mel's universe

10 years ago

2012-03-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

I was blessed to marry my best friend. Happy Anniversary Ryan!

Here is how we have spent the last 10 years:

Its February so Naturally My Yard Looks Awesome

2012-02-24T09:27:00.000-06:00

It is February 24th so naturally I am talking about how great all the flowers in my yard look? All summer things look sad but in February things look gorgeous!

52 New - Week 7

2012-02-20T18:27:00.001-06:00

So this week I really didn't knock it out of the park as far as new things go. I made meat loaf.... a turkey meatloaf.

I used photos I took to make thank you cards for some birthday presents.
I received the biggest bouquet of flowers ever. I mean really, the largest arrangement I have ever personally received. Now using it as something new is a bit of a stretch....

Week 7 - This week my official new thing is going to be volunteering. While technically I did not start last week I did submit my name to Kids Hope. I am hoping to become a Kids Hope mentor to an elementary aged kid at one of 2 schools our church sponsors. I don't know much about the exact details except that it is about an hour a week and it is one on one with the kids. I officially submitted my application today. I am sure I will use it again in the future. I am really looking forward to it.

2012 is here

2012-02-09T18:16:00.000-06:00

And it has been fantastic so far! I know, it has been 2012 for awhile but I am just now sitting down to report on life. And not my stupid dining room. As usual, I have a few projects I am working on. Today I will focus on the fun ones. The ones I have been good at. :)

I finished up my 2011 Project Life and couldn't be more thrilled with it. It was a scrapbook I worked on all year, one week at a time. It is so fun to glance back at the year and see all the fun stuff we did. And it is even fun to see all the mundane everyday details. I think those things are going to be the most interesting parts to look back on in the future. So next time you are over if you would like to see our year in review, let me know. It feels a little like asking people to sit down to a old fashioned slideshow (did anyone besides me actually enjoy those?) so I won't ask you to look at. But I would be happy to show you! My 2012 version is under way as well.

Something I have also been working on with varying degrees of success is a photo a day. Hopefully some day soon I will sit down and compile those and share them. I started on my birthday last year and I didn't get a photo every single day, but did capture something most days. It is another project that has been fun and I am looking forward to working on but it is a but daunting to organize all the photos and located the random ones I took with my camera phone as I was jumping in bed.

2012's project is 52 New. I was inspired by this blog post. My goal is to do something new every week. Most weeks it will be something small. A new food at a favorite restaurant, new shoes, etc. Some weeks it won't be small. The idea is to always be getting a little out of my comfort zone. I am hoping to blog about this subject once a week, or at least a couple times a month. I am playing catch up today. So far my 2012 52New list is:

Week 1: Started working for a new broker, Keller Williams Memorial. That may seem like a small thing but it really was a big change. The new office has a different owner and is much closer to home. I was also asked to be part of their Agent Leadership Council which is the top 10% of the office. I am hoping it will shake up my business just a bit. Last year was my best year yet but I am hoping in 2012 I really hit it out of the park. So if you know anyone that wants to buy or sell a home let me know! And if you know anyone that wants to be a Realtor I would love to talk to them. This year I may be adding to my team.

my floors gleam again

Week 2: We have been in our home about 9 years. We replaced our flooring before we moved in. And 9 years of puppy paws and not so careful living has been pretty brutal. No matter what we did they never got really clean. We used steam machines, multiple types of cleaners, and even got on our hands and scrubbed. To no avail. This week we had the pros come in and work on them and buff them up. And they look glorious. At lease to me. So my new thing this week is like New Floors. And what a difference it has been. They really do feel like new.

Week 3: Week 3 was kind of an unusual one. We went to a Bar That Used To Be a Funeral Home. And no creepy ghostly vibes. Just nice beer on draft.

Hendricks used to be Settegast Kopf Funeral Home

Week 4: This was an easy one. Thanks to David Weekley homes, we boarded an 11 story Cruise Ship to Jamaica and Grand Cayman. Never been onboard a ship of this size. It was really amazing. It is a like a city floating on the water. The meals were great and the service was very good. I am still swaying a little but we had a great time.

10th floor of the ship with Miami in the background

Week 5: I had a couple of options to choose from this week. I could use Grand Cayman as my new thing since I have never been there. I could also go with holding baby sea turtles but I have held other turtles. I decided that my "official" new activity would be my Kiss of a Sting Ray. That is pretty unique right? And was definitely cool. We boarded a boat and headed out about 30 minutes to a large sandbar. We joined probably 300 people there in the 3 foot water surrounded by giant, we killed Steve Irwin, stingrays. They were gentle and pretty tame and it was awesome if not a bit disconcerting to remain calm when a 3 foot long animal brushes your leg in the ocean! See the video below for more.

Week 6: This week I am back to something a bit more mundane. Real life after the vacation and all. I needed a new basic lens for my camera. We will say it has been ~~dropped a few times~~ banged around a bit. Instead of going straight to Amazon I went to Craigs List. (who am I kidding, I did go straight to Amazon but then decided I might could get a better deal quicker) So this week I made my First Purchase on Craigs List. And I felt like a master negotiator. I asked her how much she wanted and she replied $100. I asked if she would take $80 and she said yes. Score. All these years of negotiations and training has really paid off now!

I hope your 2012 is going as well as mine is. I have been busy trying to figure out a new office. And traveling and trying to appreciating every day. If you would like to participate with me in a 52 New project let me know. I would love track it with you! Maybe we can find some new stuff to do together.

And by the way.... we did our annual family weekend in Seguin. And I turned 37. And life is so good!

I made a video of our cruise adventure below. Excuse my shaky filming and amateurish song editing. I had fun making it and I hope you enjoy!

Oven Baked Risotto

2012-01-27T15:49:00.000-06:00

Rice and I don't have a very good relationship. I can't seem to get it right without the help of my Pampered Chef microwavable bowl. It always turns out too crunchy, too soggy, too gross, too something. Therefore, rice dishes are not really in my repetoire. No pilafs, wild, fried deliciousness at home. And really, no risotto. Until now. I stumbled on this recipe: Baked Bree's Oven Baked Risotto. I mean, it is made in the oven... how can I screw that up? We tried it and it was delicious! I modified the recipe a bit. I didn't do the caprese part. I used the onions and stirred in some pureed broccoli before I put it in the oven. I added some fresh parsley and a bit of manchego cheese to the top when it was done. Oh so good. It really didn't even need the cheese. (I know, you never thought you would hear those words from me.)

You should really try it. I served it with her recipe for Herbes de Provence Chicken using chicken breast w/o the bone. I had to work with what was already in the house. And it was a really simple, really delicious meal. Now my go to guy, Tyler Florence, may have some competition in the preferred recipe department.

I hate my dining room

2012-01-24T16:23:00.000-06:00

can you see the streaks I have painted
over and over and over?

I have been asked by a few people how things are going in the dining room. Instead of screaming at you "don't pressure me" or "it has been a disaster" I thought I would just type a nice little update.

I thought the job was going to be slightly harder than just painting. I thought the reward of doing it myself was going to be worth it. What was I thinking? I know better. I know to hire a professional. I mean, rookie mistake. And metallic paint. COME ON MELISSA!

So... I primed. And painted. And primed. And textured. And primed. And painted. And painted. And painted. For a room that really only has 2 walls I have used an extraordinary amount of paint. And because Ms. Stewart is so proud of her paint I have spent a small fortune on it. (I think it is ok to spend extra $$$ on paint because I still have some MSO stock. I mean, she has to make a come back right? Hold, hold, hold!)

it really does feel bigger and brighter with the lighter walls

And at last it is nearing completion. I got a solid coat of paint up that doesn't look horrible. The blinds in the room were plastic, dirty and ugly. I fully intended to replace them with the easy ones they will custom cut for you at Lowe's. I have used them in many rooms in my house. Turns out theses windows are a very odd size and can't even be custom ordered from them. Great. Now I have to put the gross ones back up or have someone come out and measure for a specialized, not even Lowe's can do it, order. Lovely.

The plan was to paint a geometric, diamond pattern on top of the metallic bone paint, drawing your eyes up and making the ceilings feel higher. A slightly glittery room with a bold touch. Minimizing the cave-ish feeling I have been trying to change. Forget it. I hope to never touch a paint brush again. Or at least not until I can forget the disaster that this project became. The neighbors can totally see into our house because I can't decide what to do about the blinds. It is livable right now though not the beautiful room I envisioned. No dinner parties are planned to show it off but the supplies have been put away and after a month of work - livable seems pretty fantastic.

Dining Room Redo

2011-12-17T11:26:00.001-06:00

I have been wanting to make a change in my house for awhile. We re-did the landscaping earlier this year. Finally all the overgrown stuff we could no longer trim back effectively was gone. I got some color and nice stones to out line the beds. Love. With the drought we've had this year that was a great idea. Right? Anyway, I have moved inside and started a dining room re-do! The master bath would be my ideal renovation but I am not so good at replacing countertops and re-tiling. So make over winner = the dining room. I can handle a paint brush. Since there isn't much going on this time of year the timing is perfect! (sarcasm just doesn't come through when typing)

When I originally did this room I had a great plan. (And a great color) Horizontal stripes in matching colors, just different levels of sheen. Flat and high gloss. Here is what is looked like:

love the stripes but it was a lot
of effort for a very subtle effect

you can see the stripes in this one

The problem is that horizontal stripes and a dark color made the room feel much like a cave. Especially at night. And for the last 7-8 years that has been ok since the only real activity the room sees is the occasional dinner or poker party.

The other problem is this:

ghosts of chair rails past

evidence of picture frame molding

When I originally took down the chair railing and moldings I didn't do a very good job of repairing the walls. Not sure the photos show it, but you can still clearly see the outline of the previous moldings.

So.... repair:

Add caption

Prime:

can you tell how much bigger and brighter the room already feels?

with the help of my designer extraordinaire

And re-texture.

I just put a little bit of the new color on the wall... so exciting. Well, kind of exciting. Stay tuned. The walls have to be painted tomorrow. Working on a home improvement project when you have plans every night of the week may not be the best idea ever but it does provide some urgency to complete it. Plus, I promised Ryan I would have it done by Christmas. I have this project addiction. Well, addiction to starting them. Not so much with the finishing...

Hello December

2011-12-03T11:56:00.001-06:00

Since I last visited this blog I have been busy. I visited friends in Austin and had a nostalgic road trip back home.

Texas Crew

my college room

I decided on a Tuesday evening that I wanted to join some of my family in Las Vegas on Wednesday morning. Booked a first class seat with miles and headed out! I celebrated 10 years of marriage with the Marek's and crossed #46 off my life list.

First Class!

I wasn't nervous at all looking down at this.

Then to Seattle for more good times with family and friends.

caveman carving

views like this made exercise easier

I also closed my fiscal year (kinda) with KW. And I made a deal to work out EVERY SINGLE day in November. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

day 30 of our workout challenge!

So, I never got around to Part 3 of the Big Bend blog. I hold out some hope that I will still get to it. I also hope to have a Project Life update as well as a post about the new project I am working on, a December Daily.

Big Bend, Part 2

2011-10-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

Our second full day started out just a bit earlier. And with more driving and less hiking. :) My kind of day in the park. We left at 9:00 with 2-3 destinations in mind. A snake siting was the highlight of the morning.

The group on Old Ore Road.

The Ernst Tinaja Hike:

And climb. Lloyd is pretty well camouflaged.

And a little break on the cool rocks.

The view up.

And I love to take me some pictures of flowers. I really had to look for them on this trip.

And the Traverse, traversed quite nicely. Hopefully no one from the rental car company is a fan of my blog.

