Just for Krissie...

I was a busy bee this weekend. I made a bunch of great meals for the week. And just for my friend Krissie, i'm posting some pics! The only thing missing is the awesome turkey meatloaf, roasted potatoes and spinach I made last night for dinner. Between dinner last night and lunch today it all got devoured (Chris LOVED it).

Black bean lasagna. YUMMM.



Spinach, turkey sausage and orzo soup. It tastes just as amazing as it sounds.

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Grilled chicken enchiladas. A staple in our house, and the photo is blurry and doesn't look like it but I was able to lighten this one up without the sour cream and about half the cheese I normally use.



Muffins. The four to the left are vegan banana chocolate chip. The ones on the right are Krissie's morning muffins with carrots, banana, oats and golden raisins. They are divine - both sets. Lots of these went in the freezer for future use!

A Return to Blogging?

I've been thinking about whether to blog or not to blog for quite awhile. I felt like blogging was bringing me down in some ways before, and in other ways, a form of therapy. I have spent far too much time in my life dwelling on my own imperfections, and what I tend to blog about is how badly I want to lose weight, be healthier and (of late) have children. Granted, it was a rough summer emotionally. With the news of our fertility challenges back in June, I've found myself battling depression for several months. I tried so hard to hide it. For several weeks, I hibernated. Not alot of people know still what we've been presented with. My neighbor even asked me late in July if I was mad about something because it had been so long since she'd seen or heard from me. I sat in my house a LOT this summer, waiting and hoping to be reached out TO by my friends and loved ones and concentrating my relationship to my husband and to just a few friends who I knew wouldn't remind me of babies or pregnancy or anything of the sort. I avoided my friends who were pregnant or have just had babies because it just hurt too much. I know that it's really not fair to them, but I sure hope they understand - especially the ones who know. And I think they do. I realize I can't avoid it forever, but there were days when I just couldn't get out of bed. Yesterday, we got the final word that pregnancy the "old fashioned" way is not a possibility for us, and I'm really trying hard to not let it get me as down as it did earlier in the summer. I have alot to focus on for the upcoming weekend, so we'll see how I do when all of the excitement passes...
I've come to terms with alot of it now. I am actually seeing a therapist for the first time this week to talk about it. I'm seeing an herbalist to help me with natural mood enhancers. I resigned from my board position for my professional organization this month to dedicate a chunk of time concentrating on me. Something I really haven't done in a number of years!

That said, not all of the summer was bad. I had an amazing camping trip with old friends that really helped me forget everything going on in my life. It's amazing how you can reunite with a group of people and suddenly be transported back to worry-free days when you saw them often. Except we're all grown up and responsible now. So a weekend of drinking and live music is just a fantastic way to reminisce about those carefree days and get away from life.


Two ladies I adore and got to spend a fabulous weekend with. One of whom I have spent far too little keeping up with this summer.

Chris and I also took a fantastic vacation to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. We went to San Francisco and wine country for a week. It was one of the best vacations of my life, and I was truly able to put all of my worries aside for 11 whole days while we were there and the few days afterwards that we had together at home. I expected to love it out there - all the great foods, the big city, the cultural offerings and the character of San Francisco - but I sure didn't expect it to be as beautiful as it was! Everywhere we went!


One of my favorite photos from our vacation/5th wedding anniversary trip. We LOVED San Francisco!

For our anniversary, we had some "family" photos taken. Yes, we are those people who take photos with the dog. But we just adore this little critter, and our photographers did such a fantastic job of capturing us.


Family photo taken on our wedding anniversary, September 4, 2009.

So while we've had our ups and downs, I'm focusing really hard on myself, and I plan to share some of that here, as well as things that keep me going. I hope not to focus solely on the lack of children in our home, or the number on the scale, or the money we need to save for some of the big decisions we have ahead in terms of pursuing having a child in our lives, but about taking care of myself and making sure my husband is doing the same. I am certain we deserve it!

