... And Other Adventures: July 2010

Keeping up with the magazines

Ever since Little B arrived almost a year ago, I can officially no longer keep up with my magazine subscriptions. Now, we all know one of the great, simple pleasures in life is sitting in a steamy, hot tub with a good magazine and a glass of wine. But those days are gone my friends. Instead, it is has become quite sad that I now have piles of magazines I no longer read.

Words to live by

Photo via Literaria

Healthy Ice Cream

Yep, you read that right. Healthy ice cream. I came across a post of The Kitchn for One Ingredient Ice Cream. I was intrigued, so I check it out. The one ingredient... bananas. Crazy! Yet another reason why you should never throw out old bananas.So now I have sliced bananas sitting in the freezer. I will let you know how it turns out.

Something to think about

Photo via Maluna

So excited

As we speak, this is in route to my house. I am so excited. I can hardly stand it! If you are ever in a funk and need a boost... order yourself a new cookbook. Hits the spot every time.

Getting to know you

One of the greatest things about having this little blog is meeting all of you fabulous readers. I feel as if I have found some kindred spirits. So here is a quick poll for all of us so that we can get to know each other a little better.

Here goes...

1. Book that you are reading right now: Casa Rossa by Francesca Marciano

2. Current song stuck in your head: Hey Soul Sister by Train

3. Something that is making you smile today: the way that Little B grips her syrupy french toast strips in her chubby hands
4. Something you hate: Running late. I really don't like to be late.
5. Next thing on your summer to do list: Swinging on the swingset
6. Blog that you are loving: Dig This Chick

Want to participate? Leave a comment so I can hop on over to your space. I'd love to know a bit more about you too.

Door crush

Image via Irene Suchocki

Happy weekend

This weekend our plans include a whole bunch of nothing.... just the way I like it! What are you up to this weekend? Leave a comment and let me know.

Photo via Sweet Paul

Sandwiches all around!

One of my favorite things about living in my 78757 Austin hood are all the little hidden gems weaved throughout the area. High up on that list of gems is The Little Deli. A small, locally owned sandwich shop right smack dab in the middle of Crestview. In our previous house, I could walk to this place in under 5 minutes. It was great!

The Little Deli is a no nonsense shop that understands that sandwiches, when made right, don't need to be ridiculously fancy.

Little B at 10 months

It's hard to believe that Little B is 10 months old today. She's come so far these last few months that she hardly seems like a baby anymore. She is crawling everywhere, pulling herself up, singing, and eating everything in sight. She has even uttered her first word... "uh-oh". "Uh-oh" seems fitting. And she claps every chance that she gets, very proud of that new trick.

I'll never fully be able to put into words how much I love this little girl. She is my smile every day.

Mean people suck

I work hard to minimize the difficult, abusive people in my life. But it is hard when there are certain difficult people that you can't cut out or ignore... a crazy boss, an aunt with a temper, or even a neighbor that lives down the street. So what the heck are you supposed to do in those situations when someone is just plain mean-spirited?

I come from the camp that people are not all good and are not all bad...

Dr. Pepper Lipsmacker

Tried and true since age 8. I have one in the purse, one in the bathroom, and one just floating around the house. Perfect hint of color. This definitely is in the top 5 list of favorite things that I would bring to a deserted island.

Summer To Do List: running through sprinklers

What better way to cool down on a long, hot summer day than a bit of running through the sprinklers. Wet grass between your toes, cold water in your face, up your nose, dripping from your hair, and laughter in the air... it is all part of the experience.

Photo credit: Yogi

Brillant Wedding Invitation

Photo credit: Matt Dorfman

Quite the duo

When these two get together, there is bound to be trouble. Gavin and Little B are quite the duo. From the minute that Gavin held his baby cousin in his arms in the hospital room, they have had a strong friendship. Where Little B goes, Gavin goes. And vice versa.

Gavin can make Little B laugh like no one else. In this scene, the cause for laughter was a singing glow worm doll. We could hear the screeching and cackling down the hall and into the other room. Watching these two play is pretty entertaining.

Townhouse Crush

I really like Katie Lee's West Village townhouse featured in Domino magazine last year. It’s such an elegant mix of new and old and while mostly traditional, it has such a classic, bright and lived in feel to it.

It's showtime!

Little B now knows that when we pull the camera out, it is showtime! Such a ham.

Favorite Quote

Image via Lovely & True

Summer To Do List: crawfish boils

When you have as many friends from New Orleans as David and I do, you go to a lot of crawfish boils. They are the best come-as-you-are occasions filled with good conversation, deep red crawfish, salty potatoes, and nice cold beer to wash it all down. Of course, you have to be sure to drink a lot of water too otherwise you will wake up the next morning with swollen knuckles. I love crawfish boils because they are not for the casual acquaintance. Only good, flip-flop wearing friends who are not afraid to get a little dirty are invited.

Photo credit: Thayer Allyson Gowdy

Summer To Do List: outdoor dining

Another hallmark of the summer experience is outdoor dining. Whether it is a picnic by the lake, grilling by the pool, or cocktails on the back porch, food mixed with a warm summer day just seems right. Outdoor dining is so much more carefree. So what if your popsicle drips on the ground, your hands are sticky with watermelon juice, or beads of water pool around your glass of iced tea? That is okay. Outdoor dining forces you to slow down and enjoy the food and conversation. Eating outside is indulgent and good for the soul. So where are you eating tonight?... maybe think about taking it outside.

