Christmas is upon us!

It's here...Christmas!
And Christmas is my favorite time of year. It's a little bit different this Christmas as I'm living by myself in a new city, but all in all I'm having a great time. As I'm typing this, I have a peppermint mocha in a red cup. Fab!My theme this year was metallic. Mostly I chose that theme because I got 100 ornaments at SAMS and could fully decorate with the vast array of bulbs and designs they gave me.
I also threw in a little sample of what my Christmas wrapping theme is for this year. I love how it matches my tree and has a twinge of metallic on the paper too!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

There are so many things to love about this photo:

1.Arugula (my mom calls is "arue-goo-la"): A new addiction from Trader Joes. It's good on/with everything.

2.Cheese: Specifically this is an English Cheddar with caramelized onions. Oh My. Also from TJ's, this cheese is soo good!

3.Wintry Blend Coffee: It's surprisingly cold here in Sac Town, and what's better than a spicy blend coffee??!?

4.Cutting Board: My dad made me this cutting board for my birthday. I use it once a day, if not more.

5.Spatula: This spatula is a cake decorating spatula that my Farfar gave me. It's supposed to be used to frost cakes, but I've found so many other good uses for it! It also reminds me of him every time I use it.

6.Bread: Ummm, hello...it's just good.

So sometimes a picture isn't worth a thousand words, but maybe this is close?

XOXO,

Kim

Gleeful

I totally have gotten into Glee...yay for free internet!! Enjoy.

Adventuring Out There

I have now been living in Sacramento for three months. Wow.

I can't believe. how. much. time. flies.

I think this may be the 3rd weekend that I've fully been "home" since moving. Since I am now feeling more confident in my job and getting my apartment organized, I had a little chance to explore. I was looking for a fabric store to work on a project. As I drove on highway 50 towards Lake Tahoe, I took an exit and headed west.

Tah-da, I found Fair Oaks. It's just about in the foothills of Northern CA. Talk about cute! They are known for having chickens and roosters roam around town. Watch out if you ever drive there to look out for them!

I was pleasantly surprised at the cute little shops and antique boutiques that I visited. I wish I would have brought my camera to capture the fun-ness that I had. It was such a cute, quaint one street downtown. It even had an Italian eatery and French bakery. YUM! Too bad I already had Peets in hand. Bummer.

Oh well.

I figure this little adventure was so fun and about 20 miles away from where I live. Not. that. bad.

I enjoyed it mostly because it reminded me of Niwot...where everyone has a slightly slower pace and there are older women who just stand/sit around and chit chat. So awesome!

Currently Listening To: Lyle Lovett "If I had a Boat"

{Photo Credit}

09.09.10 Heaven Bound

Today marks a sad day. One that I'm not sure how to handle. A piece of my known existence has left. Almost all of my childhood memories involve him in some way.

My dear, sweet Farfar went to be with the Lord this morning; he was 98 years old. I'm not sad for him, because I know he was ready to go..but I'm sad to loose his physical presence.

One of his paintings hangs prominently in my bathroom. It is a painting of a small portion of the central coastline where he and my Grandma lived. He had wanted to toss it, but I have loved it ever since I set eyes on it so he gave it to me:)

I love,love,love this painting.

There are many plants in the foreground but the ominous oceans lies in the background. Three seagulls seem to be in a quandary about staying on land or venturing out to sea.

Farfar planted a lot of seeds here for our family. Seeds that helped us each grow individually and collectively. He planted seeds of wisdom, loved his family, and sought to be a student of life until the very end. He brought his family over to America and blazed a new trail in a foreign country. He explored all things art and ventured in new businesses as well.

My sister Karley said it best...His passing is just another new adventure that he's paving the trail for the rest of us to follow.

He is like the seagulls in his painting with a slight twist. He's not lingering over land and sea anymore but it flying onwards and upwards towards Heaven.

It's all happening...

...so fast!

This is it folks. I am packing up and moving to Sacramento, CA.

