2 Buckeyes in Cinci

My view

2012-02-01T21:01:00.001-05:00

Day 1

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Start the Day

2012-01-11T08:18:00.001-05:00

Thanks to ma madre for buying us a new blender for Christmas, I have been on a smoothies kick recently. I've tried some not so appetizing looking ones (a lame attempt on a green monster) but kept it simple today.Just a couple handfuls of blueberries, strawberries, and a tub of Chobani Pineapple Greek yogurt. With some milk so that I wasn't trying to drink a chunk of grinder up fruit through a straw.

It is quite delightful.Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes??- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

What a life

2012-01-10T09:24:00.001-05:00

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My Year in Knitting - 2011

2012-01-01T13:36:00.000-05:00

I managed to finish 18 projects in 2011.

There was quite a lag time during the summer while I was across the pond, but overall I'm happy with my accomplishments. Some failures, but lots of success!

7 Shawls
1 Scarf
9 hats
1 pair of socks
------------------------------------------------
Left to Right- Top to Bottom

Wolf Moon Shawl- Mindy Wilkes Designs (Releasing in January 2012)

Drop Stitch Scarf by Christine Vogel
Lattice Hat by Sarah Arnold
Berry Baby Hat by Michele Sabatier
Sweet Tea Slouch by Mindy Wilkes
Ripley by Ysolda Teague
Anastasia Socks by MintyFresh
Olivia's Butterfly by Valerie Whitten
Holden Shawlette by Mindy Wilkes
Springwater Shawl by Mindy Wilkes
Haruni by Emily Ross
Rib-A-Roni by Jane Tanner
Damask by Kitman Figueroa
Rib-A-Roni by Jane Tanner
Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson
Cala Shawl by Mindy Wilkes
Star Crossed Slouchy Beret by Natalie Larson
Azzu's Shawl by Emma Fassio

And the first FO for 2012 was bound off this afternoon.
The Sweet Tea Scarf to match the above Slouch. Just needs the ends woven and a good blocking!

Happy Knitting Everyone!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T00:38:00.001-05:00

Wedding champagne flutes.

Barefoot Pink Moscato Champagne.

A simple night and Hours of fun with 2 of our favorite couples.

Celebrating 10 New Years Nights with Mr Buckeye.

Welcome 2012!

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Epic Christmas

2011-12-30T18:19:00.000-05:00

Is finally over.

We've been here, there, and everywhere! Full recap coming soon.

Only 366 more days till we can say this again!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:01:00.003-05:00

Getting my bake on

2011-12-17T10:27:00.001-05:00

We are celebrating Christmas tonight with my mom and family. I knew I wanted to make dessert and had been wanting to try the peppermint chocolate roll I found on pinterest but seeing as though I was starting after 6 last night and the recipe seemed a bit out there,can threw that out the window and went for snicker doodles and dark chocolate temptations courtesy of asouthernfairytale.

My loot from the store... I had everything except only bought one bag of dark chips when I needed 2. Mr Buckeye went out for the second for me.

He had requested snicker doodles and I had never made them before. Luckily having a smart phone in the grocery store proved once again useful and I found an awesome recipe. Search for Mrs. Siggs Snickerdoodles on google and you'll see it. They were delightfully easy to make and I enjoyed swirling the dough with the bowl of cinnamon sugar. (I did have the double the cin/sugar mix to have enough.)

And of the 4 dozen that I made there is probably a dozen gone. They turned out great and it turns out I really like snicker doodles too!

Now for the pretty ones.

These were so much fun! They did take a little time, but I started them first and then did the doodles while the dough for these was chilling. My best advice is to follow what she says. It really is step by step. I didn't have vanilla bean paste and subbed pure extract. Worked fine I think. And mine baked for 10 min before they were done in the middle. And while you are waiting for the kisses to melt, be patient and give them the full 5 min. They swirl much better!

And look so pretty!

I ran out of kisses so a handful are plain, but I'll be! They are some of the most delicious chocolate cookies ever!

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Ever wonder...

2011-12-16T09:26:00.002-05:00

What pure hell looks like???

I found it.

In the form of the stair master at the Y.
You look like a complete ass slowly walking up those revolving steps while at the same time sweating your butt off and feeling like it's only a matter of milliseconds before you tumble right off. 5 minutes. I almost died.

However! This was also after my run. I have moved on to Week 2 of Couch to 5K. It's going surprisingly well so far. The 3 session for week one were tough but not ridiculous. I'm sweating like a madwoman by the end and I'm loving it! I'm running all sets at a 10min pace and pushing a little bit more on the last set or 2. I can feel myself getting a bit stronger endurance wise. I'd love to be able to hit a sub-30 5k at the end of all this. I'll need to be on the lookout for a local 5k to test myself.

To think that a year and a half ago, the same running session I was running at a full minute slower pace and walking slower as well.

2.15 miles has turned to 2.31 miles.

Progress, I like to see it!

Back to Basics

2011-12-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

I ate a slice of humble pie yesterday and went back to the basics. After spending some time on Pinterest pinning various running and inspirational things, I got off the couch and went to the gym.

About a year and a half ago I started the Couch to 5k Program that jump started me and allowed me to complete the Columbus Half Marathon in October. Because I'm a lazy oaf and haven't done much physical activity recently, I decided to revert back to the trusty program and build up again.

I decided that my goal for this go-around is 10 minute miles. In order to do that, I will not run at less than a 6 on the dreadmill. This first day felt really good. So good that I pushed it to 7 for the last 2 rotations and then after completing my 20 minutes I did 1 extra min at a whopping 8 (7:34 min mile!) I can't believe that Skinny Runner runs that for 26 miles! Wow! All in all, I started out thinking oh crap, this is not going to work- this is pretty easy. But by about 10 minutes into the intervals I was sweating it out. My right knee was a tiny bit sore for about an hour afterwards but all in all I was a-ok!

My splits:
Minutes/Activity/Speed
1-5/ Warm Up /4
6-7/ Run /6
7-8.5/ Walk /4
8.5-9.5/ Run /6
9.5-11/ Walk /4
11-12/ Run /6
12-13.5/ Walk /4
13.5-14.5/ Run /6
14.5-16/ Walk /4
16-17/ Run /6
17-18.5/ Walk /4
18.5-19.5/ Run /6
19.5-21/ Walk /4
21-22/ Run /7
22-23.5/ Walk /4
23.5-24.5/ Run /7
24.5-26/ Walk /4
26-27/ Run /8
28-30/ Cool Down /4

3 days a week. I think I can handle that! Hoping to stay ahead of the hefty holidays and not pack on a few extra pounds to bring in the new year. Wish me luck!

Trans Siberian Orchestra 2011

2011-12-05T06:00:00.002-05:00

For Mr. Buckeye's Birthday we went to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. He has always wanted to go but the timing was never right. This year the stars aligned because they were at US Bank Arena on Dec. 1. How perfect to start of the Christmas season!

Long hair might be another requirement to be a rock guitarist. A stance is the other requirement. Stance and long hair to swing around. If you've got both, you too may rock.

We may have watched this guy in the front row more than anyone else in the entire show. He was jumping around, air guitar solos, air drum solos, and at one point I thought he was going to jump on stage. He was up the entire show... notice everyone else in their seats.

Lots of lasers, smoke, fire, fireworks, and rock Christmas music makes for Happy Buckeyes!

My First Thanksgiving

2011-12-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

It started out so well. I got up early and everything was going my way. .

But I suppose it wouldn't be a holiday without a freakout and some tears. The roaster I used is apparently on loan from Satan in the center of the earth and cooks with molten lava because my turkey was completely done by 9:00am. (less than 2 hours to cook a 16 lb turkey??? ::cue tears::) Terribly sorry to the Mr. Buckeye for having to deal with me- and on his birthday no less! But I was able to salvage it and keep it moist until lunch at 1.*

All in all it wasn't too bad, a tad dry but not nearly what I envisioned.

And we had way too much food but it was delicious!
For the record, I actually did eat my Aunt's Sweet Potatoes without gagging AND asked to keep a small bit for leftovers that I DID eat too! This is a huge deal.

Mama had every number candle except the 2 we needed... so we settled for the ?

And Sky wanted in on the pyrotechnics as well.

Then Saturday up to Columbus to see our favorite little people. They are getting too big, make it stop!

and see the 2 newest members of the family!

We are in full holiday swing down here now so bring on Christmas!

*Wrap the whole thing in foil, wrap the whole thing in bath towels, keep in cooler till ready to serve

Ribbit- The end of a sweater

2011-12-04T09:11:00.000-05:00

Yikes, long delay... again

Lots has happened since Thanksgiving.

Including something quite sad.

I'm not sure if you remember way back in 2009 when I fell victim to spur of the moment insanity and bought a ton of lucious Cocoon yarn to make a sweater. And I started knitting. and kept on knitting. Until I stopped. What I was left with was a vest. No sleeves and no hood, shoot- not even swen together.

Well, all of that is now this:

Yes. I ripped it all out on Monday. It was a sad day yet totally satisfying. I'm ready to move on to bigger and better things. The wine color is destined to be used soon for Mindy's newest shawl which I am completely looking forward to testing. It's a bulky crescent shape that is different from any that I have. I've seen the model and I think it will make an excellent hood/wrap for wintertime and the Cocoon yarn will be a delight to work with... again.

Thanksgiving Morning

2011-11-24T07:47:00.000-05:00

My first Thanksgiving here at home. I know that people cook turkeys everyday and there are far more people out there that are hosting families larger than mine and having to prepare and cook every.single.thing.

I'm thankful that my family is chipping in and bringing the sides. We've got the turkey, mashed potatoes, and noodles. I think I can handle that.

I got up at 6 this morning- probably way later than most out there! And set to tackle the beast.

My helper was ready and waiting... and begging.

After it was all said and done, I'd declare a tie. The turkey somehow, after 5 days in the fridge, and a short soak last night in cold water, was still icy! I was able to finish thawing it (or so I currently think, we will see) in the sink with cold water. THEN, The people at Honeysuckle must have not trust the turkeys to keep their legs together because I couldn't even cut the wrap off. I managed to get the legs out so I could get the neck ::gag:: and the bits out. Then I gave up and put the legs back in the stirrups. Will deal with it later.

