst playing outside!!!!!

What prompted this gift you ask? Apparently Chloe, Laney's older sister, also has a bow and arrow. Chloe refuses to let Laney touch it (as I would too) which equals there is nothing in this world that Laney wants more than her own bow and arrow.

Sister on sister bow/arrow dueling can never end well.....

Here is my question: When in the world did my family become so into archery!?!?!?! And where the hell was I when this happened?

wish I knew....

Stone and I were laying in bed on Saturday morning chit chatting. Matilda as always was smack dab in the middle of us. Something one of us did caused her to stir and give us the "sideways, perked ears, furrowed brow dog look".

You know the look....

(this is as close a picture as I could find....picture her head tilted more to the side and a more "concerned" look on her face)

The "concerned" look on her face caused our conversation to take a turn.....

"What do you think is going on inside Tilda's head right now?" I asked Stone.

Here are the top three theories we came up with.

1) The usual: hamster, gerbil or some other rodent running on a wheel..."squeak squeak squeak"...the noise of the wheel echos through the vast space inside her little head.

2) Stone's theory: Her head is a little pin ball machine ....the pin ball is bouncing around "DING, DING, WONK!" getting as many points as possible but never really achieving anything.

3) My theory: Her head is a dusty desert with a single tumble weed blowing across a dirt road....and a lonely thirsty cactus in the distance.

As you can tell, little Tilda is not the smartest dog on the block.....

RANDOM:

I am generally speaking 100% ANTI-Starbucks.

That said....

What if a friend says: "Hey I'm stopping at Starbucks on the way over. Do you want me to get you something?" and I reply: "Sure...although I have no clue what their menu is like so surprise me."

I'm not really being a hypocrite if I A) wasn't the one doing the purchasing therefore I have not technically "contributed" to the Starbucks-mania and B) I didn't actually request something specific of the menu.

RIGHT?????? RIGHT!?!?!??!?!?!

(note: the Vanilla Latte my sweet little Baby Peach picked up for me was, I must admit, oh so tasty.)

(thank you Baby Peach!)

New "DO"

I decided I was ready for a change....a drastic change.

Last night was the big night and I am SO HAPPY with the results.

I think perhaps I was always meant to be a brunette (with an auburn tint)

PS: Stone said it's like he has a wife and a girlfriend! hahahah!

GATHERING

It's no surprise I love to fill my home with people. Growing up our house was always busy. People coming and going. The smell of food cooking was a constant. Now, as an adult, I associate that smell with laughter/happiness/love.



I feel I have taken pieces of my parents' personalities with me into my life as a "grown up".



(so weird that I am actually a grown up now....I don't feel grown up)



My mom: always welcoming people with open arms and a smile. Wanting nothing more than to have her children and their friends running around her house giggling. We would stomp up and down the stairs playing who knows what...I can still hear the sound the metal stair rail made as it squeaked back and forth.



My dad: laid back and ready to laugh. If the people around him were having a good time, so was he. Such an easy laugher my dad is...and I love him for it. His name is Michael but my friends call him Mike....he didn't ask them to they just do. My friends nicknamed my dad...that's the kind of guy he is...and I love him for that too.



When Stone and I first bought our house I couldn't wait to fill it with happy memories of people gathering.

I day dreamed of our friends coming over for dinner/cookouts, to celebrate holidays or for no reason other than to laugh and have fun. I day dreamed of our kids and their friends playing in the backyard, running into the house for a snack (that like a good mama I have waiting for them) and then rushing back outside to finish their game of hide-n-seek. I want an old screen door, rickety and fragile, that slams every time "the kids" come trekking in and out.


A little ball of joy finds it's way into the pit of my stomach when I think about having my home full of the people I love most.

question?

OK, you know the whole "don't wear white to a wedding" business.

(which I completely agree with by the way)

I tend to take it to the max though and shy away from wearing any white at all.

Example: I wore a black strapless dress to a wedding this past winter and due to the chill I put a little winter white scarf over my shoulders....and I felt bad/awkward about it.

All that said....I'm drooling over this dress and would love nothing more than to "shake my grove thang, shake my grove thang. YAY! YAY! " on the dance floor (at a wedding) with it on!

found at this etsy shop

Is the white up top too much????

GREEN!!!!!!!!!!!

