Dream Home.

Sorry I have been MIA -- I have been in Minneapolis for a mediation. Thankfully, my trip was uneventful compared to this recent flight from Houston to Minneapolis.

Anywho . . . I came across my dream home tonight via decorpad. Check it out here. This house is decorated beautifully. I won't even tell you how many times I have watched (and drooled over) the slide show.
I would move right in and not change a thing! Love the lighting, the furniture, the master bathroom, the pool, the elevator wallpaper . . .

Ikea with Justin.

We made a very quick trip to Ikea last night. It would have been even quicker, but Justin was playing around on the Ikea carts. They move in all directions -- not just forward and backwards, like typical shopping carts. And, in Justin's words, "they glide."

While I was looking at the inventory, he ran off to find a cart. I looked over at the end of the aisle at the exact right time, and saw him coasting by on the cart. He then rode the cart down the aisle to where I was standing. It took him some extra time to position and shimmy the cart and himself just right -- once he got the cart, it wasn't until we had to put our items on it that he finally hopped off.

Here is his helping me pick out one of the items that we needed:


Stay tuned for what we bought at Ikea. Only one of them is currently assembled. Pictures to come soon!

Texas Fight.

This College Gameday video with Mack Brown cracks me up:



"We don't freestyle Texas Fight, big boy." Love it!

(I am currently keeping my fingers crossed. I just found some "reasonably priced" tickets to the UT/Tech game on craigslist and am hoping the seller calls soon!)

Football Fashion.

One of the things that got my attention during the UT and Wyoming game yesterday (besides UT's slow start) was the Wyoming coach's outfit. Don't get me wrong, I know a football game isn't a fashion show, but his outfit was downright terrible.

(photo: espn)

First thing, what's up with the necklace? You can't see it in this picture, but there was also a tag on it in the back. Is a big necklace some Wyoming tradition?

The other thing, the mismatching khaki colors of his sweater vest and pants are a disaster. I get that yellow and brown aren't the most flattering colors, but the varying khaki shades selection was not a good move.

He is a new coach at Wyoming, so maybe it will just take him several games to adjust his wardrobe to the new team colors. But, he did just came from Missouri, whose colors were yellow and black.

Oh, and Hook 'em!

Slumdog Millionaire.

Don't ask me why it look so long for me to see Slumdog Millionaire, but we finally watched it Friday night. It was a great movie, and I really enjoyed it. There is probably no one else out there who hasn't seen it yet, but if you haven't, I definitely recommend it.

(photo: wikipedia)

One question I had though -- did anyone else find it odd that all of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire questions were in chronological order of his life? Obviously, it makes for a better storyline, but it bothered me just a bit.

Physique 57.

It's official. I am getting my butt in gear and getting back in shape. Working tons recently has not resulted in the best eating and exercising habits. But that is about to change.

So this morning I came downstairs to do my Physique 57 videos that were delivered earlier in the week. Justin came down a few minutes later and sat on the couch and proceeded to comment on my moves ("your back is not as straight as theirs is") and laugh at the lady's motivational sayings ("push out the fat").

He works out at the gym at his office and plays volleyball in a work league during lunch. I wish I worked closer to him so that I could go over to his gym when he worked out and sit around and make comments like: "that's all you can lift?" "doesn't the treadmill go faster than that?" "your serve wasn't as good as that other guy's."

I hope to have positive updates on my progress of getting back in shape. I can say that Physique 57 kicked my butt this morning.

5 random things . . .

I am back am back from Kentucky! The dispute was successfully resolved in our favor (big time), in case anyone was wondering. I am too tired to put together a coherent post involving paragraphs and correct punctuation, so here are 5 random thoughts:

1. Justin lost his wedding ring when I was out of town. (It sounds shady, I know.) Hopefully it will turn up soon. It wasn't super expensive, but of course, it has a lot of sentimental value. It makes me sad seeing his left hand without a ring on it. But back off ladies, he is still taken!

2. Why when I order several different things online, the majority of the packages come on Tuesday, the day after I go out of town? At least I had 3 fun packages to open when I got home.

3. Having a key fob / push button start for my car is awesome 99% of the time, but is a royal pain the butt when the batteries die in both key fobs at the same time.


4. I wish shopping for a new pair of jeans was easy.

5. Firefly sweet tea vodka is delicious.

Labor Day.

Happy Labor Day!

(photo: here)

I guess it is only fitting that I am headed out of state to resolve a labor dispute today. I will be back Thursday. Maybe Justin will do a guest-post in my absence, but I wouldn't count on it.

Delicious Recipes.

In honor of the first UT football game of the season, we made some tasty recipes.

We made shrimp enchiladas. Recipe via My Kitchen Cafe. These are delicious! If you're not a seafood fan, then I am sure shredded chicken would be just as good. These aren't very spicy, so if you like some heat, then add extra cayenne pepper or chop up some jalapenos (or both).

To go along with the enchiladas, we made a black bean and corn salad. Recipe via All Recipes. This had great flavor. Really anything with black beans, avocado, and lime is good by me! This would also make a good dip for tortilla chips.

For dessert, I made cherry coke cupcakes. Recipe via Annie's Eats. These were so good! The cake part is moist and fluffy. They aren't overly chocolaty, but have a really good flavor -- I think in part from the coke you add to the batter. They are great as is, but maybe next time I will add some cherry juice to the topping (mostly because I like the idea of pink whipped cream).