Hot Springs at the Rio Grande.

And then Santa Elena Canyon

And a hut where a man actually lived to be 108. I think I will prefer an air conditioned cabin in the mountains upon retirement. And a bed.

A little dusty this day.

And the tourist shot to prove we were there!

An easier day... all to be ready for the birthday party! La Kiva here we come:

Some of the ladies

Me and Steve

The Zamoras

Me and Ryan

... maybe this one will make the Christmas letter? Maybe not.

Kathleen and Jennifer

The Lyttletons

And a great shot of the "West Texas party stache"

and now perhaps you understand my hesitation to use these prominently in our (my) Christmas letter?

The Simmons

La Kiva in it's glory

and it's interesting urinal.

A couple shots with the BDay Boy

How do you not pose with someone wearing a shirt professing their love for you?

Especially when it isn't your husband?

And more party shots. Thank God for Diane, who actually took photos of the people!

I think the birthday boy enjoyed turning 50?

Big Bend, Part 1

2011-10-25T16:30:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone. I have been blogging my heart out over at Mel In The City but thought it was time to share some more photos here. Last week we attended Scotober Fest in Big Bend. What is Scotober Fest you might ask? Scotober is an event in itself but this year it was a destination birthday party. You heard me right. I am sure you have heard of a destination wedding, this was a 50th birthday party. And we travelled 1500 miles to attend!

Now, I am not so good in a car for more than 4-5 hours so we flew to Midland and then leisurely travelled south. We stopped at WalMart in Odessa to stock up on goods. And by goods I mean beer. Poor Barbara, the check out lady, she was taking her job very seriously. Ryan, Diane, Adam and I were checking out. With our all beer. And I didnt bring in my purse. Barbara needed to see my id. Because of all the beer. She actually made me go out to the car and get it. Because of all the beer. Now, I think there is a chance I might look a little younger than my 36 years. A little younger. But really? Under 21? Don't flatter me Barbara.

After the WalMart experience we were on our way. My secret mission before we left was to create a little surprise t shirt for many of the revelers to wear. Thanks to Diane and Jennifer for actually taking a picture. We wanted Scott to know we were ready to have some fun upon arrival! It is a limited edition. Only 10 fun meter shirts exist.

The evening was spent on the famous Front Porch in the Terlingua Ghost Town.

Our first full day in the area started bright and early. We were totally ready for our first hike by noon. Perfect timing to head down into a canyon. (That's sarcasm for those that can't tell. Temps were still in the 90s even though it is October.) And we hiked. And I took photos.

And some more photos.

And then some more. After all, I did buy a wide angle lens for the trip.

And then we hiked back up. We broke open some cold drinks and snacks and had a little Party in The Park. We sat, cooled off and relaxed. As we were waiting for the rest of the group to finish up we decided the wait might be a bit more fun if we placed some wagers on what time the last person might return. All in good fun. At 3:10 we started the bets. I felt pretty good about my 3:34 time. Until 3:34 came and we started thinking that maybe we should go check on the stragglers. I mean, they weren't that far behind us? And a good thing we did. We almost had a hiking casualty. One member of the group needed some assistance the last quarter mile or so of the trip. And by assistance I mean he needed to be carried the last bit of the hike. Once he was back and checked out by the park rangers and EMT (yes, EMT) and everyone was confident it was just a heat related issue and nothing more serious, The Party in The Park continued. Did I mention that we started the hike at noon? And finished the uphill, most strenuous part around 3:00. The heat got to me too. Fortunately a cold Tecate Light cured me of my heat exhaustion fairly quickly.

And Ranger Manny even got in on the action with Bunny.

Sweaty and tired we headed back to Terlingua for this sunset:

And dinner at the Starlight.

Forget the steak or chicken. I went for the Darren Special. Aka chili fries. With a fried egg. It went perfect with my prickly pear margarita. A great way to end the day.

Taking A Little Break Here - Come Join me at Mel In The City

2011-10-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

This month I am doing a blog challenge on my "work" blog. Click to on the links to the right of this post to read them. Please join me over there this month for more about what is going on in my universe. While it will be more work focused I will still be putting some of the fun I have planned this month, namely our upcoming trip to Big Bend.

In the mean time here are some photos of what we have been up to:

mmmm. cupcakes. not sure why my hand is this color but delicious!

and an hour of indulgence for a half price massage at ZaSpa!

celebrating the return of football season. who's team is undefeated?

working on my manicure with my new gel/shellac system! anyone want to come and try it?

enjoying Quiz Night with our Lakes on Eldridge neighbors

ohhh and changing a flat tire. and getting new ones on my car. a lot of tire issues lately...

How has your day been?

2011-09-09T18:14:00.000-05:00

The ramble below was an email I hastily typed up to a very good friend. And when I saw it a second time it kind of made me laugh. I wasn't laughing at the time but thought I would share how my day went.

Dear BFF,

I am having a fantastic day.

First my credit card was declined at Archivers buying $7 worth of paper. The girl checking me out was having some real issues so I assumed user error and paid in cash. Then I stop to get gas. Card won't work. Ok, so there must be a real problem. I will have Ryan deal with it later.

NOW the fun really begins.

I try to start my car at said gas station and it is dead. Like really dead. No flashing lights or beeps. Oh yeah! But! I remember! This happened once before when I left the key turned on without the engine being on. Eventually it just started up again. I think I will give it some time and try this.

So I then decide while I am waiting I will call the CC company and see if I can figure out what is wrong with the card. I am nothing I not efficient with my time. Only they won't speak to me because I am not the primary card holder and I don't know his SS# by heart. And he is training all day. (BTW Doesn't all this sound like man work so far?) I do get him to call me back w the important numbers. Now back to Chase. I give them Ryan's life history for them to tell me my card has been compromised. Wait for it....By me.... At Archivers??? Are you kidding me? They really have an issue with my $7.58? Can they see my account? This is the purchase that is the problem? It appears that Archivers declined my purchase, not Chase. Nice. So this idiot who annoyed me by taking 10 minutes to check me out has now caused me to have to cancel a credit card. And I am sitting in a car that won't start.

I decide to drown my sorrows in McDonald's fries. After all, I am at a gas station with a McDonald's attached. Really, there are worse places to be stranded. BTW the Angus burger doesn't hold a candle to the Arch Deluxe. I think about grabbing a 6 pack too but refrain. After all, I am hoping my car will start back up.

So lunch is done and I have conducted my business by phone. Did I forget to mention I had a meeting at 1:30? Fortunately it was with Lisa and Javier and they are forgiving. (And terribly cute, photo not included in the original email but I love it. And despite what you are thinking an accountability meeting is a real meeting. Even with one attendant that is only responsible for eating and sleeping... Hopefully for more than 3 hours at a time.)

Back to the car. No luck with it starting up. I am getting some lights and beeps though so I am feeling good. Then the guy in front of me volunteers to give me a jump. I am not sure this will help but decide to give it a try. I mean really, what do I know about what will work? And guess what? It starts right up. He tells me that my battery needs water. It is hotter than hell here, but that is not news. It is always hotter than hell. I have never had to add water to a battery. I thought I knew all the tricks for getting a car to start from all my years owning shitty cars. Now I know something more.

I am about done with this day and headed home. Then Ryan texts that maybe I should take it to the dealership. After all I need an oil change. BTW, oil changes are definitely man work. I hate the dealership. I hate how they always make me feel like an idiot. Not just an idiot about cars but a real full on moron. So here I sit. Waiting on my oil change. Wondering if they are going to "discover" any problems, say maybe, that I need a new battery? And I have been told I can pay $60-$70 for a battery but not more and they quoted me $32 for an oil change and that is too high, I have a coupon in my car for $24. And make sure they punch my frequent oil change club card or something. Did I mention that I hate the dealership?

Sorry for my ramble. :) it is slightly better that you are the only one dealing with it and not all the other poor pissed off people in this waiting room. Maybe the smell of a service department makes everyone grumpy?

Update: The dealership handed me my keys back and sent me on my way. The one time I wanted them to find a problem they didn't. And I was even willing to pay for the problem to be fixed! The good news is that I am home now and about to enjoy a relaxing evening with some good music, good food, and probably some good wine.

Everything happens at once

2011-09-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog. 6 weeks and no updates. Not so great. And really, much of my posts this summer have been pretty short and sweet. And here is another one. :) There are plenty of things churning in my head that I may pour out here. My love hate relationship with TV. The constant battle with my closet. Football season and how the Longhorn Network is ruining the Big 12 and nobody can actually subscribe to the network. And then there is the Life List which stays in the back of my mind even when I am not crossing much off it. For now a quick look at what I have been up to. Hope you've been busy too!

I have a rule. If I am slow with work... I plan a trip. Then I magically get busy. An you can imagine what happens when I plan 2 trips. :) Here is a little look into both those adventures.

Trip 1: San Fran, Napa, Carmel and Monterey. And by the way, 1.5 days in Napa is not nearly enough.

can you see the Golden Gate in the background?

For all the photos:

San Fran Album

And then a visit to Nebraska. Lots of fun times with friends and family:

And today in Houston, the temperature is only 84 degrees. And it is 12:30. Hallelujah! Hopefully we are past the miserable, oppressive heat and just into the very hot. Otherwise known as fall.

Getting Crafty

2011-07-24T14:10:00.000-05:00

Aside from the pool parties and baseball games, I have been working on a number of crafty projects in the recent weeks. Ryan and have become painters. Taking advantage of a Groupon, or Living Social Deal, or Mampedia Coupon, we signed up for a class at Merlot 2 Masterpiece and re-created Starry Night. Well, recreated might be overstating. Let's say we were inspired by Starry Night?

you can barely tell which is the real Van Gogh

This summer I have also been attending a Crafty Chica night about once a week. Several of us get together, chat, and work on whatever craftiness we need help with or just want to finish. I have become obsessed with fabric flowers and have learned to make just about any kind of fabric embellishment you have seen recently. In fact, you may have seen this picture on Facebook:

who says less is more? All the crafty goodness I made this night.

And a few close ups:

start here

end here

and this

became this, my current favorite accessory

Earlier this month I also attended CKC, that is a scrap book convention (yes, convention for those of you that are less crafty and not "in the crafty know.") Here is a little collage of the things I worked on:

And here is where they still sit in my ~~craft room~~ studio, unfinished.

And last, but not least, my mini-book creation. I have made so many mini books in classes and I always love them. But I never know what photos to add to them after the fact. This time I got out ahead of a project. Next week I am traveling to San Fran, Napa, and Carmel to celebrate my sister, Brooke's, 30th birthday. I created us 3 mini books to serve as our journals, photo albums, etc. Check it out:

It is hot here

2011-07-14T09:02:00.003-05:00

and we have been attending pool parties, going to baseball games, and attacking poles in parking garages. Hope your summer has been just as fun so far. :)

Update in Photos

2011-06-18T11:57:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone. I have not updated in awhile so I thought I would share a few photos. This year I have been trying to take a photo a day. It is kind of part of the Project Life scrapbook I have been keeping up with. And though my scrapbook is up to date, and my photos have been taken, I haven't shared many of them here. So.... Here is the last week or so.... in a snapshot.

i am in love with an ELF

2011-05-30T14:42:00.006-05:00

Eyes Lips Face Product that is. In my constant struggle between higher end cosmetics and the cheapy stuff I thought I would pass along my latest favorite product. It is surprisingly hard to find a moisturizer or foundation that has a SPF higher than 15 (as my dermatologist recommends). I am not so good at applying the sunscreen, THEN the moisturizer, THEN the foundation or powder. So when I saw a tinted moisturizer at Aveda I was excited. Skipping steps! After sampling it, I wasn't sold. And by sampling it I mean the sales person put a little in a cup for me to take home and try:

So I when I found the ELF tinted moisturizer I was excited. And then I really liked it! And it costs $3 instead of $23. Yippee! It got to thinking about some of the other bargain products I love and thought I might share. Here you go:

Long ago, after a Bobbi Brown makeover, I started using eye shadow "foundation." I know, really, an extra step... but I promise it is worth it. After using the Bobbi Brown stick for years (which is wonderful but not the cheapest product), I switched to the cheapy Cover Girl concealer. Score. It works almost as well and my eye shadows stays on all day!

