Feeling Green?

i had hubs watch Happy Foodie's green smoothie video with me last weekend and my meat and potatoes guy said he'd be willing to try it.. so at 5:45 am he started tossing fruit and spinach in the blender to whip us up a batch.... and the verdict is... YUM- really. now i love spinach and i love fruit but i had serious doubts about mixing the two but i'll drink this everyday if i can muster up the time to make it... it was a little time intensive... and hubs verdict- YUM he is sure this can't be good for him, not enough spinach maybe because it was more blue than green but that's bc he added blueberries...

next project these origami hearts made from newsprint and magazines instead of notebook paper... bub made these yesterday while he was waiting for me to lecture some seniors riding the fence to graduation... the idea is from Paper Source

somehow i got conned into going to the Bass Pro manly man shop sunday after services... i guess bc my boys let me choose where to eat (Chinese) so i watched my iPod until it died and then shuffled them out of there and to panera to pick up an Arnold Palmer...

this is one of my .99c sweaters from the spring break goodwill trip- it's by Free People and is whisper soft...

feeling very springy today and i love, love, love these shoes

the front door robins have sprung the nest and i chased them around the front yard trying to get some good childhood photos...above is mama and below is one of the babes

i just got home from a lecture by Lee Wooduff so once again a late one but i spent a little time cruising my favs and saw this fox by Elsie posted on Red Velvet Art this little guy is simple and adorable...

Dissecting Days

my Nikon lens broke... yep things have been edgy around here, glasses breaking, every vehicle we own has a check engine light on (you think i'm kidding), and now my nikon lens. the small one, my favorite... so bub helped me by snapping a few pics with the big lens standing on the other side of the house to thus the picture of me checking out the punch stain on my shirt... oh well at least i finally am back to getting them taken before i fall in bed... very casual day after 2 formal days (no pics see yesterday's post) and i feel another casual tomorrow since my pups are throbbing now

bub found an owl pellet in the back yard, took it in and had our biology teacher take a look at it... she gave him some tools and he's been picking at it the last few days to try and find some bones...

one of my favorite booths at the convention was Darcie's. I bought the Ink Jet Printable Shrink Plastic Project CD and made a little example. I hope to make this necklace this weekend and wear it to the convention in Cincinnati this summer...these acrylic framed artzy things will make great gifts too...

i cleaned house for hours tonight... laundry... dishes... vacuuming... sinks~ it is never ending and with all these year end projects i'll just be trying to keep my head above water... i look forward to Saturday since i think i might get to be home all day and catch up on blog notes i've been jotting down all week~

Juicy~

another late night... just getting home at 9:30 but it is worth it... tonight was a scholarship banquet filled with hard working, deserving students and their parents...

i'm posting my outfit from Saturday at the stamp and scrap convention bc i've been too busy to even snap pictures lately... friday was Happy Hippie Treehugger Day and i dressed accordingly but forgot to snap a picture then i changed into my pink velour lounge suit to travel to the convention... as i was leaving the building hubs asked if i knew it said 'juicy' across my behind- that would be a no, i wouldn't have changed into it, wore in a building for children or traveled with people who routinely let me know my behind is large and unsightly... but alas it was written on the band of the back of the jacket so i turned up the shirt to cover it- only to realize it also said this on the waistband so oh well... my two braids for hippie day accented the playboy bunny feel of the pink velour... did i mention we stopped to eat at an AMISH restaurant? yeah i thought i might have forgotten to mention that...

these pics are from the convention. the first is Tim Holtz a wonderful artist and like the only young cool guy there so women swarmed around him... of course his was one of the only artzy demos too so that helped. the photos are of his booth examples not my work...

btw one booth, not Holtz- but another i will not name, was confrontational when i snapped a few photos... she asked what i was going to do with those. my sister said she purchased some of her products and wanted me to snap the pics so she would have some examples.. then the representative/owner went off about blogger trouble.. i asked her to clarify... she took issue with people posting any pics of her or her work, products or demonstrations on their blog. she wanted people on her blog and website not theirs..... anyone else see a problem here with a business person so out of touch with today's tech that they don't see free advertisement when their work is properly labeled? seriously... i deleted the pictures from her booth and will not be purchasing anything from her again... i know i'm new to blogging but i see community as long as things are labeled properly am i wrong here?

so back to Tim Holtz- his work is fabulous!

