spruced up.

we have friends who recently bought a house in our neighborhood, which we are so excited about! throughout their process of looking for a home, i got to look at a lot of pictures of floor plans, backyards, paint jobs gone bad, and areas that would need a little TLC. they finally found a perfect home for them and it's one mile from our street. in the process of looking at pictures with them, i got a little antsy and wanted to change up the guest room a bit. it's nothing major, but with just the purchase of a bookcase, it looks a lot different and fulfilled my desire to rearrange and organize. :)

here's the before

and the after

this is an area i need help with. what do i do with this wall space? i took down wall ledges and will remove the drywall anchors to clean it up. any ideas? i think i will also paint the dresser. this is my childhood dresser that was in my room, growing up. isn't he handsome??

well, let's see...

a lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. here's a quick re-cap.

- we hosted a friend for a week who came into town for sxsw.
- we dog-sat our favoritest golden-lab for a week.
- vera and i were quite the social butterflies attending 3 birthday parties on one day.
- i had a 'mommy's time out,' hanging out with a friend for happy hour.
- dinner parties in our newly screened outdoor patio
- met up with my sweet friend, emily, who was in houston and is now living the dream on lake tahoe.
- we had a concert in our backyard, featuring local artist, austin collins. 80% were neighbors from our street, which was awesome.
- vera and i flew to indiana for a quick trip to visit family.
- we hosted and cooked dinner, celebrating passover with some close friends.
- vera started baby food.
- vera got her first big bruise (forehead. glass table. flailing child. sad momma.)

- marlow is now wearing short sleeves...er, got a haircut.it's not often that vera has an occasion to wear a dress, so we had plenty to choose from for easter. (you can see the bruise on her forehead here.)

about to eat some bananas.

getting a music lesson from grandpa.grandma loves vera.uncle aaron does, too.

vera is listening to her much older cousin as she reads her a story.

good eats.

we wanted to make it to 6 months before we introduced baby food to vera, but we made it just shy of 2 weeks out. she was definitely ready, constantly grabbing at our food and drinks, wanting some for herself. and she started not sleeping through the night again, so that told me that milk was not substantial enough and it was time to get a taste of the good stuff.

bananas was the first. avocado the second.

her absolute favorites so far have been: butternut squash, macintosh apples, blackberries & mint, and asparagus with thyme.

she's not such a fan of: bananas, avocado, mango

introducing foods to her has been one of my favorite things so far in motherhood. very fitting, i guess.

just a piece of glass.

i am embarking upon an experiment in my own home. beginning tomorrow, april 3rd, i am covering up all mirrors in my house (a total of 6) for 3 months--until july 3rd. why? because, honestly, i look at it way too frequently, waste too much time studying my reflection, and have realized how much i value physical appearance. i don't like that. it's just a piece of glass. but for some crazy reason, myself and most of you out there, allow it to alter our moods one way or the other in how we feel about ourselves. the point isn't to not see my face for 3 months but to let it be a daily reminder of how i should find my confidence and identity in christ alone. it will probably drive the point home even moreso when i am at a friend's house or in the car looking the rear view mirror because i won't be used to seeing myself. i'm kind of excited about this. if i see you on a weekly basis, be a friend and let this sister know if she's got something in her teeth, mascara on the top of her eyelids, or spit-up in an obvious place (not that this is too uncommon for me these days, but nonetheless!). if anyone else is up for joining me in this challenge, let me know. i'd love to dialogue thoughts with you throughout the next 90 days.

single ladies devastation.

petting zoo.

we celebrated a friend turning 2 years old a couple of weeks ago and she had the cutest farm-themed birthday party! vera got to meet/pet lots of baby animals for the first time and despite our expressions, we had so much fun.

the most i've ever ran in my life.

i decided to take a camera with me to the gym yesterday. i was talking with a friend about how i have a mental block at 5 miles and how i just felt like i wouldn't be able to do the 10k because of that. i took her up on the challenge to go ahead and run it just to prove it to myself. and then i ran a little extra for a boo-ya effect. that's an official runner's term.

and this is how pretty i look afterwards.

the best part of my day.

bath time is so much fun now that she's sitting. we are loving this stage!

little v sits.

she is changing and growing and doing something new every day. so fun!

stickers.

bought these fun stickers a few weeks ago and i just got them in the mail. they are dishwasher safe, so i can stick them on her cups, toys, bottles, diaper bag, etc. it's official. i'm a mom. i'm buying labels for my kid's stuff.

