Too Much Information

Where have I been?

2011-11-30T11:11:00.001-06:00

I'm so sorry to neglect you again blog. It's been a crazy year, with having a baby and all. Plus I'm lazy.

But in all honesty, being a Mommy has been such a pleasure (so far) and really been consuming my life in all aspects. I have no complaints, except lack of free time to crochet, craft and eat hot meals at the dinner table.

Thank goodness for Pinterest. I can't even begin to explain how much I adore that site. Talk about a fabulous way to keep track of projects and ideas/inspirations!

Anyways, I'll try and keep this blog updated on a semi-basis. I plan on getting in the crafty mood once again and hopefully posting some holiday pictures. Promise.

I'm back in the saddle again!

2011-09-22T22:09:00.000-05:00

2011-08-09T17:42:00.001-05:00

See I'm alive, I swear!!!!

Just on my baby blog is all.

A certain cat needs some attention!!

2011-05-10T22:31:00.001-05:00

Need more baby pics?

2011-05-07T19:18:00.000-05:00

I aim to please!

http://vivienneava.blogspot.com/

I am thrilled to welcome....

2011-05-05T21:22:00.001-05:00

Vivienne Ava, born Monday, May 2nd at 5:24pm, weighing 6lbs., 13 oz., 20.5 inches long.

She's amazing!

M I S E R A B L E

2011-04-28T10:43:00.003-05:00

So, I have hit that final stage of pregnancy where I am completely, utterly, physically miserable. I had to take off work and just recharge my batteries. Sadly my daughter had other plans for me. Her idea of fun was to spend the majority of the day stretching out and kicking me in many places. Experienced my first kick of the ribs and shed a few tears. That is NOT an experience I will forget, but I held my tongue from spewing profanities and thought of kittens and unicorns. I know she is just as uncomfortable as me.

I can't sleep on my sides because I'm too fat and I squish her. I can't sleep on my back because she stretches out and I have multiple body parts protruding out of my body at all hours of the night. I can't lay down because I get heartburn like a bitch. I can't catch my breath, I pant all the time, I complain and whine, and I sweat like a pig.

I would avoid my presence for the next few weeks if I were you. I don't even want to be around myself.

Here is my sweet nephew!

2011-04-28T10:37:00.003-05:00

I'm so in love with this boy and I haven't met him yet!

Not only am I awaiting Vivienne's upcoming arrival, but I get to meet Braylen so double the excitement for me!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

2011-04-18T16:59:00.002-05:00

My sister is in labor right now and 10 cm. dilated! I am so excited for her and wish I was in Houston to share this moment. Thank goodness for Facebook.

I'll post up my nephews stats as soon as they come in.

GO HEATHER!!!

The Nursery Is Done!

2011-04-12T14:52:00.002-05:00

Can I tell you how excited I am to have the nursery complete? I'm very excited, and pleased. Matt was a dove and did a great job restoring the room door and closet doors. They were a mess to paint over and refinish and all the other drama that happened. But he came through and finally it's done.

This room has become the coolest room in the house. I wish I had put more effort into our bedroom, but I'm glad Vivienne can enjoy her room and know she has the creme de la creme of the house. Now if she can just get here....

Can I finish this damn thing in time?

2011-04-12T14:38:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have been working on this blanket forever. I refuse to start any other projects until this is done.

D O N E!

I am carrying a small whale inside my tummy

2011-04-07T19:21:00.004-05:00

33 weeks people. Good Lord I am MASSIVE!

I feel bad for my wife beater. Poor thing is going to combust pretty soon.

First baby hat!

2011-04-03T16:29:00.000-05:00

I have a feeling this will be one of many, many to come...

Ughghgh

2011-03-29T11:56:00.003-05:00

I am so uncomfortable. I don't even know what this post is going to be about, I just felt the desire to complain.

This is me right now.

I'm fat, miserable, I pee 12 times a day and she never sleeps. NEVER!!! Yoga is impossible now. I almost threw up in class last night b/c of acid reflux coming up in downward dog. And she won't stop moving! Ok ok enough of the pity party.

I'm very happy to be pregnant. I'm happy to have a beautiful baby sucking all my nutrients and will to live. Oops, positivity now. I'm grateful she is healthy and active. Plus I know all the weight will go away in 2 weeks and I'll be skinnier than ever! Delusions are good to have.

Holy belly!

2011-03-23T15:41:00.004-05:00

Now that's a BIG ole belly people. 31 weeks, a few days away from 32. Still in a state of shock at times. A few days ago I walked into the nursery and just started staring at the clothes in awe. Things are going to change people. No more late mornings, hangovers (well, hopefully less frequent), laziness, selfishness and other shenanigans like that.

I've started crafting again, making headbands that don't look gay and a baby blanket to match her nursery colors. I will not have her in those god awful gigantic fake flower headbands you see everywhere. I'm gonna class this baby up a bit. Plus I can make those damn headbands for under $2 and I see them on sale on Etsy for $25! C'mon people, where is your creative gene?

Back to my belly, did I tell you it's huge? Doc said she was making her way head down, and I can feel it migrating down in my pelvis a bit. I'm so ready to have this baby. Like 2 weeks ago. Let's just skip the labor and have her miraculously pop out one morning. That idea sounds like the winner for me.

Dressing up those plain onesies with iron-on transfers!

2011-03-20T10:25:00.000-05:00

Smuggling hams

2011-03-10T13:13:00.007-06:00

So I posted my weekly belly (ok, they haven't really been every week) pic on Facebook and one of my friends remarked it looked like I was smuggling a ham under my shirt. I don't know why but that tickled me pink. I'm gonna keep that phrase and ride with it for awhile because, yes, it does look like I have a large ham, maybe a pot-belly pig hiding out in my t-shirt. Luckily I was in a good mood last night and my husband convinced me to take this picture with belly hanging out. I have to admit, it feels good to let that thing loose.

That about sums up how I feel most of the time.

Ok, smile Dawn.

The final stretch is fast approaching. My 30th week starts Saturday. Can you believe that? I can't. I had an ultrasound this morning to see how fluids and other things were measuring up inside my vast internal home. Everything is looking good and Vivienne is measuring in at an average weight of 3 pounds. Wow, another surreal moment. I have a 3 pound baby. One more shocker that just blows my mind. There was never any doubt this girl did not exist, as she reminds me on a minutely basis. My wiggly alien baby likes to make her presence known with an iron fist, or leg.

I'm a bit sad I miss out on some fun drinking holidays in the next few months. Namely SXSW, St. Patty's Day and Cinco de Mayo. Grrrrrrr! I plan on making it to one free boat trip next week, only because I know there will be plentiful amounts of food and water. I'm such a cheap date. Promise me some free food and I'm there with bells on. Surprisingly, my appetite is pretty small. Let's put this another way - my eyes are HUGE and my stomach is smooshed. Plus the heartburn I get every night keeps me away from the Indian, Thai and peanut butter and jellies. I'm slightly tempted to attend a music show to see how she reacts, but after the *vacuum incident, I will bow out.

My first baby shower was last Saturday. My wonderful friends hosted the party and made it incredible. I'm waiting on pictures, and will post up as soon as possible. It's so nice to see the nursery jam packed with clothes and supplies and furniture! Just another reminder that 10 weeks is going to fly by.

*Working for a maid service has it perks - like free house cleanings. Since the house stays clean most of the time, I rarely vacuum any longer. One day when Matt was out-of-town, I decided to clean the house ahead of time so he would not see the 4 days of filth I created. I turn on the vacumm and it's like Vivienne wanted to jump out of my belly. I have never felt something so violent. I could tell she was completely freaked out by the noise. The vacuum is not very loud, as we have a Dyson, but regardless she was doing the Running Man inside my belly and trying to bust out. I turned it off and she quickly calmed down. Missed a spot so had to turn it back on and sure enough - freak out city. Moral of the story - I should never vacuum, ever. Ha!

Third Trimester - Here I Come!

2011-02-17T12:06:00.003-06:00

Holy crap. 2 more days and I will be in my 3rd trimester. I never thought this week would come. But it has and I'm starting to feel all the old 1st trimester feelings coming back. No nausea or food aversions (thank God!) but I'm peeing like a leaky faucet and exhausted all the time.

That's what I feel like. I may not be that big, but my comfort level is slowly plummeted. I haven't had a good nights sleep in a few weeks. I just can't get in a comfortable position. If it's not my back aching, it's my belly in the way. Plus Vivienne is a damn show-off. Yes babeh, I know you are a kicking machine, but can you let Mommy sleep a bit? She goes non-stop. Sugar does not phase this lil one, she can make my stomach quiver like an alien trying to make its way out.

I remember back in the days when my sister was feeling kicks and I was so jealous. All I felt were tiny flutters, if that. One day I knew I would feel her and be so grateful. Now I hope she doesn't chew her way out. When I wake up I see her butt or head protruding from my belly and I wonder if she is trying to fancy a way out. If she is anything like Mommy, I wouldn't put it past her - we are a crafty bunch.

Our Nursery Beginnings

2011-01-31T09:40:00.007-06:00

We spent this beautiful weekend working on the nursery. With the help of Jake, Matt tackled the job of painting the walls, and hanging the fan. The room was previously painted white, so the actual painting took no time at all, just your typical running out of paint, discovering the baseboards were done with oil-based and not latex paint and whatnot.

Jake creepin' in the closet.

I love this shade of turquoise! I knew it would look great behind the pink and white flowers.

Look at me! Busy as a bee, cutting out the tree decal flowers. That's all I was allowed to do. Let me tell you, it was a pain in the ass to cut out about a 100+ flowers and tree branches.

The actual creating the decal effect took most of Sunday afternoon, as I was somewhat surprised how time intensive it ended up being. But, being the perfectionist I am, spent more time on making sure the blowing effect was visible. Looks great, doesn't it?

I was somewhat hesitant working with the decals and our wall texture. But it ended up perfect, and you can barely see the slight bumps and grooves of the wall. The actual decals were sticky and adhered very well, but not too much so where you could not maneuver them a bit.

We purchased a relatively cheap and simple white fan, with the idea of painting the blades turquoise to match the room. The picture doesn't do it justice, but the blades in motion look fabulous. I hope it gives Vivienne hours of entertainment.

Matt putting up the new set of blinds.

The new carpet comes in next week and now all we need is the furniture, a few decor touches and we are good to go! I love being an anal planner. So if anything unexpected comes up, we are ready to physically have the baby. Mentally may be an issue :)

Jean shopping - the bane of my existence

2011-01-27T09:36:00.009-06:00

As if shopping for denim was not hard enough pre-pregnancy, try it knocked up. It's like a world of hurt. Not only is the selection of jeans piss poor, but they look ugly. Let me show you.

