Ten Things

Ten Things I am Loving:

1. Long necklaces
2. My jewelry tree from Mono!!!
3. Cupcakes!
4. My camera
5. My mini Starbucks card keychain
6. The strands of pearls I got in the jewelry district in Miami that are waiting to be made into a set of a necklace and a bracelet
7. My new Fall colors nail polish from OPI… just can’t wear them yet
8. My Vera Bradley coin purse- It is JUST the right size for my visits to the gym! My keys are attached to it, my phone and cards, money… can fit in it – everything I need all in one!
9. My couch – I SLEEP now!
10. Boneless wings meal in sweet and spicy at Zaxby’s

Ten Things I am NOT Loving:

1. This intense HEAT
2. My headaches
3. Thai food
4. The fact that our Fall here in the South isn’t coming for a while
5. That so many doors are closing
6. That I am so far from my sisters and best friends
7. That I am leaving for the northeast without Mono
8. Did I say my headaches? :/
9. Procrastination… The fact that I have SO much to do in such a little amount of time this weekend…and I am procrastinating.
10. Not having Jimmy here

Seven Pounds

Who knew that seven pounds could make such a difference in my day? I’m not talking about 7 lbs. on my body, or 7 lbs. of food… I’m talking about Jimmy, my 7 pound dog. He is such a little guy, and honestly, he sleeps most of the day, but he’s away with my parents right now, and coming home to a house without his little greeting, totally changes my day. I didn’t realize and to some small degree, took advantage of his cute little face waiting by the door for my arrival. I’ll see him in a few days, but still, after him only being gone for 12 hours, I already notice a difference in my day… and I miss him. I can’t wait to see his precious little face and happy little tail wagging when I arrive on Monday! So 7 pounds makes a difference in my day, every day. And it wasn’t until today that I knew how big of a difference it would be.

My Very First Friend, And Best Friend

Not many people are lucky enough to say that they have had a best friend for nearly 25 years, much less that they are still friends with their very first friend, but I am.  Katie has been my friend since the day I was born.  I don’t remember a time in my life without her, because there hasn’t been.  We lived right across the street from each other for 13 years, until I moved 5 hours away.  I will never forget having to say goodbye to her.  At that point, it was probably the hardest thing I had to do in my life.  We wrote nearly every day and it took me a while to get over the fact I lived so far away.  And then, another move came and I lived 16 hours away from her.  It’s so hard to live hours upon hours away from your best friend, but we definitely make it work.  Before I moved, she and another friend of ours threw me a surprise going away party and I was SO caught off guard and surprised! I cried more than ever that night, but it meant so much to me, to have so many people I loved there together, to say goodbye before I left.  Time can pass between times we talk, or she may not get a call for me for a long time (I’m NOT a phone person), but we always pick right back up and we both know we are always there for each other.  Two years ago she got married to a wonderful man, Jay, and I was so honored to be in their wedding and to be part of such a special day.  What fun it was!    I still have my bridesmaid’s dress hanging in my closet and I see it everyday (along with pictures of the two of us from that day) and I think about that day every time I see it.  I can’t wait for the day I can have her be a part of my special day.  There is no one I would want to have in my wedding more than her. It’s getting really hard to live so far away from each other.  I’ve actually only met her husband a couple times and she has only met Gus once, at her wedding.  I wish more than anything that the four of us could to go dinner together, spend time at each others houses, have girls day out, the guys get together to watch football.  I do hope one day we are able to live a little closer, or some how do more together. Over the years since I have moved away, we haven’t been able to see each other much and the last time we saw each other was at her wedding.  It is certainly about time for a visit… I am so thankful for the memories I do have though.  Katie and I used to do things from going to Subway together for dinner, hang out in the middle of the street we lived on (it was a Court with only 4 houses), ride bikes, get together for our Monday night show, I’d go down in her basement and watch her practice dancing (She is an amazing Irish dancer), we’d bake together, clean each others houses… Oh so many things.  I am so thankful to have a best friend like her, and no one will ever be able to replace her.

