New Music!

After several months of not being able to access iTunes on my old laptop, I'm excited to be able to finally update my playlists! There's nothing like running with new music to keep things fresh and interesting. Here are a few of my favorite new (to me) songs:

1. American Honey -- Lady Antebellum
2. I gotta Feeling -- Black Eyed Peas
3. Hey, Soul Sister -- Train
4. Fallin' For You -- Colbie Caillat
5. Cowboy Casanova -- Carrie Underwood
6. Alright -- Darius Rucker
7. Fearless -- Taylor Swift
8. Just Dance -- Lady Gaga
9. Perfect Day -- Lady Antebellum (ok, basically I heart their whole album)
10. Learn To Live -- Darius Rucker (yep, his whole album too)

I have some music-themed Valentine's Day presents in the works for my nieces and nephews. I'll post more about that later! Hope you all had an awesome weekend!

PS -- my amazing husband competed in his 1st ever triathlon today!! He did an absolutely outstanding job, and plans to compete in some more in the future. Maybe his enthusiasm will get me in the pool to give a triathlon a shot!

Happy Birthday to Daisy!

This little puppy is 3 today!!!!(picture taken in Atlanta after her first bath! she clearly no longer fits in the sink!)

It's one of those days...

I am CRAVING these right now.....
....too bad that I can't exactly run down to Georgetown Cupcake these days (or maybe that's actually a good thing)!!

PS - All this sugar makes me think about the commercials about partially hydrogenated corn syrup on tv. Have you seen them? They're super preachy, and defensive about the substance's current bad publicity. Kind of a harsh reaction if you ask me!

Weekend Recap

I had a GREAT weekend! SB and I stayed in town, and just had a blast. Here's a little recap:

• Friday night -- I played my first match with my new WTT (World Team Tennis) team. I won both my matches and had fun meeting the new people!
• Saturday morning - SB and I ran a 4 mile race in Forest Park. SB ran ridiculously fast (he finished 9 minutes ahead of me....helloooo that's like 2 and a half minutes faster per mile than me)! But I was still pretty happy about my time (38:52 -- which I know I can improve), and the highlight was when SB ran back to find me, and finished the last 1/2 mile by my side! He's a sweetie.
• Saturday lunch -- we tried the famous Pappy's BBQ. The line was waaaay out the door - probably about 45 minutes long, but it was soooo worth it. Their bbq is just delicious. I'd definitely do it again. (and I highly recommend the pulled pork sandwich, and sides of green beans and apple sauce. They were all sooooooooo good.)
  
• Saturday afternoon I bought a new macbook! It's been several months since my laptop stopped working altogether, and since it's 7 years old, I figured it's time for a new one. SB is a big Apple fan, so he convinced me that this is the way to go. So far I'm loving it! (and the fact that I can finally plug in my iphone for updates)
• Sunday -- I played tennis again! This time it was a USTA match. I played doubles, and won a pretty tough one 6-2, 7-6 (8-6). There's nothing like a tie-breaker to get that fun feeling of playing under pressure.
• Football, football, football. I'm so happy the Colts will be playing the Saints. I'll be pulling for the Saints. It truly is amazing to think of the state of the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.....and now look at it! (and oh-so-gratifying to this Packer fan that Favre lost....call me bitter, I don't mind - but I'm still happy he's not in the Super Bowl!)
  

A pop of color!!

I'm always attracted to bright colors. From clothing to art, I think that "happy colors" really help boost my mood! After stalking these prints for ages on Ballard Design's site, I finally took the plunge and purchased them for our kitchen! (and two stools too...thanks to the 15% off coupon from my sister!)

Valentine's Pajamas

Yes, please! There's something about crisp, bright, new pajamas that just makes me smile. I don't buy new pj's often, but there's something about Valentine's Day that makes me think it's the perfect excuse for some new sleepwear.
top 4 from Gap Body

Bed Head Pajamas
Old Navy

Hearty Tomato Soup....courtesy of Giada de Laurentis

SB and I have been on a bit of a health kick lately. Nothing too outrageous, just trying to be mindful of what we're putting in our bodies. Last night I tried out a new recipe that I'd seen some other bloggers rave about. Keep in mind that I am a soup-making rookie.....I seriously don't think I'd ever made a soup from scratch before. That said, this recipe really is amazingly delicious (and easy!....and super healthy!).

