Lucy's new chew toy.

Stocking up for the winter... and spring, and summer...

This is what happens when I go grocery shopping on my own and Ben & Jerry's is on sale... (there's actually more in my freezer, but there wasn't room on those shelves).



I'm ready for Jenny's visit!

Nike Women's Marathon 2009

(what a boring title... but I can't think of anything else right now...)

Ran the Nike Women's Marathon this morning with Colleen! I came in at 4:33, and while it's definitely no PR, I think we did pretty well, considering all the walking we did in the latter part of the race due to my right quad cramping up and Colleen's knees and mild fever! Despite our ailments and my now aching body, we still had a lot of fun! Highlights were: having a great first half of the race with Colleen, chatting and enjoying the course, and seeing our supporters! Sam at mile 8, my aunt and uncle at mile 10, Wayne at mile 24, and Sam and Albert at the Finish. (Special thanks also to Albert for being Race Day chauffeur once again). Oh, and the food at the end of the race tasted SO good... nothing special--just bananas, bagels, and granola and yogurt... but it must be the 26.2 miles, because it was the BEST banana, bagel, and granola and yogurt we've had, haha.

Colleen and I are trying to decide which race to do next. Perhaps Big Sur in April!

my first race as a To!

and this is a funny picture of me and Colleen sniffing flavored oxygen at one of the booths at the expotique.

At mile 24! (and Colleen with her shirt/scarf around her neck)

and jumping for joy after finishing!

what a hoot!

Look what I found at HomeGoods today! SOO excited about them! :)



(p.s. they're two plates and a serving platter, in case it wasn't apparent).

Now to find a cookie jar to match!

InStyle and inBudget

A one-year subscription to InStyle Magazine is only $5 at amazon!

my survivor outfit

I just finished watching Survivor (oooh... the mean Russell on the yellow team!), and I've been shopping for my Survivor outfit, for you know, if I ever get chosen for the show. And unlike some of the contestants on the show who come wearing HEELS, I actually put a lot of thought into my outfit.

First, I'd wear a pair of convertible pants that can turn into capris and zip off into shorts. The fabric is moisture-wicking, and ideally, I'd find a pair with drawstring to prevent them from falling off during challenges and when I lose weight.



On top of that, I'd wear a racerback bra (so that straps don't fall off during challenges), a light-weight tee, and a Zella jacket--all moisture-wicking. Zella is Nordstrom's own woman's activewear brand, and they make really cute AND practical activewear. This Zella "She-Girl" jacket, for example, will not only keep you cool and warm, it has a hair tie on the zipper for emergencies. Very helpful for Survivor.


I'd also wear dry-fit socks and light-weight trail shoe.


Oh, and moisture-wicking underwear, like these from Patagonia. I'd probably wear something one size smaller than usual, because I always see the contestants' clothes have stretched out by the end of the show.


Okay, I'm all set... now I just have to find a way to get on the show.

Stylish Pup

Emee knitted this super cute scarf for me, but I think she should go into designer petware, because it looks even better on Lucy!

CoinStar Fun!

We cashed in Wayne's coin collection at CoinStar today and got an amazon gift card worth $90.95! It would have been $91.95, except that I kept the very cool James Madison dollar coin I found in there. :) Yay, CoinStar!

Providence!

I'm sitting at a large wooden table at Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, Rhode Island, sipping on a small iced mocha and nibbling on a ginger biscuit, granola scone, and (yes, "and") cranberry pecan scone... because I couldn't decide, of course, and I may never be back here, and if I don't order them all, I may miss out on THE BEST ginger biscuit or granola scone or cranberry pecan scone EVER!  Apparently, I did not, but that's beside the point.

I've been in town visiting Angela since Wednesday late afternoon (though my travels commenced Tuesday night, taking a red eye with TWO 3-hour layovers), and we've been eating almost nonstop since.  Wednesday night was dinner at Geppetto's Grilled Pizzeria and then dessert at Palmieri's.  4.5 stars for Geppetto's (the subtraction is for the overbearingly loud music that made conversation a laborious task) and a meager 1 star for Palmieri's (full reviews on yelp).  

Thursday, I started my day with a beautiful run down Blackstone and Hope, lunch also at Seven Stars bakery followed by lots of insanely good pastries (to make up for the debacle that was Palmieri's), then we spent the day walking around Newport and of course more eating ensued. Clam chowder, lobster pizza, and seafood linguine... mmm! 

Today, I want to try Rhode Island clam chowder and clam cakes, two indigenous specialities.  And then it's off to the Wrenthem Outlets and then Boston, where I'll be for the rest of the weekend for Stef's bridal shower!  

grow, bangs, grow!

I went in to Magic Salon for a much-needed haircut today. I've been going there since moving to Sacramento, and Michelle, my stylist before she moved to San Diego, was AMAZING and the first person who has ever given me a haircut that I like right away. This time, I had Sonya for the first time. Everything was going well... until she gave me a "corner" in my bangs, which are basically really short bangs on one side of my head. When I realized what she was doing, I quickly told her to stop; I'm always trying to get rid of my baby hairs, and now I have lots! haha, oh, well. I will be tucking these under for sure, or parting my hair on the other side. The great thing about hair is that it grows!

auck! I look like I'm 12!