Remember

Today is Memorial Day in the United States.

I just wanted to take a short moment and remember all the military personnel who have fought for our freedom. Even if you don't agree with the reasons as to why we are at war or why we have ever gone to war, please support and remember the people who have sacrificed their lives so that you are able to have the right to disagree. 

These men and women put their lives on the line for you and our country so that we may protest/agree/debate/vote.  (Maybe because I grew up in a military family I hold a special place in my heart.)

So while you are enjoying your day off and hanging out with friends, please take a moment to remember all the men and women who fight daily for you.

Flirty Friday

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!!

I hope everyone has great plans to meet up with friends and family to enjoy the weather and each other's company, of course.  For this edition of Flirty Friday, I am choosing items I would wear to a bbq. 

It's all about keeping light and cool.  (As many of you know I am not a big fan of the heat that comes with the summer season)  Although, with the hot weather comes bright, airy and beautiful clothing. 

Enjoy!!!

What is your go to summer outfit?

Summer Lovin'

With the approach of the Memorial Day weekend, I started to get excited.  Even though I despise the hot humid nastiness that comes with the season, I do appreciate summer.  ( I don't know if I will ever be able to say like/love.)
With that said, this list is just a fun list of things I love that happen during the summer.

1. Fresh Berry Fruit - I LOVE fresh fruit.  Mmmmm... It's even better getting them from
the farmer's market on the weekend. There is nothing like it.

2. Barbecuing - Nothing beats hanging out with friends and eating amazing food. 

3. The lazy dog days of summer. - You know when the weather gets so hot that everyone and everything just moves in slow motion.  I know, I really hate the heat, but when it gets that hot, there is nothing to do, so I read my books.  Just pour myself a nice cool glass of lemonade and relax with a great summer read.

So, those are a few of the things that get me through the summer season.  I hope everyone is gearing up for a great summer.

What are some of your favorite things about summer?

Perfection

I love the clearance rack at Target.  Even if I am going in for something, oh, such as laundry detergent ( as I did today), I always take a few moments to peruse the racks, because you never know.

Just like today.  I scored.  I scored BIG!  I got two London of Liberty dresses for the grand total of sixteen bucks.  Um, yes, I am uber awesome.  SIXTEEN DOLLARS!!!  I'm so excited I can't stand it! So I had to come home and share my amazing news with everyone!

It was one of those moments that "A Few of my Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music starts to play in my head.  

Here are the two amazing beautiful dresses for your viewing pleasure.

Flirty Friday

Love.  Pure.  Love.

I love sundresses.  I love wedge sandals.  I love wearing sundresses with wedge sandals.  Nothing says summer more to me than a cute sundress and HOT wedges. So for this Flirty Friday I am going to post a pic of a sundress and wedge that are def on my to get list for this summer season. 

There are so many different kinds of dresses, some of my favorite sites for them are Etsy (of course, I have a slight  ginormous love affair with that site. Sorry husband.)  Anthroplogie and Macys.  I could live in the last two stores.  I would live in Etsy, but considering it is a site that people sell their items, I don't think they would appreciate me being an uninvited guest in their house. 

Here is my one of my many want dresses:

Which I think would look great with these wedges:

So, that is my Flirty Friday.  Enjoy!

Silly Snoopy

Ok, so a few days ago, I went to the City Market to get some fresh yummies. It was a great morning, and I went away with few great finds. Some yummy loose leaf tea, amazing fresh veggies, and an amazing loaf of challah bread. I was so excited to go home and partake in my glorious finds.

I was also excited because I wanted to make strawberry stuffed french toast, which is why I purchased the challah in the first place. So the next day as I started getting my ingredients in order, so I could start cooking first thing in the morning, I couldn't find the bread. I went to the kitchen table and no bread. I searched the kitchen, no bread. I searched my bag that I had with me and I searched the living room (just in case).

NO BREAD.

What the french toast????? I know I had that bread with me when I came into the house. GAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Then, I saw it.

Under the dining room table was the wrapper that the bread came in.

Empty.

At first it didn't click in my head as to why this wrapper was empty.  Then, there he was.

Oh, don't his cute little face fool you. This little stinker grabbed the bread off the dining room table. Which, by the way is a counter height table. Then he ate the whole loaf.

The WHOLE LOAF!!!

Sigh, so there was no yummy strawberry stuffed french toast. Maybe next week.  Silly Snoopy.

Run Karen! Run!!!

*Disclaimer*

Yes, I started this blog a few weeks ago and totally forgot that I did start it. All that matters though is that I finished it for your enjoyment. :)


National Running & Fitness Week is May 16-22.  So in honor of this, I have decided to start my running, again.  Oh, I do run some now and then, but nothing like I used too.  My daily run was about 3-4 miles,   nothing special or spectacular, but, oh, how good it felt.  Starting today, yes today May 4, I am declaring myself a runner again.  Now, it will probably take me a good while to get back to where I was, but I will get there.