I did the whole separate the skin thing and put roughly 1/2 stick of butter on the breasts under the skin along with 3 springs of thyme. Then sprinkled with salt and pepper, (salt, pepper, and a couple sprigs in the cavity too) And rubbed the butter on the outside to try to get it off my hands. Finally, I sprinkled Lawry's seasoning salt on top and then brushed with olive oil.

I preheated the roaster to the highest it would go and got in in there for 30 minutes to, hopefully, brown the skin and then turned it down to 350* for I don't know how long, at least 4 hours I think. I could hear it sizzling so I'm hoping the high heat effort worked. Bird needed a tan, bad.

Managed to not make too big of a mess.

and now it's 7:30, all cleaned up, and I'm resting quickly with a Peppermint Mocha and the Today Show.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

I promise...

2011-11-23T09:14:00.001-05:00

This blog wont continue to showcase that I take way too many stupid cat pics.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I am hosting for the first time ever. I have a 16+ pound bird thawing in my fridge (since Saturday) and I'll be up at the crack of dawn watching YouTube videos on what the heck I'm supposed to do with it. I may or may not get sick when it comes to the 'innards' ::gag::

Mr. Buckeye will also be assisting in our famous mashed potatoes. They are only famous in our family and they are adored because we use way too much butter but it makes them tasty and super good for you.

Tomorrow is also Mr. Buckeye's birthday. I may attempt a cake, or I may not. It is still up in the air. Either way, I thought about his gift and am super excited to give to him although I don't know if he will be as ecstatic as me. I tried to be a little creative with it so I hope that counts for something.

And one more for good measure...

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While I appreciate the effort...

2011-11-16T10:33:00.001-05:00

Chloe is not a good secretary...

Guess opposable thumbs are a necessity.

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Gotta start somewhere... Again

2011-11-14T09:41:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning and my body hurt. Hurt in a way that made me want to just hop back in bed. Legs, thighs, back, ick. But i got off my butt and went for a spin around the block. I walked up the 2 ginormous hills and ran (slowly) the rest. It was windy, yet perfect. I wish I had been at the Happy Place running one of my long training runs where I was able to run for 5 miles like it was nothing. All would be right in the world.

It wasn't breaking records but it was something. If only just 15 minutes.

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Hairdo

2011-11-08T10:54:00.001-05:00

I got my hairs done last week.
Since i am refusing to chop my locks even though i have been SERIOUSLY tempted to hack it. It was time for a color update. It is fall after all.

From mousy faded brown... (sitting at the salon, desperately in need of a wash)

To cherry cola.

There actually isn't a name for it. She mixed it special and could only show me the chemical formula which was like trying to read Hebrew. But cherry cola seems about right!

I change my color roughly 3-4 times per year based on seasons. Lighter in summer and darker and more red in fall and winter. Since I started going to my cousin, Hi Joanna!, I have been great about upkeep and cuts every 6-8 weeks. Before that I was lucky to go every 6 months. It has worked quite well over the last few years and she keeps a color book for me so she always knows what she did so when I say I want what I had last fall in October, she knows. It's very handy!

How about you? Do you have a schedule and a go to hairdresser? or just cut and color when the feeling strikes?

Side note: totally random that I am wearing the same cardi a week apart. Totally not planned and yes, I washed it.

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Spilled Chai

2011-11-08T09:45:00.001-05:00

Nothing like starting your morning off with spilling hot chai latte on yourself.

Here's hoping this isn't a sign for how the rest of the day will go.
I'm having a good hair day man!

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Pumpkin head

2011-10-29T12:26:00.001-04:00

I got to meet my nephew for the first time yesterday. I am in love!

(And the pumpkin hat I knit him fits perfectly and is oh so adorable!)

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Big girl pants

2011-10-27T09:57:00.001-04:00

I am not the greatest when it comes to things like medicine, surgery, needles, blood, etc. Unless it is on TV or has nothing to do with the above mentioned things coming near me. I have given blood once and cried... Tried again and pretty much passed out so that I wasn't able to donate. That sucked too because they had already poked me and the blood was a-flowin.

Today I had to put my big girl pants on though and go get some blood drawn for work. My colleagues had sufficiently freaked me out, not knowing that I am a bit squeamish and already was panicky. One person... "Oh it was awful! They took like 2 pints! " Another relayed to me that she saw 2 people pass out...

It did not bode well for me. I scheduled my appt. for early this morning so I could get it over with. I brought my shuffle and listed to some relaxing tunes to help distract me. And luckily the lady there was okay with my craziness... I couldn't even look that woman in the eye when I knew we were about to begin! And you know what?

It was over before I knew it. I might have been distracted by the fact that a hardcore running not relaxing song came on my shuffle and I was more focused on changing the song.

I know it may seem like I am a big baby. But I am uber proud of me and me big girl pants today. I don't want to do it again, but I definitely made it out to be worse than it was.

I am bummed I didn't get a fun band-aid...

Even Chloe thinks that is ridiculous.

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More Cuteness coming!

2011-10-25T09:09:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: HE IS HERE!!!

Carson
7lbs
19.5 inches

Mom is doing great and I can't wait to meet him and kiss his little face!

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I become an Aunt for the third time today. I am so excited!!

I'll have another tiny human sidekick to add to my favorites!

Cade and Emme, will be the BEST big brother and sister ever!!

Water painting

2011-10-19T17:04:00.001-04:00

First and foremost, it is important to note that I ran yesterday. Well, I walked and ran. For 40 minutes on the treadmill. And went 3 miles :) it wasntfun and it wasn't easy and I almost threw up at the end, but I did it. Slowly but surely.

And then I dabbled in nail polish.

I am sure everyone has seen the water swirly manicures all over interest. I painted my nails with Ulta "love my blackberry" and finished with Hard Candy Matte-ly in Love. (Barry M base coat as well) and all was fine till I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chipped my right pointer finger. I know, right? Who does that!

Enter water swirls. I figured now was as good a time as ever to try it out.

Used the same Ulta polish, OPI Teal the Cows Come Home, and Barry M Peach Melba and gave it a swirl.

It was pretty easy, definitely messy but not bad when I taped up my finger and then peeled away.

Just the pointer fingers and the rest blackberry.

I kind of like it :)

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Knitterly things

2011-10-18T13:50:00.001-04:00

So I have done a tiny bit of knitting. Now if only I could get off my honey and do a lot of running, things would really be looking good.

Finished my socks finally!

I turned this lovely skein of Malabrigo Lettuce

Into this adorable vintagey pleated cloche called Ripley while watching Saturday football.

And then turned around Sunday and started another new shawl. Again in Malabrigo Abril (similar in color to my Cala Shawl) and this time the pattern Aestlight Shawl.

Now that the weather is a bit cooler, the knitting bug is back. Over the weekend was the Columbus Marathon and I was nostalgic for my Saturday runs at the trail and wishing I was a fit as I was last year. I need to stop complaining and just get up and go. The only thing standing in my way is me.

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Fill in the Blank Friday!

2011-10-14T11:18:00.000-04:00

1. The most selfless thing I've ever done was ... Well, As bad as this sounds, I don't know that anything is jumping out at me. I try to do nice things for people and be very helpful and considerate of others. I'm usually pretty good about it I think.
2. When it comes to working out I ride the roller coaster. I hop on the bandwagon and get super into it and then the motivation slowly slips away. I need to be better but being lazy is so much easier!

3. A woman should always hope to be the best version of herself and not let anyone or anything make her think she can't be whatever she wants to be.

4. I wish I could magically know how to cook amazing, and healthy! meals from scratch.

5. A best friend is someone who you can talk to anytime, anywhere. Even if you haven't talked in a while but can pick up the phone and be in conversation like you spoke every day.

6. I can't get enough OREOS AND MILK these days. Seriously... we have polished off a bag this week!

7. This weekend I am doing lots of random things. Hanging curtains, cleaning, knitting, football, etc. Not incredibly exciting but it must be done.

October ?

2011-10-07T18:55:00.001-04:00

Had dinner on a patio and ate ice cream while walking by the lake... in short sleeves and flip flops!

It is October???

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Pin one on me!

2011-09-28T22:05:00.001-04:00

So I am sure most of you know about the giant black Internet hole that is Pinterest.

I have pinned and pinned and pinned some more.

And today one of my pins came to life!

I pinned this outfit a little while ago:

And guess what I found in my closet this morning... A black dress with pockets, black cardigan, grey tights, and my camel boots! What a perfect way for them to make their entrance this season!

Apologies for the heinous iPad photo. Camera is on it's way back to me tonight via the husband who has been gone for work.

I love this look and never in a million years would I have thrown them together in this fashion.

Thank you pinterest!

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CEP Winner

2011-09-21T08:38:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all for entering, my iPod is going to be quite happy with the new tunes!

Congratulations Genevieve!
You are the winner of the CEP Compression socks or sleeves!

I will send you an email connecting you with Jamie.

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CEP Compression Giveaway

2011-09-16T10:48:00.000-04:00

This is my first giveaway! How exciting. Let's see how this goes...

So does anyone remember that time I ran a Half Marathon?

Yeah, it seems like such an incredibly long time ago! Anyways, while I was training I kept reading stuff about compression sleeves and socks. Up until that point I hadn't really known much about it- and had never tried compression at all. I kept suffering from shin splints and incredibly achy calves- typical for a first time runner who was ramping up the mileage.

ENTER CEP.

While at the expo for the Columbus Marathon, there was a CEP booth. I talked to the gal and learned a bit more about CEP and what it was all about. I bought the sleeves right there on the spot and on they went immediately after the race. They pretty much saved my lower legs after completing my very first Half Marathon!

So without getting into all the scientifical mumbo jumbo I'll just tell you what I know about them in language I know.

Compression is squeezing the life out of your legs, or arms, or thighs, or whatever are you are wearing it on. But it does it in the best way possible. CEP uses medical grade compression which means they are reeeeeeally tight, but they REEEAALLY Work! On my legs, they are like a big bear hug. They squeeze and force your blood to continue flowing and help prevent lactic acid from building up, thus increasing the oxygen and helping you recover quicker and easier. I don't wear them while I'm running, but I almost always put them on afterwards. It could part way be mental, but I feel better while I am wearing them.

