A Life Less Ordinary

I Couldn't Stay Away

2012-01-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

That's right, I'm back...but not here. I've decided the new year required a fresh start, so you can now follow me at my new blog from now on.

Real Life - Ideal Life

See you there!!

Good-bye...Tear

2011-07-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm a little sad to say that I won't be blogging anymore. Unfortunately, I am just too busy now; and wish to spend my evenings doing other things. I have felt guilty for weeks that I have not had time to post, so I thought it was time to make it official.

Thanks to all those who took the time to stop by and read. I had a lot of fun.

The End.

The Weekend Review - 4th of July Edition

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

After a crazy busy end of quarter at work, and having some sort of cold/allergy thing going on all last week; I was really really looking forward to this weekend for some much needed rest and relaxation.

It started Friday for me. I worked from home, as Madeleine's daycare was closed for the holiday. My mom came up around noon to help out. I haven't seen her since May, so it was really nice to catch up. Plus she was happy to watch Madeleine while I did some laundry and took a nap. That night Bill and I headed out for a birthday celebration for three friends who all have July birthdays. They have a party every year that starts with golf during the day (Bill attended, I didn't) and a party in the evening. This year they held it at The Horny Goat Brewing Co. in Milwaukee's south side. This is one of those places that I have passed a million times but have never been to, so I was excited to check it out. They brew their own beer, and have a huge outdoor space complete with three or four beach volleyball courts. It is definitely a summer place. I liked it, except for it was really loud. I'm probably dating myself here, but when I go out I like to actually be able to sit down and enjoy a coversation with my friends. We actually only stayed until 10:15pm because we were sick of shouting and not being able to hear anyone. After we left we were in the mood for some ice cream, so we rolled into the DQ driveway five minutes before they closed.

Saturday morning we hung around the house with my mom for awhile, and then went to lunch at the Saint Francis Brewery and Restaurant. Afterwards, we headed west to Waukesha for a quick visit with Bill's family. Both my brother-in-law and father-in-law were in town. We couldn't stay for too long though, as we forgot Madeleine's bottle. We tried to make due with a sippy cup, but she wasn't really getting it. She cried almost the entire way home, and I felt like a terrible mom. Bill comforted me by reminded me this was probably the first time she has ever cried from being hungry. When we got home she gobbled up her food, then took an 8 ounce bottle before bed (instead of her usual six). She passed out for like twelve hours that night, so I think she faired the whole ordeal fine. Bill and I ended the night by watching True Grit. Surprisingly, it had some really funny parts, and we both really liked it. I didn't love the end though (which I unfortunately already knew beforehand), but all in all it was a good movie.

Sunday we worked around the house a bit. Bill cleaned out our gutters, and I did laundry. After Madeleine's afternoon nap we decided to hit up our local pool. It's literally less than a mile away, but we had never gone. I was determined to dunk Madeleine under the water. She didn't really like the water too much though. I think it was too cold for her. She didn't cry, but her mouth was in a perpetual pout the entire time which, of course, made us laugh. I did end up dunking her once, and she was totally fine. I think it shocked her a little, but again she didn't cry. After not being able to get one smile out of her the entire time though, we decided to leave after about 45 minutes of so. Back home after Madeleine was in bed, we broke out the barbecue and fire pit. We had barbecue chicken, pasta salad, and strawberries for dinner and S'mores for dessert! We had another movie night, this time watching The Next Three Days. This movie has a slow/confusing start, but an exciting ending. It thought it was just okay, although, my review may not be the most accurate, as we were engrossed in playing Risk on the iPad during the first half hour of the movie. That's probably why we we were confused. Risk, by the way, is my new favorite iPad/iPhone game.

Monday, the 4th of July, started out with our local parade. Which was...terrible!! I don't know if we have just not been to a parade in a long time, but it was so boring we left after a half an hour. Seriously, it moved super slow with like a minute in between cars/floats. Plus, it was like all our local politicians just waving to the crowd. They weren't even throwing much (or any) candy for the kids. I hope for the sake of all who stayed that it got better.

Our friend Todd, and his two year old daughter, Maia, came over in the afternoon. We set up our baby pool in the backyard. Madeleine was happy to sit in there and splash, so even though she didn't love the big pool I don't think she is afraid of water or anything. Maia, on the other hand, hates to get wet, so she wasn't liking the little pool much. Oh well. For dinner we grilled burgers and had watermelon and pasta salad on the side. Ice cream for dessert!! After our guests had left and Madeleine went to bed. We played Risk some more (seriously, I'm obsessed!) before heading outside around 9pm. We are lucky enough to be able to see the entire Cudahy fireworks display (and St. Francis') from our backyard. We made another fire, and watched the show. They were pretty awesome (about 40 minutes long)! We were constantly watching our video monitor to see if they would wake up Madeleine, but other than the occasional stir she slept straight through everything.

All in all, we really enjoyed the weekend. As Bill put it, it felt like we actually had a weekend. July is a super busy month for us, so there is a lot to look forward to. I also have a number of projects I want to tackle too. So, stay tuned!

Online Window Shopping

2011-06-28T06:00:00.003-05:00

I am really loving these sunglasses by Ralph Lauren. I am digging the vintage look to them (Cat Eye + Tortoise Shell = love). Unfortunately, $160 is too much for my budget. The husband and I are gung-ho about being debt free (except for the mortgage) in less than a year; so no unnecessary purchases for me. I probably wouldn't even get them anyway because all my sunglasses end up lost, broken, or scratched. Maybe if I had a fancy pair I would take really good care of them, but alas, we'll never know. I'm on the look-out for a cheap $10 or so look-a-like pair for now.

Super Cat Eye Sunglasses

$160

What do you guys think? Would you shell out for designer sunglasses or is it a waste of money. I read somehwere that Nicole Richie owns 200 pairs of designer sunglasses. Could you even imagine?

The Weekend Review or I'm A Terrible Blogger

2011-06-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

As someone who reads a lot of blogs, I love when people post everyday. Yet, here I am, a month a half has gone by with no new posts. So, shame on me, but I will try to be better starting now.

This weekend was a whirlwind of activities. After having three free weekends in a row, we somehow ended up with all our social engagements on one day. Friday, after work, we spent most of the night cleaning up the house. We have become terrible housekeepers since Madeleine entered the picture, so there was some long needed dusting and vacuuming going on. I also did a bit of prep work for a recipe I was making the next morning.

Saturday I was up early to make brunch for my Book Club. I made an egg casserole (recipe here). I thought it was good, but was too cheesy. I would definitely cut down on the cheese if I make it again. I also made blueberry and apple cinnamon muffins (boxed by Fiber One). I picked up some bagels, cream cheese, and a fruit platter to round it out. I think it was alright. I had never done a brunch before. I was hoping to add a few "lunch" type options, but I couldn't really think of anything. Anyway, Book Club was fun. I had picked The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The consensus was that it was a pretty decent book. So, thanks to my friend Dawn for recommending it to me.

After Book Club I headed to my mother-in-law's. Bill was already there with Madeleine. We got to see my sister-in-law, niece, and nephew who have been in South Korea for two years. My brother-in-law had already gone to Virginia for his course though, so unfortunately we won't be seeing him until September, I think. It was so fun to see all of them again, and to introduce them to Madeleine. They will actually be here until January, so we should get to visit with them a lot before they head to their next deployment in Las Vegas.

Around 6pm, we headed back home sans Madeleine. We left her with Bill's sister while we went to my friend Kendra's 30th + 1 Birthday Party. She had her baby right before her 30th birthday, so she didn't really get to celebrate it much. Her husband put together a big party for her this year to make up for it. They had it at one of my favorite bar/restaurants in downtown Milwaukee, Water Buffalo. It's actually where I had my 30th birthday party too (which is what gave them the idea to do it there). It was so nice to be out with friends. I polished off three vodka lemonades (woohoo!) and we stayed out until 11:30pm (double woohoo!!).

Sunday, since we didn't have Madeleine, we both got to sleep in (relatively speaking). Bill was still up by 7am, and me at 8:30am. Hey, when you're up at 5:30am almost everyday that is sleeping in big time for us. Bill packed up Sadie (my sister-in-law's dog we watched while they were in Korea) and headed out to Waukesha to reunite them and pick up Madeleine. I stayed home and did some much needed laundry. I also got to witness our dog Banshee laying by the back door whimpering for like two hours. She definitely did not understand why she couldn't go with Bill and Sadie. In fact, the entire day she was moody and wouldn't really come by us. Poor little thing misses her friend already.

I was so happy when Madeleine came back. It's always nice to have some one-on-one time with Bill, but I missed my baby too. She was so good the rest of the day, and super cuddly. She (and Bill) both took an hour and a half nap in the afternoon. Then, we went for a family walk around the neighborhood. We like to look at all the houses and say how we would fix each one up if we had a ton of money. Back at home, I had to work from 6-8pm. It's our end-of-quarter, so we're pretty much 24/7 until Thursday. Bill and I both have colds too (thanks Madeleine!), so we ended up crashing at like 9pm.

I always say I want to do more on the weekends and see more people, but it was really exhausting having three big plans all on one day. I'm going to try and not triple book myself next month.

Rustic Modern Master Bedroom

2011-05-18T06:00:00.001-05:00

For some reason I have had a hard time pinning down exactly the direction I want to go with our master bedroom. The grey paint I picked ended up looking blue, and the bedding I found was too cutesy and matchy-matchy (see the hot mess here). I think now, two years later, I have finally nailed down the look I want. I put together the following mood board through MyDeco (so fun!). The Union Jack Rug I recently splurged on was the inspiration for it all.

Rug - Union Jack Rug from Z Gallerie $299.95
Side Table - Carlyle Nightstand from Z Gallerie $349
Drapery - Stockholm Blad from IKEA $59.99
Duvet Cover - Organic Cotton Pintuck from West Elm $119
Throw Pillows - Chunky Purl & Sculpted Origami Pillow Covers from West Elm $34
Mirror - Chunky Wood Floor Mirror from West Elm $199.99 (sale price)
Lighting
   Possini Euro Branch Ceiling Light from Lamps Plus $249.99
   Candice Olson Sahara Wall Sconce from Lamps Plus $198.99
Accessories
   Metallic Leaf Garland from West Elm $14.99 (sale price)
   Mercury Mushrooms from West Elm $10-$24
   Ceramic Rhino from Z Gallerie $39.95
Extra - Reclaimed Barn Board Sliding Door

Here's hoping I can take the vision in my head and sucessfully pull this together!! I think it is high time Bill and I have a proper grown-up bedroom.

What I'm Listening To - Christina Perri

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm really loving Christina Perri right now. Her songs are just so pretty. You've probably already heard Jar of Hearts on the radio (and Lea Michelle a.k.a. Rachel Berry sang it on last week's Glee), but her song Arms is equally good. Since I liked two of her songs already, I just decided to buy her debut album, Lovestrong last night. I haven't had a chance to listen to the entire thing yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Here's the Jar of Hearts video. I love at the end where they try and get away from the guy using their fierce ballet moves.

What I'm Cooking...French Onion Soup

2011-05-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

I love French Onion Soup!! Seriously, I love it...especially Baked French Onion Soup. I love the sweet/salty flavor, the soup soaked bread, and the cheesy goodness baked on top. Every time I go out to eat, if this soup is offered, I order it. My favorite Baked French Onion Soup in Milwaukee is at the Lake Park Bistro. I love it so much we served at our wedding even though it cost us more than the normal soup.

My cousin-in-law, Amanda, had posted the recipe for The Best French Onion Soup...(ever!) on her Facebook page, and I filed it away. Bill found the recipe, and asked why we had never tried it. I told him it was because I needed a French Oven* for it, which I didn't have. My birthday present this year...a 7.25-quart French Oven from Le Creuset!! We still continued to put off making it though, as the total amount of time to cook the soup is 4 hours (plus prep time). However, yesterday we finally had a free Sunday, and decided to give it a try.

The result...it was so good!!! Easily as good as you could find in a restaurant. We were both so excited and proud of oursevles that it turned out so great.

The recipe says it is even better on day two, so guess what we're having for dinner again tonight?

It was actually really easy as well. The soup is mostly baking for the first 2.5 hours. Then, there's like 30-45 minutes of intense activity; followed by another 30 minutes or so of simmering. So, even though it takes 4 hours you're in no way tied to the stove that long.

Here's the finished product. Doesn't it look yummy?

Here's the French Oven I got for my birthday. Extra credit to the husband for getting me the purple one!

*French Oven = Dutch Oven. Le Creuset calls them "French Ovens" because they are a French company. I also now prefer calling them French Ovens as the term "Dutch Oven" means something totally different to men. Believe me, do not tell you husband you want a Dutch Oven for your birthday, or he will try and give you one!!

The Floor Project - Part 4

2011-05-05T19:56:00.000-05:00

After three and half days they were finally done! As you can see we decided to go with the "au natural" look. It just looked so crisp and clean. Plus, it hardly shows any dust or dog hair, which is wonderful as I haven't been the best housekeeper since Madeleine joined us.

We're really happy with the finished product. One more project we can check off the list. We still have some trim work that needs to be finished to fully blend the new spaces in the hallway and living room, and we desperately need to get a new front door. It's coming along though.

Oh, and remember how I said my floors look great, but my couch does not? Yeah, here's what it looks like.

What happened, you ask? Well, to do the floors they had to remove the floor vents. One particular vent had a slight gap between where the floor met the wall and there was no sub-floor underneath. Do you see where this is going? When they polyurethaned the floor some of it dripped through that gap into the basement. Of all the possible things that could be directly under the gap...my couch coushion!! I was so angry/sad. Seriously, I was alone in the house when I discovered it and had a complete mini-breakdown. The couch cost more than the entire floor job, and I was convinced the company would totally screw us.

Thankfully the flooring company was actually great about the whole thing. Bill actually used to work with the manager there, and they were very apologetic and have so far taken care of everything great. We tried to get it cleaned, as it was a water-based polyurethane and the flooring company thought it might come out. It didn't. Then we called Crate and Barrel, and they were able to order us a replacement cushion. The flooring company took care of the cleaning and replacement bills. It will take 10 weeks for the new cushion to come in. I think it will all be okay, but I still have a fear that the dye-lots will be off or something. For now I'm just waiting patiently with my fingers crossed.

The Floor Project - Part 3

2011-04-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

The next day was the sanding. It wasn't quite as dustless as I thought, but there really was very little.

We went back and forth between whether we should go with really light floors or really dark floors (darker than the above even, like ebony stain). We eventually decided to stay on the lighter side as dark floors show more dust and I think that really dark ebony stain will eventually go out of style.

Can you guess which one we picked??

The Floor Project - Part 2

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

After the first day, the patches under the living room window and dining room windows were feathered in; and the maple sections in the living room and hallway were removed.

Patch in the living room.

Maple floor in the living room removed.

Patch in the dining room.

Maple floor in hallway removed.

It was coming along nicely.

