Friday Favorites

Didn't I mention last week that my picks were a little all over the place? Well... you ain't seen nothin' yet. Today, we make last week's choices look positively coherent.

 -- First, a Friday Favorites dream-come-true: look what arrived on my doorstep yesterday...

Even cuter in real life!

 

decked out for St. Patrick's day

 -- The hubs and I are on a working-out-together kick -- he has come with me to the gym every day except one this week, and we've been doing stuff together while we're there. This means that for the first time in forever (forever) I've been doing strength training, core work, and all those other things you're supposed to add to the cardio for a well-balanced workout... yuck. I'm lucky to have my very own personal personal trainer to make me feel like a wimp encourage me to keep pushing, but I'm going to be very ungrateful here for a minute: this strength stuff is for the birds. I have been so incredibly sore all week, words truly can't describe it. Sitting down hurts. Standing up hurts. Breathing hurts. I can't even begin to get comfortable at night, so I've been sleeping horribly. And let. me. tell. you. I sneezed on Wednesday, and I swear my life flashed before my eyes. I was absolutely positive that my head was going to pop off in that instant. Dan keeps telling me that it will get better, and today I am finally slightly less achy (until I try to move, at least). All I can say is that this had better be worth it.
The "favorite" part of this little topic (I bet you didn't think there was one!) was that I've been able to spend lots of quality time with Dan. Because of his funky work schedule, sometimes I feel like we barely see each other during the week. But even when I was yelling at him to get out of bed already and we were glaring at each other as we got dressed for the gym before the crack of dawn, it was nice to get to see his face a little more this week. He hits just the right balance of encouragement and making me laugh like crazy... which would be wonderful if it didn't hurt so damn much.


 -- After our gym date last night, we headed to check out a new local grocery store and grab a few last minute ingredients for dinner. This place has a ton of bulk nuts, snack mixes, and candy (dangerous), and as we browsed I spotted these beauties.

I have not eaten or even thought about mustard pretzels in YEARS, but I used to love these things when I was little. I bought a little container, and oh my goodness, they took me right back to childhood. They are super salty but incredibly good.

 -- Speaking of childhood food, I whipped up another kid favorite for dessert last night. When we were grocery shopping last week, I pointed out the pre-made Jello version of the "dirt" dessert, and Dan's eyes got all wide. I sent him back for chocolate pudding mix, grabbed a container of cool whip, and even tracked down a bag of gummi worms. Last night, we indulged:

  -- On Wednesday, we took Teddy for his first real puppy class. We signed him up a month ago, but our class didn't fill up and eventually got canceled, so we're starting again now. Our new class includes a sweet Doberman, an adorable German Shepherd, and a teeny-tiny terrier mix. Teddy did pretty well and made it clear that he's going to be a teacher's pet: while the other puppies played after class, Teddy stuck close to the trainer and did his best to look cute. The trainer even picked him up (not exactly an easy feat, since he's grown so much) to give him some love, and Teddy was clearly in heaven. We definitely have a mooch on our hands. 

The best part, though? During a "puppy recess," Teddy meandered over to the other pups, picked up the leash of the little bitty terrier in his mouth, and dragged both it and the attached dog halfway across the room to us. He sat down right in front of Dan, leash still in his mouth and terrier still struggling to get back on his feet, and looked at us like "I brought you something, can we keep it??" Everyone (including the terrier's mama, thank goodness) got a good laugh.

 -- And in the interest of equal air-time for all furballs (no one likes a furry mutiny), we'll end with this little graphic that I whipped up the other day:

Truer than you can imagine... he is not a morning cat.
Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Just a Note

Dearest Spring,

Anytime, really.

Love, Meg

(Although it is nice to know that someone is being held responsible for this ridiculous winter...)

Friday Favorites

It's that time again! My picks this week are a little all over the place (meet my brain), but they're all things I'm loving lately...

This song has been on repeat for the past week:

I'm grateful once again to Pandora for knowing my musical tastes better than I do.

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As I get more and more frustrated with our little house, which is falling apart and poorly designed and thank goodness it's not actually ours, I spend more and more time daydreaming about our future home. We are hoping to buy or build in the next year or two (but please don't tell our bank account, I'd rather not scare it away just yet), and I've already started decorating and painting and buying furniture in my mind. One of the first purchases will most definitely be a comfy new couch to replace our current one, which is slowly sinking into the floor. I've got my eye on something like this...

[via, via]

You can't go wrong with Pottery Barn (again, please don't mention any of this to the bank account). I love the idea of a neutral couch so that we can swap out accent colors with pillows, curtains, etc. Of course a couch would certainly need a chair to go with it...

[via]

... and I can't get enough of this one. I love tufted armchairs and can see myself curling up in this with blanket and a cup of tea. We'd also need some art on the wall...

[via, via]

... and a lamp...

[via]

I've been searching for a blue and white porcelain lamp like this forever. One of these days I'll find an extra few hundred dollars and make this baby mine...