You can learn more about the CEP technology (the REAL version) and all their amazing products here.

Now just before summer, I won a giveaway and got some CEP Socks. (I'm loving the new green ones as well and may need to scoop them up too.) I took them to the UK and they came in handy! Especially on the day when I set out to explore and do an easy 2k and ended up lost and finishing 7k instead!

It was my first time with the socks instead of the sleeves and I must say, while they are really hard to get on unless you know some tricks (turn it inside out and put the sock part on first, then get the ankle over your heel, and then you are pretty good to go- they are graduated compression and a lot tighter at the ankle FYI) The socks themselves were extremely plush and they felt so good on my sore feet. The compression was exactly what I love about the sleeves so the added bonus of the foot cover was even better.

Plus they look cool. Right?

I even wear them sometimes when my legs are just achy- not even after a run. They are also great for travel if you are going to be stationary for a while- helps with leg fatigue.

So now for the good stuff. Jamie over at MediUSA contacted me and offered to give away a pair of CEP Compression Socks OR Sleeves. Isn't that awesome? You get to pick what you want, what size, and what color!

Now I know lots of blog giveaways make you become a follower of the blog hosting the giveaway, I'd rather you follow me if you want to- not as a requirement. I think I'm pretty cool, most of the time. If you like randomness, some fashion, some food, knitting, running, and general nonesense...click that link at the top right to follow me. I'm just settling back in after the summer in Europe so I'll be back to regular posting soon!

So for this giveaway, all you have to do is help me out. My playlist needs some help so leave me a comment letting me know what your favorite running/workout song is. And if you don't have one, how about just a song that makes you want to get up and dance from the first beat that comes through the speakers!

Giveaway open to US and Canada residents only. Ends Sept 20th at 11:59pm EST. A winner will be chosen using random.org. Please leave a comment that includes your email address so I can contact you if you win! Good Luck!

**I was asked to write a review on my CEP Socks, but I have not been compensated and my thoughts are my own. I bought CEP long before I won them in the giveaway and when asked about the opportunity to for you to win a pair I wanted to share the CEP awesome!

Quick Outfit Roundup

2011-09-02T06:56:00.000-04:00

Short week this week, and it went even quicker considering it was my last week in Oxford.

I'm saying goodbye (but not really) to the town that I have called home for the summer. Saying goodbye to my colleagues who are definitely now friends. Saying goodbye to an amazing summer.

But man, I'll really be glad to get back home.

Tuesday

Jacket- Forever 21, Pants- NY&Co, Print Ruffle Tank- NY&Co, Shoes- JC Penny

Wednesday

Entire outfit- NY&Co, Shoes- JC Penny

Thursday
*Note- I bought this dress and thought WTH am I doing? I absolutely truly love it!!! Peter pan collar, ribbon, tiny horses ALL over it, white trim. I don't know why but am totally smitten.

Dress- Matalan, Jeans- Old Navy Skinny, Flats- Primark

Friday

Jeans- NY&Co, T-Shirt- Homage, Black Cardi- Target, Scarf- Outlet Store, Shoes- New Balance

Have a great weekend!

Outfit wrap up

2011-08-28T05:52:00.001-04:00

Monday. first day back to work! (mom wanted in on the action too)
Pink Top-primark
Jacket- forever 21
Pants- NY&Co
Bracelets- Primark

Tuesday-not feeling so hot. Beginning of sick week.
Cardi- NY&Co
Top- Primark
Jeans- NY&Co

Wednesday
Top, Dress, Cardi, Belt - NY&Co
Grey tights- Primark

Thursday
Stripe Top- J Crew
Cardi, pants- NY&Co
Shoes- Primark

Friday
Sweater- Tommy Hilfiger
Jeans- Old Navy Skinny
Belt- NY&Co
Scarf- outlet, can't remember the store
Shoes- Matalan

Ready for the weekend!

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Fill in the Blank Friday!

2011-08-26T04:56:00.000-04:00

It has been WAY! too long since I participated in a FITBF. And since I have had such a lack of posts this week (sickness and laziness are an awesome combo) I thought I would go ahead and throw this one in for good measure. And also because I laughed when I thought about my answer for #2 and that sealed it for me.

1. One of life's most simple pleasures is a sincere and kind smile.

2. Chewing with your mouth open or smacking your gum or food so loudly that ANYONE within a 2 mile radius can hear makes me want to punch someone. (In particular, the person doing said smacking)

3. I like to knit because, it is calming. And because I can- it's not just for grannys!

4. Purple is a funny word.
(But only when said in a French Accent with your BFF!)

5. If I had to choose one beauty product to use for the rest of eternity it would be Oil of Olay moisturizing lotion. Dry skin sucks!
6. I'm happy that I was given and able to accept the awesome summer opportunity here in the UK. It has been awesome.

7. I would never choose Diet Coke over Diet Pepsi. But I would choose Coke over Pepsi in a heartbeat!
Yeah, that last one was kind of random. Sorry bout that.

Goldilocks in Oxford

2011-08-25T11:54:00.001-04:00

My new digs... I feel like Goldilocks.

Saturday no luggage yet but that didn't stop us from doing just a little bit of walking around. but then we worried we would miss the courier so back home we went to wait, and wait, and wait some more. The luggage wasn't delivered till about 8 that night unfortunately. But Ma was spent from the hellacious travel day so a day to recoup was needed.

Sunday we headed out to wander yet again.

A walk up the Carfax tower was in order. Though she pretty much is afraid of heights so was for the most part terrified for the 30 minutes we were up there.

Then we went to the one place I have been waiting and waiting to go through! Christ Church! Aka Hogwarts inspiration!

Inside the courtyard by the olive tree and fountain.

The great hall. (inspiration for the great hall of Hogwarts)

I may or may not have sat down in one of the chairs and a Keeper of Christ Church may or may not have immediately scolded me and yelled from across the hall. Nope, not me.

Cathedral at Christ Church

LOVED the ceiling. The symmetry was just awesome. Pretty sure I will be cropping and hanging this photo somewhere in my house.

I have little booklet from the tour, lots of interesting things about Christ Church. (which is actually a college at Oxford University, also famously known for where C.S. Lewis attended Uni and wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland)

Also took Ma to have her first Lush experience... I amazingly walked out with nothing. I still have a bath bomb and bubble bar to use... And the decided it was time for dinner.

How about an Atomic Burger?

Such a cute weird place. Lots of action figures and toys all around. And bendy curly straws. Really interesting unique place all around. Even the names of burgers were lots of fun. And it is home to the Godzilla challenge- triple burger with 3 sides. The record holder is just over 6 minutes to finish!)

Ma was boring with a "Forrest Gump" aka a plain burger with cheese.
I was slightly more adventurous with the "Dr. Zachary Smith"** aka a burger with mushrooms and Swiss. And onion rings. They were delish!

I want to go back to the try PeeBee and Jay aka a burger with peanut butter, red onion marmalade and bacon! I know I know, gross right? But the girl next to us got it and said it was quite delicious.

All in all a fun weekend! But time for work now!

**I had to google Dr. Zachary Smith- he was a character on Lost in Space circa 1965.

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Change

2011-08-19T16:09:00.001-04:00

Today was a big day. I packed up my bags and said goodbye to my home of 8 weeks here in Oxford. I didn't move far away, but away nonetheless.
You've been good to me Frideswide. I will stop by and say hi, don't you worry!

I will miss you circus street :(

But! There was a reason for my move, I needed a bigger place because I have a visitor!

(that's my Ma in case you didn't know.)

But my new place is lovely as well and I look forward to exploring a bit around here.

Plus, the view from my bedroom isn't too bad...

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What I wore this week

2011-08-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

Forgive my lack of posts... Combination of laziness and lack of amazing content for you.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

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Another Sunday gone by

2011-08-14T16:49:00.001-04:00

Stupid blogpress shut down and deleted my post. Grrrrrrrr!

Nothing terribly exciting today. Some shopping at Primark. Picked up 2 tops, a pair of ballerina flats, and 2 pairs of the cutest little sunglasses for my favorite little people.

Then a quick stop at Sainsburys for some dinner necessities. It was time to bust out the Skyline Chili!

Almost like home only the cheddar here is not bright orange. Bummer.

Friends and Skyline. It was a good evening.

Then finally used my mask!

Pampering is good for the soul :)

And with that, it is almost bedtime.

Have a great week everyone!

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Henley on Thames

2011-08-14T16:38:00.001-04:00

I ended up spending literally the entire day in Henley yesterday with Michelle and the boys. Too tired yesterday to post.

Started the morning off with Fruit Loops! And pinterest.

Sweet and simple white tee and skinny jeans. Ended up wearing my navy blue and white sweater over it since it was a little cooler than I thought. I was also having a really good hair and makeup day :)

A fairly short bus ride (bout 35 min) and they were ready and waiting for me. The boys had declared I must be taken to Henley immediately for lunch at ZiZzi's. I ate a pizza the size of my torso and watched the boys mix their lemon, vanilla, and strawberry gelato into an ice cream soup. Pretty adorable and really well behaved.

Henley is home to the Henley Royal Regatta. We walked along the Thames river, up to the locks, and back. Really pretty area, lots of super nice and expensive houses- a dream to live there I am sure.

There was a cute church where someone was getting married and we later saw another fancy English car go by with the bride and groom in the back with champagne! It was the most adorable thing ever.

No trip to the river would be complete without feeding the ducks!

Our time was about up at the car park so we headed back to the village of Crowmarsh and had drinks at The Old Post Office. (the boys had slush puppies!) there is a box of children's books there and James had me read The Jungle Book to him. Every. single. page. He was pretty much my little buddy by the end of the night.

After drinks we went back to the house so that the boys could have some dinner (Michelle and I were still full from our 10 pounds of pizza earlier) and then playtime.

James read about 25 books to me and then wrote in his journal for the summer. He writes one sentence each day to practice his writing. They only learn cursive! I found that amazing since they don't even teach it in US schools anymore. His entry for Saturday? "Mums friend from work came." :)

It was so nice to be included in such a normal everyday kind of weekend day. I had a really great time, though I was completely exhausted by the end. A 5 year old and 2 year old boy will do that to ya!

Once again I have the best colleagues ever!

