pink nostalgia

the 29 list: #9 find a great wine

I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I'm trying to broaden my pallet a little.  I came away with four wines that I really love and would love to have at least one in the wine rack at all times.   

No. 3 & 4  When I went to visit Beth, her and I went to Kicks Brooks' Arrington Vineyard and tasted a few wines there.  I absolutely loved the blackberry and Gewurztraminer.  I waited until I got back to Texas and ordered 4 bottles thinking that they wouldn't travel well in my carry-on on the plane.  It was a complete splurge.  I ordered the raspberry dessert wine on a whim.  It was a little too tart.  But the blackberry was delicious.  I haven't opened the Gewurztraminer yet.  I'm scared - I don't want to waste it!  Plus, it's not available locally (I'd have to order it), so I need to make it last, right?

No. 2  For our sixth anniversary, Dave and I spent the night at a local winery, and part of the reason I chose it was to sample a few more wines.  The Angel Riesling is definitely in my top 4.  Really sweet and great for sipping by itself.

A few randoms that didn't make the cut, plus a few more that I don't have photos of.

No. 1  Wine night with some girlfriends - a great way to go through a few bottles.  ; )  The Moscato (second from the right) was the winner.

So that's it.  They're all pretty sweet, but that's what I like.  : )

Anyone have any other suggestions?

the 29 list: #12 do something with my eye makeup

Technically done but I wish I would have been more purposeful.  I did try two new looks and accumulated lots of liner and shadow for the future.

Over the summer, I used turquoise eyeliner with just a bit of white eye shadow.  Of course, I reserved this for weekends, holidays, and pool time.  : )

I dabbled with black liquid liner which I’ve always avoided in the past because it runs when you cry and is generally very messy.  But I’ve always felt that I was missing out on something by using a pencil liner, so I decided to ratchet up the sophistication factor with a really striking black.  It wasn’t as hard to manage as I thought it would be, but it did take me for-e-ver.  Obviously, this isn’t work or grocery store wear.  I’m trying this look again this Friday night for my hot date.  No photos because the self-portraits are ree-diculous.

I tried to mimic Lauren Conrad’s look from her book Style, but I don’t think it worked because I did not look like her when I was done.  : /  Maybe I need a friend to help me out.  [Yeah, that's it.]

I had fun playing and liked the idea of changing it up, which was kind of the whole point, so there ya go.

the 29 list: #20 drink hot tea

So, we have tons of tea at our house.  Dave was on a tea kick for about a month six years ago and we have all of the leftovers.  And they're all these crazy kinds that I don't like, like Scottish Nog and Earl Grey.  I know I could just throw them away, but I can't.  I feel bad.  So I'm drinking them.

I made myself love Twinings Lady Grey.  It got to where I craved it.  I never thought I'd like Chamomile (Celestial Seasonings), but I had two cups in a row the first time I tried it.  My all-time favorite is Bigelow French Vanilla. 

I still have a way to go, but I've gone through about five boxes.  I'm declaring this one done.  : )

the 29 list: #19 read a classic mystery writer

I’m in the middle of a new series of vampire books (Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead).  This is definitely a new guilty pleasure.  I read the first four books pretty quickly and was looking forward to the last two, which I had already obtained from the library.

Then the nightmares started.

I was standing on a half-submerged submarine in the middle of the ocean (???).  I was on some sort of lookout patrol, when all of the sudden, I saw a Strigoi (evil vampire built like The Rock) crawling up out of the ocean and onto the sub.  I yelled into my headpiece, and when I turned back around, there were Strigoi crawling up from all sides.  It was similar to the scene in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse when the vampire army is marching out of the river to hunt Bella, but in my dream, they were ominously crawling, and they were all huge.  [Shudder.]  I woke up as they were approaching and longing for my neck, no life preserver or US Coast Guard in sight.

So.

I decided to take a break and read a classic mystery author.  My mom gave me a few of her Agatha Christie books when we moved into the house, and honestly, that’s what I had in mind when I made the 29 list.  I picked “Ten Little Indians” because it’s short and I recognized the title.

Around 8 p.m., I went into our bedroom, turned on the lamp on my nightstand, turned off the overhead light, and settled in under the covers ready to start the book.  Around 10 p.m., four people were dead, and no one on the island, including me, had any idea who the killer was.  I was completely entranced.  I glanced around the room (stupid, stupid, stupid).  The bathroom doors caught my eye as they were cracked open (we always keep them closed).  Why were they open? They shouldn’t be open.  And not even open enough that I could clearly see that there was no one in there waiting to bash my head in with the mantelpiece clock??

