22. A picture of something you wish you were better at

I wish I was better at piano. There is really no excuse as to why I'm not. Daniel is an amazing pianist and he is an awesome teacher. I should take lessons from him for real.


I have a great ear and good rhythm, so I should be able to pick right back up where I left off.

21. A picture of something you wish you could forget

This may not be that big of a deal..but it is something I wish I could forget. My first speeding ticket. This happened years ago. Ugh, it was awful. I was literally a block away from my apartment. I shouldn't have even been out like I was. I was supposed to run to a friend's to check on their pets while they were away, and then come back home. So, I wasn't even properly dressed. I had on clothes, but I definitely wasn't dressed the way I would have normally been. I was in such a hurry to get back home I didn't even realize how fast I was driving, I was on a mission. That's when I got pulled over and it was awful. He gave me the ticket like it was no big deal, but it was a big deal to me. It was also a good lesson to make sure you are properly dressed/made up no matter where you go, because you never know what can happen.

I ended up getting a slap on the wrist in court, but it was still very embarrassing. I learned my lesson for sure. I wish I could forget it..

20. A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

I would love to travel to Rome, Italy one day. Actually, I would love to travel all over Italy. But I suppose Rome would be my first stop there.

19. A picture and a letter

This is a photo of my brother and a letter he wrote to me back when he was in boot camp for the marines. Thankfully he is done with the marines, but it is something that will always be a part of him.

18. A picture of your biggest insecurity

My biggest insecurity is my height. Sometimes I feel like I am taller than everyone else in the room. And I'm not that tall, I'm only about 5'8" or so. Tall would be my brother, who is over 6' tall. I am taller than both of my sisters, though. Sometimes I just feel very tall, much taller than usual. So I don't wear heels very often. I am okay wearing them at work sometimes, but I am still insecure about it.

It's also hard to find pants that don't look like clam diggers on me. I usually have to get long pants, but sometimes those are pretty hard to find.

I definitely don't wear heels when I am out anywhere with my husband. If I do, it's very rare. I am already taller than him without shoes on (he is short and his entire family is short), so I just don't want to seem any taller than I already am.

Over the years I have gotten more comfortable with it. I like the shoes that I do have, I am just a little cautious about which ones I wear for certain things.

17. A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

New York City.

I always wanted to go but was always afraid. I don't know why I was afraid, I just was.

We always talked about going, and then last fall we mentioned it again and then both decided then and there to just go for it. We celebrated our second wedding anniversary in NYC.

It opened my eyes to so many things. I'm no longer afraid to travel to new places and see big things. I can't wait to see the world.

Before NY, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard so many different things about it. You never really know what it's like unless you have actually been there. And now that I have, I can truly say that I love it. I know we were only there for a short time, but I definitely felt like I needed to be there. I think it has a magical way of making some people really fall in love with it.

Lots more trips to that place in our future.

16. A picture of someone who inspires you

The 44th president of the USA, Barack Obama, inspires me.

15. A picture of something you want to do before you die

I want to go on a hot air balloon ride before I die. I know it's cheesy but I think it would be a lot of fun.

It would also be cool to see a hot air balloon festival..where the sky is filled with hot air balloons.

But yeah, I want to ride one, one day.

14. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

My dad.

I can never imagine my life without my dad. I know he won't be around forever, so maybe I am answering this question wrong. But I have come to accept the fact that he won't be here forever. None of us will. I just can't imagine him not ever being a part of my life.

I grew up with my dad in my life. He was always working, but I remember the time he spent giving all 4 of his kids attention. I know plenty of people, especially some close to me, who did not have a father figure, or one that was barely around, or some who lost their fathers early on. I am so grateful that my dad was around when I was growing up. He is still a part of my life today, and I do see him occasionally. He is a great person all around and I am glad to have him in my life.

I would be a completely different person if he wasn't in the picture.

In the words of the Beach Boys.. (who we danced to together at my wedding)...God only knows what I'd be without (him).

13. A picture of your favorite band or artist

Tori Amos is my favorite musical artist. This is a photo I took of her in DC on 8/1/09 during the Abnormally Attracted to Sin album tour..I think it was called the Sinful Attraction tour? Anyway, I got a lot of awesome shots during that concert. And I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since the last Tori concert! I think it's time for another one soon. There have been rumors that she won't tour again until after her musical opens in 2012 (based on The Light Princess), but can her fans wait that long?

I just read online that there is speculation that she may go on a charity tour this year too...we shall see.