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Fantastic Friday Night

2011-08-12T17:14:00.001-04:00

Another boring night here Chez Leesh. It was early Friday however, so that was exciting. Especially since I forgot that Friday is leave at 4 day!

Ran back up to Boots and bought 2 more Barry M nail paints. Peach Melba and Mushroom. They make me happy :)

And I bought this too with intentions of relaxing in a bath with some new Lush I picked up last weekend. (Ma Bar bubble bar and an Avobath bath bomb)

But honestly... Couldn't even bring myself to it and since it is after 10 now, it will have to wait till tomorrow. I have a better chance anyway since I will be spending the day in Henley with Michelle and her 2 little boys so a relaxing bath will be in order!

Oh yeah, and I went back to Mr Simms and picked up some sweets...

I chose things I had not had before...
A cable (kind of like a really long piece of licorice taffy like thing) in flavor Rhubarb Custard!

Sherbets (hard candies with a fizzy middle I think) in Lemon and Black Currant

And lastly a Chocolate mix with lots of random chocolate things...

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Shop Much?

2011-08-11T17:59:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I couldn't manage to wear sweats. I mean really... I would have loved to but I knew it would be for the best to leave the pjs at home. So instead, I went as comfortable but still appropriate as I could. While I was back in the states, the office changed it's policy and jeans are now allowed any day of the week. Duh, of course I needed to take advantage.

Tried out the whole dress over jeans thing... I think I like it.

Today was back to pants... Excuse me, TROUSERS. Lisa at work laughed today when I said pants. She finds my American accent hilarious. Tomato, hallway, and nail polish are some others that make her laugh.

Thursday is still the only day during the week I have even the remotest chance of going shopping. I still get irritates at the fact everything closes by 530 around here! Unfortunately I was still at work a bit late so I only ended up with about an hour to get to the city centre and look around.

Back to Primark where I intended to get some jewelry, maybe a few tops, and a pair of shoes. Instead I walked out with a cute set of bracelets, a twin pack of face wipes, and a pair of grey tights. Bonus! Only cost me £2,50 for all of it! I will try again this weekend when I have more time for the shoes and tops.

I have been wanting to go over to Boots to pick up some nail "varnish" and I had just enough time to run over there before they closed. I picked up a pretty grey color by Barry M. It's a wet cement color that is still pretty neutral i think and has me ready for fall! (though it already feels like it here with highs of 70*) And there was a special buy 2 and save £1 so I picked up a top coat too. Both for £5 total. Not bad at all!

Finally a stop at Sainsburys for some veg pots. Never had them before but I am hoping they will be quick tasty lunch/say dinner so I don't have to have takeout every night. A Thai coconut curry and an Indian Daal were the 2 I chose.

And some other gummy sweets since the Wine Gums I had the other day weren't so fantastic.

And that wrapped up my day of "shopping." looking forward to tomorrow-it's Friday!

Ps- it has been a very special birthday week!
Happy 1st Birthday to Ryan and Juliana!
And Happy Happy Birthday to Katie, Amanda, Kace, and Abby!!

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Snoozy Suzy

2011-08-11T07:45:00.000-04:00

I fell asleep last night at like 9. (WTH?!)

And woke up looking at the Mr. talking to me on the iPad. Pretty much scared the hell out of me because I was so disoriented!

I blame the miles from Tuesday that just flat wore me out!

I would walk 500 miles...

2011-08-09T17:20:00.001-04:00

Today certainly started off better today than yesterday. I checked a million times that I had my key just because I was paranoid.

I had a bit of self control and declined sugary donuts towards the end of the day. I had been psyching myself up all day for a run. Although, with the rioting in nearby London, and with an arson and a burning car close by me overnight, I wasn't sure it was the best idea. But I was committed and figured one or 2 miles would be fine in the daylight and I would feel better about myself if I did it.

I mapped out a 1.8-2 mile run, laced up my kicks, popped the earbuds in and off I went. About a half mile in I hit a hill. A big one. Sadly, I walked parts of it but I am still happy with myself. Whether I ran or walked those miles, I did them. As I am running along I realize I should have seen my cross street a bit back, but decided to keep going thinking I could find my way back easily.

I would be wrong. I apparently have no internal GPS because I got lost. So lost in fact I ended up running through the Old Road Campus of Oxford and then eventually to the Churchill Hospital Campus. Hitting a dead end I found a footpath and went trail running for about a half mile. Finally came out of the woods and found someone to help with directions. I was headed the right way but still WAY farther than I intended. after needing to ask one more time for directions I hit a main road I was familiar with. When I reached my flat and checked my Nike+ I had clocked 4.31 miles. This is deceiving though because when I walk it underestimates my mileage immensely. I figure it was roughly 5 miles. I can't even recreate it on mapmyrun because I have no clue where I was!

Sweaty sweaty red mess so a shower was absolutely in order and immediately slipped into my CEP socks!
(stay tuned, I have a giveaway for CEP Compression gear later this week!)

No patience for cooking so Chicken Sate from Pink Giraffe and I am now lounging on the couch dreading the way my body will feel tomorrow. 5 miles after not running for over a month? Might as well chop my legs off and chisel my hips away now. Tomorrow will suck. Think sweats and sneakers would be acceptable for work?

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Ugh

2011-08-09T02:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday might have been the epitome of fail.
Birthday top from in-laws, birthday blazer from Ma, grey pants, wedge heels

I missed the bus in the am by literally 10 seconds. I turned the corner and saw it driving away. Bummer.

Work itself was surprisingly calm after being gone for a week but I had expenses to do since I was oh, about 40 days late on them. No fun but I got them done and they are out of mind.

The real fun started after work when I left absolutely on time! Rode the bus, walked home and reached into my bag. To find that my key was gone! Instant panic.

Long story short, I rode the bus back to work, searched everywhere, called the bus company, checked with security and cleaning people and then sat there in a state of embarrassment. No key. I was screwed. Luckily Penny came to my rescue yet again since I gave her my spare... Or did I?

Turns out, the spare I gave her was actually my key that had fallen off the ring in my bag. (thank God it didn't fall out somewhere else!) and my spare was sitting on my desk in my flat when I walked in the door.

I am a dumb.

Hoping today starts off better.

And it took me 30 minutes to get the massive key on the other keychain so that puppy isn't going anywhere!

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Pardon Me

2011-08-07T05:41:00.001-04:00

Exude me for the no post yesterday. After sending Patrick off back to the states I had a busy Fay of laying around being sad and lonely and watching movies and playing on the iPad and eating wagamama for dinner.

Our only day in Oxford was not incredibly exciting and busy. I figured since we pretty much walked 15 years off our our life in the previous 7 days, we needed to take it easy. I took Patrick around "my" Oxford so he could see what I am talking about when I talk about where I am. Definitely kept it low key.

Christ Church where I went on my first weekend in Oxford.

The Meadow

The Bear (never actually went in, but it's a quaint pub tucked behind the Christ Church)

Climbed to the top of the Carfax Tower. Teeny tiny spiral staircases!

With a gorgeous view of the city. You can see my fav building, the Radcliffe Camera and St. Mary the Virgin church to our right.

We also had a birds eye view of a guy getting arrested. We saw him earlier and he was completely bombed... At like 2pm. At one point he was on the ground face down yelling "they're killing me!" quite funny actually.

Walked around to some of the colleges.

The Bridge of Sighs

My fav! The Radcliffe Camera

Followed up with dinner at Young's Angel and Greyhound Pub. He finally got his fish and chips!

Topping the evening off with a game of scrabble... Even though it was missing lots of tiles. We did okay.

Saturday morning was a sad sad morning. I did manage to get him in on one of my daily shots though! After packing up and finishing some laundry we headed over to Cafe Coco for a late lunch.

And then off to the bus stop to wait for the airline to come. It started to rain... Which fit my mood perfectly.

I am really sad to have our trip together end, but now that I am back to day one of my second round here, it's time to get things done so I can get home!

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Sad face

2011-08-05T18:09:00.001-04:00

No update today... Patrick is leaving to or row so I am trying to spend as much time with him as I can.

Sad face commences in roughly 12 hours...

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Back in Oxford

2011-08-04T18:29:00.001-04:00

Sorry no pictures today. I took a couple tonight but too lazy to upload.

Basically our day consisted of sleeping in, moving from Paris to London via the Eurostar, schlepping our bags all the way through to the Kings Cross Underground, connecting on another train and landing at Marble Arch just in time to hop the bus to Oxford. I am lucky to have such a patient and loving husband, he hauled his big garment bag, backpack, and my huge ginormous suitcase through Paris and London. We arrived safely in Oxford and had a lovely dinner at my local Chinese joint The Pink Giraffe.

You may recall I ate here 3 times during my last stay. Then we headed over to the Cricketers, my local pub only to find it closed! But luckily the Cape of Good Hope was open and we enjoyed live music and a few pints of beer.

Perfect way to round out our way too busy trip to Europe. Keeping it low key tomorrow and showing the Mr. around Oxford. Then he is back to the states on Saturday and I am back to work on Monday. ::sad face::

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Versailles, Louvre, and many more!

2011-08-03T17:32:00.001-04:00

First stop of the day- Versailles

Norte Dame

Pantheon

At the Louvre

La Jaconde (Mona Lisa... She is teeny!)

Milo de Venus

There was a new addition to this exhibit... One day only.

He made a new friend

Aphrodite

Glass pyramid from the inside

12 hours later... Can you see the tired on us?

.
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Too many to talk about

2011-08-02T17:16:00.002-04:00

So I will just share some of my fav photos... Commentary later.

Pont Neuf

L'Opera

Palais de Justice (I think)

Arc de Triomphe

Sommet de la Tour Eiffel

Moulin Rouge

Sacre Coeur a MontMartre

Trayore Iya performing at MontMartre (check out iya.fr - he is amazing!)

Tomorrow will be a Napoleon kind of day... Versailles and Louvre are on the board for us. It is supposed to rain most of the day so hopefully I can still get some good shots!

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Paris, je t'aime!

2011-08-01T19:22:00.001-04:00

Saint-Augustine

Louvre (avec Brian and Ashley!!)

Notre Dame

La Tour Eiffel- Buckeye Style!

Je t'aime!

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Eye see London...

2011-07-31T17:34:00.001-04:00

Note the sunburn... And the sweat. We were being steamed alive in a glass tube a million feet in the air.

