our little chicken tender

about a week or so ago, i dreamed we had our baby. (a few months early, if you're keeping track.) she was very small, only about 5 inches long, but otherwise healthy and seemingly pleased to be in the world. so small, in fact, that she kept slipping through the crook in my arm and i had to keep digging around in the couch cushions looking for her. (don't worry, she was fine. this is a dream, people.)
at the climax of the dream, i proudly presented her to my mom, holding her up like Simba in the Lion King, and proclaiming gleefully, "She's our little chicken tender!!!"

upon waking, this was my first thought: OF COURSE i would give birth to a chicken tender! considering my diet for the last few months, nothing at this point would surprise me less.

this one's herbed, but i assure you, ours was just as delicious.

speaking of our little chicken tender, she's about all that's been on my mind lately, in one form or another. when something like pregnancy takes over your body and your life, it's hard to focus on much else, really. as a result, i've spent a lot of time lately reading and thinking about pregnancy and parenthood, as one might expect.

pregnancy, for me, has been filled with a lot strangeness and disappointment (in myself mostly, not in the experience), but also with a lot of hopeful exploration. i think my favorite part of the process has been in the discovery, and something about the mystery of it all never gets old.

i was pleased to find this article today, on Jen's blog of all places. it so hit home with me that i felt i should share it. besides, i've been rather internet shy the last few months. (remember all that disappointment i mentioned earlier?) if i'm not providing compelling content of my own, i might as well point you in a good direction. ♥

pruning

a few weeks ago, we made our annual trip to the apple orchard. i'd been waiting so long for the cool weather, turning leaves and crisp, tart apples; it comes every year, but still it feels forever new and fresh, like i can finally take my first deep breath in months.

i heard a sermon recently about pruning and fruit. in it, there was a story about an apple tree that was overgrown and breaking under the weight of its own bitter fruit. it needs pruning, or it will eventually die, the gardener said. when he was done working, there was almost nothing left of the poor tree, nothing green. the tree has been traumatized, he said, by the severe pruning. but eventually, it will grow strong and bear fruit, big and sweet.

i watched my husband, along with his father and his brother, cut down a number of trees in our yard a while back. many were diseased and had died, one had grown awkwardly and was threatening to crush our garage. even some that were still tall and strong needed pruning; i watched with concern as they sawed off every sideways-growing limb and thinned the branches to let sunlight in. wouldn't too much pruning hurt the tree, i said? won't it leave even the largest trees in distress? the most mature trees, they said, might feel a little pain, but in the end they'll be healthier, stronger. the branches growing toward the sky are the most important parts of the tree. anything else is stealing precious nutrients and energy from the stronger branches, and threatening the tree's health. the trees need to be pruned, they said, in order for them to survive.

it got me thinking about my tendency to hurry forward, yearning for fruit but despising the necessary pruning. i don't think it's necessarily bad to long to bear good fruit, but i think better than that is an attitude that embraces the pruning and receives it with joy--a painful means to a beautiful end. i don't know if we have any say over what parts of us get pruned and what remain (although, i suspect not); but if i could choose, i'd like to see the laziness go. clip off the fear, prune away my short-sightedness. cut down and burn all the sideways-growing branches of self-centeredness and pride, to make room for branches that can bear good fruit. so the light can come in and grow a blossom into a fruit, so that fruit can ripen into something bold, sweet and nourishing. so that the harvest is plentiful and many can eat till they're full.

it is finished.

a dear friend once reminded me, upon her own rediscovery, that all the best songs have already been written.

trying to prepare my heart for the heaviness of Good Friday, i found this one, again. and since i cannot say it any more perfectly, i'll merely let it stand on its own.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.

atrophy

i have a friend, she writes beautiful words. some of her recent words read like a script in my head. these are the lines i've spoken, the dance i've done.

since an injury last summer, i haven't been as active as i would have liked. i can feel that my body has gotten softer, changed shape. my clothes don't fit. what i see in the mirror doesn't match the body in my head, i feel like i don't belong in my own skin. i can see evidence in places where muscle definition used to exist, but what's there now seems unfamiliar. the landscape has changed, and i don't know where i am.

workouts are harder, leave me stiff and sore for days. i am remembering what this feels like, relearning how to move, how to stand, how to breathe. i am surprised to find myself slower, weaker, less flexible.

i get the same feeling when i haven't been in the Bible as much as i would like. i forget things, i lose focus. like He calls my name, reaches for me, but His hand only barely brushes my sleeve as i breeze through the door. later on, i wonder why He didn't fight harder for me. i accuse Him, i shift the blame. but He was always in pursuit; i was the one who got distracted, who turned and walked away.

now, back in that wonderful book, i am starting to recognize some things. the words sound familiar, their message feels like nourishment to brittle bones, sore muscles, a weak heart. i see signposts everywhere--my handwriting in the margins, well-worn pages, notes from friends, evidences that i once knew this place. i lived here once, this was my home. it doesn't feel like that yet, it still seems new, but already it feels so much better than where i've been. like the softness of your own sheets after a long week away.

