Sunday Afternoon

It's been a while since I blogged.  The big move we were in the middle of in March finally happened in May on a day when it was pouring rain.  It was nice to have it behind us and mom moved in here in Northern Virginia.  She's happy with her new place.  

 Today, I had a little "me" time and went out for a mani/pedi while Tom is out bike riding with the girls.  It's quiet here in the house.

I think I'm just going to light a candle and read or maybe catch some of the Olympics.  So inspiring!

Tomorrow is Monday.  I'm trying not to thing about that.  Happy Sunday!

New York, New York

I was just cleaning and my thoughts drifted to 16 years ago when I was fresh out of college and excitedly headed to new city, a new career, and a new home in Washington D.C.  I had grown up on Long Island but I was looking for change, something new.  I loved my new life and never expected to return to where I grew up.  I went to graduate school, found a wonderful husband, and had 2 daughters all while at that great job I still have today.  I made a life for myself and I was happy.  

Last year, I turned 40 and decided to do something big - run a marathon in Paris.  In April, I made my second trip there and it was the experience of a lifetime.  My brother bought me a small Eiffel Tower on his visit there years ago, but it now holds a special significance to me. 

Two weeks before flying to Paris, I learned that I had gained entry to my dream race - the NYC Marathon.  There was a 12% chance and I got very lucky.  I could not believe it.  I remember all the years living in New York when I would watch people out there in the freezing cold and wonder what the heck they were thinking and the years that I would go to visit my parents and have to race out of New York across the Verrazano bridge before they closed it early in the morning for the start of the race.  Never in my life did I think I would become a runner and be one of those people on the bridge, but there I was last November.  It was surreal.

The race conditions were not perfect that day but I was determined to enjoy every second and I crossed the finish line filled with absolute joy.  Such an amazing experience.  

Since then, I've been homesick and I wish I could go back.  I think of the typical things New Yorkers miss like the bagels, pizza and buttered rolls that are so easy to find.   I miss the excitement of the city and it's gritty imperfection.  I also miss the people - their accents and attitudes.  I miss how I could wake up and be at the beach in fifteen minutes reading a book.  I miss the familiarity of it all.

I brought my daughters for the first time last month and it was then that I got the Empire State Building to go with my Eiffel Tower.  I have likely retired from marathons, but I have continued to run and in two weeks I will return to New York for the NYC Half-marathon.  I cannot wait!  I also really hope to make more visits this year.  

Paris was wonderful, but New York ... it will always be home.

And the Votivo goes to ...

Lucky #29 ... which happens to be anonymous.

You'll be getting an e-mail from me to arrange shipping.

Congratulations!

Thank you all for entering the giveaway and a special thanks for those of you that helped with voting.  Saffron Dance is such an inspirational place for women of all ages, shapes, and backgrounds and they certainly deserve the recognition.  I sincerely appreciate your help and have fingers crossed for the results.

There was a question about my upcoming show.  If you're in the Washington D.C. area and interested in a beautiful performance, here are the details.

Tickets are available here.

Notes

Yesterday I mentioned picking up a few things a Pier 1.  One thing on my list was a small notebook for my purse so that I can jot things down.  Most people probably use their cell phones for things like this, but I'm not that "techie".  I didn't expect to find these things at Pier 1, but I snatched these up as soon as I saw them.  

The one on the right is just a little note pad.  They also had a hot pink pad that said Keep Calm and Have a Drink with a little cocktail instead of a crown.  The one on the left is a planner with a note pad on the right and another pad with just the days of the week.  This is what it looks like inside ...

This exactly what I needed and I didn't expect to find it when I went into the store to browse the holiday displays.  Lucky break!

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE

I hope you get out there and have your say at the polls today.

Happy Election Day!

~*~*~*~ Candle Giveaway ~*~*~*~

I'll get to the giveaway, but first I was wondering if I might ask you for some help. 

The belly dance studio I attend Saffron Dance  has been nominated for two local awards -

Best Place to Learn Something New and Best Performing Arts Organization. 

Its a very exciting honor to be nominated and I'm hoping that I might ask you to please vote for the studio in these two categories?  You can vote here and if you can help us out with a vote, when you leave your comment please let me know if you voted.

This isn't the first time I've had a sponsored giveaway, but Saffron is a part of my life so this is certainly more meaningful to me.  Here is a little peek of what you're voting for.

Abbies Video 2010 from Carlos Valle on Vimeo.

On to the giveaway ... Saffron Dance is sponsoring a giveaway! 

