Mystery Monkey

There hasn't been much notable local news in the few years I've lived in Tampa. We hosted a Superbowl, and a plethora of local sex offenders have made headlines. But nothing that really interested me. Until a monkey popped up. A few months ago, a monkey started making appearances throughout the area. The little guy made his way from the heart of Tampa all the way over to the beaches! He has somehow evaded all of the wildlife guys, but he's not shy at all. He likes to hang out in trees, eat the seeds out of bird feeders, and cross busy intersections. He has become a local hero and something of a Tampa mascot. Just like any good hero, he has his own Facebook page with thousands of fans. So you can imagine my delight when our little monkey recently made national news and was even featured on Jimmy Kimmel. A music video was even made in his honor! So here for your enjoyment (and to get you through one more day of the work week)....I present the Tampa Bay Mystery Monkey.

If only I was a tween...

I'm regressing. I could probably psychoanalyze myself for days on this one. Luckily I'm not a Freudian (or even psychodynamic), so I can just enjoy this regression for what it is....pure tween bliss. Now before you begin to worry, I assure you I haven't been shopping at Hollister or surreptitiously purchasing Tiger Beat magazine.

But maybe, just maybe, I've been secretly reading the Twilight series and wishing that hubby was a little more like Edward Cullen. And I might have watched the movie several times now because Robert Pattinson is just so pretty that I can't help myself. I must have had hearts in my eyes because hubby even went so far as to ask me if Robert would be my "free pass". And I

honestly told him that Rob Pat would only be my free pass if he pretended to be Edward Cullen. I'm totally having a psychotic break, aren't I? I hear that stress does this to people.

{It's totally normal to lust after vampires that look like this, right?}

As if my tween vampire crush wasn't enough, I recently discovered the music of the German band Tokio Hotel. To be fair, there is nothing tween-y about their music, but teen girls everywhere just adore them. I watched some footage from one of their live concerts and teens were screaming their names with tears rolling down their cheeks. Ah, to go back to the days when I was young enough to believe I might actually marry a celebrity. My tween crushes were always musicians (I was convinced that the lead singers of Soundgarden and Blur were going to fall in love with me...never mind that I was a 6th grader in Louisiana and they were 30-something rockstars...minor details, right?). I actually did marry a famous musician, but that's a story for different day.

{Tokio Hotel}

So now I'm dying to know if I'm the only one who ever regresses back to her tween or teen years. Do you have any secret crushes or indulgences that don't really vibe with your usual sophisticated independent lady self? Maybe a stack of Lauren Conrad books under your bed or a slightly fanatical obsession with "Glee"? Your secrets are safe with me.

Lovely little moments

Today has has been an extremely busy day, and not in a good way. You know those days...when your To Do list literally requires you to have more than 24 hours in a day? After working on my dissertation for who knows how many hours straight, I decided to take a little break. I've been longing to try this Veggie and Cheese Bagel Sandwich recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and tonight seemed like the perfect opportunity.

{Veggie bagel sandwich + Abita strawberry lager}

Can I just say that this sandwich was heavenly? Deliciousness like this makes it easy to be a vegetarian. Even if you're an avid meat eater, you must try it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be eating these every day this summer. While I was having my yummy little supper, I was able to catch Sarah Jessica Parker on "Who Do You Think You Are?" I just adore her. You better believe that May 27 is marked in my planner and I'm already planning my outfit. So I had a lovely little break but now I must get back to work.

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!

my quest to become the perfect wife

I've found that the easiest way to earn "wife points" is by cooking. What guy doesn't love a home cooked meal or treats that were baked with him in mind? Since hubby isn't supposed to eat sugary treats during race season, I decided to make his favorite homemade granola bars.

{White chocolate cranberry granola bars}

Naturally, I would have rather made a batch of cupcakes so I could indulge a little myself. But these bars made hubby blissfully happy, and I really can't complain because I snuck out and bought a delicious cannoli just for me.

What do you like to cook for your man?

Prints Charming

I must confess that I am a bit obsessed with prints. Always have been. In a room full of little black dresses, I'm usually the one wearing leopard print. About six months ago I realized that my closet was seriously lacking in neutrals. Since then I've been trying to make a conscious effort to buy more neutral pieces, and I think I've been pretty successful (although I may have gone a little overboard buying pretty little things in shades of nude and blush). But all my efforts aside, there's just something about spring and summer that screams for prints. As if to make up for my brief print hiatus, I've been on a bit of a binge lately.

I just might have gone a tad crazy with the Liberty of London for Target line. These are just a few of the printed pieces I snatched up. After buying three dresses, a top, two scarves, and stationary, I am officially cutting myself off.

Even though I haven't had time to sew in ages, I still make regular trips to the fabric store and hoard away prints and patterns (it's a sickness). This delicious stack of fabric is sitting on my sewing table, taunting me to blow off my school work and make something. Once May gets here I will have Fridays off, and I totally intend to devote the day to sewing and reading by the pool.

{image}

Being the print junkie that I am, you can imagine my excitement when I discovered Amy Butler's prints the other day. I guess I've been living in a cave because I had never heard of her, but after spending an hour on her website I am convinced that she is a genius. I am already imagining making these fabrics into perfectly pretty summer skirts and dresses.

What is your current obsession?