The Floor Project - Part I

2011-04-14T21:17:00.000-05:00

After two years in our house we finally decided to get our floors refinished. When we moved into the house the living room had carpet and the dining room had hardwood. The dining room was in okay shape, although it did have a rug line around the perimeter. When we pulled up the living room carpet we found the floors in decent shape, but there were a few stains here and there and plywood patch where a radiator once was.

Then last year we took the small bedroom behind the living room and next to the dining room and split it in half. One half became a much needed large half bathroom, as there was only a teeny tiny unfunctional water closet on the first floor. Then, and I know this is hard to follow, we halved the other half of the room. We moved the wall in about two feet, so it is now a hallway with the bathroom on one side and space for a nice big closet on the other (hopefully one day we can move the washer/dryer here). So, now the living room has an extra two feet of space in it where we want to put a built-in media center with bookshelves and lots of storage.

Only problem....the floors in the small bedroom were maple, but the living room and dining room floors were oak. So, here is what we started with. Note the new paint colors. All the trim is now white. The living room went from peacock blue to a soft aqua, and the dining room went from a burnt orange to a celery green.

West view of the living room.

East view of the living room.

Looking through the living room French doors into the dining room.

Dining room looking into hallway/closet and living room.

Here are a few close-ups of the the areas that needed to be replaced or patched.

Living room where we pushed the wall back.

Plywood patch in living room where probably an old radiator was.

We decided to pull out this box patch, and have it feathered in instead.

Maple hallway meets oak dining room.

We decided to go with a company that uses eco-friendly water based finishes, dustless refinishing system, and applies three coats of finish instead of the standard two. We liked that we would be able to stay in the house while it was being done, and the extra coat of finish is ideal for pet owners.

That's the before...stay tuned for the during and after!!

Miss Me?!?

2011-04-14T11:18:00.001-05:00

Ahhh...sorry for the lack of posts these past couple weeks. First it was my end-of-quarter at work, then Madeleine got sick, then we had our floors refinished and were trapped upstairs, then I got sick too!! It was just one thing after another.

We have finally put our house back together, and I found the missing chord needed to download the pictures off my camera and onto my computer; so I will have a bunch of posts soon about the floor refinishing process.

Good new...the floors look great. Bad news...my couch does not.

I promise the whole story tonight!!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

2011-03-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Opening Day!!! One of my favorite summer activities is cheering on the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. (GO BREW CREW!!) Except for a hat that my then boyfriend now husband bought me at our first game together, I do not own any professional sports clothing. My sister is having a sports themed birthday party for my almost 1 year old twin niece and nephew and we're supposed to wear something showing our favorite team. What's a fashionable girl to do?

Enter Victoria's Secret new PINK Major League Baseball Collection.
I like these because they are cute and don't scream "fan". They're also cut to fit a woman unlike most jerseys and whatnot out there. I think they would look really good with a pair of jeans and a cute sneaker. Perfect ballpark attire.

It's Coming Along!

2011-03-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Bill and I have basically spent the entire month of March painting the interior of our house. We started out with our upstairs guestroom. Check out the before pictures here! Gone are the horrible green walls, and in its place...a warm caramel brown. Then we painted the dark trim a crisp white.

We still have quite a few things we still need to do to finish it off, but it already looks sooooo much better. I'm all about repurposing these days to save money, so the color scheme all started with the red/black leaning bookcase/desk set that flanks the door (now properly anchored to the wall too). I also happened to have a red duvet cover as well as Bill's grandfather's red/white quilt that match perfectly. I wanted a neutral wall color and thought this brown matched the red well.

My parents then brought the bed up a couple of weeks ago. It's pretty cool because there is a bookcase built into the headboard. It's also pretty cool because it was my dad's when he was little. He and his brother had to share this bed when they were kids. Then it went to my Aunt's for awhile and my cousins used it. Now it's with me! It also has a matching dresser that I have been using for years. I'm thinking I'll move it into this room soon so the dresser and bed can be together again at last. I really like having some pieces in my house that have such family history! The only issue with the bed is that way back when mattresses weren't as thick as they are now, so once the pillows are on the bed it covers the bookcase. I may (at some point) get a new box spring that is half the thickness to lower it all and really showcase the headboard.

Here's what we still need to do
1. Spray paint the metal on the light and sconces black.
2. Hang blinds and drapery.
3. Buy new sheets and some pillows.
4. Move the file cabinet out.
5. Frame and hang some artwork.
6. Dress the bookcases.

I can't believe we waited so long to do this!!

What I'm Watching...Mildred Pierce

2011-03-28T20:28:00.000-05:00

I started watching the HBO mini-series Mildred Pierce starring Kate Winslet last night. Parts 1 and 2 were on last night, and it's pretty good so far.

What I'm Reading...Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

2011-03-22T06:00:00.003-05:00

I just finished Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. This is my Book Club's selection for our April meeting.

Set in New York, precocious nine year old, Oskar Schell, is dealing with the death of his father who was killed in the September 11th attacks. He finds a mysterious key in his father's closet and spends his weekends traipsing around New York trying to find the lock it belongs to, all the while hoping to make some sense of his father's death. Intertwined with this story is that of his paternal grandparents who survived the WWII bombing of Dresden Germany by the Allies.

I thought this was a pretty descent book, but I in no way loved it. I enjoyed the journey Oskar took in finding the lock to the key and all the people he met along the way, especially his upstairs neighbor. Unfortunately, I was probably as underwhelmed as he was to discover what the key actually unlocked. Also, I couldn't get over the fact that this nine year old kid was running all over New York City by himself.

Then his mother, who was barely present in the book, ended up being a main part of the ending. That surprised me since the book focused so heavily on the grandparents' story. I thought the two stories would somehow find each other more than they did. In fact, the grandparents' story, which I thought was really strange by the way, was kind of left unresolved.

The author also uses a lot of gimmick writing and pictures which was different; not bad, just different. The story was told through first person narrative and also through letters. His writing style also jumbled conversations into one paragraph, so I sometimes would get confused as to which character was saying what.

I did really like Oskar though, so he totally made the book for me. He was such a funny, nerdy little kid, and his dad was the one person he could really relate to. I felt so bad for him. Things like 9-11 or Hurricane Katrina were so horrific when they happened. I think being so far removed from them here in the Midwest that we forget there are people still dealing with the aftereffects years later and for the rest of their lives really. Even though this was a novel, I think it is always good to hear a personal story from events like these to keep them alive in your thoughts.

***It appears they are making this book into a movie, as I just saw online that Sandra Bullock was in New York filming it. I'm guessing she is probably Oskar's mom?? Tom Hanks is in it too (Oskar's dad??). If that's who they're playing they are not at all how I pictured them in the book.***

New Blog I'm Reading...Young House Love

2011-03-21T13:24:00.000-05:00

If you are pregnant and looking for a super cute way to document the first year of your child's life then you have to check out Young House Love. It's a great blog about fixing up your house on a budget and their life in general. Their week by week photo project of their daughter is amazing!!

Let's just say I am super jealous and wishing I had discovered this 20 weeks ago.

The Weekend Review

2011-03-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

So...incredibly....tired!!

The weekend started early for me, as I took Thursday and Friday off of work. Bill and I decided we were going to paint all the woodwork in our living and dining rooms as well as paint the walls. Let's just say we grossly underestimated the amount of work that would be.

Thursday I was up early and took Madeleine to daycare at her normal time of 7am. Part of the reason we took these days off was so we could work Madeleine-free. Bill had originally taken these days off to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and watch some of March Madness. So, he left around 10am to meet up with some of his friends, and I kept working. Our living room is sectioned off by a beam, so I worked on the first half. By 2pm I had gotten two coats on, and I was exhausted. Let me be clear, when I say we're paining the trim, that includes baseboards, crown molding, windows, and doors. I was pretty proud of what I accomplished, but bummed that they would still need a third coat. Bill got home shortly thereafter, and he went to work on coat number three. I picked up Madeleine at 3pm (instead of her usualy 4:30pm), and fed her. Honestly, I have no recollection of what we did the rest of the night.

Friday we were up early again and dropped off Madeleine. With Bill helping we moved all the furniture that was on one half of the living room over to the other, and started work again. By 2pm we had done three coats, and the living room trim was finished. Again, the evening was a complete blur. We didn't even have the energy for a movie. I think we just watched HGTV all night.

Saturday I really really wanted to not paint, but we powered through and got all the dining room trim painted (again baseboards, crown molding, giant bay window, and doors). There was absolutely no way I was up for paining the walls too by this point. In the evening Bill went to a friend's to work on his motorcycle, and I vegged out on the couch the rest of the night. Madeleine was so good while we worked. She takes good naps, but they're not long (about 45 minutes). Usually right when you get into whatever you wanted to do while she napped she wakes up. She does take a lot of them though...about four a day.

Sunday, I told Bill I didn't want to do any work. It was nice to relax, but that makes for a really long day. I took a nice nap and watched a lot of nothing on t.v. At 2:30 I finally had enough of t.v. and got a little work done. I started to dress the guest room that we finished painting last week (pictures soon!!). I made a bacon and goat cheese pizza for dinner. YUM! I took my shower, made my lunch and ironed my clothes for Monday morning. In bed by 9:30pm.

Right now our entire dining room is in our living room. We decided we're going to power through and paint the dining room walls tonight. We need to put the house back together or I'm going to lose it. I'll have lots of pictures to share this week of the semi-finished rooms. It was so much work, but we are absolutely loving the white trim!!

Royal Wedding

2011-03-10T16:30:00.002-06:00

So, is anyone else totally excited for Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton?!? It's on April 29th, and you better believe I will be watching it live. I think she is so pretty and stylish; and I cannot wait to see her wedding dress. I have a feeling it is going to be a far cry from the poof spectacular that was Princess Diana's.

Plus I think these two are really in love. They seem really happy in all the pictures I've been seeing of them lately.

I loved her engagement dress by ISSA London. Simple, figure flattering, and as I've said before Navy Blue dresses are my favorite!!

Happy Mardi Gras!!

2011-03-08T06:00:00.004-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras everyone!! I always thought Mardi Gras was a fun little celebration. Someday I would love to celebrate it in New Orleans or even Brazil, but for now, I've always tried to do a little something special. Last year we had a nice jambalya and King's Cake. This year, unfortunately, I have no Mardi Gras related plans, but since it is Fat Tuesday we are going to have a great dinner at least. I picked up two nice filets that we'll broil up with some potatoes and salad. Maybe it's not to late to pick up a King's Cake.

The Weekend Review

2011-03-07T06:00:00.001-06:00

I can't believe we're already a week into March!!

Friday night, after Madeleine went to bed, we prepped the guestroom for painting. We had done the trim last weekend, so we taped it all off so we would be all set to paint the walls in the morning. After that we sat and watched The A-Team. I surprisingly thought it was pretty good. Although I like Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper, so that probably had a lot to do with why I liked it.

Saturday morning Madeleine woke up at 5:30am. I fed her quietly while Bill slept, and then took care of the dogs. We started painting early afternoon, and it went really quickly. We used that Behr paint that has paint and primer in one; it worked great. It covered that bright awful green in almost one coat. We did end up doing two though just to even out the color. Bill made a couple of trips to the hardware store, and he swaped out all the ugly brown/brass outlets to a nice basic white. I made a Target run, and spent the rest of the day taking care of Madeleine. We were pretty tired by the end of the day, so we were in bed by 10pm.

Sunday I woke up confused around 6:30am. I had woken up naturally on my own...no baby...no dogs. I thought maybe I had forgotten to turn up the volume on the monitor, but Madeleine was fast asleep. They both slept until 7am. She missed her morning feeding. Maybe it's time to start readjusting her feeding schedule? I would just love to cut out that early morning feeding. Bill made me a nice omelette for breakfast (although in our house we call them Emilettes). Then I went to the grocery store. We cleaned the entire first floor of the house. Then upstairs put the bookcases back in the guestroom and fastened them to the wall. My parents came up from Illinois for a visit around noon. We had a nice lunch of cold cuts and pasta salad. They brought up a bed that goes with a dresser I have (both my dad's when he was little), so we'll see how that works in the guest room. It was nice to visit with them, and of course they had fun with Madeleine. After they left around 4pm, we just relaxed the rest of the evening.

It was a productive and fun weekend!

Fabulous Flannel Sheets!!

2011-03-03T16:30:00.008-06:00

Living in Wisconsin, I love flannel sheets for the winter. What I don't love is when they start to pill and the overall low quality of most flannel sheets out there. I decided to do some research to find some nice high quality flannel sheets that would last. Overall, the most highly recommended flannel sheets online were L.L. Bean's Premium Supima Flannel Sheets. Awesome, I thought, as that was a brand I was very familiar with.

Yeah...$150 for a Queen set!! They are all sold separately, so the Flat/Fitted sheets are $60 each, then another $30 for the pillowcases.

Oh, well, I thought...perhaps some other time (i.e. never).

Then, just a few days later I received an email for 30% off everything at L.L. Bean, plus free shipping. After a brief conversation with myself justifying the purchase by saying it's been ages since I spent any money, and how they'll pay for themselves since I buy a new set every year. I just took it as the sign that it was, and last night slept on the most soft and luxurious sheets ever!! They are so fabulous...seriously as soft as velvet. I could tell just by the look and feel that these were way better quality than any we've previously had. I'll keep you posted as to whether there is a pilling issue (please no!!). In the meantime I'll be enjoying these last weeks of winter snug in my bed.

What I'm Reading...One Day

2011-03-02T16:30:00.014-06:00

I just finished reading One Day by David Nicholls. This popped up on a number of top books of 2010, so I thought I would give it a whirl. My impression...."eh."

The story starts in 1988 following Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew from the night they meet on their college graduation day through the next twenty years. That night they almost sleep together, so, the rest of the story is a "will they?" or "won't they" get together story. It jumps back and forth between what Emma is doing and what Dexter is doing. It's told through a series of flashbacks, letters; as well as each of their present as well. Sometimes they see each other a lot, sometimes they go months/years without seeing each other, but they always check in with each other and throughout it all remain friends.

The problem I had with the book was that I didn't really like either one of them that much (although Emma was better than Dexter). Therefore, I didn't really care if they ever got together. It was an interesting retrospective, though, on how we all change as people from our twenties to our forties, and how some people grow with you and some you leave behind. It wasn't a great book and it wasn't a terrible book, it was just "okay."

There was one part in the book where they spend the day climbing Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh (the book takes place there and in the London area), and it brought up the fun memories of when Bill and I climbed it in 2006.

Good times!! I suppose it was worth reading just to bring up these memories again.

And the Oscar goes to...

2011-03-01T20:50:00.001-06:00

I know I'm a little late here, but did you watch the Oscars?!? I watched a bit of it, but when they weren't even close to being finished at 10pm I had to call it a night. I was really glad to hear the next morning that Colin Firth won Best Actor and that The King's Speech won Best Picture. Even though I didn't see the film, I love Colin Firth (hello Mr. Darcy) and it seems like a movie I would love.

Anyway...on to the fashion!! I might be in the minority here, but I think my favorite dress of the night was actually Amy Adams L'Wren Scott gown. I love navy blue dresses, and I thought the dress was just beautiful. However, I didn't like how she accessorized it. I would have lost the necklace, and just worn a big sparkly diamond bracelet. I also would have put my hair up to show off the neck and really highlight the capped sleeves.