Tori shows Daniel and I have been to (so I can keep track of the setlists we've seen):

Strange Little Tour:

Washington, DC (with Rufus Wainwright opening)
Sunday, October 7, 2001
DAR Constitution Hall

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=381

Scarlet's Walk Tour:

Fairfax, VA (with Howie Day opening)
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
Patriot Center

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=431

LottaPianos Tour:

Virginia Beach, VA (double tour with Ben Folds)
Thursday, August 28, 2003
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1450

Original Sinsuality Tour:

Washington, DC (with Matt Nathanson opening)
Wednesday, April 6, 2005
Warner Theatre

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1459

Norfolk, VA (with both The Ditty Bops and then The Like opening)
Sunday, August 14, 2005
nTelos Pavilion Harbor Center (Portsmouth)

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1514

American Doll Posse Tour:

Washington, DC (with Yoav opening)
Friday, October 26, 2007
DAR Constitution Hall

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1594

Sinful Attraction Tour:

Washington, DC (with OneEskimo opening)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
DAR Constitution Hall

http://www.toriset.org/c.php?c=1691

12. A picture of something you love

I love my paternal grandparents. I love this photo. Grandma and Grandpa, known to me and my sibs. George & Helen to their friends/family. Mom and Dad to my own dad.

This photo is actually one of their wedding photos, put on a cake (an edible cake photo), which my cousin Mathew and his wife Claudia got for the 60th wedding anniversary party we all threw for our grandparents. Carrot cake is their favorite.

June 18th, 1949 was the day they got married. My dad was born the following May 10th, and his 2 brothers and 1 sister followed after. We celebrated their 60th on June 19th, 2009. Amazing.

They have been married almost 62 years this year. This photo of them is so beautiful and makes me so happy just looking at it. I love it.

more old photos

looking through photos is a lot of fun.

this evening i was looking for some prints for our new york wall (to go with our empire state building art piece), and i stumbled across some folders with old photos. again.



Daniel was the cutest baby ever. As evidenced here:




Me, on the other hand, not so much. See here:





Daniel was a pretty stylish kid back in the day:




I was apparently not yet in touch with fashion:






Anyway, on to some other photos..


Look at how young I looked here:



No wonder people used to tell Daniel I was under age. Re: homeless dude in downtown fredericksburg one sunday afternoon.



Some other photos I wanted to share today:




Me in TX with a TX margarita.




Kristen, me, and Bonnie at dinner waiting for Billy to come back from Afghanistan.

Cool news!

Cool news today..my christmas cactus is growing!

I bought this little guy back before Christmas. I took a Christmas greenery basket to the lake house for the Heath-Esker-Fernandez-Brown-and more Christmas celebration. And when I bought that one, I bought this little christmas cactus.

I finally repotted him in one of my pyrex 501 fridgies last week.

Here is the first photo I took of him:



He was looking a little rough..when I repotted him some pieces fell off.. :(


Yesterday I checked him out and took another photo. Now look at him!




He has at least 5 little new guys sprouting! I am so excited.

My grandma always had this huge christmas cactus on her heavy gigantic marble coffee table. I loved that plant! It was always growing and she took such great care of it. I always think of her when I see christmas cacti. I hope I can keep this one growing. I would love to be able to grow one like she did!

Of course, when it needs repotting, I will just move it up to bigger pyrex pieces. Those 404 bowls are huge and would be the perfect fit for a big christmas cactus.



Also, last night I made this for dinner:



Pasta with tomato cream sauce..the Pioneer Woman's recipe. It was sooooo good! I made some chicken to eat with it, too.

You can check out her recipe/instructions here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/09/pasta-with-tomato-cream-sauce/

11. A picture of something you hate

I hate dirty dishes!! I absolutely can't stand the sight of them.

Washing dishes is very therapeutic for me, though. I don't mind the chore at all. I just don't like the ugly sight of dirty dishes.

I have found that cleaning while cooking definitely helps. Who wants to clean up a big mess after they just enjoyed a really good dinner?

Valentine's Day recap

What did we end up doing for Valentine's Day?

Not much. We just spent time together, after work. It was nice.

That morning we exchanged gifts. I made a shutterfly album for Daniel and he got me the Pioneer Woman's new book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It's great!




He also made me a dozen roses. Origami style. One sheet of paper (with different colored sides). His original design.



And an origami card that he designed.




Here they are that morning at my work desk:




<3!

10. A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with.

This entry was a hard one to do. "A picture of the person you do the most screwed up things with." Screwed up things? What does that even mean? I think this can be changed to........


A picture of the person you do the most adventurous things with.



And Daniel definitely gets this one (again).



Traveling, exploring, road tripping, just going out and seeing the world. Together.

9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

This May 19th marks 10 years of love with Daniel. We have been through it all together and then some.