I am a big eye liner girl too. Especially because any time I don't wear eye liner I get comments like, "Are you feeling ok?" and "You look really tired today." Hmmm. Maybe this eye liner does open up my eyes. I found the Cover Girl Liquiline Blast after reading an Allure recommendation. Wonderful! Dark, easy to apply, and stays on pretty well. And for the days you want a little more drama, the Revlon liquid liner really stays put. (Sometimes all the way until the next morning... I am not the best at removing the evening makeup.) And I have been finishing the eyes off using the Double Extend mascara for awhile. One end has fibers that physically make your lashes a tiny bit longer. But even better than that, my lashes have actually started growing. They are seriously longer. Woo Hooo!

The Ulta powder is not quite as good as the Bare Minerals but for half the price and combined with the tinted moisturizer, it works pretty well.

The Benetint has long been one of my favorites. I swipe some on my lips and cheeks before heading out. Wonderful but not very portable. And along comes the Revlon Just Bitten. And while it doesn't smell quite as nice, it is easy to throw in my bag and go. And once again, cheaper. And because blogger hates me I couldn't turn this picture around. I think you still get the point.

So there you have it. What is in my make up bag right now. Anything exciting or fun in yours?

2011-05-16T16:32:00.009-05:00

As promised, a few photos of the newest members of my family.

Introducing my niece, Zaidee Marie. We went up and spent the day in Dallas hanging with the Lockards and meeting the sweetest little girl.

And we got to spend some time playing with Ian:

Look at those toes!!!!

Ian is a big fan of the fireman's hat. And a purple balloon.

In March I went to visit the Treglia's. I got to spend a week with the most adorable boy ever! Here is Ethan Dante.

Every girl is crazy about a sharp dressed man.

Ethan loves to read.

And there was a bacon cupcake. Seriously. Bacon

And because I often wake before the crack of dawn, I went for a walk. Gorgeous.

And because February is the best birthday month ever, we celebrated.

Love the blonde baby hair!

I am so lucky to have such an amazing family. I feel blessed to be able to spend time with them, even when it is brief!

You should go to Galveston this weekend

2011-05-07T09:20:00.002-05:00

I just made a post over on my "work" blog.... www.MelInTheCity.com. You should read it. And go to Galveston. So I can live vicariously through you. There is link over on the right side of this blog. I am working this weekend which is great but not quite as exciting as a weekend at the beach! And a quick update... I got a little off track on the 31 Days to Clean. But I am back! Windows (at least in the kitchen) have been cleaned on the inside. Ryan worked on the outside. And wow! What a difference. I can see the world now! Fridge is clean, cabinets are organized, and today I will tackle the pantry. Each job has been taking 30 minutes or so to complete. It is much less intimidating to do things one at a time. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

31 Days to Clean

2011-04-25T11:13:00.004-05:00

For those of you who know me well, you know cleaning is not my strong suit. There are old stories of wiping feet off before bed, and craving an Arch Deluxe because there was one under the couch. There are new stories of panic and having to shop for toilet cleaner (and a vacuum) when my housekeeper took a vacation. I have bought things I already owned because I forgot the original under a pile somewhere. And you have all seen the piles and mess that is my craft room/office.

I am good at many things: throwing together a delicious dinner with random things around the kitchen, staging a house to get a full price offer in 4 days (that just happened so I am very pleased with myself), organizing a trip with free airfare, documenting my life with some pretty good photos, and I can find a bargain pretty much every time I shop. But cleaning and being neat is not my gift.

current state of my desk

During lent we participated in our church's Lenten Experience calendar. Each day we did a new activity, made a sacrifice to help us "reflect" on who we are and move toward a more Christ centered life. It was a great experience to appreciate small things in life and be more thankful for all that a I have. Now that lent has wrapped up, I am moving on to "Having a Martha House The Mary Way." With the help of a book called 31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae I am hoping to embark on "a journey, a 31 day faith-step journey towards ruling, subduing, and loving. We are forgoing perfection; we are choosing life."

Now anything inspired by Martha grabs me right away but this book falls right in line with my philosophy of embracing all that is good everyday. I still complain, I still get frustrated and have bad days but I am actively choosing to be happy about everything in my life. Happy that the difficult client is helping me to pay my bills, happy that the family obligation is with people I love dearly. Happy that the damn cardinal woke me up again for another day. Happy that my messy house is still beautiful under all the clutter!

I like that this book is using some spiritual and religious principles. I don't tend to think of cleaning as God's work or as a way to make my spirit more whole but I think a tweak in my attitude is just what a I need. The book isn't preachy but it does remind me that bigger principles apply to all the small things I do.

the pad I keep by the computer even says "I dreamed my whole desk was clean...." Coincidence?

So, Day 1 was to create a mission statement on why I want a clean home. And here you go.... "It is important to me to have a clean home that reflects how grateful I am for my beautiful home and the things I have in my life. I love my home and my family and want it to be a source of peace and simplicity, not frustration and guilt."

With the help of the book and a couple of websites, I am going to have a clean home, not just a clean desk! I hope to sweep up all the dog hair on Tuesday even though the house keeper is coming on Wednesday. I hope to clean up the pile instead of moving it into the bedroom when company is coming. I hope to sleep in even thought the last person in bed has to make it each morning. I might even clean some windows!

What I have Been Up To

2011-04-11T18:53:00.011-05:00

My life in the last 30 days or so has been hectic to say the least. 3 trips, 6 new clients, and you know... life. In the spirit of Project Life, I have been capturing things in photos. Here is a quick catch up.

I had the landscaping in the front of our house completely redone.

Now you can actually see our home and I get some color!

I met Jeff VanGundy:

I enjoyed a night at the Ballpark with Friends:

And dinner with more good friends (not pictured....) at one of our favorite restaurants: I became obsessed with Eagle Cams and saw 3 chicks hatch: I went to the Kings of Leon free concert at Discovery Green with Brooke:

I photographed the rescue of a frog in the pool:

And I worked. And some of it was in front of the TV at home:

I have endured escalating gas prices. $50! And I drive a Honda!

I also discovered a comic book themed wine bar:

We joined a church that we have been attending for awhile:

And then there is the small matter of meeting a new nephew and neice. Those both deserve full posts and photos so I will add those later. See, something for you to look forward to!

Don't eat fake food

2011-03-18T09:12:00.005-05:00

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted here! We were in New Orleans and I am headed to Seattle soon. In the mean time I picked up about 6-7 new clients so busy is an understatement. As someone that has been watching calories and trying to eat better, I have been reading labels more. And what I know, deep down, to be true is that "fake" food is not better than real food. 1 teaspoon of butter goes way further to make me enjoy my food than a whole can of Molly McWhatever it is. Thinking I was doing good, I bought turkey bacon. I have used it before, not on its own, but to flavor other foods. Not too bad. On this day I bought real bacon too and what I discovered... what I know for sure.... don't eat fake food.

real bacon - 1 slice, 25 calories, 2 grams of fat, 120 mg of sodium

turkey bacon - 1 slice, 35 calories, 3 grams of fat, 150 mg of sodium

See? Plus turkey bacon has those weird two colored pieces. So, moral of the story, eat real bacon.

So Long Forbidden Gardens

2011-02-21T17:17:00.006-06:00

For many moons I have wanted to visit the Forbidden Gardens in Katy. It is a mini-replica of the Forbidden City in China. I postponed so much that the place is now closing. Rumor has it they are closing due to the Grand Parkway expansion. My guess is they are taking their money and running! I always got the feeling they were reluctantly open. Their website had one set of hours, the recording had another. Any time I actually tried to set up a weekday tour I had no success. I stopped by this weekend because I can not resist a good sale. They were selling everything. I wanted one of these guys:

But couldn't justify $100.

So I toured around. Enjoyed the gorgeous day and snapped a couple of photos.

It looks like he is wearing a big, fun flower.

And a little teeny tiny guy. My favorite. I could afford him but decided he wasn't the same without all his friends around him.

Happy Birthday To Me

2011-02-10T15:54:00.010-06:00

Last week was my birthday. I just journaled about it for Project Life so I thought I would add the entry here as well. Happy Birthday to me. Saturday started out with new clients. Yippee. Referral clients. Double Yippee! After a crisp morning of showings I met Mom and Brooke for lunch at Tiny Boxwoods. (I almost forgot the stop at Sugar Baby’s for the Saint Arnold Stout chocolate cupcake. One of the best parts of my day. It wasn’t quite as delicious as it would have been for breakfast but I will take choc cake anytime.) Because it was the first sunny day we had in weeks, and because it was Saturday it was absurdly crowded. Though the temp was in the 40s it was quite nice to sit outside and soak in some sunrays. We continued the day in Highland Village with a little retail therapy. I am becoming obsessed with a bright green color. Close to the color of this journal entry. It is quickly becoming my color of the spring. Though it isn’t quite spring yet. A few fun purchases and a few splurges got me in the mood to spend more. Off to Ikea. And my craft room shelves. Another madhouse on a Saturday afternoon but it was my birthday and I wanted my birthday present. And I got them. I did upgrade to the wooden shelves, the Hemnes. (pictures to come when the room is put back together.) Mom and I were line winners for the first time ever while Brooke picked up the car and brought it around to be loaded. Back home for a quick break and then off to dinner. We met Robert and Sam at Rioja. Unfortunately the food was a little disappointing but the company was good and the Sprinkles cupcakes lived up to expectations. We continued the evening at Hungry’s with Rob & Sam. At least we tried to. The place was standing room only and none of us are single so we opted for a quieter locale. Indigo Joe’s which is now Enclave Sports Bar fit the bill. A reverse happy hour and Texas Hold ‘Em on the TV at the table were just what we need to stay out until close. Who says I am old?

And because I am still obsessed with my Project Life album... a few photos of this week's creation:

I told myself once a month I would get a photo of myself in here and I made chicken stock from scratch. I always struggle with what to do with cards. I never want to throw them away. This year I took a bit from each (both the pretty part and some handwriting) and punched a 2" circle. I like it! The back of the cards has a couple that had sweet messages so I wanted to save the whole thing and slid them in with the journaling from the day. Voila.

And page 4. Ticket stubs, Super Bowl bets, and cupcakes!

Project Life Update

2011-01-31T17:18:00.011-06:00

Though I haven't updated the blog about it, I am still pretty much obsessed with Project Life. I am stalking all the bloggers using it. I am reading all the forums. I am thinking about how I can add to it all the time. I am still working on trying to get good photos but I am so excited about my progress so far I am going to fill you all in.

My Amber Edition was starting to looking a little pink so I added some coordinating elements. I cut them to the same sizes and added them to the back of the binder so they are just as easy to use as the rest of the kit. (can you tell I am not as busy as I am used to? I am having a difficult time watching soap operas which usually pass my free time. So, a little compulsive scrap booking is going on.)

Micheals had all these coordinating stamps in the $1 section and I couldn't resist. Plus, now I will use some of my stamps in the kit! Yippee!