Look at that! Does that look sexy to you? No!

Granted, these are what is called "full-panel" jeans. There are a few variety of styles, but when your belly gets larger and more pronounced, I prefer a little support around my guy.

The only store I know that has decent denim available for purchase in-store is Motherhood Maternity. God, this store has been my savior. The sales associates have always been incredibly helpful in a non-pushy kinda way. I just don't have that type of body where I can hop online and order anything based on pre-pregnancy sizes without trying it on.

Now back to my jean debacle. Last night the kind lady grabs me a handful of jeans after I tell her my requirements - must be full panel and skinny. No boot-cut for me. I want my legs to look like twigs (since they seem to be the only thing not gaining weight on my massive body.)

Here is where the embarrassment begins. I'm currently dealing with a condition called pubic symphysis. Basically I cannot spread my legs (hehehe) or put my balance on one leg at a time because my pelvis is spreading apart. Damn you relaxin!

I begin to try on the stack of jeans, wishing Matt was with me, just to help and not to laugh. But don't worry, I was doing plenty of that on my own - along with snorting and breathing hard. I spent 15 minutes trying to prop myself on the cushion stool in the corner of the room and almost fell ass-first into the mirror more than once. But my mission was accomplished! Two pair of jeans worked out along with a pair of Assets. (Those are the cheaper version of Spanxs for those not in the know.) Oh these things are so damn ugly but feel like butter.

All my excess fat rolls magically disappear into the leggings and I can see a semblance of my old body. It's a magic trick I could perform every day! Hoorah!

Vivienne is doing well and giving me kicks to my cervix now. It's almost like she is showing off, never a single swift jab, but many of them. I imagine her smiling, thanking Mommy for giving her another cupcake and infusing her blood system with a massive sugar rush. Then I promptly blame my lil Renesmee for giving me these insane sugar cravings and stealing my life essence. Too much? Blame the damn hormones.

Halfway there!

2011-01-05T12:48:00.004-06:00

Ahhh, I'm almost there...just a little more to go....almooost. Ah shit, I'm only halfway there. Le sigh.

Amazing to believe I have been pregnant for 5 months people! That's a long time. It seems like the first trimester took forever...now the second is almost done for. The third trimester looms in my future. Hopefully, I maintain this "almost perfect" pregnancy-mode for the next 20 weeks and I'll be golden. I try not to brag, as my poor sister has had an insane pregnancy, but I've been incredibly lucky to feel good, and look relatively unchanged. Sometimes I wish I had this humongous honkin' tummy, but of course that extra weight is a bitch to get off in the long-run, so I'll stick with what I have.

My little one has been quite the kicker. Just this weekend I could feel a difference in her strength and frequency. She actually kept me up for 2 hours on Sunday just kicking and moving and doing her thing. All I wanted to do was nap, but she was having no part in it. I better get used to that feeling...

21 weeks baby!

Need some food porn: The Peached Tortilla

2010-12-27T16:03:00.004-06:00

I have been dying to try this new trailer in town, the Peached Tortilla. I follow them on Twitter and pray they will one day come to my hood for lunch. Sure enough, today is the glorious day! Setting up shop at Hoover's on Airport Blvd., across from Kick Butt Coffee I stalk the menu and wait for my hunger to build.

With my choices already planned out, I ditch the majority of them when I see the new menu items - crab cake sliders and a deep fried wonton stuffed with a banana nutella mix topped with a cajeta cream sauce. Seriously? Oh yes, seriously.

I gave way to temptation, ordered the BBQ brisket taco, crab cake slider and fried wantons.

For the first time I am at a loss for words. Just take a look at these beauties and let your mouth salivate on its own.

Can you believe these gorgeous tidbits of goodness? I cannot wait to come back and try the fries and other selections. Speaking of amazing, these pictures were taken with my iPhone 4, in HDR mode. No need to even correct these in CS3, I'm completely impressed with the quality. Thanks Apple!

My Christmas present

2010-12-27T15:56:00.003-06:00

Saturday morning found me up early so I laid in bed a bit and decided to give babeh some tunes to wake up on Christmas morning. Tuned my Pandora to Gotan Project and chilled for a few songs. Then to my amazement I felt a kick, and more than one. Could it be? Was it just gas? Nahh...that had to be a kick right?

I called in Matt and had him feel my belly. No kicks, but he was able to feel her move around inside. Regardless, I was absolutely thrilled!

Sunday morning I gave it one more try. Same station and 3 songs later more kicks. I text Matt to come to the bed since I couldn't even imagine getting up and losing this moment. Of course she is being a stinker and no kicks for Daddy. I move around a bit and I can feel something sticking out on my left side. Matt pushes it in and pokes around the area - sure enough she kicks back. I can just mentally hear her "Daddy, quit it!" I have to say, that moment made it even more real. I am carrying another human life inside me and she is saying hi.

Since yesterday, I have felt her now, pretty regularly. Even as I type this, I can feel little kicks in my lower belly and I couldn't be more happier.

Back into the swing of things!

2010-12-27T15:45:00.004-06:00

This weekend I finally picked my hook back up and made myself crochet once again. What I needed to get back into the crafty mode is a project - and what could be more fun than doing something for my sister? Picking a favorite pattern for Ravelry I had been eyeing for about a year, I tried a few variation of patterns and frogged it more than once, but I quickly got the hang of it. Hello crochet, I missed you.

I chose the colors in Heather's nursery and hopefully will be able to finish this star blanket by the weekend. It's pretty simple once you get past the first 10 rounds, then just just add to it. Up next - one for me of course!

Holiday Cheer!

2010-12-22T11:40:00.004-06:00

Look at that cutie pie! I don't know which is more awwwww worthy...this one or the one below:

Both my babies are being incredibly adorable. I am so biased. Hehehe

Happy to introduce....

2010-12-21T09:24:00.001-06:00

Our newest addition to the family:

If you are too impatient...fast forward to minute 2.

My two babies sleeping :)

2010-12-19T20:19:00.001-06:00

Where did this belly come from???

2010-12-16T10:06:00.004-06:00

Holy cow! Week 17 has been officially labeled Bump watch week due to considerable growth in my tummy area. Interesting how the last few weeks I haven't been able to see a big difference, but this week - wow!

I started prenatal yoga 2 weeks ago. It's wonderful. Being a n00b to any kind of yoga, I had some reservations, but they were all laid to rest after my first class. We spend a ton of time focusing on breathing and stretching - all good things to have a strong grasp on for the upcoming delivery. Meeting new ladies in all stages of pregnancy has been interesting and I look forward to class on a daily basis. I NEVER look forward to any kind of working out. How times change....

This Monday is our big gender reveal. You can only imagine how excited we are for this day. Both of us have a girl-vibe going, but will be happy with whatever - even a puppy! I know, I know that could never happen...

So I'll be back with the good news next week. :D :D

Week 15

2010-12-02T11:25:00.002-06:00

Why hello there babeh. This morning started off with a OB visit and a listen to Nugget's strong heartbeat. Next visit is the incredibly exciting sex scan. Sounds a tad bit naughty? I am counting down the days till then.

Heather just found out she is having a boy! How wonderful is that?! She is also battling a horrendous kidney stone and just had a stent put it. So prego ladies, drink your water and don't treat the Tums like candy.

Texas Renaissance Festival!

2010-11-29T14:27:00.004-06:00

Oh wow, this was quite an "interesting" event. First off, a piece of advice. DO NOT go on the last weekend and not expect horrendous traffic. It was terrible. We fought an additional 90 minutes of traffic, which left us with only 2 hours to play since we had to get back to Houston to watch the big OSU/OU game.

Back to the festival, it was really fun. It seemed like the boys had a good time and were quite captivated at how much effort people put into this. Having been once before and growing up as a self-proclaimed geek, I felt under-dressed in regular human clothes and wished I could have found those elf ears I saw others sporting. Heather and I got our faces painted, which brightened my mood. The food was good, with lot's of options. The crowds were manageable and the beer was OVERFLOWING.

My favorite part was spotting a centaur taking pictures. Heather and I gave him some money, walked up and took some shots. Then we said bye and he wouldn't let go. He kept hugging us and it was kinda funny, but a tad bit creepy. Maybe he has some kind of pregnancy fetish because if I was a half man/half horse, I would not be into prego chicks. Maybe minotaurs or tree nymphs....

Why hello there baby bump

2010-11-26T10:41:00.004-06:00

I spent quite some time complaining to anyone listening that I was quite perturbed waiting to finally start showing. My sister has been showing for quite awhile, and me..not so much.

Then one day, maybe 2 weeks ago I awoke to a swelling in my stomach. Not your typically "I overindulged at Olive Garden food baby" but a real-life bump. It's been growing slowly and some days sticks out more than others, but yesterday I walked into my parents house and my mom ran straight for my belly and started rubbing it and couldn't believe I was showing. She pulled up my shirt and stared at it for a bit and smiled. Needless to say, I felt very proud....of what I do not really know, but housing a baby for 9 months does give you a chip on your shoulder. "Me woman! Me keep baby nice and warm in womb!"

So here I am - week 14 almost down.

Heading up to Houston today to see my sister. I can't wait to compare bellies. The only time in my life to be jealous that she is bigger than me. How times change.

Beat those Longhorns!

2010-11-15T10:34:00.004-06:00

Aaaah, it was a great game Saturday night. Matt scored us free tickets for the OSU/UT game in town and we happily donned our best OSU gear and headed out in the cold to support our Cowboys!

Now that is a happy face, it was much bigger at the end of the game when we beat Texas!

Two of Matt's work vendors gave us a total of 8 tickets so we brought the crew along and had a great time. I have to say, it was really, really cold up in the top of the stadium.

And some more fun pics...

Hello there babeh!

2010-11-10T14:12:00.004-06:00

Ahhhh, the joys of pregnancy. Let me tell you, it's been quite an interesting journey, so far. Happy to say I am almost out of the first trimester (Saturday I enter the glorious world of the second trimester.) Overall I should consider myself lucky. My morning sickness was pretty bad, but nothing too severe that needed medication or toilet hugging. No weight gain, no heartburn just bloat, gas and big ol boobies.

My energy has returned and for the first time in months I'm not getting up 3 times a night to go pee. I can't tell you what a relief it is to sleep throughout the night. I've finally got around to scanning in our 12 week pictures. See the fun below.

Nugget has grown quite a bit from our last ultrasound picture.

This one was taken at 9.5 weeks. See the big head? That's looks like a small version of my husband.