<3

8. A picture that makes you laugh

Bob the turtle. This photo always makes me laugh.

7. A picture of your most treasured item

My most treasured item is my wedding band. Not just because it symbolizes my marriage, but because it symbolizes over 50 years of marriage that my grandparents shared together.

The wedding band was my maternal grandmother's wedding band. She was married over 50 years to my grandfather. She passed away on New Year's Day 2007, and I remember how sad I was knowing that the new year took her to another place. She was an all around amazing woman.

I am so glad to have a part of her with me every day. There are many things in my life that remind me of her, but I treasure this item more than any of them, and more than any other item I have. I'm not too big on material things, but I am very sentimental. I hope to be able to pass this ring on one day to my own future grand-daughter. Anyone who knows me knows that I am really interested in my family history and genealogy, and the ring is that much more special to me because I know so much about my ancestors on that side of the family, thanks to my uncle.

This April when we lay Daniel's Nana to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (it's a long process), we plan on going to visit my grandparents and uncle and other relatives at National Memorial Park, where they are all at peace.

6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

I would love to trade places with the Pioneer Woman one day (aka Ree Drummond). She's a totally normal person who has an awesome blog and I just can't get enough of her website! I met her last Spring with my cousin Lora at her cookbook signing in Fairfax. She is so funny and nice and her recipes and stories are great.

It'd be neat to trade places for just one day, just to see what it's like on the ranch, and of course to cook something up and bake something in that amazing kitchen! I'm sure her life is hectic on the regular, and now that she's famous, it's going to be even more hectic. Reese Witherspoon is supposedly going to play her in the upcoming film version of her romance book. Cute!

5. A picture of your favorite memory

My favorite memory..



is the moment that Daniel proposed to me. I've told the story a thousand times..but the shortened version is that he laid out a trail of 519 origami cranes with rose petals and candles, and he was at the end with a little speech on one knee. May 17th, 2006, 2 days before our 5 year dating anniversary.

4. A picture of your favorite night

This photo is from our wedding. November 15, 2008. Obviously, it is my favorite night so far. Our wedding ceremony started at 5pm, and it lasted about half an hour or so. Maybe a little longer since we wrote out all the vows and different things to be said during the ceremony. My sister Bonnie (a bridesmaid) and Daniel's sisters Georgia & Paige each did a special reading, and my brother-in-law Nathan was our officiant. My sister Natalie and friend Kristen were also bridesmaids, and my brother was my honorary attendant. Daniel's brothers Jonathan, Jerrod, and Joe were groomsmen, and his sisters were his honorary attendants. It was great having everyone who was so close to us up there with us.

This photo is from an iphone, back when the iphones were just starting to become really popular..the person who took this photo (Phil) was still trying to get used to using it. I think this photo is neat because it's a real shot from where our guests were seated..may not be crystal clear or anything, but it's special. It's more special now because I just noticed that Phil must have been sitting behind Daniel's Nana when he took the photo-you can see her on the left of the photo, so it's almost like her point of view during the ceremony. Sweet.

The reception was amazing and we hear from friends/relatives all the time how much fun they had. We had a long time to plan our wedding and reception (engaged for 2.5 years before the big day), and anyone who knows me knows how precise and exact I am about things..so everything turned out exactly the way we wanted. We have no regrets.

After the party was over, we drove off to start our honeymoon, first at Richmond's historic Jefferson hotel. On the drive there as soon as we left the Manor House (where our wedding was), we both saw a shooting star fly across the night sky. If the deal wasn't already sealed then, I am 100% sure that did it. We owned it.

3. A picture of the cast from your favorite show

Before Dexter, Parenthood, and Brothers & Sisters, there was Six Feet Under. It is my favorite show, which aired on HBO from 2001 to 2005. The show had 5 seasons and even though it was about a family with a funeral home business, it actually had many funny parts. Of course there was a lot of sad drama on the show, but the characters were all great. It's too bad the show ended when it did, but the very last episode summed everything up for everyone. I have the box set of this show and I can watch it all over again any time and still enjoy it.

Signs

Last Sunday, I drove up to Fred to join my sister Bonnie & co (Kristen, Melissa, Sharon, Crystal) at an antique/flea show. It was huge and there were a lot more (and better) vendors this year than last year. We had a good time strolling up and down the aisles checking out all of the booths. One booth had a bunch of old printers drawers and wood block letters/stamps. When Melissa and I saw it, we both gasped. Melissa immediately started rummaging through the letters and decided to make a sign for her last name/family. She got an old cheese box from the guy and carefully picked her letters. Of course I had to do the same because I have wanted a sign with our last name and wedding date.




