Nostalgia.

Smoosh, smoosh, smoosh… pat, pat, pat… those are the very first steps I learned in my pottery throwing class. You probably think I am taking a class for five year olds but learning the wheel is an incredibly difficult task. Let me start out by saying, the class was AMAZING and I loved it! I have had a passion for clay since I was in high school and being reunited with clay has made life a little bit better.

Our teacher warned us that she would speak to us like children because the less direction, the better. I couldn’t agree more. The worst kind of teacher is someone who throws out a bunch of information at you and expects you to get it on the first try. Our teacher has been doing pottery for twenty years and has her own studio so she knew exactly how to teach us. The class was filled with advanced students, intermediate and then the four of us beginners who took to throwing with an open and quite silly mind.

I am the youngest in a class full of women, my mother being one of them, and I couldn’t have had more fun. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. It reminded me of when I was little, when I would tag along with my grandmother to her painting classes. I think back on those warm summer days when she would pick me up and take me to her painting class with her old lady friends. During the couple of hours away from everything, they would chat about their kids, their grandchildren and enjoy the company of their fellow painters. After my first pottery class I felt nostalgia for the times I shared with my grandmother and her painting friends. I miss her everyday and I wouldn’t be the artistic person I am today if it wasn’t for her, I hope she’s proud. So whenever I smoosh, smoosh, smoosh and pat, pat, pat, I'll be thinking of her and all the good memories we shared.



Our first project was to make bowls... they definitely didn't come out this pretty (or round)



A cold-blooded killer.

Okay, I am not a cold-blooded killer but I did kill my first plant. All I had to do was add a couple of ice cubes once a week and I still managed to kill the poor plant. In my defense, I am told they are one of the most difficult plants to keep alive but maybe the person who told me that was trying to be nice. I think they are one of the most beautiful and unique plants and they are one of my favorites, the spectacular Orchid. Poor thing didn’t stand a chance with me.

I told myself if I could keep a plant alive then maybe I could get a dog. Then I thought about it, a dog is much more expensive than an Orchid, silly me I think I will stick with plants… for now. I would love to start an herb garden, a small one that I can grow in my apartment and then when I eventually (maybe some day) get a house, I can have an herb garden… but I won’t get ahead of myself since I had a hard time remembering to ice my poor orchid. Does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of herbs or plants I could grow in my apartment? We have a room that gets amazing sunlight and it would be perfect for a couple of plants, email me. 

  

Spring is my favorite season, it always has been. The weather starts to warm up, people actually have smiles on their faces, the days are longer and the best part is the flowers begin to bloom. I have always had a fascination with flowers, my mother was always big on planting flowers around our house and I hope some day I can do the same. I have great memories of helping her as a child and then I would run away screaming because I saw a spider ha. Oh well, we still bonded and I can thank her for my love of flowers and for my fear of creepy crawlers.



I am going to do some research on herb gardens and plants, I will let you know how it goes. Until then, may your days be brighter and filled with lots of flowers! Happy Spring… Don’t forget to water your plants.

 



I think this is such a cool idea for herbs

DIY herb garden



Tiny fingers, tiny toes, a little button nose..

Last night I received the first photograph of my new niece or nephew and I am so very excited to meet this precious little nugget. I have named him/her baby nugs. Tomorrow will make baby nugs 12 weeks old. I know I have a while to go before I actually get to meet this little angel, but I love baby nugs already.  :)

As I told you in a previous post, I am going to keep you posted on the baby that is baking in my sisters belly (thanks Kate for allowing me to post it!). When you become an aunt or an uncle, it is one of the most amazing feelings in the world. Obviously, it is not the same feeling as having a child of your own but when you can enjoy this little person and you don’t have to be the one to discipline them when they are being a B-R-A-T and your only job is too spend time with them and spoil them rotten, it is such a great feeling. I will hopefully have kids of my own some day, but until then, I am going to enjoy loving my niece and soon to be niece or nephew with all my heart.