I closed the book, set it on the nightstand, and stared at the bathroom doors willing them to close and stop scaring me.  I was in the midst of this when Dave walked in.

D: What’s wrong?
A: Nothing.
D: You look weird.
A: I’m fine.
D: You look like something is wrong.
A: This Agatha Christie book is totally freaking me out!!  Is there someone in the bathroom?!?!?

Y’all, the book is so good.  Suspenseful, a little gory, intelligent, mentally engaging.  It’s really not that scary.  Usually when I read or watch any kind of mystery, crime drama, etc., I don’t try to figure it out.  I just wait and let it unfold, wait for the surprise twist ending.  But with this book, I kept trying to figure it out, then the author would explain away exactly what I had been thinking.  It was like I was having a conversation with Agatha Christie while I was reading!  You have to read slowly and pay attention because there are lots of details and lots of characters.

Five stars.  Miss Marple is next.

hey ang, how'd your tag class go?

Man, everyone's been asking how my classes went!  I had no idea people were so interested!  Thanks, y'all!

The classes were great!  I wasn't nervous at all.  Both classes were pretty small but well received.  They were laid-back and felt more like friends scrapping together than a teacher/student class.  It was so fun to chat and swap scrapbooking tips.  Everyone was super nice.  I brought candy, dressed up, and had extras of all of the supplies.  It was perfect for my first kit class.

Here are a few things I learned.

• Everything takes longer than you think it will.  I was suprised that I ran out of time in both classes, and I was monitoring the time every few minutes.
• Start on time.  I wasted 10-15 minutes at the beginning of each class with prep and chatting that we could have done earlier.  : /
• The students will only go as fast as I go.  I have to set the pace from the beginning.
• People will go off the map and change it up.  The good thing is that not everyone is as particular as I am, and the other good thing is that everyone has their own styles.

And that's it!

Thanks to Emmalie for forcing asking me to do this!

the 29 list: #16 learn some digital tricks

So this one is coming along pretty nicely.  I should tell you that I don't like messing with things on the computer.  I'm not very good with um, technology?  And since I'm on a computer at work all day, I do not want to be stumped on my computer at home.  I'm not an expert by any means (still a hack, really), but I've picked up a few things and have made some [simple] things that I'm proud of.

BY MYSELF.  Waddup.

Well, hmm.  It doesn't look like much.  But I'm good with it.  : )

P.S. You can see the rest of the 29 list here.

the 29 list: #11 update the living room

Hee hee heeee he hee heee.

A few weeks ago, I hosted a Pre-Breaking Dawn party at the house.  All of my Twi-hards came over to watch the first three movies.  And of course, I decorated.  : )

My favorite was the HUGE framed poster over the mantle.  [I'm giggling.]

I asked Dave if I could keep everything up for a week , you know, just until Jessie came over.  He said, "Uhhh, it's a little creepy, but yeah, I guess..."

Then she suggested that I keep all of the framed photos up permanently and when people come over and see them, I should talk about Esme and Jacob and Renesmee like I know them.

Hee heee!

P.S.  See the rest of the 29 list progress by clicking the icon at the top-right of this page or by clicking here.

the 29 list: #13 do something with my hair

Hey HEY he-e-eyyyyy,

Alright, go ahead and make fun of me, but everyone knows that I love a plan.  And you might have guessed that some days I hate my hair.  So I came up with a four-step plan over the course of this next year to change it up, be crazy, and hopefully like my hair again.  Each phase is a different color and cut.  *Spoiler alert - step four is Reese Witherspoon's hair in Sweet Home Alabama.

Step one started on Wednesday.

Rebekah called it chocolate with caramel highlights.  As soon as I told Dave that, he said, "OHH!!  What did I have last night?!  Chocolate ice cream with caramel sauce!!"

I'm in the really-love-it-because-it's-fun-and-different-and-anything-I-do-with-it-looks-amazing phase.  My favorite part is that when I look in the mirror, BAM!  My eyes POP.  I mean, it could just be that I'm making big eyes at myself, but they really seem to pop.

I have a coworker (who's a guy, so I know I should take this with a grain of salt) who said that it doesn't look very different.

Really?