Drinks at the Red Lion

Westminster Abbey

Natalie Portman

The arch separating the Mall and Trafalger Square

Countdown to Olympics!

My favorite pic so far. And another tourist took it. :)

Last night in London. It's been fun!

Setting out early tomorrow morning to catch the train to Paris and meeting up with Brian and Ashley there!

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Royally tired!

2011-07-30T16:52:00.001-04:00

We set out to do so many things today... And we did them all!

Not all inclusive:

Open top tour bus.

Buckingham palace

Which we got fantastic spots for the changing of the guard. Against the fence and right in the middle!

They were right in front of us!

But in all honesty, it wasn't what we thought it would be. I mean the crowds were insane, we ended up being there 1.5 hours early... Personal space seriously violated by at least 4 people and by the time it was done, we were over it. I am glad we got to see it, but honestly don't think I would want to do it again. Not worth the wait time and space invasion.

Big Ben...

Column in remembrance of great fire of London

Designed by Christopher Wren... I think. Can't remember.

Tower bridge

Tower of London

Kensington Palace

King Albert? Can't remember either... Brain is fried. Completely beautiful and ornate monument though.

Harrod's. This place was insanity. Tres posh and so packed of people it was madness.

Not planned and just a bonus? Wicked sunburns... Patrick is basically a tomato. We iz not smarts.

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We're here!

2011-07-29T19:13:00.001-04:00

13ish hours after leaving home we arrived in London! As per usual, there was a screeching toddler the row in front of us on the first leg of the trip, and then a drunken chatty Kathy next to us on the second leg. He claimed he never sleeps on planes and yet he passed out roughly an hour later.

Comfort! PINK by Victoria's Secret outfit. I think I still look okay after plane yuck all over me.

Getting to the hotel was tricky. We took a train from Heathrow to an Express to Paddington, to an underground to Embankment Pier. It was fun lugging around 5 ginormous bags let me tell you!

We arrived and checked in. Our hotel is oddly spacious. We didn't find it small at all! Set off immediately for Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus and some lunch. After walking around for roughly 2 hours we went back to the hotel and crashed! 1 hour nap turned into 2.5 but it was much needed!

Washed the plane off of us and regrouped and set out around 8 for dinner and more walking around.

Hey kids look! Big Ben!

(parliament)

And the London Eye are all a short walk from our spot.

We did well! Walking around for a while and taking in the street performers and random nut jobs around the city was fun. Plus the river area is really pretty.

It wasn't until we realized it was after 930 that we needed food. Enjoyed drinks at the Silver Cross and went to order food but the kitchen was closed! We were really looking forward to the roast and the steak and ale pie. We will try to go back for sure!

Tomorrow will be a busy day! We are starting out early and taking a tour. Hope to get in TONS! Including Westminster, Buckingham Palace, London Bridge and much more!

Hope everyone is staying cool back home- enjoyed 65* weather here and looks to be about 72* and sunny tomorrow!

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Catch you across the pond!

2011-07-28T19:01:00.001-04:00

Hubs and I are off for a European adventure! Daily blogging resumes tomorrow with 100% more outfit updates! :)

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Puff!

2011-07-22T21:13:00.001-04:00

Last night was dinner with the girls at The Grand Finale in Glendale. The infamous Puff didn't stand a chance!

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Up before the Sun

2011-07-20T09:17:00.001-04:00

I swear the bags under my eyes will never go away after the last couple of weeks. 5am conference calls on Monday mornings aren't really the best way to start the week. But I suppose that since Mondays are usually pretty awful on the whole anyway... What is it to extend by a few hours and get up early. Plus, it keeps my body wacked out so hopefully I don't suffer as bad from the horrible jet lag I had last time.

This morning was exceptionally brutal hearing my alarm go off at 3:30am so that I could get my brain to wake up for my back to back calls that started at 4. 6 more calls later and I will be able to call it quits for the day... At least till 6 when I am sure to pick my blackberry back up and get back to work.

You know something? I would be in big trouble if I didn't actually enjoy talking to the people I work with.

P.s Chloe says hi... She was NOT up with me at 3:30. Lazy feline.

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What day is it?

2011-07-18T16:18:00.001-04:00

My goodness. I feel like I have gone through a time tunnel and I don't know what year it is. After getting back to normal last week just to interrupt it with a trip to NYC for a work meeting, of course got no rest we hosted the 5th annual Pagefest this weekend. Per usual it was 95*+ and hotter than Hades.

Good times as always. Then started my Monday off in the best way possible... 5am conference call! So much fun. Good though because once you peel the sleep from your eyes and stretch, you can actually be quite productive really really early.

Almost have our logistics for Europe taken care of. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! Paris and Eurostar booked. Only thing left is London! Can't wait for our trip!

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I Made It

2011-07-11T21:43:00.000-04:00

Have no fear ya'll. I made it home Friday. Just barely. I ended up missiing my connection and heading to LGA to catch another flight... that was delayed... and then we sat on the runway for 45 minutes.

By the time I made it to CVG I was completely spent but I walked up to Baggage Claim and the husband was there waiting for me! Such a wonderful sight. Made up for the fact that I had to file a claim for my missing bag. I didn't care though because he was there with me.

I've spent the weekend recovering. It's odd, I figured I would just be tired early and then wake up early. I was wrong. In this case I am just tired all the time. Seriously, I've had to take naps at like 10:00 because I just can't take it. Waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed at 6am is not my cup of tea.

Of course I started today in the best way possible- with a conference call at 5AM. Lovely. Again, needed a mini power nap shortly after but then I was all set.

All packed and ready to go because tomorrow morning I am heading off to NYC for a meeting.

(and I get to see How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying on Wednesday... I am super pumped!)

Home sweet home... maybe

2011-07-07T20:22:00.001-04:00

I should have arrived home 45 minutes ago, however:

17 hours since I locked up my flat in Oxford...
3 security check ins
45 minute nap
1 set of customs
1 missed connection
3 airports so far
My luggage is probably already in Cincinnati... and the claims will probably be closed when I get there.

And I am still roughly 4 hours from being home.

I'm totally spent. My eyes are burning, my body aches, and I am fully on Oxford time where it is currently after 1am. I need a shower, a nap, and a hug from my husband.

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The time has come

2011-07-06T18:21:00.001-04:00

My last day in the office. Bittersweet, but okay because I will see a few colleagues next week in New York and the rest in 4 weeks. Oxford sure did me a favor and waited till my last day to be really gloomy and rainy and chilly... I had to wear my coat today. Not sure I am looking forward to the blistering heat and humidity at home though.

Because I missed the bus coming home yesterday by roughy 5 ft. I made sure to be early today. (seriously, I was 5 ft. From the door and the driver left... They don't wait for anyone!) but this bus was not my normal bus, this one was neon green and yellow. And drove like the wheels were falling off and the brakes were too tight.

Since I did most of my packing last night, I decided to go for a nice dinner out. I have heard great things about the Chiang Mai Thai Restaurant. It is tucked away off the High Street. Pretty easy to miss actually.

I ordered a Thai iced tea. It was... Different. It was creamy. Sort of tasted like melted sweet cream ice cream with a little tea flavor too. It was almost dessert like.

I had Gai Prik Pao and Khoa Suay. It was a spicy chili chicken with cashews and onion and Thai herbs with jasmine rice. Really tasty and pretty spicy. Just what I wanted! And of course I had to end my trip with Thai. What else would I have had?!

Then I walked back home, taking in the city centre that has been my home for the last 3.5 weeks.

I am going to miss this place.

But I will be back soon!

And seriously- I am super excited to get home! This time tomorrow I will be on my second flight and about an hour away from Cincinnati!

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Stratford Upon Avon... In Pictures

2011-07-05T18:05:00.001-04:00

Warning- lots of pictures. Like tons.

Felt a little Mad Men-y today.

Alright time for Stratford. Got your exploring shoes on? Okay good! Here we go!
RollRight Stones. Kind of like a mini Stonehenge. Not sure how or why they are there but they say if you walk around counting the stones you will never get the same number twice.

The Lych Gate of St. Peter & St. Paul

Narrow boats along the river in Stratford. There was a festival so lots of activity and people and music and sights.

Dale and I actually went in one of the narrow boats. Bigger than they look, but I could never live in one! Like a really long and skinny RV... On water.

The swans were so pretty!

Watched the locks too... The water aides and lowers to transport boats through the channels.

The water filled up and one boat went in.

Followed by another. And then the water was let out... The boats slowly lowered.

Till they were level with the rest of the channel. Gates were open and off they go. Actually a pretty slow process but interesting to watch.

The house where Churchill died.

Hall's Croft. House where Shakespeare's daughter lived with her husband Dr. John Hall

Anne Hathaway's House

The tour bus took a turn towards the country and It was spectacularly green and beautiful.

Haha though I was almost blown out of the bus... Riding on the top of an open top bus isn't a good idea when you are going 40+ km/h through the rolling countryside.

Shakespeare's birthplace and the garden behind it.

Inside the Guild Chapel.

The Globe Theater... I walked around and found an open door

And it was the inside of the theater! They were setting up for a show. It was just like I remember seeing in English books with the balconies and the shape. With modern enhancements of course. I snapped one photo secretly and then exited only to hear someone behind me ask "how did you get in there? No one is supposed to be in there..." oops!

Rounded out the trip in Stratford with a pitcher of Pimms... And no I did not drink that entire thing myself. Though it was delicious and I have bought a bottle to bring home.

On the way back we stopped at a pub for a late lunch.

Roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, and cabbage and carrots.

I learned how to play "Aunt Sally" (basically corn hole or horseshoes but with stick and a "doll" you try to knock off a pole)

And finally we returned home and away they went! Dale and Penny were so awesome for taking me out and I had the best time with them.

Of course, after a little nap I threw in some wash and couldn't just sit at home so back to the pub I went for a pint. Lager this time.

Mostly packed up tonight. 2 more sleeps till I am home!

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Happy Birthday America

2011-07-04T15:22:00.001-04:00

I was going to recap my day at Stratford today but because my colleagues are the sweetest thing since sugar, I have something better.

