the one with my favorite month!

Welcome, March!  My favorite month.  January and February can feel dreary with the post-holiday slump.  But March ushers in Spring and so many other wonderful things.  Here's what I am looking forward to in March:

• Celebrating our wedding anniversary with a staycation: four years!!

• Starting the last year of my 20s!!

• Caldwell Family Trip 2012 to Vienna and Prague.  May I never outgrow Spring Break!!

• Patio weather in all its glory

• Spring clothes - preferably in nautical stripes or kelly green

• Going to my first attorney retreat with my new firm 

• Hanging out with Julie in Austin

• Hunger Games!

• Time with my long lost seastar on the family trip

• Hearing about Brian's job and getting some direction on the next phase - please send up prayers for good news!

• Uninterrupted reading time on the plane

• Springing forward - yay for longer days! 

• Dallas Blooms at the Arboretum

 What are you looking forward to in March?

the one with Brian and Elaine Day 2012

If love isn't a heart-shaped cheese pizza and a cute Starbucks cup, what is it?

That's how we celebrated Valentine's Day this year - a weekend hanging out together.  Starbucks followed by heart pizza with a really delicious bottle of wine.  On the actual day, Brian brought home a gorgeous bouquet of white roses and lilies.  We made dinner together and watched Lady and the Tramp, which is such a good story.  There is so much more to it than I remembered - and I hated those siamese cats just as much as when I was a kid.  

And just for fun, here's a peek at my high school journal from Valentine's Day 2000, the day Brian asked me to be his girlfriend.  Which is why we fondly refer to Valentine's Day as Brian and Elaine Day.  We were just 16, but it was love.  

February 14 - Valentine's Day - We went to Metro [a Monday night Bible study our church did] and afterward he asked me to wait by my car.  He came back with a red rose, a teddy bear and a smile.  He handed the things to me and my heart started thumping.  Then he started saying, " I was wondering if . . ." and he got stuck.  I knew he wanted to ask me out so I just smiled and said yes!  He looked really relieved ( :  He handed me a Hershey's hug and kiss and then he hugged me!  I was so excited!!

Wish I could show you all the little hearts I drew on that page.  Ah, young love.  And you know what, sometimes I still feel like we are those 16-year-olds, just playing house.

the one with the 3rd Annual Beatnik Birthday

In January, we held Brian's 3rd Annual Beatnik Birthday!  Every year we set up cushions in our living room around a stool with a spotlight.  Our friends come with poems to read - some original, some funny, some classic.  We eat, we drink and we poet.  Sometimes we hookah too.  This year, we wanted to keep the whole thing low key, which somehow came across as a French cafe theme.  I made some potent sangria and we snacked on queso and cookies.  

Brian was ecstatic to learn that the true purpose of his camel, who we lovingly call Chester, is to hold an incense cone (oh the things we do for love - camels and incense - for real).  My sister-in-law Amanda wrote a hilarious poem about Brian.  We were all cracking up when she read it.  So funny - and so true!!  I'm sure those of you who know my husband have a few funnies of your own that you could add.  

The Beatnik Birthday has been a fun tradition and I'm so glad Brian came up with it three years ago!  We have to come up with something good for the big 3-0 next year!!

the one with the dog days of a warm winter

What's a dog to do when winter brings 75 degree days?  

Head to the park with a few trusty tennis balls of course!

Latte in her cute Christmas sweater!

None of her paws are on the ground!

 You would never know these were taken in early January!

Walks to the park are more fun when her buddy Bailey goes too, 

although Latte has to keep him in line.

Sometimes Mom's lap is the best vantage point for keeping an eye on all the other dogs in the park, and for barking at them if they get too close.

 Of course all that playing leads to lots of naps.  

Latte's new favorite nap spot is on top of our throw cushions!

I can't imagine life without sweet Latte.  

How on earth is she about to turn 7 years old!!

the one with good vegetarian eats

I am so proud of us.  The last two weeks we have managed to eat mostly at home, cook healthy things, use stuff we had and not throw stuff away!  I would be happy to do any of those things - but all four for two weeks in a row?  Amazing.

Gnocchi with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach.  This. Was. Awesome.  Like so easy and so yummy and pretty fast.  I highly recommend!  We had a packet of gnocchi and a jar of sauce in the pantry that needed to be used - score.  

