Good Sounding, Bad Idea

Day 21

2012-01-23T09:35:00.005-07:00

Today is Day 21 and I've pretty much fallen off the Challenge Truck! I ate Valentine's Day candy and had cinnamon rolls with coffee for breakfast Sunday morning before heading to the gym. But, I did go to the gym this weekend and that's better than I've done in the past. I usually reserve my Winter weekends for getting caught up on life, relaxing and hanging out with Presley, but this weekend was so nice that I had to get out and about!

I also made up a smoothie recipe.

1 cup of fresh Spinach
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup silken tofu
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/4 cup orange juice

Blend well and drink. It's so delish and only about 93 calories. It's my new go-to breakfast drink and the flax seeds help to keep me full.

This week I don't have any meetings after work and I'm able to cook, not reheat, all my meals...YAY! So, this week's menu includes:

Sunday - Broccoli and White Bean Soup
Monday - Salmon with honey Dijon glaze and roasted cherry tomatoes, sweet potato and a salad
Tuesday - Chicken Saltimboca with pasta
Wednesday - Tilapia Fish Tacos with Cilantro Pesto
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Leftovers

Yum-o! I can't wait for this week and I'm so happy today is Monday :)!

Valentine's Day

2012-01-23T09:13:00.006-07:00

This weekend I found some really cute things for Valentine's Day and completed my Valentine's Day DIY wreath.

First, I found the cutest little Valentine's Day gift ideas! I found these adorable little mailboxes in the $1 Spot at Target. Aren't they cute?!

I decided to load up on Valentine's Day candy. I love how everything, except the Snickers, is in heart shapes. I especially love the York Peppermint Patties. They're in heart shapes and the insides are pink!

This year, I decided to make my own Valentine's Day wreath for my front door because (1) I haven't seen anything in the stores lately that I like and (2) I'm really inspired lately by all the crafty posts I see on a daily basis on Pinterest. However, I did not find the wreath I made on Pinterest, I found it on the Homemaking Expert blog. The directions were really easy to follow and the project was fun! As you can see, I made my heart red. I have a white door and like my wreaths to be colorful.

I love decorating for holidays and being festive! January always seems so boring after the Christmas decorations are down, so I'm more than happy to have a little pink and red splashed around to liven up Winter!

Day 16

2012-01-18T13:08:00.004-07:00

Well Monday was a bit of a bust. I worked until about 7:30 that night at the largest event my work puts on. 650 people to be exact! I was exhausted and after the program was over, all that was left was some picked over cheese and crackers and some delish mini-cupcakes. Guess what I chose. The following morning there were more of the little devils in the office, so I helped myself to two more with my morning coffee. Yes, that's right I am back to drinking coffee every morning and damn, it feels good! It's cruel to be coffee-less in Colorado in January!

Today, I'm doing pretty well except with my photos. Oops! Here's what's left of my snacks and lunch...

I had some coffee, an apple with almond butter, some broccoli and a sweet potato for lunch. It was all pretty delish and I'm feeling full but not in a food coma sort of way.

I also have some hickory smoked almonds for my 2:30 p.m. snack.

Day 14

2012-01-16T09:51:00.003-07:00

With running around after work on Friday and the Denver Broncos playoff game Saturday, this weekend was a bust as far as the challenge was concerned but good otherwise!

I had so many errands to do after work on Friday and by the time I was finished I was tired and hungry which in turn made me grumpy. And what's my cure for the case of the crabbies? Crazy Bread from Little Caesars. It was delish and I loved every single bread stick!

The Crazy Bread went to my head and I was scared that it was headed south (towards my bum region) so I got up early Saturday and headed to boot camp at the gym. I am still feeling the effects of the intense workout today and loving it!

Saturday was also the Broncos/Patriots playoff game and I went to a friends house to watch. I enjoyed the most tasty beer I've ever had in my life along with some delish ribs and homemade mac'n'cheese. I could have cared less about the challenge and it felt good!

Sunday, I tried to get back on track but cloudy January days call for coffee and that's exactly what I did. I woke up, brewed some diesel and turned the tube to the Food Network . It was one of the more relaxing and enjoyable Sunday mornings I've had in a long time!

You can see that today, I'm still stuck on joe. However today is finally the day for our large event and I needed the extra jump this morning - back to smoothies tomorrow!

And for lunch, I brought the leftover of last night's dinner, shrimp and whole grain rice medley with cilantro pesto and broccoli. Needless to say, I can't wait for lunch.

After much thinking and feeling guilty, I decided to stay with the challenge and make a few exceptions, like coffee and some good carbs. No more Crazy Bread for dinner nights, but a little pasta never killed anyone!

This week, I plan on making Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca (sans the Prosciutto), Creamy Broccoli - White Bean Soup, and trying to stay on track with no added sugar or processed food. Wish me luck!

14 days to go...half way through!

Day 11

2012-01-13T12:10:00.003-07:00

I'll be the first to admit that I haven't fully committed to this year's challenge and while I wish it were different, it's not. I really liked last year's challenge and stuck to it pretty good. I'm not dumping all the blame on the layout of this year's challenge, but it's just not as "Dianna Friendly" as it was last year.

For example, last year you only had to give up coffee for two weeks, this year it's four weeks. I think that may be impossible for me and while I've given it a good go, tomorrow morning I will enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee! Last year's plan was also easier to follow in that it gave you daily activities to do. This year's plan sends emails like, drink more water. Duh, I live in Colorado and it's the middle of Winter, I could swim to Kansas City on the amount of water I drink a day.

I'm not saying that it should be tailored to me personally, but I felt like I could adapt last year's plan to fit my lifestyle, not that I had to change my lifestyle to fit the challenges guidelines.

I don't know if I'll continue, that's something I need to decide this weekend but for now, you know what I'm going to have?

That's right, a Kashi TLC Dark Mocha Almond Chewy Granola Bar. It only has 6 g of sugar 130 calories so, technically it's like a snack but with sugar.

I don't think the Kashi granola bar is going to be my gateway drug to the sugar bowl, but I miss it. Bad.

I have lost some weight in the past two weeks and feel really great! But I think that also has to do with the fact that I've made my return to the gym. Now that I'm comfortable in my new-ish position, I can begin getting into a regular routine. I'm loving by the way. I sleep better and wake up feeling so refreshed.

Have a great weekend and 17 days to go, if I decide to continue...

Dau 10

2012-01-12T14:46:00.002-07:00

Yesterday was insane. It snowed more than four inches when it was supposed to only snow one inch, so the roads weren't plowed and people acted like they've never driven in adverse weather before. Then once I got to work, it was one thing after another and I didn't have time to breathe, let alone post!

Scarlet said it, After all tomorrow is another day, and I believe it!

Last night I made 13 bean soup. However, I got this batch from the bulk bin at my local Sunflower Market and it has rice in it. Now I remember why I only made it once last winter. It was okay, but I'm going back to the strictly bean 13 bean soup next time.

On the menu today, I brought some leftover bean soup, however it's now 2:51 p.m. and I haven't had time for lunch yet. I guess I could have skipped the post and had lunch but I'm not all that hungry and here's why. See the smoothie? I brought the peanut butter and banana smoothie today and I made enough for two servings. I'm planning on having the second half in a little bit here before I head to to the gym :). I also stuck an apple with my homemade almond butter and two cuties in my lunch sack. All that's left is the bean soup.

On another note, my homemade almond butter is better than anything I've found in a jar! And, it was super easy and when almonds go on sale, it's super affordable! The bonus is that I know all of the ingredients...almonds and that's it!

Tonight I am cheating and I don't care! I got some spinach and parm chicken sausages last time I was at the store and it's been in the back of my mind. So, tonight I'm giving in by making pasta, the chicken sausage and topping it off with vodka sauce. Yum-o, I can't wait!

Day 8

2012-01-10T11:49:00.003-07:00

It is a little difficult to have ice cold smoothies and salads in January in Colorado. It's cold! But I'm sticking to it and I feel pretty good about myself! I am really looking forward to my 13 bean soup tomorrow, I hear the high is only going to be in the 20's...brrrr!

For today, I'm having an antioxidant smoothie, a creamy kale salad, an apple with almond butter, two cuties and a 1/4 cup of raw nuts with dried cranberries. For dinner I think I'll have a salad and a sweet potato.

20 days to go!

Day 7

2012-01-09T13:04:00.007-07:00

Today is day 7, it's officially been a full week and I do feel pretty darn good! I didn't have any coffee this weekend, bummer, but did make such a good peanut butter and banana smoothie, I thought it was a shake. No Joke!

I accomplished a lot this weekend. I took down Christmas, boo hoo, cleaned, organized and my home now feels ready for 2012.

These are the sesame-kale crisps I made, and they were really good out of the oven however they've since gone limp and they're okay now, but I prefer the crunch.

This is the orange-sugar scrub I made and it was pretty darn easy, even for me! I used it in the shower all weekend and my skin feels amazing. I think it may be the olive oil but whatever it is, I love it!

During the weekend, I did pretty well except with the no sugar part. I had some twizzlers. Oops, but it's not like I stuck my face in the sugar bowl, so I don't even feel one bit bad about it!
For today's menu, I have a mixed fruit smoothie with flax seed, a salad, some kale crisps, two cuties and an apple with homemade almond butter. Yum-o!

This week is supposed to get bitter cold, so I think it will be a good time to make my 13 bean soup. It warms me up, just thinking about it!

21 days to go!

Day 4

2012-01-06T08:53:00.007-07:00

TGIF! I know this has been a short week, but it's been a doozie! I'm ready to relax and have some fun this weekend!

Last night I slipped again. I met some friends for dinner and a diner, horrible decision I might add, but I think the choice I made was pretty good due to circumstances. I ended up having green chili soup and a small salad. But here's the slip up, I also had a tortilla. But, only one. Two came on the side of the soup after all!

Today I am back at it and feel pretty good. I did have to take the pic above at work because I forgot to do it at home, oh well.

I ended up making the blueberry and green tea smoothie (see yesterday's post for a link to the recipe) and it's not that bad! I think some yogurt would help it along but it's doing the job today and that's all that matters.

I also brought two Cuties, a quarter cup of the raw almond/cashew and dried cranberry mixture, the other half of my smoothie and an apple with some almond butter. For dinner, I think I'll try either the kale slaw or have a sweet potato. We'll see how it goes once I make it home!

This challenge has given me some other great ideas like

Making my own almond butter - I looked it up online and it doesn't seem so hard. I am actually really looking forward to using the food processor my Dad got me for Christmas!

Not being so wasteful - I've been eating A LOT of Cuties and I recently saw where orange peel has great health benefits. So, I did some searching and found this, dried orange peel and sugar scrub. I think it looks super easy to do and I'm looking forward to making it!

This weekend, I plan on making the peanut butter and banana smoothie, making some kale chips and just having a nice relaxing weekend where I can get caught up on everything since the holidays. I'm going to try and stick to the challenge, and I think I can although not having coffee on weekend mornings may end up being really difficult, but it's only one weekend, right?!

24 days to go!

Day 3

2012-01-05T09:42:00.006-07:00

Yesterday was SO difficult! After going from eating all the yummy Christmas treats to no sugar, my body was turning on me. Or it could have been my mind but either way I caved and had a cookie. But, it was just one small cookie so I don't feel all that bad about it!

I did wake up feeling pretty great and think I'm adjusting to no morning joe. Although I do miss it more than sugar, I have been strong and not caved on the no caffeine rule. Yay me!