#1 On My List of 101 Things To Do in 1001 Days

So, number one on my list…Go to Italy, see all the sights I love!  I’ve been to Europe once, Bosnia to be specific, but the place I’d love to visit most of all is Italy.  I am not sure if I would be able to pick only one specific region though.  My favorite area is Tuscany, the little towns, the villas on gorgeous farms, the endless fields of sunflowers…. Oh to close my eyes and dream.  I don’t want to just go to Italy for the heck of it, or just to say I’ve been there.  There are so many aspects that go into it.  I want to live how Italians do, eat like Italians, SHOP like I’m Italian… and best of all, capture the beauty and the memories by photographing every moment.  The narrow streets and alleys, the fountains in town, the sidewalk cafe’s… what more could one ask for?!  While I was in Key Biscayne in July I met three little kids that lived down the hall from us.  They live part of the year in Florida, and the other part… Tuscany!  So yes, I not only loved them because they were kids, but because they loved telling me about Italy.  The four of us sat in the hallway of our floor and they each had a view and favorite things about living over there.  It was so much fun to hear what life is like there from a child.    I have books and pictures saved on my computer of all different parts of Italy and I do hope to go there one day, and come home with memories and pictures of my own!

My List Of 101 Things To Do In 1001 Days

Let’s see, 1001 days gives me between 2 1/2 and 3 years… This is a list of 101 things that I’d like to do in that amount of time… Will it all happen?  I’m sure not because I am shooting high on a lot! 
1. Go to Italy, see all the sights I love!
2. Paint two large paintings and dare to be not so detailed!
3. Knit a sweater
4. Start a website for my designs
5. Find a hairstyle to liven up my look
6. Get in shape a little bit more…tone up
7. Find a really nice pair of sunglasses (that I can afford… unlike the Vera Bradley or even worse, Tiffany’s, ones I like!)
8. Buy the perfect navy blue wool coat (and maybe a deep yellow one too!)
9. Pay off my computer
10. Once my computer is paid off, save for a really good camera
11. Get on a good routine of getting to bed and waking up at the same time each night, and keep to it for a few months minimum
12. Take my vitamins, all of them, every day, again for a few months minimum
13. Learn how to cook a dozen new delicious meals
14. Learn how to not be afraid to sing just for the fun of it – out loud!
15. Become more simplified and organized
16. Become and feel settled somewhere
17. Go to 2 states that I have never been to before.
18. Work on my blog and actually write interesting things in it so people like reading it and keep with it
19. Get engaged!!!
20. Depending on the timing of #19, get married and have a little home of my own to set up and decorate my way!
21. Take one class to learn something new
22. Go back to Discovery Cove
23. Go on a fun vacation with my sisters
24. Volunteer at a soup kitchen and if I could find something like an orphanage, that too!!!
25. Tour all the monuments in D.C.
26. Design, Bake and Decorate a cake – and not just a rinky dink one out of a box/can – for someone
27. Pay for the person behind me in a line at a drive through or toll
28. Help a family in need
29. Be comfortable and feel beautiful in my own skin
30. Visit my two best friends (NY and IL)
31. Pick my Spanish back up to be able to converse more
32. Buy Katie a real Thomas Kinkade painting for her home like I always promised her as a little girl
33. Do something I am a little scared of.
34. Become more on time and have better time management
35. Be a more gentle hearted person
36. Frame a painting or photograph I am proud to have taken or painted.
37. Finish my recipe book
38. Learn how to cook at Cookology!
39. Find the perfect pair of jeans!
40. Find the perfect pair of shoes (they have to be flat and wide – and cute of course!)
41. Find a pair of pearl earrings that won’t fall off my ears (from the backs coming off)
42. Buy the perfect thin silver bangle bracelet
43. Visit family in Bosnia
44. Figure out a way to help myself get good night’s rest instead of being so restless
45. Go somewhere for a day for the sole purpose of taking pictures, of buildings, people, anything that catches my eye!
46. Hug a monkey
47. Take stitches out (again)
48. Organize all the letters I have saved from the years of writing back and forth with Kathleen ( best friend in Chicago)
49. Horseback ride on the beach, in the Caribbean preferably!
50. Figure out how to control my headaches
51. Make a book of all the little random helpful tips and hints in life
52. Go to another concert (country?)
53. Go to a Hockey Game
54. Go to a Soccer Game
55. Go skiing with mono and my uncle
56. Go on a big family vacation
57. Spend a weekend in a quaint new england sea town
58. be able to have spending money again
59. learn to whistle
60. see a movie being filmed
61. go to grand canyon with my mom and dad
62. Learn how to make the flowers that decorate wedding cakes
63. Walk for a cure
64. Get two new camera lenses (after I get a camera of course!)
65. Learn how to take better photographs, from a photographer I admire (preferably Megan Beth! Check her work out by the way!)
66. Have a structured and organized little business.
67. Bake Mono N.Y. black and white cookies
68. Make an edible and artistic fruit tart with the nice apricot glaze
69. Work harder on becoming more of a patient person
70. Deal with stress better
71. Learn more about History
72. See Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in concert
73. Have a nice breakfast in bed
74. Grow an herb garden
75. Wake up with a more lively and joyful outlook on life each day
76. Go on a real picnic, with a blanket and basket…the whole works
77. Dance at my wedding…and a friends.
78. Make a portfolio of my favorite pieces of work
79. Own a nice Burberry purse
80. Own a satchel style purse
81. Perfect my pizza – so it tastes more like a NY one. I’d love to work in a pizzeria for a day.
82. Find ways for my joints not to hurt as much.
83. Fill all my picture frames
84. Have a romantic -SUPER memorable – moment
85. Hit a baseball… really hit it.
86. Figure out my favorite movie
87. Paint my own version of a famous piece of work
88. Add 10 movies to my chick flick collection
89. Go on some sort of real road trip.
90. Own, wear and be able to pull off a sparkly shirt
91. Buy Mono an awesome watch…or a hockey jersey, or both!
92. Perfect my own sweet tea
93. Ride Dumbo during the fireworks show at Disney.
94. Visit a botanical garden
95. Make it a habit to make my bed every morning
96. Design and sew a quilt
97. Complete a coloring book
98. Work on improving my posture
99. Carve my name in a tree
100. See the Eiffel Tower
101. Finish this and write another list of 101 things to do in 1001 days