There's such a welcoming atmosphere in the studio when you enter and the delicious candles are one reason for that.


One lucky person out there is going to get a candle from luxury candle line Votivo - a $25 value. 

Each Votivo candle is hand-crafted. Each tissue is hand-wrapped. Each pewter seal is hand-pressed. Each candle is specially made. They're famous for their ability to quickly fill a room with wonderful fragrances.  I can attest to this.  Even when the candles aren't burning, their scent fills the air.  Just taking the picture above made me want to keep it because it smell so good!

To enter, just leave a comment.  This time around, I'm giving you the opportunity for a extra entries if you share this giveaway on your blog, facebook, or twitter so if you share the giveaway, leave extra comments for each place you've shared telling me you've done so. 

IMPORTANT - Please Read:  Make sure that there is a way for me to contact you if you win - either an e-mail address in your profile or within the post or if you don't want to post your e-mail address. I have to delete comments without contact information. Sorry!

The giveaway ends at noon on November 9th at noon.

Good luck!

Giveaway Closed

Shameless Advertisement

Where have I been lately?  What have I been doing?  Well, the absence of posts has been due in part to the amount of preparation I've been involved with for my upcoming belly dance performance.  I know this is not the least bit cottage-related and I really like to stay on-topic, but I've worked hard on this so I'm making an exception and spreading the word. 

Who:  ME!  And 80 other dancers.

What:  More than 80 beautiful dancers presenting Classical, Modern, Fusion and American Tribal Style Belly Dance.  Featuring Saffron Student Dance Companies and Faculty Solos

Where:  Gonda Theatre – Georgetown University

             37th and O Steets, NW
             108 Davis Performing Arts Center
             Washington, DC 20057

When:   June 5, 2010 - Shows at 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM
 
Tickets:  $25- In Advance, $35- At Door

Isn't the photo above beautiful?  The theater is really beautiful and this is a PBS quality performance - not your granddaughter's 4 hour recital.  Oh, how my parents hated those when I was a kid. 

Tickets are available here.

Advertisement over ... Hopefully, after the show I can get back to my home projects.

Happy Anniversary

Most people spend their anniversary doing something romantic ... maybe a nice dinner or a special night out ... but I suppose we aren't most people.  We spent the day on an 8 hour ride back home from our Biltmore trip. 

Some wives might also be upset with their husbands for forgetting their anniversary ... but not this wife.  I ended up getting a scribbled wish in crayon on a kids menu from my husband this morning and it actually made me laugh.  I've learned that having a good husband all year is far more important than a gift on one day.

So, happy anniversary to us ... and while we had a great time, there's really no place like home.  I'll share more about my trip this week.

Shed Project Under Way

So, my irises are blooming today.  They were a lot more impressive in past years but I haven't had the time to dig them up and divide them. 

I've moved ahead with my shed project and picked some colors ...

I tested them and I'm sold on the first two colors - the main tan color and the green trim color.  It probably doesn't look too impressive right now but I really see how the two colors will blend into the natural surroundings rather than jump out at you like the current barn red does.  The red will probably be the perfect pop of color for the door and windows but I'm going wait until the rest is done before deciding how I feel about it because I'm not sure at this point.  I'm hoping to clean the wood this week and start painting this weekend.  The addition of the windows will probably be down the line because I'm going need to rebuild some beams to install them and will need some help with that.

I don't usually share this much about myself but I've been pretty MIA on the blog front lately for a long list of reasons including kids that don't nap anymore leaving me less time for projects, kids that don't sleep at night (meaning I'm typically exhausted during the day), learning to belly dance and preparing for a performance in June, spending a lot of time gardening and realize that most people find the subject a little boring and last but not least, there are the usual family commitments including celebrating the 4th birthday of my oldest daughter.  So, I'm still here and will still blog but for the reasons above, I don't expect to blog like I used to anytime soon.  However, I thought I'd share what I'll be doing next. 

We have a winner!

How fun that I had exactly 200 entries. I love nice round numbers. As determined by the mysterious random.org, the Lowes Gift Card goes to ...

mrso' who blogs on The Life of a Future Domestic Goddess.

Congratulations! Just e-mail me your address and your prize will be on its way.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to enter and I just wanted to say a special Thank You to my followers for entertaining my ramblings on a regular basis. Also, Welcome to those of you who have just joined me!

I'm Delaware-bound this weekend with my girls. I'll have some treasure-hunting time including possibly an auction. Have a good weekend!

Blue and White (of course!)