That's right, me the doggy are headed out west via I-25 and I-80.

I'm reminded of a post I wrote back in January. I felt as though I was at a cross-roads and wanted to take the different, less troden path. That is what I'm doing.

It might not be the preverbial unbeaten path, as it is Sacramento and loads of people live there. But, I'm doing something that is brand new for me. I don't know what to excpect, I don't know fully what I'll be doing, but I am ready for it.

To quote "UP"..."Adventuring out there!"



{photo credit}

A lovely Surprise

I was horrible about blogging whilst in Sweden. I was just having too good of a time, you know?

Honestly, I had preconceived notions about what this trip was going to be like. I thought that I would not be able to understand what was happening and that I would get lost. A lot.
This picture is of a long corridor that I had to walk through in the Frankfurt airport. Looong only begins to describe it. Notice how the photo was fuzzy? That's how I thought I would feel.


But to my pleasant surprise, it was not the case. I just followed the green walking signs and looked for colored signs and walking arrows. I was met with English (makes me feel bad for not knowing a second language) And I was met with smiling faces! I was also had my own cute little cup holder that held a myriad of beverages. Those German's are smart! HAHA!


Here are some extended family members...photo taken at probably 10:30 at night.


More to come on my experiences...but instead of feeling like an outsider in a foreign country, I was welcomed with open arms. It was a great experience!

Yea-boo

In high school, my youth group would play the "yea/boo" game. You are free to mix the "yea's" and the "boo's" however you like.

It would go a little something like this...

School starts again in two months. "BOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
School is out for the summer. "YEAAAAAAAAAAA!"


I found twenty dollars! "Yeaaaaaaaaa!"
I lost it again. "Booooooooooo!"

Here is my yeaboo for today.

I some how lost my cute little red camera. I have no idea where it went.

But, last year at a concert, myself and a friend helped an extremely drunk girl find her friends and she left her camera in my car. I had no idea how to get it back to her so it's been renting out space in one of my desk drawers. It's a really cute camera but it uses a sleek rechargable batteries (which I didn't have a charger for). But my room mate did!

So here's my year/boo.

I lost my really cute red camera. "BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I had an extra camera lying around and my room mate had a charger. "Yeaaa!!!"

Let the photo taking commence!

Holm Land

Last year, I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish. Some of the list seemed like impossible desires...but nonetheless, I listed them anyway. One item on my list was to visit my country of origin before I turned 26.

My country of origin is Sweden. My dad came to the US with his family when he was a kid so I am partially a first generation American. My mom is also Swedish, so to truly see where I am from would be an awesome experience.

The parentals and my older sister, George, have been planning this international adventure for a while. It is very expensive to travel there so I thought it would never be in the cards for me.

That was, until about 3 weeks ago, that my second cousin named Lennart contacted my dad and asked why I wasn't visiting Sweden as well. The long and short of it resulted in him purchasing my ticket. Yahoo! And, my family was awesome to be flexible and let me accompany them on part of their journey.

My work was also very gracious in letting me go. So, with iPod, camera, some cute dresses, an umbrella, and a journal that I just sewed together, I will be heading to Stockholm for 8 days.

What to do? I'm not all together sure. I'm going to have a serious case of "go with the flow."

Maybe biking? Or go on a boat trip? I will be there during Mid summers. So party it up? OK!

Here is what I would like to do:
1. See Farfar's old art shop
2. See where my relatives are buried (great aunt and great grandparents)and do a grave rubbing.
3. Listen...to the language, to my relatives, and to the land. I want to know my extended family and where I come from and hear the spoken language. Does the sea sound different than the Pacific Ocean that I know? I've never been fully immersed so maybe I'll come back fluent? HAHA, NOT!

I will try to keep this blog updated but will be sure to have photos/stories when I return!


{Photo Credit}

A Painting

I just completed and gave my biggest painting to date.

