Sunday, January 25, 2009

Happy Birthday for me!

My big plans. . .



Cafe Au Lait and Breakfast Crepes at Crepes Parisiennes.





The last moment for a dying snowman. He is going down, the Pittsburgh heatwave is too much for him.




Next stop, Phipps Conservatory, to enjoy the orchids, and lush greeness.














Surprise dinner destination, LePommier! It is a romantic little French Bistro in the South Side of Pittsburgh. We had mussels, and a perfect dinner of duck with huckleberry and hazelnut sauce. So wonderful!



Friday agenda, CHECK! We did everything on my list, and then some and it was fantastic!

My parents came for a visit yesterday, and took us to this lovely little restaurant.






I had a great birthday! I feel so so loved!

Sunday, January 18, 2009

embracing french

i have been in a french mood lately. . .not sure what the gravitational pull is, but it is there.

Craving crepes from Crepes Parisiennes in Oakland, but haven't ventured yet, as the lines there are really long, and they aren't open very often. Maybe my honey and I will go there on Friday when I take the day off from work.

I have been sipping Les Confitures a l'Ancienne drinking chocolate from Mon Aimee Chocolate shop.

I want to get a Elastomoule Madeleines so that I can bake the little fluffy cakes at home.

I have been reading these. . .



watched this over the weekend. . .




And I have these books coming in the mail soon.

Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery



French Milk



now if I could just speak the language, since I took four quarters of it at Ohio State! :-)

Sunday, January 11, 2009

"got to let your soul shine"





The weather is icky, and I am a wimp. I love to walk but I am opposed to the cold. I feel like I have pinned up physical energy that needs to be released or I shall explode. Must. go. to. the. gym. tomorrow. yay. I did take advantage of my free time being stuck indoors this weekend digging out my art journaling stuff and doing a few pages. I pulled out pictures from summer in Boston, and that made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

I made sausage and lentil soup, that I pulled off of a recipe website to make today. It was tasty. Had freshly grated cheese and a crusty whole wheat baguette from Whole Foods. Perfect winter perk me up! Being in the kitchen takes my mind off of things, and when my creations turn out the way they are supposed to, it gives me a little confidence. If I can handle a Martha Stewart cookie recipe, then maybe the bigger things in life aren't really that hard.





A lot of folks are sick or crabby or blah right now. Gotta keep the positive energy flowing, so that I do not let my soul shine fizzle out. There is a song called Soul Shine performed by Warren Haynes; live at Bonnaroo, and my friend Carrie and I used to love to listen to it while we were driving around back roads. In fact, she and her husband love this song, so much that they danced to this song at their wedding.

Here are some of the lyrics as far as I can tell and Warren Haynes wrote this song:

When you can't find the light
That guides you through a cloudy day
When the stars ain't shining bright
And it feels like you've lost your way
When those candle light of home
Burn so very far away
Boy you got to let your soul shine
Just like my daddy used to say

Chorus
He used to say the soulshine
It's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Well now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine 'til the break of day

I grew up thinkin' that i had it made
Gonna make it on my own
Life can take the strongest man
And make him feel so alone
Now and then i feel a cold wind
Blowin' through my aching bones
I think back to what my daddy said
He said, boy, in the darkness before the dawn. . .

Sometimes a man can feel this emptiness
Like a woman has robbed him of his very soul
A woman too, god knows, she can feel like this
But hey, when your world seems cold
You got to let your spirit take control

If you are in a crappy mood and need a little help, listen to this song. It works! Ask my old co-workers, I used to make them listen to this song all the time!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

i likey. . .

i went to the strip district for a little bit. it will always be one of my favorite pittsburgh places. i like the way it feels to walk around there. it has a good vibe and makes me smile. i started out without knowing that it was drizzling rain, so i didn't spend much time there.








The holidays are over and tomorrow it is time to go back to work. No more freebie vacation days. it is kind of dreary outside and it is chilly. i am avoiding the tv because i usually keep it on when i am home alone, for background noise. today, though, i just want peace. OK, spring. . .ready when you are! Actually, I guess this weather is all right. It makes you appreciate the nice days more. Instead of wishing your life away endure the cold and be glad you are here!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

snapshots



Embee was being a turd today. She likes the new comforter!



My love and I posed for a New Year's Eve self portrait. We spent the night in, with CNN on the tele, a wonderful steak dinner (marinated in wine) and a little bubbly.



Yes, I am one of those people that takes lots of pics of the cat. I can't help it, she is too cute.



I love this hat, I picked it up at a little boutique in Pittsburgh called Sugar.



This may be the best tea I have ever tasted. It is called Bangkok Lemongrass from Teavana. It is heavenly! Citrus and vanilla.