Last night I had a salad with half a grilled chicken breast and some steamed broccoli. I put fines herbs seasoning on the chicken before grilling, it's one of my fav ways to do chicken! I also added mushrooms to my salad. I made the dressing out of some Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil and the raspberry/thyme vinegar I got this year at the Denver Botanic Gardens Christmas expo. It was also delish and I'm really looking forward to lunch!

For breakfast I had the other half of my green smoothie (from yesterday's post). Tomorrow morning I'm going to make the Blueberry/Green Tea smoothie with a few tweaks. I'm going to use frozen blueberries (that I bought when they were in season and then froze, I'm so smart) and leave the green tea liquid. We'll see how it turns out but I have found out that it's pretty hard to screw up a smoothie, so it's one item that I can make!

I also brought a couple of Cuties. I have a huge bowl full of them after my shopping trip to Sams' Club. You couldn't be the price and they're a really good snack. I'm sure the people in my office will be sick of the smell of orange soon, but it could be worse!

25 days to go!!

Day 2

2012-01-04T08:38:00.004-07:00

I already feel better, no joke! I woke up this morning with a clear head and ready to start the day.

I did go to bed with a headache and turned out the lights immediately after Parenthood last night, but hey it was all worth it because today I feel like a million bucks!

Jamba Juice was pretty amazing last night. I ended up getting the Carrot Mango Karma and it was delish. It was also really good to catch up with an old friend.

For today, I made a green smoothie and my new blender makes it taste 100% better than the last time I did this! Also on the menu is a bell pepper with avocado and cherry tomato salad, two cuties and 1/4 cup of raw cashews, almonds and dried cranberries.

For dinner tonight I think I will have half a grilled chicken breast with some salad. It's not technically on the plan but it fits in all of the guidelines.

I'm also wanting to try the kale slaw with carrots and peppers but may end up making some edits to the proposed ingredients. We shall see!

Well, 26 days to go!

Day 1

2012-01-03T08:49:00.002-07:00

Today is day one and I'm feeling pretty good about this year's Action Plan!

I spent the holiday weekend doing home improvements with my Dad, okay, my Dad did the home improvements and I helped. But it was a really busy weekend, I ended up running out of time and not getting to some things that I wanted to. Like, grilling some chicken. So I'm sans salad today, but I think I'll survive.

On the menu for Day 1 is, the Antioxidant Smoothie which will make two meals, a green apple with almond butter, a couple of Cuties and some unsalted cashews/almonds with dried cranberries. I'll round out today with some Jamba Juice for dinner.

I'm meeting a long-time friend who recently accepted a position with Channel 7 here in Denver after work and I so smartly suggested we go to Jamba Juice. After browsing the menu, I think I'm going to either have the Berry UpBeet or the Orange Carrot Karma.

I'm feeling a little slow today without my daily coffee, but I'm hoping by week's end that the cloud will be lifted and I will wake up easier and more energized.

After today, only 27 days to go!

The Year of the Dragon

2011-12-28T11:23:00.004-07:00

2012 will begin with me committing to the Whole Living 28-Day Action Plan . I did it last year and loved the results.

While I'm really looking forwarding to challenging my mind and body again, I am a little nervous. This year's challenge looks like it could be difficult. For starters, I don't have a juicer and don't want to get one just for a month, so I'm going to revert back to the 2011 plan and utilize the smoothie recipes. I also think I like some of the 2011 recipes better, so I'm going to do a combo of the 2011-2012 plans. I'm not sure about some of those breakfast recipes and think I'll be sticking with smoothies and whole grain English muffins :).

I'm most excited about clearing my head, cleansing my body from the inside out and giving caffeine a break. Last year's plan made me feel wonderful and after all the sweet treats and overindulging I've done this holiday season, my body can use a break!

I'll be blogging daily about this again, like last year. I actually think it's what helped me stay focused and complete the plan.

Feel free to join me and if you do, please let me know. They say it's easier with a friend and I agree...so let's do it together!

I'll Just Call This Number 9

2011-11-25T11:54:00.001-07:00

While number 9 on my 30 Before 30 list is to make an entire Ina Garten meal, I'm going to go ahead and count Thanksgiving 2011 as that and cross it off my list.

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving 2011 was the first time I've ever made this holiday meal all alone. I had been dreading this for weeks, but it turned out okay. This year it was just me and my Dad and I cooked WAY too much! I think timing everything out is the hardest part and if I hadn't had to make those damn crescent rolls for my Dad, he special requested them so don't ask, then I think the marshmellows on the sweet potatoes would have been better.

The menu was:

Turkey, of course, with gravy
Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Bacon
Salad with Denver Botanic Gardens Thyme, Lemon and Raspberry Vinegar
Crescent Rolls
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmellows

I'll be eating turkey and all the trimmings for a while, but I have found some pretty good looking leftover recipes from who else, but Martha!

I had a pretty great Thanksgiving with my Dad, I hope you were able to spend the holiday with the ones you love most.

Number 7

2011-11-22T13:54:00.001-07:00

Number 7 was to get a hot stone massage which I gladly did and loved every single moment. My sister and I spent a weekend at the Brown Palace in Denver and while there we took full advantage of their spa services.
While I thought it would be a little strange staying in a hotel in Denver, the city I live, it was not at all. It may have been because it's super nice or that I think they had scented air pumping through the vents. Either way, it was wonderful and I loved every minute of it!

I can't believe I hadn't gotten a stone massage before now and I will never wait so long to get another. It was absolutely the best massage I've ever had. The only complaint I had was the music. It sounded like I was lying face down in a bird sanctuary. Not Cool! I did ask that it be changed to something without birds, but every track on his CD had some sort of chirping.

Only a few more months until I'm 30... I better get working on this list!

Number 29!

2011-11-17T15:30:00.001-07:00

While I hadn't intended on being so drastic with Number 29 on my 30 Before 30 list, I have to admit my new hairstyle is growing on me, haha!

The girl I've been going to for the past two years to get my hair cut is on maternity leave so I had to go to someone I've never met before...SCARY! However, my sister went to the same girl and loved her. This took away some anxiety and I was actually looking forward to the trim.

Well, it didn't go near as well as I'd hoped and although she said she linstened to me, it's pretty evident with the final result that she did not. While I'm not happy with it, I don't feel near the amount of resentment towards the fill-in hairstylist that I did the morning after it was cut. And, honestly, it's just hair and it will grow back so I need to stop being such a big baby!

I recently joined Pinterest and found The Small Things Blog. It's where I saw the way I wanted to try wearing my hair, only longer. But the cut I got ended up getting it's pretty close to the picture here. I do like it, but I would have liked it better if it was how I described it. But like I said above, it will grow!

Tell me what you think...but only if it's a compliment!

The Before Pic taken in my car right before going in

The After Pic the morning after in my bathroom

"you're the one that I want" cover by The Lennings

2011-11-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Nothing can really replace the original and I still see Danny dropping to his knees when Sandy appears in her black and red outfit, however I really love this version too!

Happenings and New Music

2011-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA, but all for a good reason...I got a new job! I'm the new PR Specialist at Bonfils Blood Center in Denver and truly love my position. It's an ideal fit for me and I'm beyond happy!

I will return to regular blogging soon, as I know I only have a few months until I hit the big 3-0 and my 30 Before 30 list isn't quite complete. However, I ran across this song today on twitter and had to share, I love it because it's really different than anything I'm hearing on the radio lately and of course, it's about Elvis...need I say more?!

Number 6

2011-09-15T09:24:00.003-07:00

Number 6 on my 30 Before 30 list is "Go on a hike". When I originally wrote this, I had no idea what type of hike I'd be going on, but had an easy stroll in mind. How wrong I was!

My friend from high school, Luz, told me she was doing the Pikes Peak Challenge for the Brain Injury Alliance of Colorado in support of her Godmother. I loved this idea and when the opportunity arose to join her team, I jumped on it.

We started the hike at 5:15 a.m. and reached the summit a little before 2 p.m. It was one of the most difficult things I've put my body through but was more than worth it! In Colorado, you hear a lot about people hiking 14'ers so you don't really think a lot of it...until you do it yourself. There are easier mountains to climb and ones that have a lot shorter trails, but the 13 miles to the summit of Pikes Peak was a journey I really appreciate taking.

During the first three miles of the hike. What a beautiful sunrise!

7.5 miles to the Summit

A much needed rest. The branch was a perfect resting spot.

The views were beautiful, well worth the 8 hours on the trail.

With Luz as the temps started to drop.

At timberline and what we were climbing over, around and on top of.

About one mile from the Summit, freezing but loving it!

What I saw looking down. One wrong move and I'd be going down.

At the Summit with the Weebles. We named ourselves this because Weebles Wobble but They Don't Fall Down!

One of the reasons it was so difficult is because of the terrain. It was very rocky and pretty much straight up for 13 miles. At about 5 miles to go, I did begin to get sore and thought I would end being immobile the next day. Surprisingly, I was not that sore that night or the next day. I only felt as if I'd been to a really great Zumba class.

I'm proud of myself for accomplishing this and being in a good enough shape to complete the hike and not be out of commission for the next week :) I actually can't wait to climb my next!!

Number 11

2011-09-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Being self-sufficient is very important to me and this is where Number 11 comes in, Learn how to change the tires on my blazer.

When I told me Dad that I'd like him to teach me, he said, "Why? That's why we have AAA" and he wasn't even kidding. You would think that a motorhead like my Dad would be happy that this was something I wanted to learn! Well, he taught me anyway and now when I go fishing out of cell service, I won't have to hold my breath!

These pics were taken with my phone and at dusk when the lighting is at its weirdest!

Found the Jack!

And it comes with some handy gloves, instructions and a little thing to kneel on

It was really difficult jacking my baby up!

And, you could never tell by the smile on my face, but tires are really, really heavy!!

Number 17

2011-09-08T14:15:00.002-07:00

I'm starting to really knock this list out! Last Friday I attended the First Friday Art Walk along Santa Fe Drive in Denver. It was really fun, there was some amazing art, some not so amazing art and some super delish food courtesy of the Denver food trucks!

There were a lot of people on the street!

Maybe I can be the next model???

With Leslie, Erin and Lindsay

Number 3, Take a Road Trip

2011-09-08T14:04:00.001-07:00

For my road trip, I decided to visit my friend Cara, who recently moved to Durango, CO. I've been to Durango several times but never drove there by myself. It's about six hours away from Denver and it's one of the best experiences I've had this year! The drive is so beautiful and this trip really reaffirmed for me why I love Colorado so much. I'm going to tell this post in pictures...

Miss Presley ready for our road trip!!

This was on CO-285 on the way to Durango, isn't it truly beautiful?!

You can't road trip unless you have proper snacks!

At the Continental Divide.

This is Pagosa Springs, the last town before the destination of Durango, CO.

This is Cara's home. Doesn't she have the most breathtaking view?

Presley was born to be a mountain doggie!

Ouray, CO. One of my favorite places in the whole state!

The view at lunch in Ouray.

The trout I had for dinner on my last night in Durango. It was delish!

My Favorite Melody

2011-08-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

This may be my summer anthem for 2011. I can't get enough and the funny part is, I don't even know what they're saying!

If you know...please fill me in :)

Numbers 2 & 19

2011-08-08T08:48:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I was able to scratch two things off my 30 Before 30 list; #2 go to Jazz in the Park and #19 go on a picnic with Presley.