Paul says "I beat my body, and make it a slave, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." it's a picture of discipline so purposeful, so complete. a subtle warning against laziness and apathy, a reminder to keep our eyes fixed on the goal. to run with purpose. to persevere.

always late to the party.

i realize i'm always the last one to figure these things out (yes, i'm still afraid of Twitter.)

but if you guys haven't already tried this site, you really should. coming from someone who's tragically and suddenly forgotten how to find good music, this is a lovely little buoy for your work day. or any other kind of day, for that matter.

http://www.ilistentoeverything.com

currently, i'm drinking in the Winter playlist. (duh.)  ♥

the day trail mix kicked my derrière.

recently, my Hubs and i were all snuggled into our living room with the gas stove on, blissed out on all-day football consumption and feeling pretty fat and sassy. we were a little low on the trail mix we like to make  ourselves, so Hubs went to the kitchen to gather ingredients and mix up a big bowl's worth. he came back, arms loaded with supplies, what seemed like dozens of pounds worth of bagged Sam's Club loot: mixed nuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, cashews, mixed dried fruits, Ghirardelli chocolate chips. and all of a sudden, i was breathless. "We are SO RICH."

the weight of our blessed lives nearly knocked me to the floor. trail mix? really? we don't even consider it food, really. good enough to stave off hunger for a half an hour while dinner's cooking, or as a little treat after lunch, sure. but what we consider a mere snack some people on this planet would kill for. sure, we might have nearly 6-year-old cell phones that don't even take photos. and we might mostly use hand-me-down computers. and we don't even have cable! but we have trail mix. and look at how much of it we have! bags and bags and bags of nourishment, and that doesn't even compare to what's in the rest of the kitchen. 

it happens a lot that in times of suffering, the things we are so grateful for become so much more obvious. but sometimes we don't even need to experience times of little to be awakened to how much we're blessed.

this is going to bother a lot of you, i can tell already. the Hubs and i do alright on the income front, and we're very conscious of how blessed we've been with good jobs and a comfortable standard of living. lots of you are probably bitterly muttering, "duh." and i could probably go on and on about how everyone struggles with finances, regardless of their situation. how we have certainly had our share of challenges, and how we've worked very hard to handle our finances wisely and responsibly. how politicians have skewed the statistics in  their favor, making divisive labels that prey on everyone's general dissatisfaction with how much money they have (or sometimes, their perception of how much money they have.) i could say all those things, but i'll spare you the defensiveness, that sort of attitude would muddy the waters.*

the point is, none of it is really ours. we're just managers of God's things. and just as He once trusted us with little, He's trusting us with more and more each day. and the responsibility of that has been heavy on my heart lately. so heavy. the scriptures are packed with reminders about the dangers of trusting in one's own wealth, and certainly those verses are never far from my mind. but more than anything, especially in the midst of this holiday season, i'm so thankful. for how we've been blessed materially, for the wisdom (not of ourselves) to be good stewards, for the things we're able to give others and in doing so, point to the God who made it all possible and who tells us to take care of each other. and i'm also supremely joyful that i've been given this opportunity to know how much we have, and to still be so, so thankful.

have you even been just knocked down by a reminder of all your blessings? ... or do i need to get out of my head and into the world a bit more often?  ;)

♥

* Also, please do not receive any of this as boasting, for i have a healthy fear of God, and know that He has to say about these things. In Jeremiah, for example:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
   or the strong boast of their strength
   or the rich boast of their riches,
²⁴ but let the one who boasts boast about this:
   that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
   justice and righteousness on earth,
   for in these I delight.”

legwear. (obsessed much?)