Erin Go Bragh

Happy St. Patty's Day friends!

I thought I would post a few pictures from our weekend celebrations in The Windy City (with Justin, Courtney and a few other friends)

Court and I (before things escalated....at least for me they did. ha!)

Stone decided to add to his St. Patty's day look by sporting this ladies jacket he found in the corner.....sweet popped collar!

Mid-day I realized I was in serious need of some food. Good thing I had this tasty apple in my purse!

Court and Justin dancing their little hearts out....we had an impromptu dance party in the middle of the bar.

And here is where things get a little blurry for me....haha! Lots and lots and lots of green beer was had by this lady!

As always, we had a blast with our friends and can't wait for our next trip up north.

CHEERS!!!!!!

hello awesome evening....it's nice to meet you!

Tonight was an all around bitchin night!

Allow me to recap:

I had to run a (work related) errand this afternoon and whilst driving around town, with my sunroof open, it occurred to me that Stone and I needed to eat food prepared on a grill.

A call was placed. A "hells yeah" was given (to grilling) and I was headed towards the grocery to procure the needed fixins.

In walks a tasty steak and steak fries....FYI: said steak fries were made ON THE GRILL using the cutest little Pampered Chef grill basket (thank you Madre!).

Dinner made....check! Eat dinner.....check! Listen to feel good tunes while eating tasty dinner....check!

After dinner a walk was definitely in order. It's almost a crime to not spend such a beautiful (67 degree) March evening outdoors!

What did we take on our walk, other than Matilda the spunkiest dog in town? Why none other than a tasty Sam Adams Hefeweizen of course!

(yes, we are "those people" who walk their dog with beer in hand...don't judge until you have tried it)

An unexpected visit was made to friends down the street. I must say, I do enjoy living walking distance to my peeps....it feels so cozy!

Upon our arrival home we watched what could be one of the funniest episodes of "How I Met Your Mother"....which by the way if you don't watch, START RIGHT NOW. Pure hilarity.

So that sums up my happy little evening. Good food, good brew, good company and my main squeeze by my side.

Life is good.

R.I.P

We had an unexpected visitor to our little bungalow on Friday.....

.....unexpected and unwelcome.

A mouse!

All you need to know is this:

*I was/am 100% freaked out.

(picture me literally tip toeing around our entire house checking every room before walking in)

* I was not so upset that we were heading out of town on Saturday morning and therefore would not be spending our weekend with the little critter.

(unfortunately my madre and pops were staying with Matilda so they got to spend some quality time with "the visitor")

* Thank God for my pops....he was kind of enough to purchase and setup some traps.

Last night Stone and I were sitting around (me reading, him watching sports...as usual) when it happened.

"SNAP!"

We turned to each other and both blurted out, "I feel bad!" We are officially mouse killers. My eyes got a little misty and Stone had the unpleasant task of cleaning the scene of the crime.

I called my dad to tell him about "the snap" and my guilty conscience. He chuckled at me and asked, "would you rather live with a mouse?"

HELLS NO!

(hopefully news travels fast in the mouse world and any of our "visitors" friends will be warned that unless their name is Mickey and they have a gal pal named Minnie they are NOT welcome at our house.)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

GOOD STUFF:

*I'm pumped for this weekend. Why you ask? Because we are going to Chicago to (early) celebrate St. Patty's Day with friends!

I can't wait to drink green beer and celebrate my heritage!

*Less than a week until some major changes happen to my "do"....it's gonna be a nail bitter!!!!

*Stone is not working today-good for him, bad for me...I want to be at home with him! On the plus side, instead of both of us bouncing around the house this morning getting ready for work, Stone got to sit and hang with me while I got ready.

We had a few laughs and it started my morning off right!

*I am seriously considering buying a lamp kit at the hardware store and making this lamp:

inspiration from here

Obviously I would get a different (totally awesome) lamp shade, but what do you think? Pretty cute huh?

Katie Jean, I'm going to need your help in my quest to find the needed plates, teapot and cups. Are you in?

*I'm loving the cowl neck on this dress/tunic:

from this etsy shop

Actually I'm just plain loving everything about this dress/tunic!

Hopefully I will have silly pictures to post on Monday!

Cheers!

What the "H" is going on!?!?!

Some strange things have been occurring lately. I would like to share two of them with you.