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By some dangerous turn of luck (for my wallet, at least), Kate Spade has recently acquired my email address. I made the fatal mistake of clicking through an email the other day, and fell in love with these beauties:

[via]

The only reason I haven't hit that fateful "purchase" button is that I can't decide which one I like better, the mint or the striped. For once, that terrible indecision is paying off!
[There is also a bag that is tempting me but I will most certainly not be sharing it (or buying it), because while I think it's the perfect size, Kate seems to think it's actually perfect for someone with a baby... and a legitimate reason for carrying around 300 pounds of stuff on a daily basis.]

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I just finished my March book (look at me go!), and this one has found a permanent place on my shelf of favorites (which is a real shelf -- one of these days I'll share the other books that live there). 

I'm not sure that any recommendation can truly do it justice, it is so beautifully and honestly written, difficult to read but rewarding and inspiring. More than anything in the past year and a half, it stirred up vivid memories of my father's last days, gently unearthing moments that I thought I'd rather forget but now am so glad that I didn't. 

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And last but surely not least, a clip that absolutely made my day today. Grab a kleenex or two and meet Tim and his dad...

Tim and Keith Harris | StoryCorps

Happy weekend!

 

   Love,

    Meg

The Ultimate Wish List

Every year, I have the hardest time putting together a Christmas list. My father had perfected the threat, "If you don't send me a list you won't be getting any gifts," which was usually enough to light a fire and get me browsing Amazon for at least few books that looked interesting. But my husband begs every year for even just a glimpse of an idea, and now his poor younger brother, who drew my name in the family exchange, has been texting me asking for tips too. 
Sadly, my excuse is not terribly altruistic -- it's not that I don't want anything, not that I don't see things practically every day that I would be thrilled to find under my tree. I'm simply terrible at keeping track of these items when I do find them, so when this season rolls around, I have only vague memories: "it seems like there was a pair of shoes I wanted about two months ago....." When you ask me today, I simply can't remember what I'd like.
So, to any of you who may be reading this post with great anticipation, expecting a wealth of previously untold ideas for the perfect gift (hi, hubby!)....... sorry to disappoint. I did, however, do a little brainstorming recently on what I might include on my ultimate Christmas list...

nail polish that doesn't chip

This is the current sad state of my nails. They looked great for about two hours a few days ago, between the moment that all the excess polish finally wore off my skin and the time they started to chip. Expensive manicures sometimes last as much as a day or two before I scrape my hand against something and ruin them. Is moron-proof nail polish too much to hope for? (Or while we're wishing, should I perhaps just skip the small potatoes and ask for a little bit more coordination and grace?)

someone to pack my clothes for me every night

Every evening, I trudge upstairs half asleep, dying to crawl straight into bed and shut my tired eyes. Every morning, I drag myself out of bed and curse my night-before-self for only tossing a pair of socks and a sports bra in the general direction of my gym bag, thus landing me in crisis mode, standing in my closet bleary-eyed and grouchy trying to figure out what on earth I can pack for work that matches doesn't clash too badly. It's brutal.

a lifetime supply of straws

I have a thing for straws. I bought some of these adorable paper straws in our wedding colors for our cocktail hour. I keep a stash of the regular plastic ones in pretty colors and use them 90% of the time around the house and at work (coffee and wine being the two big exceptions to that rule). 

... it's okay, my husband thinks I'm weird, too.

a puppy who will stay a puppy

While I'm not going to miss the sharp puppy teeth and the accidents around the house, I'm pretty sad that my little boy is growing up so fast. The tiny furball who I could scoop up in one hand and hold while he slept is now looking more and more like a big dog every single day (and does he ever sleep anymore??). He isn't even three months old and I'm already ready to get him a little brother...

more time with this guy

I'm including a little something for the hubby in this wish list: better work hours. I miss him on the evenings that he works late! And the whole working-on-Saturdays thing has gotten pretty old for both of us. I wish like crazy he could find a job he loves with normal person hours.

a year of pain-free running

While my shin splints are mostly better, it seems like there's always a twinge, an ache, or a cramp somewhere. I could definitely use a fresh set of legs each morning, mine to run down (literally) as I please. If they could also be long and tan like the ones above, well, I guess I wouldn't say no to that either...

a serving of whatever my coworkers eat for lunch every day

Around noon every day my office begins to smell like the house on Thanksgiving morning. Some days it's chinese, some days it's leftover pasta, and some days I can't even tell what it is, but it always. smells. incredible. and I just cry into my salad bowl. 

the ability to function on less sleep

I have become an old lady in my mid-twenties. I start yawning around 9:30, and by 11 I can barely keep my eyes open. If for some crazy reason I am still among the living post-midnight, you can guarantee I won't be good for anything except keeping the couch on the ground the next day. I would get so much more done if I could stay awake a little longer each day, but I've heard it's not a good idea to fall asleep while vacuuming your house.

the ability to un-read things I've read on facebook

This doesn't really requires an explanation, does it?