Bathing beauty

I want one of these swim caps for Little B. What do you think? She would rock this, yes?

Photo via Nibs

Happy Monday

Photo credit: Sleepy Jeanne

Miss Fancypants Swimwear

I want to buy a swimsuit just because of their name and their advertising campaign.

Photos via BleuBird

Happy Friday

Happy Friday! This week was another doozy. There is just so much going on at work and at home, I feel like I can't catch my breath (or any sleep for that matter). But what a wonderful feeling Fridays provide in building anticipation for a great weekend. Knowing that soon there will be time to catch your breath, enjoy a little R&R, and get back to what is good in life.

This weekend, I am going to enjoy my first ever Ayurvedic massage at the Yoga Yoga Wellness Spa (a little perk of the job). Then the in-laws are coming in town to spend some time with our little teething girl while David and I get to enjoy a much needed adult evening. So excited!

What are yall doing this weekend? Leave me a comment and tell me how you are making this weekend count.

Photo credit: Don Mihai

Best breakfast taco in Austin

I am one of those weird Texans that just does not go crazy for breakfast tacos. I actually prefer to eat all of the individual ingredients of a taco separately instead of rolled up in a tortilla. Oh the travesty! It is surprising that I have not been kicked out of the state.

But do not fear my friends, I just might be coming around. All it took was an introduction to the best breakfast taco ever to change my mind. La Casita, where have you been all my life? La Casita has the best breakfast taco ever. My favorite - bacon, egg, and cheese with avocado sliced on top. Delicious! And to make things even better, it is so close to my house. Never mind that it has bars on the window. That just means it is authentic. So if you are ever in Austin and are looking for the perfect dive place with breakfast tacos that will make you drool, try out La Casita.

Photo credit: Austin Chronicle

Door crush

David and I have this thing for doors. Whenever we see one that we like, we point it out to each other. The more unusual the better. We play this game where ever we are - driving around the neighborhood, flipping through a magazine or wandering through the cobblestone streets in Italy. It is a fun game. You should try it.

Image via Berta

Cause some trouble

Do you ever get this feeling like you just want to go cause some trouble? Mischief is brewing and must be released. Well, that is what I feel like right now. So I have been brainstorming about all the mischief outlets I could choose from. Here is what I have so far:

Jumping on the bed
Play hooky from work
Tequila shots
Cannon balls at the pool
Eating Nutella right out of the jar
Motorcycle riding (though I would have to go find a motorcycle)
Prank call strangers - Is your refrigerator running? (maybe this was better idea before caller ID)
Toilet papering a house

Never mind that I am a 33 year old mother with a mortgage and laundry that needs to be folded. This is a strong urge to laugh in responsiblity's face and act immature. So my lovely readers, what is on your immature mischief list? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Happiness simplified

She's coming to get you

Evidence of Fashion Friday

I have received many requests from you to post evidence of this so called Fashion Friday that we have once a month at Yoga Yoga. You ask, I deliver! I will warn you - fashion means a little something different to everyone. We are probably the most rough-looking fashion contestants anywhere... but I would not have it any other way.

Take Me Here

Photo credit: Claire

Eat, Pray, Love

Let me just start out with this shocker - I hated this book. I really, really wanted to like it, but I just didn't. I may be the only woman in America that does not like this book. So Julia Roberts and Oprah would publicly flog me for saying so. I am okay with that. Maybe this is one of those books that you have to be at the right time in your life to appreciate. Or maybe I just think that the author is whiny, pretentious and has a writing style that I don't care for.

Here is what the book is all about...
A mid-30s woman is in the depths of despair, has a crumbling marriage and is not hurting for money in any way, what does she do? She travels the world of course! Okay, maybe not the world, but 3 really cool places - Italy, India, and Bali. In Italy she pigs out on gelatos and pizza and men. Then she travels to India where she stays in an Ashram and makes the motions of being a yogini and renewing her spiritual self. Finally, she lands in beautiful Bali where she falls in love again.

Great story, right? Yes, it is... I just did not care for the personality of the person telling it. In my opinion, I read this person to be pretentious, whiny, condescending, painting a picture of how she wanted to be perceived instead of the reality of what she was, and very negative. I am sorry, but I do not feel bad for a woman that gets to run away from all her problems for a year with expense-paid travel to 3 awesome locations and yet while she is there does not appreciate what a great opportunity and gift that she has been given.

But that is just my two-cents. It is worth picking it up and trying out a chapter or two to see how you like it. Or you can just wait to see the movie. Less of a time suck.

Right this second

I want to cuddle with my husband.

Photo via Cupcakes, Daisies, Sunday Afternoons

Summer To Do List: drink more root beer floats

This 4th of July we are heading over to our friends for a BBQ. We are in charge of dessert. So as an ode to summer (and the fact that I do not want to turn on my oven in this heat), we are bringing the makings for root beers floats that everyone can enjoy. Something about root beers floats makes it a dessert that is only enjoyed in the summer. The thought of drinking a root beer float in February just seems wrong to me. So I raise my mug to summer - oh you are so delicious!