addicted to buttercream

The past couple of weeks have been busy busy busy...lots of end of semester projects and papers due, training site interviews, and a quick trip home to Louisiana. I've also been baking cupcakes for my lovely friends who were so generous and made donations to help fund my upcoming mission trip. One friend requested buttercream frosting, which is my absolute favorite. I haven't made buttercream in a while, and I had forgotten how addictive it can be. I probably consumed 5000 delicious calories just tasting to make sure it was "just right" and licking the bowl. I'm strongly considering just making a big bowl of buttercream to eat on everything possible.

{Cupcakes begging to be eaten}

Yesterday I took a few minutes to go thrifting, which I haven't done in forever. I found quite a few treasures that I can't wait to share with you in future posts. I bought a pretty little vase, old fashioned ice cream soda glasses, and a couple of vintage dresses that I plan to alter and reconstruct. My new vase was longing to be filled with flowers, so I scooped up this cheerful bunch of tulips.

{Pretty little tulips}

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.

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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?

Street Cred

This weekend I did something that I never ever do...I ditched my school work that had to be done on the computer, threw the stuff that didn't require my laptop into a bag, and spent the weekend at hubby's races. I had a lot of fun supporting my man and his friends and got to spend a little time working on my photography skills.

Saturdays races were through the streets of downtown Tampa. Watching these guys fly around sharp corners at high speeds was pretty insane. I would be terrified! The weather was gorgeous and an eco-festival was also taking place downtown. We ended the day having dinner and drinks with friends at a little Italian restaurant while watching the last pro race that took place at twilight.

I'm always on the look-out for obscure things that can become something beautiful. I loved the reflection of this historic building caught in the panels of a modern high-rise.

A candid shot of hubby while he is discussing race strategy with another cyclist. It was really fun to see him in his element, doing what he loves.

I couldn't resist these lovely little pansies in various shades of purple and yellow. They reminded me so much of home!

Sunday's races were in a different city and the weather was pretty gloomy. The cloud cover made it easier to get some good action photos. Luckily, hubby's race ended just as the rain started.

Taking the weekend off has left me terribly behind this week, but it was totally worth it to support hubby. I sometimes get so caught up in school, dissertation, and training that I have a tendency to overlook the little things that matter most in a marriage, like how important it is to support your spouse in everything they do. But I'm working on it!

So Yogi isn't just a bear?

As I mentioned in my last post, I sustained a pretty awful injury while training for my half-marathon. While researching how to treat the injury, I kept coming across articles on the benefits of yoga for athletes. I've been wanting to incorporate yoga into my routine for quite a while now, so this seemed like a great opportunity to start. To get myself motivated, I bought a new purple yoga mat and a cute purple yoga block. My schedule doesn't permit me to take yoga classes at a gym or studio, so I purchased the following DVDs after doing a little research:

I really had no idea how messed up my body was until I started doing these DVDs. In addition to my latest injury, I have pretty severe back issues that I sustained in a car accident a couple of years ago. The poses that were supposed to be "relaxing" (like lying on my back) were excruciating due to my injuries. I really should have started doing this years ago! I have to wait 5 more weeks to start running again to give my injury time to heal, so I'm trying to be diligent with the yoga during my time off. I'm anxious to see if the yoga will help prevent future injury like it promises.

Are you into yoga? If so, in what ways has it helped you?

I'm looking forward to becoming a yogini =)

Life, briefly

These past few months have been some the busiest, most stressful, and most rewarding of my life. Would you like to know what I've been up to? Well, even if you don't, I'm going to tell you anyway!

• I took my comprehensive exams for doctor school and PASSED!
• I signed up to go on a mission trip to Guatemala this summer.
• I walked for my master's degree.
• 
  
  
• I finally got to see Wicked (and it was fabulous!).
• I passed another one of my final hurdles for doctor school.
• I started on my dissertation.
• We bought a juicer and I am in love with it.
• I sustained a pretty severe injury only a month before my half marathon.
• I pushed through the pain and ran the half marathon anyway.
  
  
• I saw the Moscow Ballet production of Swan Lake (so lovely).
• I got to see hubby race for the first time since he turned pro.
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• I decided to become vegan!
• I dyed my hair red and had almost 12 inches cut off (you can kinda see in the grad photo but not really well).

So as you can see, a whole lot has been going on lately. It's been a stressful time but I've accomplished a lot in the past few weeks. Now I'm looking forward to things slowing down a bit...and I can't wait to catch up with all of you and see what you have been up to. I feel so out of the loop!