I've you've been reading this blog for a while, you realize by now that I love blue, white and green. Not only am I drawn to those colors for my home, but on myself as well. This weekend for hours and hours of belly dancing during an intensive 2-day class I signed up for, I've had this pretty scarf tied around my hips ...

There were plenty of other scarves I could have chosen, but I had to have this one for its color. Its quite heavy with all the coins, but its fun to shimmy in as well.

As I was preparing to leave the studio last night with a sore back after two days of belly dancing, I looked at a green scarf, but it was so similar to the one above that I left it. Then, I looked up and this caught my eye ...

I couldn't pull it down from the top rack fast enough. I loved the beads and although I'm not a pink person, I loved that it has just a hint of pink.

This morning I woke up and my back was much better but I discovered that I'm now sore in places I didn't even know muscles existed. I was tempted to start the overwhelming task of painting my laundry room but decided it might be a good idea to rest instead. Tonight, I have my regular class but it is only an hour and after a relaxing day, I'm ready for more hip shakin'. Then, my body will have a break for a week ... except for all the walking I will be doing Wednesday. Only 3 more days until my trip to NY!

More Snow!

We got just enough overnight to look pretty but not be awful to drive on. This evergreen was given to be by my dad who transplanted it from his 9 acres in VT. I put boxwoods around it and hope to add more to create a parterre. For now, I'll just enjoy the snow.


I'll be belly dancing most of the weekend away. I imagine I'll have some tired hips by Sunday night. Have a good weekend!

The Nook

This is my "nook" ... The place I curl up at night when little ones sleep and a peaceful calm overtakes the busy noise of the day. My pillows, some of which are thrifted treasures, and a handmade blanket handed down from family that is so warm and comfortable on these cold winter days are my companions here.

I've mentioned how I've battled insomnia before and I've spent several nights here recently occasionally glancing at the clock wondering when I'd feel a hint of drowsiness. However, the past couple of nights as I settled in here with my book, I barely got through two pages before I fell asleep holding the book. How delicious a full night of sleep is!

Meeting with Martha

The Martha Stewart Show is having a show all about bloggers with bloggers as audience members next week - January 14th. Guess who will be in the audience with her laptop? You got it. Me!

Its going to be a very short trip since I'm only going overnight and coming home right after the show but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping to have time to hunt for a hat. I'm absolutely crazy in love with this hat from Etsy, but I feel like its somthing I'd really want to try on.

Maybe I'll have some time for Macys ...

(Photo - Flickr)
I actually grew up on Long Island and have been to New York City many, many times so its nothing new but I really do think its the greatest city in the world and never get tired of the energy there which has no equal.

They've asked that everyone bring a laptop, or other device such as a Blackberry so I'm hoping to be able to post on my facebook page during the show (on the left sidebar) and maybe even a blog post with photos from the set (which I really love) if I manage to take pictures before the show begins.

The show is on live at 10 AM where I live, but its taped and airs at other times elsewhere. So, if you happen to catch it on January 14th and they show the audience, I may just be the girl with the hat.

A New Day

A new year, a new week and a new dawn ...

Last Wednesday when I came down the stairs, it seemed like my windows were illuminated from outside with color. When I looked out, I ran for my camera. A pink, purple and blue sunrise. How beautiful ...

I'll be enjoying the last day of my weekend at a belly dance class that starts today. My intro class was class was cancelled due to snow a few weeks back. Something new for the new year!

Year in Review

The year is coming to a close. This post brings me to exactly 300 for the year! Not bad. I started this blog in January and it helped me stay motivated ... and busy!

So, 2009. What was my resolution? Unfinished projects in my house and to organize my photo disaster. The little ones were growing and I was coming out of my sleep deprived fog. I had tired of the dark colors I'd used for years and wanted a change. Light and bright is more reflective of our life now with 2 little girls.

There have been a lot of projects this year. I've accomplished far more than I ever thought I possibly could. Here is a small sample of some of the biggest projects:

Dining Room makeover ...
Before:


Now - After paint and a table refinished to match the sideboard:


Master Bedroom makeover ...
Before ... Check out the can of primer on the nightstand.


After:




Main Bath makeover ...
Before:


After paint, a new sink and toilet, new marble flooring and a reglazed tub:


Half Bath makeover ...
Before ... Not bad, but also not "me".


After:


Fireplace makeover ...
Before:

After a little white paint, adding a vintage mantle and decorating for fall:


Craft closet ...
A cringe-worthy before ...

After ...