Mila Kunis in this romantic lavender Elie Saab gown was my second favorite look of the night. She looked flawless! I am so jealous of those perfect little boobs!!

My least favorite of the night was Jennifer Lawrence in Calvin Klein. Don't get me wrong she's beautiful and the dress really shows off her *ahem* assets, but this was the Oscars!! It was way to plain and simple for a nominee. By the way...who the heck is this chick? Seriously, until Sunday I had never heard of her or the movie Winter's Bone.

What were your favorites?

And so it begins....

2011-02-28T06:00:00.002-06:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of moving into our house. (yay!) We had such grand plans for decorating and fixing the place up, but then we just completely hit a wall. We've been hesitant to move forward with any construction projects after the bathroom fiasco, and honestly, we don't have the budget for any huge projects right now either.

Due to some poor planning on my part and the upcoming Lenten season, Madeleine's baptism won't be until after Easter on May 1st. We're planning on having a big party with both sides of the family, so we need to get the house back into shape. Although we can't afford any huge projects right now we can afford to refinish the floors on the first floor and paint a few rooms.

This past weekend we finally got started! The spare bedroom on our second floor has essentially been a storage space for the last two years. This bright green masterpiece was going to be the first room we tackled, but we just never got around to it. Madeleine's nursery took over the former guest room, so we need to finish this room pronto. My parents love to come and stay with us, and especially now with the baby, I don't think we can hold them off much longer.

Below are some before pictures. Like always, I forgot to take full before pictures. The room originally had crown molding. Normally that is a really good thing, but it wasn't in great shape and with the low ceilings it actually shrank the room...so we decided to remove it. Then we patched up the walls. Next we had to address all the trim. There was a bunch of nails that were sticking partially out that needed to be hammered in, then all the nail holes needed to be filled in as well.

The East facing window.

The super small useless closet that literally is only 12 inches deep. Can you spot Bill?

The first of two entrances into the room. This door opens right into the stairwall. We usually keep it locked so no one falls down the stairs.

The second entrance into the room (see Bill peeking again!!). Notice the lovely two different doors.

Our cool red book shelves flank the entrance.

The weird corner. No there is no chimney in there. We have no idea why it notches out like this.

The only wall that doesn't have a window or door on it.

It's slow going painting a room with a baby, so this weekend we only managed to get the ceiling and trim painted. Normally I would hate to paint nice wood trim, but this trim was far from nice. We really only could paint it or replace it, and painting was the cheaper option. We still need to paint all the doors (all three of them) and then paint the walls. Hopefully we'll be done by the end of next weekend.

Sidenote: Eventually we have plans to rip out all the plaster, close up the death trap door, and build a proper closet in here but that won't be for about two years probably. I hate doing work twice, but we just couldn't take those green walls any longer!!

Fitness Update

2011-02-27T21:09:00.000-06:00

I did it!!!! I officially lost all the baby weight!!! All freaking 36 pounds of it!!! I was hoping to do it by Madeleine's four month birthday and I did (with four days to spare).

I'm really excited about this obviously, but mostly because it has given me the confidence boost I needed to now keep on going. I've officially lost 9 pounds so far this year, so I'm pretty on track with my 1 pound a week goal. Now comes the hard part though. I have another 30ish to go, and I can't hide behind the "baby weight" excuse anymore. I'm feeling good about it though. I really think I can do this.

It's funny though, even though the weight is gone my body is not the same as before I got pregnant. I have the classic "pooch" that everyone always talks about. Also, my boobs are still huge from breastfeeding. So, a lot of my pre-pregnancy clothes still don't quite fit. And of course, although I can put them on now, my wedding rings are still too tight. *sigh*

The Weekend Review

2011-02-27T20:34:00.000-06:00

For not leaving the house at all, I'm exhausted from this weekend. Friday night Bill and I relaxed and watched Toy Story 3. It was pretty cute, but I think I was too tired (and maybe too old) to really enjoy it.

Saturday we started painting our guest bedroom. I'll post more about that later, but let's just say it's hard work trying to paint and take care of a baby. Luckily Madeleine took some good naps and hung out quietly in her swing while we were working. We found out during the day that Madeleine really loves the song Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas. For some reason I started singing it to her and she just started smiling and laughing. I mentioned it to Bill who promptly queued it up on his iPhone. The three of us danced and sang it to her and she just laughed and laughed. She especially liked it when we would do the karate chop and say "Huh".

Sunday, after Madeleine's 5:30am feeding, I went back to bed until 8:30am. I was so sore and tired from all the painting the day before. We still had to put a third coat on the trim in the room, but I was too sore. I told Bill I would take care of Madeleine if he would do it. I think I got the better end of the deal because she ended up napping most of the day. I took care of dinner though making our tried and true carmelized pork with rosemary roasted potatoes and carrots. Afterwards we greased up Madeleine's head (she's had a bad case of cradle cap for a couple of weeks now). Bill spiked up her hair and started singing Punk Rock Girl by the Dead Milkmen to her. I wasn't familiar with the song, so again he queued it up and we danced with Madeleine. Again, she just laughed and laughed. I think maybe she just likes dancing with us. We then gave Madeleine a bath which is really fun because she loves them and just kicks and kicks in the tub splashing like crazy. It's super cute.

I came down after feeding and putting her to bed to discover the Academy Awards were on. I had no idea. Normally I would have started watching the pre-shows and everything, but obviously my priorities have changed as of late. It was a nice surprise and a perfect way to end the weekend.

Fun Furniture - Egg Chairs

2011-02-22T15:55:00.001-06:00

I'm not sure why I love egg chairs so much, but they just speak to me for some reason. I think I really like the idea of being enclosed in your own private little space. Nothing screams relaxation and leisure like an egg chair. I would love to spend my summer in one just reading in my back yard. I just stumbled across this beauty at Restoration Hardware. The Spartan Daybed can be yours for just $6,000 (plus another $2,595 for the cushions)!!!! I couldn't believe how expensive it is. I'm not sure if it is worth it or not, but it is beautiful. It makes me want summer to be here now as I have had it with winter.

The Weekend Review

2011-02-21T13:40:00.000-06:00

I swear these weekends just fly by sometimes. Friday night I really didn't do anything special. We had sandwiches for dinner then I cleaned my dining room and just played on the computer a bit. I think we were in bed before 10pm what with my being sick and Bill wiped from his work 70 hour week.

Saturday morning I let Bill get some much needed sleep and was up early with the dogs and Madeleine. I had a Book Club meeting at 10am. We had a nice brunch where I tried quiche for the first time and loved it!! We discussed the book Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue which I talked about here. The overall consensus was that it was a pretty decent book. Afterwards I headed to the grocery store for some much needed grocery shopping. It was nice to have the morning to myself. Back home again I was on Madeleine duty while Bill worked on his motorcycle.

Later we headed out to Bill's sister's to drop off Madeleine so we could enjoy a night out. We had dinner at Mitchell's Fish Market. Neither of us had ever been. We sort of randomly picked it as it was close to where we were headed afterwards, but I liked it and would go again. I had a nice surf and turf which included a small filet and lobster tail. I would have preferred bigger portions, because it was really good, but it left room for dessert. Bill had a trio that included tilapia, salmon, and scallops (which he kept calling shallots by mistake). He said his was good too. We both enjoyed some apple cobbler for dessert.

After dinner we headed to our friend's Jackie and Luke's place for their annual wine party. We're not really friends with any of their other friends, but we enjoyed the mingling and had some really good conversations with just each other. Even though we obviously see each other every day it's been awhile since we just talked about life outside of the house. We picked up Madeleine at 10:30pm and headed back home.

Sunday we all slept in until 7am!! Then we had one of those really productive days. Throughout the day I thouroughly cleaned my kitchen, ironed, and made dinner. Bill worked on his bike, shoveled, and gave the dog a bath. We kept trading off with Madeleine. After she went to bed we did our taxes then called it a night.

The daycare is closed today, so I'm enjoying the start of the week working from home with Madeleine!!

Spring Holidays

2011-02-19T07:56:00.001-06:00

Normally I like to keep my house tchotchke free with the exception, that is, of holidays. I get this from my mother who has tons and tons of decorations for every holiday. She has separate decorations, dishes, and linens for almost every holiday. She even has door and window decorations for most holidays as well. For example, if I go to visit her in March, I am sure there will be shamrocks in all the windows for St. Patrick's Day. I'm sure when I am her age I will have avasted quite the collection as well.

Williams Sonoma is one of my favorite stores to go to for Easter decorations, and they just came out with their stuff this week.

My favorite Easter decorations are my alabaster eggs. I got these Easter Alabaster Eggs (half dozen) a couple of years ago, and they continue to offer them every Easter season. They're so pretty.

I also thought this Cabbage Serveware was really cute too. There is a cake plate, chip and dip set, salad bowl, and salad plates.

Next, these Easter Bunny Jacquard Linens are perfect for spring. I love how you can't really tell they have bunnies on them unless you look closely.

Finally, how cute is the Kid's Easter Smock? You can have it personalized with your child's name, and it would be just perfect for baking and decorating eggs.

Way to go Coach!!

2011-02-18T16:30:00.003-06:00

A few years ago (seriously, like maybe four years ago) I saved and saved for my first ever Coach purse, even asking for gift cards for my birthday and Christmas. I was so excited when I purchased the Carly bag for $348. After a couple of months the fabric around the zipper started to fray, and I promptly put it away only to use it on the rare special occasion. Eventually I stopped using it altogether. I was utterly disappointed by the entire experience, and since then have only bought Kate Spade bags which have always held up splendidly.

Last month I was talking with my sister who is currently selling some of her old Coach bags on ebay, and she told me someone told her you could return the Carly for a new bag. Apparently, there was some issue with the fabric they used on this bag and the fraying was a problem all around. I called up my local Coach store, and they confirmed it!! I went in last night and without blinking an eye the saleswoman told me I could get $348 in merchandise (she didn't even examine the bag or anything). The only caveat she had was that I had to spend it in store, and the full amount (meaning if I picked out something cheaper they would not give me back the difference in either credit or cash).

So, check out my new bag!!!

I decided to go with leather this time instead of the fabric because I think, in general, leather bags hold up better. I also didn't want one with the logo all over it. I already have a nice black Kate Spade bag, so I thought the chocolate brown would be a nice addition to my forever wardrobe.

I thought it was pretty awesome of them to stand by their product like that. Since I essentially got a free bag here (I paid a $10 difference in price), and I had a 25% off coupon I ended up getting the matching wallet to go with it. Go Coach!!

Getting Better

2011-02-18T15:26:00.000-06:00

I mentioned I was sick for the past week and a half. I ended up having bronchitis, but am finally on the mend. I think in another day or two I'll be back to normal. I used to get bronchitis really bad all the time as a young child. The doctor said eventually it would go away for a long time, but start to recur again as an adult. Sure enough eventually I stopped getting bronchitis and went years and years without an incident. Then in high school I started to get it again and get it almost every year now. I never know whether a cold will just be a cold or develop into bronchitis. When I do get it though, my doctor and I have the remedy down to a science: antibiotic and codine laced cough syrup.

Because I'm breastfeeding, I really tried to tough it out this year hoping it was just a minor cold, but when the tell-tale incessant coughing began I decided it was actually probably better for Madeleine (and Bill) if I just got better as, left untreated, my bronchitis can easily last over a month. So, I made an appointment to see my doctor, but he was on vacation!! I ended up seeing the on-call doctor instead. I assumed after I told him I go through this all the time with my normal doctor that he would just check my records and prescribe me the same medicines, so I was surprised when I got to the pharmacy and they weren't the same. Instead of a 5-day antibiotic where you just take 1 pill a day (I can't remember the name), I'm on a 3 times a day one for 10 days (Cephalexin)!! Then instead of my codine laced cough syrup that knocks me out cold so I can sleep through the night, he prescribed me Cheratussin which didn't work for me at all. It didn't make me even the slightest bit drowsy. I've been taking the antibiotic and plain old Robitussin instead, and it seems to be doing the trick.

Anyway, the information I really wanted to share is this. Sudafed is okay to take while breastfeeding. As are the antibiotics I'm on and cough medicines. The doctor told me that the amount that actually gets into the breast milk is so miniscule. He said that pretty much all over the counter cough medicines are safe. I've been carefully monitoring Madeleine and have seen no ill effects. I've also been monitoring my milk production, and all seems okay there as well. Not to say that you shouldn't check with your doctor first before taking anything, but it was the weekend and I was so sick and getting really annoyed by all the warnings labels on the medicine boxes as well as with the pharmacist who would not give a firm yes or no. It felt like everyone was just trying to cover their ass instead of trying to help me. It shouldn't have been so difficult to get a straight answer.

The Weekend Review

2011-02-14T10:00:00.001-06:00

I've been sick for awhile now with a runny nose and a cough, so Friday night I just wanted to go to bed. We got through half of The Social Network before my cold medicine kicked in.

Speaking of cold medicine...this is the scene that went down between me and the pharmicist this weekend.

Me: Are there any cold medicines I can take while breastfeeding?
Pharmacist: What did your Doctor tell you you could take?
Me: I haven't talked to my Doctor, and I won't be able to until Monday. (In my head...you're the freaking pharmacist, aren't you supposed to know about the drugs?)
Pharmacist: What do you have?
Me: A cold. (Ahhh...didn't I just say that)
Pharmacist: Yes, but do you have a headache or cough, what do you have?
Me: Yes, I have a sore throat, runny nose, and cough. (I believe the question you meant to ask was, what are my symptoms?)
Pharmacist: Hold on a minute.

I wait at the pharmacy window for about 10 minutes while she is working on a computer in the back. Also, the pharmacist was wearing a too tight hoody and jeans, and her hair was a mess. She looked like she just rolled out of bed. Aren't they supposed to wear lab coats and you know, look professional?

Pharmacist: I think you can take Sudafed, but really anything you take will be transferred through your milk to the baby. You should really consult with your Doctor.
Me: Thank you. (Thank you for nothing lady...all my research said I specifically should not take Sudafed. And yes, I am aware anything I take will go to the baby, which is why I thought to ask someone who is supposed to be knowledgable about drugs, but I guess that was my mistake.) UGGH!!

I mostly toughed it out this weekend only taking medicine when I was really feeling bad. When I did take the medicine we just fed Madeleine one of the frozen milks we have stored, and I did the whole pump and dump thing. I figure if that's what you do when you drink alcohol, the same probably goes for drugs.

Anyway...back to the weekend. Saturday morning we finished watching The Social Network, which I thought was a very good movie. Then we dressed Madeleine up in her finest and had some portraits taken of her since she's 3 months now. At 3:30pm, Bill headed into work to do a server upgrade that was supposed to take between 2-4 hours....I would not see him again for 28 hours.

