spread the love

I generally like to let people know how cool I think they are. It helps that my friends, in fact, make up a large percentage of the coolest people ever. So when I saw these lovely cards on Oh Joy! I was pretty happy about it. What better way to express my true feeling for my nearest and dearest? Just look at the amazing but simple colors and the wicked cool fonts! I love them.

new funsies

So many things I've been meaning to write down and share...perhaps we'll just talk a little about how much fun I had at VegFest for now.

My super friend, Lauren, and I took her dog, Dakota, out to VegFest on Saturday and had a great time. I think she and I gave an interesting impression, just the two of us with the dog (people kept talking to us "together") and that gave us a bit of a laugh. We decided to blame that on Becka a bit since she was unable to come and would have made it a little more obvious that we're all just friends if she had been there. Go ahead, laugh about that a little.

We walked around and checked out all the really cool vendors. Some were really awesome, some were interesting, some were incredibly odd, and some were really fun to talk to. The best thing: all the wonderful, delectable, fantastic, delicious food. We tasted a bit of almost everything, including the vegan hot dog from a cart that is famous among some of my friends. One of them told me about him and said I absolutely had to try but we hadn't found him since (until Saturday, and she was right...how did I live so long without having tried one?). There was really good Indian food that we shared a plate of, I'm the wimp that doesn't eat spicy food that often and couldn't eat much without running for a water refill. And the soup! A local restaurant had tastes of theirs and it made me weak in the knees. I may be exaggerating a bit but it was really good. I'm a big fan of black bean soup, and this guy's was exceptional. Ooh, and naturally there was some pretty tasty hummus all around.

Dakota had a great time too, wore herself out. She was dragging us around more than we were her, I think. Lots of the people we met couldn't resist giving her treats (i.e. hummus samples). She's a fun friendly dog so getting out and playing with friends made her happy.

conversation with my mother last night:

"So we were in Valdosta, and Lauren's been wanting to get her monroe piercing and Brooke knew this apprentice that could do it for six dollars and I was like, 'six dollars? I'll pierce something for six dollars!'"

"Yeah well..."

"So I got this!"

"What? What did you do to yourself, what is that?!"

"It's a bar, it's an industrial piercing!" (The one that goes between two points of cartilage on your upper ear).

"Why the..."

"Six dollars!"

"Please don't get anything else pierced..."

"Well if it's six dollars I can't make any promises."

"Alexis, please!"

"Uh-huh, well I guess that means don't tell dad..."

"I just don't know why you do this to yourself."

"It's an ear, who cares?"

"I care, you didn't get that stuff from me."

"Yeah sure, like I got any free-spirited impulsiveness from dad."

And she proceeded to sheepishly shrug her shoulders...

I believe...

...that the most beautiful word I know is grace.

...in smiling at strangers.

...that I don't need to hear the words to know someone loves me.

...music is a superpower.

...creativity takes on forms of all kinds.

...in being who you are and liking it.

...in moving forward.

...that you should never take anything too seriously.

...in escaping to your own little world every now and then.

...it's refreshing when there's silence that's comfortable.

...thank-you notes are important.

...that boxes are for square-shaped things, not people.

...good things should be shared.

...you should cross borders as often as possible.

...patience with yourself can be harder to master than patience with others.

...that laughter is one of the most wonderful sounds.

sometimes...

...it just doesn't work out.

I tried to make sugar cookies today as I am going out of town and won't be able to post a recipe tomorrow. I was going to do it tonight, but I won't be.

They weren't awful.

I used soy flour, but I'm not sure that was the main problem. I think that if I had added bananas and nuts they actually would have been very good. Something about their taste suggested that to me.

I topped one off with some peanut butter and that one tasted good. Peanut butter tends to make a lot of things much better!

If anyone has a good vegan sugar cookie recipe, or snickerdoodle, they are my favourite and I would love to have one. Let me know.

Mama said there'd be days like these...

I had one of the worst days, the kind where you really wish it was the end of your week. I seriously considered quitting my job. And not just calmly going into the office and saying, "Um, I think I'm going to go home and not come back." My approach was going to be along the lines of grabbing my stuff and handing the baby food I was holding to someone while yelling, "Not worth it!" I kept thinking to myself, "Well, maybe that would be the push I needed to really dedicate time to my Arbonne business." However, I stuck it out and finished my day, very very frazzled and tired...but I made it through. Then on my way into the gym I dropped my phone and had to search for the battery as the whole thing came apart. While doing that, I stepped in gum.