Autumn In NYC

I have been watching a little bit more of TV tonight than I would normally do, and a few of the shows were filmed in NY, which got me thinking…or rather, dreaming.  With this intense heat, and no where to escape to, I am finding myself dreaming of the cooler days of Autumn, my favorite time of the year.  I cannot wait to pull out my dark jeans and turtlenecks and wonderful scarves and cute coats… Oh how I love that time of the year.  And how I love that time of the year even more, when I get to travel back to the Northeast.  Living in the South has its perks for sure, but nothing beats the Northeast in the cooler months.  I am hoping to be back up there for some visits to stroll the streets of NYC, to visit family not only in NY, but MD and VA too.  That’s where home is for our family and I am looking forward to that time of the year.  Along with it will come the holidays, a time that I love.  Everything just seems better around the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  The house smells better with all the extra cooking and baking coming from the kitchen.  The decorations get kicked up a notch… okay, or in our case, maybe 10 notches (for Christmas at least!).  The air is so fresh and crisp.  Everything is just so wonderful…and I can’t wait for it to arrive!  Come on cool weather!  With you, comes SO much beauty … and cute and cozy clothes too!

Getting Ready For the Fourth! :)

It’s July 1st already.  I cannot believe how fast the summer is going by.  I was in Miami one month ago today and it feels like it was only 2 weeks ago.  I leave again, for the same destination, tomorrow!  We are going to spend a long weekend for the 4th of July with Gus’ grandparents at their place down there.  We are all very much looking forward to this trip.  I have lots to do today though!  Everything that needs to be done, seems to be focused around the 4th.  I have an order for a barbecue themed apron, which of course reminds me of the 4th of July, and that has to go out in the mail tomorrow.  The last little touches are going on its pockets today.  And I am making some fun desserts for our trip, not many though because we are going to be having our fair share of sweets/pastelitos when we get down to Florida.  I always like to do things for the 4th though.  If I was going to be at home, I’d surely be doing a whole lot more.  In fact, I have a long list of desserts alone that I would like to make.   I’ll stick with 2 or 3 though this year.  I’m all packed (well except my bathing suit, which is drying) and my camera is charging (that’s a MUST!) with an empty memory card ready to go!  I am determined to take LOTS of pictures, even though I am limited with my lens.  I even had a mini nightmare about my lens last night.  I had an opportunity to take an awesome picture for someone and because of my lens limitations, I wasn’t able to do the proper job… yes, I am becoming obsessed with photography!!  Well, I should go and get my cookie dough prepared and chilling in the fridge for after lunch.  Oooh, I can’t wait for my little desserts to be done.  How tempting it will be to eat them. Happy Fourth of July everyone!!  Pray for America!