Hearty Tomato Soup with Lemon and Rosemary

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup creme fraiche
• Zest of one lemon

Directions:

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the veggies are tender -- about 4 min. Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 t. rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 min, covered.

Puree the soup in a blender in batches, being careful to remove and discard the bay leaf. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3 cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately.

"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love."
--Martin Luther King Jr.,
U.S. civil rights leader

Dog Advice Needed!

Do any of you out there have two dogs? We're seriously considering adding another four-legged fur-baby to our little family. We have a big back yard, and plenty of space in the house. Daisy is almost 3 (January 28 is her bday!), and is calming down to the point where we could handle the energy of another lab puppy. I posted this on my facebook status, and lots of my friends/family said that we shouldn't do it. Sooooo - let me know your two-dog stories! Should we do it??(Daisy and her BFF from December.....is it a sign that she wants a playmate if she sat next to the snowman and licked its hands every so often? This picture was totally un-posed!)

Book Review: Sarah's Key

My sister called me to let me know that she had found an amazing book....so amazing, in fact, that she finished it in one day because she couldn't tear herself away from it! She then sent it my way, and called me every other day to see if I had finished it yet! Sarah's Key is a historical novel that shares the stories of a young girl, Sarah, in Paris during World War II, and an American journalist living in Paris now (Julia). Julia is researching the 1942 roundups and deportations (to Auschwitz) of Jewish families in Paris. Through her research, she learns that her husband's family's apartment was previously occupied by a Jewish family (Sarah's) that was sent to the Vélodrome d'Hiver. As she uncovers more and more facts about her husband's family and Sarah's family, her marriage begins to deteriorate and her life changes forever. It's an interesting read, and I highly recommend it!

Happy 6 Month Anniversary!

It's hard to believe that six short months ago I said "I DO!" to the man of my dreams. Life as a married couple has not changed all that drastically, but it sure is wonderful to know that I will always be with the man who makes me laugh (he has a way with impersonating the funniest SNL skits), who has the warmest heart (he is unbelievably kind), and who will keep me on my toes with challenging runs, tough tennis matches, and competitive Scrabble games for the rest of my life!

I did it!

I joined a gym last night. I'm really excited about it! It's close to our house, and will be a great place to go for fun classes, and to get a workout in despite these freezing cold temperatures! Last night I did a 15 minute abs class, and a 45 minute step class. It was great! I love that post-workout high when you can feel it in your muscles, and you just feel good and healthy! It snowed 3 inches last night -- which just reconfirms that this was a good choice. I hope to get in another good workout tonight. Loving it!

The definition of cool....

Me: "I made a haircut/highlight appointment for Saturday at a new place. Don't worry, this one's a cool salon."

SB: "Yea....if you have to say that it's cool, it's probably not cool."

Hey may just be right....but my fingers are crossed that I'll actually like my hair this time around (at the *cool* salon). A friend in town recommended the last stylist I saw....but I wasn't loving the end results (I think I went a total of 3 times since the move). She was in a salon in which the stylists "rent" their chairs, and are sort of their own entities. She was surrounded by all these women doing the curled "set" style on older ladies, ages 85+. Literally. Plus, one of the other stylists wore her hair in a braid that went down to her knees. I should have exited on seeing that alone. I'll report back after Saturday!!

Brrrrrrr!

photo credit: Runners World

Question: What's a girl to do in freezing temperatures without a gym membership?

Answer: Run in the cold!
Here are the stats on yesterday's run:
Distance: 3 Miles
Temperature: 8 Degrees Fahrenheit (ouch! single digits = cooooold!)
Companion: Daisy
Number of Layers: 3 (long underwear, sweat pants, tank top, long-sleeved top, fleece jacket, hat, gloves, thick wool socks, sunglasses)

I don't think Daisy was nearly as bothered by the cold as I was! I was decently warm everywhere but my poor little fingers. Luckily they warmed up half-way into the run, so I wasn't totally miserable. I've signed up for week-long trials at two of the nearby gyms this week. Granted, they'll probably be busier than ever, but it will be good to test them out to see if I like the classes, the equipment, etc. I can't wait to have the option to work out inside instead of braving the elements!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!! I wish you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2010 filled with laughter, love, adventure and peace!