Things got better after my workout but I am so worn out, my energy is sapped. I will be in bed as soon as I get the chance...after I say my prayers for a nicer day tomorrow, of course.

add it all up

We've all heard it said before that it's the little things that make a difference. All those little things added together, all those "little people" working together, all those little actions combined can create something much bigger than the one little thing that started it.

So make a few little changes, it can't be that hard. Don't run the water while you brush your teeth. Use products that are recycled material. Have reusable bags for getting groceries. Sort out those things for recycling and take them where they need to go. Even better, reuse things others might throw out for special projects, get crafty! Carpool, be gentle on your brakes/gas pedal, and don't drive when it's not necessary. Use soaps and other things of that nature that are safe and biodegradable (they even smell better).

There are so many little things that we can do day-to-day that make a little difference. But all the little differences add up to one big one! I love the treehugger site, they have so many guides for doing all those things and living greener.

And if you need inspiration to do these things, I highly recommend getting out there. Stop and smell the roses, man. Take a little time, even if you're just walking down the road looking at well-manicured lawns and perfectly trimmed trees, and admire all the plants and little creatures you see. Pay attention, because all of it is part of your environment and you don't have to live in the woods to appreciate it. My mom planted this little hibiscus tree outside my window a while back and now it practically blocks the whole window, it's getting very high. It makes me smile whenever I look out at it. Some because my mom did that for me, and some because it's this beautiful natural thing that makes my environment brighter. If recycling a little means more hibiscus down the road than I'm all for it.

genius loves company

Look what Becka made for my blog! My title is just lovely and perfect now! I'm still doing a little tweaking to the rest of it, but she gave me the most fantastic springboard. I didn't even give her any direction because I wasn't sure what I wanted myself. I love it.

I am excited about...

Central Florida VegFest! It looks like a ton of fun and there is a little bit of everything. There will be speakers, musicians, artists, food (people demonstrating food preparation and local places that sell food for veggie-minded people), pets, yoga, and stuff for kids. I was just checking out the website, www.cfvegfest.org, and now know that I won't have to try too hard to drag Becka and Lauren to it. There will be so much going on I won't know where to start, but there will be plenty of time since it is from 10-6. I think it will be a lot of fun to meet some of the other vegans and vegetarians that are in the area. I'll have to wear my "Vegetarians Have More Fun" t-shirt (or find one that says vegans do).

living Etsy

What's today? Well it's the second ever Etsy Sunday!

There's some shifting going on in our house. We have grandparents coming to live here and I'll be stuffed into the office. My furniture is already a little too big for the room I'm in and there is no way I'll ever fit it into my new one. So the plan is to put it in storage (it's a tall bed that would be difficult for grandparents to get in and out of, so no point trying to have them use it) and get some small furniture for me to use in the office. I've been looking around, and while I'm not sure I'll be getting it (this one is still on the grand side, I must have a weakness), I found this beautiful piece in the Delia Furniture shop on Etsy:

I'm a sucker for canopy beds. This one is such a statement, whimsical but without being too cutesy. They have several other beautifully crafted items that I just love. The beds in particular are great because you buy them for a younger girl (what do they call them now, tweens?), and you wouldn't have to replace it when she got older (especially if you bought a double or queen size). Just simple enough to having staying power, and yet they are oh-so-pretty.

They also have a desk and items like mirror and shelves available that are sweet little additions to a savvy decorators dwelling. I'm also quite partial to this awesome puzzle menorah:

Cool, huh? And you can find more from them at www.edelia.com .

old friends, new blogs

My friend Lauren just started her blog! She is fantastically creative and she and her husband have started their own photography business (Red Robin Photos) which will feature a little bit in this new creative outlet of hers. She has lots of other things to say, though so check her out!

Ta-da!:
http://redrobinphotos.blogspot.com

first attempts

It's recipe Friday! Ok...so it's actually Saturday and I just didn't do the post yesterday after I already had the two other ones. But, from now on because I'm starting to try and convert a lot of my favourite things to vegan counterparts I'm going to post a recipe I tried out on Friday.

This time around it was my favourite peanut butter brownies. Always one of my favourite recipes because I don't actually care for chocolate that much, but I lovelovelove peanut butter.