I scoured my wardrobe and discovered nothing red or blue other than jeans so I went with my new dress from River Island. This was a step out of my comfort zone (big print, trendier shape) but I really liked it!

I walked into work today not really thinking about much... Other than I am coming home in 3 sleeps! And to my surprise I saw this.

How completely adorable are they? Oh so subtle... Just like me :) I can't even count the number of comments I got. In a good way. It made my heart flutter and I was honestly so touched they thought of me.

P.S. Notice how my desk is higher than all the others? The guy that usually sits there is like 6'5" and his desk has been put up on stilts! You can really notice if you look at where the cabinet hits the desk compared to the one on the right. I feel like a child sitting there. Haha

But that wasn't it. They went in search of American treats for me! Donuts, muffins, Oreos, Hershey's, Reese's... I think they are trying to make me fat. I think I ate 8 of those donuts. At least.

But there is more! I returned from lunch to find red white and blue balloons and a big bag of m&ms.

I am proud to be an American and so lucky to have coworkers that appreciate that fact as well.

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Barbecues and Pimms

2011-07-03T17:22:00.001-04:00

So I had to take a nap today... At 7:00pm! I just couldn't help it I was completely exhausted.

Yesterdays barbecue as lovely and I was welcomed in as a member of the family. We had fantastic Greek food, lots of wine, birthday cake, wine, cheese, wine... I think you get the picture. I even had a perfect margarita made for me by the host. He really knows his spirits! It made yesterday a lot easier for me given that I know everyone back home is celebrating with picnics and parties.

Sadly no photos other than the obligatory outfit shot. I wore my new top from River Island.

Today I set out for Stratford with Penny and her husband. It was such a nice day. Thank goodness I wore my cardigan though because it got a little cooler and with that on it was perfect.

I will recap completely tomorrow, but here are some of my fav snaps of the day. I will save my absolute fav for tomorrow though... It isn't what you would think.
Wheat fields at Rollright Stones

The river at Stratford upon Avon

Birthplace of William Shakespeare

My first Pimms! (no I did not drink that entire pitcher... But I did find out that Pimms has alcohol in it! I had no idea, I thought it was a soft drink.)

And with that my friends, I am off to bed. I will be spending my nations birthday at work. Bummer. The bright side is that in 4 sleeps I will be back on American soil and I am taking Friday off instead!

P.s. That pitcher is definitely coming home with me. It will be very handy in our bar!

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Toad in a hole

2011-07-02T04:58:00.001-04:00

Fabulous Friday is finished. Also meaning that I am one day closer to coming home! Decided to mix it up a little bit and go with a print. And I rolled my jeans to show off my sandals.(man I love these sandals) I felt weird with high waters on, but I thought it looked cute.

The title of the post refers to my lunch. I saw it on the menu earlier in the week and knew that would be what I was having. Toad in a hole is basically a Yorkshire pudding with sausage in it. Usually served with gravy. And since I never had Yorkshire pudding either, it was going to be an adventure!

Now I know it looks like a pile of mess, but it was actually really good. The Yorkshire pudding might have been my favorite. I wish I didn't put so much gravy on it because the bottom got a little soggy.
Since it was Friday and early leave, I went down to the shops. And actually shopped! Maybe I don't suck so bad at shopping after all.

I stopped at Paperchase to pick up a little gift for the bday party I am attending today, followed by Lush, then over to River Island where they were having a big sale.
Paper chase has lots of notebooks and pens and cute things. I thought this notebook was the cutest thing ever with sweets with faces! And of course you need pretty gel pens to go with it. It's for a 13 year old girl. I hope she likes is. I am going to try and pick up some chocolate before the party and put that in there too.

And that card? Has KNITTED! Cupcakes on it. I just had to get it.
Popped into Lush for a few more things. Comforter bubble bar, another bath bomb, and some soap.

But! Before I left, I was also gifted 2 free items. Both only available at Christmas time. Glogg shower gel, and a Snow Fairy lip tint. Glogg smells just like Lambkins to me... Or how I remember the burgundy bags smelling when I would bring home my new yarns. Cinnamon, clove, citrus, really warm and yummy.

Next up, River Island. I actually bought prints! They were having a sale and I picked up a cute sleeveless long shirt tunic thing with ruffles and a cute summery print. And a more bold dress that I will wear with a cardigan and leggings. Even better that they were only £10 each!

Finally I was starving... Shopping does that to me. So I grabbed takeaway again. This time I went back to wagamama. That place is so yummy!

And that about sums up my day.
Big plans this weekend, it is my last weekend in Oxford before I go home so I am going to a barbecue today, then out to Stratford tomorrow with Penny. Plus the weather is really nice so I may try and do a little more exploring if I have time, but not likely.
Hope everyone has a great weekend. I am definitely a little more homesick this weekend with all the parties and festivities happening at home for the 4th. But I am staying busy and I will be home in just 5 days!
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Fill in the Blank Friday!

2011-07-01T04:29:00.000-04:00

Haven't done one of these in a while and since it's my last Friday here in Oxford for the first rotation, I thought I'd go ahead and link up!

1. The best news I ever received was "Hey, I think there is something in that box for you..." Spoken by my husband 10 minutes after walking into our new house, 5 minutes before he propsed. All was right in the world .

2. Something I'm looking forward to is coming home next week! I have so much enjoyed my stay in Oxford so far and while it will make work a little more difficult for a few weeks, I can't wait to get home and wrap my arms around my husband and meow at Chloe in person, hoping she doesn't try to kill me for leaving her.

3. Something I would never do is own a snake... or a spider... eeew. Not to mention the husband would divorce me if I tried to bring a slithering reptile into the house.

4. If I could choose someone to be my life coach (famous or not, living or dead), I'd choose Lindsay Lohan, she seems to have all her ish together... JOKING! Probably Ms. O, The one and only Oprah. She is amazing .

5. If I had to put a label on my style it would be classic, somewhat preppy. I try to wear some of the trendy things but they are just wrong on me. I prefer polos and bermuda shorts, plaid, and flats .

6. One should always try to remain positive. It really makes life so much better to live.

7. I want to eat a skyline cheese coney and 4 way so bad I can't stand it... and Chick-Fil-A... OMG The waffle fries!!!!!

Zzzzzzzzz

2011-06-30T18:23:00.001-04:00

Basically blogging with my eyes closed... I'm sleepy.

Cooler again, but layered it up and wore lighter colors to make me feel summery.

And hidden underneath were my new sandals from Primark. Last pair, size 6, on sale for £4. sweet.

Getting to work was nightmare. Rotten luck with buses today. I don't want to relive it. But at least there was yummy cake after lunch... With candy and sparkles!

And dinner was a challenge again. Went back to Cafe Coco. Ordered mushroom pizza with pepperoni. And a drink while I wait. Elderflower and mint might be my fav thing ever right now. Got to get my hands on some at home. Anyways... Kitchen out of pepperoni. No biggie, just give me mushroom pizza. 5 min later... Out of mushrooms too. Hot damn, just give me food! Ended up with spinach Parm cream calzone again. And ate every last bit.

No knitting, busy working.
Excuse me while I pass out. My eyes are burning and my brain hurts.

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Adventureland

2011-06-29T17:50:00.001-04:00

The weather continues to be cool. Certainly glad that I brought cardigans although I wish I would have packed some lighter colors. After review of my wardrobe, the amount of black, gray, and purple is alarming.

I wish I could say I have another adventure for you, but I have been boring yet again. After work, I realized that after yesterday's venture out for dinner wasn't so painful I decided to do it again. I returned back to the
Ink Giraffe to try something else. I had the Chicken with Sate sauce that was a little bit spicy but had a nice surprise of pineapple in it.

I ate the entire thing with chopsticks. I have gotten pretty good at them given all the Asian/Thai food I have eaten the last 2weeks!
I was also surprised to see that I got a fortune cookie. This is the first one I have seen over here.

Yep... I'm good with that.

Return home to watch Friends and then The Rock. I love that movie. I saw it was on and was so excited. Almost as excited about the fact that Twilight will be on on Sunday! Chillaxin' on the couch doing a little bit of work and then knitting. First full repeat of lace complete on the shawl. 2 more left. Looks good!

::end scene::

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Feeling Fishy

2011-06-28T18:30:00.001-04:00

The weather took a turn for the cooler again. Back to cardigans and layers.

Nothing terribly exciting today. New project I am working on that should keep me insanely busy for the next 3 days.
I did venture out today and actually ate a meal in a restaurant. Not takeaway. I went to a local seafood place- Fishers. Luckily it wasn't terribly busy till I was almost finished so I didn't feel too awkward sitting there with my wine and book. (new book... I like it so far. ROOM was great!)

I did however feel a bit weird when these were delivered to the table...

I did eat one...to try. It wasn't terrible. But I don't know that I want to make a habit of eating fresh sardines.
Enjoyed a delicious dinner of fish and chips. (served with mushy peas and gherkins... Only in England I suppose) it was super yummy and I quite enjoyed it. Plus I didn't have to carry food back to my flat and have dishes to watch afterwards! Even better.

Finally made progress on the test knit I am working on for Mindy. It would really help if I knew how to count. Once I got my numbers straight it was smooth sailing. I got 5 rows of lace done tonight.

My knitting smells minty now... my lifeline is mint floss. A knitter will improvise with whatever they have and we all know how much I NEED my lifelines :)

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When Jaws Attacks

2011-06-27T15:55:00.001-04:00

Apologies for lack of adventure yesterday. I know you were all dying to know what I wore on the hottest day I have experienced in Oxford.

I did make it out for a small bit of adventure. Some walking but for the most part my aching calves didn't want to have any of it. So you are probably wondering what in the he'll this shark is that I have talked about. Well I went up to the Headington Shops to take a few closer photos for you.

"The headless sculpture, with the label "Untitled 1986" fixed to the gate to the house, was erected on the 41st anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki. Created by the sculptor John Buckley, it is made of fibreglass, weighs four hundredweight, and is 25 feet long."
- From http://www.headington.org.uk/shark/

It caused quite a commotion and was highly controversial. But yet today it remains there. I hear most of the locals don't really even notice it anymore but when you aren't from around here and see Jaws dive bombing a house like a Loon getting a snack... It's certainly not normal.

Forgive the heinous flash and wild hair. The sun was so bright and it was flippin' hot out there!