Busy Week~

just got back from a "retirement roast" for a coworker/friend/mentor... it lasted 3 hours and way past my bedtime so i'll try again tomorrow... however i have a banquet tomorrow night too so another long day... i'm not made for this~

53 Straight Days~

53 straight blogging days and then i had to miss the last two... darn it! a little trip north produced lots of inspiration and photos and girly memories but we are back on folks... so away we go-

Check out the Janssen's RV this is an inspiring story and of course i have lots of obsessive control questions like health insurance? retirement? schooling? extended family? but alas i get caught up on realism just check out their blogs and RV photos...

Where the Lovely Things are brought a few goodies to my attention... namely these babies from Irregular Choice

and check out this night stand by DesignMyWorld

and this vision inspired jewelry by Emma Cassi

this summer i am so going to dig in and create some of these works of art... i need...i crave and right now i am swamped with not so fun work!

Happy 40th Mother Earth!

the girls greeted me to celebrate Earth Day this morning driving in... well the others bolted when i pulled out the camera but this girl stuck around and let me snap a pic...

my Earth Day friend G. who organized lots of activities for us at work then still had the energy to go on our book club nature walk...

our hostess led us over the hills and through the woods to a creek and identified numerous plants and trees... i snapped photos and was constantly told to watch my step and keep up!

the ladies leading the way...

St. Francis, i believe, blessing our endeavor... we then went in for refreshments and a lively discussion of Olive Kitteridge and A Spot of Bother among other non related spring time nonsense...

i started this staff and friends book club almost ten years ago as a graduate project and it has so exceeded my expectations... every year ladies pull me aside and shed tears as they tell me how much it means to them... it is therapy to all of us... it's important to know people who are like minded, open minded, fun and challenging... these ladies laugh, shed tears, open their lives and say it like it is... i would never have guessed that when i asked them to help me that first year they would have not only stuck it out this long but spread the word and that it would have saved us all from life's insanity... cheers ladies!

this summer i will be joining 4 of these ladies for a week at the beach to just relax, read and enjoy life together and i can't put into words how much i need this right about now with about 5 weeks of teenage springtime hormones raging in the hallways... after down time and a summer of absence my heart does reset and i'll be ready to return in the fall but right about now i have the nagging desire to answer a questioning teenager too frankly when they ask "why?" not such a good idea :)

Goofball!

this week we have earth week dress up days so i did not post yesterday's all green outfit... today however was flower shirt day and i love this 'jacket' so i wore it with my thrifted wedge tie sandals...

no one knows the trouble i go through to take a decent picture without someone sneering in the background, throwing stuffed animals over the railing and such... they've even posed before to show me how much better at it they are than me but hey i tried to save them a little dignity until now!

i spent about 5 hours working on updating reunion information and this is quite the headache... amazing how similar this is to my position as senior advisor and graduation supervisor... let's hope come the end of june i am just as touched as i am every end of may with how it turns out and how much people appreciate it.

i get lots of free samples and such through KatyShops blog and two worth mentioning are the free tea from yogi i've been trying this week and then today FREE REAL SIMPLE magazine! yeah! i'm already a subscriber but hopefully it will piggy back on my sub or i'll be able to pass it on as i want to every month but i can't part with my copy... the tea is Yogi Woman's Nursing Support and no i am not nursing so i have no idea why they sent me that type however it is fabulous. a minty flavor that might come from the stinging nettle leaf or the chamomile in it but mmm very good...

bub and i stopped by the egg lady's today to pick up a few dozen and chat. she chats alot so we must be prepared when we stop.. we dropped of a few dozen empty crates... she and i always chat about schools, the current food sitch with local and organic and such and today's topic was her sick chicken... no idea what's wrong but the little thing was pitiful and trying to croak out something... the chick just followed us around and looked pitiful... while the others stared at us walking away with their eggs...

because of the 5 hours thing... short post~

Check out these chics~

ok i couldn't resist stalking the nest, finding mama gone for groceries and snapping a few pixs... btw the first sight of those little beaks coming up for worms brought tears to my eyes they are so adorable... i tried to narrow it down to one pix for the blog but alas i could not... so below is my Sunday outfit with a new thrifted tank and so hot wedge platformy shoes from DSW i need close ups of...