Hey, happy Monday.  : )

the 29 list: #3 go to a concert

About a week and a half ago, Dave told me that Lady Antebellum was going on tour and guess who’s opening for them?  I correctly guessed Josh Kelley!  (Josh is brothers with one of the guys in the band.)  We said that that would be a great concert to go to, and that was that (apologies for the overuse of “that”).

After all, Lady Antebellum is a roadtrip staple.

 
And Josh Kelley - well. 

Well, Dave and I fell in love to Josh Kelley.  That’s not actually true because we were in love before we/Dave discovered Josh, but it was the soundtrack to that summer, that summer that was just…magical.  [Please settle in for a story.]

Summer of 2003, Dave and I had been dating for about 10 months.  I took classes at Baylor in the first session.  Dave was in Milwaukee painting fire hydrants for the city for the second year in a row.  It was awful in that someone-just-ran-over-my-lovestruck-puppy kind of way.  In fact, a few days after Dave left, I put on a brave face and walked over to his apartment to get something.  As soon as I walked into his room, I started to cry.  Matt (his roommate) looked at me like, “I don’t know what to do with a crying girl – please stop.”  I had applied for several summer jobs, but no one wanted summer-only work.  My roommate and I were driving each other crazy from being together too long, and I didn’t want to go back home for the second half of the summer.  I was anxious and antsy and angry – just awful. 

Then Dave asked if I wanted to come to Milwaukee for the second half of the summer to live with him and his parents.  A hop, skip, and a plane ride, and I was there.  I have rose-colored glasses for the rest of my summer memories. 

Dave taught me how to drive a stick-shift that summer.  We spent hours and hours in the Brewers parking lot with the windows down and the sun roof open, Josh playing in the background. And then we would end the night dancing in the empty parking lot, and sometimes Dave would dip his head down and softly sing along:
I said baby
You’re ama-zi-ing
I wa-a-ant to let you se-ee
You are everything and more
To me
I will let you be
I will
I will

And he would always change the words in “Angeles” (as in Los Angeles) to “Angela’s”:
Going out to Angela’s
Keep me restless for the days

And there was more – eating home-cooked dinners on the back porch, going to fairs and festivals and concerts, becoming friends with his friends, learning to scrapbook at the dining room table, and driving all over town, across the state, and across the country.  And laughing.  And smiling.  And being really happy.

 
 

There were some other things that happened that summer that were struggles, but for me, it will always go down as the summer Dave and I fell in love (even though we were already in love).  And I can’t listen to Josh Kelley without getting a warm feeling in my chest.

Fast-forward to last Thursday when I found out that Josh Kelley was going to be playing in Waco at the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo on Saturday night. 

 
 
 

It was an awesome concert.  The weather was perfect.  The band sounded great.  Josh was funny and warm and a little sentimental and so so talented.  I was literally standing against the front rail the whole show.  I couldn’t stop dancing.  And guess what he played towards the end?
I said baby
You’re ama-zi-ing
I wa-a-ant to let you se-ee
You are everything and more
To me
I will let you be
I will
I will

 
 
 
 
 
 
If Dave would have leaned up and started singing in my ear, I would have bawled like a baby.  : )

And then, the bass player (who I had been making eyes at during the whole concert) started throwing picks right to me (Dave nabbed one for me).  AND THEN, he gave me his set list! 

 
It took a few minutes for me to stop jumping and calm down enough for a photo.  Dave kept telling me to not smile so big – as if I could help it.

 Thanks, Erik!

This is the most excited I’ve been all year.  I mean, amazing.  Just amazing. 

 
 
Thanks to Dave for taking most of the photos so I could enjoy the concert.

Oh, did I mention that that summer ended with a proposal?  : )

the 29 list: #26 plant something - UPDATE

It's been a month since I planted everything for the front flowerbed and porch, and I've discovered the secret to keeping plants alive - you have to water them.

 
 
 
 
 From top to bottom: creme brulee coreopsis, Rhea Mealycup sage, sweet basil, boxwood basil, sweet potato vine.

The Mexican heather, English lavender, red star autumn sage, and delosperma are all growing but not blossoming.

Here's one of the hydrageas that we planted a few years ago.
 I know, it's a lot of brown, but look at the new growth in the middle with a glass-half-full perspective.  : )

The coneflower and one of the sweet potato vines are dead.  I don't have secrets for those.  The sweet potato vine died literally in the span of one day.