don't tell drill sergeant gamez!

circa 2002

i've started incorporating weight training into my workout. lots of reps, low weight. wanting to build long, lean, toned muscles..not bulk. and man oh man, am i sore today. but it feels good. i'm going to body pump at my gym, where i can follow an instructor in a class since i don't know anything about weight lifting. we did push-ups, too. it's been about 7 years since i had a reason to do push-ups so i probably haven't done a single one since. and i'm embarrassed to admit this, but i did GIRL push-ups!! yes, my knees were on the ground. everyone else was doing it. :) i remember being able to bust out a ton of push-ups. they were never my favorite, but i could do them. that's not the case anymore. but i'll get there. until then though, don't tell anyone.

p.s. women drill sergeants are the WORST!

st. patty's day trick & meal

a super easy meal: pan-seared lamb chops tossed with lemon juice and zest. grilled asparagus. quinoa with peas and mint. being festive with a little green in our food.

catching some zzz's.

she's found her fingers and i love it that she can comfort herself now. she's not such a fan of the plug (pacifier) anymore. it's always the same two fingers, too.

don't eat anything your grandma wouldn't recognize as food.

i am planning a menu for a friday night dinner party at our house with some friends. what i love about this group of people is that they ain''t skerd of eating real food. and by that i mean butter, cream, and sugar. i cook often for people who eat low-fat and low-carb. if you're one of them, God bless you. but perhaps you're more like me who is an equal opportunity eater and believes all foods were created equal. everything in moderation is my motto. i don't mess with the fake stuff. splenda? what the crap is that? don't even get me started on margarine. i'd rather know exactly what is going into my body and where it came from. "don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognize as food" is one of the best pieces of advice that i've heard. it really makes shopping for food pretty simple.

all this being said, i can't say i never eat processed foods, but i try to just say no for the most part. i won't deny that there are some tasty quick foods out there, but it usually turns me off when i look at the ingredient list and it contains what looks like a paragraph of words i can't even pronounce.

how we met.

i'm in the process of writing and illustrating a book for my present and future children. it is the story of how their parents met and fell in love.

have you seen magazine publications before that when you get to the end of the magazine and flip it over, you can flip through more pictures and ads 'backwards'? well, that gave me the idea for chris to write and illustrate the same story, but from his point of view.

reading with the spine to the left will be "mom's story" and reading with the spine on the right will be "dad's story." when it's finished i will definitely post some pics of our fun project.

oh no she didn't.

while in target this afternoon, i overheard a mom calling for her daughter. whose name was molasses.

greatest. headline. ever.

stolen from here.

top 5.

i have a lot of favorites, let's be honest. especially when it comes to food, it's hard to pick sides so we're breaking it down and getting specific. we're talking restaurants in south austin. here we go...

1) tarka the paneer is where it's at.
2) madam mam's anything and everything with a thai tea, please.
3) evangeline cafe avocado po'boy
4) buenos aires cafe empanadas rock
5) torchy's tacos damn good tacos

her 4 month pics.

i got together with a friend about a month ago so she could capture vera on camera. we ended up deciding to reschedule since she wasn't in a very good mood. here's a few from that smile-less day.

memories.

the last 2 weeks i have been running 20 miles/week. my runs usually look something like this: mon-5, tue-4, wed-3, thurs-2, fri-3, sat-4. i like to taper my runs because mentally i'm finding that if i know what i'm in for, i can prepare myself and be in the mode for a long run versus a short one. i did 2 miles today and didn't even break a sweat. it was weird. i'm still getting used to this and find it funny that i'm so into it.
a few memories i have about running...

1) pt in the army. cadences. yelling. not sounding off loud enough so our whole platoon had to roll in the sand afterwords. the sweat made it stick something fierce.

2) running in high school at night while my mom followed me in the car with the lights shining for my path.

3) running with my friend, joe, who saved his own life by running away from the civil war in liberia. for real.

4) putting the girls on lockdown with 3 sports bras.

5) training with the boys soccer team since i was the manager my freshman year. that didn't stick for long.