Ten things I can’t wait for:

1. To see the baby open his/her eyes for the first time.
2. Baby nugs holding onto of my fingers so tightly when they are sleeping.
3. His/her first giggle.
4. Watching baby nugs take his/her first wobbly step.
5. Hearing him/her rip a fart louder than Travis and look so confused afterwards.
6. Watching baby nugs dance to his/her favorite show.
7. Letting him/her take my hand and want me to follow.
8. Getting a slobbery baby kiss.
9. Cuddling and reading a bedtime story to him/her before bed.
10. I can’t wait to love baby nugs forever.



Oh hello precious, I can't wait to meet you.



A day dreamer.

If I had a million dollars… I would open a boutique and sell trendy, affordable clothing and accessories from upcoming designers, cool home/apartment décor and have workshops for DIY (do it yourself) crafts. My boutique would be girly and artsy all bottled up into one. That is my ultimate dream job, but the reality is there are probably thousands of boutiques just like that around the world. How do I get this dream job of mine? I need money…

If I had a million dollars… I wouldn’t have to worry about paying the rent for my business, I could open this great shop that I have thought up in my head, it’s so beautiful, I wish you could see it ha. I am the ultimate dreamer, always coming up with new ideas for a new career that I think would be perfect for me. I hope someday I can fulfill this or any dream of mine. It would be amazing to travel the world, attending tradeshows and selecting new merchandise to buy to sell at my trendy little boutique.

If I had a million dollars… Life would be so much easier and I could make my little boutique a success but if it failed, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I would be doing something with all of the creativity that is bottled up in my head right now. I would help market new designers and market my boutique with my design skills.

If I had a million dollars… I think a million dollars might be pushing it but hey a girl can dream right? :) … I think I just heard my alarm clock go off, back to reality. (Sigh) Until next dream...  

Ease the mind.

 Years ago, when I was in my early years of high school, I tried yoga for the first time. My best friends sister was really into yoga and she talked us into trying it. I am not sure if it was my immaturity but you hear stories about people doing yoga and becoming so relaxed they relieve some serious gas. That is what happened the first time I took yoga, not to me ha, but someone else decided to let one rip and I could not control my laughter... talk about embarrassing. I am not sure if it was more embarrassing for me or for the person who let one slip. From then on, I didn't think I could handle yoga because oh my god, what if I accidentally farted or again, couldn't control my laughter when someone else did!?

I guess I have grown up, even though I still giggle at the sound of a ketchup bottle making a farting noise, thankfully I can now get myself under control and take a yoga class. It only took me six years and I now love it. Yoga has become a stress release for me when I am feeling overwhelmed and well, crazy. It is so incredibly relaxing that I get lost in the stretches and it helps me keep my flexibility and gives me a good stretch after a hard workout. You hear stories about how celebrities swear by yoga and I now understand why. Your muscles stretch, which will help you towards a leaner figure and a better posture. If you have the patience to try it, you should.

Last summer, a friend and I decided to try Bikram Yoga. You are probably thinking we are crazy and who on earth would ever want to take yoga in high heat. I loved it, my friend not so much. It is a hard class to get used to as you need to learn to breathe and stay under control in 100-degrees. After a class, you feel as if you have sweat out the bad toxins in your body, your joints feel a sort of release, and you are more flexible.
On Living Social (a website that gives you discounts, similar to Groupon), they had a deal for 10 classes for $45 at a yoga place close to where I live. A class for Bikram Yoga is extremely expensive (I am not sure why – maybe the heating bill) and is around $18 a class depending on where you go. Again, call me crazy but I am excited to get back into it, even if it is only until my 10 classes run out.
So, if you are brave enough to try a class, you should. You would be surprised how great it will make you feel. Who would have thought that a type of exercise could be so relaxing… but don’t get too relaxed, you might let one rip. ;)

A Wicked great show.