So here's what I did:

2 eggs worth of Ener-G Egg Replacer
1 cup granulated sugar (organic, unbleached, etc.)
1/2 cup brown sugar (same rules)
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Earth Balance
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees, and have a 9 inch square pan ready. Beat well the egg replacer, sugars, peanut butter, vanilla, and Earth Balance. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together and add it to the first mixture. Note: my batter was not sticking together when I did this so I added a little soy milk and it worked perfectly. Next time I would probably try using silken tofu or using soy milk instead of water with the egg replacer. The batter should be pretty thick. Spread the batter into your pan and sprinkle with the chopped peanuts. I didn't have the peanuts so I just didn't use them. Bake them for about thirty minutes, then let them cool for 10-15 minutes. Honestly, I don't usually let them cool that long because I love warm gooey things. Then you just cut them into squares. I guess if you don't like squares you can cut them into something else, mine were more rectangular...


Overall, they turned out really tasty. I suppose how many brownies you get depends on how small you cut them, but I usually get 12-16 I think. They are a very thin brownie usually and always nice and chewy. If you try it out, let me know what you do. I'm new at converting recipes, so any suggestions or helpful tips are welcome!

vegan baby

I might not have mentioned that today is officially my first day as a vegan. It's my vegan birthday!

And what a good it has been.

First of all, I got to pay for stuff with my good looks. That's right, I did. I went to check out the gym I had been thinking about getting a membership at because it's convenient to where I work. The guy on staff showing me around was really helpful and when we sat down to look at prices, I got nervous. I wasn't ready to spend a bunch of money but I really did want to get a membership. I haven't been able to work out much because of how much time I spend in the car, so getting a place to go near my workplace would mean some better time management. Plus, paying for something is my best motivation. Last time I had a gym membership I went practically everyday because it was already PAID FOR. Best way to get me there, ever (once I'm there it's easy, I actually love to work out). Back to the membership, Greg (the guy helping me out) was trying to help me find a way to walk out paid for and ready to go today. We were already finding some good options when two of the trainers walked by and one offered me three free sessions if I got it today. Then, the other trainer threw in a free session in as well. That's four sessions with trainers, at no charge to me, in addition to the free one the first time you come in to work out. They were all really helpful and nice. I think it also points to a good reason you should ALWAYS look your best when you leave the house because you never know what glorious benefits you'll reap from lookin' all hot.

Then I went to Whole Foods to get a few things to replace the bad things at home, along with some veggies and fruit I wanted. I should point out this was my first-ever trip to Whole Foods. I know, I know, but let me explain why. It's really simple actually, there just hasn't ever been one a convenient distance from my place of residence. After today, I'm willing to sacrifice convenience because I could get the stuff I don't have access to in a lot of other places. I probably should have had a set list though, because I was a bit overwhelmed and trying to remember everything I needed was a bit difficult. So I was looking at flour and sugar when a guy asked if I was looking for a good pancake mix and recommended a good one. I wasn't looking for pancake mix but I will remember that because I love pancakes. The guy and I (I never caught his name) talked for a minute and he told me about Food not Bombs. They are a group that makes vegan food and takes it downtown to give to homeless people. How exciting is that? You may have already heard of it and I'm looking forward to looking into it more and getting involved. They get even more cool points for continuing to do their thing while fighting this new law that Orlando has passed against feeding people that are homeless. I don't think they are just here in Orlando, so look it up and see if you can get involved. Makes that one more reason to shop at Whole Foods, you meet cool and friendly people (I bumped into one or two others).

There ya go, two of the exciting things from my good day. Go experience stuff!

letter of intent

A few weeks ago I was in the kitchen with my dad and he started saying something about cheese. I don't remember what he was saying exactly, but I responded with something like, "Yeah, but I can't have it because of the dairy."

"You don't eat dairy?"

"Seriously? Remember...I stopped because we found out I was allergic and it was causing most of my skin problems...it was a few months ago..."

"Oh."

As you can see, he's not all that observant. So since I have decided to eat completely vegan and have quit allowing high fructose corn syrup into my diet, I figured I would need to be absolutely sure he was aware of it. He likes to bring home "treats" sometimes for us and if he doesn't know my limitations I'll end up hurting feelings and wasting his money if he brings home something I can't/won't eat/drink. The note above is what I left next to his grocery list this morning (I buy my own groceries, this was just the most practical place for the note). It's really just a statement that says I'm a vegan (in diet, if not in other areas) and that he and my mother shouldn't try to feed me things that have any animal products or HFCS in them.

