lists

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i love lists. well, to be honest i'm not sure if i love them exactly, it is more so that i find them utterly necessary in my life. at the end of each work day re-write my day's list eliminating the items i have accomplished/checked off and adding ones that need to be accomplished the next day. the only problem with my little system is that my list never ends. there has never been a time where i have looked at my little note pad and seen all my items checked off. it is almost as if when i see myself getting close to accomplishing the 'complete check off' i search for more to-do's to write down. yes, i may have a problem.
on the personal life side of things i make many little lists. my house is scattered with them. i am sad to admit that there have been many a friday nights where i have said something along the lines of "okay babe, what all do we want to get done this weekend?", while holding a pen and paper in my hands, as if we would do absolutely nothing if i didn't write out a 'plan' first... again, i may have a problem.
none the less, it is what i do.
i just recently made a little list of things i want to get done in the near future (to be honest the heading is 'october')here it is:
*update all framed pictures in the house
*change my workout schedule to primarily before work instead of after
*host a girls dinner party
*find new side tables for either side of our bed
*finally start organizing wedding mementos into a book (it's only been 2 years)
*find and finish a good new book (sadly i haven't been reading lately)
*create a good halloween costume (instead of throwing something together at the last minute)
*add decor to the guest room
*go kayaking at the lake
*ride outside in the fall weather!
*cook a roast
*dig up our wilted garden

does anyone else rely on lists like me?
i sure hope so.

lets celebrate!

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every moment should be a celebration, don't you think?
in just a few moments i am going to begin my weekend of celebration! you see i have lots to celebrate:

my birthday. well, really it is more like my 1/2 birthday, which i usually do not celebrate, but back in march (on my real birthday) the husband presented me with concert tickets for september 23rd, so tonight he and i are going to lay/sit/jump around on a lawn and watch the kings of leon perform!. i can't wait!


our 2nd wedding anniversary. well, there is a catch here too. our actual anniversary is october 4th, but due to the previously mentioned concert, we decided to take friday off of work and celebrate our anniversary a week early!


the state fair of texas. worthy of lots of celebrating, the great state fair begins this weekend. we are planning to go and eat fried food, drink cold beer, and walk around until our legs give out.



oh, and of course fall. today was the first full day of fall, which i say is cause for celebration! fall marks the start of cooler weather, football sundays, pretty color changes and cute cardigans...all of which i am extremely fond of.


i hope everyone else out there will take some time to celebrate too!

tid bits

i thought tonight i would share a few tid bits of the goings around here lately.

*i participated in a outdoor yoga class (cleverly called: "downdog & drinks") which helped raise money for two beautiful and brave women who are walking in the susan g. komen 3-day for the cure.


*i saw (what i think) was my 12th dave matthews band show. crazy. and it was still as good as it was the very first time.

*my sweet husband surprised me with a new yoga mat, i then convinced myself that having a pretty new mat justified purchasing myself a pretty new yoga outfit...oopps.

*i also tried out another new studio which i am very fond of, and supported a yogi who just became certified by attending her awesome class.

*i rearranged and reorganized my sparsely visited upstairs.

*i laughed lots with the husband, sister, brother-in-law, parents, and friends.

*i have decided that our dining room is in need of a fresh coat (or two) of paint in a fresh new color.

*i replaced the American flag that hangs outside our house with a proud Texas flag for a change of scenery.

*i watched my beloved cowboys play an awful game, then got mad.

*i ordered 2 amazing furniture books i have been eyeing for the business

*i listened to lots of welcomed rain fall

bed bliss

the husband and i have lived together for approximately 4.5 years now. for the past 4.5 years we have also shared a full size bed. our first home together was a small duplex, where the full sized bed fit myself, zachary and stevie (our tiny cat)perfectly. then we moved onto a cute little rent house where zach surprised me with a cute little lab, who in turn became a BIG spoiled lab that felt it necessary to sleep in bed, next to me, every night. and then we bought our first home. we kept noticing how small our full sized bed looked in our new big bedroom. within the first few months after moving we rescued our second dog. while she is not quite as big as our first she still made her presence felt when she squeezed herself onto our little bed every night. so, there we were one big happy family (zach, myself, both dogs, and one of the two cats we have)sharing a full sized bed. when i say we were a "happy" family i mean we thought we were happy. it wasn't until this week that we discovered how ignorantly happy we had really been. sunday afternoon we picked up a KING SIZED BED we purchased from some friends who were moving out of state, and oh. my. goodness. not only does the new bed look huge, it is huge! on our first night spent in this king bed we cheerfully called up the two dogs and all sprawled out. we were absolutely blissful. this may not seem like a big deal to most but let me tell you in our house it has made all the difference in the world!