For snacking during the game, I took a play out of Meagan's playbook and made pretzel/rolo thingies (yes, that is the technical term for them). You just take bite-sized pretzels, put a rolo on top, and then bake in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until the rolo starts to get soft. Then, while still warm and gooey, put a toasted pecan half or m&m (or anything else that tickles your fancy) on top of the rolo. Super easy and delicious. I am warning you that these little bite-sized salty and sweet goodies are way too easy to eat.

Confession.

I swore up and down this day would never come, but I guess I'm eating my words now. I am embarrassed to say that . . . wait for it . . . I just bought a rolling briefcase (shudders).

I love a great shoulder bag (and believe you me, I have my fair share of them). But, there comes a time when 5 files, a laptop, and a bunch of other items becomes too much to carry on one measly shoulder. So I caved in preparation of an upcoming business trip, and bought a rolling briefcase.

It is not as bad as most rolling briefcases for two reasons: (1) it has a fun orange lining; and (2) it shares a name with the cutest dog ever (Riley).

Hopefully my shoulders and back will thank me (or else I have sacrificed my dignity for nothing).

Then.

(Warning: Super sappy post ahead.)

I hardly ever listen to country music, but I happened to hear Brad Paisley's song "Then" the other day. I have listened to it countless time since. I feel like at any time my itunes may say, "Hey lady, give it a rest. You have already heard this song 10 times today."

You can hear it here.
_______________

I remember, trying not to stare the night that I first met you
You had me mesmerized
And three weeks later, in the front porch light
taking forty-five minutes to kiss goodnight
I hadn't told you yet
but I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

And I remember, taking you back to right where I first met you,
You were so surprised
There were people around, but I didn't care
Got down on one knee right there once again,
I thought I loved you then

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
Like a river meets the sea,
stronger than it's ever been.
We've come so far since that day
And I thought I loved you then

I could just see you, with a baby on the way
And I could just see you, when your hair is turning gray
What I can't see is how I'm ever gonna love you more
But I've said that before

And now you're my whole life
now you're my whole world
I just can't believe the way I feel about you, girl
We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in
And I'll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then
And I thought I loved you then
_______________

I can't wait until the day I am 60 and look back to this time in my life and say to Justin "and I thought I loved you then." I certainly feel that way looking back only 5 years ago.

You can't say that I didn't warn you.

Google Image Search.

I did a Google image search tonight for "pearson chandelier." Unfortunately, my obsession with it has not subsided. I was surprised to see the following image in the lower left hand corner (see below and click to enlarge).

I also love the chair on the far right in the middle row (the Martine chair from RH). Guess you never know what an image search may turn up!

Jubilantly Jubilant for Jubilee.

(excuse the cheesy title)

I have found a new store obsession -- Jubilee -- a very cute furniture, gift, and clothing store in the Heights. I didn't quite make it to the back of the store to look at the clothes because there were so many amazing pieces of furniture and chandeliers that kept catching my eye.

I knew from the minute I saw this chair that it had to be mine, but I was so sad to discover that it was on hold. About an hour or so after we left the store, the lady called me to tell me that the person that placed it on hold was no longer interested. Yippee! We immediately turned around and headed back to the store to pick her up!

It needs a little work (nothing some wood glue can't fix), but isn't it so cute? I love its lines, the blue/gray fabric, and nailhead trim. It's not in perfect shape (let's be serious, who is?), but it will be a chair more for decoration than for function, so I am not overly concerned.

Before we knew the lady was no longer interested in the chair, we picked up this little set of nesting tables. I am not a fan of the 3 colors, but this should be an easy re-painting project.

How great are the legs and the scalloped tops? Now I just have to figure out the perfect spot for these little guys.

I will be stopping by Jubilee often. The good news is it is next to one of my favorite brunch spots, Shade, and also close to Mam's Sno-balls.

Welcome Print.

My mom recently gave me a print from Two Poodle Prints on Etsy. I love it and am eyeing other prints from the shop.

I couldn't get a good picture of it because of the glare (see below), but here is an image from Two Poodle Prints so you can see its cuteness.

It's now in the perfect location in our entryway. Our door is over where the light is coming from in this picture:

Hopefully people will feel extra welcome in our home now!

Mam's Sno-balls.

Eureka! Thank goodness it is hot in Houston most months out of the year, because we just found a super tasty New Orleans style sno-ball place! We used to go to Casey's snowballs all the time in Austin when we were in college. This place is very similar and is a heck of a lot closer!

(photo: mam's facebook page)

I got the orchid cream vanilla flavor (it is one of their top sellers). I don't really know how to describe the taste except for utter deliciousness. I had to take a picture of its pretty purple color. Yum!

Justin got the chocolate flavor, which is the same one that he used to get at Casey's. It took us back to old times! I used to always get the wedding cake flavor from Casey's. Mam's has it too, and it may be the next one I get. I am already planning my next trip back. They also have a cute dog sno-ball where they put chicken broth over ice. Riley came with us, but we didn't get him one -- I know, we are bad parents.

While we were eating, I noticed a little restaurant across the street. You may have to click on the picture to see it, but the place has "Chinese Food and Fried Sea Food." Is that not the weirdest combination? And, it's not just regular sea food -- it's fried sea food. Don't go in there asking for grilled or blackened fish.

Riley was tuckered out after his big Mam's outing.