A co-worker of mine is expecting a baby in July. The baby nursery is of the Peacock theme and I said I would paint something for the expecting couple. Though I haven't ever painted animals before, I was pleased that this one came out looking like a bird. There are somethings that I would change, but I was too sick of looking at it to care any more. Below are two images of the painting.


The Bird's head


The size of the canvas was 24''x36''

The best bag...EVER

Maybe I shouldn't blog about a purse, but I'm going to anyway. I recently got the best bag EVER at Buffalo Exchange. Buffalo Exchange happens to be a favorite store of mine because it's full of unique, consignment clothes and accessories.

In this particular case, they also had a fabulous bag.

I might go so far as to say it has changed my life. Why? Here are the reasons:

1. It is made out of sturdy, yet smooth leather
2. It has a fabulous interior that screams "yay!"
3. The hardware has unique metal facets that hold the straps on.
4. It is made by Marino Orlandi, a company in Italy. Sweet!

I'm not sure how this bag ended up in my hands, but I'm so glad it did. I have a wall of bags in my house (a place to put them and also a modern art piece too) and I haven't even thought about my other bags. If you know me, you know I love bags (p.s. I don't like to call them purses) so this is huge.

The newest member of my family has been welcomed with open arms. Welcome leather bag, I will love you for a long time.

Ode to the Flip Flop

I recently ventured out to California for my cousin's wedding. It was fun and magical and a whirlwind trip. Amongst all the craziness, though, my sister's and I were able to stop at the beloved Rainbow Sandal outlet. Holy la-ah-ove!!

I got red kids flips and I think they are uber cute...and they cost half as much (cool!).

There is something freeing about being able to wear open toe flips (preferably in a fun color or design and it gives me an excuse to get a pedi).

A family Reunion

When I was younger, I didn't know the difference between a family reunion and a family tradition. I thought that since "family" was said each time, they were inter-changable words.

Wrong!

Well, a family reunion (aka tradition) started when we were all really young.

EASTER EGG HUNTING!

One year my dad forgot to get candy because we had "grown out" of the easter egg hunting stage and WW III almost started. From then on, it is a must come Easter.














We have now incorporate more folks into our reunion. It was so fun!

Kar, I wish you were there!

OMG...LOVE

STEVE MILLER BAND

It's official...I am 'out of the closet' with my love LOVE L-Ah-LOVE for the Steve Miller Band.
They are probably one of my all time favourite bands.

Here are my two fave songs:

1. Rock'n my baby
2. Abracadabra

Listen and Love
{Photo Credit}

Motorcycle Gang

Some days I want to be apart of a motorcycle gang.

I don't really like motorcycles...granted I've only ridden once on the back of a bike so I really can't speak from experience. The thought rather frightens me. I've been mixed up in cars-that-have-turned-into-tin-cans-in-a-split-second and the thought of becoming road kill isn't that appealing. I mean, how much is the leather really going to protect me?

What is appealing, though, is a motorcycle gang. On Sunday, my sister and I (and Misto, of course) walked around Sloan's Lake. It was fabulous. Warm, a little breezy, etc...

I kept noticing groups of two or three motorcyclists riding (not racing) down the street together. They all were dressed similarly,had a rouged appeal, and some sort of item (hair, bandanna, etc) flowing in the wind. Who wouldn't want that combo?!?!

I wanted to trot along side them and ask if they had story to tell or where the tattoos came from. They are experiencing the world in such a different way then an air conditioned car, or the slow pace of walking.

Is that totally wrong to want to live vicariously through them? Seeing as I never would really want to be a biker or ride a motorcycle

Maybe in my next life I'll be totally into it!

{Photo Credit}

Favourite Things # 8

One more and then I'm done. It seems that my "week" rolled into two and a half.



I love to cut a rug. Pure and simple...it is soo fun!

Favourite Things # 7

REMEMBERance

14 years ago, Friday, I was in a terrible car accident. Caught in one way, highway traffic with no where to go, the car i was in was broad-sided at high speed.