I encourage anyone who is looking for a great workout to try running.  Even if it's just a few days out of the week, you will feel so much better!  At least for me, I feel so calm and energized at the same time after a good run.  I know, a total oxymoron, but there is no other way to describe how I feel after a run.  It de - stresses me and the endorphins you get after working out are pumping through and keeping me up and going.
So I am grabbing my sneaks, kicks, or whatever the "kids" are calling them nowadays.  (Yes, I am old, I've gotten over it, so should you.) I'm gearing up my playlists and getting ready to run (or more like run/walk right now) and get my body and mind back to a healthy place.  I am more than welcome to song suggestions for playlists, I've got my favorites, but always open to new and awesome running jams.  (Yes, i used the word jams.)
It's time to get motivated and start running!

You Can Do Eeeeeet!

Ok.

It's time to get serious.  I mean really serious.  I have a chance to win $400.00.  Do you know what I could do with that much money???   Oh yes, you are talking to the queen of bargain shopping.  I would destroy that $400.

I have joined a "Biggest Loser" at work.  It was pretty steep to join $50 smackaroos, but I believe it is worth it.  We have one month (until June 14) to lose as much as we can.  The person with the biggest body percentage lost will win.  By the way, that person is me.

I don't consider myself a cutthroat competitor, but I can get down and dirty when need be.  This situation calls for the big guns.  What better way to motivate me than the thought of losing 50 bucks, and the fact that hubby would be a bit ticked since he is not aware that I have joined.  Bahahahahaha!

I will keep you updated.  I have posted an inspirational picture on this post, anything to help the cause. 

It is on like donkey kong!

Typical

Ok, so when stuff happens to me I tend to say, "Really? Of course, why not." Then laugh, shake my head and move on with life.  Please see below for examples. 

This evening after coming home late from a work function, I was a good wife and started cooking my lovely husband dinner. (I know, I am awesome) I used chicken broth with a lot of spices and chicken, and then throw in some dirty rice, sounds good right? I must not have been paying enough attention, because soon enough the chicken broth had evaporated and the chicken was starting to burn in the pan and the kitchen was filled with smoke. So much smoke that I should probably go to the hospital and be treated for smoke inhalation.

Really?

Also, a few weeks ago at work, I answered the phone thinking it was a co-worker friend of mine calling in.  (We have caller id)  I jokingly answered the phone in a funny voice and then started laughing, which the person on the other line started to laugh as well.  So we are laughing having a good time.  She then asked if she could talk to Maria.  There is no Maria.  It then (to my horror) dawns on me that it is not my co-worker, but someone else who has the exact same name as my co-worker who is calling in.

Really?


 C'est la vie.  I guess that means just more blogs for me to post as these things continue to happen to me.  :)
 

Revisiting the Classics

I don't know why every summer I get in the mood to start re-reading the classics.  Maybe, it's the weather, and when it gets so hot that you sweat when you walk to the kitchen to get a glass of water.  So, I have made a resolution to familiarize myself with the classics again this summer.  I know, I know, summer is a few months away, but I figure I would start compiling my list now, so I will be prepared for the lazy dog days of summer that will surely rear its head in the Midwest. 

Now, I am really excited, I can just picture sitting in my house or outside with the wind or fan going and sipping on a cool drink and revisiting my old friends, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, and Louisa May Alcott. Maybe I will throw in some serious reading too, but summer isn't really a time for seriousness. 

Not only am I going to read but I am going to explore.  Why not?  When did summer loose all it's fun?  It's been a while since I have actually had some summer fun.  Maybe it's because I don't get 2 months off from work during the summer ( although I am totally for that, if anyone out there is willing to start a the process to enact that into law).  I figure, it's time to find that old time fashion summer fun again.  You know what I mean, all the bbq's, days laying out by the pool, and visiting/seeing family and friends.  I am getting all giddy just writing about it!

Now, getting back to books, I don't want to get too ambitious, so I am not going to give myself a set number to read.  I figure I will compile a list of books and keep adding when I think if a new one, and you know, If I don't get to them, then I just read them next summer.  I am also not going to purchase them, but go to the library!  Yes my friends, remember the library?  An awesome way to read books if you are on a budget, and remember the way library books smell, mmm, that musty book smell to let you know countless others have enjoyed the writings of an author.  Don't get me wrong, going to a bookstore is fun as well, but I don't know what it is about going to the library that is just so much fun.  Maybe, because I used to do that when I was younger, during the summer walk to the library and just be there for a few hours. 

I was inspired by my friend Megan (who by the way has an awesome blog you need to check out here) who wrote a blog about summer road trips.  So that got me thinking about my summer favorites and reading was the obvious choice.  So, I implore all the readers, and even non readers, to pick up the classics or find some new classics that you will enjoy reading again and again.  

Here is my list so far, and let me stress, I will be adding more as summer nears, but feel free to suggest some of your favorites. 

Wuthering Heights - Charlotte Bronte

Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion - Jane Austen

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackery

Little Women, Little Men, Jo's Boys - Louisa May Alcott

Happy Reading!!!