Reading Skinny Bitch pushed me over the edge into veganism a bit. I had already been thinking about it a lot and the book gave me a lot of the information I was looking for. If you haven't read it, it's not my favourite, but it's a quick enough read that has good information and I would recommend you check it out. As the holder of a B.A. in English, I wasn't always impressed with the actual writing (sometimes you can just be trying too hard to be witty). The best thing about the book is that it is practical and a very good starting point if you are looking into vegetarianism or veganism. My favourite part was all the reading recommendations and healthy food lists in the back! So, as someone already considering the lifestyle I got what I needed from it and places to go to become as knowledgeable as possible. And there are enough genuinely funny sections that make it well worth its $13.95 price tag (I think I paid less on amazon.com).

I've been feeling healthier and healthier with the changes I've been making, I can't wait to discover what the top of the mountain feels like!

raging

I have a low tolerance for stupidity, so my forty minute plus commute (both ways) is obviously a bit taxing on my nerves everyday. Yesterday I was at a complete stop in a 65 mph zone, I thought I was going to hurt someone.

I understand that traffic back-ups don't necessarily mean that someone is being stupid...but let's think about that. If traffic is caused by an accident, there's a strong chance it was brought about by someone being dumb or not paying attention. If traffic is caused because of what's going on with movement on the on/off ramps, people need to smarten up and learn how to merge. And if traffic is caused because someone is just going too slow in the left lane, then seriously, quit being stupid and remember that the left lane is the fast lane for passing slow people like you.

My biggest pet-peeve, however, is that people do not use their turning signals. Is it really that hard? It's a lever that you push in the direction you want to go and then I will KNOW that you are coming into MY LANE right in front of me. And I can also prepare for the possibility of you slowing down once you do so.

I hate driving, unless I'm the only one on the road...and even then I'd rather let someone I trust do it.

I know...

...I had you on the edge of your seat. The batteries in my camera died and I had to hunt some down, so about a week after the fact here is what my new haircut looks like:

Fantastic, isn't it? It was many inches longer than what you see here...but I can't find a good picture to give you the full before and after effect. You'll just have to take my word for it.

LOVE it.

Sunday Etsy

Other than doing fun new things with Becka and Lauren (of Red Robin Photos) on Sundays, I think I'll make it my "what I've been checkin' out on Etsy" day. So Sundays will have their own thing (other than the thing where I almost forget I must return to work the next day).

This Sunday's love is going out to Maggie J's shop. Her jewelry is so wonderful I barely have words for it...but I'll try. I love her artful designs that aren't over the top. I've got my eye on these amazing silver hoops:

Aren't they lovely? I have always been quite the fan of silver hoop earrings, and I really like that these are not exactly ordinary but good for pretty much any outfit in my closet. I have to say though, choosing a favourite from all Maggie has to offer was tough. Go find your favourite and then you can gush to me about how great these pretties are.

If you're curious about what the girls and I were doing check out Becka's blog, I think we may be cross-referencing occasionally.

Spice up your life!

Just a note to say, I am pretty excited about the Spice Girls going back on tour. I was pretty into the girl power back in the day, never saw them live though.

My stalkerish obession (alright, it doesn't go that far...yet) with the one and only Posh Spice began back when I was looking at something about her hubby Mr. Beckham. I played soccer for a stint and thoroughly believe it's the best sport ever...so Becks is one of the coolest people alive in my book. That became the gateway for my discovery of how fabulous Posh really is. She's awesome, so you know. And, she has inspired me embrace my fabulousness as well.

I think what I like is that she is so girly with clothes and make-up and hair, and she's also hilarious and seems like she would be incredibly fun to hang out with. Plus, she plays working woman with her singing/designing/etc. career, wife to her studly husband, and mum to her three kids. She's outrageous...she's major...and I love it!

I do believe dear Becka and I share some undiscovered wavelength in our brains...sometimes it's a little scary.

All this to say, I very much aim to get a chance to see the Spice Girls in concert and it will be awesome.

Baby D.

This is my pal. I tell him he's my favourite, which isn't entirely true because most times I can't pick one. But lately, he's been the most fun as the others are getting all terrible two-sy or just plain sap all my energy with their incredible supply of it. And as the youngest, he's just starting to discover all the fascinating things around him and it is so incredibly adorable.

It's been exciting to watch you grow so much, D.

When I first started at the school he wasn't walking quite yet. He would manage to get up, take a few steps (I think I counted five once) and then plop back down and crawl to his desired destination. Then, one Monday morning, his mom came in and set him down and we watched him chase after her on two little bare feet. He also wasn't really talking, he made plenty of noise, but not necessarily attempts at words. Words are taking shape though, he's trying. And I can't pull out the dvd's without shouts of "Elmo!" When said Elmo show is on tv, he sees the babies and points, crying "baby! baby!" It's fantastic.