I was at the point of impact and sustained multiple injuries. After a week in the head trauma unit at Children's Hospital in Denver, I was released. I had multiple stitches across my eye and behind my ear. Not to mention a deadly blow to the head that landed me near death.

Thankfully, everything was just a close call. As serious as all injuries were, I still have my sight, my hearing, and most (haha)of mental capabilities.

It always makes me grateful for the men and women who helped in my healing. My face has no visible scars ( I can see them, but it's not evident) and through careful monitoring, the "head" doctors determined I needed no surgery. I also have a protector up above who was keepin' an eye out for me!

The anniversary of this accident always humbles me and makes me grateFULL of the life I have been given.

Favourite Things # 6

Recently I have been feeling funky. Anyone else?

But, in my reflections, I have come to find another favourite thing. On my way from downtown Denver, there is a portion of road that almost feels like a roller coaster.

You have to hit it at just the right speed and it is awesome!

Denver has a lot of one way's, one way's that become two way's, etc.... This particular stretch is on 8th street, in between Spear and Sante Fe. I must be in the far left lane.


The road is full of big bumps...but not in the "this road needs to be repaved" type of way. I think it's because of the drainage "sitch" that they need to have the different sways in the road. Regardless, it is sooo fun to drive fast over them and maybe play some Annie Lennox to really feel the speed. If the weather's nice, I might just roll down the windows too.

Foxy (my car) and I have a lot of fun.

{Photo Credit}

Favourite Things # 5

Calling all Bargain Shoppers!!!

Here is my 5th installment of my Favourite Things.

Here's a little math quiz. What animal+exchange=my favourite store? Here are some photos to help:



PLUS (+)




Plus (+)



=??

BUFFALO EXCHANGE! Good job!

Buffalo Exchange is wonderful. I just love the store. It could be becuase the merchandise is constantly changing, or I find fabulous deals on designer denim, or great jewelry, or purses, or shoes. Phew.

Basically a good day consists of Pablos and the Exchange. Don't get me wrong, I love all stores (I try to be more loving than hating) but this particular store holds a special place in my heart.


{photo Credit: Buffalo}
{photo credit: Change}
{photo credit: x}

Favourite Things #4

My sister, Karley, turned my on to these lovely lotion.

It truly is phenominal. Here's what I like about it:

1. The bottle is glass, so when I'm done with the lotion, I can remove the labels and it goes with my whole decorum. Or, I have something that I can etch. Yea!
2. Aroma-freaking-therapy. I used to think it was a bunch of who-ey but it is is fantastic.
3. The Sent...is Eucalyptus Spearmint. Not too flowery (yikes) but just the right amount of goodness (i.e. if I don't want to wear perfume, this can totally suffice).
4. They also make great gifts.


So, thank you Karley (aka Quay-Quay) for turning me on to this fantastic lotion. It has been life-changing!

Photo Credit

Favourite Things #3

I seriously get thrown back into the Sound of Music every time I write "Favourite Things"

Here's another favourite thing.

Hugs.

They are

Fabulous
FREE
Fun


My sister's give me a hard time because I "lean."

(please insert reference from the movie "While You Were Sleeping" for this quote. "Are you okay, 'cause it looks like you were (insert hand at a 45 degree angle)Leanin'").


If by leaning, it means I give prolonged hugs, then YES I love to lean. Give me a good squeeze any day and I will be good to go. Quoting "While you were sleeping" also brings a sub-favourite thing. Ok, it's another LEGIT favourite thing.

QUOTING MOVIES. It's great...you should try it. I'll save another post for that.

Have a Hug-a-licious day!

Favourite Things

Favourite Things #2.

I love to vacuum. Seriously, bring it on. If I was a billionaire and could choose a job to do, JUST for the fun of it, vacuuming would be it.

Here's why I love it:

1. The vacuum makes a great purring sound (unless of course the belt is broken and then it stinks).
2. The lines on the carpet
3. The crackle of little bits of dirty-ness being picked up
4. Sometimes floors gross me out...just because of the unknown "bits" that can be housed in the carpet on wood floor. I like that a vacuum helps to eliminate that.
5. The immediate satisfaction of a job well done (insert a tap on the back).