Overall I'm in a good mood and anxiously waiting for Christmas time to find out the sex. Until then I'll just secretly long for raw fish and wine. Consider yourself lucky my non-pregnant ladies and suck up as much booze as you can. It could be all over for you for 9 months and you'll never know what you had until it's gone. *SOB*

FINALLY!

2010-11-05T09:12:00.004-05:00

Today is the day I am letting the cat outta the bag....

It's been a long and hard road keeping this secret, but Matt and I are expecting our first baby in May! There, I said it. Feels so good to get that off my chest :)

So expect this blog to take a sharp turn, babies and ultrasound pictures and belly pics and more. But don't worry, your favorite sassy geek will still remain true to herself. Famous last word eh?

Baby Update!!

Yesterday we had our first trimester scan. Blood work and scan results came back normal! Matt took some video of our Nugget dancing for us (yes that is the current nickname since we don't know the sex.)

I'm at 12 weeks and Mommy and baby are looking healthy. I wish I had a belly bump to show off but alas, it only looks like I've been partaking in doughnuts and beer. When this padding begins to protrude, I'll snap some pics.

Web Stats

2010-11-01T15:46:00.002-05:00

I find it incredibly interesting going back and checking my stats that this page right here is my #1, most popular web page via my blog: click me

My top referral words are: kittens, and unicorns

Really? Really?

Halloween!

2010-11-01T10:42:00.006-05:00

This year was unexpectedly tame for us. Usually I break out the big guns and go nuts, but finding the motivation was incredibly difficult. Not one to let a creative project go undone, I had to carve a really badass pumpkin. With no help from Matt, I scoured the interwebs for a suitable picture, resized it and got to work.

Word of advice - don't skimp on the carving kit. Mine did not have a stabber, and I had to use a really big knife, which had Matt terrified I would cut off a few digits. I did not, because I have the skills of a ninja.

The final product....

Yes, it was an Aqua Teen Hunger Force Halloween.

Friday night Jennifer, Justin, Emily and Doug met us at Zandunga Bistro for a Halloween dinner/party. The food was awesome, as usual. But my goodness, the tequila was in FULL FORCE. Let's just say things got a little bit out of hand that night (in a good way.) Being the designated driver of the night, I had a great time watching the debauchery unfold.

As for the costumes....

OMG Double Rainbow! Those eyelashes were too intense to wear for long.

Brett Favre taking pics of his package. Matt printed out a few of the "authentic" pictures floated around the internet, photo shopped and signed them for any who were interested. Those pictures were hilarious! And sorry I can not post them.

Justin went as Keith Stone. It was pretty authentic. Doug looked strangely like Edward and I have no idea what Matt is trying to take a picture of. Wait, actually I do.

So that was my weekend. Saturday was a day of football at the Hunt's. Sunday was our day of rest. We had a handful of kids, some punks that took too much candy. Note to self: no more self serve bowls. Kids these days...sheesh.

My goodness where have I been?

2010-10-11T15:58:00.001-05:00

I have no good excuses. I'm in a blog hole. Nothing exciting to write about makes Dawnita's blog a boring read.

Lo and behold my 7 readers, soon there will be content to make you smile. It's coming....not sure when. As soon as I climb out of this blog hole.

Fancy nails coming right up!

2010-08-31T14:42:00.000-05:00

Zandunga!

2010-08-02T09:33:00.006-05:00

Zandunga x 2

Ok, it's obvious I kinda have a big crush on Zandunga. Yesterday was my birthday, and my parents offered to take me out for lunch. After my previous fantastic brunch experience, I had this urge to try lunch and dinner. Not really an urge, but more like an intense desire. Lo and behold, that craving was satisfied tremendously.

Arugula salad with candied walnuts, apricots, carrots and shaved manchego cheese

Tortilla soup

Soup of the Day - Shitake mushrooms and shrimp

Garlic talapia with roasted papas

Oh the best birthday treat a girl could ask for - crepes with cajeta

************************************************************************

Mmmmmmm brought to you by the fabulous owners of Mi Madres - Zandunga is now located in the old Primizie Osteria location, off E. 11th. I've only had the pleasure of trying brunch, but plan on coming here many, many times for dinner and happy hour. Enjoy!

What a way to end a perfect meal! Pan dulce!

Mexican Chocolate Waffle was aaaaaaamazing. No really, say it again - aaaaaaamazing!

Sopas de Almuerzo. *sigh* so good.

Everyone loves booze and I love it more than most. Try the Guava margarita and you will be in a tropical heaven!

Work is Not Life People! Right?

2010-07-01T10:57:00.004-05:00

Well, this has been an interesting year, in regards to my work career. To let you guys in on what's been going on, I recently had the opportunity to move up with my current job and accept a sales management position. At the same time I was interviewing, a previous coworker from my Zanzibar days contacted me about coming to work for her company. Luckily, she kept the position open for me until I heard back from Hyatt. Sadly, I did not get the position. That, of course, left me with the opportunity to look into my friends company and see if it was a right fit for me. I have accepted the position with Austin All Maids and plan to start at the end of this month. My last day with Hyatt is Friday, July 9th. I'm very sad to go, as the people in the hotel have become a second family to me. They will be greatly missed.

I will be in charge of Marketing/PR/Social Media/Sales and running the office...right up my alley. I'm thrilled to be, once again, working with a small Austin business and implementing my ideas! You can follow me on their Twitter account - @AustinAllMaids. Also in the works - a blog. You know how much I love blogs. Keep your eyes peeled for the link soon. Now, let's get down to business - who needs their house cleaned? I think I know of a great company :)

I'm Crafty!

2010-06-29T12:19:00.002-05:00

In my quest to find the perfect 80's costume for a skating party in a few weeks, I stumbled across this website: Cut out and Keep
I checked it out, and thought to myself, "Self - you have a lot of tshirts." Why yes I do. But I despise the crewneck collar. I have so many interesting shirts and I refuse to wear them. Not a fan of anything tight around my neck. There was one particular how-to that caught my eye - a no-sew halter top from a tshirt. Now that looks super easy right?

Last night I searched Google for the how-to and it brought up a few other tutorials, including a youtube video that totally rocks: YouTube link
Busting out with a test shirt, I was able to pull off the halter with no problems. I don't own a sewing machine so I hand stitched the collar part. Didn't take long at all. Just make sure your stitches are nice and even. The bigger the shirt - the bigger the tank. Honestly the practice shirt was gigantic and I'll probably try another idea with them. I did successfully transform 2 shirts to halter tops. It took under an hour and looks pretty damn good. The best part? It was free and now I have new tops.

I took a few snaps of the before and after product. Just follow the instructions and you won't have any problems!

What the heck am I doing?

2010-06-22T14:04:00.000-05:00

I've taken on a new challenge. What are you doing now? ... you may wonder. Well, let me tell you. I've recently started tracking my eating habits on Shape.com They have this wonderful program called the Virtual Trainer. So I've been playing with that for 3 weeks. It has greatly helped tracking and logging every single thing you eat. The weekends are hard though. Especially when you do such great progress for 5 days and then mess it all up by drinking 6 Bud 55's and eating a block of cheese.

Luckily, I am able to squeeze in a trip to the coast with my sister and her husband. The only bad part is it's coming up in 2 weeks and I do not have a bikini ready body. Normally my first reaction would be to reach for the lemons, maple syrup and cayenne pepper but no! I will not resort to quick, temporary solutions to lose a few pounds. Hence the dreaded two-a-days. Starting Monday, I will work out twice a day - preferably using my favorite method - The 30 Day Shred. Right now I'm attempting the high-impact (Natalie version) exercises on level 1. I still can't do real push-ups, and resort to girl push-ups - but I can do all of them instead of laying there panting.

Monday was really tough. I never realized how much harder it is to do Natalie workouts and not Anita. After work I ran out to Academy to get a heart rate monitor. I'm dying to know how many calories I burn on the different levels and different impacts. Per my night session, I burned 181 calories. Not bad, I expected to do more. But I was dying. My thighs are on fire. The high-impact version is a world of difference on your thighs. Getting deep into the squats is a serious work-out.

This morning I woke up at 5am with Matt and rode my bike, hoping to get rid of the lactic build-up in my thighs. Right now - I can't walk down stairs. I've been using the escalator to help me today. Seriously, I'm in pain. But that's good right? RIGHT? Tonight is low impact level 2. Wish me luck, I hate level 2.

Don't throw that away!

2010-06-16T09:49:00.006-05:00

Last Sunday afternoon turned into a craft restoration day. We have these interesting outdoor garden vase pots we bought years ago - we fill them with tiki torch oil and place them in the garden or around the retaining wall. They do a great job of keeping mosquitoes away. Sadly, the elements have weathered them away to very ugly, peeling pots. I've been on the fence about throwing them out and replacing them until we thought about restoring them with some new color.

Here is the old vase - see, it's ugly.

I sanded off the old color (which was not an easy task on a humid Sunday afternoon, mind you) and ended up with this.

Then we spray painted them with a white primer. Matt came up with this great idea to use wire coat hangers in the tree to keep the paint on the item and not on the grass.

Don't they look like apples?

TADAA! And here is the finished product. They look like new, and all it took was a few hours, some sand paper and spray paint.

Angry Birds

2010-06-14T14:32:00.003-05:00

Hello crack.

Hello my name is Dawn and I am addicted to the iPhone app Angry Birds. Please help me through this addiction.

Find the Zoolander reference....

2010-06-14T14:07:00.002-05:00

I have to say, one of the fun things about my job is watching the daily eye candy of large groups that stay with us. Every day brings a new group of individuals, new outfits, hair styles and smells.

I try and refrain from stereotyping a large group of people, but most of the time I can spot the type of conference going on in the hotel just by checking out the ladies in the bathroom. Sometimes I want to giggle, other times I want to offer up tips. Today is one of those days. The amount of sadly dressed, frumpy girls in the lobby makes me sad. I'm almost positive slipping them a printed out TV schedule of What Not To Wear under the stall might get me fired, but the desire to help remains. All I can do is smile and hope these clothing-challenged individuals are making more money than I could ever make with their Jaclyn Smith collection from K-Mart.

I had to share this one with you guys...

2010-06-11T12:47:00.001-05:00

Limbo

2010-06-10T11:53:00.001-05:00

Ahhh, limbo...be it in your relationships, your job, or any aspect in life, limbo is a hard state to maintain with grace. For instance, yours truly has been experiencing a severe case of limbo recently. I believe it has been close to 2 weeks tomorrow.

I have to say, it has given me a new life lesson. Dealing with the sense of the unknown with little emotional outbreaks. Typically I would be worrying, making myself sick with anticipation, unable to do the normals things in a day without dwelling. But no more! I'm trying my best to keep my feelings and emotions under control and professional. Let me tell you this, it's freaking hard. Every day I wake up wondering if this is the day, but alas, it's not. And that, my friends, is a mood killer.