I am working on 2010 at the same time I am starting 2011. Since I didn't know I would do a PL for 2010 I don't have quite as many photos. I thought I would start it and see how it goes and maybe get a second kit if I kept it up. Now, instead of buying a second kit I decided to just stretch the one. I used stamps I had on white cardstock and cut to the same sizes as the journaling cards.

So here is PL Week2. It was an ordinary week so I didn't have quite as many photos. I did however have a fun email exchange around a gift for a good friend's baby shower. I copied the body of the email into Word and printed it on 6x8 pieces of cardstock that I folded over.

Here is a little closer view with all the emails folded down. In the photo above you can see the bottom right corner is opened. Although it is hard to see it here I started "writing" on the photos before I print them for a brief description on something I wouldn't necessarily journal. Like on Hope it says "princess of the world." And if you know her, you know it is quite true.

And PL Week 3. This was Penzemanek Weekend so I had lots of extra photos. I have bough every kind of extra insert so I decided to use the 9 slot baseball card page protector and inserted it in the middle.

The left side of the layout. Since it is so picture intense I just used one of the folded journaling cards in the bottom right and filled the rest with photos.

Page 2 document more of the routine parts of life. There are some photos of the kit components. And the neverending manicure finally came off. An award I got at work. (See my real estate blog for more details if you are curious. Or click on the top right of this blog. And feel free to hang out and make comments. Oh, the precious comments!) Laying on the couch with Mombo watching Law & Order and fighting a cold. A tag from some $3 sandals I picked up at Target. And my seeds sprouting!

I am using the stickers more, and adding others from my stash. It is really coming together. I see progress every week. And feel free to ask me to see it next time you are at the house. I will gladly gush over how much I love it!

And blogger still hates me so my formatting is all screwey. Sorry. I am working on the move over to wordpress...

Kelly Moore Bag

2011-01-24T12:06:00.008-06:00

I got a really nice camera bag as a Christmas present. One I put on my Amazon wish list. Turns out it wasn't the right bag for me. Even though I picked it out. I had a very easy time returning it so I have been on a quest to find a cute, functional camera bag. One that I can also fit my instruction manual (alas, I am not a pro and need to carry my manual) and maybe my iPad, maybe a book, and lipgloss. A bag I can also carry when I travel and can be practical. This is the one I am in love with. It seems to have all that I want. I really wish I could see the Kelly Moore Bag in person (especially after already returning one) but my love affair continues and I might just have to take the plunge again!

PenZeManEk Weekend 2011

2011-01-23T16:39:00.003-06:00

This is the group shot from the 4th annual PENland-hunZEker-bowMAN-marEK weekend photo shoot. Since our immediate family is 17 members strong it is impossible to all get together for Christmas. We decided that in lieu of trying to get together for Christmas we would all commit to one weekend in January. This year was a rainy mess but we still managed to stay up til the normal time of 3:00 am playing poker and enjoying being together. It is always one of my favorite weekends of the year. I posted more photos to Facebook but thought I would leave this for everyone else.

Craft Room Redo

2011-01-21T15:02:00.011-06:00

I am thinking of updating the craft room a bit. I ended up having a pretty great year and think I might treat myself to an upgrade. After all, I spend more time working in this room than crafting. Yeah, it is actually a home office re-do therefore tax deductible! Awhile back I blogged about how I can not keep it clean (and see more pictures) and it overcomes me..... I am getting better but still wanting to contain some of the chaos. This is what I have now:

Despite appearances there is SOME order here. At least I know where things are. And I am working more to purge things as I come across something I haven't used in awhile.

Some of the details.

The room is pretty much pieced together over the years. (Now that I think about it, I didn't really spend any money creating the craft room maybe I should have larger budget???) We started with the table and added 1x12's from Home Depot for the "shelving" wall. And then I filled in with other pieces I already owned. I will re-cover the chairs and remove some of the smaller shelves I don't necessarily love anymore. Things bought out of necessity from my low end college budget. I still like the paint. 3 walls are a light green and the wall with the shelves is a neutral khaki that is used as my primary color throughout my home. Here is what I have in mind: Or some version of this. The dilemma is that everything I will be keeping in the current room is dark wood. The table and chairs in particular. Even the shelves and dresser that I still like are dark. Is it going to look funny? Is the white too cottage-y? All of my household furnishings are darker. Will it be weird for one room to have such a dominant white piece? Can you hear my brain screaming????

Then I came up with this (dark #1):

Or maybe this (darker #2):

I like that this is a little sleeker. And I love that the shelf doors are sliding and won't take up as much room. The second of the darker options would feel a little more open. I need space in the middle of the unit for taller things. This option blends better with the rest of my home and matches the existing pieces better.

And to further complicate things... There is this piece:

Totally impractical but I am in LOVE with it. Maybe I don't need practical storage? Maybe I need something pretty and shiny? Will you help me world? Let me know which option you like better or if you have another suggestion. I know there are a lot of design people floating around out there! Help me!

Project Life

2011-01-10T17:17:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I stumble across Project Life. And it took me about 2 second to order it. I am a scrapbooker at heart. I love paper, scissors, markers, stickers, and everything about it. BUT, I look at a blank page and get stumped. I have all these ideas and never follow through. I tend to collect supplies, as you can clearly see in my craft room: Last week this scrapbook kit called my name. It seemed to be an answer to all that I wanted to do. It has spots for 7 pictures a week and comes with journaling cards, filler cards, a date stamp, labels, and more. And I couldn't be more thrilled with it. I started fresh with the New Year. Excuse the quality of these photos but I couldn't wait to post them.

Mombo is not sure about it...

The first week:

The idea is to chronicle your everyday life. I always take 100s of photos on vacation and they are always memorable but the small things get lost. That is the stuff this kit is designed to capture. I have a goal this year to do a Project 365 as well. A photo a day for a year. This will fit in perfectly!

I am not sure I have really done it justice so check out this video from MaryAnn:

A glance at Christmas

2011-01-09T20:29:00.004-06:00

I did not take that many photos at Christmas this year but I did document some of the things around our house. Here is our Christmas highlights:

I am becoming obsessed

2011-01-06T12:30:00.005-06:00

with these beauties. I stumbled on them at a DSW shopping with a friend. Those of you who regularly shop with me know I do not go to DSW. I wear a size 4.5 and walking through there is just a tease. No one has my size. I get shoes at 2 places: Nordstrom's and Marmi. Then I found these. In a 5. Close enough. I carried them around and then talked myself out of them! Internal discussion went like this,

"I already have a pair of red closed toe heels.

And I didn't need another pair (my toes love to be free) of red closed toe shoes.

I live in Houston. I live in flip flops.

Even though these have a cute little sparkly top, I don't need them."

Foolish me. I always grab shoes in my size especially if they are ON SALE! Don't know why my practical side won the shoe argument.

I went back this week to get them and of course, they were gone. I have been hitting DSWs all around town. I have been looking online. No luck. So, if anyone happens to see them in a size 5 grab them. I will owe you big time.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T11:37:00.005-06:00

The last few days my head has been swirling with possibilities. Why is that the countdown to a New Year brings so much excitement and such a sense of starting over? Perhaps we should embrace this philosophy more often? A clean slate all the time. I can do it all the time. Goal setting all the time. Although my head might explode with lists and never doing if that were the case.... In lieu of my "resolutions" I am just going to list all the things bouncing around my brain: project life, 365, photos, new notebooks, journals, calendars, and paperless, art, scrapbooks, lists, new memory cards, clean computers, clean offices, Macbook, challenge, 4, 15, reconnect, be the person I'd like to be, purge, get rid of fear, succeed, give, wrap, God, embrace, balance, family, friends, blog, life lists, landscaping, bathrooms, joy, books, dreams, vacations. Ahhh. Feels good to get it all out. Hope your 2011 is starting as wonderfully as mine!

Better late than never

2010-12-26T15:50:00.004-06:00

Earlier this month Ryan and I went to Cozumel. The two of us haven't been on a vacation alone (outside of a long weekend here and there) in years. We really looked forward to hanging out for 4 days with no plans. None. To the shock of all the resort employees trying to sell us excursions, day trips, tours, we really just relaxed. I got mostly caught up on work today so I sorted through the photos and picked out a few I liked.

Here are the views from our room. It was particularly windy while we were there and it even stormed one day. Here you can see the water splashing above the bulkhead.

And we were located right where the cruise ships docked. At first it was kind of annoying with them obstructing the views but after some time, it was fun watching the people pour on and off the boat every evening. The "ants" as we called them. And the ships were amazing. Really like a city on the water.

And because my computer hates me, I can't seem to get this photo turned but... it was an amazing breakfast at a place recommended by our cab driver. Best tip of the trip!

One day we did take this catamaran out to snorkel. As we splashed and floundered around with 50 or so other tourists the fish didn't seem that interested in hanging out for us to investigate them further. Though the sunset made up for the lackluster snorkeling. I can never resist an old church so I did have to peek my head in and snap a picture. And now I am already dreaming of where to go next? Maybe somewhere with snow in the first quarter?

What happens if I add too many eggs?

2010-12-23T14:04:00.005-06:00

Two blog posts in two days. Don't freak out people. Today I am mostly not working. I am baking. And I am using Mexican vanilla that I really got in Mexico.

All the searching for special gifts for people helping us at home during that trip now seems worth it.

And like I said on Facebook, for real. I did some stuff from scratch with sifted flower and a pastry cutter (actually, I used a potato masher because who really has a pastry cutter?) no starter kit box of yumminess where I only added an egg.

sifted flour

Well maybe one box. I used Pioneer Woman's pumpkin muffin recipe and they have turned out quite delicious if I do say so myself.

I don't think I am even going to add the cream cheese frosting.

Even with the spoiled evaporated milk scare they are delish. As I have long suspected expiration dates are just a way to make you throw things out more quickly. Apparently evaporated milk is good 6 years after the expiration date. Don't judge. Although wondering why it is still in my pantry might be a valid topic for discussion. And another mental note... save the mimosas for AFTER the mixing is done. I am anxiously waiting the cookie brownies..... they may have one too many eggs in them?

so far so good!

And though baking from scratch is a bit messier,

the good news is that RJH does the dishes around here.

Now I am closing up the computer and enjoying the balmy Houston weather sitting by the pool with my loves who are enjoying Angry Birds more than conversation....and who are too cold to actually be outside.Happy Christmas Eve, Eve!

Sneak Peak at my Christmas letter

2010-12-21T17:46:00.003-06:00

I am actually quite proud of myself today. From start to finish, I had my Christmas letter done in approx 30 hours. And I managed to attend a closing, an accountability meeting, and an appointment at the gym in that same 30 hours. Now, the letter is kind of a cheat this year and it may or may not hit mailboxes before Christmas but still! It is done and waiting for RJH signatures! I thought I would post a couple of my favorite photos from it.

because you can see my freckles

and we are sitting on top of a boat being sprayed by water...

because it was at the end of an amazing day,

thoughfully arranged by an amazing friend...

And now a couple that didn't make the letter.

because it is a real smile....

because it makes me laugh at myself (and because of fake eyelashes) ... I think I may actually have a few days this week in which I won't have to do any work. And even though those days will be Christmas and Christmas Eve, I am still grateful for a few days all to myself. I am hopeful I can go through my Seattle and Mexico photos and maybe even upload a few!

