Daily Stuff

My latest endeavor in the works: to keep daily record of my weight, food intake, vitamins & meds, how I’m feeling that day, my sleep patterns, exercise, etc. I want to see if there are any parallels on days I’m extra tired, allergies are worse, have headaches, energy levels, and the like. I probably should have done this long ago, but late is better than never, right? Have any of you ever kept something like this?

Here is the journal I’m keeping my information in; I thought the title was more than appropriate.

Moving onto the ever-present topic of weather – I’m dying for spring! I hear the birds singing in the morning while I’m eating breakfast, and I see rabbit tracks in the snow…I want springtime and flowers! I might do better handling the snow if we skied or snowboarded…but we don’t...so I want green grass and sunshine.

Is anybody watching the Olympics? I admit, I’ve only seen about one night’s worth total, and it included some ice dancing (my favorite!), half pipe, and some skiing. Tonight will be hockey! Go USA! I am only a hockey fan by marriage, but I admit that if I had to pick a sport to enjoy, this would be it. Besides, Mike managed to get my siblings all hooked on hockey so I’d be quite the party-pooper if I wasn’t cheering with the rest of them!

This week I’ve been cleaning & purging. I am so tired of STUFF! Seriously tired of it! I’ve come to the conclusion that “Less Stuff = Less Stress” and y’all can quote me on that. I’m trying to organize the ‘spare room’ that contains all my clothes, sewing machine, our [massive] CD collection, my jewelry making stuff, fabric, gifts, scrapbooking stuff, pictures, and all that jazz. I’d like to call it the “Craft Room” but that just isn’t working real well at the moment. I am trying to get rid of as much as possible so I actually have room to bead or sew and not be tripping over my own two feet in the process! Productivity is lost when you’re surrounded by stuff that distracts or overwhelms you. Does anybody else have this problem? Any tip on organizing craft supplies?

This post was, as MckMama would call it, a Stream of Consciousness. Hope ya’ll were able to follow my ramblings.

Q & A time!

You asked, so now I've answered!

1. What kind of fruits do you enjoy?

On the top of my list are: Grapes, mangos, oranges, grapefruit, watermelon and strawberries.


2. You guys went to Mackinac Island? How did you like it?

We found that Mackinac Island got a bit “claustrophobic” after staying there for a couple days. With no cars, things can tend to be a hassle. The shops are very “touristy” and after awhile they definitely all begin looking the same. On a positive note, it is very beautiful and historic. Personally, I would recommend staying in the city and taking a ferry over to spend a day on the Island. My favorite part of our stay was when we started walking “off the beaten path”, hiked up to Arch Rock, and enjoyed the woods and views. If you’re a biker, it would be great to bike the trails and around the Island, in which case you might enjoy staying there. All personal opinion, I guess.



     (Pioneer Woman cookbook)
3.  How do you like the cookbook and is there some great stuff in there?

PW’s cookbook is beautifully laid out, and I do enjoy trying her creations. May of her recipes aren’t “wow” recipes, but they’re fun to try anyway. Her “Crash Potatoes” are amazing though, and that recipe can be found on her website.


4. What are your favorite Green Monster combinations?

So far we’ve been sticking with Blueberry Banana, but soon I would like to venture out and try Cantaloupe and perhaps a few other varieties. Once summer comes there will be many other fruits to choose from. I like to add a dash of Vanilla for extra flavor and I usually some ground flax or hemp seed for extra nutrition.



5. I've always wondered about how you chose Bibelot as your title. I know the definition is up and all, but what is the story behind using it?

Honestly, I can’t remember how the whole thing came to be. I do remember always using the word with my friend, and she even wrote it out and used it on the tag of a gift she gave me. I guess it sums up a lot of things in my life: small, often useless, but special and beautiful to me.



6. How is Yogi tea?

Not worth the money in my opinion! I purchased mine on sale, and was glad later that I didn’t pay full price. If I’m going to splurge on tea, “Tazo” Passion or Orange would definitely be my favorite.


7. Whats your favorite place to get coffee in town?

That’s a tough one. Biggby is my old stand by, Starbucks is, well…Starbucks, and Waterstreet Coffee Joint is expensive but has a wonderful ambiance. I guess I can’t pick a favorite – it depends on the day and my mood!

That’s all for now, but there will be a continuation post coming sometime in the future.

February 13th

I just realized I never did my post-Valentine’s-day-post!

So last Saturday my Dearly Beloved decided to take me out for a fun Valentine’s day celebration. We ran a couple errands and then headed downtown to get our rings shined up at our favorite jeweler. We browsed while the rings were getting cleaned, and I stumbled across a Claddagh ring that I found exquisite – sterling silver with filigreed bands on either side of the Claddagh. It was love at first site. And jeweler slipped it on my finger and it was a perfect fit. My dear husband kissed me and said it would be my Valentine’s gift. Awwww. He makes me melt.

We then wandered around to the diamond section and I fell in love again… with a ring that (with tax) would cost over $28,000.00. Yes, you read that right. Once again, it was a perfect fit when I tried it on, but I’m afraid it will forever remain in the jeweler’s case, far from my reach. It was over three carats of diamonds in a beautifully romantic white gold vintage setting. Not gaudy at all, but timeless and amazingly gorgeous. *sigh*

I happily wear my Claddagh, given to me with much love by my Dearly Beloved. It’s never about the price tag – it’s about the heart behind it. And his heart is golden.