So here I am, venting away on my blog, keeping the situation thinly disguised as possible. Blogs are a great place to vent, as I'm sure my close friends and coworkers are pretty tired of listening to me complain and eye roll my day away. Even now I feel much better getting it off my chest. Hopefully in the coming days I can create a happy blog post revealing more, but until then, my 6 readers, this is what you get.

No he DIDUNT!

2010-05-26T16:49:00.001-05:00

Every day for lunch, I get the joyous opportunity to eat lunch in our employee cafeteria. It's a fun time, surrounded by fellow employees you don't get to see all the time. Recently the eating habits of a coworker has been brought to my attention. I believe it was a few weeks ago, maybe on pasta day. Anna pointed out his plate and all our jaws dropped. He had 4-6 pieces of garlic toast on his plate. If I eat one I am filled with guilt and shame, even though I have to admit, those suckers are greasy, buttery and delicious. Ever since that episode, we like to keep our eyes open to see what he eats next. Recently his sandwich creation was 3 layers of bread, ridiculously stuffed with meat. I have no idea how he put that into his mouth.

Today's creation was 2 layers of flour tortillas smothered with gobs of shredded cheese, another layer of ground meat and cheese added and nuked in the microwave. After this had melted, he added ANOTHER fistful of cheese and made a burrito concoction out of it. Besides this enormous meat and cheese surprise, a large bowl of vanilla pudding...completely filled to the top. We just stared at him with our big eyes and watched him prepare his lunch. I felt the pounds increase on my ass just watching this incredible feat. Never in a million years could I bring myself to gorge like that.

I'm so jealous. I want his tapeworm.

Hmmmm

2010-05-24T14:29:00.001-05:00

Interesting thought I just had - what do you do when all your social media outlets are tied into your personal/professional life? Where do you go to vent about things when you are "too connected?"

Let me know the answer because I've begun to realize the hole I'm in, and I need to dig my way out.

I yarn bombed my mailbox

2010-05-11T10:28:00.001-05:00

Treatment 1

2010-05-03T12:37:00.003-05:00

And so it began. Saturday was the day. How funny that I spent the day before searching the internet for "first day experiences" and didn't come up with squat. So I vow to be as descriptive as possible, so you newbies know what to expect on your first visit.

I'll admit it, I didn't sleep so well the night before. I had a few nightmares and couldn't get the thought of pain out of my head. Browsing through internet forums I would find statements like "If the treatment isn't painful, then they aren't doing it right." Crap. My free consultation did not mention any intense pain. Yes, the tride and true statement of a rubber band snap pain repeating itself in my mind. This won't be bad Dawn. I mean, they would warn you if the pain was unbearable, right?

I walk into the office and check in. After a few minutes of signing my contract and going over privacy policies, the numbing cream is mentioned. I gathered that the cream they use it specific to the company and is bought ahead of treatment time. I didn't ask about price as I was firmly confident I would not need any type of numbing cream - I am no wimp, and I also took a hydrocodone ahead of time :)

It's my time and I am called into the treatment room. My lady doing my zapping introduces herself and goes over the basics. She reads my chart, and she tells me to disrobe from the waist down after she walks out of the room. No problem, I've done this process with waxing my pink parts all the time. I am no amateur and have no shame at showing my nether areas to qualified professionals. She walks in and begins to mark the area in sections, with a white grease pencil. Pictures are taken of the pre-treated area and here is where the fun begins. Sunglasses are handed to me and stress balls. She smiles, and tells me to use them to squeeze when the pain is bad. Wait, i wonder, it's going to be bad? Like to the point I need to distract myself? I ask her if it's going to hurt and she says yes. Oh great. I also get the wonderful news that as my first treatment, the laser will be set on the lowest setting. As the treatments progress and my hair lightens and thins, the laser will need to be at a higher level to zap the remaining hairs and the pain will be more intense. Shit.

Zap, zap, zap, zap....I squeeze those balls till I feel I may rip them apart. The pain, oh my God the pain. And where did my hydrocodone high go to?!!!?!? I think the laser zapped it all away. She finishes the section and asks how I'm doing. Rubber band snap my ass. It's more like a small group of needles quickly poking your skin. I nod my head and start the small talk to keep my mind occupied. It's kinda hard to speak when I'm holding my breath and tensing my legs. But miraculously it's over very quickly. The pain subsides and I'm left with a swollen, bright pink mess of an area. She laughs about my checking the "skin is not sensitive" box. I remark that's it is my first time with a laser, so I wasn't sure how I would react. From the looks of it, my skin freaked out and died on me. Covered in red circular blotches, she tells me I shouldn't sweat, or irritate the area for a day since my reaction looks so bad. I'm given hydro-cortisone and aloe and told to reapply 4 times a day until the damage goes down. I put my bottoms back on, schedule my next appointment in July and ask about the numbing cream. I am NOT going through this again without help.

Over the next few days, my pubic area has done quite well. I was not in any sort of pain afterwards, just a little bit shocked and swollen. Within a day, the pinkness had worn off and I was back to normal. Now I have the shedding process to look forward to. Within 1-3 weeks, the majority of hair will fall out and by mid July, I'll be ready for my next treatment.

So far, so good. I'm happy and just anxious to see how much hair comes back in the next few weeks. Updates to follow!

My Adventures in Laser Hair Removal

2010-04-26T14:13:00.001-05:00

Well well well kids, it's time to document my newest endeavor - the world of laser hair removal. I've always dreamed of being hair-free, and have spent countless dollars on "guy razors", and waxing. Could you even begin to imagine the amount of time you spend in the shower removing all that hair every year? For me that's a plethora of hours. Coming from a Spanish/Mexican background, I have been blessed with pale skin and dark hair. Lucky me.

Due to the price of the procedure I would never consider myself a candidate until my husband suggested it to me a few weeks ago. Personally, I didn't know about the radio spot that continuously plays on a local radio station. (I'm hooked on Sirius, so I rarely listen to radio.) He mentioned I should go in for a free consultation and see what the price would be. Well now, if hubby says it's alright I'm going to run with it!

I go online and fill out the form to request a consult. I receive a nice email tooting the personal experience from my contact - and a time to come in. Fast forward to my consult, I meet a very nice and confident saleslady. She gives me a brief tour and discusses the benefits of the company. (Right now I'm going to keep this information under wraps until the procedures are underway.) The staff are all certified RNs and the laser is one of the best in the country. Weeks before I had scanned the interwebs for information on specific lasers and whatnot. I did recall the name she mentioned and felt more secure. Then we sat down and discussed the money aspect. A discount was offered on the full package - only good till the end of the day. Drat! Reminded me of apartment hunting in my younger days - I hated those look and lease offers. I did get payment options on 2 areas - bikini and brazilian. I have to say the most affordable option was splitting up the entire package on a monthly payment schedule with Chase. Interest -free for 18 months doesn't seem that bad.

My lifetime membership includes 9 sessions - spaced between a year and a half. All the hair is guaranteed to be gone by the last treatment or more treatment(s) is available. Also, during the span of my life, I can go in to any location (if the hair returns due to hormones or other life changing incidents) and get treated for $40. Not too bad - I like the sound of that.

So here I am, my first appointment looming later this week. Stay tuned for the fun ahead! Will it be painful? Will I suffer in silence or cry with joy when my ingrowns disappear? All these questions will be answered!

SWB Community Table delights

2010-04-15T10:13:00.007-05:00

I don't even know where to begin to describe the joy I experienced last night at SWB. What is SWB you may ask? It's short for Southwest Bistro, located on the 2nd level of the Hyatt, downtown on Lady Bird Lake.

This gem has an incredibly special adventure for any foodies looking for a unforgettable dining experience. It's called the 'Community Table.' Chef Kevin and Javier will pick up fresh ingredients, based on your customized menu preferences, from the local Farmer's Markets in the area and prepare an unforgettable meal for you and up to 9 guests. What a fantastic way to celebrate an anniversary, birthday or just an excuse to get local, mouth-watering cuisine prepared in the finest manner possible!

Now back to the food!!! Sorry to keep you waiting....

It was a pleasure meeting @SweetJohn,@Supertsai,@Austinfarm2tbl and Justin B. You can't ask for better company than passionate foodies!

Look at this menu, if you mouth hasn't begun to water you may need to re-read it a few times.

Oh these beautiful seared scallops were pure heaven. Served with orange, arugula and grilled onion salad I secretly wished for a plate of these to myself.

Wild mushroom raviolis served with a morel sauce. Cutting into the ravioli was amazing. I made this sound - Mmmmmmm

For the entree, I chose the mushroom and brie stuffed quail with cranberry gastrique, blue cheese mashed potatoes (sigh) and roasted asparagus. I'll let the picture speak for my opinion on the quail.

Look at all that goodness stuffed inside!

Here's a glimpse of the swordfish. Sarah was kind enough to offer me a generous bite. At first glance, it looks like tomatoes are mixed in with the arugula - but it's not. That's watermelon. The combination of fish and watermelon was exquisite...something I have never tried or pondered.

Here it is, the superstar of the night. Strawberry shortcake with Pure Luck goat cheese, covered with an almond scone.

OMG so delicious!

I hated it, couldn't you tell?

Intrigued? You can call 512-480-2035 for more information and to schedule your dinner.

Want to win a guest spot to judge Go Texan Chef Showdown II?

2010-04-06T11:56:00.005-05:00

Of course you do! Who doesn't love a contest that pays you with free food and wine? Check out the details right here:

And here are the important details on Chef Showdown II:

Last year was simply amazing. The food and atmosphere was incredibly fun and the food was delicious. My word of advice if you will be attending - wear some stretchy pants and eat an early lunch. You will be sampling many delectable dishes this year - and our secret ingredient is pork.

A few pictures from last year's event:

Sushi coming to Marker 10 Bar

2010-03-29T09:45:00.006-05:00

Happy to report that the Marker 10 Bar, located inside the Hyatt Regency Austin is bringing in a fabulous sushi chef and station - serving to the public - starting this Wednesday from 5pm - 9pm.

Last week I sampled a few offerings on the menu, which is sure to make the mouth water, the eyes glisten and the tummy gurgle with glee. I give two thumbs up on the sushi and can't wait to see the menu grow with even more creative selections.

Come, my dears....let's look at some of the pictures I took.

Salmon Ceviche - elegantly served in a martini glass. At first I was hesitant, as I dislike peppers. But one taste of this ceviche had me back for more.