Gratitude

2010-11-17T15:52:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I realized Thanksgiving is next week. Next week! I mean really???? Where does the time go? Today a few things I am thankful for: Fluffy dogs Gorgeous weather My iPad Blue skies Cute sweaters My generous husband Business being better than ever My bougainvillea making flowers for the first time Great friends New babies Turkey dinners on the horizon And mashed potatoes My bed that I need a stool to get in to Mexican vacations A short line at the EZ Tag store Satellite TV on airplanes Football and Basketball season at the same time Manis and pedis (even when they are really bad) Huge sunglasses Red wine Scarf weather (have I mentioned the weather yet??) That the Horns have won 2 in a row of something!!!!!! Sitting on my patio on a Wed afternoon New crafty projects including glimmer mist Soap operas Finally having the guts to shoot my last photos in RAW Excited clients Discovering that quilting stores carry all the cute designer fabrics A new great book (Sarah's Key for anyone wondering) Frozen spinach My housekeeper

My Other Camera

2010-11-01T09:46:00.002-05:00

I get so distracted sometimes about learning how to use my "big" camera, that I neglect my "little" camera. I downloaded some photos today that I had almost forgotten about. This is the last of the summer concerts at Discovery Green. A gorgeous day and fun night!

Museum District Photo Walk

2010-10-29T14:49:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I took a photo walk in the Houston museum district with a local photog, Farrah Braniff. I started following her blog a couple of months ago (as part of my addiction to google reader) and really feel in love with her work. It was a fun opportunity to talk with a pro and I wish I had been better prepared with questions for her! Anyway... here are some of the shots I took.

The light at the end of the tunnel

2010-10-23T18:43:00.005-05:00

As I am entering the home stretch of my marathon real estate month, I am starting to think about the end. And vacation. My life gets considerably quieter in November and I going to take advantage of it. The month starts with several closings and culminates in a trip to Mexico. In anticipation of that trip I was browsing through some of these photos I took last month on a little getaway to Galveston. It almost felt like a real vacation. Almost.

Our view from the San Luis. You can barely tell it is Galveston, except for the brownish water.

There are even little cabanas and a swim up bar that we quite enjoyed.

The view down the seawall. And BTW, rates on a random Wednesday are pretty fantastic!

3 little visitors on our balcony.

A scrumptious meal at Saltwater Grill.

We also made a stop at the Elissa. It was a lot of fun to visit this "landmark" that I hadn't seen since I was a kid. I remembered it was old and iron but not much more.

Small Quarters

Having an Elissa at the Elissa. We are practically single handedly keeping her afloat with our contributions via Saint Arnold!

Making the Elissa, the Melissa

And I am excited about Kempner Ave, and who am I kidding, Starbucks.

Driveby tour of some of the historic homes.

We had a great trip, lots of relaxing (I even read a book... during the day... for fun!!), great food, and even some sight seeing. Right in our backyard. I highly recommend you revisit Galveston if you haven't been there in awhile. And here is to the light at the end of the tunnel and a vacation out of the state!

I can make that!

2010-10-04T17:57:00.009-05:00

So, this weekend I went to Round Top with most of the Timme girls. Though most of Roundtop was full of antiques (aka, other people’s junk), we found a hidden gem! I wanted one of each! I bought a necklace much like this:

And was inspired by this:

So today I stopped at Hobby Lobby and picked up some tiny tools (which are too tiny by the way but I got all 3 for $5) and made myself experiment with necklaces I already had to make something new. I tend to be a collector of craft supplies and decided not to start the jewelry making collection just yet.

starting supplies:

And this:

And a flower:

I sprayed it with glimmer mist to tone down the color a little, I think it makes it look a little dirty but not bad for my first effort. I glued the layers together and used a brad to keep it all together and add a little sparkle.

I pieced together several small pieces of chains together and added the flower to one end.

TA DA!

What I have been up to

2010-09-29T08:32:00.015-05:00

At the beginnig of the month I attended an event called

And it was fantastic! It inspired so many creative ideas and projects I want to tackle. Then I got home and turns out leaving town for a few days SPARKED my business:

And 3 new buyers that haven't quite gotten to the offer stage. So I have been cramming 6 months worth of work in the last month or so. And all of them have been referred by past clients! If any of you are out there reading this THANK YOU! I am so appreciative! For everyone else, I should come up for air sometime in October and perhaps have some new posts and photos. Though I have been working 12 hour days I have managed to squeeze in a little fun as well. Hey, and if anyone else out there knows someone that needs help with real estate, let me know! I am definitely taking new clients right now.

I am leaving on a jet plane

2010-09-09T14:44:00.004-05:00

Today I head out to Utah via Phoenix. I am attending an event called Spark. I am hoping to get some creative inspiration for scrapbooking, photography, jewelry making, and maybe even a little sewing. Though I have horrible flights (Hou to Phoenix to Salt Lake and back to Hou via LA??) I am very excited about the whirlwind trip. Also, an update.... I did accomplish my big goal for last month, cleaning up my craft room. Now I am ready to re-fill it!

You can see the top of my desk!!

No Piles on the Floor!

Life List # 40: see the Menil Collection.... Done!

2010-09-03T19:18:00.006-05:00

On a whim with my wonderful sister, Brooke. The most amazing thing about the collection is just that, it is a collection! The Menil's built a museum to house their personal collection. Wouldn't it be nice collect beautiful art just because you love art?

Pretty Things

2010-08-17T18:49:00.007-05:00

I thought I would post a few things that are making me happy these days. (A few things aside from all the delicious food I have been enjoying during Restaurant Week.) I have been rediscovering the creative side of my life. Along with cleaning up the scrap room/office I am coming across all the beautiful things I have acquired that I have never made into anything. The creative juices have started to flow again. I am taking a few moments each day to do something creative. I am classes, booking scrapbook trips (yes, scrapbook trips, more later), working on my photog skills, and ignoring the little red blinking light on my phone. One thing I did awhile back was order a journal to start documenting a little more of daily life. I searched for the perfect hybrid scrapbook/photo album/journal and though I drooled over some gorgeous leather ones in the $150 range.... I settled one a reasonably priced one the folks a Texas Art Supply ordered for me. I think it is going to look something like this:

So I have printed photos for the first time in years and am very excited to start putting them inside my "Life Scrapbook." I have even done some journaling. For you scrapbookers out there... this is the part that always gets me stuck. I am getting a jump start.

This creative embrace has also coincided with a trip I just book to go to Spark. Basically a scrapbooking convention. I am absurdly excited about it. I am going with a girlfriend and my scissors and hope to be inspired to create more beautiful things. There is going to be scrap booking, photography and photoshop, and something with a lamp shade. Who knows? Maybe that goal of recycling all my past cards into a newer, better version will come true someday. If you have ever sent me a card, there is a fair chance it is in this box.

So the creative side of my life is all converging with the cleaning and purging of my craft room and my desire to create something beautiful or interesting.

Even some pretty folders for work. Made even better by the fact that each pack cost 50 cents. It is way easier to get excited about the filing and organizing when it isn't in a manila file folder.

Simple daisies in my new favorite really unusual vase...

I actually made a homemade card! I haven't done that in months. I used embellishments. Yeah. And inked the edges. I know. Crazy!

Help Me!

2010-08-07T16:45:00.023-05:00

Today I had a few things on my To Do list. One or two of them I actually managed to accomplish despite the crippling heat and my overwhelming desire to watch a Kardashian marathon. The item on my list that eludes me has to do with cleaning. This is always my challenge. I tend toward organized chaos and I am professional piler. Cleaning is not my favorite chore. Really though, who has a favorite chore? I do however need to work on this problem before it gets too big to handle. Several months ago I wrote a post about my sad closet and how badly it needed work. I was amazed at the "support" I got from all of you encouraging me to clean. Seriously, people called me to find out what I was doing and when I replied "watching a Kardashian marathon" I promptly got a "suggestion" that I clean my closet. So world, here I am again. This time my office/studio/craft/junk room is the area in need of purging. Help me! Here it goes:

I really do love this room. And the dining table I call a desk. This table is from the very first model home I worked in, The Kendall in Wortham Landing. I won't say the drawing (in which my name was pulled very early on giving me the chance to buy it) was fixed but... I worked there for 4 years and sat at countless meetings at this table and stared at it and loved it and who cares if it wouldn't fit in my dining room. It was mine!!!! :) Here is the breakdown: Right now I work in about a 3 square foot area. I would have more space in a cube... I must separate work from fun. Crafts supplies from life list goals. I must file paperwork. I really must file paperwork. So there is my little secret hiding behind a closed door upstairs. You can come to my house, but you can't come in here. Even my dogs know to stand at the entrance to the room and wait to be asked in. So, I am giving myself until the end of the month for it to be back to organized. I will let you know what I accomplish in September. And a little life list update. I couldn't get into the class I wanted to take for calligraphy (damn that work!) so I bought a book and some pens and I am self teaching for now. It has been a nice relaxing break for me. The repetition has been quite calming. Especially as work has been more stressful. And speaking of work. Another thing on my To Do list is to sell the following homes:

Sugar Land/Missouri City - OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW! http://www.shapirocourto.info/

Kingwood http://www.2002hemlocklakes.info/

Tomball/Spring http://www.17426courtneypine.info/

West Houstonhttp://www.16910langhamheights.info/

Spring http://www.3414keygate.info/

Tomball: www.MemorialTrails.info

Anyone know someone that might be interested? I would love nothing more than to pay you a huge referral fee!

Let me know.

Eat Local

2010-08-06T15:49:00.008-05:00

The last few weeks have been very food centered. Good for my tastebuds not so great for my waistline.... A couple of weeks ago I went back on a calorie counting "diet." I hate to use the word diet because a I was still drinking wine and eating cheese. I can't be cruel to myself! I use The Daily Plate to keep track of the calories and try to stay under 1700. It isn't toooo bad until you add in the wine calories. When you are trying to keep your meal 300-500 calories 150 for wine really adds up. Anyway... back to food. One of my life list goals was to visit a farmers market. The goal was really more to shop at a farmers market. I have been to the fish market in Seattle but that was more as a tourist. For weeks I have wanted to go to the Spring Branch Farmers market. I have had it on the calendar and had to keep pushing it back for weeks. Finally I went. And was a little disappointed. I really liked the things I bought but the choices were fairly limited. the whole market and my goodies I did pick up some fresh eggs, cucumbers, peaches, and dog treats. Technically I guess I could cross it off the list... but I won't. I am going to attend the West U version soon. And then cross it off. :) It is also Houston Restaurant Week. Restaurant Week is actually 3 weeks in which 100 local restaurants offer a 3 course menu for $35. And they donate to the Houston Food Bank. I really like the idea of trying a few new places and visiting a few of our more $$$$ favorites for a great price. We started the fun at Haven. Haven uses local ingredients and has a seasonal menu. Service was a little spotty at first but the food made up for it. Ryan had shrimp corndogs, steak, and fruit ambrosia. I enjoyed a peach and arugula salad, shrimp and grits, and tres leches bread pudding. No photos but was yummy! I also stopped at the Houston Dairy Maids and had a cheese sampling. When they offer soft cheeses to sample I am sold. They have a sampling on Friday and Saturday afternoons. We first sampled their cheeses on the Saint Arnold Buffalo Bayou float. So yummy. We are excited to be attending another tasting at the brewery next week. Everything was delicious and they work with a lot of local and Texas cheese makers. So get your cheese there! So next week is the Saint Arnold/Dairymaids tasting, more Restaurant Week sampling, and I am guessing I will find some time to visit The Tasting Room. And then maybe I will get back to my calorie counting. It is the summer, you are supposed to be on vacation which involves eating right?