it's becoming an issue, people. suddenly all i can think about is covering myself in as many pairs of tights and socks i possibly can. most of the time, all at one time. you think i'm kidding? yesterday i wore some SmartWool ski socks over a pair of patterned footless tights, with some knee-high boots. and then, when i had to go to the store later, changed out of the boots and into running shoes. when i realized how silly i looked wearing a skirt and running shoes, i merely changed out of the skirt and into some baggy, olive cotton pants. OVER THE TIGHTS AND SOCKS. needless to say, i might have looked ridiculous in the x-ray line at the airport, but i was rather cozy all the way to Sam's Club. (guys, what a party! if you only knew how exciting my life is every day!)

and so, if the first step to solving something like this is to admit you have a problem, then fine: i clearly have some kind of problem. but if i learned anything from my triple-leg-layered experience last night, it's that if this is wrong, BABY I DON'T WANNA BE RIGHT.

and now, some very naughty lusting:

Nep Colorblock Tights by Hansel From Basel via Need Supply

Horse Bit Socks by In God We Trust, via Need Supply

Christmas Wish List

It's that time of year, I suppose. I've already slaved and stressed over gift lists for both my mother and my mother-in-law, so why play this sad game of want-versus-get all over again? Easy: The Internet is a fun place to pretend!

As I've grown up a little, entered and then exited the corporate world of dress codes, and made significant changes to my body, I've had some time to redefine my wardrobe a bit. Or at least, think about redefining it. Many of you probably know that the Hubs and I keep a relatively tight budget; often, we would much rather stash away our extra cash for new windows or a roof for our 100-year-old house than throw money at something as fickle as fashion. But who doesn't love to dream? Plus, being an overwhelmingly visual person, I've always felt more comfortable in situations where things are pretty. Daydreaming about tweaks and adjustments to my daily look is like a happy little mind exercise I do to keep myself surrounded with aesthetically stimulating things and new, fresh ideas. Like a total phony, most of this wardrobe analysis and construction begins and end with this thought experiment. But who can afford the time and cash to attain complete wardrobe perfection? Not anyone I've ever heard of. (Not anyone who wasn't broke, anyhow.)

So let's play pretend: If time, money, and other important life priorities weren't an issue, what changes would we make to our everyday looks, and what pieces would we add to round a wardrobe and make it more cohesive? Here are some elements I've been wanting to add to my winter wardrobe lately. (Warning: Those prone to overwhelming retail lust may wish to duck out at this moment, or keep their debit cards put safely away, as the eye candy is about to begin!)

1) More Skirts. 
I've had my eye on this stunner by Little Ocean for like, forevs. And though it's not currently in our budget, I'm always in favor of supporting local, handmade artists and craftspeople, and know a piece like this would be a wise wardrobe investment. Plus, look at those colors! *swoon*

Harvest Printed Linen Skirt by Little Ocean

2) Ankle-Height Moccasins. (Because you can never have too many moccasins, let's be real here.)

Vintage 1970's Minnetonka Leather Moccasins from Clever Nettle

These are already sold, and not to me, because I waffled and hesitated and ultimately wimped out.  *whimper* But they do represent a look I've been toying with lately--the pale, neutral ankle boot silhouette. These have leather soles, which are not a good match for snow. They would also probably not fit even my skinny jeans inside, but a pair that would might just be the perfect winter substitute for my normally not-very-weather-proof Minnetonka Kilties.

3) More tights, please!

Image via Jen Loves Kev

I don't know who got the bright idea to make tights something that grown-ups can wear, but whoever they are, I think I need to spend more time in their presence. I think I used to hate tights as a kid, thinking they were scratchy, constricting and too warm. But since I work in some kind of Office Arctic tights have become my new best friend. They allow me to dress up more even as the weather gets colder, help transition many warm-weather dresses and skirts to be more wearable year-round, and keep me from wearing the same boring jeans to work every day till they stretch out and start sagging in the rear. Plus, with fun, exciting new colors like the ones Jen models above, and at price points that allow for a small (or rather large, in my case) collection, tights seem like a no-brainer.

4) Socks. The wooly-er, the better.
It's no secret that I'm much more fond of cold weather than our hot, humid Wisconsin summers. So it's probably no surprise that I've become completely obsessed with trying to wear as much clothing at one time as possible.

Gipsy Over The Knee Socks from ASOS

Tall, ribbed, cozy socks are only a natural extension of my compulsive layering addiction. My favorite variation lately has been to layer warm, scrunchy socks over tights with shorter skirts, as expertly modeled by Tania from What Would a Nerd Wear:

Image via What a Nerd Would Wear

(post-script: I totally wanted this grey lace skirt from Target in the WORST WAY. I unwisely hesitated, then it showed up on this style blog, and another (I don't remember which one now, sadly) in the course of a week and immediately sold out. BOO. I may try to replicate it as a DIY project; if I do, I'll let you know how it goes!)