Seaweed and Cucumber Salad

Spicy Tuna Hand Roll - I was very impressed with the size and shape of this roll. It looks like a cone, which means more tuna chunks oozing out. The tuna had a pleasant kick to it - A+

Buttery salmon, oh my!

The Tuna Tataki was, by far, my favorite selection. Quite an interesting combination of ahi tuna, avocado, and shaved onions. The presentation in a chilled martini glass not only added a touch of sophistication, but improved the taste of the tuna. My favorite part was the taste of the top pieces and bottom pieces had such a different range of flavors.

Marker 10 is soon to become a favorite stop in my sushi locales. Saki and Asian beers are also on the way. Can I make this more enticing? The bats on the Congress Bridge have also returned. There...I did it. 3 fantastic reasons to try out Marker 10.

The FUN Trifecta

2010-03-25T14:13:00.007-05:00

Oh who could not love a Wine and Cupcake happy hour? I, for one, am a sucker for these events and try my hardest to get the girls together to indulge! House Wine and The Cupcake Bar host these great little parties, with a pairing of mini cupcakes and wine. Here is an example of the fun we had Wednesday:

Cupcake and Wine Pairings for $13 from House Wine & The Cupcake Bar.

- Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake with a Strawberry Cupcake and Filled with Strawberry. With Whipped Cream Icing and Topped with Crushed Shortbread and Fresh Strawberries.

- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup...cake with Chocolate Cupcake filled and with Peanut Butter. With Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Icing and Topped with Crushed Peanuts.

- Caramel Italian Creme Cupcake filled with Caramel and, with Cream Cheese Icing. Topped with Walnuts and extra Caramel!

Wine Choices Include: - 2007 Pinot Grigio, Riff, Italy. Pear, flowers, lemon and lime; mineral and earthy with a medium body and crisp finish.

- Louis Perdrier Rosé, France Pinot Noir, Syrah and Cinsault. Delicate aromas of peonies, crushed rose petals, strawberries & wild raspberries.

- 2006 Malbec, Llama, Argentina. Aromas of strawberry, and vanilla, flavors of black currant, cherry, chocolate and spices.

Shopping from Local Boutiques such as Izzy and Ash, Soigne Boutique, Emotional Baggage, Anne Marie, Diamonds & Guns, Jessica's Traveling Boutique and Amelia Beth

Beauty Presentations at 5:30 and 6:30pm from Andrea Claire

The best part, besides the cheese plate and cupcakes and wine, had to be the door prizes! Every 30 minutes some lucky gal (or guy) got a fabulous gift. To my disbelief, I actually won something.

AmeliaBeth makes these gorgeous rings, pendants and cufflinks from Scrabble Pieces. You can browse her jewelry on her Etsy site linked to her name above.

Of course I could not leave without purchasing something from Diamonds and Guns by Action Jackson.

I loved every piece, and thanks to the wine that had loosened up my wallet, I picked this darling locket necklace.

Ok, let's move on to the fabulous cupcakes, wine and cheese plate. Words aren't needed here - just mouth-watering pictures.

You can stop drooling now and make sure you fan The Cupcake Bar on Facebook for the next event.

SXSWI - now this more pics to satisfy your craving

2010-03-17T14:57:00.010-05:00

Last Friday marked the first day of SXSW Interactive. I have to say, I was a bit nervous and anxious, as I have never been to the official events. My boss hooked me up with a plat badge and away I went. Sadly the last day was very rainy and cold. Notice the not-cute hair.

Happy to report my brain soaked up everything I needed - social media was my life for those 5 days. Interactive is over, but not forgotten. Hence these pictures.

Yes, that is the official Travelocity gnome. I was thrilled to have my picture taken with him. Maybe a little too much. Thanks to the free drinks, I had a nice conversation with an inanimate object.

Even though we missed the Macgruber panel, we were able to track down the cast and watch a live interview. My camera was not doing what I wanted, so I'm sure my flash was a bit annoying. Hence the look on Kristin Wigg's face. Boy that Ryan Phillippe was smoking hot. And Will Forte stopped after the interview to take pictures with some lucky fans.

Always working it. Just call me the Twitter lady.

For any of you Xbox live nerds, this is Major Nelson. Had to get a fan photo with him.

Looking forward to attending some music events this weekend. Now if the weather will only cooperate....

More SXSW pics from the boat ride

Such lovely ladies!

Boatkill on the window. Just wipe it off....

The lovely Austin view from Lady Bird Lake

And you would know we were the last people off the boat. Yah that's how we party.

Menu Tasting at the Highball

2010-02-09T15:43:00.005-06:00

Thanks to my favorite social media tool, Twitter, I won a seat to a menu tasting Tuesday night at The Highball. Like a smart girl, I made sure and ate a light lunch, wondering what morsels I had in store for me. I had a great time meeting Tim Alamo, Henri Mazza, creative director at the Alamo, and my fellow Twitter winners @ariel5x5 @unbrchain @RedPenOfDoom.

Ok, ok on to the food.

This delectable oyster is the perfect Southern treat. Why do you say that? What makes this oyster so special? One word my friends, chorizo.

Did you know that bacon is so hot right now? It is, and especially on this bacon chicken sandwich. It was messy and wonderful, all at once in my mouth.

I couldn't imagine a more perfect combination than grilled trout stuffed with creamy crawfish. Not to be outdone, the sides of carrots and snap peas were also crispy and flavorful.

Personally I am not a big quail fan. But this particular bird was stuffed with sweet potatoes. A more refined option, it had an interesting, unique taste.

Oooh the finale was something else. Bread pudding with Grand Marnier and cherries....ON FIRE! I want to say the presentation had me sold, but that would be a lie. It was the taste. Amazing. I was close to fighting the boys nearby for the last bites. Hopefully this dish ends up on the final menu because it was outstanding!!

Thanks again Highball. You fucking rock!

Tasty Up Trailer Tour

2010-02-08T10:06:00.009-06:00

Oh wow, this was so much fun! I wish I had more stomach room to have enjoyed a few more trailers, but Matt and I only made it to 2 places. First off, we started at La Boite.

We grabbed nametags and free french press coffee. That was going to be the plan, then walk over to Texas Cuban. Well, I saw these and stopped dead in my tracks.

Oh so lovely! I had to have them. Sure enough, we purchased these little morsels, sat down on the grass and watched people and their cute kids play. The line for Texas Cuban began to grow, with more and more of a crowd coming and no movement in the line. It was time to move on.

Back to South 1st we went...Never had Izzoz tacos before, so we parked across the street and made our way over. They had a pretty good line of people and we looked across the lot at Austin Daily Press. No one was there. Walked over, never been to ADP before, and browsed the menu. Fried bologna sandwich?? Hell YES!

A certain someone looks excited!

Vegan tortilla soup. It was hot and delicious!

Sandwiches wrapped in the Onion. Could you ask for anything cooler?

This baby had so much mustard in it. If you are a fan of the yellow stuff and fried bologna, stop what you are doing and get this sandwich.

I can't remember what Matt had, something Italian I believe. I was lucky enough to get a bite in. It was excellent. We didn't make it out to The Liberty afterwards. I was really dying to try East Side Kings. You are on my list guys....next time.

I hope to see more of this event in the future. It was a fantastic idea and I hope all the trailers that participated made a lot of money and new business! Count me in for the next round.

Food food food!

2010-02-08T09:47:00.004-06:00

During our last cold snap...when was that? (Last weekend I believe....) Dana, Jim and myself headed out to Odd Duck to Farm trailer and had an early dinner. Let me tell you this. DO NOT eat food outside when it is 38 degrees. It is too cold to get comfortable and expose your fingers. Good thing they brought wine! But still, the food got cold very quick and I didn't enjoy it as much. I did snap some pictures though.

After about 15 minutes in the cold, we headed over to Gourdough's and got two for the road. Here they are, still hot from the car trip. I think these are Porkey's and Grannie's Pie. So good. But the previous week Anna, Christi and Jennifer and myself went to Gourdough's and bought 2 each. Then we proceeded to share them all. It was heaven. That's it for now though. Those things are way too bad for you.

Where have I been?

2010-02-08T09:31:00.003-06:00

Sorry loves....I have abandoned my blog for a bit. You know how that goes. I swear I love all 5 of you, but sometimes I just don't have time to write. But I shall be better. Promise.

Let's see....Work has me incredibly busy (as you can tell.) The past 2 weeks have been crazy here in Sales. I'm anxiously awaiting our downtime so I can take a breather. Speaking of work, I now have started working on some videos featuring fun things going on at the hotel. Here are the 2 most recent videos I worked up. It was actually fun and quite easy.

This will be a short week for me as we are traveling to Lafayette, Louisianna for Parker's wedding. Sadly my Valentine's Day will be spent in the car, driving back home. Maybe Matt will serenade me in the car. That would be fun. Oh! We re-did our back patio. Here are some pictures from Matt's company Facebook page: http://tinyurl.com/yc5o45m
We love it! Can't wait for the warmer weather to officially break it in.

scarf crazy

2009-12-21T21:35:00.004-06:00

Due to my week long illness, I went a little crazy with my free time. I made some scarves - I haven't had time to put these on my etsy site, but they are available if you'd like one. I'm working on 3 more that will be done by the end of the week. I'll throw those up too.

This one if my absolute favorite. It's so long and thick. You can wrap it like 3 times and still look cute. Believe me, I tried it on the boys and they even liked it.

This scarf was made with sock yarn. It's incredibly soft and delicate. It only wraps once.
This one is a bit on the short side. It would look good to just hang. But the colors are so pretty.

Oh mah God my cat is so cute!

2009-12-14T19:57:00.001-06:00

I wish I had a video tape of this. Colotte is snoring and shaking her
paws. Wonder what she is dreaming of?

The Hyatt Regency Austin Gingerbread Village

2009-12-01T14:31:00.004-06:00

In case you haven't had a chance to look at my Facebook or Twitter account - here are some pictures from the unveiling of the Gingerbread Village this morning. Chef and his crew went above and beyond your average gingerbread house and created this gorgeous recreation of the UT Tower, Capital and the Hyatt. It really looks so incredibly life-like - with little people figurines, a moving train and a lake.

Here is the story:
The Story of the GingerBread Village at the Hyatt Regency Austin

We started to build the village in October…

It is composed of the following buildings:
Capitol Building
Hyatt Regency Austin
UT Tower
Chef Javier’s Chateau House

The total time it took to build the village is over 200 hours,
Time worked by our Engineering, Stewarding, and Culinary teams.

The village is comprised of:
50lbs of icing
80lbs of assorted candies
Jelly Beans
Candy Canes
Tropical Punch Pop Rocks
Strawberry Punch Pop Rocks
Watermelon Pop Rocks
Swirl Lollipops
Mini-Pops
Psychedelic Pops
Spree
Mike & Ikes
Key Lime Mints
Peppermints
Over 200 trees

But mommy I want some turkey!