The Painted Churches

2010-07-21T10:14:00.017-05:00

Last week Ryan and I went to New Branfels. It was a quick trip and for a couple of days of relaxation with The Schotts. It is super great to have friends with access to vacation homes! When we take a familiar trip we like to take the Long Cut. I10 west is very boring. I like to venture off the quick freeway route and see what we can see. Now, we have made the trip west several times. We have taken the Shiner tour, seen the cannon at Gonzales, visted historic Columbus so I didn't know what else we could do. We hoped in the car with all my trusty travel books and hit the road. . . I also don't like to plan ahead. :)

Thumbing through the book I came across something I hadn't seen or heard about before. The Painted Chruches near Schluenberg. There is a series of churches in about a 10 mile radius around Schulenburg. They are surprisingly beautiful. From the outside most are modest country churches. Then you go inside and:

And then this:

and this:

It is worth the detour to stop and see the churches and small towns. In Schulenburg you can stop and BUY a map that shows the route. (a tiny bit annoying to have to pay $4 but I am sure they have limited ways to raise $$) I have looked into the churches a little since I have been back and it turns out that there are several more that aren't on the map. Maybe there is some more exploring to do one day! Oh yeah, and you can stop and get a gun and some liquor here:

In New Braunfels we floated the Comal, visited the source, sipped wine at Dry Comal Vineyards and did a little shopping at the outlet malls.

A great little Texas weekend getaway.

Anyone else obsessed by the "corpse" flower at HMNS?

2010-07-13T07:48:00.007-05:00

This week I discovered the corpse flower on twitter. I am fairly new to twitter and have not really "gotten" it until the last week or so. Now I may or may not be addicted. I have had an account for awhile but adding it to my phone changed things. I have been watching Texas's flirting with the PAC 10, LeBron's move, and now the corpse flower. Fun for me! Back to the woman of the hour, Lois. Yes, the flower is named Lois. She may be close to 6 feet tall. She is very rare. This one has been at HMNS for 6 years and this is the first bloom. And ohhh that bloom. As you may be able to guess from the name, she is not fragrant in a good way. But she is oh so rare. The flower is from Indonesia and I read somewhere that the smell can drift for up to 2 miles. Early explorers were convinced because of the size and smell that it was a man eating plant. So scary! Only 29 have bloomed in the US and I am trying to find a second in my schedule today to go and see her. It has become so intriguing to me. I feel like I need to see it! Good job HMNS. So today before I head out for a couple of days to enjoy a tiny break in New Braunfels I am going to try and swing by the museum. And while I am gone I will watch the webcam. Yes, there is a webcam so no one misses the action. Are you obsessed with it too? Or perhaps you'd like to see it with me?

See the Corpse Flower at HMNS! [Amorphophallus titanum] from HMNS on Vimeo.

Picture Summer

2010-07-11T18:52:00.009-05:00

One of the things I put on my life list was to take a photo a day for 365 days. This month I signed up for an online class called Picture Summer. They send an inspirational email everyday with a word or phrase to get you thinking about taking a photo. I will admit, I haven't taken the theme photo every day (all this rain really hampered the first part of this challenge) but I have taken at lease one photo every day this month. Here is what I have come up with.

summer: crape myrtles and hurricanes

subtle color splash: tired rainy days

open spaces

collections

I Really Need To Get Going On This Life List

2010-07-02T19:03:00.004-05:00

I have been contemplating the life list. In April I did one item on my life list, #28 ride a boat down Buffalo Bayou. Check. I haven't been doing much to cross off any others. This week I decided to change some of that.

I have been looking into calligraphy classes #50. I even sent an email to an instructor. No word back yet so I may end up in the Leisure Learning class later this month.

Then there is #33. Take a photo a day for 365 days. I signed up this month for Picture Summer. I will be taking a photo a day inspired by an email from this online "class." I am looking forward to it. So far I have taken one for Summer and Splash. I will post the results online as I progress. Now, it has been raining for days so it doesn't feel like true summer but we have 4 more months for that! Today I wrapped my camera in a plastic bag, put on my bathing suit, and went and played in the rain.

Next week I hope to knock off #57. Go to a farmers market. Can you believe I haven't done that? I have been to markets but not a true local, farmers market. I hope to hit the Spring Branch Farmers Market.

Anyone read anything good lately?

2010-06-25T11:13:00.007-05:00

photo credit: Vogue.com

It has been awhile since I read a really great book. I am on the hunt this summer. Inspired by Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project and tips for reading more, I stopped reading The Company She Keeps the book sitting on my nightstand. Gretchen's number1 tip was, Stop Reading. Life is too short to even read bad books. I like a crime book, a true life story, but 100+ pages in and I am not appreciating this story. I know at some point the author will overcome her situation and the victim storyline will begin to change but I am not going to wait for it. It is hard for me to not try to finish a book I have started but I am throwing in the towel. My constant struggle: find a book not written for a 12 year old and one that won't make me cry. Maybe I will pop into my favorite store, Half Price Books. I like to stock up and have a pile so I can choose one to fit my mood. Right now the stack is full of Jodi Picoult. I love her but did I mention the no crying thing? Her books have a tendancy toward emotionally draining. I have been hearing good things about The Girl with th Dragon Tattoo, etc. by Larsson. Anyone out there have a suggestion? A good summer read?

MIA

2010-06-23T15:51:00.012-05:00

It has been quite some time since I have posted much of significance here. I have been hiding under a rock. Not really. I have been busy with work, family, you know, life. The last month or so has involved:

Family Vaca with the Hunzekers (pictures already posted)
Jenn visiting for Memorial Day (Gluttony weekend: a tour of the best Houston eats)
Attended a rare Astros WIN (it poured rain while we were in the stadium. Actually pretty cool.)
Family Poker Weekend (we hadn't done one since January!)
Dad's Family Reunion (I like to go every 10 years or so.... YIKES! Has it been that long!?!)
Father's Day Weekend (my Dad likes hanging at Front Porch Pub, not a bad way to enjoy the day)
Mixers and Elixers (I love a cocktail with TRex! gotta checkout LP's blog... I actually didn't have my camera w/me?? Shameful I know!)

Oh yeah, and I have tried to sell some houses. (If you knew anyone that perhaps would like to live in one of these beauties it would make me and their owners quite happy!) Work has been a little bit of a bummer the last few weeks. It feels like all the news is negative. I usually don't succumb to that but things have been slow with listings. I don't want to complain about "the market" here but everything has been a challenge. It feels like I am working so hard to sell houses with no results. No immediate results anyway. People are still buying and selling homes but I think most of them are crazy. Or their agents are. :)

I have had some thoughts on a few blog topics but have been focused on enjoying family and working in between. For the few of you that I know read this, a couple of posts to come:

Taking the Long Cut

I Really Need to Get Going on this Life List

Wow. A Couple Glasses of Wine Sure Do Ruin a Low Cal Diet

In the mean time, here are a couple of photos that I took that make me happy. technically this was just taken with my camera....

and I guess I didn't take this one either....

Super Short Post

2010-06-12T11:08:00.001-05:00

A couple additions to the life list:

75. Get one a plane with just my handbag as luggage
76. Live in a house with 1 digit for an address

Melissa Hunzeker
REALTOR Consultant
281-639-9287
www.MelissaHunzeker.com
Keller Williams

May Update

2010-05-24T17:51:00.003-05:00

Photo style... It has been a very fun and busy month - Cinco De Mayo in Keemah - that's normal? lots of fish and a few margaritas

A week at the lake and a "long cut" home - we like to travel home off the beaten bath. I45 is pretty boring. We went through a couple of National Forests and had some mmm good chicken fried steak.

And a baby shower for a good friend. A new baby and 7 different kinds of cheese. What is not to love?

From 2010 May LC Shower

A few things I have already crossed off my life list.

2010-05-09T19:16:00.010-05:00

As I was put my life list down on paper a couple of weeks ago I started thinking about all the great things I have already gotten to do. Many things on the lists I used for inspiration I had already crossed off my list, without really knowing I had! So in the spirit of celebrating everyday and making the most of every opportunity, here are some of the highlights of the coolest things I have gotten to do:

See the Longhorns win a National Championship:

Some of you may be thinking, "A football game. Really. For the top of your life lists?" Those of you that bleed orange know why this is up there. It is one of the only times I have watched a team that I love play a game I knew they were going to win. Don't ask me how. Most teams (Rockets, Astros, etc.) like to just tease me with the possibility of greatness only to let me down. This game was a rare exception and an unbelievable experience.

I have mentioned before that I am an opportunistic traveler. This is a great example of that. Ryan's sister and husband lived in Pasadena, CA while Matt was getting his PhD in Philosophy. We had plans to spend Christmas with them and when the Horns made it to the Rose Bowl I got me some tickets. So... Christmas with the family and a shiny BCS trophy. What a week. African Safari:

I can't really talk about our honeymoon without mentioning the wedding. We had a wonderful long weekend in New Orleans when we got married. We had 19 guests attend our wedding and we were able to spend several days celebrating with the people we love most in the world. I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Then our honeymoon. Most people know Ryan lived in London for awhile growing up. When we were looking for honeymoon destinations my only requirement was that it be somewhere Ryan hadn't been. Europe was pretty much out. We got creative and found Classic Africa. They arranged the most amazing trip. 10 days of safari, seeing Victoria Falls, Cape Town, and more. These photos are us at Cape of Good Hope and petting a cheetah at one of the rare touristy places we visited. I could of uploaded 100s of photos from this trip but these are some of my favs.

Seeing the Space Shuttle Launch. At Night.

These photos are scanned from a scrapbook. Made from real film! This was before I knew about changing settings for low light or using a tripod. The one from NASA at the end is pretty good though! In a previous life Ryan was a consultant. He did a project for the United Space Alliance. He got invited to watch the launch. Though we were 3 miles from the site (and we were told this was the closest "civilians" were allowed) when the Shuttle took off the ground rumbled, the pond we were across shook, fish jumped out of the water, the night sky became day and in 90 seconds the Shuttle was in space. From here to gone just like that. It was one of the single most amazing things I have ever seen. And right up there on the life list.

Fun Down on the Buffalo Bayou

2010-05-04T19:11:00.006-05:00

Hi blog world. It has been a busy couple of weeks and I have been saving up posts! Last week I crossed #28 off my Life List: Ride a boat down Down Buffalo Bayou. It was great! I love discovering things in Houston. Things I haven't experienced before as well as a deeper look at the familiar. I have probably driven over Buffalo Bayou 1000 times and never really looked down. Here is what we saw:

It was a cruise sponsored by Saint Arnold and The Houston Dairy Maids. What a better way to enjoy Houston than a cruise downtown? Oh yeah, and the beer and cheese tasting didn't hurt. What more could I ask for? A dinner of cheese and beer on the water in April, in Houston! And all the beer and cheese was made here too! (A small nod to my effort to trying to eat more locally grown food and patronize local businesses.) On the water it felt a little like we were in a different city. There were parts that you didn't even hear traffic or noises and aside from the skyline in the background you wouldn't even think you were in Houston. Then looms that skyline. Seeing it from that angle kind of changes your perspective. Even seeing the back of all those familiar buildings was really interesting. I have said before that I love living in Houston, and you know I do, but it isn't known as a particularly beautiful city. I love learning that statement isn't entirely true.

Oh yeah, and I need a Predator Shield if I am ever going to accomplish #32

I am a farmer. Sort of.

2010-04-20T19:56:00.009-05:00

I planted some herbs. I mentioned it on this blog, I had very low expectations. I have played this game before. I thought I would share an update on my new yellow thumb (not quite green but moving away from brown). After my last post, Gail Nash generously invited me to come partake of her own, well established garden. I was quite envious. She actually grows vegetables. I figured I will stick with herbs for the time being until I make sure it is still fun in July to go out and check and water them. Gail gave me some plantings/clippings as well as some seeds. SEEDS! Oh my. That scared me but I dove in and planted them. And guess what? They sprouted! And I couldn't have been more excited. Here are a few photos of my little green babies.