check out this awesome Rainbow Birthday this chic jessi arrington had. i found this by way of A Cup of Jo. this is how i think my photo shoots are going to go but then... i look awkward and uneasy but i'm workin' on it! jessie changed into a different outfit each hour and had her friends dress in rainbow colors to celebrated her day :) now there are some good girlfriends (and guys too)

Good Conversations~

went out on the boat for a few hours this evening with j, a family friend. we took a couple of thermoses and blankets and it was very enjoyable... not even uncomfortable and i usually don't venture out until its about 75 degrees out... the fish were biting for my boys while j and i chatted about politics, his current status, protein intake and what exactly protein shakes are made of.. his stance is what does it matter if it is completely manufactured if it has all the vitamins and minerals i need.. i happen to be from the camp of eat foods in their most basic form so we agree to disagree and will be having his protein powder with my fruit smoothie for breakfast while my boys eat super donuts :) marina had a ball on the boat waiting for the fish to be brought on the boat, smelling the fish, trying to bite the fish then staring at them until the were thrown back in... she never tired of it even after 3 hours. amazing and i have to be reminded to LOOK at the fish before it gets thrown back in...

i peaked at the birdies today~

2010 Goals Progress:

Meals: i've turned a corner here and am down several pounds this week... hopefully this will continue. i mean my healthier eating plan will continue but literally i can eat healthy and still be at a standstill with the weight.

Reads: i'm reading a prom short stories book at work that frankly is not that great but i'm continuing trying to find the pearl in the mix... not there yet and about 4 stories in...

"continued" and then there's today!

more pictures from yesterday's field trip... Wildside Winery

What's not Christmasy about a hot pink flamingo?

and then there's the turkey who jumped into my beautiful photo...

there was even a chandelier over the toilet...

these are my ATC's and i'll dig out the ones i got in return and post those tomorrow... my sister told me the theme was showers and glitter... not so much... it was glitz but whateva the girls understood...

and onto today...

found this video via cozenimus i'm not sure why i subscribed in the first place to her/his youtube postings but i've come to like them...

met a friend from my younger days at a church pastored by our youth time pastor... she has a new little one now and i wanted to meet her... i was very close to my youth time pastor and his family so it was nice to see him and his wife. his daughter was there with her 2 little ones... there are some people i can not see for long periods of time and then walk up to and it feels like coming home... no time has past, they get me, i love them, it works... my girlfriend and i then had lunch at Chipotle... her little baby girl and little toddler are so adorable and full of youthful energy! my mother in law met us there too and it was her first Chipotle experience~

stopped by the grocery for dog food and walked out with much more including ReadyMade Magazine and Twilight SweetTarts... i won't be eating these along but will be sharing with my student book club at our next meeting... promise... ReadyMade had a full page add for She & Him so i took it as a sign...(take me home) ...

i pulled the stool up to the front door, made sure momma wasn't on the nest then had bub peek to see if all birdies had hatched... they had! do of course i had to see and one thought i was momma coming back with food and opened it's little beak up... my camera battery was charging. sigh...

Putting on the Glitz!

joined some friends and traveled to Irish Acres Antiques and then had lunch at The Glitz in Nonsuch, KY. glitz, glitter and the definition of more is more... these are my thrifted Vera Bradley pants and my .99 cent goodwill sweater...

the building is an old schoolhouse i think but it is huge, sectioned off and in the middle of nowhere...

very pink and sparkly...

with very cool but pricey antiques... i can appreciate these as art but i get a much better kick out of finding treasures thrifting or at garage sales than paying a high price to someone who has done that for me...

lunch began with The Glitz refresher (cranberry juice and spices like a cider/ wasail type drink), then i chose the brie pastry with greens and apple slices, tilapia on risotto, and a Nonsuch Kiss chocolate ice cream on meringue with chocolate sauce for dessert...

we stopped at Wildside Winery on the way back to the interstate...

picked up some goodies with my birthday discount at Anthropologie, and some rocking shoes at DSW before eating again... then to Essence Tea House for soup and sandwich and some bubble tea... I'll share pics tomorrow because i'm off to bed!