6) running at purdue to 'shane and shane'.

a vocal morning.

click here to hear her chatter.

sweety pie.

this too shall pass.

found these links on a friend's blog. worth the watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJKythlXAIY

somebody hold me back.

i absolutely cannot tolerate racism. there is nothing more stupid in this world. it makes me so angry when i see people acting or speaking rudely toward others and for it, i just want to kick them. but repaying violence with violence isn't too smart either. that's my bold, but brief thought of the day.

a very hungry 'pillar party.

i just got an order for this cake, which will be super fun to make.
sweet carter is turning 1!

bug.

not too old.

having recently become capable of doing something i never thought i could do and do well (run), it has made me think about pursuing other things in life that i've only dreamed of doing, such as learning to play piano or speak another language fluently. in my head i use the excuse that i am too old already to start fresh at something and become really good at it, but i think that's a cop-out. 25 is not too old. 80 is not too old. i don't want to live life holding myself back from trying new things. i am learning that truly, all things are possible with God.

fun with the in-laws.

chris's parents came for the weekend and we loved hanging out with them. i love it that they are layed back and easily pleased. we played board games (one of our favorite things to do together), drank coffee (okay, another favorite thing), ate pie (and another), and laughed a lot. we went to mount bonnell yesterday since it was such a beautiful day. this was vera's second time on the peak of austin.

pumped!

i just signed up for my first race--Cap 10k--and i'm so pumped. i'm feeling really good about it already since it's only a 6.2 mile run and considering 5 miles has been pretty easy for me lately, i'm thinking with the adrenaline and everything, it would be a great first race. it's in 6 weeks, so i'm starting to get organized with a training schedule. my next goal will be the Rock 'n Roll (holy crap!) in november with Hollie!

more thoughts on running.

so i guess i'm a runner now? i'm really loving it. ran 5 miles again today. and this time under an hour. i've decided that my goal is not speed but distance. it feels so great to finish a long run and not be winded or have my heart rate sky-rocket. i'd like to get another pair of spandex shorts and eventually a new pair of good shoes. but for now, my $30 adidas are getting some miles. :) i'm trying to figure out a training schedule so that i don't overdue it or get injured. i know the consistency is going to be hard to keep, especially when i go out of town or am on vacation, but i need to figure out how to push through it and keep it up. i've never been an athlete, let alone a runner, so this is all new to me--but i love it!

addicted.

i experienced the runner's high for the first time ever today. it felt amazing. i'm a slower runner (10 minute miles), but longer distances are getting easier. i ran almost 5 miles today and it was after the first couple of miles that it kicked in. i didn't have to think about breathing. my heartrate was not high at all. i wasn't huffing and puffing for air. it was seriously so easy. i've never felt that before but it was awesome and now i'm addicted, i think. i tried to go into my run today with the mentality of asking myself if i could do a half marathon in the future. instead of watching the clock, i just set my ipod on shuffle and let the music be my focus (and 'the view' and 'ellen'). i can't believe i'm going to say this, but i love to run. i'm making sure to stretch out really well today. come march, i think i could up my run to at least 4 miles and make my long run of the week 5 or 6. we'll see!

had me a chuckle.

as i was walking out to my car this evening after catering an event at The Mothers Milk Bank at Austin, i found it rather humorous that i served a tres leches cake for dessert.

#2

we are still in the process of pursuing a non-biological child for the next addition to our family. we were in the middle of the paperwork to become foster parents when we found out we were expecting, so we put it on hold until after her arrival. originally we said that when vera was 3 months old we would start the process over again. well, she's just passed the 4 month mark and we are still sitting. but the reason for the delay is that we are praying about whether to pursue domestic or international adoption or foster-to-adopt. honestly, i really don't care all that much. there are kids anywhere that need a family and i would be happy with an international adoption or a home-grown one, but most recently, chris has felt that we should check out all our options. so that's where we are. i'm researching agencies and looking into independent international adoption. we are also getting certified to provide short-term child care for our friends who are foster parents. i think this will be a great opportunity to "get our feet wet" before we are actually ready to become mom and dad to child #2. i'm super excited about all this.

love her.

my nemisis.

i am a self-proclaimed hater of running but have been doing so for about a month and a half now. it doesn't make any sense, i know. but i joined a gym at the beginning of january and they offer a free hour of childcare for vera up until 6 months of age, then 2 hours for 6 months and older. that's a nice incentive because otherwise, a work-out wouldn't even be possible. we walk a lot in our neighborhood and hike the greenbelt with marlow, but those don't make me sweat. and i have to say now that i've been doing it consistently for awhile now, it feels good to sweat and feel the aches and pains of exercise.