2009-11-26T16:56:00.001-06:00

My poor cold hands

2009-11-24T10:59:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it is but my hands and feet are always, always
freezing.
I was in desperate need to find a cute fingerless glove pattern-- and
tadaa!! Here they are. Super cute shell pattern really adds to the
look.

I'm not 100% happy with these since it was my first go at it, and one
warmer is slightly larger than the other around the scalloped edge.
Being a perfectionist sucks.

Holidays Schmolidays

2009-11-23T14:32:00.006-06:00

With the upcoming holidays comes impending doom for a newlywed couple. Basically this means the new couple wants to share in the fact that they now have an inviting adult house. One of the many ways to show off your home, besides throwing lavish parties, is to invite your family to your humble abode for Thanksgiving dinner.

In the moment, one does not think about all the preparations that loom - for instance, finding open space for all family members, which also includes a few days of heavy cleaning. This type of cleaning sometimes involves things you may not do on a regular basis - for instance cleaning the ceiling fans, hiding the bong and boxing up the sex toys.

I haven't even begun to touch upon the cooking debacle that looms. Good thing my husband is an excellent cook. I basically put cookie dough on a cookie sheet and expected it to bake in the oven. (See December's cookie blog fail.) The part I have played in the planning is compiling a list of recipes. Matt chose the ones that would be most appetizing. I give my seal of approval on all the choices and I haven't even tried them. Are you curious? Wanna see what is on the menu at the Mitchell's this Thanksgiving?

Stuffed Mushrooms

The Maple Roasted Turkey

Buttermilk and Dill Mashed Potatoes

Green bean Casserole

Of course I expect a few random sides in there, but this is the jist of it. ANNNND I even bought a cute apron from Etsy for the occasion.
I plan on being in the kitchen and trying my best to lend a hand. It may get burned, mangled or cut, but that is the price I will pay for being hostess.

Yelp Elite Party Mad Men style at the Highball

2009-11-18T21:27:00.004-06:00

Wow. I had such a good time! Yelp always puts on a great party, as usual. This one was free food, bowling, karoke, Maker's Mark and Harpoon Brew. Annie Ray was also in attendance with her fabulous photo booth.

I had to get my hair done for this event, I was so excited. The wonderful Leslee at Wet Salon did my Joan-wannabe updo. It was super fierce and got tons of compliments.

There was quite a few appetizers passed around but I only partook in a few bites since I am officially off the cleanse today. Can't let all this great work go to waste for one event.

I love this picture. The guy taking it was giving us directions on how to pose. I think he told us to look forlorn and lost. Mission accomplished.

Look at Lindsay's lips! Those babies are huge. I bet they could smother a small child.

Awww much better smiling.

My favorite girls, poor Dana had to go to Jim's softball game right afterwards so she couldn't dress up.

RAINBOWS and KITTENS

2009-11-17T14:29:00.004-06:00

Today at lunch I was sitting in the cafeteria when my attention was drawn to the television. Every single thing that was on CNN was about something terrible - either pedophiles, sex crimes, or murder. Honestly, the coverage put me in the worst mood. We began a discussion on why there is never anything cute on the news. I agree....CNN is a negative Nancy.

Therefore I have decided to make this post a HAPPY DAY post! Here are some things that make me happy:

Getting into a warm bed at night and having Colotte follow me in, crawling into her favorite spots (in between my legs or under my butt.) <----- both places must emit large amounts of heat!

Trying on a pair of pants and having them be too big for you.

Thursday and Sunday night TV shows (even though I am sad about Mad men being over)
A perfect dish of calamari

Burning a fresh candle that smells like cookies or cake

Not peeing out of my butt

Finding cash in my back pocket

Snuggling with Matt on the couch

Now don't you feel good? I know I do.

See what happens when I don't eat for 8 days?

2009-11-16T18:33:00.004-06:00

So I got crafty this weekend and looky what I did. I'm going to throw them into my etsy shop as soon as I get a few more done. These pictures don't do the colors justice, I was too lazy to color correct and actually use a decent background. But that red hat is freaking fabulous. Actually they all are. I wouldn't mind if they don't sell. I'll keep them all for myself.

See something you like? Let me know and I will reserve it for you and knock off a little from the price.

Fun stuff this weekend!

2009-11-12T11:45:00.005-06:00

Need some ideas for cool things to do this weekend? Here are some events and cool things that may interest you. If I see more things pop up, I'll add to the list!

Thursday

Heads & Holgas: Art by Hope Perkins & Cory Ryan

Thursday, November 12, 2009 7:00pm - 9:00pm Austin Art Garage

Free adult beverages!

Austin Daily Press - Thursday's Launch Party from 6-8. Free beer & awesome pressed sandwiches.

Mugshots happy hour - $4 pitchers of Lonestar, $2 cheeseburgers, $3 Boca burgers & $3 jagers! Every Thurs & Fri from 5-8pm. Friday

Saturday

Tiff's Treats Grand Opening Charity Event!

When: Saturday Nov. 14th 9:00am-5:00pm
Benefiting: Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central & South Texas
Where: New Southwest Austin Store @ 3201 Bee Caves Rd #172. Austin, TX 78746
What: In honor of our 3rd Austin location, we will be selling cookies for $3/dozen! All proceeds go to Make-A-Wish®.
Fun Stuff: We will insert prizes into random boxes of cookies, so you have a great chance to win an awesome gift card or prize!

2009 EAST Austin Studio Tour

Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th & Saturday 21st – Sunday 22nd
10 am - 5 pm each day
This year, for the first time, the tour also features:
20 Exhibition Spaces, 49 Happenings, and 30 Programs
all taking place throughout the 9 days of the tour

Doc's Backyard this Saturday for our Thanksgiving Food Drive and ESPN Austin Away Game Watch Party as UT takes on Baylor. Donate at least 3 non-perishable food items and you could win the Ultimate Ticket Prize Pack: Spurs, Toros, Stars and Houston Texans tickets

2009-11-09T16:34:00.001-06:00

And so it begins. Winter is fast approaching, and I have this insane desire to cleanse myself before this horrible thing that is Thanksgiving debauchery starts. The one exceptional thing about working in an office setting is the vast amount of home-baked goods from coworkers. While this idea puts a spark of joy into my heart, and tummy for that matter - it leaves me with this feeling of dread. That feeling you get after you gorge yourself with pumpkin pie and tarts and brownies. I know it's coming, and I will be ready for it. Hence today is Day 1 of the Master Cleanse. I've been pro-active and cleared my weekly schedule of all things that involve food, drinking and frivolity.

I've gotten back into the groove of working out to the 30 Day Shred. Alas, the day Matt mentions he can see a difference in my fluffy belly, our xbox decides to die on us. Our dvd player does not work and I am SOL at the moment. Good wishes please on the safe and quick arrival of our repaired xbox. Till then, I starve myself with visions of maple syrup, lemons and cayenne pepper dancing in my head. Wheeeeeee!

These are a few of my favorite things....

2009-11-03T10:36:00.010-06:00

My recent blog post got me thinking last night. Sometimes I stumble upon certain items or products that really blow my mind. There isn't a plethora of things that get me really excited - but when I find that certain something I want to shout it to the world - "Hey try me out! I swear this doesn't suck!" I try not to swear by too many things - but these, seriously, are my favorite things.

This luxurious Tempurpedic bed has really made an impact in our sleeping and comfort level. I cannot tell you the difference we feel from our old mattress, or any mattress for that matter. It's expensive - but so worth it. Especially for you side sleepers - it's amazing to lay down and not feel the springs or creaks or sags. You just sink into it - your whole body relaxing in a pool of warmth. Get this mattress!

We have 2 disgusting pets. They shed all the time. I can't believe we ever lived without this Dyson Pet vacuum cleaner. If you know us, in the beginning Matt would give everyone that came over a cleaning demonstration for months after we got the Dyson. We got the one that specializes in pet hair pick-up. It rolls on a ball, which is so handy when it comes to cleaning corners, underneath the tables and sofas. Plus the price has gone down considerably from when we got ours years ago. Another tip - you can check out woot.com. I always see some kind of Dyson for sale pretty cheap.

You saw the previous post on Zico. Enough said.

This workout has really changed my body. I'm lazy and I don't like to do much. That's not a good way to lose weight. I had to find a way to really lose weight and gain muscle in a relatively short amount of time (3 months.) Before the wedding, I would check out the Knot wedding forum and all the brides would swear by the dvd workout. You can find it at Target or Amazon for under $13. Basically the 30 Day Shred is a workout dvd by Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser. It consists of circuit workout of 3 minutes strength training, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute abs - 3 times. No breaks, no water, nothing. It's really tough and you can feel it the first time you try it. The workouts come in 3 levels. For me, it takes about 5-7 days to master a level. One of the best things about the different levels are the girls on it. One of them, Natalie, is always doing the more advanced version of the workouts - higher impact. Anita is lower impact and very good to follow on your first few days. I've done all the levels and think level 2 is the hardest. But it really works! I could feel muscle tone in a week. After 2-3 months of the Shred I was looking amazing, had a ton of muscle definition and felt fantastic!

There is a lot of negative comments when I mention the Master Cleanse. Personally, I don't care. It works - you can lose up to 10lbs and cleanse your system out to the point of feeling light and amazing. Yes it is hard. Should it be a diet? No. Do I use it for one? Sometimes. But every time I come off the Cleanse, I do feel like a million dollars. I would not recommend this on a monthly basis. Maybe once a season. But those that have been down this road know the benefits and drawbacks. You won't keep the weight off unless you completely change your eating habits. Remember, the first few days you are losing water weight. That stuff comes back pretty quickly. But the Cleanse can be a great way to kick start a new diet or healthy eating routine.

I'll think about some more....

My fabulous find!

2009-11-02T11:46:00.004-06:00

I have let a few of my friends in on my secret lifesaver, I think it may be time to let the rest of the world know. I have the best hangover cure. It's called Zico and it is amazing.

"ZICO is 100% pure coconut water with natural flavor essences. With five essential electrolytes, more potassium than a banana, low acidity, no fat, no sugar added, and no cholesterol, ZICO is the natural, refreshing way to hydrate and replenish."

This stuff is for reals guys. It works well when taken the night of drinking, usually when you are crawling into bed. If you forget, reach for it first thing in the morning, take a nap, and you will wake up feeling much better than you started.

You can find Zico at Central Market and HEB. I'm not sure on the other healthy stores in town. Check out the zipcode look-up on the website.