So, what do you do when you're sick and your husband is away....you watch a 7 hour British mini-series that's what!! Yes, over the course of Saturday and Sunday I watched Downton Abbey. It was recently on PBS's Masterpiece Classic, but I missed the first couple of episodes. It ended up being on Netflix instant, so I snuggled up on the couch and was instantly engrossed. It takes place in 1912, and starts with the sinking of the Titanic and goes through the beginning of World War I. It follows life at the magnificent Downton Abbey, both the family and the servants who work the estate. I really liked it (Dame Maggie Smith was awesome!!). It ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, but I found out a sequel to continue the story is on its way.

Sunday we had planned to have lunch with Bill's mom and his sister's family. I decided to still go without Bill because they mostly just wanted to see the baby anyway. It was a lot of fun. Back home again I played with Madeleine all afternoon and evening. She went to bed, and I watched a bit of the Grammy's. Bill finally got home around 8pm, and since he was exhausted and I was still sick we just went to bed.

The Hunger Games - Casting Call

2011-02-04T16:30:00.000-06:00

The entire time I was reading The Hunger Games, I kept thinking it would make a really good movie. It's so visual...the people from the Capital with their colored hair and tattooed skin; all the costumes Katniss and Peeta wear; the arenas where the games are played, and all the different hybrid animals...I loved imagining it all, but thought it would be really cool to see on screen too. That combined with all the action of the games and the uprising...you couldn't ask for more in a film. A quick internet search revealed that it is being made into a movie scheduled for 2013, but no cast has been picked yet. So, for fun (and because I am a nerd) I started thinking who I would pick for the roles. Here are my picks.

Katniss Everdeen - Hailee Steinfeld. Nominated for an Oscar this year for her role in True Grit, I think she has the right look and coloring for Katniss, and the acting chops to carry the franchise.

Peeta Mellark - Zac Efron. This one was the hardest. He's nothing how I pictured Peeta looking in the book, but I think he'd be good. Peeta is described as really handsome, big, blonde, and a charmer. I think Zac fits the bill, but they'd probably have to lighten his hair some. He's come a long way since High School Musical.

Gale Hawthorne - Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I think this is my best choice. I know he and Zac Efron aren't teenagers, but I think both can easily play younger. He has the perfect look and coloring, plus he is an amazing actor.

Haymitch Abernathy - Robert Downey Jr. How awesome would he be for this role?!? I always pictured Haymitch as really old in the book, but this would totally work. Eccentric, rough around the edges, alcoholic...it's totally Robert!! My second choice who I think would work equally as well, would be Hugh Laurie from House.

Effie Trinket - Amy Poehler. I think she could totally pull off the flighty nature and bright pink hair. Other good choices would be Cheryl Hines from Curb Your Enthusiasm or Kristin Chenoweth.

Finnick Odair - Brad Pitt. Finnick is described as being really really handsome with a flirty personality. For me, that's Brad Pitt (think Ocean's Eleven Brad Pitt). Finnick's story is really good, and I think Brad would be awesome.

Primrose Everdeen - Chloe Moretz. Ever since I saw her in Kick-Ass (she totally made that movie), I've liked her. I think she would make a great Prim.

Cinna - Rupert Everett. I haven't seen him around in awhile, but I always liked him. Another good choice would be Zachary Quinto from Star Trek (he played Spock).

President Snow - Patrick Stewart. I just love him, and I think it would be really fun to see him play the bad guy.

Whoever they pick, I really hope this film gets done well (like the Harry Potter films) with great special effects and great actors. I will be so disappointed if it is done poorly. Here's talking to you Twilight. I can't wait to see who gets cast!!

What I'm Reading...The Hunger Games Trilogy

2011-02-04T13:00:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading The Hunger Games trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay) by Suzanne Collins. It was really funny because out of nowhere I had three different friends recommend them to me, and then it showed up on two more friends' Goodreads lists. So, I thought I had to check them out, and I'm really glad I did.

Here's the premise...sometime in the future, in a land that used to be known as North America is the country of Panem. Panem is broken up into 12 Districts and the Capitol. At some point the 12 Districts tried to rise up and destroy the Capitol, but they failed. Now as a neverending punishment each year a boy and a girl is picked in a lottery from each District to compete in The Hunger Games. As entertainment for the Capitol and as a reminder to the Districts of their power the games are broadcast across Panem. The Districts are forced to watch as the participants (their children) are pitted against each other in an arena death match where to win means being the last one alive.

I really enjoyed all three books, although the first was my favorite. They are young-adult fiction as well, so they're a very quick read. It only took me two weeks to read all three. The story is fast paced and interesting; full of adventure, love, and the quest for justice. Her descriptions of everything were so vivid, and I really enjoyed using my imagination to picture everything. I liked the story and I liked the characters. It didn't end quite how I thought it was going to, but the ending was satisfying which, I think, is really important in a series. I highly recommend these books.

The Weekend Review - Phoenix Edition

2011-02-02T19:33:00.000-06:00

Last Friday morning, Bill and I headed to Phoenix for one of my very best friend's wedding. The big news is, we went ALONE!! Yes, we left Madeleine in the capable hands of my parents to enjoy some one on one time with each other.

We arrived in Phoenix around 1pm on Friday and headed to our hotel where I promptly took a nap. At 4pm we headed over to the beautiful Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa where the wedding was being held for the Rehearsal; then onto Grimaldi's Pizzeria for the Rehearsal Dinner. It was so nice to catch up with friends (some of which I haven't seen for years), have some drinks (it's been awhile), and enjoy the lovely weather (60s-70s).

On Saturday, I had the most extravagant luxury I've had in months....I slept until 9:30am! It was so wonderful not to be woken up by a baby or dogs. I really needed that sleep. The wedding was not until 5pm, so we decided to go for a walk. There was a 3 mile route around Tempe Town Lake by our hotel, so we headed out. While walking we noticed people handing out water bottles...then a bunch of people walking their dogs...then when we ran into people cheering us on along the route we realized we had stumbled into a charity walk. The charity was Power Paws, and we jokingly said we should crash the finish and get some free lunch since we did technically do the walk. It was pretty funny. Ultimately we ended up eating out at a restaurant (another luxury), and then spent the rest of the afternoon reading and napping.

The wedding was really casual (only about 70 people), but absolutely beautiful. The ceremony and cocktail hour overlooked Camelback Mountain, then the reception was indoors at the resort. The food was great, dancing was fun, and they even had a photo booth. Here are the newlyweds...Congratulations Dawn and Jason!!!

Sunday I was able to sleep in again until 8am, and then we were on a plane back to Milwaukee by 11am. I was so happy to get back to Madeleine. I missed her so much, but it was nice to know we can get away.

The Weekend Review

2011-01-24T10:29:00.000-06:00

Go Pack Go!!

These weeks are just flying by, and there's not enough time on the weekends. Friday night Bill and I just relaxed at home with Madeleine. Our afterwork routine is really coming together. It goes like this...

4:30pm - I pick up Madeleine from the daycare two blocks from our house.
4:45pm - She stays in her carseat while I take care of the dogs, unload, and get myself together.
5:00pm - I sit down and feed her, then Bill comes home. He feeds the dogs then immediately works out. 5:45pm - We switch. He takes Madeleine and I work out.
6:30pm - We make dinner.
7:00pm - We have a little playtime and sometimes a bath. This is also usually Madeleine's fussy time.
8:00pm - Madeleine has her last feeding then goes down for the night.
8:30pm - Bill and I can finally relax.

It's a complete whirlwind of activity until then, but it's working for us. I really look forward to those last couple of hours of the day when it is just Bill and I. We watched Dinner for Schmucks, or at least part of it. It wasn't very good, and we were exhausted so we just turned it off and went to bed around 10:00pm.

On Saturday, we were up early, like always. We had decided this weekend we were going to get our guest bedroom painted. Bill ran to Home Depot, got all the supplies we needed, and we got to work. We removed the crown molding first. Normally crown molding is always good, but it just doesn't work in this room; the ceilings aren't high enough. Once it was gone the room looked much bigger. We spackled all the holes. Then we moved onto the trim. Whoever put up this trim did not do a very good job. They didn't fill any of the nail holes, and a lot of the nails were sticking out a bit. Bill went around and nailed in all the nails sticking out, and I filled the holes with wood putty. Madeleine just sat in her swing happy as a clam.

We took the dogs to get groomed around noon, and enjoyed a dog free afternoon. Then my father-in-law flew in, so Bill picked him up from the airport and they came home with dinner. We had a nice visit with him until around 7:00pm. We put Madeleine to bed, and finished up our movie.

Sunday morning I fed Madeleine and immediately worked out. It was nice to have that out of the way by 7:30am. We had every intention of getting back to work on the guest room, but that didn't happen. We got snow, so Bill had to shovel and we were just too exhausted. We'll get it done eventually though.

Around 1:30pm we headed downtown to my cousin, Alix's. My cousin Alix, and her husband A.J. (who's British) have been living in London for the past five or so years. They decided to move back to the U.S., and have been living with my Aunt and Uncle in Chicago while looking for jobs. Well, of all the places, they ended up in Milwaukee. It's so nice to have some of my family here. They invited us over to watch the big Packers/Bears game, and we had a great time teaching A.J. about American Football and watching the Packers win the NFC championship. We are happy to welcome two new fans to the Pack!!

Madeleine ended up being all off schedule though. I fed her like normal at 11:30am. She fell asleep in the car during the ride downtown. We decided to just let her nap for awhile in her carseat because she didn't nap very well in the morning. I figured she would just wake up when hungry. Well, she slept the entire game, thereby missing her 2:30pm feeding. She took such a long nap (4 1/2 hours), that I was sure she wouldn't sleep when we got her home. I fed her at 6pm, then again at 9pm, but she went down no problem. We're really lucky that she's such a good baby. We keep joking that we're sure our second one will probably be a devil child, but in the meantime we're enjoying how good she's being knowing it could end at any second.

So, another week begins...but at least it's a short one. Bill and I are going to Phoenix Friday morning...WITHOUT MADELEINE!!! I'm very excited, but I'm also very nervous about leaving her for 2 1/2 days.

Fitness Update

2011-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I've lost another 2.8 pounds!!

Unfortunately my wedding rings still do not fit, but.....my pre-pregnancy jeans do!! Yesterday was the first day that I wore no maternity clothes. I still have to work on my pre-pregnancy work pants though. They were being stretched to the max before I got pregnant, so it will probably still be a little bit before those fit too. I'm going to just go and buy some cheap pants a little bigger rather than keep wearing my maternity ones though.

Baby steps!!

Total weight gained while pregnant...36 pounds. Total weight loss since having the baby...30 pounds.

Only 6 more to go before the real work begins (losing another 30 pounds!!!)

Much Ado About Breastfeeding

2011-01-20T16:30:00.000-06:00

Victoria's Secret model, Miranda Kerr recently announced the birth of her little boy Flynn (father Orlando Bloom) along with this really beautiful picture of him breastfeeding.

This is how I imagined breastfeeding would be. I pictured it being very calm and beautiful way for me to bond with my baby. Hah! For all the soon to be moms out there who are seeing this picture, let me give you a bit of a reality check.

First off, be prepared that your baby will have absolutely no interest in breastfeeding at first. All the breastfeeding books, classes, etc. out there tell you to nurse your baby pretty much immediately after birth. Due to some post birth complications this was not possible for me, and it was a few hours before we could even try. Madeleine was a very sleepy baby and no matter what we did she wouldn't even open her mouth and try to latch. That was the first 24 hours. They said it was fine for her not to be eating yet, but I still felt like I was failing her.

When she finally was interested in eating, she wouldn't latch. She's crying, the lactaction consultant is wrangling my boob this way and that and it was anything but calm. After no success, they brought in...the pump (cue dramatic music). I would have to pump and then fill a syringe. They advised us to have her suck on one of our fingers and feed her via syringe. We were supposed to only push the syringe when she was actively sucking so she would associate the sucking with getting the milk. Everytime she was ready to eat we would first try breastfeeding, but she wouldn't latch. I still felt like a failure.

Finally, on my last day in the hospital she finally latched and we had our first successfull breastfeeding. Then we immediately went home where she wouldn't latch again. Ugh!! We continued the breast/syringe thing for days always trying her at the breast first though. There was a lot of crying in frustration on my part. I was one day away from calling a lactation specialist when she amazingly latched. It took her a full five days to figure it all out. She still would fall asleep after just a few minutes. We did everything to keep her up from stripping her down to her diapers, changing her diapers, tickling her feet, and my favorite touching her back with an ice cube!! Eventually she stopped falling asleep all the time too, and feedings have been smooth sailing ever since.
Now for the whole breastfeeding is beautiful thing. Although we tried all sorts of various positions: laying down, laid back, football hold (worked okay)...we eventually settled in on one position. Every single time now with absolutey no variation, I feed her sitting upright, boppy on lap, Madeleine laying on top of the boppy on her side in front of me. I'm either in bed or on the couch, and although I do enjoy looking down at her face from time to time I'm usually just watching t.v. or reading. It's become very utilitarian for us. As far as bonding is concerned I think I get more out of the times I'm just holding, reading, or singing to her.

Almost three months in how do I feel about breastfeeding? I find it convenient, but annoying. I have to pump three times a day at work. It only takes 15 minutes, but it interrupts my day and I never want to do it. Then when I'm home with her I get annoyed that I'm the one that always has to feed her. Yes, Bill can give her a bottle, but then I have to pump anyway so it doesn't really give me any additional free time. My days are measured in hours and ounces, and I am looking forward to being done with it.

How long am I going to do it for? I'm undecided. I've decided to reassess every three months. Even though I find it somewhat annoying, everything is working fine. I think I am definitley going to do it for at least her first six months. I can't imagine I'll actually nurse her after that. A big six month old with teeth still feeding from my breast does not sound fun. I may, at that point, start to just exclusively pump or maybe I'll have had enough of the whole thing and just switch to formula. We'll see.

So, to all the moms out there who had no problems breastfeeding...you are very lucky. To the ones that are having trouble getting started...please stick with it. To the ones that couldn't do it or couldn't do it very long...don't beat yourself up over it. Every situation and baby is different and in my opinion, as long as you're loving your baby like crazy you're doing a great job!!

The Weekend Review

2011-01-17T06:00:00.001-06:00

Well we made it through another week. Madeleine is getting to the age where she sits quietly and just stares around. She still gets a bit fussy before her final feeding of the night, but from about 5-7pm she's pretty good. So, Bill and I were able to try out a new recipe Friday night. We made Carmelized Black Pepper Chicken. It was really good and it felt like such a luxury to spend over an hour cooking. After Madeleine went to bed we watched the movie Inception. I thought it was a pretty decent movie. I heard it was a confusing movie, but I think I followed it pretty well (although I have no idea if I interpreted it correctly or not). We didn't go to bed until after 11pm!!

Saturday I headed to Chicago for my cousin's wife, Amanda's, baby shower. It was at Maggiano's banquet facility, and the food was fantastic. It was nice to visit with my cousins and sisters, and I always love spending time in Chicago. My little sister, Jane, came back up to Milwaukee with me and we went to see Black Swan. I definitely liked it, but didn't love it. I completely predicted the ending and it had quite a few "ick" moments, but I loved Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, all the ballet, the costumes (designed by Rodarte), and the music. It also made me really want to see Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Here's hoping either the Milwaukee Ballet or the Joffrey Ballet put it on soon. We came home to a Green Bay Packers win too. It was a long fun day, but I missed being with Madeleine.