So there you have it -- a few ultimate wishes. What are you wishing for this holiday season?

Love,

Meg

Friday Favorites

Despite the unquestionably wonderful addition of fur to our household, I have managed to have what can only be described as a crap-tastic week. Little things have gone wrong, big things have gone wrong, little things have caused more big things to go wrong, and every day I've felt a bit like I was trying to walk up a very steep hill with a few dozen landmines planted -- you never know which step is going to explode right in your face. 

In my car on the way to work this morning, I thought of all the things that I could put on my anti-favorites list this week: bad drivers, mean people, expensive bills, cold weather... let's just say it was a long list with a lot of specifics. But in an effort to end the bad week right here and not let it contaminate my weekend, I've decided to focus on the things that are still making me smile, even as I keep getting knocked down that hill.

Since the death of my jeep, I've had the thrill of being able to drive a car with a fully functional dashboard, turn signal, heat, and so many little comforts that I missed terribly in my clunker. This car also came equipped with the holy grail, however: heated seats. My buns have never been happier, let me tell you. Thankfully, the car I'm looking into purchasing (this current ride is relatively temporary) also comes with heated seats, so I won't have to give this up anytime soon. Now if only I could rig my office chair....

The picture quality is terrible, but I was pretty proud of this dinner I whipped up the other night. We've had a friend staying with us for a few nights, so I felt the need to actually cook and decided to try a new recipe (from my tried and true and very favorite food blog, of course). The chicken and risotto recipe is here, and it was absolutely delicious (and those are mushrooms, in case you were worried). The asparagus was also pretty yummy, and made me wonder again why for years I avoided what has now become one of my favorite veggies.

If I were the kind of person who had the time/organizational skills/motivation/time to send out cute Christmas cards, this is definitely the one I would pick. Sadly (luckily?), 1. I don't, and 2. those suckers are expensive. But how gorgeous? A girl can dream. This whole shop is full of adorable temptations... so dangerous.

Enduring truth: there is no day so far gone that one of these babies can't do a surprising amount of damage control. I'm not sure whether it's the cheery red cup or the amazing stuff it holds, but I am a total sellout when it comes to peppermint mochas... they just make me happy, darn it.

Of course no list of favorites would be complete without these two little furballs. I am so lucky to have them around to keep me smiling... and to keep my feet warm. They are truly two of the sweetest animals I have known, and Dan and I are so glad that we got two snugglers!

And last but definitely most important, look who is almost here:

 

I'm so excited I can't even stand it! It is absolutely not an exaggeration that I spend the whole year looking forward to these few hours. The anticipation is killing me!

Happy weekend, everyone!

   Love,

    Meg

Starts with "Y"

yum.

yuck.

 

[hard to tell from the pic, but I honestly looked like I'd just stepped out of a pool...]

yikes.

yoga?

yes, please.

yay!

 [Happy Weekend!]

   Love,

    Meg

Weekend Sampler

This weekend was glorious. And I have proof:

date night! sad we didn't know where to look at the camera...

date night eats... yum. best fish and chips in town!

fantastic run super early on Saturday morning

refueling in the best way possible (pic stolen from a few weeks ago, but Saturday's tasted just as good)

more snacking...

beautiful view from the dog park

[his] and [hers] dinners at Outback Saturday evening with a wonderful friend. as you can see, hubs loves those cheese fries.

And then we made a horrible, terrible, wonderful mistake. 

Dan ran across a golden retriever kennel online and convinced me that we should go visit the puppies. Except it didn't take much convincing, so Sunday morning we made the hour drive to what turned out to be an awesome farm. With puppies. Be still my heart...

Go ahead, bask in the adorable:

chomping on my toes! these guys were definitely in the chewing phase... they wanted to bite our arms, legs, clothes, and one of them even got a rather large mouthful of my hair (luckily most of it remained on my head). I spent most of the time we were there with my fingers locked in the grips of little puppy teeth.

We did manage to escape without a little fluffball this time around (which is good and bad all at the same time, because there were at least three I would have taken, no questions asked). We are, however, excited to go back soon... these were by far the happiest two hours of my week, if not my whole month.

Honestly, who wouldn't just melt over a face like this?

Besides the pups, we also met a few horses:

a picture-perfect shaggy longhorn:

... and a donkey that may have had a thing for my husband:

donkey going in for a snuggle. Dan slightly unsure of the intentions of said donkey.

On the way home for Father's Day dinner, we also made a quick pit stop to love on our wedding venue a bit:

so beautiful!

All in all, a fantastic weekend full of food, running, wine, family, and puppies. What more could a girl ask for?

What's that? She could ask for one more adorable puppy picture?

Oh, well, I suppose I can do that for you...

Clearly he's a little depressed that it's Monday, too.

Hope your weekends were just as lovely!

  Love,

    Meg