My sign. I had to settle for just 2008, since there were slim pickings on the 1's. This will do though. I already had a cheese box at home that my sister got from Amish country in OH several years back.




Melissa's sign. How cute?!



Kristen's sign. She put her wedding year on it too. I like it because all of the letters fit perfectly in the little mini drawer.




I bought these little salt jars for $1 at the show. They are so cute. I have one by the kitchen sink on the windowsill for rings when washing/cooking if I don't want to wear my rings.



This is all I bought at the show. The drawer is a mini version of the bigger one of mine that I turned into a jewelry display. I will do something similar with this one. Bonnie got an antique microphone to add to her mic collection. Sharon got a heavy garden turtle. Kristen & Sharon both got a neat little French spice container. I can't remember what the other girls got besides the signs. It was fun!


After the show everyone headed to Olive Garden to have a birthday lunch for Melissa. I brought cake pops for dessert.



Cake pop bouquet in a little mason jar.




Bright pink birthday cake pops!

We ended the day at Hallmark for last minute Valentine's Day goods. It was a good Sunday.

2. A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

This is a photo of my sister Bonnie & I from 2004 at Myrtle Beach. We took a big trip with our friends that May for about a week. It was a lot of fun.

I chose this photo because it's totally us. I have been closest to my sister Bonnie longer than anyone else in my life. I could easily have put Daniel on this post, but nothing can compare to a sister. We grew up together, shared rooms and all. Typical sister things.

I am sure I was an annoying little sister (probably still am), but I always looked up to her (and still do). Now that we are both adults with our own lives we don't see each other so much anymore. It's still nice to get together and spend time together when we do, though.



Thanks Bonnie!!

1. A picture of yourself with 10 facts

1- I have a twin brother who is a US marine. We're obviously fraternal, but people still ask if we can feel each others' pain. No.

2- I could read and spell words by the age of 4. I remember the first book I ever read, and the first word I ever spelled on my own.

3- I love my job, especially the historic house my office is in. The people I work with are wonderful and the people I help every day make it that much more enjoyable.

4- I'm actually very good at singing. Most people that know me have no idea. I have an amazing ability to recognize notes and start naming pieces/songs they are in. It's really easy for me to make up new tunes, too.

5- My husband and I understand each other more than most people understand anyone. Probably more than most people understand anything.

6- I have never had beautiful long nails, and I have only had one real manicure my entire life. I'm not sad about it.

7- My ears are not pierced and never will be. And that's fine.

8- I have two crowns on my head (two hair parts). It's actually not cool at all.

9- My eyes are green and I love them.

10- One day I want to visit the Greek Islands.

30 days, 30 pictures

30 days, 30 pictures


I'm going to participate in the 30 days 30 pictures challenge. Another blogger friend of mine is doing this so I thought why not? Here are the entry topics for each day:



1. A picture of yourself with 10 facts
2. A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest
3. A picture of the cast from your favorite show
4. A picture of your favorite night
5. A picture of your favorite memory
6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day
7. A picture of your most treasured item
8. A picture that makes you laugh
9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most
10. A picture of the person you do the most screwed up things with
11. A picture of something you hate
12. A picture of something you love
13. A picture of your favorite band or artist
14. A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without
15. A picture of something you want to do before you die
16. A picture of someone who inspires you
17. A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
18. A picture of your biggest insecurity
19. A picture and a letter
20. A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel
21. A picture of something you wish you could forget
22. A picture of something you wish you were better at
23. A picture of your favorite book
24. A picture of something you wish you could change
25. A picture of your favorite day
26. A picture of something that means a lot to you
27. A picture of yourself and a family member
28. A picture of something you're afraid of
29. A picture that can always make you smile
30. A picture of someone you miss

Cook's Illustrated prints..

Okay..so a few entries back I mentioned how I wanted to frame some of my favorite Cook's Illustrated prints and hang them in the kitchen. Well, I did it!


I framed 4 and hung them up so far. They are cute. The backs of the Cook's Illustrated magazines always have such awesome prints.


Here are mine all framed and hanging:














Also, we hung up some other pieces around the place. Above the couch we have this (and I have 2 big frames to hang up next to it with 2 big prints of some of our NYC photos):





Along the stairs we have a wall full of framed family photos. On the opposite wall along the stairs we have started a wedding wall and I have added this:



(We have other frames up on the wedding wall, which I'll share later.) My sister Natalie gave the frame to us this past Christmas and I wasn't sure what to do with it. I recently figured out it would be great for our wedding wall. Thanks Natalie!


And this is hanging on the wall above Bob's tank:




I'll share some photos of the family wall and more of the wedding wall later.