Then there was the potting bench that started like this ...


And, ended up like this ...


And, that's not counting all the little projects. As far as organizing mypictures, I put it off all year. Well, wouldn't you know that I filled up my memory card for my camera just last week, so I ended up having no choice but to do it today. The last day of 2009. Better late than never, right?
So 2010 will be here tomorrow. Resolutions ... We have a laundry room and an office in desperate need of attention. I will most definitely be focusing more on my garden this year. I've worked a lot in my garden in past years so its pretty well established and I have very little space left to plant. However, this past year I carved out a little space for a tiny herb garden that flourished.

Here it is in spring ...

And growing like mad in Fall ...


I don't have much resolutions, but somehow I think this is a good thing. It means that I'm pretty satisfied with where things are. Bring on 2010. I'm ready!

Cindy at My Romantic Home is having a Year in Review Party and The Shabby Chic Cottage is having a Transformation Thursday. Time for me to check out the other participants.

MIA

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. These days I've been really busy cooking, shopping, wrapping and all the other holiday fun in addition to the "everyday" and time with my family that I have no time to blog. My "to-do" list is still a mile long and my mom will be coming this week to make a traditional holiday food that takes at least a couple of days. (Pasteles for anyone familiar.) I'm hoping we can squeeze in a trip to ICE! which is basically a frozen indoor winter wonderland. Then, this weekend, I'll be taking my Wild One to her first movie ~ The Princess and the Frog ~ and I'm really excited to spend quality time just with her.

Hope to be back soon!

Shimmy!

Its been a tough week for me. Being away for several days over the Thanksgiving holiday threw me off completely and I had a cold to boot. However, I managed to get almost all my Christmas shopping done and guess what I'm doing today?

Belly dancing! I've always wanted to try it and found a school that just happens to have an introductory class just for today that teaches some history, background and some basics so I can try it before deciding on lessons. Can't wait!

Oh, and we're expecting snow! I love snow and we don't get much of it here.

Have a good weekend!

Now you see me ...

Remember my giant pinecone? I did my version of this pine cone/ribbon door display that I always see floating around. I realized that this only really looks good if the pinecones are enormous and I only had a couple of those. I decided to just do 4 pinecones to represent the 4 inhabitants.

And, I finally added a picture of myself in the sidebar. I'm a little camera shy and prefer to stay behind the camera, but I figured, why not? Taking this picture made me realize how short my hair is compared to how it used to be. Below is a picture of me 8 months pregnant with my second little one with very long hair (and a slightly swollen face). I really miss my super long hair and am now considering hiding from the scissors for a while.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I expect that I'll be looking like the picture above after all the eating I plan to do.

A cure for Insomnia?

I occasionally have terrible insomnia. It started with my first pregnancy and still happens often. Anyone who has ever coped with this can tell you that its just horrible being so tired and yet you can't sleep. Then, its hard to function and not be cranky during the day. I've never even considered going to a doctor because the last thing I want is some drug that will put me in a coma when I could potentially have to get up at night with a crying child.

I've had a few restless nights recently. Interestingly enough, I've slept the past 2 nights so well that I woke up early without even needing an alarm clock and with the kind of energy I usually only feel a couple of hours after waking up and drinking a pot of coffee. Maybe its coincidence, but my hands have gotten dry with the cooler weather so I put this on my hands just before bed the past 2 nights ...

Its from the Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy line - Lavender Chamomile - Sleep. Love the blue glass bottle too.

I love lavender just as much as the next person. I love anything in the scent. I also grow it in my garden, in floral arrangements and for sachets. I knew it was supposed to help with sleep, but I didn't really believe it. I love this lotion and have been using it for a long time in the morning after showering. I never used it for its properties as a sleep aid at night despite the giant SLEEP right on the front of the bottle. I guess you can lead a horse to water ... ;-)

A quick google search this morning turned up this little tidbit from Prevention magazine ...

"Psychologists at Wesleyan University asked 31 men and women to sniff lavender essential oil one night and then distilled water the next for four 2-minute periods just before bedtime. The researchers monitored their sleep cycles with brain scans. On the night they whiffed the herb, subjects slept more soundly; they also felt more energetic the next morning. The researchers found that lavender increased slow-wave sleep, the very deep slumber in which the heartbeat slows and muscles relax. During this phase, the brain is thought to organize memory, as well."

I'm a total believer now! I can't wait to go back for more "Sleep" products. Bath and Body Works didn't pay me to say this. I'm just a girl who's very grateful to have a good night's sleep!