1. I confirmed this morning that someone living on a street near us has a rooster. Yes, I said ROOSTER!

We do not, I repeat, DO NOT live in the country. In fact, we live smack dab in the middle of the city (well not down town but you catch my drift...C.I.T.Y). What in the hell does someone in the city need a rooster for?

I first noticed the little cockle-doodle-doo last weekend and thought I might be dreaming. I rolled over to check with Stone if he heard it as well....he did. Then this morning I am getting in my car and there it is again:

"COCKLE-DOOODLE-DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

Now, I'm a lover of all creatures (as long as they don't slobber on me, sting me, bite me, get dirt on me...etc.) but I have one teensy tiny question.

How long do roosters live?...cause this little guys needs to either move on down the road or kick the bucket STAT!


2. Yesterday on my drive in to work I had a run in with a suicidal bird. Yup...things got weird.

I'm driving along, minding my own business, when I see a sweet little bird resting in the middle of the road. Considering the whole birds have wings enabling them to fly out of danger, I keep on trucking straight ahead. BAD IDEA. Unbeknownst to me this little birdie was ready to meet it's maker! It didn't budge!....that little chirper stood it's ground facing my car in the middle of the road!

What the hell man!?!?!

I don't need a dead bird on my conscience so at the last minute I swerved. You know what? That little feathered friend didn't flinch. I checked my rear view mirror and there it was, still hanging out in the middle of the road.

To sum it up: I played a game of chicken with a bird...and the bird won.

day dreamin.....

There is a song I love to listen to....my mind never fails to wander when I hear it.


It's a little diddy by Priscilla Ahn, and it sets my mind at ease.


It's summer, one of those perfect slow days, not one cloud in the sky. My mom has taken us down to the neighborhood swimming pool and to our amazement and joy we are the only ones there. The pool is icy cold (this is old school, no heater for us kiddos) I know the best way to get in is to just run and JUMP! The cold water takes my breath away at first, but then the shock wears off and I feel.......alive.


I do a couple flips (backward and forward), I practice my handstands and maybe swim a lap to see how far I can go in one breath. Eventually I just float. The sun shines down on me. The cool water bumps up against my face and makes my long sun bleached hair fan out around me. I can hear my brother doing canon balls in the deep end, the waves from his jumps hit me a few seconds later....rocking me like a sweet lullaby.


Summers by the pool....I will happily let my mind wander back there anytime.

Grilling Goodness....

Here in the (sometimes) great state of Indiana, the weather is a bit of a joke.


One day it will be 10 degrees and snowing. The next it will be 68, sunny and beautiful.

That's Indiana for ya!


This past weekend was 68 (possible 70) sunny and absolutely BEAUTIFUL!


I woke up early on Saturday to skip off to a hair appointment. I love having a morning appointment! Amber, my stylist, (yes, I call her "my stylist"...it makes me feel important) does all the work for me. When I leave the salon I am ready for the day.


After my appt. a call was placed to Miss Katie Jean and I headed over to her place to swoop her up.


We spent the afternoon strolling through shops in Zionsville (I also got my rings cleaned...BLING! BLING! so sparkly now) then we headed east towards mi casa.


It was determined lunch was in order so we tried something new, Cafe Nora.


It was a lovely lunch, I must tell you. Great convo, nice atmosphere and I think decent food/wine.

***Due to the plague that I am currently infested with I lack the sense of smell and the ability to taste anything. Katie Jean and I both got a bowl of tomato basil soup, a glass of "interesting red wine" and we split the spinach artichoke dip.

(the menu had a list of "interesting red wines"...how can we not try one out to verify just how interesting it is?)


Here is how the eating/drinking portion of our lunch went:


(server sets two glasses of "interesting red wine" in front of us...and we both take a sip)


Court: How's it taste?

Katie: It's OK....kind of bland.

Court: Seems like it has a bit of a kick or spice to it???

Katie: Yeah, that's about it. You taste the spice and then nothing.

(server places bowls of soup in front of us and we both sample it)

Court: How's it taste?

Katie: It's OK. I think it needs a little cheese on top. I'm going to ask for some grated Parmesan.


Court: Ooooh, me too. (knowing full well I won't be able to taste that either)

(server places hot spinach artichoke dip & grilled flat bread in front of us...again, we both sample it)

Court: How's it taste?