But our other flowerbed is blossoming better than it ever has.  Again, just from watering.  : )

 
 

Right?!  Success. : )

the 29 list: #24 learn to make a really good peach cobbler from scratch

Still going on the 29 list.  I almost missed peach season because this whole summer was too hot to be baking.  That's always my excuse for eating the brownie batter and cookie dough.

First things first: bought awesome Coopers Farm fresh peaches that were driven in from Fredericksburg.

 
Prompty forgot that fresh peaches go bad and threw them out a week later.  FAIL.

Round 1 (with grocery-store peaches)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Verdict: I probably could have rolled the dough a little thinner (does anyone else think I look mannish in that photo?) and baked it 5-10 more minutes.  Also, the brown sugar was...different.  It was good but not great.  My favorite part was actually sprinkling the counter and rolling pin with flour and rolling out the dough.  It made me feel nostalgic.  So for that, the recipe was worth it.

Get the recipe here.

Round 2

 
I almost regret cooking these peaches.  I've had a few days to think about it, and I DO regret cooking these peaches.  I need to make another trip to the grocery.  They were so sweet and delicious.  I did a lot of snacking as I was peeling and slicing.  : )

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Verdict: Winner winner peach cobbler breakfast.  So no rolling pin, but I still made my own dough.  And this was my first time to use the cast iron skillet (it's Dave's, and special thanks to him for cleaning and seasoning it for me).  Plus, there's just something kind of cool about baking with the cast iron.  Extra points because this one has heavy cream and bourbon.

Get the recipe here.

I'm calling this one done, but if you have a great cobbler recipe, please leave it in the comments.  I might try one more this weekend.  : )

the 29 list: #26 plant something

Guess what I did this weekend?

 
 
 
 
 
 

Here's how I had it in my head.  I sketched it a few weeks ago.  Please don't laugh at my rudimentary drawing skills.

 
Here's how it turned out.

 
Pretty close.

 
 
1. Rhea Mealycup sage 2. coneflower 3. sweet basil 4. boxwood basil 5. English lavender 6. Mexican heather 7. creme brulee coreopsis 8. sweet potato vine

in the flower bed: Red Star autumn sage (far left two), delosperma (6 small plants), hydrangeas (the 3 dead ones)

 
 

I'm not really the green thumb type (you saw the hydrangeas, right?), but I'm trying.  It was actually more fun than I thought.  Dave and Barkley were outside with me, the front porch windows were open, and the radio was playing.  Dave helped a lot - not with the actually planting (he credited me with 90% of the work), but by coming with me to buy plants, answering questions, and cheering me on.

I'm really excited to watch everything bloom and grow.  I just need to remember to water them.  : /

the 29 list: #21 try fresh artichoke

So last weekend, Dave and I were at the grocery and saw a big tub of fresh artichokes.  No time like the present, right?  The whole thing was actually pretty fun - Dave sat at the bar facing me in the kitchen, I oscillated between taking pictures and cooking, my Pandora Glee station played from the living room (thanks, bebe), and there was some queso on deck, too.

All I knew about fresh artichoke was 1. one of my roommates loved them, 2. there's a trick to eating them.  I searched for Food Network recipes, but I got a ton of hits that were actually marinated artichoke hearts, and all of the whole ones were grilled.  Not to say that they didn't have what I wanted, but my patience ran out, so I scratched that and Googled "how to eat an artichoke."  This article was exactly what I needed with photos, cooking instructions, and eating instructions.

 
 
 
 
The only thing the article didn't have was a recipe for dipping sauce, so I totally winged it.  I didn't really measure, but it was probably close to: 1/4 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2-3 tsp honey, juice from 1/4 lemon, wisk it all together, taste and adjust as needed.  Note: I couldn't pick out any of the separate ingredients in the final taste.

 
 
 
 
 
The verdict: delicious, especially with the sauce.  I kept saying, "I don't know why I'm surprised, but this is so much better than marinated artichokes in the jar!"

And oh so pretty.

 
 

P.S. So that I don't get angry emails, the song lyric in my head today is "We only said goodbye in words!  I died a hundred times!" "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse

the 29 list: the half-way point

So it's my happy half-birthday minus one day.  High time to re-evaluate the 29 list.

1. take a photography class - in progress.  I found a great FREE self-paced workshop that my friend Y and I are working through.