5) Green. And I mean the color. (Remember when it was only a color? Aye, the good old days...)
I've been really craving rich, deep colors lately as the weather's gotten colder. Green is one I don't have enough of in my wardrobe. I'm hoping to finish a handbag I started last winter (ha! if only you knew how common this sort of behavior was!) that's made from an old, evergreen-colored wool jacket. In the meantime, I'm trying to add it in here and there where I can.

"Green"set from my Polyvore

All in all, I realize that to be unsatisfied with my wardrobe is sort of silly; I know I have more than I truly need. But a little virtual window shopping always gets me thinking, sometimes not even about shopping for new items, but about creating new combinations in my existing wardrobe or about crafting new pieces myself. And that sort of visualizing can't be all bad. ;) (PS - I don't really need any more projects clogging up my life, but maybe someday I might be brave enough to take this experimenting to the next level and try Kendi's 30 for 30 remix challenge!)   ♥

10 words (on why I write)

His mercies are new each morning—we must document allofit.

(go ahead and hate for the cheater word. but this was it, and i wasn't about to argue. for a short back story on why i chose to take on this little 10-word challenge, check this post out, and for a little extra context, read this.)

10 words - preview

having been in a bit of a productivity rut lately, i found this challenge rather interesting. perhaps a chance to redefine why i started (and restarted) this silly weblog, and examine my intentions for it moving forward.

i don't have anything ready yet (will probably post when i have something, or become a fake plans liar), but in the meantime, figured i'd list. listing is something i apparently used to do early in my days of internet oversharing, and after having revisited some of that writing, i've realized how effective they were in summarizing what would normally eat up much more time (yours and mine). so here goes.

stellar:

- the Madison Mud Run. (very, very cold, but very, very worth it.)
- ribbed sweater tights
- being able to wear real shoes again, albeit with cushy insoles added.
- Halloween!
- Halloween candy
- Halloween being over, finally. (i work at a costume company. you don't even know...)
- running! again! oh, how i missed it.
- orchard apples
- Yogi Healthy Fasting tea. mmm...

less than stellar:

- politics. (at work, not in real life. the real life ones have been rather exciting lately!)
- plantar fasciitis
- Halloween candy
- gaining weight
- having to start working out again, after getting far too used to "resting" (read: laying around, whining.)
- hard things (that's what she said! ha!)
- earlier and earlier sunsets. (can't it just stay fall forever?)

and now, here's a dirty picture:

ha. fell for that one, didn't ya?

wilderness

i've been so grateful and excited about the new crisp autumn weather! a retreat to wearing pants and real shoes. making hot chili and curling up in blankets. cool evening bonfires. tights with dresses. creamy squash soup.

and being the best time of year, you'd think i'd be giddy up to my gills. but i think busy-ness, striving, hard work and big decisions are taking their toll.

but then this morning i came across this on my favorite Mennonite cooking blog (okay, so my only. but also my favorite.) perfect, timely, true:

18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:18-19

how easily i lose my head sometimes.

so as the seasons change today, i'm throwing off all that hinders and toasting blue jeans, morning runs, salted caramel, future plans, and a God that never changes.

who's with me?

Lake Country 5k 2010

ps - the photo above was taken this Saturday, as my friend Katie and I started off on our first 5k together. we didn't quite hit our goals, but we did come pretty close, and we're looking forward to our next race!

at least cover your parts, you're going to work. (The Post Wherein I Go Back To The Real World)

getting dressed in the morning has been something of a challenge, ever since returning from our family vacation to Bavaria a little over a week ago. in fact, most things have been something of a challenge. upon returning to work, which, by the way, was in the throes of what some might call a Deadline Crunch (and all the subsequent freakouts and meltdowns) i told my husband that i felt quite like Peter in Office Space, right after the hypnotism heart attack scene. everyone was running around as if there was some kind of unannounced fire drill not involving an ice cream truck, and there i was, in a delightful haze at my desk while twangy tropical music floated through my head. this first day back was followed by several mild temper tantrums, in which i, at least once, declared loudly that if i was not in Europe riding bikes in the mountains, well, then life just wasn't worth living.