Jazz in the Park is like one big outdoor picnic/tailgate/hangout and it's a blast! Too bad yesterday was the last one of the summer. Sunday was my first time to Jazz in the Park but I definitely want to go again next summer. It was fun to see what people brought with them to the park...some had really elaborate set-ups with full bbq's, wine and an assortment of salads and some just had coolers of beer. There were also a lot who had games like cornhole and some even played volleyball. It was a perfect place to people watch!

Sunday was such a warm day that it felt really good outside by the time Jazz in the Park began, at 6 p.m. and stayed warm pretty much until we left a little after 8 p.m. There were a lot of cruiser bikes and a bit of a hipster vibe, but there was also a nice mix of people; young and old that really balanced out the crowd.

I went with my friend Kate and Presley. Above you can see Presley sniffing all the snacks. And, below you can see that there weren't too many of them!

I had planned on doing sammies or something more substantial for dinner but I went to Pueblo over the weekend to visit my Dad and by the time I got home I didn't have much time to do anything besides grab some snack bags and throw them in my backpack. Also, the power at my house went out right before I had to leave to meet Kate so I had to figure out how to manually open my garage door and by the time I did that, I was running late.

Presley loves people watching just as much as I do and she's such a good little pup, I'm happy I was able to take her!

Number 21 - Attend an interior decorating class or seminar

2011-08-05T09:19:00.013-07:00

I'm a little late in updating my 30 Before 30 list, so I do apologize, but it's been a beautiful summer here in Denver and sometimes I am also a procrastinator.

So, it was in June, I think, I tagged along with my sister to a fashion/interior decorating seminar in the Northfield/Stapleton area and it ended up being a huge inspiration.

After the seminar, I decided to spruce up my living space by getting new curtains and throw pillows that would help add a splash of color to my pretty neutral space.

I know it looks like it from this picture, but no, my walls are not white but a very light beige and I do have an accent wall opposite the couch so there's more color in the room than you would think from this pic!

I got the throw pillows at the HomeGoods store off Arapahoe Rd. It's one of the best of it's kind I've found because it's huge and the selection is amazing without being overwhelming.

I especially love how this pillow looks with my zebra chaise lounge!

And finally, I got the two-tone curtains because I think they tie the whole area together really well. I used to have just brown curtains hanging in their place but really do prefer the color and light that these new, fab finds, bring in the house.

While there are still some updates, etc. that I'd like to do to my townhome, I am pretty happy with the way things have turned out and the placement of my furniture and the colors I chose more than two years ago!

My Favorite Melody

2011-08-04T09:02:00.003-07:00

With Summer in full swing, I think this song is only appropriate and man do I wish I was a guest at this pool party!

Also, I love how Elvis is too cool for the car door and just steps right in before driving off!

Finally Found My 5K

2011-08-04T08:48:00.002-07:00

I posted at the beginning of summer that I was going to do the 10 Weeks to a 5K challenge, but life got in the way and I've had a hard time finding a 5K that 1) fits in my schedule and (2) is 10 weeks out. But alas, I have found one and my training can commence.

I've decided to do the Turkey Trot that takes place on Thanksgiving morning and I'm actually looking forward to it. Officially, 10 weeks out from Thanksgiving is the week of September 18 but it can't hurt to get started a little early, right?! Wish me luck and let's hope this isn't a Good Sounding, Bad Idea...haha!

Let's do this!

Cheyenne Frontier Days

2011-08-02T15:24:00.007-07:00

While this picture below is definitely out of order, it's so fitting and the way I want to start this blog about Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Zac Brown Band concert.

I went to the phenomenal party that was the ZBB concert at CFD last weekend with my friend Luz, her husband and some of their friends from college. While on our way to the shuttle from the hotel to the CFD grounds we passed this... I think it's so funny because it's July in Wyoming, of course it's sunny.

Now I'll get to the order of things. Here is Tylor, Luz's husband driving us in true style (in his FORD pick-up) to CFD.

And here's Luz getting all amped up and ready to party!
This is where we had some fun before the ZBB show. It was 'Happy Hour' in the beer tent which meant crazy times... that is all I will say, but it was a blast and look at all those cowboy hats behind us!

This is a shot while walking into where we stood for the concert. It was called the "Party Zone" and it lived up to its name. I think it's safe to say we all had a blast and when the show was over, we saw a girl walking in the dirt minus a boot. How you loose a boot in the middle of a concert I have no idea. I was wearing sandals and managed to walk away with both still on my feet, so it's pretty impressive to loose a cowboy boot in the middle of a crowd!

Now, I did say that I hoped Zac wore his beanie and he did not let us down. Below is a picture of the screen and very hard to see but you're going to have to trust me when I say he was wearing a beanie!

I also posted this pic because of all the people in the whole party zone we could have stood next to, we found Andy who lived on my hall Freshman year of college at CSU. How utterly random and fun!!

My Favorite Melody

2011-07-27T12:47:00.002-07:00

I truly hope that he's wearing a beanie when I see him this Friday at Cheyenne Frontier Days! But in all honesty... this band is awesome and really good live, so I can't wait. I've seen them once before, when they were just breaking into the Country music scene and the only song that everyone knew was Chicken Fried, blech.

And today at lunch I found the best dress for the concert, so I may be writing next week telling that I brought a cowboy home with me ;)

Civic Center Eats

2011-07-26T14:07:00.007-07:00

Today I met my sister and friend Danny downtown for lunch. We went to Civic Center Eats. Basically it's a lunchtime meeting place for local food trucks and it's pretty much heaven!

Below is the truck where I got my lunch. While there were a vast variety of sammis to choose from, I decided to choose an arepa. It's something I've never had before and something I've seen on the Food Network and definitely something I've been wanting to try.

The one I chose was a chicken and avocado something and whoa, it was good!

My sister (isn't she wonderful?!) decided to go with the Stick it to Me guys and her sammi was delish as well.

For desert, we shared a Maple Bacon ice cream sammi. It was a maple bacon cookie with maple bacon ice cream. It did taste a lot like maple but it's something I would get again!

And, since I don't have the pleasure of working downtown which means I don't have access to the food trucks on a regular basis, I had to get a cupcake to go. I follow the Cupcake Truck on twitter and am a fan on facebook but oddly enough have never had one, so... now I have and and am a true fan! They are as good as the hype.

This is something that I want to do again for sure! And, I already know what I'm trying next time so...Stick it to Me!

About.me

2011-07-20T14:54:00.001-07:00

I recently ran across a new site and I think it's the coolest thing I've seen in a while, so hell yes I jumped on the bandwagon and think you should too.

Check out what I'm talking about at about.me

My Favorite Melody

2011-07-20T13:52:00.003-07:00

I actually heard this live when I saw them in Denver and was completely blown away. The next day I scoured youtube and was able to find it, thankfully!

But I'll be yours if you'll be mine...

Can't wait for them to make a new album and it's not just because I have a major crush on Marcus Mumford!

Makin Some Bling

2011-07-18T10:36:00.008-07:00

Last weekend my sister and I attended a class where we learned how to make our own Runic message ring.

Runic, I didn't know until the class, is a type of alphabet used by Vikings and some believe it has magical power. We shall see...

This is what the teacher had set out for us when we first walked in. That long, flat piece of metal is what would become my ring!

First we had to saw the rough edges away and this was one of the most difficult parts of the class. It wasn't physically difficult, but rubbing metal on metal is one of the worst sounds I can hear! I was very happy when this part was done!

Next had to put our own special message onto our rings. I chose the word - Believe. It can mean so much really and it was easy to spell out with the Runic stamps! (I wish I would have gotten a pic of this, but I was WAY too into the process and forgot about taking pics for a slight moment)

Next we had to heat the metal so it could be worked with and bent into a ring shape. Here's my sis torching her ring.
Next was time to make the ring, well, a ring! The instructor had these wooden and metal things that we bent the metal around to make it round. It was really fun because we got to pound it out and hammer the metal. Very therapeutic.

Next came time to solder the ring. I will admit that I was very apprehensive about this part. I didn't want to blow his studio sky high! But it ended up being a lot easier and a lot more fun than I anticipated.

Here I am picking up the pieces of solder with the pick and the next photo shows me placing them on the seam of the ring.

After the solder has been placed on the seam, you have to heat it until it fills the wholes. It was a fun process seeing the metal actually "run" where it was supposed to!

After soldering, the rings went into an acidic solution and after that it was time to buff them out. We used various types and grains of sand paper to get the rings to the point where you can't see where they were soldered or any of the dimples I put in mine whacking it into shape.

And the final product! My hand is on the left and that's my sister's on the right. Aren't they shiny?!?!?

Hazel Miller

2011-07-14T14:04:00.004-07:00

Last night my sister and I went to see Hazel Miller at the Shops at Northfield. When she first asked me I thought Hazel Miller was the rock band Sister Hazel...haha!

Well, I'm glad that it wasn't what I originally thought because Hazel Miller was really good and a really fun thing to cap off our mid-week evening.

If you're in the Denver area and haven't seen her, I would highly recommend it! Hopefully she'll do a Jazz in the Park one of these Sundays.

The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks

2011-07-11T14:00:00.007-07:00

Not only was I able to scratch #5 off my 30 Before 30 list, but I did it at an Avett Brothers concert! Number five is, attend a concert at Red Rocks. You don't have to be from Colorado to know about Red Rocks, it's famous. Literally. Everyone who is anyone has played it, even The Beatles!

The Avett Brothers show was last weekend, July 9 and it was amazing. I went with my friends, Anne and Andrew.

Grace Poter and the Nocturnals opened the show and while I didn't know what to expect, they killed it.It did rain for a little bit, but nothing bad and hey...I was finally able to use the poncho that my Mom made my buy before going off to college in the summer of 2000. Can you believe that this red, plastic, $1 poncho has traveled with me for the last 11 years?!

There aren't many places I'd rather be than at a show at Red Rocks. It's the most beautiful place to see a show and I'm not sure if it's because everyone is stoned but the people who attend Red Rocks shows are by far the most chill, fun, concert-goers you can ask to be around!

My Favorite Melody

2011-06-29T13:44:00.003-07:00

I recently posted this on my facebook, so those of you who are friends with me can see, I really do dig this song! I can't wait to see them at Red Rocks in just 10 days - woohoo!!

My Favorite Melody

2011-06-22T08:47:00.002-07:00

I can't get enough of this song! I'm sure IT will be calling me soon asking that I quit streaming, but until then...enjoy!

Pinkberry

2011-06-22T08:33:00.004-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I had some time to kill before a Colorado State University Alumni committee meeting so I decided to go to Pinkberry and I am so glad I did!

The picture above isn't from the actual store I visited, but you get the idea. Also, I didn't want to stand in the middle of 16th street and run the risk of being hit by the mall ride bus while trying to snap a decent pic on my phone.

The next two photos however, are mine! There are SO many choices and decisions to make when topping off your yogurt. There's fresh fruit, gummy bears, toasted almonds, Capt'n Crunch, etc.

I chose to combine the original yogurt and pomegranate yogurt and topped it off with toasted almonds, raspberries, blueberries and a wafer cookie. It was delish and one of the best ways I can think of to spend a beautiful day in the mile high city!

If you haven't been, I highly suggest it!

Wilbur the Beagle

2011-06-06T08:03:00.003-07:00

This may be a Good Sounding, Bad Idea but I just had to do it...