We then headed over to the theater where we watched the movie (yes, you guessed it) Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t hugely impressed, but it’s always a treat when I can get him to go see a chick-flick with me. Besides, Jennifer Garner and those dimples of hers are simply adorable and that’s all there is to it!

Red Lobster was our restaurant of choice for dinner, and though we had a long wait, the tender taste of the flaky cheddar biscuits was worth every minute. We sat at the bar as we waited for a table, and for the first time in my life I splurged and ate dessert before my dinner. I felt like such a rebel. But it was soooo good! The cookie was chocolate filled and oh-so-chewy-gooey and topped with ice cream and more chocolate. Combine this with a cup of delicious coffee and I was in taste-bud bliss.

My husband tackled crab legs for dinner with so much vigor that I couldn’t resist a picture. I’m glad he has the chance to enjoy meals like that when we dine out, because I’m not brave enough to make them at home.

It was such a lovely day that it even made the snow seem not quite so cold.

Q&A

I’ve decided to do a Question & Answer post next week.

Sooo, if anybody has anything they want to know, simply post your question below!

Hawaii - the Flowers

I absolutely love flowers – their colors, scents, and individual beauty. Hawaii was definitely no exception to this and around every corner was another piece of floral exquisiteness beckoning for me to gaze upon it.

The resort where we stayed had garden after gorgeous garden, both inside the lobby and outside on the grounds. Some of the flowers I didn’t know the names of, but I found each of them uniquely lovely and filled with the fingerprints of God.

Come, walk through the Maui gardens with me and look upon the flowers of paradise. . .

Always

Always and Forever

Sentimental Things

Valentine’s Day

I’m such a Romantic at heart.
*sigh*

Valentine’s day has held a sappy little spot in my heart for as long as I can remember. My dream since youth was to have a Valentine’s Day wedding with roses and hearts galore. Seeing as Prince Charming was still a long ways off and had not yet displayed his royal face onto my horizon, I began writing a letter to him every year on that special day. Letters of waiting, longing, wondering, and hoping. Letters to confirm to him that I was waiting for my One-and-Only, my true love, my soul-mate, my Beloved. Extra entries filled more pages, written on special occasions, holidays, and of course, every Valentine’s day.

Fast forward the time clock a few years to February 14th, 2008, when Mike took me to a movie, dinner, and a Casting Crown’s concert. We were “just friends”, but a couple months later, we realized that had been our very first date.

There are no pictures from that evening, just a pile of memories that make me all warm inside when I think about them. It will probably always stand out as my favorite Valentine’s Day, because that day was the beginning of our love story.

October 4th, 2008 –
Our Wedding Day

In traditional fashion, Mike & I exchanged wedding gifts that evening. His gift to me was a Bible matching his, with my new name engraved on the cover. It was perfect! My gift to him was a leather journal, filled with letters to my love, overflowing with years of waiting for that moment, waiting for that man.

Our wedding did not fall on Valentine’s Day like I had hoped for so long, but in the end, it did not matter. Our flowers were Roses, the colors were red & white, and it was still Valentine’s Day in my heart.

Well, that is my Valentine’s Day story! I’m going to put a MckLinky at the bottom of this post in case any of you blog about your stories and want to share the link. I’d love to read them!

I'm Baaaaack!

I'm back!

Yes, I’ve been MIA the last couple of weeks – first to vacation, the second week to sickness.  2 ½ days off work and a whole weekend at home has left me with a touch of cabin fever, but I’m thankful to finally be on the mend.   It’s a quiet Saturday in my happy little home, I have the laundry in the washer, dishes all done, a big pot of soup on the stove and now it’s time to blog for a bit. … before I forget how!

Thursday morning I finally dragged myself to the doctor (actually, my dear husband drove me there…) and I got some antibiotics.  The diagnosis: Sinus infection, Ear infection, Upper respiratory infection.  No wonder I didn’t feel good.  I drank a hundred cups of tea, spent long hours watching old TV show reruns, and rarely left the couch.  I haven’t been that sick in several years, and I’m thankful to be well on the way to “normal” once again!

Vacation was AMAZING.  There was nothing about Maui that I didn’t fall in love with… it’s all I’ve been able to think about since coming back to the freezing Midwest. But the sun is shining through my window right now, so I’m trying to forget about the fact that it’s only 23 degrees out and just bask in the glow of the rays.  We have roughly 2000 pictures from our trip, so when we get everything organized I’ll do some posts about vacation – it was certainly something I’ll remember forever.    A big highlight for me:  getting to swim in the ocean.  It was a first for me and SO much fun!  The taste of the salt water definitely takes some getting used to, and my eyes never did quite adjust to it, but it was incredible.  I fell in love with so many things there.  More on all that in future posts!

Our health-food kick is in full swing now, and the past couple days have gone really well.  Green Monsters are going to become part of our regular diet (now that I’ve actually become brave enough to make them), as well as more natural and Organic foods.  Yesterday I made some lovely hummus, which is delicious on sandwiches or with veggies.  I’m getting the hang on disguising the taste of veggies and we’re eating many more of them, which I’m rather proud about.  We don’t mind eating them, we just aren’t big fans of tasting them!  We’re also drinking some V8 Fusion in the morning to get the extra servings that we need.  I am so excited about going to the Farmer’s Market in the summer to buy local produce and stock up on all the fresh goodness!

I need to catch up on my blog reading and get back to commenting.  Sorry about the delinquency!  A part of me has enjoyed the break from technology, but I’m starting to miss all my bloggy friends!  Hopefully posts will start coming more regularly again. 

Time to go fold some laundry and enjoy a bowl of soup.