needless to say, getting back to normal has been a bit of a challenge. but the deadline at work has passed, and i've had some time to reflect on this trip and forget, at least for a few minutes, that i probably ought to be Doing Something.

i have very little hesitation calling this My Best Trip Ever. (i considered it for a minute, knowing this would knock my High School Junior Year Band Trip to Hawaii out of first place, but then remembered the 10-hour sunburned flight home, and well, that was that.) and not to get all mushy on you, but i believe the reason this trip ranks so highly on my very short list of destinations is not merely the Currywurst, latte macchiatos or even the Sound of Music tour, but because we never stopped moving, not for a minute. we rode bikes along the river in Salzburg, hiked to the top of Kehlstein (or The Eagle's Nest, as we, the Allied, may remember it) and spent countless hours walking to and from our hotels and the charming city centers of each place we visited. and for the first time in my life, i did not even complain about how badly my feet hurt. (okay, so i did once, but i maintain that my father-in-law is responsible for promising a cab ride home and not delivering, even though the promised cab ride home was the reason i wore Those Heels in the first place.) but seriously. for the first time in my life, i was able to enjoy a vacation that wasn't centered around eating until The Ulcer came back and loafing around Doing Nothing. and i started to think, hey, maybe this is what living an active life is all about.

my most favorite part of Bavaria, especially Munich, was how active and fit everyone there was. i wasn't sure what to expect of Germany and Austria, not being really German or Austrian at all, but admittedly knew i wouldn't be surprised by a mass of burly, solid folks dressed in funny leather pants and carrying head-sized mugs of beer. and there definitely were head-sized mugs of beer, but rather than being delivered by buxom barmaids in lace-trimmed aprons, they were skillfully carried, 4 at a time, by seemingly very small but obviously quite strong 20-something girls. (!!) guys, these things were liter mugs of beer. made of heavy glass. FULL OF BEER. half the time, they tossed in a couple head-sized pretzels too, just to show off.

and we haven't even gotten to the bikes. oh! the bikes! everywhere you looked people were using bikes as transportation, rather than driving cars or scooters. sure, there were cars and scooters, but because Munich and Salzburg are so beautifully dense, using a bike to get from place to place really makes a lot of sense. and of course there was no shortage then of yummy bike eye candy. vintage cruisers, stylish new city bikes with all the bells and baskets, sleek road bikes jockeyed by even sleeker young Europeans. guys, it was as if i had died and gone to my very own personally-designed heaven. complete with Turkish food, strong coffee and functional fashion!

so it was no surprise that having realized the pitiful state of disrepair of my old hand-me-down, white-and-teal Trek road bike from the early 1990s just before our trip, that upon returning, we'd find ourselves salivating over new beauties in the local bike shop within mere days. and now, my friends, after a quick test drive and subsequent squealing, i am saving my pennies for this charmer:

while considering this hefty purchase, my husband asked, would i rather have a bicycle or a moped? "bike, duh." i replied. "i'd rather be active than merely have an alternate transportation to work."

... wait, I said that??

the oatmeal chronicles

it was brought to my attention by an old friend that i spend the vast majority of my facebook statuses and other public forums reflecting on food. things i eat, things i want to eat, things i really shouldn't have eaten. this is not exactly news to me; i've been very open and frank about the fact that all i think about and do all day is graze and then think about what i can shove in my face next. but before you go getting all judgmental on me, let me tell you a story.

in November of this year, my friend Ryan put me up to a challenge. see, he's a certified personal trainer, kettlebell instructor, and all-around way healthier than at least 95% of the general population of the United States, i'm pretty sure. and, as i'm learning now, when you've found the secret to success in making the food work for you, you get really evangelistic and want to make everyone hop on board with you. so for YEARS Ryan has been on our cases to make healthier choices. my husband and i being two folks who enjoy pizza, nachos and wine more than we really care for, say, carrots, this was a hard sell. but i had had it with my weight gain, my out-of-shapeness, and my general pestering feeling that Something Must Be Done. so i took him up on his challenge, started eating on a diet plan he had been working with, and ramped up my workouts to 3-4 nights a week at his studio. AND THE REST IS HISTORY. (i've always wanted to say that.)

so here's how the story ends, or in the case of this blog, begins: GUESS WHAT, THE SILLY DIET PLAN WORKED. because it wasn't really a diet, so much as it was a kick start to train my body to want healthier things and function more efficiently. and because that night as we watched Ryan shovel platefuls of salad, chicken fingers and enchiladas down his trap (and burn ALL the calories from that! right there in front of us!) and considered his offer for a better life, that night proved to be a life-changer for me.