2. run a 10K - in November at the Cameron Park Zoo Stampede (sounds insulting, right?) and maybe a 5K before that

3. go to a concert

4. make mini albums - made minis for Mother's Day, the 50th wedding anniversary, and Nashville.  RR3 is in the works, and at least two more are on the docket.

 5. go on a picnic - DONE

6. get cool handwriting - looking at Ali Edwards's and Kelly Purkey's journaling

7. go on a cruise

8. fly somewhere - DONE

9. find a great wine - tried several, way more that I'd normally try in any case.  I could probably stick a fork in this one, but I'd like to be mindful of it the whole year

10. watch 5 foreign films - so far, 2 out of 5

11. update the living room

12. do something with my eye makeup - in progress

13. do something with my hair

14. submit one page per month - the only way this is happening is if I change it to 12 pages this year.

15. apply to 2 design teams - applying to the first one next week

16. learn some digital tricks - I've learned some, but I'd still like to find a class or follow a few tutorials plus experiment with actions

17. get a library card and use it - DONE

18. read 12 books - DONE

19. read a classic mystery writer - I'm saving an Agatha Christie anthology for this winter when I can curl up in front of the fireplace with a huge pile of blankets.  Seems appropriate.

20. drink hot tea - in progress

21. try fresh artichoke

22. make homemade lemonade - DONE

23. learn to make Gratziano's cheese bread

24. learn to make really good peach cobbler from scratch - picking up a basket of peaches from the Coopers Farm truck on Friday for my last half-day of the summer

25. sell something

26. plant something - planned but not planted

27. sew something - DONE

28. indulge in something - DONE

29. splurge on something - DONE

Eight complete, thirteen planned or in progress, and eight waiting patiently in the foyer.  Not too bad, right? 

the 29 list: #22 make homemade lemonade

Knocked out #22 on the list.

Round 1

The first one was easy, namely because I didn't make it, but I DID slice the lemons and provide witty banter, so I'm counting it.  Just squeeze lemons, puree frozen strawberries, and add sugar.  Everything is to taste.

 
Round 2

I tried a recipe I saw on TV where you boil sugar and lemon zest to make a simple syrup.  This one left my whole arm covered in crackled sugar and tasted like a cheap circus concoction, and not in a good way.  BUST.

Round 3

 
 

1. juice 2 lemons  2. add 6 heaping Tbsp sugar  3. add 12 oz of water  4. stir until sugar is dissolved  5. add 2-3 basil leaves and muddle with your straw  6. top off glass with ice  7. add some lemons back in 8. enjoy on a hot-as-the-dickens-summer day

 

Cheers.  : )

the 29 list: #5 go on a picnic

One great thing about my employer is that we get half-day Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.  I always like to make the first one count.  This year, my friends and I went on a picnic.  And after we started planning it, I realized, "Wait!  This is on my 29 list!  Woot woot!"

We went to Miss Nellie's Pretty Place in Cameron Park.  Except for the fact that it was literally 100 degrees, it was pretty perfect.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My friend Y wanted to take some jumping shots a la Kelly Purkey.  We weren't very successful, but we had fun trying.

 
 
 
What you can't tell is that the camera is sitting on a concrete step about 10-15 yards away from the girls.  So I would hit the self-timer button, sprint around the fountain, hop onto the ledge, then jump, all in flip flops.  Then jog back and do it all over again.  (And did I mention it was 100 degrees?)  Those perfect jump shots are harder than they look!

the 29 list: #8 fly somewhere

I'm crossing this one off of my list twice since I'm flying round-trip.  ; )

I have just successfully flown from Waco to Dallas to Nashville to Dallas to Waco for a long weekend with my roommate Beth and her city.

 
 
 

Last Tuesday, I was talking to my friend Angie about my trip and telling her that I’m flying out of Waco which is so much easier than DFW.  She’s never been to the Waco airport, and what I was describing was completely incomprehensible to her.

Me: There’s free parking, no shuttle, no getting there two hours early because security is so small…

Angie: Really?  I had no idea.

Me: It’s pretty small.  There’s only one or two gates.  I can’t remember.

Angie (perplexed):  Is there a McDonald’s?

Me (scoffing): No.

Angie: Well, that’s good to know.  Now I know if I ever fly out of there, I have to bring my own snacks.  What about a book store?

Me (laughing): No.

Angie: Magazine stand?

Me: No.  There’s not a Chili’s, either.  And you can’t buy souvenirs anywhere.