The sage in bloom is like perfume, clap, clap, clap, clap,clap, clap. Deep in the heart of Texas.

Salad Burnet in the background.

The radishes popped up after 2-3 days. The other guys made me wait a week. This is my kind of gardening, almost instant gratification.

I also got an email from my father in law about how unacceptable it was that I "farmed" with a cup and screw driver. You see, people in Ryan's family actually farm. On big pieces of land. With "implements." What is an implement you may ask? Tools. Real tools. So I was gifted tools and they are definitely the cutest part of this farming experiment.

And I had to post photos of my fluffy babies fresh from the groomer. Mombo with his skunk tail and Hope with a fluffy booty.

Life List: 74 Things To Do Before I Go

2010-04-18T16:57:00.012-05:00

I have recently been inspired by a few blogs I read to create a life list. A list of 100 things I would like to accomplish. Many of mine are travel related but many are simple things I hope to work on someday. So I sat down and started jotting things down. Then I made Ryan sit with me and tell me things he'd like to do. And I couldn't come up with 100. So, here are 74 things (and counting) I would like to do before I go. These are no particular order:

1. Have artwork I created on display somewhere

2. Cook a meal with only food I grew

3. See the pyramids

4. Organize a fund raiser

5. Stomp grapes at a wine harvest

6. Give someone a scholarship

7. See all 50 states (I think I am at 22)

8. See all 7 continents and swim in all 4 oceans (still need: South America, Antarctica, Australia, and the Arctic ocean)

9. Become conversational in another language

10. Drive a motorhome or RV

11. Drive across the US; perhaps in the RV mentioned above

12. Sleep in a “hut” over the ocean

13. See the Great Wall of China

14. Own a home somewhere beautiful

15. Visit the Taj Mahal

16. Learn to knit

17. Swim with a manatee

18. Swim with sharks

19. See Machu Picchu

20. See the Aurora Borealis

21. Go to a traditional Indian wedding

22. Wear a sari to said wedding

23. Go to the Kentucky Derby

24. See 4th of July fireworks at Mount Rushmore

25. Celebrate New Years in Australia

26. Attend mass at the Vatican

27. Ride in a boat down the Nile

~~28. Ride in a boat down Buffalo Bayou~~

April 2010

29. Have a pixie haircut

30. Change my own oil

31. Really learn about wine

32. See a grizzly bear in the wild

33. Take a photo a day for 365 days

34. Grow a fruit tree (the sad lime tree in my yard that has never made fruit doesn’t count)

35. Be a millionaire

36. Drive on the wrong side of the road and have it be legal

37. Live in a high rise

38. Have an employee

39. Host a wine dinner at my home

40. See the Menil Collection

Sept 2010

41. Live in a historic home

42. Take a photo with Yao Ming (he’s 50% taller than me)

43. See a whale breach (or a shark) in the wild, and not just pop up but come flying out of the water

44. Spend a night at the Raffles Hotel

45. Visit Washington, DC

~~46. Go to a bar made of ice~~

November 2011

Minus 5 in Vegas

47. Go to Spain during the running with the bulls

48. Eat Tom Yum Goong in Thailand

~~49. Drive a convertible down the Pacific Coast Highway~~

July 2011 - me driving

July 2011

50. Learn calligraphy (classes start 11/1/11)

51. Drink Guiness at the Guiness Brewery

52. Visit the Florida Keys

53. Sleep in a castle

54. Fly in a hot air balloon (I think it is possible I did this as a kid but I need a refresher as an adult)

55. Visit the Holy Land

56. Take summer off. All of it. And spend it at a beach or lake house

57. Go to a farmers market

58. Ride the Orient Express

59. Italy, Italy, Italy

60. Touch a van Gogh (does it count it I have gotten close enough to touch one? Not sure I am going to be able to do this one without getting arrested.)

61. Visit Austria

62. Go to the Super Bowl

~~63. Visit the California wine country~~

July 2011

64. Go to a book signing of an author I love

~~65. Paint a painting that I will hang in my home~~

July 2011 - room for improvement here

July 2011

66. See a glacier

67. Give $100 bill to someone on a street corner

68. Read 1000 books (the ones I have already ready count)

69. See Auschwitz

70. Visit Hungary

71. Tour the Orange Show

72. Visit the Galapagos Islands

73. Take a cooking class from a famous chef (Tyler Florence replied to a tweet I made...getting closer)

73. Sail around the Mediterranean on a yacht

74. Visit 5o countries (not sure my total here)

NEW ADDITIONS!

75. Get on a plane with just my handbag as luggage

76. Live in a house with 1 digit for an address

~~77. Own linen linens~~

A few of my favorite things

2010-04-11T09:20:00.005-05:00

Today I am going to share a few of the products I have been LOVING lately. I am a little distraught though. When I googled this first product for a photo I couldn't find one. I am hoping that doesn't mean it has been discontinued because it is the perfect top coat. I use this top coat and it actually dries in seconds. It isn't quite "10 Day" top coat but it did extend my manicure more than a week. Perfect for touch ups on the go. And if you are like me and do your nails later than you should have, put a little of this on to avoid sheet marks.

I am a daily sunscreen user and I am really good at my morning skin care regimine. Night time, not so much. This year I told myself I was going to wash my face every night and take better care of my skin. I haven't quite gotten there but these babies have helped. No need for water, soap, anything. Just pull one out and wipe off all the makeup. Even mascara.

As summer is starting to be upon us I have been pulling out my sandals and a my feet aren't quite ready for them. I keep this in my purse and put a little on where my shoes are rubbing. Voila! No need for bandaids and my feet are getting used to being in the sun!

Anybody else have a favorite product they have been using?

Will my garden grow?

2010-04-03T08:39:00.017-05:00

I am not much of a green thumb. In fact, I am more of a black thumb, but all this gorgeous weather has made me want to work in the yard for some strange reason? In lieu of planting flowers or trimming the shrubs, I decided to plant some herbs. I have this little dream that someday I am going to make a meal out of only things I grew (that dream list is coming in a few days BTW) and I thought I would start small. I planted a few herbs that I use regularly as well as jalapeno plant. I have planted some herbs in the past and listened to all the people that said "mint grows like a weed, you don't have to do anything. And basil is very hearty, it is easy to grow." I did virtually nothing to that batch a few years ago and it was not a success. This go round I am watering, fertilizing, and checking my little babies everyday. Unfortunately the basil has already lost its battle. I am not taking the blame for that one.... It did drop to the 40s the day after I planted them so it never really had a chance right? Now, I just need to find some mint to add to my collection and I will be ready for summer. Mojito anyone?

The Ingredients

$20 at Houston Garden Center

The "Tools"

as it turns out we do not have a trowel or anything to till the soil so a cup and screwdriver worked quite nicely

Before

After

After - The Jalapeno

After - Chives, Cilantro, Basil

Before

These flowers we planted as a leftover from Pulte Homeowner appreciation day and they finally succombed to the cold this winter. Anyone know how long it has been since I participated in a HO appreciation day????

After - Parsley

Some more on why I love Houston

2010-03-18T15:20:00.010-05:00

The last few days have been those perfect weather days. Highs in the low 70s with cooler nights. Today there is not a cloud in the sky. These are the days that make everything seem wonderful. I got an email from my in-laws who are in Nebraska right enduring near freezing temperatures. It made me realize again how lucky I am to be here. Here are some reasons why:

Right now I am sitting on my patio looking at the pool and typing from a lounge chair. Being a Realtor is the greatest job ever! I have been able to take the last couple of days almost off to enjoy the weather.

The Pear trees beside my house are "snowing" white flowers. All the fun, none of the cold.
When I got dressed today I put on shorts. Because it was warm. In the interest of full disclosure I am wearing a long sleeve shirt because after all, I am sitting in the shade.
Tulips are blooming. Unfortunately I don't have a photo yet but not much makes me happier than the tulips blooming in Houston.

Yesterday I had a "photo shoot" with a good friend and budding photog, Patricia Schott at Discovery Green. She met me and my working partners at the park and took some shots in an effort to get a new head shot for work. I want something a little less formal than my current photo and she stepped up to the challenge. And I got to spend the day in the park! And it was packed. It was very nice that so many people were out enjoying the weather and Houston's great public parks.

Yesterday I also had the best crawfish I have had in more than a year. This season the mudbugs have been subpar so yesterday's treat tasted even better. And I was kind of being a stalker with my camera. I got a new lens that I was anxious to try out. Good shot of the crawfish I think. Not as great of a shot of the guy below.

I also saw this guy who I am pretty sure is an actual leprechaun. He had the green suit, red beard, and hat. There is no doubt that Saint Patrick's Day was his day!

Ding Dong the Bird is Gone!

2010-03-08T17:46:00.007-06:00

At least I hope it is. For the last couple of weeks I have had spring forced down my throat by a little bird. While I am happy that the weather is finally a little warmer (who'd think someone from Houston would utter those words???) I am not pleased with my singing friend. Every morning, right on cue, at 6:00 I get a little song. It goes on for about 1/2 an hour and then stops. I think the bird and my dog, Mombo, have a little conspiracy going. Most mornings Mombo likes to start pacing around the room, or better yet, stand right on my chest about 7:00-7:30. Mombo I understand. He has a little bladder and needs to go out. This bird... he's killing me. Finally this morning Ryan went and checked him out. It was a cardinal which makes it more problematic for the potentially violent solution I had in mind. He is just too pretty. So hopefully, the pretty cardinal will decide that the tree outside my bedroom is not a good spot to hang out before the sun rises. Who knows? Maybe the time change will help me out too?

New Orleans told in spoken word

2010-02-24T13:01:00.003-06:00

I just got back from New Orleans and the Keller Williams Family Reunion. It was a great experience. I filled both my mind and my stomach! I am attempting my first ever video blog, or vlog. (Nah, I don't like the word vlog either.) I got a new Flip camera for my bday and I am trying it out! Watch and tell me what you think!

As promised... Chicago

2010-02-20T07:31:00.004-06:00

So a couple of months ago Brooke and I decided to surprise my cousin Lindsey with a unique wedding shower. A surprise shower. All we told her was that she needed to keep the weekend of Feb. 5 -7th free. Brooke and I then schemed and planned and got most of the aunts together to meet us there, clandestine like. You see, the scheming and planning were all part of the fun. If you know the women in my family you can imagine the all the cackling, errr laughing. :)

Lindsey arrived with Brooke at my house Friday afternoon, which happened to be my birthday. We gave Lindsey a boarding pass created by Brooke to New Orleans. A little birdie told us Lindsey suspected that might be our destination and she wasn't thrilled by it. So that made it even more fun for us. (A little back story... we sent her 6 anonymous ransom notes in the weeks leading up to the weekend. Each note had a little clue in it.) When we arrived at the airport we gave Lindsey the correct boarding pass to CHICAGO, a city she loves. We went through security with our cameras at hand ready for her to glance down and discover our trickery and no luck. She didn't notice. Fun for us.

We promptly headed to the President's lounge and imbibed. (Apparently I am known as a bit of a cocktail drinker in my family. I guess all the postings of the pretty drinks have given me a bit of a reputation.) The first one went down really fast as we only had about 10 minutes to spare. Then delay... Secretly my mom and Aunt Laurie were waiting at the gate texting us details. All the snow in DC delayed the Chicago airtraffic controller about 1.5 hours. So more adult beverages. In the President's Club they started announcing our flight. We didn't want to pop up and run to the gate, Lindsey was busy planning our trip to Cafe Du Monde and Pat O'Brien's in New Orleans. Eventually we get to the gate, get on the plane, and listen to the crew announce... "Welcome to our non stop flight to Chicago." The look on Lindsey's face was priceless. So surprised! We couldn't have planned it better.