Cheesy Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts.  I have a new obsession with Brussels Sprouts.  They are so delicious and easy:  Toss with a little EVOO, salt and pepper, then roast at 425 for about 20 minutes.  YUM.  This quinoa recipe was billed as "macaroni and cheese" quinoa.  It was cheesy, but I'm not totally sold on quinoa.  I know its healthy but I don't love the texture.  That said, this was a solid recipe and I would probably make it again.  

Lemony Lentil Soup.  We really loved this soup!  The flavors were so unique and delicious together.  Plus, I got to use my immersion blender and that is always fun.  Note that you only need a small scoop of rice and a small dollop of yogurt.  I got a little ambitious with both and couldn't finish my bowl because it is filling!

Sweet Potato and Gruyere Turnovers.  We've made these before and loved them just as much this time.  They are cozy and filling - perfect for a winter weeknight.  Plus I got to use up some pie crusts that were in the freezer and I threw in the spinach that we had left from the soup.  

I started using a website called ZipList.  Have you heard of it?  You put in your recipes and it creates grocery lists.  Plus, there is an app and you can have multiple users - meaning Brian can see my current list on his phone if he is the one who has to go to the store.  I may do a full review soon after I get a good system down!

the one with a Jan/Feb update

I feel like every time I update I am wondering where the time has gone.  But that's really how I feel.  Where on earth did February go??  My friend Angela and I were talking the other day about how it seems like life is busy, but the busyness is just life - nothing very noteworthy.  So here's a random update of life right now.

1. We've had several weekends with no major plans.  Some errands, some work and maybe a fun dinner.  I love it.  Coffee (in my mug from Williamsburg) with egg sandwiches and a People magazine are the perfect thing for Saturday mornings.

2.  We are attempting to work out again.  I managed to get my booty to a few yoga classes; just three more until I can finally finally buy some Lululemon pants!  I wish it was easier to go workout - it always feels like such a challenge to make it happen.

3.  Work has been busy.  Like bring stuff home at night and work on the weekends busy.  Hence the lack of blogging.  I'm trying not to let it stress me out because I know these busy periods eventually wind down.  

the sign of busy: a messy desk

4.  It helps that Brian is busy too and equally happy to work on the weekends.  Right now, he is editing video transcripts from different freedom advocates like the Dalai Lama so that the Bush Institute can launch the Freedom Collection next month.  It's pretty cool work!

work date with B at Starbucks

5.  Brian's favorite Irish band played at his favorite Irish pub, so of course we went.  And sang along.  

6.  Brian's parents had everyone over a few weekends ago for burritos.  We brought Brian's hookah and somehow convinced them that we should have family hookah time.  Hilarious and fun.

7.  We went to see Giant at the Dallas Theater Center.  I wasn't expecting it to be a musical, but we it was a good date night, especially because it started with sushi!

That's about all I can remember.  See?  Nothing really noteworthy.  Just normal life - busy with work, cooking and general nonsense.

the one with the bedroom re-do: furniture

We have been dying to update our bedroom for a while.  When we got married, we inherited my childhood dresser, which was my great-grandmother's.  It is a beautiful piece of furniture but just not our style.  My bedside table was a thrift store find in college that I always meant to paint.  Brian had to use the corner of the dresser as a bedside table.  We bought the bed frame a few years ago (we spent a year with mattresses only - no frame) and the bedding is from our wedding registry (Restoration Hardware).  

BEFORE

Not pictured in the "BEFORE" picture are an old bookcase, a cedar trunk and a cheap full length mirror leaning against the wall.  Oh, and a big painting that was over my couch in law school.  It doesn't really "go" with our room either but we don't know what else to do with it!

Latte with all the boxes!

We ordered a dresser, mirror and bedside tables from Pottery Barn's Ashby collection.  It looks pretty dark, but it is a warm, weathered, rustic mahogany.

The dresser is a good size but has two fewer drawers so it required some reorganization.  We love having a mirror above the dresser - it looks so good!  Here are the AFTERS:

Next up in the bedroom re-do: lamps and well decor (yes, we WILL be moving that flower painting that is not centered over anything).  Whenever we move to a more permanent place, I would also like a new bookcase and a cute chair.  New bedding is also on the short list - we was something brighter with maybe blues and yellows.  But for now, I am SO happy just to have matching furniture!  What do you think?!?

P.S. What did you do with your wedding bouquet?  My mom dried mine and it is in a vase on my bedside table - gathering a lot of dust.  I should probably just toss it out, but its hard to actually do it!