Craziness

I never mean to drop off the face of the earth. I really don't. Doctor school is just kicking my booty right now and leaving me with absolutely no free time. I have a major project that is due next week, so I've been spending every waking hour trying to complete it in time. So hopefully I will be back soon because I miss yall!

xoxo

Studying & Strawberries

{keeping my feet cozy in my Freudian slippers}

I am stuck at home today cramming for one of the most important exams I will ever take. I would say it is second in importance only to the licensing exam I will take in a couple of years to be able to practice on my own. I have my comprehensive exam on Friday morning, which basically covers almost everything I've learned in the past 3 years of doctor school. Fun, huh? Hopefully I will pass with no problems because failing means no more doctor school. If that happens I might as well flee to a deserted island and learn to live on coconut water and bananas because I will never be able to pay back my student loans. So say a little prayer for me if you don't mind!

{studying}

On a much happier note, it's officially STRAWBERRY SEASON in Florida!! Yippeee!! I must confess, the start of strawberry season is one of the things that helps pull me out of the post-Christmas slump. Yesterday I purchased our first package of locally grown fresh strawberries at the market for just over a dollar. I'm planning on slicing these little babies up and serving them over homemade multi-grain waffles for supper tonight. Mmm mmm good.

{Plant City strawberries}

Also, did you know that today is officially the start of King Cake season? In the past, I've had to order king cakes from Louisiana to be shipped to me in Florida. Last year I was determined to make one on my own but was just too busy with school. But this year it's going to happen...I WILL make a homemade authentic king cake on my own! So stay tuned to see how it turns out!

There's no turning back now...

I'm officially registered for the Disney Princess Half Marathon on March 7. Eeek! It's amazing what an expensive entry fee can do for my motivation level. There is definitely no turning back now!

It's Resolution Time!

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There's something so hopeful about starting a new year. People are motivated and anything seems possible. I'm super excited about my resolutions for 2010 and have already started working on them.

1. Grow in my walk with Christ.

- Memorize 2 Scriptures a month

- Read God's Word everyday

- Stay active in church and life group

2. Focus on my health and fitness

- Run a half marathon during the first half of the year

- Run a marathon in the second half of the year

- Compete in a duathlon (run and bike)

- Complete another triathlon and beat my previous time

- Run 700 miles

- Incorporate yoga and meditation into my routine

- Eat healthier, including regular detox and juice fasts

3. Focus on the simple joys in life

- Buy less, make more (including dinners at home instead of eating out so much, sewing instead of shopping, making accessories and gifts)

- Send more snail mail and cards

- Explore more of Florida with hubby

- Learn to budget and stick to it

I've ran the past three days and the trail has been packed with people working on their fitness...I love it! I hope everyone is able to stick with it. Wishing you all the best of luck with your resolutions this year!!

Have you started working on any of your resolutions yet?

Reflecting & Resolving

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Happy New Year!!

I've missed you lovely ladies! I just got back to Florida, so it will take me a few days to catch up, but I'm looking forward to reading about all of your Christmas and holiday fun. I had a great trip home to Louisiana. It was so wonderful to see my family (and experience a little cold weather!). I did tons of cooking while I was there and finally learned to make dressing, which I consider to be the Holy Grail of Southern cooking. Since I just got back into town, hubby and I decided to have a low-key New Year's Eve. We had supper with his family and watched football...it was nice and relaxing. I'm one of those people who is guilty of putting too much pressure on New Year's Eve. I always worry about finding the perfect party and the perfect outfit. So to just chill out and spend time with loved ones was really nice.

I also spent a little time last night reflecting on the blessings of 2009. A few of my favorites...

*We found a church and life group that we loved, which introduced us to a wonderful new group of amazing Christian friends

*We actively made time to study God's Word and bought each other new devotional Bibles for Valentine's Day

*I was able to go home to Louisiana three times (every little break I had from school!)

*I passed my CCE-Diagnostic (kind of a big deal in doctor school)

*The running genes I inherited finally woke up and I discovered I actually love running

*I completed my first triathlon

*I fell in love with sewing

*We celebrated our 2nd anniversary in St. Augustine

*We celebrated my 27th birthday at Disney World

*I attended a conference with some of my girlfriends where we learned from Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur

*My best friend came to visit me and we had a blast at Universal Studios and a fancy beach resort

*I experimented with tons of new recipes and even made French macaroons

*I obtained a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology

*We got to explore a frozen Wonderland of ice even though we live in Florida

I also made my resolutions for 2010, so I will share those with you tomorrow.

Hoping 2010 is full of blessings for all of you!

xoxo