people at work have started to comment on how i have lost quite a bit of weight. some of my Fat Day clothes stopped fitting, and then some of the more Regular Day clothes, and now i've gotten to the point where my clothes i desperately hung onto from College When I Was Thin, THOSE CLOTHES DON'T REALLY FIT ANYMORE EITHER. i still have a ways to go before i meet my goals, and refuse to buy any new clothes in the meantime, but i'm going to go ahead right now and say that whatever change Ryan has encouraged here is not so shabby.

and the compliments are nice, they're scary and uncomfortable and really exciting all at the same time. but as i've started to make changes in my own life and "get it," i've felt a great responsibility to all the people i love to spread The Gospel of Good Health. so i try to lead by example. i try to maintain my healthy eating habits even with friends and family whose eating habits are anything but good. i try to introduce new foods to them, and help them learn that healthy eating can taste good, make you feel good and overall be just as enjoyable as that giant pile of cinnamon rolls paired with spicy sausage. (mmm... spicy sausage.) and for a long time it has been a struggle. it's been a fight over every meal, usually inside my head, whether or not to stick to the plan or to indulge in a little harmless cheating just to get along with the inlaws (or whoever, for that matter. it seems every office pot luck and family get-together is clouded with ample opportunities to Screw This Up.)

And then the other day, it happened. After a trip to Michigan to visit my husband's parents for Mother's Day, he got his message from his mother via Skype:

Tell Erin she changed our lives! Dad grilled talipia and asparagus and we were too hungry to wait for her fries but we had a nuked sweet potato. wehad abottle of Riesling in your honor. It was wonderful1

from mom

You'll be kind enough to forgive her typos, she's still learning Technology. (they were too cute to leave out.)

But THIS, my friends, THIS makes all the hard work worth it. THIS is why Ryan worked so hard to wean us off our garbage diet and herd us, like stubborn cats, into a better way of living. i hope he's proud of his Little Projects. he really should be.

so in tribute to the people who have made such a difference in my life, and in celebration of My Temple and how i've finally learned to honor it, and to share with others my experience (successes and Total Fails, of course) i now, today, on the Twenty-First Day of May, 2010, dedicate this blog to these things as well.

i realized recently that my intention with this forum was first to advertise my tiny budding handbag "business," and then more broadly, to share in a community of Crafters and Sewers on the Internet. but then i never posted. anything. sometimes i didn't even make things! thus the total lack of posting. really, the blog turned out to be pretty representative of that area of my life, because NOTHING WAS GETTING DONE. and while that's changing and i'm starting to pick up more projects and actually complete them (shocking), i've had to admit recently that all i really ever do with my time is Work, Work Out and Eat. and if i'm going to have a blog based, even loosely, on my life, why not focus on the things that my life consists of? this was, of course, my husband's idea. i love that man. he smells good... but anyway, if this turns out to suck, take it up with him. did i mention he's 6'4"? and crazy. just sayin'.

so here's the plan: i write about what's going on. short (or sometimes very long) little reflections on Food, Fitness, Fashion or Fabric. but no things that start with letters other than F. ... ok, kidding! lots of things. i no longer plan on restricting this forum to Things That Might Make Me Seem Cooler, and instead just throw it all out there. i guarantee, it's not as salacious as it sounds. but if you're lucky, i might even toss in an entry from my food diary for you, to boot.

in other, less depressing, news...

while i've been busy losing my phone, unwittingly running it over with the car, fretting over the whereabouts of said phone and grieving its pathetic little state of being, i've also (quite thankfully) been fed, inspired and encouraged by the following (hope you enjoy!):

she's a G.D.B. (and that's why i luuuv her.)

had to forgo the delicious corn tortillas in the name of self-improvement, but this was remarkably tasty, nonetheless.

one of the more articulate and hopeful responses i've seen so far to that one earthquake everyone's been talking about.

i'm pretty tough, right?

found a new way to spruce up the old... (uh what's that room called again?) snore room. soon to be awesome room. will share pictures if i ever decide to commit to it. (here's a clue: don't hold your breath. )

and finally...

i don't know what i'd do if i didn't have these folks to kick my wide ass every day of the dang week. (actually, i do, and it may or may not involve obscene quantities of nacho cheese.)