And don't think I haven't noticed that you've gotten taller.

He has the best sense of humour and is the most resilient child I have ever seen. When L. wiped out on the mat the other day (no harm done) D. literally pointed and laughed with his childish little giggle that sometimes surprises me. It surprises me because he acts like such a little man, the way he sits in the high chair among other poses, and I almost expect much deeper sounds to come out of him. And the resilience thing, he climbs right back onto anything he just tumbled off of. I watched him face plant off a slide (onto cushy, padded mat), but then he didn't want to be picked up, he got up, walked around to the stairs to get on and go down the slide again. He was crying the whole time. He's totally inherited his mom's laid-back personality.

You are hilarious and there is never a day I'm not laughing with you.

He brings me book, after book, and then the same book. He must sit in my lap to be read to, and that book must be read several times. Then he climbs all over me for a chance to push the big yellow button on the wall that I think used to be to open the door or something. It clicks when he relentlessly hits it and that seems to be wildly appealing. Then he makes me flip him upside down, bounce him up and down, and swing him around. When we escape our room for the playground he heads straight for the things that can be climbed on, then finds a spot he can jump down into my arms from. The most I can speculate is that this feels like flying. When we're done there we head for the swings. He loves to swing, and the higher the better. Again, this must be like flying.

D., I hope you are always as fearless as you are now. And the other day, when I kissed your cheek and you gave me the biggest hug you have ever given me using all four limbs it made me feel so lucky to be someone that gets to watch you explore and grow. Every time you come in the door and break out into that big grin when you see me I think it is going to be a great day. Thank you for all the wonderful things you've taught me. I wish such big things for you, I'm so glad you are who you are and your mom brings you to hang out with me. I love you.

Picture borrowed from Miss Mrs.

rolling away

The snooze button on my alarm clock and I have become best friends. Actually, I just use the alarm on my cell phone...and occasionally just reset the time when I wake up and feel that it is just too early for me to be up and at 'em.

This usually mean I am rushing as I leave the house.

And it is why I was pretty excited when I saw this alarm clock in a magazine:

It's called "Clocky," and you can press the snooze button one time. The next time the alarm goes off the clock jumps off your nightstand and runs away. So you have to get up and chase it a bit, good morning!

It's a bit pricey (in my opinion) at $49.99 for an alarm clock, but I figure it would probably be worth it to get up when I know I need to. And it comes in four different colors, almond, aqua, mint, or mustard. I like that the colors are a bit retro, and it's actually not that big. I guess that means it could easily roam about pretty much wherever in you room.

You can find them at Nanda, which is also where I snagged the photo. I'll let you know how I like it if/when I get one.

oh so fab-u-lous!

I got my hair cut today. I won't say to much because I want to do some live and in-person reveals before I let too much be known. But I'll assure you that I'll have a picture up and a post with my gushing about its awesomeness soon enough.

Now, go do something drastic and show no remorse!

deviated septum

I don't have one...but my nose is all whistly. I hate nose whistles. They are annoying and distracting. I was at a wedding a month or so ago and my friend sitting next to me had one heck of a nose whistle. He was practically providing a little sub-soundtrack. I felt bad when I realized I inched away from him, but then I remembered he's not the type to care about it. If I could inch away from my whistling nose right now, I would. No sense trying that though...

Maybe this is why I haven't been sleeping too well, I'm too distracted by my own nose whistle or other things going on. I feel like that word, "distracted," sums up about how I've been in general lately. Perhaps it's a vicious cycle: I'm distracted so I don't sleep well and then I don't sleep well because I'm distracted. How confusing. All I know is that I have never been quite so absent minded or out of it so frequently. I'm usually that on-top-of-it person that always knows where their keys are and exactly how much is in their bank account, and other such things. I was always the one getting asked where other people left their keys while I was growing up, come to think of it. Now I'm forgetting to pack lunch for work and going all day getting hungrier and hungrier (I actually brought all my stuff for my protein shake today except for the protein powder, which is pretty much essential if you didn't know).

I promise I'm usually pretty common sensible and aware of my surroundings, I don't know what's gotten into to me so I'm not lately...

dance me to the moon...

My new/old love affair: the music of Jamie Cullum.

It's all perfect. I've always loved it, and I've been listening even more lately-again. It's classic but fresh and is mellow but not in the this-puts-me-to-sleep kind of way. Such talent, awesome...