Gratitude

Just for my buddy, Fat Bridesmaid, here is MY list of things I am grateful for. At the end of a bad week, it's always good to start the weekend on a positive note!

My top five:

1. A good thunderstorm overnight (I love being swaddled in sheets during a thunderstorm) and gorgeous sun and 70 degree weather during the day today!
2. My fenced in yard, which my wonderful wonderful husband and best friend built with his own two hands. I can honestly say that throwing the frisbee in the backyard with my dog, The Mighty Quinn, never gets old!
3. Having nothing to do tonight. It's a rare thing - the night is wide open for me to do whatever I want! YAY!
4. A relatively quiet day at work. I'm kicking a$$ and taking names today on my to-do list.
5. Flip flop weather. Need I explain it further?
   

Success!

I have been planning a professional speaking event for nine months that happened this past Tuesday. This is one of the main reasons I have been so busy in the new year. I am happy to report that it was a raging success. I raised enough money to bring in five speakers (two local, three national) to speak on sustainability as it pertains to my profession, beginning the night with companies exhibiting their goods, and happy hour with free booze. Who doesn't love free stuff?

We sold out - 130 people. And to boot, the speakers that I had the privilege of entertaining while they were here were fantastic people. Staying up playing pool and having beers with one of your professional heroes - a guy that is WELL known throughout my profession - was just out of this world. I managed to make a few bucks on the event as well for the chapter. I came out of the event totally inspired to set some professional goals for myself and to reach out to a new contact about some insights and opportunities.

On the flip side, I'm feeling a little sad that it's all over. It was sort of like planning a wedding - you plan and plan and plan for nine months, all the people come out that you had hoped would be there, and then it's just over so quickly. And it's a little sad.

But I definitely think it's motivating me to take better care of myself. I really put myself and my health last over the past couple of months, and my body is really feeling the effects.

I'm up today to start the week off fresh with a trip to the public market and a little later, a trip to the gym.

I love the weekend!

A Fabulous Weekend Away

I hope to post pictures soon, but Chris and I just got home from a Fabulous weekend away. Just up to Cleveland, but it was a much needed break from our normally busy lives.

We took Friday off work, and make the trip up, stopping in Old Worthington on the way to visit my friend's new wine store, and checked out a couple of other shops in that area. Then we headed up to Cleveland and checked into our room and relaxed for a bit before heading out to dinner at MY favorite Cleveland restaurant to meet old coworkers of mine. 3 hours of dinner, catching up and great conversation later, Chris and I retired to the hotel bar, for a couple of pints of Conway's Irish Ale, from our favorite brewery.

Saturday morning we headed to the West Side Market. It was fantastic. What we thought might be an hour of wandering around and grabbing breakfast, quickly turned into three hours of a fabulous brunch, and photographing and looking at all the culinary treasures. We each indulged in a sweet treat (I HEART chocolate chip cannoli!), and bought some fresh pasta, pesto and cupcakes for our friends. It was SO hard resisting so many of the other treasures there, like the fresh salsas, the vegetarian delights, the asian foods and breads. I am STILL in shock that I never managed to visit this place in the 15 months I lived in Northeast Ohio. Shame on me!

Then we headed to a hobby store, before heading out to Chardon to visit our good friends Kelly and Frank and their 4-week-old baby, Addison. Addison was just the sweetest thing and she slept on my chest for quite a long time. It was a great visit with two of our best friends and so neat to see how this baby has changed their lives and how in love they are with her! We visited with them for about 5 hours before heading back to the hotel and retiring for the night.

This morning, we got up and went for dim sum. It was fabulous. I wish we had more than just the two of us so we could have tried more than 7 of the 30+ items they offered. It's making me want to try the place near us, but i'm so afraid of being disappointed. We'll see.

Now we're home, unpacked and relaxing. And I am SOOOO not ready for tomorrow or the crazy week I KNOW I have ahead of me. Here's to a few more relaxing hours before the madness begins!