{Photo Credit}

My Favourite Things

Hello waddle friends!

I have been in a posting funk...not able to think of creative or inspiring things to write about. Well, I'm going to get myself out of the proverbial writer's funk with a week's worth of:

MY FAVOURITE THINGS!

P.s. I love the European spelling of favourite, it seems so regal
P.s.s. I now have the song from Sound of Music in my head "..I simply remember my favorite things,and then I don't feel (rest, rest) soooo bad."

To start off this exciting week (well for me at least) here is one.


I love making cards and envelopes. I love making cards, sending them, and storing them away for a rainy day. Say, I find an envelope with a diamond ring...I'll make the envelope and save it for when a friend gets married or engaged.

I like that each card or envelope is different. I mostly just tear out magazine pages and then get to envelope folding. Not only to I relieve some stress whilst doing it, but it is so simple...not to mention meaningful to those that receive them.

It is so different that the usual stack of bills and junk mail.


Here's the real reason I love cards. I think it's important to write down meaningful messages to others so they can always refer back to it. Don't get me wrong, spoken words are just as important! But on a bad day, isn't it nice to read a note from a loved one?

I DO!

There is just something about a hand written note. A person's personality shows through as well. With all the high-speed, fast paced communication I like to slow it down and create a little piece of love (from start to finish) that can be sent via snail mail.

{Photo Credit}

Necessity is the mother of invention

In my case, the necessity was cookies. Oh my!

I love cookies but rarely make them myself. Last night whilst I was wandering in my local market, I had a idea!

Most of the time when I want a cookie is in the afternoon...not when I'm home at night and either a) have to mix ingredients or b) be aware of the timer so I don't burn them.

My thought? Buy the pre-made cookies that you just break off and bake and bake them in toaster oven at work. Brilliant! This particularly fantastic machine has temperature settings (200-450 degrees!). Today, in the midst of doing work, I attempted to bake them.

First try=burnt

Second try=crispy on the outside, uber gooey on the inside

Third try=fabulous! I turned down the settings so it wasn't so hot and they turned out golden bubbly.

It made the office smell great and was a fun treat to share.

Mmmmm, now what else can I bake at work?

Photo Credit

Nails

I love painting nails.

I actually have an almost OCD obsession with them. If a nail color is chipped, I have to off all of the color and start again. It's annoying and fabulous all at once.

Grrr. Maybe I should get my license to do nails?! T'would be so fun!

My family has a tradition. We get our nails done together. My mom's birthday is the day after Christmas and prime time to get out of the house and do something fun. Doesn't it make you feel like a girl?



This photo was taken we all (all four girls and mom) got our nails done. It always has to include lunch or lattes so we can delicately pull out our wallets to show off the new buffed/clipped/polished hands.

Aren't hands lovely? I think they tell a lot of stories.


LOVE IT!

The Best Valentine's Day

I just had the best Valentine's Day. Not because it was romantic or gushy. It is because I got to spend it with people that I love.

Last weekend consisted of a jaunt out to one of my favorite areas...San Fransisco and the East Bay. Yay! More to come on my adventures later.

I was staying with Natalie (RA/friend in crime/shopping buddy/soul sister/coffee drinker) but was able to venture into San Jose for the actual love day. I spent it with Bre and Rose...both whom are dear friends from my college days.

We talked, ate, talked, drank coffee, talked, laughed, talked..you get the idea.

My heart was so filled with love. I was able to reconnect with those two girls who know my heart and there was a peace about seeing them that I can't even explain. I wasn't sure if I'd see either one and the surprise of both was sweet!

As cliche as Valentines day, I was reminded how treasure-filled true friendships can be.

In the words of outkast, "happy val-en-tine-'s day...haaaaapy valentine's day. Every day's the 14th..."