all of january i ran one mile each day. (gotta start somewhere, right?) february came and i decided to step it up to two and a half miles. i'm scared that it's almost march. i'm not educated about how to train, so i'm just making up my own thing and feeling it out. i suppose i'll increase it by at least a half mile. i think 3 miles a day will be my max for awhile though. but i'm also learning that it is much more of a mental battle for me than anything else. i have to run with my ipod because the sound of my breathing (or lack of) discourages me. i bring a towel or sweatshirt to drape over the treadmill so that i can't look at the numbers, progress, and time..otherwise i'm obsessed with it and looking every 2 seconds which makes 2 1/2 miles seems like an eternity. if i can just listen to my music, get in the rhythm with my breathing (in the nose, out the mouth), then i'm mostly able to tune out active thinking and just run. :) it is a nice repreive from being mommy 24/7 and i feel like it makes me mentally healthier, too, to have that short break.

i would like to sign up for a 5k or something this year. i remember doing the race for the cure our first year of marriage here in austin. and i still wear the shirt. but let me tell you what a poser i am. i definitely remember walking more than i ran and if i sign up for another race someday, i'd like to say i actually ran the whole thing. if i ever do a half-marathon (gasp!), i think i would be okay with walking some of it for the first time though. this is all new for me, so we will see where it goes.

i am also really enjoying the dance class i'm in at my gym. i do it 3x/week and they just introduced a new routine, which means i am completely lost again. it's a good thing though. i had the old one down and was getting bored with it. this new one has a lot more jazz/ballet stuff. last time it was more latin and hip hop. it will taken me a few weeks to figure out the moves, but i have so much fun.

calling all bakers...

help! i need some advice. i have several silpats that i use very frequently; sometimes 3-4 times per week. have you found a good way to store them that also keeps them easily accessible? for awhile i folded them up and fit them inside large ziplock bags. i liked feeling like they were clean from dust and attracting dirt. but then i learned that they are supposed to be rolled or flat when stored. they get too grimy inside my cabinets, so i'm looking for a new method. i've heard some people roll them and put them inside of an empty paper towel roll. that's the best i've heard so far but wanted to know if there was a better way out there that i didn't know about. any advice?

no more grandmas.

reading the recent posts of PW about her "Ga-Ga" has made me think. actually, i've been thinking for awhile now. it's been on my mind. and believe it or not, not all of what is in my mind actually makes it onto this blog. there are times that my filter does indeed work. there are also times that my thoughts don't need to be on this blog. but there are also times when this blog helps me process.

anyhoo. i've been thinking about my grandmas lately.

grandma #1: agnes irene

i suppose she's grandma #1 because she was the elder of the two. she lived to be 100 years old and passed away a little over a year ago. my memories of her range from her mad pie making skills to her joyful chuckle to me playing with her underarm flab. she was a lovely lady. it will make me sad one day when her house is sold because it holds so many memories. like the bird wallpaper in the bathroom. or the cherry wallpaper in the kitchen. and both cuckoo clocks...i had a love-hate relationship with them. i used to like to clean up from dinner with her. (perhaps a foreshadowing of when my enjoyment of domestic duties began?) she'd wash and i'd dry with those white dish drying cloths. we never used them at home so i think that's why i thought it was fun to dry and put away dishes. there were antique dolls in her attic, too. and tons of old national geographic magazines. my grandpa collected those. some of that fake green turf on the patio outback. she used to put money in books in their house. i remember finding a hundred dollar bill once. and i used to love looking through her jewelry. especially her earrings. i always wanted my ears to be pierced and when they finally were at age 12, i'd try on her earrings then put them back in their designated spot in her drawer. i remember holding my grandma's hands. they were big like mine. big knuckles. big palms. she had pretty rings and pretty fingernails. i used to pluck her chin hairs for her. oh the bonding!