2008: A Year in Review

In response to Fat Bridesmaid's fun questionnaire:

Happy New Year!

1. Was 2008 good for you? It was a good year. There were some ups, and a lot of downs, but it doesn't do me any good to be negative about it. I learned a lot about myself. I had another year of good health and growing even closer with my husband. How is that not good, right?
   
2. What was your favorite moment of the year? I definitely have two. Sitting on a dock on Lake Ontario at dusk with Chris. It was so peaceful, and something I'll never forget. And watching the Obama win announcement with Chris, my favorite cousin and other family on election night.
   
3. What was your worst moment of the year? Probably the day I worked from 7:15am to 11:30 pm at my new job and knew I had to be up at 4:30 the next morning to drive to C-bus to catch a flight. The job is definitely getting a little better, but for awhile I was worried that I went from bad to worse.
   
4. Where were you when 2008 began? At my parents "River" home in IN, with Chris, my parents and cousins Mike and Karen. We played Tripoley and drank a LOT of wine. It was really fun.
   
5. Who were you with? See above.
   
6. Where were you when 2008 ended? With Chris across the street playing dominoes with the neighbors.
   
7. Did you keep your new years resolution of 2008? My resolution was to lose weight. I dropped 20 pounds, but gained it all back (and then some).
   
8. Do you have a new years resolution for 2009? I joined Weight Watchers again on Dec. 26th, but i'm not making it a resolution this year. I'm just focusing on making time to take care of myself - to eat right, to work out, and to find the time to do the things *I* need to do. I'm also majorly cutting my spending habits to *hopefully* pay off all of my credit card debt that's been looming, so I can focus on saving/investing for other things.
   
9. Did you fall in love in 2008? I fall in love with Chris every day. He's my best friend and I'm so thankful for him every day.
   
10. Did you make any new friends in 2008? My friend Tim at the new job. Amy at the old job (who sadly, I just met before I left). My coworker from the old job Sara and I have started hanging out almost weekly, and I'm so thankful for that.
11. What was your favorite month of 2008? October - A trip to Shaker Village, I had 10 days off, and we got to take a great trip to DC.
    
12. Why this month? Time with friends and family, and time to RELAX.
    
13. Did you travel outside of the US in 2008? Yes, to Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto. I LOVE Toronto
    
14. How many different places did you travel to in 2008? Louisville, Cleveland, DC, Toronoto , Niagara, New York, Omaha, Shaker Village
    
15. Did you miss anybody in the past year? I missed my friend Jen. I don't get to talk to her nearly as much as I used to, and the overnight with her family in DC was such a tease!
    
16. What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2008? I loved Lars and the Real Girl.
17. What was your favorite song from 2008? Oh gosh. ANYTHING off of that Vampire Weekend Album.
18. How many concerts or plays did you see in 2008? We saw Ella at Playhouse in the Park, and Wicked at the Aronoff Center. In concert I saw DMB, Tegan and Sara, Springsteen, Paul Thorn, The National, The Breeders...wow. Not nearly enough!
19. Did you have a favorite concert in 2008? The National/Breeders show. Which was also an Obama Rally. It was fantastic.
    
20. What was your favorite book in 2008? The Kite Runner. It was the only book I finished this year (it's been such a busy, busy year), but it was fantastic.
    
21. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year? I really let stress overtake me and lost total control of my health. I'm also ashamed of how hard I was to live with for a few months while the stress took over in my life.
    
22. What was the biggest lie you told in 2008? Any time my old co-workers told me they didn't want me to leave because of how things were going for my team and I told them not to worry.
    
23. Did you treat somebody badly in 2008? I definitely could have been nicer to my husband sometimes. Sadly, he bears the worst of my moods sometimes.
    
24. Did somebody treat you badly in 2008? It's not worth hashing out here. ;)
    
25. What was your proudest moment of 2008? The moment I felt like I was finally taking control of my finances. It sure did feel good!
    
26. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008? It's definitely not an bad embarrassing moment - but having about 40-50 people in a room singing happy birthday to me was pretty embarrassing (but good!). I don't like that much attention, generally.
    
27. If you could go back to any moment of 2008 and change something, what would it be? I might have approached some of those job interviews differently. And I would have stopped myself when I was eating when I wasn't hungry, or even enjoying what I was eating.
    
28. Where did you work in 2008? At my old job, and now at my new one.
    
29. Favorite TV shows(s) of 2008? The Office and Sunday Morning. Grey's has started to get dumb.
    
30. Favorite Band(s) of 2008? The National, She & Him, Vampire Weekend
    
31. Favorite Food in 2008? A Green Papaya Roll!
    
32. Favorite Drink in 2008? Vitamin Water
    
33. Favorite Place in 2008? Home sweet home. But close seconds are: Park + Vine (my friend's store!), Coffee Emporium, and Green Papaya
    
34. Favorite person(s) to be with in 2008? My Husband, and surprisingly - my brother. We really worked on fixing our friendship in 2008, and I enjoyed every minute with him.
    
35. Favorite person(s) to talk to in 2008? My neighbor. She cracks me up.
    
36. Favorite trip in 2008? Toronto, for sure!
    
37. Favorite stores in 2008? Park + Vine, the Apple Store, Whole Foods, Dean's Mediterranean Imports
    
38. Hardest thing you had to go through in 2008? New job transition
    
39. Most exciting moment(s) in 2008? Buying a new car, a good client presentation in New York, and trying chicken feet for dim sum. ;)
    
40. Funniest moment(s) in 2008? The "question and answer game" with friends, the girly slumber party, dinner at GP with James and the girls.
    

Determined to have a good week!

I'm celebrating my 30th birthday this week, and I decided over the weekend that it's going to be a VERY good week.

I'm not going to let work and car troubles bring me down. I worked a normal day today (well 9.5 hours...but much better than I have been!). I gave two very good presentations - one good thing about this new job is that i'm doing alot of presenting - something I KNOW I need practice doing.

Tomorrow night i'm going to a girly Christmas party with friends from my old job who I miss and adore.

Wednesday night, I have a meeting to discuss a conference that i'm really excited to help organize and go to.

Thursday is my birthday. My parents are taking me to a really fun new restaurant. And i've promised myself not to get hung up on what I *haven't* done by now, or the number 30. I'm sure it will feel no different than 29.

Friday, Chris is throwing a little shindig for me at one of my favorite bars, and at least 80 of my friends and family are coming. If that's not something to be excited about, i don't know what is! I also have that day off and have scheduled a cut and color with a new stylist who can hopefully mix it up a bit for me. I am excited. It's going to be a VERY good week, I tell you!

Heading to Shaker Village for the Weekend...

I'm going to one of the coolest Design Conferences ever - close to home in Shaker Village, KY. I even got talked into leading a session there (on sustainability, no less!). I'm really nervous about it, but I think it's going to be a blast. Anyway, as I prepare for this conference, and head out bright and early Friday morning, I leave you with this Shaker Hymn, which is fitting for the weekend, and the cleansing I need to do as I end one job, and move on to another.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'Tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Taking my life back

Today was the day that my boss told the office I was leaving. It was a bit of a wild day. A woman I work with who used to be a boss of mine pulled me in her office and started crying, and told me that I needed to help fill my position and interview candidates before I leave. Ugh.

Regardless, I was in at 8am (a tad early), took a 90 minute lunch, and left at 5pm. And I haven't been more productive in months at home! I came home, had some dinner and sent several emails i've been neglecting to send for my professional association.

Then I walked with the dog, talked with my neighbor friend, did dishes, cleaned up my kitchen, put away several items that belonged in the basement, did two loads of laundry (and folded it!), vacuumed upstairs and down, and dusted the woodwork and furniture upstairs. Tomorrow night, Chris and I are going to tackle the yard. It desperately needs to be weeded.