Photo credit

The Mayonaise Jar

I hate mayonnaise..so much so, that I'm not even sure I'm spelling it correctly. Anyway, my Aunt had posted this story about the mayonnaise jar and I thought it was completely ironic. Ironic, not in the story line, but in my hatred of mayo. Never mind that I couldn't NOT see what on earth could have to do with a jar formerly full of mayo. I had to see what she posted. Gag reflex ready to go. I just loved the story...so much so that I had to re-post.

I'm not sure who to credit for this, so I'll just give a shout out to my wonderful Aunt Marian!!

The story is fabulous!

The Mayonnaise (insert Kim's gagging sound-haha) Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly,
he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and started to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else
He asked once more if the jar was full... The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things - Family,
children, health, spirituality, friends, and favourite passions.
Things that if everything else was lost
and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else –

The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are
important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time

to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.

'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Gold Spray paint

Over the weekend, I let out my inner painter and got to work. I am helping with a fundraiser and the theme is Masquerade. Yahoo! Let the gold spray paint do some work.

To keep the cost as low as possible, I have been trying to get creative with the decorations. While all things decorations are important to make an event come to life, it is so crucial to use what I have so the most money can be put towards this humanitarian cause.

Well, what I found was that gold spray paint is my friend. Maybe best friend but I don't want to leave silver out.

Here's what I did:

1. Spray painted sticks/small branches. These will be put into big vases to hold the ornaments

2. Spray painted huge Christmas balls. I have a BUNCH of large Christmas bulbs. Since the colour scheme is reds and metallic, I took the other colour balls and spray painted them. These will hang from the spray-painted sticks

3. Spray painted canvases. Well I painted the canvas a neutral off-white and then sprayed on top, making sure to see the off-white around the edge of the canvas. From there I hand painted a giant mask. So easy and so fun!

4. Made table runners out of gold wrapping paper that I have. The big vase decorations will sit on top ot the runners. Looks great under dim lighting!

Total cost? $5 for two cans of spray paint. Using materials I already have and voi-la, centerpieces and decorations are done-zo! I still might spray paint some more bits but that is the "look" i'm going for.

Mmmmm, what else could use a fresh coat of gold?

Photo credit

Blog Loving!

Yesterday, my sister karin sent me a link to an amazing blog.

Emersonmade makes all kinds of flowers. Seeing as I just attempted to jazz up my purse, I was sooo inspired by their ideas. Weddings, belts, hair clips, oh my! I think my favorite was this photo. How cute is the belt OVER the blazer?!? I donned a similar look today becuase I thought it was so cute.

Photo Credit: Emersonmade.com

Peppermint Ice Cream

I have been sick for the past few days. Hours of runny noses, sore throats, and body aches have finally started to cease. Yay.


I now have an immense craving for mint ice cream. Wow. I think I may get some now.

Wahoo!

Photo Credit

Purse Pizzaz

 

I have found yet another hobby. Purse pizzazin'. I love it!

The details? I got this red leather purse at Buffalo Exchange last week. I love it because I don't have a red purse. It's also quite vintage and that makes it unique too.

My inspiration came from a cardigan (yay!) that I bought at target. Attached to the cardigan was a flower pin. I thought, wouldn't this look good against my newly acquired red bag? I went to hobby lobby, bought a hot glue gun, some silk flowers, and pins. Voua-la.

I think it really spruces up the purse, right? The best part is that this accessory is not obligated to always be on the red purse. It can change. Yahoo. It was so fun:)

Going back to Cal-i-for-ni-a

Ohhh how excited I am. It's little a mid-winter break to enjoy the water, friends, lots of Peets, a night on the town, shopping, and good old fashion fun. Ok!

I will be staying in Walnut Creek...one of my most favorite California towns with Natalie! We have been friends since college and have about a gillion memories together (being R.A.'s together, visisting Grams, packing the mustang, jammin' to "now" mixes) HAHHAHAA.

So excited to have a break from my normalcy.