This adorable face is the reason why I'm needing to push my 5K training back a week... but he's worth it! For the next week I get to be his foster Mom!

While Presley is not at all impressed, I love him and am seriously thinking of keeping him all for myself, YIKES! He came to Colorado from Springfield, MO and was about to be put down. How anyone could not want this precious little pup is beyond me. He's so sweet and loving and just wants to be with you.

He follows me from room to room when I'm getting ready in the morning and it melts my heart!

I left him in my downstairs bathroom today, hopefully he's behaving and not getting into too much trouble or hasn't jumped over the baby gate I set up yet. Fingers crossed!!!

10 Weeks to a 5K

2011-06-01T13:32:00.004-07:00

It's number 12 on my 30 Before 30 list and today is National Running Day, so I guess there's no better time to begin. But...eeek! This is scary! Can I really do the 10 weeks to a 5K challenge?

I know that while I physically can, it's the mental part that is going to be hard! I grew up playing softball and throwing the shot put. I do not like to run for fun. Never have, never will! But, I think I will do this! I do like that Cooking Light has it broken down for me in a training schedule available online. It takes the guess work out of it and makes things seem pretty simple. I'm good at following directions!

If you look at the online training schedule, you'll see that it recommends starting on a Tuesday which, quite frankly, makes me ecstatic and gives me a couple of days to talk myself into this! I'll be blogging about my experience, basically so it keeps me honest, but also for the encouragement.

Wish me luck!!

Happy Memorial Day Holiday Weekend!

2011-05-27T09:06:00.003-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am ready for a much needed break from work! Here's to a happy, healthy and safe holiday weekend and a little taste of what I have in mind for my own :)

Number 25 - Make a Better Attempt to Keep My Garden Alive

2011-05-27T08:43:00.005-07:00

Wow, I'm slamming through my 30 Before 30 list :) haha, not really but here's Number 25.

Last Sunday I visited Home Depot and let me just tell you now that Home Depot on a Sunday morning is my personal version of Hell. So many annoying people just standing around, in my way. Good thing I had my coffee before I went or I would have really let someone have it!

Above is a before photo of my backyard. In the right bottom corner is the lilac plant that I purchased. It's an Edward J. Gardner plant. It's a pink lilac, not the typical purple and white which I think will be nice! Also, it's a Spring & Summer bloomer so I'm really hoping that I can get something from it this year.
This year, I decided to just do flower seeds, not actual flower plants. Last year the flowers lasted for about a week, then Presley trampled them. Thank god I don't have a larger dog!

I also added some more mulch to some of the border. I added some to the lilac plant and also by the wheel barrow. Last year the flower seeds I put in the wheel barrow came in beautifully, so I'm hoping that they cover the border just as well this year!

I'll add some pics once things start blooming. Happy start to Summer!!

My Favorite Melody

2011-05-25T08:46:00.003-07:00

Welp, I didn't win tickets to this year' Ultimate Doo Wop Show but my Dad and I are still going! I'm super excited to see The Crystals (above) who also sing And Then He Kissed Me.

Some others performing at the show include, Dick & Dee Dee, the Fleetwoods, the Marcels, the Olympics and the Pentagons. Click on their names to listen to their songs!

My Favorite Melody

2011-05-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

With summer upon us, I find this song to be very appropriate! After a long, cold winter, I'm more than ready to have some fun in the summer sun.

Number 18 - Better Known as Fly Fishing

2011-05-24T13:46:00.006-07:00

I did it...finally. I've been saying since 2007 that I wanted to learn to Fly Fish. It didn't happen the summer of 2007 because I was still working in news, at KOAA, and was extremely busy working weekends. In the summer of 2008 is when my Mom passed away and my grieving pretty much consumed the entire summer and then some. 2009 is when I bought my house, was remodeling it day and night and in every spare minute I had. 2010 my Blazer had to have major surgery and getting geared up for Fly Fishing isn't cheap so my plans were once again put on hold.

But...it's 2011 and hot damn, I did it!

Above is a picture of me on the South Platte River, just West of Deckers, CO. I honestly did really well with my fishing lessons and was the only person in the class to catch a fish last Saturday! And, I didn't just catch one, I caught two!

This is a picture of the drive home. It was such a gorgeous day and it also happened to be my Mother's Birthday. She would have been 57. All during the drive I kept thinking of her and how she would have loved the landscape of where I was. Both of us have a deep appreciation for Colorado Open Space.

I honestly had so much fun and I can't wait to go back again soon! Scratch Number 18 off that 30 Before 30 List... I'm a Fly Fisherwoman!

Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-23T13:25:00.009-07:00

I'm sure you've all seen the photos, watched the video and have heard of the devastation that took place yesterday in Joplin, Missouri. A massive tornado ripped through the town I once called home.

I lived there from January 2006 - May 2007 and while my time there was short, it was special! It's the first place I was actually ON TV! It's where I began my broadcast journalism career, really, and it's the place where I learned who I was as a young woman.

When I moved to Joplin, I was 23 just about to turn 24 years-old and besides moving to college, I had lived in the same house since I was born. It was a huge step for me to move away from my family and those I knew best, all for my career. I hated it at first, honestly, I couldn't wait to get the hell out. But, as I grew up, grew into my career and learned what it was like to be on my own, I began to cherish my time there.

Not only are the residents some of the nicest people on the planet, so were my colleagues. It was more than going into work for me. KSN was a place I couldn't wait to get to in the morning. I would go in early, go in on my days off and stay late often. I loved what I was doing and haven't felt that way about a job since. I think it was partly because I was living my dream, but also because I was working with my best friends.

Since you don't get holidays off in news, these people you work with become your pseudo family. I spent Thanksgiving at the station with everyone else and we had an amazing potluck. Christmas was spent with Tiffany Alaniz's husband's family. While nothing on earth would replace a holiday with my own family, it was nice to have somewhere to go and people you cared about to spend time with during the holidays.

Thank god everyone I know who does still live there is okay, but many are not so lucky. If you'd like to help, there are several ways, click here to find out how. And please keep the 4States in your prayers tonight.

Fly Fishing

2011-05-18T09:48:00.005-07:00

Last night was my first fly fishing class and I'm more excited than ever to begin casting! The class was so fun and the instructor is the nicest man who's knowledge of the sport is amazing!

Before the class began, I was very nervous but once we got started, I took to it, well, like a fish to water...haha!

Here's a picture of the knots I made. They're called Uni-knots and I must admit that mine were the best in the class, Bill the instructor, gave me a high-five for my outstanding efforts!

Now of course I know that my flies will be much, much smaller than this shark hook, but I plan on practicing tonight with some thread.

I'm so excited to head to Bass Pro at lunch today to get the rest of the supplies I need for the next class. In case you're curious, the list includes

Tapered Leader (4X)
Tippet (5X & 6X)
Fly Floatant
Clippers
Strike Indicators
Split Shot
Hemostat
Flies - a variety

This is one of the best birthday presents ever! Thanks to my Dad for buying the classes for me :) And here's to scratching another thing off my 30 Before 30 list!

My Favorite Melody

2011-05-18T09:42:00.004-07:00

For today's posting of My Favorite Melody I chose a song that I can't get out of my head. I'm currently trying to win Ultimate Doo Wop tickets for me and my dad. Cruisin' Oldies 950 AM in Denver is putting on another show and I SO hope that I can win tickets again. Last year I won tickets for us and it was super fun!! This is one of the groups who will be performing at the October 29 show.

Sing along if you know it :)

Tumblr

2011-05-13T10:30:00.002-07:00

I also posted about my new Tumblr account. I love it because it's like a blog and twitter all rolled into one. After this post deleting business by Blogger, I may just make the switch permanently to Tumblr!

If you want to check out my Tumblr account, go http://dianna-kay3.tumblr.com/. It's pretty awesome... like me!

My Favorite Melody

2011-05-13T10:25:00.003-07:00

I am reposting this today, because Blogger ate the other posting after some maintenance was done to the site yesterday.

Anyway, like I said in the previous post, I do love rock music and you'll often hear KBPI coming from my car. It's me and I'm unapologetic about the music I love!

I hope you like it too!

Brent's Place Buzz - Cocktails for a Cause!

2011-05-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Most of you who read my blog know I like to volunteer! Recently I became involved with a great local non-profit called Brent's Place, (at the bottom of this post you can read the official "about us" to learn more) and at the end of June we're holding a Young Professionals fundraiser at a local art gallery. I've included the link in the text below which explains more about the event. Please read, sign up today and come out June 24 to not only support Brent's Place, but to have a really fun night out in the Mile High City!

Brent’s Place Buzz

Catch the Brent’s Place Buzz and join us for an evening of cocktail sampling hosted by the Executive Leadership Council of the Brent Eley Foundation.

Enjoy an evening of art viewing, beer from Black Shirt Brewery and five of Denver’s finest bars competing for attendees’ votes for Brent’s Place Buzz 2011.

Shaken or stirred… Straight up…neat or on the rocks…Twist of lemon or extra dirty?
You be the judge!
At the end of the night there can only be one Brent’s Place winner so join the fun and be the judge!

Tickets are $30 and includes appetizers, provided by Carrrabas five one ounce wine pours of specialty cocktails provided by Swingers, Salt, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, i-fish, and an After Party at Big Game!

All proceeds from Brent’s Place Buzz benefit Brent’s Place-limited tickets available so sign up today!

about Brent’s Place: Brent’s Place is a home away from home for families coming to Denver for life-saving treatments. Our goal is to alleviate fears and remove burdens while providing a necessary bridge between the hospital and home. Brent’s Place is the only Children’s Hospital approved ‘Safe-Clean’ housing facility for immune compromised patients and their families. Our Mission: Brent’s Place helps those living with cancer by providing housing and programs through partnerships in our community. Our Vision: Making a difference in the lives of children with cancer….one day at a time. The Brent Eley Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization. For additional information please visit our website at www.brentsplace.org.

My Favorite Melody

2011-05-02T09:58:00.004-07:00

When I first heard this song on the radio I wasn't sure what to think of it, but it's really grown on me and now it's become one of my favorite melodies!

Hope you like it too!

Adventures Around Town

2011-05-02T08:48:00.005-07:00

Last Friday I went with my sister to a member's only viewing of the new exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens called Native Roots Modern Form. I've never been to the Botanic Gardens in town so it was really fun for me to walk the grounds and look at everything.

This pic is from the tropical greenhouse. The plants inside were amazing not to mention that it was warm inside the greenhouse and it felt pretty good!

I wish that my sister would have let me take her picture, but this is all I could get of her. Here she is looking at the map, trying to figure out where we should go next. Normally I don't think we would have needed the map, but it was really chilly and I didn't feel like walking around all day!

This is one of Allan Houser's sculptures and one that I really like. This is made out of bronze, isn't it amazing what artists are able to do!

This is another of the sculptures I like although the fact that it doesn't have eyes sort of creeps me out...

This is another of my favorite pieces. I bet it's spectacular at night with the lights around it making it the focal point of the hill.

My Favorite Melody

2011-04-26T12:48:00.003-07:00

This song is one of my new favorite tunes to break a sweat to! I especially love to listen to it towards the end of my workouts. It really inspires me to continue running and finish hard!

What do you like to listen to when you're working out?

Easter Brunch

2011-04-26T12:27:00.004-07:00

This year I decided to host Easter brunch at my home. I was very nervous to do this because I've never hosted a holiday meal all by myself before. Last year my sister and I did a joint Thanksgiving which turned out great but doing an entire holiday meal all alone was a bit frightening!