Angie: Well, I didn’t think there’d be a Chili’s!

Me: There’s not even a sandwich cart!

Angie (even more perplexed): But what is there?

Me: You know how Dallas has terminal A, terminal B…?  Waco doesn’t have that.

Angie: They don’t?

Me: They don’t even have the long hallway to separate security from the gates.

Angie: They don’t??  What do the have?

Me: Gate 1.  Gate 2.

Angie: I don’t understand.  When you walk in –

Me: When you walk in, there’s the ticket counter on the right, security in front of you, and baggage claim on the left with a glass wall behind security.  It’s more like one huge room than anything.

Angie: I just don’t understand.

Me: I’ll take pictures.

 
ACT waiting area.  Editor's note: I was wrong.  There are 3 gates, and there is a little shop.

the 29 list: #27 sew something

I caught a sewing bug last week, so I knocked out #27 on my list.

Project 1 - Sleeping Mask

From Amy Butler's book In Stitches (which has at least two more projects that I'd love to make).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special thanks to my mom who talked me through it.  I'm okay at sewing if I know what I'm doing, but I don't know all of the jargon and believe it or not, I'm not good at following directions.  Plus, I'm impatient.  I know, shocker.

Project 2 - Chair Pillow

Ahh yes, this one was much easier.  No directions to follow, I just winged it.  I put two fat quarters together (right sides together), pinned and sewed around the perimeter, turned inside out, stuffed, and machine-stitched the opening.  I tufted the pillow with DMC floss, covered 4 buttons with a third fabric, and stitched the buttons on.  Done and done.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Project 3 - Apron (sigh)

Again, no pattern.  I couldn't bear to cut the lavendar and cream fabric, so I concluded that an apron would be perfect for it.  I added the slightest ruffle at the bottom because ruffles make me happy.

 
 
 
 

I'm thinking of doing a tutorial post on this maybe this summer, since this apron is my favorite one to make.

Project 4 - Square Deal Pincushion

I used this free pattern from Heather Bailey.  I thought since it was free, it would be easy.  I was wrong.  I messed up four times.  And it's not perfect by far.  This is the one that I made for my friend Lindsey.  I also made one for me that I'll post later.  It's even more imperfect.

 
 
 
 
 
 

I do love this fabric and bought some of my own for an Amy Butler apron.

So, I'm declaring #27 complete.  But I'm still going.  ; )

 

the 29 list: #17, 18, 27 & 28

#17 get a library card and use it

 

#18 read 12 books

So far, I've read The Hunger Games Trilogy, Lauren Conrad's four books, and half of a Philippa Gregory novel.

#27 sew something

 

I started working on this for my first sewing project but was thwarted when I remembered I needed to wash all of my fabric before I got going.  : /

#28 indulge in something

I'm counting the Lauren Conrad books as an indulgence because 1. it's a guilty pleasure, and not like watching the new 90210 that you'll admit if someone else brings it up, but a closet guilty pleasure that you never admit; and 2. I read her three fiction books in less than 24 hours, including 8 hours of sleeping (but I didn't take breaks for anything else, like eating or yard work).  I'm not sure if that speaks to the quality of the writing or the intermediate-school-reading-level, but there it is.

Plus...

 

Birthday confetti cupcakes with whipped chocolate icing and pink sprinkles.  : )  And no, I didn't eat the whole batch.  I had some help.

 

This morning, as I was finishing the second Lauren Conrad novel, Dave interrupted to ask if I wanted to do yard work (apparently after being married for almost six years, he still doesn't know me that well).  I said no.  He countered with, "But the front flower bed is on your 29 list!"  To which I replied, "Yeah, some time this year, not today!"

Why does it always seem like Sunday evenings fly by?

the 29 list: #29 splurge on something

I love going into the Coach store.  The shining white marble floors, the bright slick shelves, and most of all, the smell of brand-new leather when you walk in the door.  Ahh.  Dave and I always make one lap around the store and then go about our business.

But this time was different.  : )  We made three laps around the store, I "tried on" four purses and modeled them in front of the mirror, and I left with a classic purse and scarf that Dave imagines me handing down to a granddaughter one day.

 

 

Honestly, I had this in mind when I made the 29 list.  It was between a Coach purse or Tiffany.  It wasn't actually too much of a splurge since it was 65% off (!!), and I used my Christmas money, but it's as much as I can splurge without breaking into hives.

And I love it.