Five years ago, I had one of the most memorable Thanksgivings I will ever have, for several reasons. It was the first Thanksgiving away from my family, the first Thanksgiving without my aunt Shelley who had passed away that September and.it was my first time visiting London. My friend Kristin and I traveled to London (in first class, let me rub it in) to visit our good friend Jamie. The trip alone was one of the most memorable experiences I will ever have but that Thanksgiving, I will remember forever.

The day before Thanksgiving, Kristin and I were supposed to wake up early and wait in line to purchase student discounted tickets for the amazing Broadway production Wicked.  They were performing in London and the lead was the infamous Idina Menzel, we HAD to see it. Our plan didn’t go accordingly though, Kristin had a few too many the night before and was unable to get out of bed to wait in line… “maybe tomorrow,” we said. Thanksgiving Day, we finally found the place (we weren’t the best navigators, especially in a huge city such as London ha) to buy tickets that were $25 USD, insanely cheap right? Unfortunately, it was Idina Menzel's only night off, most likely to spend the holiday with her family, just our luck... thanks Kristin ;) Oh well, the show must go on and we had incredible seats.



Before we could go to the show, we HAD to find a Thanksgiving feast… somewhere. In London, that is not an easy task. Well, for us college kids, the cheapest place we could find was KFC. Yes, we had fried chicken with french fries because they do not serve mashed potatoes at KFC’s in London… at least we tried.



When we arrived at the theater, we found our front row seats (literally, row A) and sat down with the utmost excitement as the show began. A piece of the set flew into the crowd (that is how close we were) and hit us in the head during the show. Are you surprised? Of course the two clumsiest people in the world would get hit with part of the set (don’t worry, they were only tiny sticks).  We thought it couldn't get better but it did, after the show we rushed to the back entrance and met the entire cast. Wicked is by far the most amazing show you will ever see. You laugh, you cry, you sit in awe of the performers and their incredible voices.  The show takes you back to when you were little and the memories of The Wizard of Oz.



What made me think of that day, was a commercial I saw on TV last night... Are you ready for it?? Wicked is coming to The Bushnell in Hartford and I am beyond excited. Guess who will be the first one to buy tickets? Yes, this girl. I hope it will be as memorable for me as that Thanksgiving five years ago, but if not, I will always remember the special day I spent with amazing friends, when I saw a WICKED great show.

The lead Fiyero

 

Outside the theater in London









A simple Sunday surprise.

Sunday afternoons I usually spend the day with my niece Paige, but today was different. I let myself sleep in.. well, I thought I slept in. Waking up feeling like it was 10:00am and then looking at my clock and seeing it was 8:30am was a pleasant surprise. Although I love sleeping in on occasion, I usually hate it because I feel like it is a waste of my day. I tend to have the mind set that I have to go go go on my days off and try to get as much done as possible. Slowly getting myself out of bed this morning (let me tell you, it took me a good half hour) I decided to make "cheesy, chicken and spinach stuffed shells." I made a dish for my boyfriend and me for tonight's dinner and a dish of shells for my grandfather. It felt good to make my grandfather dinner and spend some time with him this afternoon. I feel like I should enjoy each moment with him. 

Another pleasant surprise this afternoon was a text from my mom saying her and my dad were stopping by. I love surprises, I think it is the best feeling when someone surprises you with a gift, with dinner, or simply stopping by to say hello. I bet my parents didn't even realize their visit would make my day. 

Today I was extremely productive and it wasn't planned at all. I watched my brothers dog, made dinner, saw my grandfather, had lunch with my parents, went grocery shopping for the week, baked an appetizer and baked cookies all in one day! 

Although I love days like today when I feel so productive, I miss spending time with Paige. I feel if I miss seeing her on my usual Sunday that I miss so much in only a week. She is growing so fast and just like I want to enjoy each moment with my grandfather, I want to enjoy each moment with Paige. Time moves so quickly and I want to take in all the little surprised I get in my life. Today, I will enjoy the surprise I received from my parents by stopping by and the surprises I will receive in the future. Surprise someone tomorrow, this week or next month with something as simple as a coffee or a visit to say hello… it could make their day.