grandma #2: mary elizabeth

she passed away six weeks ago on january 7th. she would have turned 83 years old this april. her body was tired and it was her time to go. and though it was a good thing in many ways, i'm finding myself missing her tonight. no proper good-bye. i saw her at thanksgiving but that day was so rushed (especially having a new baby) and busy seeing so many people. i could kick myself for not slowing down enough to really talk to her. to hug her. i loved her smile. she was a great listener and made you feel good about yourself. her skin was gorgeous. i complimented her one time on it and she seemed to be proud as she responded, "soap and water." i liked her laugh. it was quiet but joyful. i liked her skirts. i don't think i ever saw her wear pants. and i wish you could see the way she did her hair. she'd braid it into pigtails, then bobby pin them on top of her head. i spent the night at her house once when i was little and remember seeing her do her hair. i think that memory stands out in my mind so much because that was the one and only time i saw her with long hair. i kind of didn't realize she had long hair. i also remember seeing her kill baby mice with the heel of her foot. i was traumatized. in the back of her house, she found mice and although "cute" (as much as rodents can be) as babies, she killed them knowing that they'd grow up to be not so cute. she also used to go to my volleyball games. and she helped move me to college.

i missed both of their funerals. but mostly, i missed getting to know them both better. i missed out on many conversations that could have taken place if i would have made the initiative. they were both lovely, Godly women who stood by their husbands through thick and thin. and great mothers. they loved fiercely and have left a lasting memory in my heart.

recently.

james 1:17

"every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father..."

it has been quite the challenge starting back to work while also taking care of the bug (a.k.a. my daughter), but i have to admit, it has also been very fun. i really love my work and it feels like quite an accomplishment to have built a business at the age of 22 (no credit due to me..read on) and that it is still succeeding, making a profit, and adding on new clientele each year. this last weekend was crazy-hectic, but worth it. and i've got a couple of catering events this week that will be rewarding. i absolutely love being in peoples' homes. whether it is celebrating a new arrival (baby shower), new commitment (engagement/wedding), or another one of life's festivities, i consider it an honor that people actually pay me to make food for them on their special day. i really love my work. and i know that it is absolutely by God's provision that i am even able to cook, let alone run a business...cuz Lord knows i am not gifted in that area at all. luckily He gave me a wonderful, organized, attentive, business-minded guy to marry that helps me out in the aspects in which i fall short. together we have figured a few things out and are enjoying seeing the growth of taste and see. i know that none of this is by my talents at all. all glory and credit goes to God. but i am very thankful that He's blessed me with a job that i enjoy so much and can do part-time as a mom.

work.

i've started back to work again part-time and i love it. i didn't think i would want to work, but i've really missed it and i'm excited for the events i've booked for the next couple of months. this week and next will be very busy with valentine's day coming up and then a couple of catered parties. i'm thankful that i am able to have a flexible schedule and that chris can watch vera while i work.

i always thought having a job was something to tide me over until i became a mom, but i am grateful that God has given me a love for my work and business for an income. taste and see fine dining will turn 4 years old this year. it has taken me that long to build rapport and clientele in austin, and that's another reason i wouldn't want to quit working now.

i have some goals for my business this year that include some continual education, updated state license for food safety, an investment in marketing, a website update, and the purchase of some additional equipment. i am also at the point where i am compiling a list of hire-able contract workers; servers, bartenders, delivery service. it's stressful at times, but overall very rewarding.

the blues.

though the colts didn't bring it home tonight, we enjoyed a superbowl party with friends nonetheless. thanks to the indiana grandparents, vera even sported her colts attire.

apparently...

...i am a great salsa dancer. who knew? my latina friends compliment my hip movement.

...whiplash occurs from playing tug of war with marlow.

...if i open a bag of reese's pieces when home alone on a friday night, i'm likely to eat a few too many.

...while up in the middle of the night, i walked into a wall and busted my lip.

...doing both jobs as chef and mom are hard when working from home.

...something is in the water because SO MANY of my friends are pregnant right now!

...i am at a standstill with reading. i was a whiz when pregnant and now can't seem to find the energy during my rare, free time.

on becoming a momma: part deux

man, i love it. thank goodness post postpartum depression didn't stay too long with me. i feel like i'm in my element. i can't believe vera is almost 4 months old already. i called chris at work today just to thank him for how hard he works to provide for us. i feel so very blessed that i get to stay home and raise our daughter. she is so stinkin sweet and i look forward to getting her from her crib every morning. when she's sleeping at night and i think of her, i just want to go wake her up and hold her--but i don't. :) we are in a good season. and she is my little tagalong now. i love running errands with her and having her attached to my hip. she's getting a lot more personality and is SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT, so we are really enjoying this stage.

bangs.

man, what a blogful day this has been for me. you blog stalkers of mine out there, you're hitting the jackpot today!

a friend of mine posted this on facebook and it was too funny not to post. i have totally been there! and i might be going back soon.