I'm so excited to have energy back! I feel like I have my life back. It's WONDERFUL. I really hope this continues into my new job, because I really had no idea how much the stress was taking out of me until tonight. I feel like a new person.

Now i'm going to go curl up with my husband, who just got home from a late city council meeting!

Derby Day!

People in Kentucky take the Kentucky Derby VERY seriously. That's why celebrating with Jenni and Aaron Huff is such a delight!

Bourbon balls (0r cubes), mint juleps, cornhole, jello shots, KFC (YUM! brands), a visit from the cops, and White Castles at the end of the night.

And a "doing dinner soon is NOT an option, it's a must, by one councilman, Mr. Huff made it SUCH a fun night!

And yes, it's 12:40, and i'm going to bed. But 8 hours of drinking is pretty good for me these days!

At LOOOOOONG Last!

I got promoted today!

A PERFECT Day!

Chris and I took the day off today. It was an awesome day. He took me to my favorite breakfast spot, and then my favorite coffee shop to stock up on beans.

After we got cleaned up at home, I went with him to get a haircut, and we bummed around a few shops, my favorite being the best record shop in the world! I used a gift certificate that my parents' gave me to buy some much-needed new music.

We had dinner with our neighbors at a new Korean place that was JUST fabulous. I can't say enough about how delicious it was! I only wish it was a little bit cheaper, so we could justify going there a LOT more.

Afterwards we went driving around to see some very unique Christmas light displays. And back home for a nightcap. All in all, a wonderful day. I hope it's an indication of a VERY good 30th year of my life! It sure has started out right.

Going South

We have returned from our trip to Nashville. A day early, mind you, because the Smashing Pumpkins show was postponed (and i'm still keeping my fingers crossed that I can unload my tickets and not lose the $100+ on them).

We had a fabulous time. Nashville wasn't what I expected, but I was pleasantly suprised at how laid back the city is, how nice the people there are, and the general quirks when discovering a new place.

We packed a lot into a two-night trip. We saw alot of the touristy stuff, but it's what we wanted to do. We visited the home of Andrew Jackson, and took a tour of the Ryman. We did a little shopping, and a lot of eating and drinking. I'm still dreaming about the Sweet Potato Pancakes I had for breakfast yesterday- WOW! We got to visit with Sarah, and hear all about her trip to South Africa, which was awesome!

We opted to leave on Monday because the show had been canceled, and left things open-ended with the thought that we might stay in Louisville on our way back, depending on how things went. We stopped for the Maker's Mark Distillery tour in Loretto, KY. My husband was in heaven! Then we made our way to have dinner with my friend Scott, and his sister, Amy at Lynn's Paradise cafe in Louisville. We then opted just to make the trip home and save our money and just relax here today.

Here are some photo highlights of our trip:

My favorite stop on Broadway: Hatch Show Print!



The Glorious Ryman Auditorium!



Dinner with one amazing lady!



I think this shot pretty accurately captures how excited Chris was about our Maker's Mark tour! This is a giant vat of bourbon behind him, about two days into the 6+ year process.

The Conclusion of a Very Good Week

It's been awhile since I could say that I really had a great week all around.
Here are a few highlights:

Monday: It was GORGEOUS outside, and I took the dog for a LONG walk and went to the gym. YAY me.
Tuesday: I volunteered for the first time at our church food ministry. We feed meals and distribute bagged lunches for the homeless and working poor in downtown Cincinnati.
Wednesday: I took a really fun Latin Aerobics Class at the gym. I'm still sore Saturday morning.
Thursday: I had a great meeting with my boss and team about upcoming project's and I feel really optimistic about the work we'll be doing this spring/summer. I also had my annual review, and it went really well. I came out of it really feeling confident about my work and my ability.
Friday: I stepped on the scale to find I've lost FOUR POUNDS this week. I treated myself to a new haircut (see photo from webcam...hehe), and I had a fun night out with Chris and good friends - Angie, Todd, Julia, Sean, & Datina. I hadn't realized how much I needed it.