I've tried the passion fruit and mango flavor and not been too impressed. I prefer the original. And another great thing about Zico - they are now selling them in large containers, so you can leave them in the fridge and have enough for the weekend.

Ok, enough gushing. I'm really in love with this product. There, I said it. Now you all know. Go spread the word my children and be free!

Cupcakes and Wine? Yes plz!

2009-10-22T11:11:00.009-05:00

When it comes to happy hour, I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy myself than partaking in cupcakes and wine. Yes, that's a deadly combination for a cupcake fanatic like me...but throw in the fact it's for a good cause?? I'm sold.

We had a good time at House Wine and meeting Lori with The Cupcake Bar. I need to remember to bring my camera next time. The iPhone is not cutting it for showing off those delicious cupcakes!

The next 3 weeks....

2009-10-15T10:43:00.006-05:00

Are jammed pack with fun events. This has been the first month where my social calendar is almost full. Share time!

Wednesday, October 21st - Cupcakes and Wine For Breast Cancer

The Cupcake Bar will be at House Wine w/cupcakes & wine pairings. Proceeds will benefit Komen Austin Org. Oct 21st 6-8pm RSVP: 903-0187

Also, leave with a little treat from Komen Austin. We will have a little "trick or treat" back for you to take with you! We would love to see you out and our menu ($13) includes a taster of 3 cupcakes and choose a glass of wine.

Try all 3 Lucious Cupcakes:
A "Race for the Cure" Berry Pink Strawberry Cupcake with Whipped Cream Icing. Filled with Strawberry and topped with Pink Sparkling Glitter
Halloween Caramel Apple Cupcake with Vanilla Cinnnamon Buttercream. Filled with Caramel and Topped with Cinnamon Apples and Toasted Walnuts

Dark Chocolate Cupcake with Spooky Orange-Vanilla Icing. Filled with Caramel and Topped with Candy Corn and Pumpkins.

Choose a Fabulous Wine:
Conde' de Subiratz, Cava, Sparkling Rose, Spain
Lovely effusive sparkling, chock full of luscious strawberries and raspberries; fine delicate bubbles.

2008 Reisling, The Stump Jump, Australia
Red apple, passionfruit & rose petals, crisp lime opens to lemons and a cascade of tropical fruits.

2007 Shiraz Viognier, Yalumba, S. Australia
Bright and youthful this wine is deliciously spicy, savory and silky

We hope to see you out at this amazing event for a great cause. Please RSVP so we can make sure to have enough wine and cupcakes on hand!

Saturday, October 24th - South Austin Community Acupuncture Re-Grand Opening Party

Join us in celebrating Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day AND our Re-Grand Opening!
Open house and FREE ACUPUNCTURE from 10-4
Then we'll PARTY, with and music by Conjunto Los Pinkys.

Come on out and enjoy some food, drink, and conversation around the clinic.
Bring a friend.

http://acupunctureworldheadquarters.com/

Wednesday, October 28th - Paint The Town Pink

Mani's, cocktails and dessert? Yes, please! Gather your girlfriends and make it a girl's night out at Paint the Town Pink while supporting a very worthy cause!

Paint the Town Pink is an all ladies happy hour to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This event is organized and sponsored by local women-run businesses to help support Breast Cancer Research.

The night will feature Sugar Mama's pink cupcakes, Cornucopia's pink popcorn, Tito's pink cocktails, & Milk + Honey spa's manicures (with pink nail polish!). We'll also have some great giveaways and raffle items!

Please donate at least $20 on the race page linked below. We will have will-call at the door, but you can also bring $20 cash at the door that night.

Susan G. Komen race link

November 1st - Yelp Drinks Week Kickoff Crawl 'Opening Ceremonies'
Let's try on some half-price cocktails! To kick off Yelp Drinks Week, we're hosting a crawl to try out some bevvies downtown. Join us at the beginning at 7:30 or drop in along the way, we'd love to see ya! Let's do this up pseudo-Olympic style and kick the five days off.

We're hitting these in order (with featured drinks listed):

LA CONDESA
Enlightened Austin Martini (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6
El Cubico (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6
Las Ascendentes (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6

ROARING FORK (Downtown)
Huckleberry Rita (reg $7) During YDW $3.50
Blackberry Madras (reg $8) During YDW $4
Category 6 Lemonade (reg $9) During YDW $4.50

THE BELMONT
Belmontini (reg $10) During YDW $5
Classic Mojito (reg $8.50) During YDW $4.25
French 77 (reg $12) During YDW $6

November 1 - 5 - Yelp Drinks Week!
Austinites love unwinding with a cold beer, glass of wine or a tasty cocktail. This November, for the first time ever, Yelp brings you YELP DRINKS, a city-wide chance to sample something cool at places locals love! Participating locations will feature up to 3 adult beverages for 50% off throughout the promotion.

A few quick notes:

1) Yelp Drinks prices are good all day Sunday through all day Thursday while supplies last. Though we're calling this a happy hour, it's better -- this one lasts for five days.
2) Please tip on regular price.
3) Please consume responsibly.

LA CONDESA

Enlightened Austin Martini (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6
El Cubico (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6
Las Ascendentes (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks Week $6

CEDAR DOOR

Austin Ultimate Mexican Martini (reg $11) During YDW $5.50
Treaty Oak Lemonade Martini (reg $11) During YDW $5.50
Pinky Friedman (reg $11) During YDW $5.50

MAX'S WINE DIVE

Sangria Max (blend of red + white wines w/ select fruit juices)(reg $6) During YDW $3
Luxury White (Cape Mentelle Chard) (reg $13/glass) During YDW $6.50
Luxury Red (Beringer Knights Valley Cab) (reg $13/glass) During YDW $6.50

CISSI'S WINE BAR

Sake Mojito (reg $5.75) During YDW $2.88
Sangria (reg $5) During YDW $2.50
Spiced Apple Cider (reg $5.75) During YDW $2.88

ROARING FORK (Downtown)

Huckleberry Rita (reg $7) During YDW $3.50
Blackberry Madras (reg $8) During YDW $4
Category 6 Lemonade (reg $9) During YDW $4.50

MARKER 10

Dr. Tito's (reg $10) During Yelp Drinks $5
Candy Corn (reg $10) During Yelp Drinks $5
Pumpkin Espresso Martini (reg $12) During Yelp Drinks $6

HOUSE WINE
2006 Zinfandel, Cycles Falcon, California
Reg. $9 glass / During YDW: $4.50

2006 Tempranillo, Tinto, Paso A Paso, Spain
Reg. $8 glass / During YDW: $4

2008 Reisling, The Stump Jump, Australia
Reg. $8 glass / During YDW: $4

NOMAD

Pisco Sour (reg $7) During Yelp Drinks Week $3.50
Caphirinha (reg. $7) During Yelp Drinks Week $3.50
Fernet and Coke (reg $7) During Yelp Drinks Week $3.50

PAGGI HOUSE

Raspberry Lemonade (reg $8) During YDW $4
Elderflower Royale (reg $10) During YDW $5
Blood Orange Margarita (reg $8) During YDW $4

IMPERIA

Kung Fu Cosmopolitan (reg $9) During YDW $4.50
The Imperia Pearl (reg $9) During YDW $4.50
The Jade Martini (reg $9) During YDW $4.50

THE BELMONT

Belmontini (reg $10) During YDW $5
Classic Mojito (reg $8.50) During YDW $4.25
French 77 (reg $12) During YDW $6

ANNIE'S

The Old Austin (reg $9) / During YDW $4.50
The Diablo (reg $9) / During YDW $4.50
DRUNGO ICE HOUSE

Live Oak Oaktoberfest (Reg $3.75) / During YDW $1.88
New Belgium Hoptober (Reg $3.75) / During YDW $1.88
512 Wit (Reg $3.75) / During YDW $1.88

BUFFALO BILLIARDS

Raspberry Lemonade (regular price is $5.50) / YDW $4.25
Peach Tea (regular price is $5.50) / During YDW $4.25
Pyramid Hefeweizen (regular price is $4) / During YDW $2

EDDIE V'S (Arboretum)

The Red Dragon Mojito - (reg. $8) / During YDW $4
Mayfair Martini - (reg. $10) / During YDW $5
Purpletini - (reg. $9) / During YDW $4.50

CLUB DE VILLE

Margarita (reg price $6) / During YDW $3
Lone Star (reg price $3) / During YDW $1.50
Jager (reg price $6) / During YDW $3
THE GINGER MAN

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (reg $5) / During YDW $2.50
Deschutes Black Butte Porter (reg $5) / During YDW $2.50
Sunner Original German Kolsh (reg $5) / During YDW $2.50

THE GHOST ROOM

XX (draught) (reg $4) / during YDW: $2
Shiner (draught) (reg $4) / during YDW: $2
(well) vodka & soda (reg $4) / during YDW: $2

CHUPACABRA

Frozen Margarita (reg $5.50) / during YDW: $2.75
Spicy Mango Margarita (reg $5.50) / during YDW: $2.75
Frozen Sweet Tea Vodka (reg $5.50) / during YDW: $2.75

MIZU

Lychee Mint Martini (reg $9) / during YDW: $4.50
Chile Patron: (reg $12) / during YDW: $6
Mizu Margarita (frozen): (reg $8) / during YDW: $4

November 12, 6pm - United Way Benefit Wine and Cocktail Tasting

Raise a Glass for a Great Cause!

Republic National Distributing Company and the Hyatt Regency Austin invite you to start the holidays off with a wine and cocktail tasting benefitting the United Way Capital Area of Austin.
This organization assists over 6000 local agencies in our own community and the money they raise helps your friends and neighbors when times and circumstances threaten to overwhelm them.
Please join us for fantastic wines and cocktails and delicious hors d' oeuvres while doing something wonderful for those around you who need your help this year more than ever!
Tickets are $35 at the door and responses are kindly asked so we may plan accordingly. Parking is complimentary in the self-park lot. to the right as you approach the hotel. Bring your ticket with you for validation.

Go Texan Chef Showdown

2009-09-30T22:30:00.008-05:00

Note to self: Do not stuff your face and try to take amazing photos. I had one hand on my never ending wine glass and the other on the fork. My photography had to suffer. Sorry guys.

Congratulations to Chef Todd for winning the judges choice! Our own Chef Kevin won best guest appetizer. Lemme tell you why I don't have very many pictures of the butternut squash...it's because I had my face down in the bowl....licking every ounce of it. It was fabulous. I almost wanted to cry.

Pics from Cocktail Throwdown 2009

2009-09-25T09:44:00.003-05:00

What can I say? I love a party with free booze and food. This event, was by far, incredibly fun - the cocktails were flowing and creative. I was really impressed with all of the entries. I had my two favorites of the night, which belonged to Fino and La Condesa. Happy to say, that fantastic watermelon concoction won!