Post adventure I decided to go relax and attempt to soak up some sun. (with sunscreen of course. I didn't want a repeat performance of Saturday)

The sky had turned the most amazing shade of blue and the park near Headington Hill wasn't too crowded. Some footballers, some people playing guitar and just hanging out. I ate ice cream and knitted and sat there in total peace. No sunburn either which made it even sweeter. I could have hoped for a bit more color though. I'm seriously almost see through.

And today was another hot morning, tried my hand at layering. I think it turned out pretty cute. And comfortable! Why don't I wear dresses to work more often?!

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Over the rainbow

2011-06-26T13:31:00.002-04:00

Thanks for showing up in unexpected places.
I cant believe it has been 2 years.
I miss you more and more every day.

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Woodstock, Blenheim, Churchill

2011-06-25T18:30:00.001-04:00

Warning: long post with LOTS of pictures.

Today was certainly an adventure. I left dressed in layers (which was a very smart thing it was both chilly and hot at times.) with the intention of taking the bus OUTSIDE of Oxford to head up to Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. Left the flat at 10 and caught the bus at 10:27.

I will warn you now... I took over 300 pictures. I will try to take it easy.

The palace did charge admission but I think it was well worth it. Plus there was a promo where I upgraded my pass for free so I can come back if Mr. Buckeye or Mom want to visit when they come. I walked... A lot. It was at least a quarter mile to get to the palace from the gate. But once I arrived, it was breathtaking.

I made it my mission to do as much as physically possible while I was there. And I succeeded. First up I walked through the palace. Sadly no photography allowed but there were countless portraits, tapestries, pieces of china, and beautiful things to look at. I went through the Winston Churchill exhibit. Did you know he never actually lived here? He was born here though and I visited the room where he was born, he also proposed to his wife here in the gardens. Then I hopped in with the tour tomfollow through the rest of the palace. I know a lot about the Marlboroughs and Churchills and Spencers now. Really interesting. I really wish I could have taken pictures of the long library. It was amazing, 10,000 volumes and the ceiling was gorgeous.
After walking through the chapel I headed outside to the Water Terraces.

Past the temple of Diana and up to the Rose Garden.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland!

Then another looong walk to the Cascade where there was a beautiful bridge and waterfall.

Followed by a nice walk by the River.

At this point I hadn't eaten all day so I had some lunch at the water terrace. Cream of Carrot soup with croutons and a roll.

After mustering up some more energy it was time for the gardens. First up- the secret garden.

And then a trip back inside to tour the upstairs, only it ended up being a story type tour with rooms where you listened to the story of the first Duchess' lady's maid traveling through the ages and learning more about the palace.
I then decided to go outside the palace gates to walk up to the Column of Victory. Again, another long walk. This is about half way up the field.

And about halfway from the palace on the path. Actually standing on the bridge over the Queen's pond.

Sheep! Getting up to the Column was like walking through a minefield.

Of course when I got there I had to walk back. So I stopped to rest once I reached the pond again.

Last up was to head over to the pleasure garden. It is pretty much the family garden and there are activities and games and such for kids. I walked through the Butterfly garden and had to go through the hedge maze. Got lost in there for 30 minutes.

Once I made it to one of the bridges I could scout my way out.

And my trip to Blenheim Palace had come to a close.

But my day wasn't over. I decided to go off the beaten path and walk to the village of Bladon to visit Winston Churchill's grave. It was a good idea in theory... It wasn't until I was walking back that I had embarked on the longest walk of my life. I really thought I was lost but then I started to find things I saw on the bus so I knew it was the right direction... Just way out of the way.

I didn't quite know where I was going and stopped to look at this memorial statue. I saw a little church up at the top of the hill to the left of that building and decided to go take some aerial photos.

Only I had walked to the church where the grave was instead! Thank goodness I stopped for that photo.

Headstone of Churchhill's father. His mother and brother are here as well.

Heading back. I was really way out there...

At least I was going the right direction!

Getting closer!

Whoo hoo! I made it... Over an hour of walking later.

Then of course the bus was 20 minutes late so I waited and waited. But I made it back a little after 8:30. had delicious penne bolognese and soaked in the bath. But oops. Apparently I had some skin showing for the whole day and got sunburned.

Now it's some Bridget Jones time and relaxing with my CEP Compression socks on. My calves are killing me.

Update: I walked approx. 7 miles yesterday in Woodstock/Bladon. Not including walking to and from the bus, the maze and the palace tour upstairs and down... I know this because I have just mapped it. no wonder my legs ache this morning.

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There's a clown in my bathtub... And he is freezing!

2011-06-24T18:37:00.001-04:00

The day started out lovely enough then turned cold and rainy.

It was a jam-packed day since it is the last day before my colleague goes on leave. I think he might have been sad to go-in could tell by the jovial skipping out of the office he did. Nah, just kidding. Scots don't skip. Plus he being 6'4 might have been quite comical and definitely would have drawn attention.
I had to run home quickly to drop my things and got to see my favorite little people and talk to some of the family! Huge thanks to Britt for taking the awesomeness of technology over to the house and getting everyone together so we could talk with our faces!!

After getting kisses from the kids and signing off, I met everyone at the restaurant. We ended up at Cafe Coco. Spot where I had my first meal and drink in Oxford last Monday. It was a much better experience being with friends this time. I tried a couple of new things... Including an Elderflower drink. Absolutely fantastic!! Totally refreshing and just a little bit different. It was Absolut, Elderflower syrup, mint, and soda water I believe. And the spinach, Parmesan cream calzone with mushrooms added. Yum yum!

Then since I am now the local of the group we walked over to the Cricketers Arms pub and had a drink. Again, much more fun in the company of people I knew. I had a Malibu and pineapple and was given the cutest little bottle of pineapple juice I had ever seen!

They are a fun group. Great mix of personalities that compliment each other so well. Hopefully they don't mind I share this photo. Of course they all laughed when I rocked the self timer and used a tall barstool as the tripod.

And you are probably wondering about the title of my post. This is one of the attractions at Cafe Coco... And the tube to the right kept spitting out ice in the tub! It was completely random and totally hilarious!

Now I am off to bed. Big day tomorrow I am actually venturing outside of Oxford to Woodstock. Site of the Blenheim Palace... Also the burial site of Winston Churchill. Hoping to get some fantastic photos and have a really enjoyable day. Cross your fingers for good weather!

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Tiger tiger tiger woods y'all... I mean chaps

2011-06-23T17:42:00.001-04:00

Teal/sea foam green blueish and purple go together right?

Another busy day at work. I can't believe there is only one more day till I am on my own. Well, not really on my own, but my colleague leaves for extended leave on Monday. I am super happy for him. I think he really deserves it even from what I have seen over the last 2 weeks. I am going to miss him and I can certainly feel the pressure. He has quite big shoes to fill and I am ready to accept the challenge.
After work I headed off to the golf club with Penny! First of all, her husband is a doll and really funny. They picked me up in their sports car that they had to "clean up and rearrange to be a salon car" and we went for Thai night. (really...more Thai?) but it was good Thai! Actually today was one of the best meal days I have had. I had a summer vegetable pasta bake for lunch and then Tom Yum soup, Red Curry chicken and rice for dinner. Plus 2 glasses of red wine. I got to meet some of their golf club friends and it was a lovely evening. Lots of time spent comparing US to England- major differences and such. And some sports talk... Of course Wimbledon and the US Open. Then I started talking about football and they did as well... Only they meant soccer :)

I had a great night. Wrapping up now to get ready for tomorrow, it is going to be a doozy.

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Getting smarter

2011-06-22T18:38:00.001-04:00

Better day today. Thanks for your comments, I really appreciate them.

Rocked new heels again today. Only I got smart and wore flip flops till I got to the office, changed into the heels, and then back to flippies to walk home. No blisters!
I stayed a little bit later at work again today. Things are really busy with lots of things going on. So rather than stress out tomorrow why not stay and get a few more things done. What else have I got to do?

One problem. I was literally 40 ft. From my bus when it pulled away. No problem I thought, the bus runs every 15 minutes. I can sit out in the sunshine and read my book while I am waiting. Sure enough the next bus comes... only there is a problem. Unfortunately there was a broke down bus so this one wasn't leaving for some reason for 45 minutes! Bummer. But since he was a nice chap, he Asked if I was waiting for his. Bus and then proceeded to find another bus for me that was going near where I needed to go. Crisis averted and I got to ride a big long haul bus.

I wanted to stop at the Headington shops and snap photos of the shark. But given the bus situation I thought it best to ride to my stop instead. I did manage to have the camera ready and snapped one quick photo. Hopefully you can see the tail sticking up in the middle.

I came home and decided to go walking again. Granted it was just up the high street again but it was better than sitting at home again. Picked up some dry shampoo... This weather is wreaking havoc on my locks. Then went for some takeaway. I will give you one guess what it was. If you guessed asian/Thai you would be correct. It wasn't very good though so I didn't eat much. Good for the waistline I suppose. Skinny little staircase to get up there but it was decent sized when I got to the top.

I snapped a few more photos along The High Street. I can walk down the same street over and over and I still keep finding new buildings and details.

Not sure if I posted this before...below is the Carfax tower. Pretty much the city centre. All the shops are straight ahead and also by turning right at the tower you will find Lush and Covered Market and much more.

Wrapped up the night with a MUCH better Skype session. Man it really is amazing what technology can do.

Time for bed! Another busy day tomorrow followed by dinner withPenny and her husband at the golf club! I never would have thought I was going to end up in a golf club in England?

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Missing home

2011-06-21T17:46:00.001-04:00

Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Instead of taking full advantage, i came home ate dinner and then poured myself into a book along with playing words with friends on the ipad.

It started out well enough, cute skirt and flats to start the day off.

And then of course super busy at work. I took lots and lots of notes today and actually participated in conversations and calls. It is all starting to come together and is very reassuring to me that I am able to follow along... Except for the accents. That might be the hardest part. For example I was on a call today with people in America, Italy, France, Belgium, Oxford, while being in the room with a guy from India and another from Scotland. Pretty awesome though right?!

Once again I bailed on my run. My legs did kind of hurt. Maybe tomorrow I will try again. Leftovers for dinner since I was just not feeling cooking or walking for takeaway. Then I spent 2 hours parked on the couch reading.