Below is a picture of what I had set up. I did a cheese spread (herbed goat cheese, Dubliner cheese, horseradish with bacon cheese spread) a fruit spread (red seedless grapes, fresh pineapple, strawberries). The wine was a delish blush from the Abbey Winery in Canon City that my Dad brought up.

I also made a ham, asparagus, honey-ricotta turnovers, and my sister brought a wonderful pasta salad. She also made the desert that was a raspberry-lemon cookie thing which was pretty good!

I love spending time with my family and am lucky that we're all able to get together so often!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter celebration too!

My Favorite Melody

2011-04-15T12:44:00.003-07:00

I just heard this song on the radio last weekend and since then, every time I hear it I BLAST it. It's so different than everything else right now, I totally dig it, and hope you do too!

Number 24

2011-04-13T13:02:00.003-07:00

Number 24 on my 30 Before 30 list is to try my hand at freelance work and it's official...I can scratch this one off the list!

I recently applied for a job on oDesk, an online freelance community and I've been hired! I'll be writing a blog a week for a dating site. And if you've read my blog at all you're probably saying, it's about damn time she write about her awful dates! Haha, okay, probably not, but I was!

Now, I have a reason to stay in the sess pool that is dating in Denver cause baby I'm getting paid to do so!

I will fill you in later what site I'm writing for, but it feels good to scratch off Number 24!

My Favorite Melody

2011-04-13T08:17:00.004-07:00

I fell in love with the Avett Brothers a while ago. Thankfully in Denver we have radio stations that play new artists, something I am grateful for!

Last week I posted a song by Mumford & Sons and am pleased to report that I was able to get tickets for one of their two shows in The Mile High City! I'm going to the Thursday, June 16 show at the Fillmore on Colfax and can't wait. And... in less than a month after I see Mumford & Sons, I will see the Avett Brothers at Red Rocks! They're playing Saturday, July 9 and I can't wait!

My Favorite Melody

2011-04-05T12:33:00.004-07:00

Mumford & Sons is one of my new obsessions! I absolutely adore this song, Winter Winds, and am happy that it's available on the Bookshop Sessions on youtube.com.

My favorite line in the song is:

my head told my heart to let love grow, but my heart told my head, this time no.

I'm really looking forward to seeing them this June when they come to Denver. They'll be here June 15 & 16 at the Fillmore on Colfax. I CAN NOT WAIT, I'm so excited to see them live and do a little hippie dance.

The Boys of Summer Are Back

2011-04-05T08:22:00.005-07:00

Last Friday was Opening Day here in Colorado! It my very first Opening Day and so much fun. Last year my friend Anne and I went downtown to partake in the Opening Day celebrations, but this year we actually went to the game!

My brother-in-law was able to get some pretty good seats at even better prices through his job and I'm so happy that he and my sister included me!The pre-game festivities were really cool. From the gigantic flag to the fly over to the singing of the National Anthem, it was all perfect. I do wish I would have gotten a cute picture of all of us in our Rockies gear but I didn't...next time for sure!!
Since this was a Colorado Rockies day game I'm going to count it off of my 30 Before 30 list. I'm sure there will be many more day games for me this summer but it's time I scratch something off this list. Now, only 29 more to go!

Start Your Engines

2011-04-04T13:05:00.003-07:00

The 2011 Denver Auto Show was last week and I was invited to go through the Colorado State University Alumni Association. Being my Father's Daughter, I like to look at cars and it was a fun and different networking event, so I'm happy that I was able to attend!

Below is a tricked out Toyota Tundra. The emblem on the front was a long horn instead of the "T" for Toyota and the door handles were made to look like belt buckles and the back end expanded for optimum tailgating. I'm not a Toyota lover, but even I will admit that this truck looked fun!

Here's a picture from inside the official "Swagger Wagon". It is definitely not my ideal vehicle but a really fun concept car. However, even the commercials didn't make the mini-van cool.
Here's an outside shot of the swagger wagon, it's like a limo van. If they weren't ugly enough!!
This is a shot of the showroom. We got to enter before the public and it was pretty cool to be able to walk around and see stuff without people running right up your backside.
Last but not least, my ideal car, minus the dork on the passenger side. I would love to have a 2012 Camero, but I think I need to wait a little while before this dream becomes a reality!

My Favorite Melody

2011-03-30T14:48:00.002-07:00

I first heard this song when I was given a mix CD by a guy I was dating. Sounds super cheesy, right?! But no, it's not at all! To me, it's such a sweet gesture and something I truly treasure and would never throw away, unlike photos.

Maybe I feel this way because I love music and have something blaring at me from the moment I wake in the morning till the time I pull the covers up to my chin. Whatever the reason, I'm happy that this song was on that mix CD!

This version of the song is by one of my favorite bands, Wilco, and it's okay. I do prefer the Big Star version but it wouldn't play on my blogger site, so boo.

My Favorite Melody

2011-03-23T15:06:00.002-07:00

I decided today that I'm going to start a weekly section to my blog called My Favorite Melody that highlights what tunes I'm currently listening to or have recently discovered.

I first heard Laura Marling when I was reading about Mumford & Sons online. She apparently dated the lead singer but they're now broken up. I really like this song, it makes me laugh and I hope you enjoy it too!

In Memory

2011-03-22T10:00:00.005-07:00

2011 marks three years since we lost my Mom. Every year since her passing, we've done something as a family to remember her and raise money for cancer research, cancer patients, cancer survivors, etc.

Below is a shot from 2009 when we did the American Cancer Society's Climb to Conquer Cancer at Castlewood Canyon State Park where we were joined by Mike's family and a handful of my dearest friends. It was a really good time and I'm so grateful that they all came out to support us and do the climb!
This picture is from last year's Teal Luncheon. We had cookies made with the teal ribbon for ovarian cancer awareness and placed little symptom cards under them.
I do wish my Dad would smile for a picture every once in a while...geeze! This is the room where we held the luncheon at La Renaissance in Pueblo and it was fabulous! My sister planned the entire thing and didn't leave out any details. We were able to raise more than $700 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund! We are lucky to have such amazing friends and family!

This year we're taking part in the Relay For Life of Pueblo. The funds go the American Cancer Society, no we're not doing it because this is where I work, and we're happy to support their efforts in the fight against cancer.

The Relay is the first weekend in June which is the same weekend we lost my Mom, so we thought this was a good way to remember and honor her this year. Our team name this year is Get The Lead Out because my Mom was born in Leadville, CO and it's a Relay event so I think it's a good fit!

I'm hoping to raise $100 so if you're so inclined, please visit my page and make a donation.

Rosi Golan - Been A Long Day

2011-03-17T10:30:00.002-07:00

I heard this song yesterday when I was listening to the Mumford & Sons station on Pandora. I really love her voice love finding new music! Hope you all enjoy too!

Canvas & Cocktails - Denver

2011-03-04T09:32:00.011-07:00

Last night my sister and I finally made it to Canvas & Cocktails and it was a blast! We've had to reschedule twice so it was nice to finally be able to go and enjoy this with my sis!

If you don't know what Canvas & Cocktails is, it's exactly how it sounds. You paint while you booze. Admittedly, I was very nervous about doing this class. My sister is the creative one in the family, you'll see why later, and I was worried that my painting would turn out horribly. However, I was happily surprised that it turned out okay. It may be that I like it so much because it is mine and really what artist thinks their stuff stinks? You be the judge and if you hate it, keep it to yourself ;)

It's a really fun process, you start with a blank canvas and then the instructor guides you. Our background was dark so that was the first step for us, to cover the entire canvas in our dark, background color.

My sister chose to stray from the suggested colors of black and purple and I really love her choice! It's so pretty and was really different from what everyone else was doing! I told you she's the creative one!!!Ta Daaa...here's mine. Not so pretty, but it's part of the process. I tried to use different shades of purple and make my leaves different sizes, I think I accomplished this.

And, here's my masterpiece! I hung it on my wall last night and couldn't stop looking at it. I know, it's not Picasso, but I'm pleased!
And if you didn't know that my sister and I were as different as sisters could get, just look at our paintings. I think it's a good representation of our personalities and I can't wait for the next class we do together!

And yea, it's not the best pic of me, but cut me some slack, it was 9:00 p.m. on a Thursday...

Pete Yorn Show

2011-02-24T10:14:00.004-07:00

A week ago today I went to the Pete Yorn show at the Ogden in Denver. I've seen him once before but I think this time was better because of the location. Last time I saw him was in Lawrence, Kansas at the infamous Bottle Neck which was really cool, but there's just something about seeing shows in your hometown that makes them magical.

The picture above was from his opening number and the one below is from the live version of "Girl Like You"

If you've never heard him, here's one of my absolute favorite songs. I also sort of dig his stuff with Scarlett Johansen and there's a lot of youtube to check out!

I Jumped on the Blog Bandwagon

2011-02-17T13:24:00.010-07:00

Every morning, before I dig into work and after I take my first sip of coffee, I check my Google Reader. It's one of my favorite internet things and would spend half my day searching for my daily blog reads without it! Yesterday while I was perusing, I saw a posting on the Yellow Brick Blog about Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips.

I've seen them in magazines and thought they were pretty cool but hadn't known anyone who's tried them. After a glowing review, I knew I needed to get them immediately! So here's my review:

They're okay. They're not the best thing I've ever tried and they're not the worst. Perhaps my mishaps are all operator error. If you know me, you know I lose interest in things rather quickly. For example, I get so tired and bored when making chocolate chip cookies that by the time the last batch is ready to be put on the cookie sheet, it looks more like one big cookie because I just can't be bothered with teaspooning them out anymore!

Back to topic... I think they look cool and I took some tips from Amber's Notebook when applying because like her, I found that the polish strips didn't really like sticking to my nails. I did follow the directions to a "T" but still had difficulty in the application. This is why I used the Sally Hansen Extreme Wear in Invisible, which I adore anyway! I think adding the top coat has helped my nail polish strips stay in place.

There was one incident this morning when I was blow drying my hair. My hair kept getting stuck in my pinky nail polish strip and it did come up a little but with another application of nail polish, I was back in business!

I also did what Amber, from Amber's Notebook did and instead of wasting so much of the strip, I used it on multiple nails which left me with an entire packet left. For future applications, I think I will only do one nail on each hand for an added pop of something special. I think I prefer actual nail polish to the strips, but it was fun to try!

Winter's Blast

2011-02-09T13:27:00.004-07:00

I know I live in Colorado, the land of the snow and cold but I'm starting to feel neglected by the national news! That's why I decided to do a little iReporting yesterday while on my to and from work.
Can you tell which picture was taken before work and which one on my way home? Well, you guessed wrong!
The bottom photo is the picture I took while on my way to work Tuesday, February 8, 2011 and the top picture is the one I snapped on my way home.

At least today is back to the beautiful blue, sunny skies we're lucky to have here in the Rockies!

Year of the Dog

2011-02-04T15:50:00.001-07:00

So I was born in the Year of the Dog

(1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006)

Here's what's typically said about those of us born in the year of the dog:

People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people¡¦s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.

I like it and agree with it :)

30 Things to do Before I turn 30

2011-02-03T13:31:00.006-07:00

With my 29th Birthday right around the corner I've decided to embark on a 30 Things to do Before I turn 30 journey. I got the idea from another blog, Hello, Splendor, and think the idea is really cool. So, here's my list, most things are definitely doable because I'm a goal oriented and competitive person I would never put things on my list I knew I couldn't accomplish...