We arrive in Chicago and actually have real trouble finding our luggage. That was a good thing because it allowed Mom and Laurie enough time to get into the car we had waiting and hide in the back. We leave the terminal to a "Soon to be Mrs. Paschal" labeled car, they pop up from the back seat and surprise!

The surprises continued at the hotel. Julie, Samantha, and Madelyn were also waiting. I got a few birthday surprises myself. One of my favorite Chicago treats, Wow Bao, was waiting along with gifts and a really sweet list of "35 Things to Love About Melissa." And I can't forget my birthday presents from Ryan. Finally a Snuggie. Yes, a snuggie and it is wonderful. I also got a great Flip video camera so I enjoy the videos courtesy of Ryan's gift.

The weekend consisted of shopping, eating, laughing and all around good times. Enjoy the photos and videos!

Open, open, open, waiting at H&M

Catching up on the blog

2010-02-15T14:24:00.001-06:00

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy for me. Between getting several new listings this year and some of the fun stuff I have been doing in my spare time, I haven't been posting as much lately. To get one topic out of the way.... Closet update. Several weeks ago I posted about needing to clean my closet. It got quite a response! People on facebook were making sure I was on task and I posted a few photos there. So here... the full update.

I did get the closet organized! I purged, I organzied, I cleaned. And here are the results:

Winter sweaters are folded neatly in their box. Still down on the floor for this strange season we've been having. I think some call it winter....

pants are hung in a row, shoes in boxes and stacked.....

There is even a little bit of room for new shoes!

Sadly, I even got rid of a few purses!

The dresser is even cleaned up! The drawers might be next....

The chair still needs work and I can't go cold turkey with no piles. I still have a couple of those that form from time to time. Next post will be a birthday/Chicago summary. If you can't wait, check out Longhorn in Houston's blog she has a few photos and some details on the surprise shower we organized for her.

A guest blog spot... over on Mel's Real Estate Universe

2010-02-03T09:13:00.002-06:00

Hi everyone. This week I have a very interesting post over on my Real Estate Blog. It is written by Ryan! I decided to put it over on the "work" blog since it is about home ownership but check it out if you have time. Leave him a comment even! You can click directly to the blog on the right column of this page.

City Centre

2010-02-01T09:12:00.001-06:00

I thought I would write a little about some of my recent culinary adventures outside the house. City Centre at I10 and Beltway 8 has turned into the hot spot. It is a couple of minutes from us and we have ventured there a couple of times before but here in the last couple of weeks it has gone from a neat idea to a really cool place. There are tons of new restaurants, housing, and a hotel. Lots of outdoor space, fountains, fire pits and free parking! We can't wait to try it when the weather is less "artic blast" and more "warm spring day."

In the last few weeks we have tried:

YardHouse - Dinner with friends. Tons of beer on tap, great specialty drinks, and a huge menu. It was pretty crowded here but they had a nice outdoor space where we sat and waited for our table. The most interesting thing was the number of times we got carded here. We met the Zamoras and when Diane went to the bar she ordered 2 beers and they made her get Adam to insure he was legal drinking age.... Carded at the bar, carded at the table, all 4 of us. A little weird.

We took the waiters suggestions and started with the Moo Shu Eggrolls which were delish. We also had the Firecracker Wings which were yummy. Ryan continued with our waiters suggestions and had the Ribs. They were so tender and had a sweet BBQ sauce that I really liked. I had the Hawaiian burger with pineapple. Sounded good and tasted ok but the texture was not my favorite. I will probably try something else next time.

Straights - Again, we met friends for dinner here last week. Very cool food. They describe it as "a Modern Singaporean Restaurant and Lounge." It was Indian/Thai type fushiony? Is fushiony a word? I had yummy and spicy Garlic Noodles. Everyone's food was good and everything was unique and a little spicy. And have I mentioned the drinks? Delicious. They cost as much as some of the entrees so the better be delicious.... I had a lemonade that I can't even remember the ingredients Citron and ginger I think... Can't wait to try this place when the weather is a little warmer. The outside has couches and lots of seating. The other interesting thing was the bathroom. I felt like I was in a Michael Jackson video. Combined men and women with individual stalls, all white and futuristic. Very interesting. This place also had lots of areas for smaller private parties. Mental note: when we need a place for a group special occasion this is somewhere to try.

Monna Lisa - (at Hotel Sorella) this place was very cool but not really our speed. We stopped here for a drink after dinner at Straights. It was crowded and the people watching was really good. There was a very diverse crowd and the atmosphere was neat with a fire in the middle, cool light fixtures, and a loungey vibe. We will definitely go back but I don't think it will be one of our regular spots. Unfortunately we don't really like to wait 20 minutes for a drink, don't care to stand the whole time, and like to be able to have easy conversation. It was just a little on the loud side. Fun for a change of pace but we prefer something a little more low key, I was not wearing a leather mini dress....

There are a number of other place we are looking forward to trying. We have rediscovered happy hour! Discounted apperizers and drinks! Anyone want to join us?

Veggie Tacos

2010-01-29T10:47:00.001-06:00

Hi friends! As I venture into new culinary exploits I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I am really liking veggie meals. When you pull out some of the meat, the other ingredients are somehow tastier. For the tacos I made I used maybe a teaspoon or so of cheese and just a dab of sour cream but the flavors were more prominent than I expected. So, using less of the other fattening ingredients is a side benefit.

I had a goal for us to try and eat vegetarian meals twice a week. It has been a little more like 1+ but still... we are doing good. I have cooked a veggie meal once a week so far and there have been leftovers we've cleaned up on a second night.

Here are the tacos I did this week:

1/2 onion (I used red)
1/2 bag Morningstar meal starter
1/2 can of black beans
about 8 oz of frozen spinach
1 pkg taco seasoning
taco shell (I love crunchy tacos, not so much the soft for some reason)

regular toppings:
tomatolettuce
cheese
sour cream

First I sautéed the onion with a little olive oil. Then I put the "crumbles" in the pan frozen and when they were a bit defrosted I added in the black beans to warm them as well. I then added the spinach and the pkg of taco seasoning. I didn't quite use the whole package of seasoning, kind of tasting as I went to determine how much to use. I think if I used chili powder, garlic powder, etc. instead of the packaged seasoning I might also be able to reduce the sodium a bit. While things were heating I chopped lettuce and tomatoes for toppings.

I filled the shells with the "meat" and then topped with the cheese and other veggies. It took about 10-15 minutes to prepare. It probably made about 12 tacos or so? We ate it 2 nights in a row and I didn't actually use a shell the second night. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Family Weekend in Seguin aka PenZeManEk Weekend

2010-01-27T17:58:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was our family's belated Christmas celebration. With somewhere between 15-17 of us with all sorts of blended families it is so hard to get together during the holiday season that we started the January weekend about 3 years ago. It is always fun. We find a place to hang out for the weekend, everyone takes a meal, and everyone makes the weekend. We genrally don't leave the house and we play some late night poker. Here are the highlights from this year:

Yippee! The gift exchange is back! This year white elephant... surprisingly few steals but still a lot of fun. Even the code game was reinstituted. Props to Danielle for figuring out the first big key!

I managed to grab 2 gifts that ended up stolen. The waffle maker and the TP to the left...

Josh chose the pink present with the pink bow and a flower on the top. And he wonders why he was Rainbow and Olympics.

No photoshop yet but the whole group stuff turned out pretty good.

Bocce.

We wondered what all the boats passing thought about a group of people in matching shirts walking around the yard....

And I still have no idea on how to format the pictures in blogger the way I actually want them to show up... the preview window is about 1/4 of my screen so I don't actually get a real preview. Argh. So excuse the chaos of the photos.

Travel To Do List - US Version

2010-01-17T17:57:00.003-06:00

Over at Tipsy Society they had a post about Mexico and asked where do you want to be right now? It got me thinking about our honeymoon in Africa and all the wonderful places I have been. There are so many places I would love to go back to but for today I thought I would list the places I still need to visit. I prefer to think of it as a to do list as I have mentioned before. So here is my list for now:

Mount Rushmore: I once saw a special on fireworks that said one of the top 5 displays is at Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July. Since then, it has been on my list. Too bad it is very far from everything else. But one of these days!

Washington, DC: Still never been. It is one of those places that I always think, "No, not for this trip, we need more time." I am also a very opportunistic traveller. Usually I take someone up on an offer to visit or lengthen a trip a trip I have to take for a wedding to something. So far, no DC.

Mountains...Snow. Anywhere: I love snow. I love cold. I love living in Houston but it isn't a very pretty city. I dream of living somewhere with a view like this. The good news. I will be seeing snow covered mountains sooner rather than later.

The Outer Banks: I have read so many books set in the Outer Banks. I am not even 100% sure where they are. I just know I want to visit.

Charleston, SC. Savannah, GA. The Deep South: I have some minor fascination with these places. I get a little bit of my fix visiting New Orleans but I love the idea of these places. The architecture. The trees. The moss. The Southern Drawl.

Continuing on the Eastern side of the country, Cape Cod: How great is a light house? Again, a picturesque location, at least in my mind. I want to rent a cabin and hang out on the beach.

Swinging to the left, California wine country. Beautiful scenery and touring wineries. Enough said.

by popular demand... veggie lasagna

2010-01-13T18:27:00.000-06:00

So who knew that so many people would be intrigued by veggie lasagna? I mentioned in my New Year's Resolution post that we were going to try and do veggie only dinners a couple of nights a week. Meatless meals happen without planning every now and then but inspired by my good friend, a new vegan, Kathy Ruckel, we decided to make a more concerted effort to reduce our meat consumption. I took my friend, Jennifer Haven's recipe for roasted veggie lasagna and tweaked it a little. I am a person that tends to use a recipe as a guideline not really a rule. I know that infuriates most people so stick with my while I try to recall what I did:

Ingredients
1 eggplant sliced lengthwise into 1/4" strips
1 medium sized onion
1 yellow bell pepper (mostly for color and a little crunch)
6-7 cloves of garlic
1 pkg of grape tomatoes + 3 roma tomatoes
frozen shitake mushrooms (thawed)

olive oil

Italian Seasoning

1 pkg marinara sauce (I used Buitoni Roasted Garlic)

12 oz pkg frozen spinach (still frozen)

a couple of slices of fresh mozzarella

panko bread crumbs

sprinkle of parmesan

Here's what I did:

I roasted the eggplant, onion, bell pepper and garlic (topped by a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of Italian seasoning) at 400 for about 45 minutes. I added the tomatoes and thawed mushrooms and roasted them for about 30 minutes at the end. (the picture shows them all together but I separated out the tomatoes and mushrooms because they were a lot more "liquidy" and I wanted them to roast a little less time so they still had some texture)

Then I layered:

marinara
eggplant (like a noodle)
onions, bell pepper and garlic all together, come on how am I going to separate that all out?
tomatoes/mushrooms
frozen spinach

one layer of mozarella between the 2 veggie layers

then a second layer of everything above and topped it with the panko and parmasean (thank you Jennifer Haven, er, Treglia?) for a really nice crunchy topping.

And voila! Veggie lasagna. I also threw in a freshly sliced pineapple topped w butter and brown sugar for desert. I topped the roasted pineapple w a touch of rum. Delish!