Enjoy the pictures. Sorry I'm too lazy to write commentary. (I should be working...)

Look it's me!! In front of sexy guitars! After 5 cocktails!

Cocktail Throwdown 2009 - tonight!

2009-09-24T10:31:00.002-05:00

Oh yah, I'm super excited for this party!

My favorite recipe EVER

2009-09-15T13:54:00.004-05:00

This week has gotten me motivated to get back in the kitchen again. Besides cooking at home, I have been dabbling with taking my lunch to work and making yummy salads and homemade dressings.

I found one of my older Cooking Light recipes that was a jaw-dropper. I seriously could not believe how good this tasted. Actually, I'm attempting my creation tonight. Hopefully I can still do this recipe justice: Tuna London Broil with Wasabi Cream Sauce

Pictures tonight. Promise.

As promised....

well hello there lovies

2009-09-15T12:03:00.006-05:00

What's been going on? Oh, let's see....Not much here. Recap of last weekend? Attended a Yelp Elite event @Twin Liquors Hancock. It was interesting...there were a lot of things they could not do, because of the TABC laws, that I wasn't aware of. Hence, I did not get sloshed. But we headed over to Nomad Bar and had a jolly good time with Dana and Jim and Jake. I'll throw a few pictures in here later since I'm not on the Mac.

Saturday was sadly disappointing, as Oklahoma State lost to UoH. They really picked up momentum during the second half, but it seemed the Cougars had a few sheer luck plays and beat them out. Matt and I were very sad....as OSU was ranked in the top 5. Now we are 16. Oh the AGONOY!!!! Texas won. Good for them. Here are a few pictures to make you feel better. Actually it makes me feel better.

Mmmmmm hi Zac! I still love you regardless.

Sunday was a fun day with my first experience at attending a fantasy football watch party. We went to Third Base @SouthparkMeadows. The food was shitty. Seriously. The beer prices were also way too expensive. After 3 hours we left and tried a new sportbar in our neighborhood called First Down and Stassney. It was ok. Cheap. That's all I can say honestly. Also, the season finale of True Blood was Sunday. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. I expected more. Next season should be filled with shocking revelations - if they follow any semblence of the book.

Wow, look at me go. Ok, back to work. Ciao kiddies!

My darling husband RAWKS!

2009-09-03T10:21:00.002-05:00

So in case you didn't get the message yesterday, it was my birthday. Hooray birthday. I actually had a fantastic day, thanks to my coworkers and my friends. Work was lots of fun, as you can tell from the previous post. I got roses and a beautiful orchid from my mother-in-law, birthday cake and a big sing along. I think getting flowers at work rules. Everyone comes into your office and smiles, then glares at you in jealousy behind your back. :)

Matt took me out for a surprise dinner to Perla's on South Congress. I'll write up a Yelp review shortly. Dinner was fantastic and we followed up at Hotel San Jose for drinks. It gets better folks. We come home and Matt makes me hide in the bedroom as he gets my present. I walk in and see the dining table wrapped in a bedsheet. Matt went to pick up some pieces of art by Hope Perkins. She is Jake's roommate and I have always loved her stuff.

So Matt lets me pick out a piece. And I pick this guy.....

I am in love with my new deer. Seriously. And my husband, of course.

Birthday love from my coworkers!

2009-09-02T17:46:00.000-05:00

Why do photobooths bring out the lesbian in me?

2009-08-20T22:38:00.000-05:00

Ponder that for a bit.

Professional wedding pics are up!!!

2009-08-12T19:47:00.002-05:00

Hooray for our photographer Sarah!

Here is her blog post with Heather's wedding pics. Sarah Q. Blog

Beautiful, fabulous, awesome! Can't wait to see the rest of them. You know they will be up as soon as I can post them.

Love love love!!!

Calm before the storm?

2009-08-12T17:24:00.000-05:00

You decide. Rain and lightning downtown and hectic wind down south.
Make up your mind mister storm system!

What a welcome site in Austin!

2009-08-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

Need more cupcake pictures and results?

2009-08-02T12:28:00.003-05:00

Check out Jennie's blog to see more cupcake goodness:

http://misohungrynow.blogspot.com/

Cupcake Smackdown 1.0

2009-08-02T00:46:00.015-05:00

Yummmm.... the Cupcake Smackdown at the One 2 One Bar was quite the event! It was super crowded the first 2 hours. The patio on the roof was packed with kids, dogs and adults... all experiencing cupcake bliss. See below for a peak of the madness that was #cupcakeriot.

We got quite a few nasty looks and eye rolls for these 2 pictures. So worth it!! (FYI - No tongues actually touched the monster cupcake.)

I have been

2009-08-01T12:52:00.012-05:00

a very bad blogger. Please forgive? My last post was AGES ago. Don't even know where to begin.... But let's try!

***Heather's wedding was beautiful.

Negril was amazing and Tensing Pen was the most relaxing resort ever.

All of my pictures are on Facebook, so I will try and add my favorites in the next few days. My wedding photographer, Sarah Q, was also my sister's! We got to see a sneak peek of some of the pictures she took and they are FANTASTIC, as expected. She hasn't posted the pics to her blog yet, but once she does - it will be on here too.

***Last Saturday I participated in my first adult sport tournament: Kickball! It was really, really hot and fun. Austin Sport and Social Club provided the shirts and beer for the event. Our team was composed of Hyatt employees, Jake and Matt. We were bad, really bad. I can't wait to try this again when the weather is much cooler.

***Lindsay and I went to the Flavor Tripping event at The Belmont. Honestly, my feeling about this were a bit mixed. We did get a $10 discount for being Elite Yelpers, hence the tickets were $30 each. Ouch, that is a lot of money for a miracle berry. Basically, the most intense flavors belonged to the lemons, limes and pickles. I did enjoy some chili powder, tabasco and balsamic vinegar. The drinks were not free - but there were taste tubes with interesting concoctions like grapefruit and vinegar. I did enjoy that part but... overall, $30 was a bit much for the "experience." My taste buds were only whacked out for under 2 hours. I wish it would have lasted longer.

I forgot my camera, DOH, so these were snapped on my iphone. Speaking of, I have been forgetting my camera recently, and missing out on great photographs. I've decided to keep it in my big purse from now on.

***Today I am planning on attending Cupcake Smackdown 1.0 at the One2One Bar. I WILL bring my camera and document the fun and cupcakes of course. My friend Jennie is hosting this event and talk around town has been really positive.

Cupcake Smackdown info

How was that? Good? Happy now? You better be. I promise I won't stray for long.

It's GO time!

2009-07-08T08:11:00.001-05:00

Hi guys. Sitting in the Houston airport. I'm super excited for this
week. Never been to Jamaica so this will be like our second
honeymoon, except with family. Anyways I'll try and keep you guys
posted if I can.

Sent from my iPhone

It's almost time....

2009-07-05T21:00:00.002-05:00

for JAMAICA mon!

We leave for Houston on Tuesday night and fly out Wednesday morning. SWEET!!

Our fig tree is having babies!!!

2009-06-30T19:37:00.001-05:00

Mmmmmm fresh figs!

i love to torture myself...

2009-06-24T21:10:00.002-05:00

I'm on the cleanse again. Yep, I know. Today is the end of my 3rd day. I have another co-worker joining me so it's been nice to have encouragement at work. We send each other negative instant messages about how much we hate this. It helps.

I've stayed away from the cafeteria and sit outside to read a book. Today I started to get really tired. I did work out the previous night and I could feel the effects. I went to visit a co-worker in the coffee shop and almost cried staring at the cupcakes and treats. I had to leave quickly.

Overall, it hasn't been too bad. I went to sleep after I got home today and am looking forward to more sleep. I'm down 7lbs. That may be only water weight, but I will take what I can get. Hopefully by late next week I will be back in normal weight range and just crank up my workout level to be ready for Jamaica. Damn bikinis.

Bad blogger

2009-06-22T19:51:00.005-05:00

I'm sorry. I have been slacking on my blog updates. It's been a feat to get used to working again.

So to answer your burning questions:

-Yes I got a job!

-Yes I work in a famous Austin hotel

-Yes I am freezing everyday so I can't complain about the terrible weather we have been experiencing

-Yes I get to dress up again, so it's nice to look like a hot secretary

-Yes that's what I'm doing - administrative duties

-Yes I like the people I work with

-Yes the job has been easier than my last, thank goodness

-Yes I am happy to be working

So there ya go. Happy now?

*************

Heather's wedding is quickly approaching. I'm very, very excited. Matt and I have been hitting up Barton Springs the past 2 weekends, working on our tan and Summer bodies. Mine is not where I want it so I'm back on the Master Cleanse. Booooooooooo!

I don't care. I'm still going to keep working out though. It's just a little push. Good thing I have a heater under my desk.

Ok, what else? I'm loving the new season of True Blood. I went back and started re-reading book 2 of the Sookie Stackhouse series to get myself refreshed with what may happen. Bill and Eric are so hot. ***********drool***********

For Reals

2009-06-14T22:18:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is my first day of my new jobby job! Hooray! I hope it goes well. Haven't been working in 5 months I think.

I'll tell you how it goes tomorrow.

Pretty stuff in the garden today

2009-05-31T20:45:00.005-05:00

Ugh

2009-05-28T21:59:00.002-05:00

Been a little depressed this week. Haven't worked out much, no motivation. Really down in the dumps on my job hunt. Applying for everything and no response from it. My unemployment deadline is quickly approaching. I don't know how we will do it with one income.

So um yah, that's all I want to say. Not really in the mood to elaborate. Just wanted to say "blah."

Oh you silly guys

2009-05-21T13:01:00.008-05:00

The pets love to lay out with me, if it's not too hot. Look at all the fun I get to experience!

Figs!

2009-05-21T12:51:00.005-05:00

We have a gigantic fig tree behind our bedroom that has begun to sprout figs. Last year the squirrels and birds ate the whole crop, as I didn't research our tree, the variety and such. Well not this year.

I studied up on the leaf and shape and color of the figs and now know what kind of tree we have. It's called a kadota fig. The fruit is a yellow/greenish color and typically used for Fig Newtons.

This year I will be very proactive and keep the pests away from the tree. I've gone out this week and picked the eaten fruit off the tree and shooed away as many squirrels as possible.

Here are a few of the ripe ones I picked.

I don't think the crop is completely ready. We have millions of babies just growing, but a few ones are big, soft and droopy. They taste alright, but I can detect a greenish flavor to it. They probably need another month to fully mature. Regardless, I'll be making a ton of fig jelly this Summer.