30 Things to do before I turn 30

Go snowshoeing
Go to jazz in the park
Take a road trip
Go to a Rockies day game with friends
Go to an concert at Red Rocks
Go on a hike
Get a Hot Stone massage
Have a PJ weekend with Presley
Make an entire Ina Garten meal
Go to church
Learn how to change the tires on my blazer
Run a 5k
Take a pole dancing fitness class
Go to the movies, alone
Discover and learn to make my signature cocktail
Take a class through the community annex
Attend a First Friday art walk
Learn to Fly Fish
Go on a picnic with Presley
Go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Attend an interior decorating class or seminar
Buy and read an entire Sunday Denver Post
Go to a comedy club
Try my hand at freelance PR work
Make a better attempt to keep my garden alive
Visit Rocky Mountain National Park
Go to a CSU football game
Learn the lyrics to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Try a new hairstyle
Get my palms or future read in Boulder

I will be chronicling my journey this next year by blogging about my 30 things. Let's see how this goes!

The Challenge, Recap

2011-02-02T11:16:00.004-07:00

The Whole Living 28-Day Challenge was a fun & interesting thing to undergo and I'm happy that I did it! I wasn't sure if it was something I'd be able to do but I'm proud to say that I did it, did it well and have completed it.

While I did make it my own by eating peanut butter not almond butter, I snuck in some booze when maybe it wasn't quite time and I did not take part in the no-media plan, for the most part I followed the rules and love the results.

I find myself eating more fruits and veggies and my portion sizes are a lot smaller and I feel better as a result. I have more energy am sleeping better and am happier in general. I love trying new things, new recipes and pushing myself to new limits.

The only thing I didn't care for throughout The Challenge was the no working out part. I feel better when I work out and am looking forward to getting back into my regular routine. However the negative temps have definitely derailed my gym time this week, but next week I'll be all over it!

The Challenge, Day 25

2011-01-27T10:07:00.004-07:00

As promised, here is a pic of the Creamy Broccoli and White Bean soup. I did hear from Maria, shout out to KC, that she tried this dish and liked it and actually bought the pine nuts to go with it. I think it's a must for next time!Today's challenge is to get more involved in your community neighborhood. Not sure if this is something I will do. I like to be involved and do community service, but I find the volunteer opportunities I like best are the ones I take advantage of with my alma mater, Colorado State University and nonprofits I care about like the American Cancer Society.

I also really like the other challenges for today such as, spruce up your workspace. Below is a pic of my workspace and I think it's pretty spiffy. I love pictures and having pictures of my Mom, Dad and Sister surrounding me makes me a happy lady. I also have a picture of my precious little Presley that's in a frame on the right hand side of my computer.

The other challenge presented today is to become more supplement savvy. I have a multi-vitamin that I stare at each day but have yet to take. I just need to take it, plain and simple or so it sounds...

Today's recipe also looks yummy, Linguine with Almonds. The only ingredient I don't have on had is parsley. I wonder how much of a difference it would make. I also have slivered almonds, not whole. Maybe I'll make a grocery run after work and have this for dinner tonight.

Only 3 days left...

Horoscopes

2011-01-25T15:53:00.003-07:00

Get rid of bad energy or memories -- turn toward the future and don't look back.

That's my quickie horoscope for tomorrow but I felt it applies to my week as a whole. Sometimes we all need to stop being so hard on ourselves, remember our blessings and move forward.

It's the not looking back part that's sometimes hard for me, but I am going to try.

The Challenge, Day 22

2011-01-24T11:44:00.003-07:00

I'm really annoyed I forgot my camera at home today because I wanted to post the picture I took of last night's meal. I made the Creamy Broccoli and White Bean Soup which was delish and super easy! It's definitely something I'll be making again. The only thing I didn't have which I will get for next time was the pine nuts. It would have been better with the textural difference but you use what you've got and when I went grocery shopping, my store was out of pine nuts...go figure!

Today's challenge is to Set A Goal and Make A Plan to Achieve it. I know what my goal is but I'm keeping it private. I never said I would share everything with you :)

Now, while I haven't followed The Challenge to an exact "T", I've done what works for me and I'm happy with the results leading into week 4. I've made and liked some new foods and have upped my fruit and veggie daily count and feel really great even with adding caffeine back into my daily routine. One thing I'm excited about is getting back into my regular routine at the gym. I miss my weightlifting and kickboxing classes!

6 days to go...

The Challenge, Day 19

2011-01-21T11:47:00.003-07:00

Today's challenge is to create your own cookbook. I sort of already have this. Like my Mother, I like to clip things out of magazines, print recipes I find online and stick them all in binders. The only hard part about this is remembering to actually look at these binders! I admit that sometimes I get stuck in food ruts and eat the same things day in, day out but when you live alone sometimes it's more of a pain to make a meal than to just stick with what's easy.

Another challenge for today is to Save the Date. I desperately need to get better at keeping up with my friends. I have some really incredible friends who I miss because neither of us are very good at keeping in constant contact. However, when I do see or speak to these people it's like no time at all has passed and to me, that's true friendship!

The other part of the challenge is going fine for me, although I must admit I'm not really sticking to it anymore. I'm still trying to eat more fruits and veggies daily but have had some drinks and am eating things I shouldn't. BUT...I am still watching the portion control and not going overboard on the sweets. I did weigh myself at the gym last night and I've lost 6 pounds since the beginning of the challenge with minimal effort! I've only worked out maybe 2 times a week and not really vigorous workouts either. I'm ready to pump it up at the gym in the next coming weeks and hopefully hit my weightloss goal!

One more week...

The Last Year of My 20's

2011-01-19T12:15:00.003-07:00

In 17 days I will turn 29. Wow, it's really hard to believe because I don't feel or...ahem, look 29 for that matter, but it's true and it's coming! I was talking with a coworker about this and my 30 Before 30 list and below is the email she sent me:

By Dabzy Senna

"A decade ago you scibbled a list on the back of a napkin. 'The Ten Year Plan' You were like that back then: always making lists.

This one involved a marriage to your college sweetheart, a brownstone in Brooklyn, two adorable children, a Land Rover with mud in the tires, a California hideaway.

Those were the years you moved a lot, from apartment to apartment, as if you were running from the law. Temporary living spaces for a temporary girl. You did not believe in roots. You preferred sublets, being surrounded by other people's tastes and smells. You survived on take-out: a steady supply of moo shu pork and falafel.

You wore cheap shoes and drank too much and prowled the city til the wee hours, yet somehow were able to drag yourself to work the next morning. You assumed all love affairs ended; that was built into the arrangement. Everything seemed disposable.

It is ten years later. You are some where between 27 to 35. Somewhere along the way you forgot to get married forgot to invest in property, forgot to have some kids. You are in therapy. You have fine lines around your eyes. You wear comfortable shoes because you have to. When you drink too much you feel it for days. You simply cannot stay up all night.

When you look back over your shoulder you see all the mistakes you made. Breaking up with the boy who made you laugh for the moody artist who later dumped you. Twice. Maxing out that credit card. Making a fool out of yourself in public that night in the bar on LaFayette Street. Your 25th birthday bash. (you were the life of the party who almost killed herself with martinis). Mangling your feet in shoes half a size too small. Burning your skin to a crisp in hopes it would reveal your hidden ethnicity. Not saying thank you.

These days you attend a lot of baby showers and weddings. Your gynecologist, on your last visit, said, "you have 3 years before you have to worry."

You cant wait three years to worry - and so you do worry.

But sometimes you still feel 22. Other times you just feel lucky. It seems a miracle to survive one's 20s with body and soul somewhat intact. And then there are those moments when you are filled with the thrill of being an adult woman who nobody to answer to but herself. In these moments you are happy you didn't get what you wanted on that list by the age of 32. Because for now, in this moment, you have what you didn't have when you were 22: youth and experience, freedom and a sense of limits.

You have not gotten around to making g a new Ten Year Plan. You are not as certain about anything as you were at 22: what you desire, who you will become. You are confused and you are searching. There are new mistakes to make. Your sadness is deeper and your happiness feels richer. Everything matters."

I like it so I thought I would share it. I'm currently working on my 30 Before 30 list and will share it with everyone very soon. I know you're on the edge of your seat waiting!

The Challenge, Day 17

2011-01-19T08:47:00.002-07:00

Sorry about the lack of posts, but I had a busy weekend then MLK Day off and yesterday was a little hectic after the wonderful three-day weekend!

Here's what's been happening with me and The Challenge:

I've reintroduced most foods and am especially loving coffee again
While I have had some added sugar, I must admit I haven't had the cravings like I once did so I'm shedding pounds and feeling great
I've tried really hard to be more mindful of things I'm doing and trying to live in the moment, so far I think I'm succeeding
I've also tried to be remind myself, especially when things aren't going so well, that I have a great life and practice gratitude. This is now something I try and do everyday

Today's mini challenge is to Boost Heart Health with Fats and Flavor. I have been using a lot more herbs in the dishes I've been making and am really loving it! I roasted a sweet potato and some mini carrots the other night and at the end of their baking time I added about a tablespoon of honey and it was amazing! It really complimented the rosemary and thyme and I can't wait to have the leftovers tonight!

Today's plan also includes getting some cardio in. I'm planning on meeting Anne for some zumba tonight and I'm really excited about it! Doesn't take much these days does it...

11 days to go...

The Challenge, Day 12

2011-01-14T13:16:00.004-07:00

I know I've said this before, but I truly think part of this challenge for me was learning my correct portion size. For instance, last night I made a chicken breast with fresh herbs and pared that with my left over pasta from the Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca. I was perfectly satisfied with having half the chicken breast and pasta and the other half today for lunch.

I didn't start this challenge as a way to lose weight. I started it because frankly I was bored and after reading about it in Whole Living, I wanted to see if I could do it. I also wanted to see if if could help me with the brain fog I was experiencing before the holidays and I can actually say I think it has. While I miss my daily coffee and can't wait to get back on the caffeine boat, I can honestly say I don't feel like I need it. However, this was not sentiment before the holidays. My eyelids needed to be held up by toothpicks before I had my daily cup'o'joe and now I have a lot of energy all day and am loving it. So, I'll ease back into my coffee routine and will be more careful as to not become dependent of it.

Today's online challenge is to Shift your focus and be grateful instead. I know I can do this! It is easy to get lost in the day-to-day drag and forget about how lucky we all are, but I think I do a pretty good job of being grateful for the things I have and not taking things for granted.

Another of today's assignments is to experiment with stress relief. I know what works for me...going to the gym. I need that physical exertion at the end of the day to make me feel better and forget all the crap that seeped into my mind. And for the day's meal plan, I'm sort of sticking to it. I had half a smoothie, a whole grain english muffin, left overs from last night and I'll have a green apple with peanut butter in a few minutes. On tap for dinner is a grilled herb crusted chicken breast with roasted root veggies. But instead of having the whole chicken and sweet potato, I'll break it into two meals.

16 days to go...

BTW, I'm going to weigh myself at the gym tonight. I feel like I've lost some weight and am excited to see if I did without trying.

The Challenge, Day 11

2011-01-13T09:39:00.004-07:00

Today's challenge is to Make the Most of your Cleaning Time. I can definitely try and do this, it seems easy enough, right?! I actually need to do a whole house cleaning tomorrow so it will be the perfect time to try and be more mindful of the things I am doing when I'm doing them.