The Unkown

Have you ever ventured to a place unfamiliar, unknown, and a little scary? That is where I am right now. At a crossroads. It might be unseen by those around me but it consists of a lot of choices. Good? Bad? Frightening? Fun? All are unknown. The scariest part is just embracing it.



As Robert Frost says in his poem "The Road Not Taken,"
...And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I want to take the road less traveled by, but how do I know?

In this cloud of questions, I am reminded of what I do know and am truly grateful for:
1. Friends are the root of life
2. Coffee makes everything better
3. Little kids with lisps make me smile
4. Good conversation can be humbling and fabulous...all enveloped in one
5. Green pretty much goes with everything (at least in my book)
6. Buffalo Exchange is where it's at
7. I have made some mistakes but am so much better for it
8. A little blonde dog has changed my life.

Photo Credit: Markz.mystarband.net

green chair

I have a green chair. I love it. I got it from goodwill. It has the perfect shape and is a great accent bedroom chair.

It was buried under some folded laundry until I forced myself to pick it up. In my room of mostly white, I love how it stands out in it's own sublte yet bright way. I was reminded of it this morning and thought, "Gee, I'm really glad to have it."


Photo Credit

Great Ideas

What Great ideas for Sprucing up your bathroom! I just love it. Hello, new use for old things. "Totally Brill," to quote a line from the movie, THE HOLIDAY. Way to go Real Simple!

Speaking of Real Simple, my subscription starts next month. Let the creative/fashion juices flow.





Photo credit: Real Simple

Misto

Let me introduce you to my dog...Misto.


He came to me from this no kill shelter in Denver. I was thinking that I wanted a "love muffin (aka my dog's nickname)" but wasn't really sure what I wanted, nor what kind of dog I would like. I knew it would have to be a smaller dog and no barking. I wasn't in hot pursuit of a furry friend but thought it could be fun.

My roommate Rachell and I were in a local strip mall and happened to see a mobile shelter. She asked if "love muffin" was in there, I freaked out for a second, and then we went to have a look. I spotted a cute little dog from afar. As I approached her living quarters, shrieking barks pierced my ears. No thank you. I'm all for cute dogs but not ones that bark. Ugh. Ms. Yappy's neighbor happened to be peacefully sitting in the sun, the barking not interrupting his peaceful nap at all. I called for the little love and he came to the door. I loved him. He was quiet, calm, and I found out soon enough that he LOVED to be held.

Fast forward to today, and I have Ms. Yappy's neighbor as my own (sans the yappy neighbor!). It was literally love at first sight. He is what I needed to help me as I sort through this thing called life.



Misto himself was hard to name. His name at Max fund was "Wojeck." Ummm, that's not really my style, but thanks for trying!

It's soo much pressure....Ah, I'm buckling! Will he have to go through counselling or will he get picked on at school for a crazy name??!?! HA-HA, not quite but that did almost cross my mind. Misto was named for my favorite drink at Starbucks. The equivalent in all other coffee shop's to a cafe au lait, the misto is a mix of steamed milk and coffee (and I always get hazelnut and vanilla flavoring as well). My dog looks like the color of coffee and milk and he's my favorite. But it's more than just my favorite drink. That drink is like home base for me. Always good and always right and always warm. That's what this little guy has been to me. He's not always good or right(we're working on that) and he's not always warm (hence he was given a jacket for Christmas) but he's always ready to love.

The photo on the right is Misto's first hiking excursion. He is donning the jacket that my sister, Karley got him for Christmas. He is very metro and PROUD OF IT! Work those polka dots Misto, OWN IT!

On this Wednesday Wahoo, he's what I'm thankful for. Misto is curled up next to me on the couch and I am thankful to have such a true love muffin.

Editor's note: We're still working on the whole training thing. He can sit but that's just about it. He likes to follow me everywhere I go but sometimes he needs to stay. Anyone have ideas?

Editor's note #2: He even has a burnt orange name tag with accompanying sage green collar. Great color combo if you ask me!