So...

Sunday I spent the whole day at home with Madeleine. She slept until 7:30am, which was so nice. We played and I got to feed her all day. She actually ended up taking two really long naps, so I was also able to do some laundry, make a home made pizza for dinner, and get a workout in. We rounded out the weekend watching The Golden Globes. Our life is slowly getting back to normal...slowly, but we're getting there.

Date Night

2011-01-13T17:00:00.000-06:00

Finally, after 10 weeks, Bill and I got out for a night by ourselves. It was very spur of the moment, but when opportunity comes your way; you grab it!

We had scheduled a meeting at our church about getting Madeleine baptized. I originally was just going to bring Madeleine with us, as it was only supposed to be an hour or so. At the last minute I decided to ask my friend Kim if she could watch her instead. After our 45 minute meeting, Kim had things well under control and made us go out to dinner. Driving around the city we were like kids in a candy store...should we go here, or here...oooh we could go here. We finally settled on Cafe Hollander on Downer Avenue. It was so nice to just sit and look out at the city. We even talked about things other than the baby. We had said, while I was pregnant, that even though the baby was going to change our lives we didn't want her to change how we lived our lives and I think today was a good first step.

The Weekend Review

2011-01-10T16:30:00.001-06:00

I survived my first week back to work, and enjoyed a slow and quiet weekend. After the craziness of the holidays it was just what I needed. Friday night Bill and I just kicked back and watched the movie: Get Him To The Greek. To be honest, I didn't really like it that much. It had its moments, but was a bit on the crude side for me.

I was up early on Saturday. Madeleine has her first feeding of the day at 5:30am. I know that seems super early, but as I start work at 7:30am during the week I wanted to be able to breastfeed her before she goes to daycare. It's only 30 minutes earlier than I normally wake up. All during my leave I'd feed her, and we'd both go back to bed until 8:30am. Banshee always slept fine during that time too. However, Saturday (and again on Sunday) she started barking to be let out really early. Since I was up anyway, I let Bill sleep, let Banshee out, and got to work. I cleaned the dining room, did some laundry, and made brownies all before they got up at 8:30am. Then I ran some errands and packed up all the Christmas decorations. I even worked out!! It was the most productive Saturday I've had in a long time.

Sunday Madeleine was all off her schedule, but I just rolled with it. She slept until 6:30am (did I mention she's been sleeping through the night since Christmas?!?), then she pretty much continued to sleep all day. I thought for sure she'd be up all night, but she slept fine. She must be growing, and I loved that I was able to just hold her for hours. Besides some light cleaning and a workout we didn't do much else. We sat and watched the Packer game (they won!!) and then the new show The Cape (undecided yet if I'll keep watching that).

Get In Shape Girl

2011-01-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

One thing I've never really blogged about before are my weight issues. Probably because when I started this blog I didn't have any. I got married in 2008, and over the course of two years put on 23 pounds. Then I got pregnant, and gained 36 more. Needless to say I wasn't feeling to thrilled about myself by the end of my pregnancy. After I had the baby I decided not to worry about it until the first of the year. Which brings us to now. I'm happy to say that I have already lost 27.2 pounds since giving birth doing absolutely nothing except breastfeeding. I think this is the first Holiday season ever that I actually lost weight.

I have only one resolution for 2011, and that is to lose the last 8.8 pounds of pregnancy weight plus an additional 30 pounds; about 40 pounds in total. I'm giving myself the entire year to do it too. I'm not looking for the quick fix, but rather lasting results.

It helps me to keep on track when working out if I have goal though, so my first short term goal is to get my wedding rings to fit again. I miss wearing them.

So, how am I going to do it?

My gym membership expired in December and I didn't renew it. Even before I got pregnant I had stopped going (hence the weight gain). Now that I'm back at work my time with Madeleine and Bill is limited, and I didn't want to waste any of it at the gym. We purchased a second hand eliptical machine from a friend of ours. Along with that I have a variety of fitness DVDs and the Wii fit.

For Christmas I asked for and received the The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD. Tracy Anderson trained Gwyneth Paltrow after she had her kids (and Madonna too). Her method is supposed to be specially designed to bring the skin back to the muscle after it's been stretched from pregnancy. I've done it twice so far, and I think it's a pretty good workout. I like that it is pretty short, only 40 minutes. It has a good ab workout for about 20 minutes, then about 10 minutes of legs and 10 minutes of arms. There are a lot of exercises I can't do yet, but she gives alternatives if you're not at her level (which I am definitely not). I'm looking forward to when I can finally do them. Wish me luck!!

What I'm Reading...Room: A Novel

2011-01-04T16:30:00.001-06:00

The last book I read in 2010 was Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue. This is our Book Club's January selection, and knowing absolutely nothing about it, I just downloaded it onto my Kindle. So, because I knew nothing about the story it took me a little bit to figure out what was going on, but once I did I was absolutely hooked. I devoured this book in just a couple of days.

The story is about a 5 year old boy named Jack and his mom. It's narrated by Jack, and he basically just tells the reader all about his day to day life with his mom in the room that they live in. His entire life is his mother and this room; in fact, he's never been outside of the room in his entire life. Eventually he starts to ask questions, and it is revealed to him that there is a world outside of the room. A world his mother believes he should finally see.

I don't want to give much more than that away, because for me, the discovery of what was really happening and why they were in the room was the best part of reading it. I would say that I really loved the first 3/4 of the book. That is where the big climatic scene happens, and after that the book is still good, but I wasn't as into the story after that. I would still highly recommend this book to read.

Sidenote: The Kindle App for the iPhone is the best thing ever for a breatfeeding mom. Anything you have on your Kindle you can read on your iPhone. I read almost this entire book on my iPhone while feeding Madeleine. There's not much you can do while breastfeeding, so the fact that I only needed my thumb to operate was great.

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-03T12:35:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday season!! I definitely did. It started a little early with the birth of my daughter Madeleine Rose. She was born on Wednesday, November 3rd at 1:46pm. She weighed 5 pounds 14 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Needless to say, the rest of the year flew by. We celebrated Bill's 35th birthday, 2 Thanksgivings, 3 Christmases, and 1 New Year's. I wish I could have shared them all with you, but I was just too tired. Plus with only 8 weeks of maternity leave I wanted to enjoy every minute I had with her. I'm back to work today, and back to blogging too. Looking forward to an extraordinary 2011!!

Finished Purple Parisian Nursery

2010-10-28T18:26:00.001-05:00

With the exception of a new light fixture that we're still waiting to come in, the nursery is finished. I had bought a gallon of purple paint awhile back for my office, but after we found out we were expecting my office project is no more (the office will now be a guest bedroom/office). So, I decided if we were having a girl we would use the purple paint for the nursery. My other criteria was that I didn't want the nursery to look too juvenile, and wanted it to be a fun space that I would like to hang out in as well. Once I found the black and white damask bedding it kind of took off from there. My love of all things Paris/France and the ballet were the inspiration for all the finishing details. My husband Bill did almost all of the work, and was very patient as I "instructed" him on what I wanted. We are both so happy with how it turned out.

All the white furniture you see (crib and rocking chair) are new. The changing table/dresser is a hand me down from a friend. It was originally natural wood. Bill stripped it and painted it black; then we changed out the hardware with some lucite knobs. The nightstand (you can see in the previous post) has been with me for years and years. Again, Bill stripped it and painted it black. I got the Eiffel Tower and chandelier decals off of Etsy. They were really fun to put on, and look great. I found the bedding online; which I was excited about because I could not find any purple bedding or anything that would work with purple in any of the typical baby stores. The three framed pictures are Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook. I bought them for $2 each when we saw Peter Pan at the Milwaukee Ballet earlier this year. Finally, the green tutu is one I wore when I was little. I had it framed in a shadow box and I love the little pop of color it brings to the room. It is also the most expensive item in the room, but I love how it turned out. It's been sitting in a box for over 20 years, so it is so fun to actually preserve it and be able to enjoy the memories it brings me every day!!

Nursery Before Pictures

2010-10-28T18:06:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple of before pictures of the nursery. We had planned on making this into a nice guest room right away after moving in a year and half ago, but we never got around to it. We hated the pink walls, the dim lighting, and the ugly drapes; but it has good bones.

Fall Tablescape

2010-10-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

Bill and I had a dinner party a few weeks ago. We've been trying to spend time with as many friends and family as possible before the baby comes (less than a month!!). We had Bill's brother and his new wife over along with another couple who was married this summer too. One of my favorite things about having people over for dinner is setting the table and using the "good" china. I got this nice green tablecloth from Target that is perfect for fall. I accented the table with some green/pink hydrangeas, my Waterford crystal candlesticks, and some simple cream candles.

For dinner we made fish tacos. We fashioned them after the best fish tacos we've ever had at James' Beach restaurant in Venice Beach California. If you've ever seen the movie I Love You Man, they go to this restaurant in the movie and rave about the fish tacos, and it's true; they were fantastic. All you need to make them is Mahi Mahi fillets, black beans, fresh salsa, and guacamole. Cook the fillets whole, and serve one per person. They can then make their own taco by just flaking off the fish and adding however much of the other ingredients that they want. I had never made them before, so I was nervous to try out something new for a dinner party (with no actual recipe); but everything turned out really good.

New Meaning to the Words "Cocktail Ring"

2010-10-15T11:40:00.002-05:00

Check out these awesome rings. Each one looks like a different signature cocktail. So cute and creative. They're part of the Limelight Collection by Piaget. Given that they didn't list the prices on their website I have to believe they're very expensive. Being a Bourbon drinker myself I'm partial to the "Whiskey on the Rocks" one, but I think the "Mojito" one right below is the prettiest. These are too fun, and someone should make costume jewelry versions soon!!

Wardrobe Staples

2010-10-14T13:09:00.001-05:00

Fall is here! It's my favorite season and I especially love fall clothes. I came across this great Houndstooth Pencil Skirt from The Limited. This skirt is so classic and will absolutely never go out of style. If you want to be a bit more daring/trendy, you might like it in the green below instead. The best part, this skirt is on sale for only $41.93 online and with the following coupon code (83606674) you can knock another $15 off (coupon good through 11/1/10). Total price with shipping and tax $35.78. I know this because I just bought it!!

The Weekend Review

2010-09-27T09:26:00.001-05:00

I had a really nice weekend that was the perfect mix of relaxation and fun activites.

Friday night was my nephew, Evan's 11th birthday. We headed to Waukesha for dinner at my sister-in-law, Rachel's house. They always feed us well there, and this was no exception. We had a great lasagna dinner with yummy cake; marble with chocolate fudge icing. Bill's dad was in town from California, so we got to visit with him too.

Saturday morning was a marathon of errands. We packed up our dog, Sadie, and headed to our vet first thing. Sadie will be 9 next month, and we were getting a little worried as her eyes are getting cloudy and she's a lot slower getting on and off the couch lately. She's even fallen a couple of times in the past few months. The vet said she's doing great (or so we thought), but did avise us that's she's a little overweight. We're switching her over to senior dog food starting this week.

Next stop was the tailor's. I had a big bag of Bill's clothes that needed to be mended. I love my tailor, he does such an awesome job at everything I bring him. If you're looking for a good tailor in Milwaukee, then I highly recommend Oleg Yusufov.

Then onto Glorioso's to pick up a stash of pizza dough. Their dough is so good, and Bill and I like to stock up, so we can make our own pizzas. He stayed in the car with the dog, and when I got back, he said the vet called that Sadie has a prasite, so back to the vet we went to pick her up medicine.

Next was Broadway Paper to pick up a pretty box and envelope for my parents' anniversary present. I love this store, and was bummed I didn't have the time to wander around for awhile. Too much to do!! The final stop was the grocery store, as we were almost completely out of food.

We had a few hours of downtime when we got home before we had to dress and drive down to Illinois for my parents' 40th anniversary dinner. We had a great dinner at Coopers Hawk Winery & Restaurant in South Barrington. My sisters and I all chipped in to get them a gift certificate to Royal Caribbean. They've always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise, and we thought this would finally get them to go.

Sunday I got to sleep in a bit. I've been sleeping awful lately. Being 7 1/2 months pregnant, everyone assumes I'm uncomfortable, but that's not really it. I just can't sleep. Almost every night I'm wide awake around 2am. I guess this is preparing me for those 2am feedings, but I'm so tired. Bill and I made french toast for breakfast, then we took the dogs to the new Warnimont Dog Park in Cudahy for some exercise. When we got back I did some laundry and then took a nap for 1 1/2 hours. We watched the movie, Youth and Revolt (only so-so, but it did make me chuckle) and also watched some football. I made us a big pasta meal for dinner, and then did some more light cleaning. I was actually surprised at how much I did on Sunday considering I initially wanted to do nothing but relax all day.

This should be a long week for me though. Between not sleeping, and it being our quarter end at work I am not looking forward to it.

Beautiful Shoes!

2010-09-14T14:17:00.000-05:00

I was doing a little online shopping today, and stumbled across these shoes from J. Crew. They are so cute and perfect for fall. Even though they're open toe I think they would look awesome with tights and a short tweed/herringbone skirt.

Flannery Platform Peep Toes

Two things preventing me from buying them right this very instance:

1. They're $325!! I've never spent that much on shoes before (although I have come close). Even though I haven't bought any new clothes in awhile, I must practice restraint as we have so many other things we need to spend our money on right now.
2. I'm 7 months pregnant. I would get no use out of them right now, and I'm not 100% sure my feet will even be the same size after I have the baby. There's no way I'm dropping that kind of cash if I can't guarantee they'll fit me.

So, I've decided to stalk them. Maybe they'll go on sale in a couple of months, and when I know what my shoe size is I can pick them up for a steal.

What I'm Reading

2010-09-05T18:41:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading Philippa Gregory's "The Constant Princess." I had read "The Other Boleyn Girl" last year and enjoyed it, so I thought I would give this one a try. It is the story of Queen Katharine who is most known for being usurped by Anne Boleyn more than anything, so it was interesting to learn her story. The novel takes place before Anne ever enters the picture going through her life as the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain; then being brought to England at fifteen to marry Prince Arthur (King Henry's older brother). Philippa Gregory's novels are historical fiction, and I think she tries very hard and succeeds at being very historically accurate. Where the "fiction" in this novel comes in here is an interesting take. Queen Katharine always claimed her marriage to Prince Arthur was never consummated; which is why she ultimately was able to marry King Henry. This novel plays with the idea that her and Prince Arthur were very much in love and indeed consummated their marriage (although it lasted only a couple of months before he died). As a deathbed promise to Prince Arthur, she promised him to lie about the consummation and claim she was still a virgin, thus allowing her to marry his little brother and be the Queen he always wanted her to be.

I liked this book, but didn't love it. As interesting as her story was; and as powerful and successful Queen that she was I couldn't get past it knowing she ultimately gets everything she worked her entire life to build stripped away from her. I didn't feel that way when I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" because I always thought Anne Boleyn sort of got what she deserved. Queen Katharine's story seemed much more tragic and depressing. After reading two of her novels now, I will say, that I enjoy Philippa Gregory and will probably read more of her in the future.