Other challenges for today include; reintroducing dairy, listening to something soothing, and focus on arm strength during the fitness portion of the challenge. I won't be doing dairy, I'm currently only in the mood to listen to my new Viva Elvis CD and I'm going to kickboxing tonight. I guess .5 out of 3 isn't so bad...

The Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca was delish! The only thing I'll do different when I make it again is to brown it on the stove top and finish it in the oven. Either I buy extremely large chicken breasts or Cooking Light uses tiny ones, but it definitely took longer to cook than 2 minutes on each side! Other than that, it was a good date-night dinner.

Well today I'm having lunch at work. I hear we're having lasagna and salad so we all know which dish I'll be picking. Other than that, it's the same ole same; fruit smoothie, green apple with peanut butter and for my special treat today, a whole grain english muffin with raspberry jam...YUM!

17 more days to go...

The Challenge, Day 10

2011-01-12T09:37:00.002-07:00

The Creamy Kale salad was a delish success and I'm having the second half today for lunch along with a cup of bean soup. I'm also having a fruit smoothie (broken into 2 servings) and some carrots today. I did get a craving for something sweet last night and indulged myself because after all, I did really good not having ANY sweets for more than a week. I also did yoga last night so that helped me say yes to some sweet chocolate.

Tonight I have another date, so I won't be sticking to the challenge to an exact "t" but I'm cooking so it will be pretty close. I've decided to make Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca with the help of my sister and my subscription to Cooking Light! It looks yummy, so let's pray I don't screw it up.

Today's Challenge is to Elevate Your Attitude and Visualize Success which I think I can do. I have some big things coming down the pike and I can definitely visualize good things happening! Sometimes all you need is to picture the positive and it helps you change your perspective for the better.

18 Days to go...

The Challenge, Day 9

2011-01-11T09:16:00.004-07:00

Even though the temps last night were only in the single digits, I still fired up my grill and man, oh man am I glad I did! My grilled eggplant with tomatoes and lemon vinaigrette dressing was delish! I am a carnivore and love my meat, so I never thought I would enjoy vegetarian dishes so much but the eggplant really was quite meaty. I'm really looking forward to having the left overs for lunch today.

In addition to the grilled eggplant left overs, I'm having a smoothie for breakfast, an apple with peanut butter for a snack and a cup of my bean soup also for lunch. It's freezing here today and I need something to warm me from the inside out!

Tonight I'm really looking forward to making the Creamy Kale Salad. I've never had kale in a salad before so this should be interesting.

I think I may also toast up half of an english muffin to have with dinner so I can begin slowly reintroducing wheat into my diet again.

Today's challenge is to Tame the Tension. I think I can do this, however it may be difficult to find a hobby on such sort notice! Maybe my hobby can be going to the gym?! I like it and need to get back into my routine. I must admit, it's been a little difficult hitting the gym because it's so packed with all the people trying to fulfill their New Year's Resolutions. Maybe my hobby can be doing pilates at home three nights/mornings a week? YES! I accept this challenge.

19 Days to go...

The Challenge, Day 8

2011-01-10T10:00:00.004-07:00

I did really well with The Challenge over the weekend! I couldn't believe myself, but I had so much will power it was pretty incredible! Saturday I stuck with the detox pretty good until dinner. I went to Chinese and ordered the sesame chicken but did get brown rice. I didn't eat the whole thing and left the left overs in my date's fridge.

I was also pretty good Sunday. I did have coffee which was delish and can't wait till I add it back into my routine regularly! I also made some 16 bean soup yesterday in my crockpot and it was the perfect meal on such a snowy Sunday.

For today, I have a mixed frozen fruit smoothie (split in two servings), a green apple with two teaspoons of peanut butter, a serving of my bean soup and a handful of baby carrots.

Tonight, I'm really excited about making a dish that's been on my mind for a while and one I've been craving, grilled eggplant and tomatoes. My recipe is pretty similar to the one I linked on here but omits the goat cheese. I even scrapped off my grill this morning so I'll be able to use it later today. Crazy that I'll be out grilling in single digits but I don't mind!

Today's challenge is to say "No" to multitasking and "Yes" to meditation. I will try but this may be tricky. I don't feel productive unless I have multiple things happening at once.

20 more days to go...

The Challenge, Day 5

2011-01-07T08:54:00.003-07:00

I fell off the Challenge wagon last night. But it was for a good cause, honest! I had a date and a pretty good one at that! And he took me to sushi so I don't feel horrible about breaking a few rules because the food was delish and not that bad for me!

Today, I'm back at it! Today's menu includes a Green Smoothie broken into two servings, the other half of yesterday's lunch, a salad and a green apple.

I've also accepted today's challenge, Assess your health and stop complaining. I think it's easy to get caught up in complaining about how things can be but the difficult part is recognizing the everyday blessings. I am a truly blessed individual who has an amazing family, precious puppy Presley, a roof over my head and friends whom I love and love me back.

Happy Friday to you and only 23 more days to go...

Dianna -1, Sweet/Caffeine Tooth - 0

2011-01-06T11:29:00.002-07:00

Today I had a dreaded meeting at Starbucks. On any other day I would love this opportunity to bask in the lovely aroma of fresh brewed coffee but not so much since this challenge has kicked off. But I am happy to report that my will power is stronger than I could have imagined! I got a DECAF TEA!

The Challenge, Day 4

2011-01-06T09:21:00.003-07:00

The picture below is last nights dinner...Yummy! I made the Spicy Cauliflower that I found on the Whole Living website. I did cut the recipe in half and didn't have a few of the ingredients on hand, but I made do. Martha would not approve but she's also not stocking my pantry! Instead of the small red chilies I used roasted Pueblo chilies and it added just the right amount of heat. I also omitted the the mustard seeds and ginger. I have ginger at home but didn't think it would taste very good with the roasted Pueblo chilies. Along with the cauliflower I had half a chicken breast and it was delish!
After my meal I didn't even want anything sweet! It's amazing. And today I'm not near as tired as I was yesterday although I am still counting down the days until I can have coffee again! I was pretty beat after Zumba class last night. By the end of the hour I could barely move my feet as fast as needed! It was embarrassing but it felt good to dance and sweat out the day.

For today's menu, I'm having the second half of last night dinner, a green apple with peanut butter and a green smoothie broken into two servings. I did blend it better today and it's much more enjoyable. Something I may even consider making again! It loosely resembles the Odwalla Superfood Drink.

For today's mind portion of the 28-Day Challenge, you're supposed to create a routine. Well, Presley and I already have a pretty good one! We love to go to bed early and spend quite time together all snuggled up, especially in the winter. As for the Opt out of Office Gossip, that will be easy because I've never gotten involved in that at my current position and I plan to keep it that way!

I actually think that the challenge is harder on her because she's having to eat her doggie food as there aren't as many choices from my dinner plate. She'll take a piece of lettuce and roll it around in her mouth, but she's more of a carnivore.

25 days to go...

The Challenge, Day 3

2011-01-05T08:42:00.008-07:00

One month from today, I turn 29. I can't believe this is the last year of my 20's. There have definitely been some highs and lows, but I think that's to be expected and I'm really looking forward to my 30 Before 30 list. I got the original idea from the blog, hello, splendor and think it's a great idea! This journey will begin when my 28-day Challenge is over. So now to it...

Today I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle what lay ahead. After being awake for a while and arriving to work, I still sort of feel this way. I'm a little tired and have already sucked my first smoothie down.

Today's smoothie is my own concoction again of mixed frozen fruit, a banana, one cup of diet cranberry juice and one cup of water. It's pretty delish!

For lunch I'm having left overs from last night; half a chicken breast, half a sweet potato and a salad. My snacks again will be a green apple with peanut butter and the other serving of my smoothie. It's sad that it's only 9 a.m. and I'm already really looking forward to lunch!

So, this challenge isn't just about what you stick in your mouth, it's also about clearing your mind and making a change for the better both, physically and mentally. So far I've only really committed to the physical part. However, I have started listening to my body which was recommended.

For me, this challenge is about re-directing my mind when it comes to meals. For instance last night if I were not doing the challenge, I would have eaten the entire chicken breast and sweet potato. As I made my dinner plate I was a little worried that I'd be really hungry but as it turns out, smaller portions may be easier that I once thought. After a typical meal I would also have something sweet because I LOVE desert. But this week I haven't had anything sweet (excluding the peanut butter I eat with my apple, which by the way is from heaven) and I'm not missing it. The one thing I would like to get better at is drinking more water. I typically only have about one liter a day and I need to up the anty to two!

As for the no caffeine, I miss it and can't lie. I'm really looking forward to Sunday morning when I can make a fresh pot of pecan pie coffee!

Tonight I'm going to meet my friend Anne for Zumba! I think my body is up for it after adjusting to the new routine and I'm looking forward to some physical activity!

26 days to go...

The Challenge, Day 2

2011-01-04T09:00:00.011-07:00

I made it through Day 1 of the Whole Living 28 Day Challenge Action Plan. It wasn't as bad as I was expecting which is a good thing! The Green Smoothie was a little different and next time I make it I will use the liquefy button on the blender, no more chewing my smoothie for me!

Today's smoothie is my own blend of frozen mixed fruit, diet cranberry juice and water and it is SO good!

So far, the food part of the plan is the only one I've stuck with. I don't want to take a media break. I only watch 2-3 hours of TV a day and that's how I relax at the end of the day so I'm not taking it away. However, I did crawl into bed earlier last night.

It was partly due to my being cold but also I was exhausted. I decided to go to the gym last night and worked out on the elliptictal machine for an hour. My friend Anne met me so it was more of a gab session than an intense work out which I'm thankful for because I don't think I could have done it! I had pretty low energy by the end of the day but it did feel good to go and do something. Today, I'm planning on heading home after work and doing pilates along with the yoga release and back strengthener positions in the magazine.

I feel pretty good today, but I think day 2 may be a little harder than day 1 so I'll have to re-evaluate at the end of the day.

I'm also looking at expanding my menu. At first, I thought I could make it with lettuce and chicken but this girl does not survive on lettuce alone! I'm heading to the grocery store at lunch to pick up a few items for the recipes below:

Avocado & Lime

Spicy Cauliflower

Sweet Potato with Coconut

For dinner tonight, I think I'll have half a grilled chicken breast, half a roasted sweet potato with rosemary and a salad. Yummy...I'm hungry just thinking about it!

27 days left

No Sour Grapes in This Bunch

2011-01-03T13:47:00.003-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, my sister and brother-in-law invited me to Divine Wine in downtown Denver because they had made their own special wine blend and it was time to bottle the goods! Here's a pic of my sister putting on the custom labels she made for their wine. She made two, one for each of her doggies called 1) Split Personality for Dexter and (2) Jealous Boyfriend for Chico. Very fitting names if you've met the pooches! And that big jug the guy on the left is holding, that's what had their wine it it... they were kind enough to share!
And here's a pic of the bottling process, I only did one bottle because I was scared it would explode all over me!
It was a really fun process and I'm happy they included me!