our bed mates:


i know, i know... our dogs are too spoiled...but look at them.

strength

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i heart yoga. it seems as though i am certainly not the only one who appreciates this practice, as yoga has becoming ever so popular these days, and i am by far no expert on the teaching nor practices, however, i am a participant who thouroughly enjoys the challenge and movement yoga provides my body. i have been attending classes regularly for a year or more now. the class i most often attend is lead by a teacher i have grown particularly fond of and comfortable with. recently she left to travel and study in india for a few months which has led to numerous other teachers leading her class. although i miss the familiarity of her teachings these past few weeks have definately broadened my yoga horizons, if you will. last night one of my favorite people took me to visit one of her favorite studios for the first time. this was the second 'new' studio she has introduced me to and i certainly hope it was not the last. it amazes me how each new class challanges me in such different ways. we left last night wondering why everyone doesn't practice yoga. it is such a calming and cleansing exercise.
needless to say these past few weeks have affirmed that i want to continue to try new places, new classes, new positions and new practices. the strength and solidity my whole body feels after a yoga class is unmatched, and while i am very comfortable with my current physical routine, i hope to continue to branch out and challenge myself.
ill keep you posted...

a city life

it has been a while, i know.
zach and I were lucky enough to enjoy a WHOLE week in new york city and although a week long vacation is a-mazing it has taken me a WHOLE week to catch up.
none the less, lets talk about new york!
we had the most amazing time. because of the generosity of some extended family friends we were able to 'live' in the city instead of simply vacation there. we arrived to a small but overly adequate apartment in the lower east side of manhattan where we were greeted by two precious kitties, a detailed and personally written guide to the neighborhood & city, five flights of stairs, sunny weather, and limitless possibilities. most other vacations are confined by the pressure of time limits, but this one was long enough to eliminate the desire to cram everything into each day. after referencing 'miranda's guide to nyc' and a few other published guides we made an agenda which consisted of one 'must do' a day. but, in general, we woke up without an alarm clock, went walking for hours, had mid afternoon naps, ate really good food, drank expensive beer, laughed lots, saw lots, and took lots of pictures.
here are a few of the highlights:
walking the brooklyn bridge

having drinks at this "new to us" bar

moseying around chelsea market, and union square,


and taking the ferry to the statue of liberty and ellis island

but most of all - spending time relaxing. together.


oh, and after extensive testing and examination - we still can't decide if pinkberry or red mango is better.

always on my mind

i sure wish real money was as easy to come by as monopoly money. i have so many ideas for my house and so few dollars to spend on them. i have a small notebook in my purse where i write down ideas as they come to me. the only problem with this little idea book is the fact that there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it. i have notes about the house, work, gifts, food, you name it, all stuffed onto a few pages in a small notebook. SO, i have decided to prioritize.
lets talk house:
the first area in need of improvement is my dining room. we spend very little time in this room, but its bare walls are always on my mind. although we do have some great pieces; my parents passed down chandelier and buffet, a new and large table, and a painting passed to us via my grandparents, much of the space (wall space in particular) is bare. So here are some ideas i have for whenever my "home improvement savings account" somehow acquires moolah.
I have thought of mirror backing old shutters to hang on the wall

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or displaying beautiful plates/china on the walls


design by and painting by

or finding large sconces of some sort.


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other rooms on my "top priority list"

master bath -looking for a large piece of framed photography that takes my breath away.

patio - longing to add a cover of lattice and vines and hanging lanterns, like this:

patio design by new york architect SchappacherWhite Ltd.

we should start playing the lottery, to increase our chances of becoming rich...
because i haven't even let myself begin to think of ideas for our upstairs...