Wha' Happened?

2010-08-24T12:52:00.000-05:00

So, I'm not exactly sure what happened, but somewhere along the way I just stopped posting. It wasn't intentional; I guess I just needed a break. I have a lot of stuff going on now that I do want to share, so here we are again. Look forward to some new posts soon!

*Title of this post from the movie "A Mighty Wind"; one of Christopher Guest's great mockumentary films.

The Weekend Review

2010-05-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

I had one of those great weekends that combines the perfect amount of fun, work, and rest.

Friday night, Bill and I had tickets to the ballet!! This weekend the Milwaukee Ballet put on the world premiere of Peter Pan. They commissioned the music, made new costumes, and had all new choreography; so it was kind of exciting to be a part of it. It was a really good show, and Bill liked it too. I usually take one of my girlfriends with me to spare him, but it's nice to know he has no problem with getting dressed up to enjoy the ballet with me.

Saturday Bill and I spent the entire morning cleaning, and I mean the entire morning. We're in the midst of a construction project, and there was just so much dust everywhere. My parents were coming up for a visit around 3pm, and the house was in dire straits. At 2:58pm I finally sat down to rest, and my parents showed up at 3:01pm. We went to mass downtown, had a nice steak sandwich dinner, and watched The Hangover and a bit of SNL before calling it a night.

Sunday morning Bill made us all a nice French Toast breakfast. We then headed over to the Milwaukee Public Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible exhibit. This was my first time at this museum, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked it. The exhibit was pretty cool, but it was a little too crowded. It closes June 6th, so I'm sure everybody, like me included, is rushing to see it here these last few weekends. My favorite part of the museum was actually the butterfly room. I don't care how old you are, it is cool to be in a room full of butterflies and have them land all over you. So, much fun.

After the museum, we had a bite at the St. Francis Brewery and Restaurant, and said good-bye to my parents. I was so worn out from the days activities, I took a 2 1/2 hour nap!! I didn't wake up until after 6pm. Bill and I watched The Lovely Bones; which was good, but I wanted it to end just slightly differently. I won't give anything away though. I ended the evening finishing up my Book Club book, Little Bee.

Phew....I don't know how I fit it all in, but it was fun!

Met Costume Institute Gala Red Carpet

2010-05-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

The Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala was held earlier this week. Although I'm not exactly sure the purpose of this annual event, it has one of the best red carpets. It's as fancy as the Oscars, but it's a fashion industry event, so it's very quirky and haute couture. So, because it's fun to look a pretty dresses and celebrities, here were my favorites of the night.

Anne Hathaway

Nicole Richie

Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

The Weekend Review

2010-05-03T12:52:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful weekend in Milwaukee despite a few rain showers. Friday night I was on my own as Bill was working. I ordered the fabulous BBQ Chicken Chop Salad from Louise's for dinner. I'm trying to be better about eating my vegetables and I've found the finer they're chopped, the more I can tolerate them. Otherwise things like mushrooms and peppers I would never eat. I then did a total deep clean of our upstairs bathroom. I spent about 2 hours cleaning it, and it's not even that big. It was very satisfying to have a spotless bathroom by the end of the night though. After that I just watched a little television and headed to bed.

Saturday was the morning of errands. Bill and I stopped at the bank, and then headed down to the the Prime Outlets in Pleasant Prairie, WI (near Kenosha). I picked up two pairs of pumps from the Nine West outlet. Bill scored some great finds at the Banana Republic and The North Face outlet stores too. I'm so glad we got down there right when it opened, because when we left around noon the place was packed, and I hate shopping in a crowd.

Back up in Milwaukee by 1pm, I did another deep clean, this time to our bedroom, and then took a nice little nap. Around 3pm we headed to Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, WI. Bill had an appointment at Stein Optical, and I wanted to get my new glasses adjusted as well. We thought we would be there a little bit, but 15 minutes later we were both done, and realized we had 1 hour and 45 minutes to kill before meeting our friends for dinner in the area. Let me tell you, it is dangerous to kill time at a mall. We wandered through Barnes and Noble for awhile, and picked up some cute children's books. At Crate and Barrel, I picked up a cute runner, and I think we found a couch for our living room finally. Here's a picture:

We need the opposite configuration though, with the chaise on the right side. We were limited in what would work, as we only had 102" in which to fit the back of the couch. Most sectionals are much longer than that, so we were both pretty excited when we found this one. We're planning on purchasing it in the next couple of weeks.

Finally, we made a quick stop at The Cheesecake Factory to pick up a small cheesecake for dessert and headed to our friends, Jackie and Luke's. Luke made us the most fabulous steaks along with a baked potato and nice salad. It was a really great meal. Seriously, the best filet I've had in awhile. It was fun to catch up with our friends, and I also got to play with their cute little son Jonah.

Sunday, unfortunately, was not my best day. Every weekend we trade off as to who gets to let Banshee out at 6am, as she has no concept of sleeping in on the weekends. Whoever's turn it is; let's her out, feeds her, and then comes back to bed for a little more sleep. Banshee is allowed out of her kennel during this time, as she usually just starts barking again about an hour later and whoever's turn it was to let her out gets up and just stays with her downstairs; again allowing at least one of us to sleep in. It was Bill's turn to get up Sunday morning, and after letting her out he came back to bed. She did not bark again until 9:30, which means she was alone downstairs for 3 1/2 hours!!

Oh the destruction that little puppy did...I have never been so mad at her. Books just torn to shreds, and the worst thing...she tore open the package of my brand new $100 Pottery Barn silk drapery panel and chewed a hole in it!!! (Oh and did I mention that all her chew toys were still sitting neatly in her basket; she didn't even touch them!) We punished her, cleaned up the mess, and tried to go on with the rest of the day, but the whole ordeal emotionally drained me so I didn't get much else done. Basically we decided that, unfortunately, she is just not ready to be left on her own unsupervised. Eventually I forgave her, as it's only stuff and she's really just so damn cute that I couldn't stay mad at her. It was a much too emotional and frustrating way to end the weekend though.

The Spice Experiment

2010-04-27T19:11:00.000-05:00

As I was making dinner tonight, I grabbed the Rosemary from my spice rack and realized I have a lot of spices that I have never tried. Right now the only one I use on a regular basis is Rosemary for our favorite Rosemary Roasted Potatoes we have at least once a week (recipe here). I thought it might be fun to work my way through all the spices trying new recipes for each.

Here's a list of the spices I currently have in my spice rack and pantry:

Basil
Bay Leaves
Black Pepper
Caraway
Cardamon
Celery Seed
Chili Powder
Cilantro Leaves
Cinnamon
Coriander
Crushed Red Peppers
Cumin
Ginger
Italian Seasoning
Marjorem
Oregano
Onion Powder
Paprika
Parsley
Rosemary
Thyme

Basically I thought I'd work my way through the list, in no particular order, and make at least three new recipes for each spice.

The first spice, randomly selected by Bill is: CELERY SEED

Rainbow Cake

2010-04-26T14:00:00.001-05:00

I was browsing marthastewart.com and saw this super cute Rainbow Cake. It was created by a college student, she blogged about it (Whisk Kid), and was invited onto Martha's show. You can find the recipe for it on Martha's website here. I'm definitely filing this one away for the future. I think it would make a great birthday cake for someone someday.

The Weekend Review

2010-04-26T10:34:00.002-05:00

For the first time in ages our weekend did not consist of housework or projects around the house. We actually had some fun and rested up a lot too.

Friday night my sister Jane and her boyfriend came up from Chicago for her birthday weekend. We had a nice dinner in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward area at the bar/restaurant The Wicked Hop. I had never eaten their before and thought the food was only "okay", but it has a real nice atmosphere. I think it's better as a place for drinks than food though.

It must have been a long week for all of us because we were all pretty exhausted when we got home. We just chilled out and watched Wes Anderson's stop animation film, The Fantastic Mr. Fox. I love all Wes Anderson's films (Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited, etc.), and this one was really cute and funny. Plus, the stop animation was cool. It was a nice change of pace from all the computer animation around now.

Saturday morning and afternoon was spent just bumming around. I haven't been sleeping very well lately, so Bill got up with the dogs and I stayed in bed until 8:30am. We all made egg sandwiches for breakfast with a side of bacon. We watched some t.v. and I took a nap. Around 5pm we picked up our friends and headed to Miller Park for the Brewers / Cubs game. My sister and a friend were both celebrating a birthday, so they had about 30 friends at the game. Unfortunately, the Brewers lost, but I was just thrilled that I got to have my giant hot pretzel. So good.

After the game my sister went out with her friends, so we decided to meet up with some of our friends at our favorite bar, County Clare. It was nice to catch up, and I cannot remember the last time we stayed past midnight, so it was a lot of fun.

Sunday morning was the laziest day ever. Bill let me sleep in again. When I woke up I stayed in my pajamas and watched The Time Traveler's Wife. I did like it better than the book, which is rare, but it was still only so-so. Around noon we picked up my sister and her boyfriend from the hotel and had a McDonald's lunch. My sister, apparently, had a really, really good time celebrating her birthday, so the greasy food fit the bill. They headed back home around 2pm, and Bill and I spent the rest of the day napping and watching t.v. I know we were super lazy, but I guess we needed it.

Coupon Codes

2010-04-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

Here's some more coupon codes for your weekend shopping:

Ann Taylor:
20% off your purchase of $100 or more online through 5/16 - 108025871
(I have two of these, so if anyone wants me to mail them one to use in-store just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll contact you for your mailing address)

The Loft
20% off your full-price purchase of $100 or more online (25% if you use your Loft card) through 5/23 - 185000159

Enjoy!

Zac Posen for Target

2010-04-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

Target has had some really great collaborations with designers over the past couple of years (their Rodarte collection was awesome), but I'm really looking forward to Zac Posen's line which hits the stores April 25th. Be there early if you're interested because they usually sell out pretty fast.

Here are a few of the looks:

Tropical Print Gown as seen on Claire Danes / $69.99
MY FAVORITE!!

What I'm Reading

2010-04-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. A love story that transcends time; I thought I would love it. Unfortunately, I did not like it at all.

This novel is so, so pretentious. I get that the characters were supposed to be very artsy and intellectual, but there were so many references to poets, authors, artists, philosophers, mythology, music, etc. in their day to day conversation that did not seem natural at all. It was like the author was just trying to show-off how smart she was.

Next there was so much description and detail about the most non-essential plot points. For example, everytime Henry, the main character, time travels he shows up completely naked wherever he ends up, and would always have to find clothes. She would then go on to describe in the most minute details the clothes he would find and put on. Another example is if they would travel anywhere, she literally, would give street by street directions of where they were going. I'm not talking about scenery they're passing by, I mean the actual names of the streets. Who cares!!

Probably the worse thing was the relationship between Henry and Claire. They are supposed to be so in love; soulmates destined to be together. I didn't get that impression. They definitely had the hots for each other, but that love did not really come across the pages. Plus, it was a little creepy when Henry would visit Claire in her childhood. There was defnitely an "ick" factor there. As adults when they would "make love," she would describe it so crudely. That definitely detracted from the whole "true love" aspect.

I actually could go on with more I didn't like about it, but I'll leave it at that. The only thing I did like, was all the shout-outs to Chicago, a city I know and love so well.

All that being said, I still want to see this movie. I really like Rachel McAdams, and I'm hoping all the stuff I didn't like about the book (mainly the writing) might actually work on screen. I'll let you know if the movie is any better.

Happy Birthday Banshee!!

2010-04-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

Today is my sweet little puppy's 1st birthday.

The Weekend Review - Birthday Edition

2010-04-13T19:35:00.005-05:00

This weekend went by in a blur there was so much going on. Not Friday night though. Bill was working, so I spent the evening with the dogs watching HGTV and various cake decorating shows.

Saturday we went down to Illinois to visit my sister, Brenda, and our new niece and nephew. Unexpectedly, my sister went into labor at 29 weeks. The twins were born on April 8th, and both are doing really well. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to see them, as they're still in the NICU, but we got to visit with my sister for awhile which was nice. Afterwards we joined my parents for church and dinner.

Sunday, we started off the day with a trip to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see their annual Art in Bloom exhibit. Basically various local flower shops/designers create a floral arrangement to coincide with a piece of art in the museum. This was my first time going to this exhibit, and I enjoyed it. I will definitely go back next year. Below were my two favorite arrangements.

The rest of the day was spent working on the house. My two brothers-in-law came by to help Bill finish the demo on the bathroom. Luckily I did not have to help, because let me tell you, removing plaster is really, really messy job. I spent the day doing laundry and ironing, then made them a nice pasta dinner.

Finally, yesterday was my 31st birthday. Having a birthday on a Monday is a bummer, but we made the most of the night. Bill came home with a bouquet of roses for me, then we went to dinner at the Lake Park Bistro, a favorite restaurant of ours. As my present he signed us up for some cooking classes at Coquette Cafe, another of our favorite restaurants. So far, 31 is looking to be a pretty good year!

New Bedding

2010-04-05T18:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick picture of my new bedding. I wanted to show it all here, but I think it's on the verge of being too matchy-matchy like this. On a day-to-day basis I'll just have the duvet in the cold months and the quilt during the warmer months.

The Weekend Review

2010-04-05T14:35:00.001-05:00

Whoops...another week went by, and depiste my good intentions I didn't post anything. I think I've finally worked out all my Blogger issues and also just finished a huge project at work. Hopefully, I'll be able to post more regularly now.

Friday night, Bill and I watched a movie. This seems to be becoming a regular occurrence in our house. After a long work week it's about all I have the energy for lately, but I think we need to work a bit harder at getting out of the house. We watched The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard with Jeremy Piven. I wouldn't bother renting it, but if you happen to catch it on TV sometime it's an okay laugh.

Saturday I was a motorcycle widow for most of the day. I slept until 9am, which was so great and much needed. I finished up watching the mini-serires, Cranford, starring Judi Dench. This was an awesome show, and I highly recommend it. If you like period pieces, and Jane Austen-esque type stories, you'll like Cranford.

I've also been working on decorating my bedroom. We have a yellow and gray color scheme going on, but it's been a slow process. I lucked out a few weeks ago at JCPenney, and found the perfect gray duvet cover, dust ruffle, and shams. Then I accented them with some pillows and a quilt I found at Target. I finally had some time to iron it and put it all together. I really like how it turned out, and will post a picture of it later today. Now I just need to get new bedside tables and drapes and we should be good to go for awhile. Oh yeah, and re-paint the entire room because the gray color we painted a couple of months ago looks blue!!

Sunday was Easter. This was probably the most low-key Easter I have ever spent. We went to Bill's sister's house. My Mother-in-law was not feeling well, so she and my Step Father-in-law didn't come. There was only a handful of us there, and we joked that it was the first holiday any of us had spent where none of our parents were there. It was very relaxed, and we all had a good time. I even tried a pickeled egg for the first time, and surprisingly really like them.