New Year, New Challenges

2011-01-03T10:34:00.005-07:00

For the start of 2011, I am taking part in the Whole Living Action Plan 28-Day Challenge. Today is Day 1 and I began my Monday morning not with my typical cup of joe, but instead with this:

It's the Green Smoothie which includes Kale, parsley, one banana and a green apple. I brought it with me to work at 8 this morning and am still working on finishing it. The consistency is a little jarring at first, but you get used to it and it actually is pretty tasty! For the rest of the day, here are my meals:

Lunch will be a salad with some left-over pork roast (a piece about the size of my smart phone), and my snacks will be a green apple with peanut butter (I'm not sticking with the plan where it calls to cut out peanut products) and another shake later on in the afternoon.

I think this will be a good thing, but we'll see if it is or just another good sounding, bad idea! So far, the most difficult part of the process has been cutting out caffeine, but I'm hoping that over the next 28 days, I will be more alert, clear-minded and not as dependent on coffee as I was just one week ago.

I will be using the blog as a way to track my progress and also talk about the challenges and triumphs that come with The Challenge.

Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

2010-11-19T15:46:00.006-07:00

Last night, my friend Hagen, and I went to see Brandon Flowers at the Ogden. He's the lead singer of The Killers but is doing a solo thing for a while.

I haven't heard much of his solo work so I didn't know what to expect and Hagen won the tickets through an online raffle so he couldn't give me a whole lot of insight into Flowers' Flamingo album.

But, my reviews are all positive! If you're looking for a new addition to your iPod, run don't walk, get Flamingo today. Listening to this album live last night was amazing! Maybe it was the mix of light show, performance theater and musical talent that intrigued me but whatever it was, I am hooked on The Killers front man! I can't stop streaming his stuff online and am headed out after work to buy the CD. Yes, I still buy CD's.

Anberlin - Impossible = my new song obsession

2010-11-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Dating in Denver

2010-10-19T13:10:00.007-07:00

Way back in 2005 Forbes.com listed the Denver-Boulder as the #1 spot for singles. Times have changed my friend. By 2009 Denver-Aurora had fallen 12 spots to #13 and in 2010, it's feeling like the Mile High City should be closer to #40 on that list.

Dating anywhere is difficult, but dating in Denver has its own unique challenges.

(1) No one is from Denver, or Colorado for that matter. So if you do get serious with someone chances are pretty high they'll want to return to their hometown and be near their family.

(2) No one is ready to make a commitment. There are more Peter Pans running the streets of Denver than anywhere I've lived before.

(3) Quirky is confused for trendy. It's not trendy to be a freak, it's just freaky. Some days I feel like I'm living episode 15 of Sex and the City, The Freak Show:

Oh how I miss my weekly dates with Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte & Miranda, they rarely let me down unlike my recent outings.

Lately, I've been out with a man who in his mid-30's couldn't hold his liquor which lead to multiple embarrassing texting mistakes only one day after we met, a man who thinks recreational drug use is cool, a man who makes and breaks more plans than I can count so we really have yet to meet for a second time and a man who made future plans with me on our first date but hasn't called to let me know when we're doing all that fun stuff.

Judge for yourself, but for now, I agree with Carrie.

It's not me, it's you

2010-09-30T08:00:00.007-07:00

Stefanie Wilder-Taylor's book, It's not me, it's you, is perhaps one of the funniest reads I've sat down for in a while!

There are a lot of really funny parts so it was difficult for me to narrow down my excerpt selection, but I hope you find this as funny as I did.

So, I'd heard all the bad advice and more while spending the better part of my prime hoping the right guy was going to happen along while I was too busy loving myself to notice. When I finally did meet a meet the man I eventually married, one of my friends said, "Good for you. You did the work on yourself and the right guy came into your life." Wrong. I did eventually find "the one" but I credit luck, AOL and some particularly bad dates with other people for my husband, Jon. I didn't suddenly develop a better, more evolved personality.

In the old days of the Internet, everyone had AOL - sadly, I still do, mostly because I'm deathly afraid of change, not because I like AOL. But back then we were a proud community; we felt we belonged to one of the first networking sites and we filled out our member profiles, listing our hobbies, jobs, marital status, and age, with great gusto.

It just so happened that I enjoyed looking up these member profiles, finding people who were online at the time and then sending them a random instant message along the lines of "Hi, I'm seventy-five years young and looking for a good time. You game?" Usually the recipient of my communication either completely ignored me or immediately asked for my height/weight/pic, which is gross. Come on, I'm seventy-five!

Thanks to the Eloise May Library, I enjoyed this book for my two weeks and am on my way at lunch today to pick up a new one, Julia Phillips You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again.

Good Sounding, Bad Idea #15

2010-08-23T10:17:00.010-07:00

Planning Your High School Reunion

Sure, it sounds fun and easy enough, right?! Wrong! Planning your high school reunion is one giant headache.

First ensuring you get a hold of everyone is impossible. Second, trying to please everyone is even more impossible than trying to let everyone know it's happening in the first place and third, getting everyone who says they're going to be there to actually show up is the biggest hurdle.

When people started bugging me on Facebook about planning my 10-year high school reunion (why did I have to be an overachiever in high school, why?) I felt pressured to be on the planning committee so I said yes. That was my first mistake.

My second mistake came when one of the planning committee members said she was "too busy" to find a place for our class dinner. For some reason unknown to me now, I said, "No problem, I can do that too" although I had already decided on the date, the location of the mixer and was apparently the lead on the planning committee.

The second mistake ended up being the biggest. Given roughly a month to find a suitable place for our Saturday night dinner, I didn't even think about having people pay in advance. I was too worried about finding a place that could hold as many people who said they were coming. Once I made the reservations and paid the deposit I thought the headache was over...wrong again.

Before I get into why the dinner was so horrible, I will tell you about the rest of the reunion which was actually pretty fun!

Friday night we had a mixer at a local bar, the Gold Dust, in downtown Pueblo. It was so fun, a lot of people came and it was really great seeing everyone again! The turnout for the mixer was really good, about 100 or so people. I did overhear people talking about the dinner and saying they couldn't make it which made me really nervous but I still figured we'd hit our minimum of 80 people.

Saturday afternoon we all met at South High to do a tour of the school which was really fun! It was so weird how small the school seems now and big it was to us just ten years ago.

Here's where the story gets good... Saturday night as I was driving to dinner I was really nervous about us not meeting the minimum of 80 people for dinner. As I was unloading my car, I apparently forgot I was in a nice dress, bent over like I was at the gym picking up the weight bar and split my dress! It wasn't a big split, what happened was the slit at the bottom came undone just a little too much. I began to panic. Thank God my friend Luz was on her way over, stopped and got some safety pins and saved my butt, literally!

After the humiliation of having my entire class know I split my dress, I had to tell them that we were 40 people short for dinner and ask them to pay more. While some were pretty unhappy, most understood. I just wish that 1)the people who said they were coming had shown up and 2)that I would have planned better!

Guess I know better now and I will be able offer some helpful advice to those who plan the 20th class reunion because it won't be me!

Hometown News

2010-07-21T12:30:00.006-07:00

I love Country Music and think Gary Allan is one of the best modern Country singers around! I've liked his music since I first heard "Smoke Rings in the Dark" about ten years ago. At that time, I fell in love with his unique sound. Maybe it's the crackle in his voice, the way he can change his pitch, or the way he twangs without trying but whatever it is, he's able to stand out in a crowd of Country Music impersonators invading the airwaves today.

I had the chance to see him perform live in Miami, OK at the Buffalo Run Casino and he puts on an energetic, passionate live show.

His latest song, "Get off on the Pain" is typical Allan and the reason I love his music. And something that is extra neat is that he shot the video for the song in my hometown at the Colorado State Fair Grounds!

I said Johnny whattcha doin tonight?

2010-07-20T08:50:00.004-07:00

Last week I saw my favorite band, O.A.R., at Red Rocks. It wasn't the first time I've seen them live, actually it was the fourth, but it was incredible!

If you've never heard of them, you can watch them on Letterman playing my all time fav song 'Hey Girl' and check out the photos I took at the Red Rocks Show.

We were in row 14! It wasn't the closest I've ever been to the band, but definitely the best show of theirs I've ever been to!

Had to take a photo of the amphitheater, it's beautiful.

Good Sounding, Bad Idea #14

2010-07-15T09:27:00.007-07:00

Online Dating

I have had horrible luck with Online Dating. I know quite a few people who have found success, but I just have bad luck with the whole process. I have no problem chatting with people online and meeting them in person, but those are the only easy parts. Below are just a few examples of the dates I've had recently so you can see what's available out there for a 28-year-old woman.

1) CALL ME CHER
The worst date I ever had all began before the date started. As I approached this man it was obvious he'd done a little photoshoping to his pictures or posted pictures from many, many years ago. I don't like being deceived so I told him my dog was ill and I couldn't stay for dinner, just a drink. As I was drowning my sorrows in white wine he began telling me that he "likes to be referred to only as Stan, as in Cher." Yes, he really did reference Cher. As if that's not odd enough, Stan is not his first name but instead part of his last name. Needless to say that didn't go further than that evening.

2) UNCONTROLLABLE NOSTRILS
Not the worst date I've been on, but close is the guy who had the strangest breathing habbits I've ever seen. I barely know what his name was or what he was talking about because I was so distracted by his spastic nostrils. When he would speak, they would move rapidly in and out and if he were a fish gasping for air. He also submitted a photo from the years when he had hair.

3) NO SKINNY JEANS FOR ME
Emo-love. I am trying to branch out, keep an open mind and enjoy new experiences. However, I don't think I could ever get serious with a 29-year-old emo. I do not wear skinny jeans and I'd prefer if my boyfriend didn't either.

I know I'm not perfect, in fact I'm far from it but I am somewhat normal. Is it too much to ask to find a man who is semi-normal. Someone who watches TV, not thinks it's evil. Someone who likes watching sports but doesn't have to bet on every game being played. Someone who likes going on actual dates, not just boozing. Someone who likes the outdoors, not Grizzly Adams. Perhaps that is too much to ask but I do get some good stories out of it!

Art is in the Eye of the Beholder

2010-06-08T09:54:00.005-07:00

Last weekend was the Denver Chalk Art Festival on Larimer Square. Since I moved to Denver I've been wanting to go, so my friend Leslie and I went and it was really neat!

Here are some shots I took of the pieces I liked most:

It's amazing what creative people can do! The way the were able to blend the colors and make the ordinary street pieces of art is incredible. I'm definitely going back next year, although I'll arrive earlier when kiddos are still in bed :)

Have a Little Faith

2010-06-03T14:08:00.004-07:00

I started reading Mitch Albom's book, Have a Little Faith, on Sunday night. I wasn't sure what to expect but have enjoyed two of this other books, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven and For One More Day so I decided to give it a go.

I have to say, I was skeptical of the book at first but have really gotten into it in last couple of days. A few things that stand out to me are: 1) the unshakable faith of the Rabbi who's life is profiled in the book and 2) how believing in something can provide such strength and comfort.

While I was raised Presbyterian and spent many a Sunday morning in Sunday School, it's been more than ten years since I've been to a religious service. This book, in a way, makes me want to reconnect to a faith. I think I may have a different appreciation for church now as an adult that I did not have as a child.

One part of the book that sticks with me goes a little like this -
Q: Are your parents perfect or do they need improvement?
A: No they're not perfect...
Q: So they need improvement?
A: No, because no one is perfect.

This part of the book has stuck with me for days, mostly because it's easy to get lost in the "Perfect Mentality". Where everything needs to be just right. The more and more I tell myself that nothing and no one is perfect, I am able to have more peace and patience.

Perhaps I didn't pick out the book at the library, perhaps - just maybe, it picked me out.