Katie: It's good!

Court: I like this flat bread...it's seems fresh

Katie: Yeah, it's good stuff.



Upon leaving Cafe Nora my phone did a little jiggity jig in my purse.

It was Stone requesting we cook out for dinner and of course I thought that was a bitchin idea.

Food was purchased, the gas for the grill was refilled and friends arrived.

A COOKOUT! A REAL LIVE COOKOUT....in MARCH!

Oh spring, you bring such joy to my life. The cold winter fog that has wrapped itself around my heart is beginning to thaw....for this I owe you many many many thanks.

(we also stopped by the 21st Amendment liquor store for some brew and our weekly wine tasting...yes there is a wine tasting every Saturday at the liquor store by my house. Katie Jean and I think the young, not so bad looking, guy in charge of the tastings is full of himself. Thus, we go to sample the vino and make him feel uncomfortable by being 100% random. ha!...looking forward to our next tasting my sweet Bean!)

PS: a change is coming....a change to my "do". I will update you 2 weeks from Thursday. OH THE SUSPENSE!!!! I can hardly stand it!

BREEZY

On my way home from work yesterday, the thermostat in my car read "OUTSIDE TEMP: 66"


66!!!!!!!!!!!!


As I drove down Washington Blvd the birds were chirping, the wind was blowing and families were strolling down the sidewalks.



It was lovely.



SSSSHHHHH....(we can only say it in a whisper):


spring is on it's way!

betrayal

heads up: this photo has nothing to do with this post. This past weekend, in Detroit, we went to a hole in the wall pub (Saturday we never did end up going to the "classier" bar so I fretted about my wardrobe for no reason) and there were a bunch of funny horses painted on the walls. The little buddy above was my favorite....he looks like he is cooking up some mischief!

Did I ever tell you how much I enjoy food?

Seriously. I love it.

Obvious reason:

*food is sort of a must, what with needing nutrients to survive

Not So-Obvious reasons:

*I love to try new things

*food brings people together

*I love to cook

*food really makes a house smell like a home

*if I have cooked something new and my peeps really like it, I feel as if I could burst with joy (and a wee bit of pride)

Sunday my taste buds (and judgement) betrayed me.

Sunday a burrito for dinner was all I could think of. I requested Stone take me to Qdoba (grilled veggie burrito please!).

On the way we stopped at Target so I could continue my now bordering on unhealthy obsession with Twilight....I needed to pick up New Moon.

(which by the way I have finished...told you obsessed)

Whilst leaving Target I saw Stone's eyes gaze longingly at a little place called Taco Bell. Now I'm not one to bash Taco Bell, it's my "go to" fast food place. (a bean burrito, minus the onions add sour cream...makes this lady happy). However on Sunday I wanted RICE in my burrito, hence why Qdoba sounded like heaven. However, knowing I most certainly would not be able to eat an entire burrito from Qdoba (HELLO, burrito as big as your head!) and knowing that it is a bit more pricey than Taco Bell and knowing I'm married to a man who likes to pinch a penny, I told him we could just go to Taco Bell.

Bad idea.

I ordered a "Cheesy Bean & Rice Burrito"....translation: NOT TASTY AT ALL.

Ever since that meal my tasted buds have not been my biggest fan and therefore nothing (I MEAN NOTHING) has sounded good to me.

I'm sorry taste buds! I won't do it to you again. Can we put this all behind us and be friends again? b-fast/lunch/dinner are not the same without you!

note: Considering the fact that I have a sore throat, I'm pretty sure I'm getting sick. Which equals "the buds" and I are still pals. However, being sick is not really something I'm up for right now so I am happy to place blame on "the buds" for my lack of appetite and pretend the mean spirited Flu Bug is not knocking on my door.

I've got the fever......

.......the Twilight fever.

It's bad. So bad it's good.

I had no urge to read these books, but then Stone's parents got me a little Valentine's Day surprise.

I hesitantly picked the book up on Wednesday to start reading it......I finished it on Friday afternoon.

(I say "hesitantly" because little ol Harry Potter really took over my life for a few years and I didn't know if was prepared for that again)

Now, I haven't seen the movie but I would like to state this:

I would most certainly swoon if the above "Edward" were to woo me.....but the Edward I picture in my head whilst reading the book is so much more......

UM, what's the word?.........

sexy