The Weekend Review

2010-03-29T14:45:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was really busy, but still fun. Friday night, Bill and I relaxed and watched The Twilight Saga: New Moon. It was definitely better than Twilight, but still pretty bad. I enjoyed the books a lot, but they are really not translating well to film.

Saturday I got to sleep in, which after working 12 days straight with no day-off was bliss. We headed to Home Depot to start picking out furniture and fixtures for our bathroom remodel. We picked out a vanity base, medicine cabinet, and wall cabinet. We demoed the current bathroom a month ago, but then everything sort of stalled. The plumber is coming tomorrow to finally start work. I’ll have some pictures up of the progress soon.

Saturday night Bill, Banshee, and I headed down to McHenry, IL to see my sister, Brenda. My two other sisters (Sharon and Jane) were there as well with their husband/boyfriend, and my 8-month old niece Hannah too. Brenda is pregnant with twins, so it was good to see her and check out all the work they’ve done to their house. The nursery is in progress, and they’re in the middle of a basement remodel as well. We had a really good dinner of baked ziti, salad, garlic bread, and my brother-in-law, Charlie’s, famous cookie-brownies for dessert. Most of the entertainment was provided by Hannah and the dogs.

Sunday morning we realized that our fridge was looking quite bare, so it was off to the grocery store. We headed out to the mall too, but didn’t find anything. It was a bit of a bummer because I haven’t been shopping in ages, and was really looking forward to it.

In the afternoon we headed out to celebrate my nieces’, Grace and Ella’s, sixth birthday. It was a good time, although I ate too much pizza and cake. Bill’s sister and her kids are headed back to Korea this week, so it was really nice to have the whole family together one last time before they leave.

The Look for Less!

2010-03-19T18:02:00.011-05:00

I really love this Red Valentino dress at Neiman Marcus, but for $595 it's a bit out of my price range. (Although that's actually a really good price for Valentino). I think the below dress from Ann Taylor for $168 has the same feel, but is much more affordable.

Coupon Codes - Ann Taylor

2010-02-26T13:58:00.007-06:00

I get an awful lot of advertisements/coupons by mail, so I thought I'd start sharing the coupon codes for those of you who like to shop online.

I got these for Ann Taylor last week:

Code 108020495 - 20% off of $100 or more online.
Expires 3-23-10

Code 108020460 - 30% off any single full-priced item.
Expires 3-23-10
(if purchasing multiple items it will take it off the lowest priced full-price item.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: I was planning on using the 30% off any single full-priced item coupon to order Ann Taylor's Perfect Platform Pump below for $175. Even though it would still be steep at $122.50, they're so classic I decided to splurge. Well, they are actually $99 right now, and they still accepted the 30% off coupon!! They say "Special Price" as opposed to a sale, so maybe that's why. Anyway, I got them for $70 (+shipping and tax). I'm so excited!!

What I'm Reading

2010-02-25T19:18:00.005-06:00

I finished Diana Gabaldon's latest novel, An Echo in the Bone (all 800+ pages of it). This is the seventh book in her popular Outlander series. I really, really liked it; and I'm not just saying that because she is one of my favorite authors. Her last two Outlander books were only so-so. This one, however, was fast paced, and filled with history, magic, and love. Classic Gabaldon. It ended in a great cliffhanger too. She takes her time in between novels though, so unfortunately I'll have to wait a few years to see what happens next to Jamie and Claire.

Last weekend I visited my two very good friends in Phoenix. Diana Gabaldon also happens to live in Phoenix, and I arranged my visit around an event she was attending. It was a Highland Tea, which relates to the Outlander series as its hero is a Scottish Highlander. There was tea (obviously), tea sandwiches, scones, and an array of desserts. I was really surprised how informal it was, and how much access we had to her. She came right up to our table and just started chatting with us. After the tea and lunch she spoke and did two readings. She was so great to listen to, and I loved hearing her anecdotes and her writing process. She signed books as well, and was gracious enough to sign two of mine. It was really fun!!

To Kindle or not to Kindle??

2010-02-24T10:10:00.005-06:00

Along with my trip to Cancun, I also received from my work yesterday an Amazon Kindle. Now being an avid reader, you would think this would be something I really wanted, but I didn't. I like the act of reading a traditional book: the feel of the book, opening it up, flipping pages, etc. However, since it was free, I thought I'd give it a shot. I downloaded my next Book Club book yesterday, and started reading it on the Kindle last night.

Surprisingly, I liked it!

The Kindle has a nice light weight to it, and the screen is awesome. It's not like reading off a computer screen. There's no glare, and it actually looks like you're reading off paper. I also liked the dictionary feature it has to easily look-up words you come across while reading.

Believe me, I'll never give up books for good, but I think I'll get a lot of use out of the Kindle as well. After lugging around my 800 page hardcover all last weekend when I was in Arizona, I am excited to have the Kindle for when I travel. As well as for books I want to read, but may not want to commit to my home library.

Happy Mardi Gras!!

2010-02-16T20:28:00.002-06:00

We had our own little Mardi Gras celebration tonight. A meal of Creole Shrimp Rice and a King's Cake. I had grand plans of making home made jambalya, but of course life got in the way of that plan. We just used boxed Zataran's, and added shrimp, but it was still really tasty. I got the King's Cake from a bakery in Bay View, Groppi's. It was really good, and will make a yummy breakfast. Next year, though, I think I'll try and make my own as there doesn't seem to be much to it. It's really just a giant cinammon roll.

This was a simple and fun way to turn a run of the mill Tuesday into something fun and special!

Zoom Zoom!!

2010-02-16T10:33:00.004-06:00

After spending a couple of hours at the dealership last night (and missing my Book Club meeting to boot), I am finally the owner of a new car!! Well, at least I will be when it comes in sometime within the next two weeks.

I went with the Mazda 3 / 5-Door. Bill and I decided we were at a place in our lives where we could splurge a little too, so this thing is fully loaded with leather seats, a built-in GPS, Bose sound system, and a moon roof. I'm so excited!! I haven't had a new car in almost a decade. The best part is...I got a stick shift, and...I have no idea how to drive stick!! It's a skill I always wanted to learn, and now I have to. Bill's going to teach me when we get the car; although he keeps joking that he's not going to so he can have the car instead.

Haute Couture - Christian Dior

2010-01-27T13:17:00.016-06:00

It's Fashion Week in Paris, so I've been enjoying a lot of online runway shows. (God bless the Internet!) My favorite are the Haute Couture shows. Below are stills from Christian Dior's Haute Couture show. I just love the equestrian and romantic themes. I was agonizing over which pictures to post, and ended up just posting them all. Enjoy!

What I'm Reading

2010-01-26T12:33:00.008-06:00

I set a goal for myself to read 24 books this year. Over my Cancun vacation, I managed to knock-out my first two.

The first was Julie & Julia by Julie Powell. (I technically started this in 2009, but I'm still counting it). On a suggestion from a friend, right before I read this book I read My Life In France by Julia Child. I'm really glad I did, because the latter is a much better read. I wasn't that that thrilled with Julie & Julia, and thought it was only okay. I liked the premise of the experiment (cooking all the recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in one year), but didn't find that Julie Powell found herself at all in the process. She seemed to be the exact same person from beginning to end. With the exception of her getting a book deal and no longer needing to work as a secretary, I didn't really see that any personal growth was gained from the experience. The only thing I got out of reading her memoir was a desire to finally crack open my own edition of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and attempt a recipe or two. I've had the cookbook since last April, and have yet to make anything out of it. I plan on trying my hand at Coq au Vin in the very near future.

In a complete 180 from the light-hearted Julie & Julia, the second book I read over vacation was Push by Sapphire. It was a very compelling novel, in fact, I couldn't put it down (I finished it in one day). It's not, however, an easy read as it deals graphically with the physical and sexual abuse of a young African American girl in Harlem during the '80s, named Precious. The text is from her point of view; written in her very illiterate speech. It follows the journey she embarks on to remove herself from a life of abuse through the saving grace of literacy and education. I would definitely recommend this book; but be warned if you would rather keep your mind free of the true horror of sexual abuse then do not read this book. The images will haunt you for awhile.

The next book on my list is Diana Gabaldon's, An Echo in the Bone. It's the seventh installment of her successfull Outlander series, and I've been dying to get my hands into it since it came out last September. I need to finish it quick though, as I'm going to meet Diana Gabaldon in mid-February at a reading/meet & greet in Arizona. I'm really excited. I need to get moving though, as her novels never seem to be under 700 pages. I highly recommend this series. The first book is Outlander, and even though they're long the story is so engaging you won't be able to put it down!

Hola!

2010-01-25T17:18:00.002-06:00

I just got back from five days in Cancun. It was the first vacation Bill and I have been on in awhile where we did absolutely nothing and truly relaxed. We just layed by the pool, walked along the beach, and drank a lot of margaritas.

The view from our hotel room.

The Weekend Review

2010-01-04T10:27:00.009-06:00

I had a really nice long New Year's weekend. New Year's Eve was spent Family Game Night style at my friend KW's. It was boys versus girls, and am proud to say the girls won!! At midnight we braved the cold to blow our party horns and light some sparklers. After that it was speed quarters; which I haven't played in ages. I only lost once, so I guess I still have it. We rolled in back home around 2am. Good times!

Unfortunatley, Banshee has no concept of sleeping in or hangovers, and I was up by 6am to let her out and feed both her and Sadie. It was okay though, as we all napped on the couch together for another couple hours before Bill got up. We decided to enjoy our day a bit, and went to the Milwaukee Art Museum to catch the Andy Warhol exhibit before it closed. Focusing on the artist's last decade of work; it was a lot of pieces I had never seen before. I liked it. I picked up a small print of one of his Campbell's Soup works, as my Grandpa worked for Campbell's Soup. I thought it would be fun to hang somewhere in the house.

After the museum we layed around like bums for hours before deciding to brave the cold again and see a movie. We saw Sherlock Holmes. I really liked it; especially the bantering between Holmes and Watson. At times I thought it did move a little slow, but overall we were both entertained.

Saturday was my family's annual Little Christmas get together. As my mom is one of eight kids, Christmas has always been a big affair. A week after Christmas, my mom would invite just her sisters and their families over for a smaller party, and thus Little Christmas was born. Now however, with all of us grown and most of us married it's really not so little anymore. It's fun though, we had a great manacotti dinner and have a grab bag. Bill got "The Hangover" on DVD, and I got some really nice Yankee Candle candles.

Finally, Sunday, was my Father-in-law's birthday, so we all gathered at Bill's sister's for the Packer game, pizza, and cake. It was a nice way to end his three-week visit to WI for the holidays. I think he was ready to get back to his home in Southern California though, and with the extreme cold weather we've been having here I don't blame him.

I'm not sure if it was quite the relaxing weekend I was hoping for, but it was fun to see so much of our family and friends. We'll have plenty of time to relax on our Cancun get-a-way later this month.

Fancy Pizza Party

2009-12-29T16:22:00.003-06:00

Sunday afternoon Bill and I hosted a Fancy Pizza and Packer Party for his entire family; all 20 of them. It went well, but man was it a lot of work. We (and by "we" I mean "I") made 5 fancy pizzas. We picked up the pizza dough from Glorioso's Italian Foods (downtown Milwaukee on Brady St.) for $2.50 a ball. It took me a few tries to figure out how to stretch out the dough, but by the end of the day I felt like could open up my own pizza parlor.

Sausage, Spinach, and Provolone Pizza (recipe from Real Simple magazine)

Ham, Gruyere, and Shallot Pizza (recipe from Real Simple magazine)

The above were two of the pizzas I made. I also winged a Barbeque Chicken pizza, Chicken Alfredo pizza, and a Margherita pizza. They all ended up being fantastic. I think my favorite was the Margherita though. Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, and Basil; nice and simple.

The Packers ended up winning and making the play-offs, and it was really nice to have everyone together before Bill's sister and her family go back to South Korea.

(I'm having trouble posting links, but if you go to realsimple.com you can locate the recipes for the two pizzas above)

The Fabulous Life of Valentino

2009-12-01T19:49:00.003-06:00

I was on my own tonight, and decided to watch a movie I've wanted to see in awhile...Valentino: The Last Emperor. It was a really good film. I didn't know much about Valentino, but he seems fabulous. I could only imagine living in his world, filled with beautiful dresses, gorgeous homes, celebrity and royal friends, and his own little loyal pack of pugs to follow him around everywhere. His life is so over the top, but amazing. Besides showcasing his fabulous 45 year career, the film also focused on his relationship with his longtime lover and business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, which was really sweet. If you enjoy fashion, you should see this film.

The Weekend Review - Thanksgiving Edition

2009-11-30T18:48:00.003-06:00

I had a great Thanksgiving weekend full of food, family, and fun!

Wednesday night started off with the Ninth Annual Semi-Annual BOOZEGIVING!! It's a holiday my brother-in-law's girlfriend made up with her friends, and it is so much fun. Held every year the night before Thanksgiving, Boozegiving is the opposite of Thanksgiving. It's a night of selfishness and debauchery. You're not allowed to buy any drinks for anyone, and basically act as rudely as possible to your friends. It's fun! The evening is always the same: Dinner at La Fuente followed by bar-hopping at some great Milwaukee dive bars: Jamo’s and Thurman’s 15. Bill and I kicked butt at Shuffle Puck. Then we moved onto New Yorker Bar for karaoke. I actually sang a song by myself: Madonna’s "Like A Prayer." Bill and I called it a night after that, but the real troopers finished the night off, as always, at Dunkin’ Donuts.

Thursday morning was a little bittersweet for me, as it was my first Thanksgiving away from my family. Bill and I always went to our separate families for holidays before we got married; knowing we'd have to choose one or the other afterwards. So, now we're on an alternating schedule, and it was my first with his family. I did get to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Dinner was early around 1pm, and it was good. Not like my mom's, but still good. I actually really liked my mother-in-law's stuffing. We watched football, napped, and had fun catching up. Then at dinnertime, we went in for dinner #2 of turkey sandwiches and other leftovers. We cut out around 6ish, and headed home to the dogs. We all snuggled up on the couch and watched UP on dvd. It was such a cute movie, that was both sweet and really funny too.

Friday morning and afternoon was devoted to house projects. We finally painted our bedroom. Yay! It turned out good, but the color isn't quite what I wanted. I was hoping it would be a nice charcoal gray, but mostly it looks smoke blue. Since I was going to go with all white linens anyway, it will be fine for now. Maybe if I get ambitious again, I'll repaint. After dinner, hoping the crowds had subsided, we went to Toys ‘R Us and finally started our Christmas shopping.

Saturday, it was back to work on the house. This time outside. We did a final rake of the yard. It took awhile, and honestly, after that we were pretty spent the rest of the day. I lounged around watching t.v. and reading. Bill's childhood friend, Doug, came over after dinner. Bill and them caught up, and later we watched G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. It was really bad, but we had fun mocking it. We especially loved the form fitting, low-cut fatigues the females wore, and wondered if they were standard issue. Eventually though, I just fell asleep.

Sunday I spent the entire day straightening up my office, literally the entire day. It was such a mess, but at least now it is somewhat organized. Utterly exhausted from the weekend, I read a bit and headed to bed.

Been awhile...

2009-11-19T15:10:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted in forever because my work has been running me ragged lately. By the time I get home, I am just exhausted. I've also been thinking a lot about what I want my blog to be like. So, I'll be doing my best to keep the posts up, as well as doing some research on how to use Blogger to make it even better. See you soon!

Graceful Men Lift Lovely Girls In White

2009-10-23T10:50:00.005-05:00

I had a great girls' night with my friend Jackie yesterday. First, we went to dinner at Coquette Cafe in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. We both had Soup à l’Oignon, followed by the Croque Madame (fancy ham sandwich with fried egg on top) accompanied by a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

Then we went to the premiere performance of the Milwaukee Ballet's 40th Anniversary Season. They put on Cinderella; it was really great, and so much fun. I think the best part was seeing all the little girls running around in their fancy dresses. We even saw two dads in tuxedos with their little girls. Too cute! If you're in the Milwaukee area you can still catch the performance tonight or Saturday night (Sunday's performance is sold out!). And if you don't live in Milwaukee, please remember to take advantage of all the amazing culture your city has to offer and especially to support the Performing Arts!

Model - Agyness Deyn

2009-10-15T12:02:00.004-05:00

Agyness Deyn is definitely my favorite model right now. I love her look (and she also looks like my friend, Rachel). She has a bit of that rocker edge to her, and I think she is really unique.

Here she is in Anna Sui's Fall/Winter 2009 cosmetics campaign.

The Holidays Are Coming

2009-10-08T20:47:00.004-05:00

All my catalogs are coming in, and they all have Halloween and Thanksgiving decor in them!! Some are even showing Christmas decor already. I am so excited to have a house to decorate for the holidays.

Here are some of my favorites out there for Halloween.

Two Pumpkin Candleholders from Horchow

"Trick or Treat" Doorknob Hanger from Horchow

Halloween Glitter Skull from Horchow

Tricky Trio from Lenox

Dining Room Midway

2009-10-07T19:50:00.003-05:00

My dining room is coming along. I got the below tablecloth last week from Williams-Sonoma. It's a really pretty orange, raspberry, and pink with leaves and acorns on it. It doesn't quite fit the table, but that's a temporary one we got for free from my mother-in-law. It's a little smaller than most tables now.

As you can see we got the walls painted and the drapes hung. We also got the corner cabinet a few months ago too from Overstock.com at a great price.

Here's my list of what still needs to be done. We probably won't do anything for awhile, as it's mostly items we need to buy. Need to save for a few other items first.

1. Get a new programmable thermostat.
2. Remove old thermostat box from 1950s that is right next to the new one, and doesn't do anything.
3. Remove part of floorboard behind the corner cabinet so it will sit flush against the wall like a built-in.
4. Hang the painting my Uncle did as our wedding present.
5. Things to buy:
- correct sized rug (right now I'm using an old 5x7 rug I already had. It's too small for the space, but better than nothing for right now)
- buffet
- china cabinet
- new chandelier (I'm on the fence on this one. I actually like the fixture that came with the house, but I always wanted a crystal chandelier)

Check out some of the before pictures here.

What's For Dinner Wednesday?

2009-10-07T19:37:00.004-05:00

I made the below for dinner tonight. Was very easy and and yummy. I would defnitely make this one again.

Skirt Steak with Lemon and Chili-Roasted Potatoes
Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 10min.
Total Time: 1hr 05min.

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or new potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
Kosher salt and pepper
8 sprigs thyme
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak 1 lemon, quartered

1. Heat oven to 425° F. Mix the potatoes, oil, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and thyme in a medium bowl. Transfer to a roasting pan and cook, stirring once, until crisp and golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove the potatoes from oven, transfer to individual plates, and wipe the pan clean.

2. Heat broiler. Season the steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place on the clean roasting pan. Broil the steak to the desired doneness, 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

3. Serve with the potatoes and lemon quarters.

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple magazine.

Our Anniversary

2009-10-05T21:48:00.003-05:00

For our first anniversary, Bill and I decided to recreate our wedding day. We had a few hang-ups as we really just winged it, but other than that it turned out great!

We slept in as best we could, and had a low-key relaxing morning. We went to the 11:30 mass at our church Old St. Mary's, which is also where we were married.

Since the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper, we went to my favorite paper store, Broadway Paper, to each pick out something fun for ourselves. Unfortunately, they were closed on Sundays, so we're heading back there this coming Saturday instead.

We were going to go to lunch at Coquette Cafe, where we had our Rehearsal Dinner, but it was also closed on Sundays. We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Botanas, instead. We both ate way too much, but it was delicious.

Then we headed home to relax a bit. Bill gave me flowers inspired by my wedding bouquet from my favorite Milwaukee florists, BelleFiori.

We just hung around the house and relaxed a bit for most of the afternoon. We had planned on getting a drink at The Pfister hotel, which is where we spent our first night as a married couple, but we were too tired to get ready to go out early.

We did manage to get ourselves to the Lake Park Bistro for dinner, which is where we had our reception. When we had the wedding we had really wanted to have the Filet Mignon au Poivre as our entree, but decided to save my parents a few bucks and had the equally good chicken dish they offered. So, since it was just the two of us, we both enjoyed fabulous filet mignon. It was sooo good.

We finished off the night with some wedding cake. Aggie's, the bakery we used for our cake, has an awesome deal where if you bring in a picture of you cutting your wedding cake they will make you a miniature of your wedding cake for free. That way we didn't have to save the topper from our cake for a year. It didn't look exactly like our wedding cake, but it was still the same flavor and frosting, so it was yummy. It was also huge, Bill and I didn't even get through a quarter of it.

All in all, we had a fabulous first year of marriage, and had a really fun time celebrating it. With the beautiful flowers, extra cake, and the trip to Broadway Paper this weekend I feel like I get to celebrate it all week long!

(I'll add the hyperlinks to all the places mentioned when I have a bit more time)

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-04T13:48:00.003-05:00

Today is Bill an my's one-year anniversary! I can't believe how fast it went by. That'll happen, I guess, when you buy a house, vacation in Canada and South America (plus a trip to Egypt for me), get a puppy, and take in another dog as well. Glad to know we've been keeping ourselves busy. We have a really fun day planned. I'll have the fun little details for you tomorrow.

I love you, Bill!

What's For Dinner?

2009-10-03T21:01:00.002-05:00

We decided to try something new for dinner today. It was really tasty, although, mine did not look as good as the magazine picture below. It was nice and garlicky with a bit of a kick, and was really easy to make.

ANGEL HAIR WITH SPICY SHRIMP
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves 4

3/4 pound angel hair pasta or spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound frozen peeled and deveined medium shrimp, thawed
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown). Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted.

3. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture.

Recipe and picture from Real Simple magazine.

The Joys of Pet Ownership

2009-10-03T20:35:00.004-05:00

My goal of posting everyday in October didn't last long, as I missed yesterday. I like to think I had a good excuse though. You tell me.

We had dropped of our puppy, Banshee, at the vet earlier in the morning to get spade, and as much as we felt bad and missed her, we were also looking forward to having a quiet night at home and an uninterrupted night of sleep.

Around 7pm I decided to trim Sadie's (our foster dog) nails. She kept shying away, so I had Bill try. As soon as I saw the first snip I knew he had cut it too short. She didn't yelp or anything, but did jump away, and sure enough we soon saw a bit of blood on our carpet. That bit of blood soon turned into a floodgate. I could not believe how much this thing bled. We spent an hour getting it to stop. The internet suggested styptic powder, corn starch, or flour. Having neither of the first two, we opted for flour. It seemed to do the trick. We bandaged her paw up and were in the clear...or so we thought.

Around midnight I awoke to hear Sadie licking something. I figured she was probably fiddling with the bandage, so I got out of bed to check on her. I flipped on the closet light and almost had a heart attack. I literally screamed, "Oh my God!", causing Bill to jump out of bed and yell "What's the matter?" Sadie was sitting on the floor surrounded by blood! It looked like a murder scene. It was all over the floor spanning probably 5 feet or so, and all over her paws, legs, and mouth. She had ripped off her bandage and irritated the nail, so it started bleeding again. After getting her in the bathtup and cleaning up the bloody mess on the floor, we realized it wasn't bleeding too bad, but we needed some way to keep her from getting at it. So, at 1am, we drove to the emergency vet. They clotted it with the styptic powder, and around 2am Sadie returned home with a nice cone around her head. So, much for our quiet night at home.

The next morning we picked up Banshee. They didn't give her a cone, as they said she was leaving her stitches along (famous last words). I was so glad to have her home, and she seemed genuinely glad to see us too (I was afraid she'd be mad at us for leaving her). Anyway, this is how Sadie and Banshee spent the morning. They were definitely a pitiful pair.

Banshee, however, ended up licking at her stitches when we weren't looking. For the second time this weekend, I look up to see blood on one of my dogs. Thankfully, she didn't rip open the wound or anything, but it was still seeping some blood. I was worried, so I made Bill go out and get a cone for Banshee too. She wasn't thrilled at all about having to wear it, and spent a good amount of time cowering under the kitchen table hiding from us.

Eventually all was forgiven, and Banshee was especially cuddly the rest of the day, which I love. After a brief trial period to see if she would still go at her paw (she didn't), Sadie was relieved of wearing her cone. I unfortunately had to work most of today, but I went to check on the puppies and Bill, and stumbled upon them like this in the living room.

They are more work then I ever would have imagined, but now I can't even imagine not having them around.

Beautiful Rooms

2009-10-01T21:32:00.003-05:00

I survived my quarter-end at work, and actually have a few moments here. My goal is to post everyday in October, even if it's just something quick. Like tonight. Was browsing my favorite interior design blog, Desire to Inspire, and found this beautiful room. This is how you do wood paneling right, and I just love the touches of cow hide on the chair and ottoman. I would love to curl up on the couch in front of a fire and read a book.

Mlinaric, Henry & Zervudachi

Snuggie Fashion Show

2009-09-16T20:10:00.003-05:00

Fashion Week is going on in NY, and they actually put on a Snuggie fashion show. I'm not sure what the point was, but here's a few pictures from the show. Too funny.

Building A Forever Wardrobe

2009-09-15T14:18:00.002-05:00

Now that I’m 30 years old I’ve been looking a lot at the items in my closet. My wardrobe is decent, but most of the clothes are disposable. They last for a couple of years and then I discard them either because they’ve worn out, or the style has passed. I really want to start building a Forever Wardrobe of classic pieces in high quality fabrics that will get me through my 30s and beyond.

So, here’s a list of some items I’m hoping to acquire over the fall/winter season for my Forever Wardrobe.

100% Cashmere Sweater – I have one cashmere twin set that I won in a contest from Cosmo magazine (seriously!), but it’s too small for me now. Ann Taylor and J. Crew usually have really nice 100% Cashmere sweaters in their fall/winter season. The only question will be do I splurge the $100+ when they first come out, or wait and hope I can score a deal after Christmas?

Tweed or Wool Lined Slacks – I’m a little unsure the best place to locate these this season. I may have to go outside of my Banana Republic/The Loft/The Limited bubble I usually stay in while shopping.

Trench Coat – When I think of top quality trench coats only one word comes to mind: Burberry. Unfortunately, out of my price range for this season, but I’m hoping to save here and there over the next couple of years to purchase one. Sure the initial investment is high, but it would last forever and never go out of style. If I’m still wearing it in my 80’s it will have been worth the cost. (Listen to me trying to rationalize spending over $1,000 on a single piece of clothing).

Classic!

The Weekend Review

2009-09-15T13:54:00.002-05:00

Last weekend was a busy, but fun one for Bill and I. My FIL was in town from CA, so we had him, Bill's sister, and our niece and nephew over for dinner and an evening of MarioKart and Wii Fit.

Saturday we were off to Chicago with our friends Kim and Andrew. Kim was running the Chicago Half Marathon on Sunday. We stayed at my Uncle's and after catching the end of the Notre Dame/Michigan State game had a great Italian dinner at Club Lucky. Club Lucky was soooo good. They served the best warm, soft bread and great raviolis.

Sunday we were up at 5:30am to get Kim to the starting line. She did awesome, 1hr 45min! We met up with our friends Kendra and Josh as well. Josh also ran the 1/2 Marathon (don't know his time), but he did awesome too! Afterwards, we went for a nice greasy breakfast at the Hollywood Grill before heading back up to Milwaukee.

Back at home we hung out with Bill's brother, Eryk, for awhile who graciously watched the dogs for us yet again. Then settled in for the night and watched the Bears/Packers football game. I'm always so torn when they play each other. My home state team versus my adopted state team - it's like my very own Sophie’s Choice!

Sometimes Life Gets In The Way...

2009-09-15T13:50:00.002-05:00

Oh man oh man...sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I wish I could say that I have been off living it up, but truth be told work and sick puppies have just exhausted me this month. It's our end of quarter at the office, so I'm expecting to be swamped for the rest of the month, but am looking forward to a calm and quiet October full of blogging!

Fun Napkins!

2009-09-02T21:44:00.005-05:00

As a little treat for myself, I picked up the below set of dinner and cocktail napkins from Crate and Barrel. I love them! Bright & colorful and will work with everything. They come folded neatly with a little green band buttoned around them, so they'd also make a great hostess or wedding gift. Perfect for the girl, like me, who changes their mind often.

Set of 12 Multicolored Napkins

Set of 12 Multicolored Cocktail Napkins

Everything Is Beautiful At The Ballet!

2009-08-30T17:09:00.009-05:00

Bill and I went to a really fantastic charity event last Wednesday. The Milwaukee Art Museum held a dinner and special exhibit to benefit The Milwaukee Ballet's 40th Anniversary. It was called "The Tutu Retro" and showcased costumes of the MB's from the last 40 years. It was a bit of a splurge for us, but I'm so glad we went. The costumes were beautiful (so tiny!), and the food and location were fantastic. We met some really nice people, and even participated in the Peter Pan Auction too. The MB is putting on a world premiere production of Peter Pan next year. The commissioned the music, new costumes, new sets; everything. We sponsored a pirate hat, and will get our name in the program. I already have my tickets to their production of Cinderella for this October, and always love to see The Nutcracker every Christmas. Peter Pan isn't until 2010, but I'm already excited for that. If you haven't been to the MB, I highly suggest going. I prefer the classic ballets, but they also do a number of modern ballets throughout the year as well. It's a really fun night out!!

I didn't note what ballet this one was from, but it was so pretty, and you can see the set up of the event in the background.

Swan Lake

The Nutcracker

Me & Apprentice Dancer, Valerie Harmon

(dressed as The Sugarplum Fairy from The Nutcracker)

Better Late Than Never - Egypt

2009-08-19T16:36:00.005-05:00

Here's a few pictures from my trip to Egypt. I know, I know a few weeks late, but I swear I've been extremely busy. Anyway, it was a fantastic trip, and I am so excited that my sister and I got to go on such an amazing adventure together.