I am fully engrossed in this book at the suggestion of Hallie. It is sweet and disturbing at the same time. Trust me on this. But it is. I'm over 100 pages further into it than I was this morning.

I have figured out that as long as I am busy, being away from home doesn't hurt as bad. Something that made it a little sweeter was the fact that our computer got fixed at home. Enter Skype:

Although the video quality was absolutely horrendous and the sound had at least a 15 second delay which resulted in having to mute and call on the phone, at least I could see the husband. And I am pretty sure I freaked Chloe out when I talked to her. It was still nice to be able to see them and it warmed my heart.

I did get to see the Headington Shark today from the bus though. Sadly too fast for my camera. I will definitely go back and snap some photos in person though. It was literally a ginourmous shark head first in this roof. Completely random and yet totally in place.

Forgive me for the lack of interesting material and pics today. I will just share a few others from the weekend.
Another angle of an area of Christ Church.

The details on the architecture in England is just beautiful.

Just in case you get lost...

The Rhodes House in New College

Studying in the courtyard.

Do you ever get homesick?
What should I do this week/weekend to stay busy?

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Worn out

2011-06-20T15:41:00.001-04:00

I managed to get a pretty decent night's sleep last night. Whether it was just the weekend catching up with me or it was the ale... We will never know.

Pretty chilly today. Trousers and sweater. With my super cute belt from NY&Co. On sale, even better!

It was a really busy day at work. Lots of interesting stuff though. Where else would I be on phone calls with people in India, Budapest, America, and France all in the same day? Didn't get out till a little later so by the time I caught the bus and came home, all I wanted was some food that wasn't Asian or Thai and that I didn't have to cook. Don't get me wrong, I totally love it, but I needed something kind of normal. it would have been even better if someone went to get it for me and then fed it to me. And brought me ice cream.

Enter La Cucina. The box made me happy. It's the little things.

I did not eat the whole thing, looks like I have leftovers for lunch or dinner this week!

Since I didn't go exploring today, I thought I would share a few more pics from yesterday's trip to the Ghost Trees and PittRiver Museum.

This old man was just resting by the Mahogany tree. I thought it was so peaceful and picturesque.

And the lady in the red poncho too. Striking.

It was nice to just go in and act like a kid.

Lots to see!

And of course act like a crazy American Tourist.

I took this one for my mom. I knew she would appreciate it.

Hope you had fun wandering the museum via my pictures! If you are ever in Oxford, it's a fun FREE place to go to spend some time.

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Fathers day

2011-06-19T15:28:00.001-04:00

I was going to just be a homebody today, but then I felt bad and had to get out and explore some more.

It was a fairly nice day, not too chilly. Light sweater and I was good to go.

I can finally say I have ridden on the top front of the double decker bus. I caught the bus but managed to forget what stop I needed to get off on so I rode it around town for a little bit. Oops.

I saw this beautiful display while we were driving to dinner on Wednesday last week and knew I wanted to return. But I had to find it first. It's called the ghost trees.

They are beautiful rainforest trees. It's a statement against deforestation and trying to raise awareness about preservation.

They are situated in front of the PittRiver natural history museum. More on this later. It was free so I went in and saw the exhibits. Lots of dinosaurs and bones. Good stuff. I took a TON of pictures today too so I will get them up at some point.

I roamed around again for a few hours, this time my book came in handy! And decided towards the end of the day to be brave and go have a pint (Ruddles Ale) in honor of my dad for Fathers Day. I figured he would want me to. I went just after 5 when I knew they opened so it was just me and the bartender for a little bit. He let me taste a couple of beers and then also kicked my butt in a game of pool. English pool tables are small compared to ours but the same rules apply-for the most part. He introduced me to a few of his friends and they were all really nice, his gf is also from California and his friends had been to Vegas so that was something fun to talk about. Not as intimidating an experience as I thought it would be.

I also successfully cooked my first meal in Oxford. Plain and simple spaghetti and sauce, delicious nonetheless.

Back to work tomorrow!

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Hogwarts

2011-06-18T14:56:00.001-04:00

I walked a marathon today... Or at least 15 miles.

After being able to sleep in till 930! (I did wake up at 5 first though) I woke up, had breakfast and got ready to go explore!

Armed with my backpack, Oxford book, umbrella, and camera I was ready to go

I didn't end up using the book much while I was out, mostly because I have been reading and reading and knew the area I wanted to walk around.

I headed immediately to the War Garden Memorial

Moved up to the meadow, this might be my most favorite picture.

And there it was. Christ Church

Aka the REAL Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy!

Seriously, the great hall is here as is the staircase and most of the inspiration for the moving pictures. I WILL be taking the tour, but I wanted to wander today.

The grounds were just gorgeous and I just walked and walked and took lots of pictures.

I wandered into as many colleges as I could, but a lot of the grounds were closed to the public. It is exam time at Oxford so I have been able to see lots of people in exam form. They wear their gowns and carnations to designate when they are taking exams, and then they dress up in fun outfits and carry balloons and just celebrate when they are finished.

There were even corks in the street.

Oriel College- graduates celebrating and taking photos

As I continued to wander around... Roughly 3 hours later I found this:

The haberdashery! It is VERY small, but the ladies were so nice. I think I am going to try and join them on Monday at the pub. I almost missed it and just by chance I was on the right street and walked by.

I did go to the shops... For quite a long time but I didn't buy anything. Apparently I suck at shopping.

After a short trip to the store for a few groceries, I was invited to go to a late lunch at wagamama with a colleague and her husband. Again, nicest people around.

Finished off the trip with a little bit of shopping... Where I actually bought a few things! A few books, jacket, and umbrella.

Back home resting now and I might be brave enough to go out for a pint in a little bit!

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Baths and Giraffes

2011-06-17T16:51:00.001-04:00

Okay super irritated because I just wrote up a huge post and stupid blog press didn't post it and didn't save it. Trying again.

Friday is dress down day so jeans were a must. And because it was supposed to be cool and rainy today I wore the heaviest sweater I brought- um, it is only 3/4. I will need to get a jacket this weekend.

I made it through my first week at work and there was a celebration! Actually, there was an event but it was for the London 2012 Olympics. Nielsen is a big part of that and they are promoting like crazy. It was cool though.

There was a big tent set up in the field (cirque du soleil style)

And activities included archery, boxing, fencing, tennis, etc.

Team Great Britain is training for the 2012 Paralympics and they brought their boat.

They also spoke for a bit about what they do and how they train.

It has finally rained in Oxford! Luckily I have an umbrella on loan from Penny. (can I just say that she his quite possibly the nicest sweetest woman I know. She walks and rides the bus with me if we are catching at the same time, She checks in on me all the time, and she even brought me some of her fashion magazines from home today thinking I might like them. She has even invited me out next week with her husband and friends to their golf club for a dinner event. I don't know what I would do without her. She has really made this trip so much easier for me.)

Friday is also early leave day so I was able to make it back up to Carfax to go to Lush! That shop is nuts. The people are completely wonderful and I spent an hour in there smelling everything and touching everything. I described it to the Mr. as bohemian. Everything is vegetarian or vegan and it is all fresh and natural. I ended up with a few goodies. I will definitely be going back to try some more things. I ended up not getting what I originally intended (the comforter bubble bar) but instead I got the karma bubble bar, big blue bath bomb, and some celestial face lotion. Loren the guy helping me was super sweet and did a bunch of demos for me. I am pretty sure I need to go back to get a sunny side bubble bar so I can make the mermaid water!!

Dinner was from The Pink Giraffe. Apparently English people love Chinese and Thai because there are tons of those places around here!

I watched Dr. Who for roughly 20 minutes. I couldn't help but giggle. I will need to try again. Luckily CSI is always on and now Superbad is on so it is all good.

And since I am lame, I can't bring myself to go out past dark by myself so I will be staying in, enjoying my first Lush bath, drinking a glass of wine and knitting. Resting up because tomorrow I am going exploring!!

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A bit of why I am here

2011-06-16T17:30:00.001-04:00

So Liz asked how long I am here- I am here for a total of about 10 weeks. I arrived on the 13th and I will head home on 7 July. Then I am heading back to NYC on the 12th and coming home the 14th. THEN I am back across the pond- this time with Mr. Buckeye for a week of vacation on the 29th and I will ship him back alone and return in September. My mum is also coming out at the end of my stay and we are wrapping up in Paris! Goodness. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. But really I could not be happier and feel more blessed to have the opportunity to come out here. I have learned so much already in just 3 days that is completely priceless. Global business is fascinating... And tough stuff!

Keeping with the work scheme- i snapped a few work related photos today.

Rocked the Holden for the first time today (and discovered a colleague who also loves to knit!) braided hair again today, the fishtail.

My new home- note the stone wall. It makes me happy :)

Got my first bit of fish and chips from the canteen. Fish was good, chips were eh... Could be because I had to eat in 15 min to get to a meeting and they were cold when I finished them. Tip- you have to pay for packets of condiments... Weird. But probably saves on wasted packets. Also, normally Friday is fish and chips day bu we have an event tomorrow from 1-4. I will take pics for sure!

My walk back to the park and ride... And my bus.

And another first... Took advantage of bus riding with a little knitting time!

Okay, bedtime. I am completely pooped. I was actually really tired beginning around 7 and forced myself to stay awake. I just relaxed in the bath, had a glass of wine, will be calling the Mr. And then praying I can be asleep in the hour. I think I am finally starting to move to UK time. It's not been easy and I totally understand jet lag now... Unfortunately

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4500 miles from Delhi

2011-06-15T18:54:00.001-04:00

Today was an interesting day. I wen to bed last night feeling exhausted... Only I could not sleep. This is a new experience for me so after watching videos till 1am and feeling like a zombie I attempted to drift off... Which finally happened roughly 1 hour later. Not the best way to end the night. Damn jet lag caught up with m I suppose. Hopefully I can close the gap a little more tonight.

Refreshed myself with a shower and made my first cup of English tea in the kettle.

The shoes that nearly killed me in h 5 minute walk to the bus. (side note: I found this skirt on sale at NY&Co for $12 I think and it might be my new favorite piece of clothing! I feel like should be on Mad Men when I wear it.
Interesting note- Band-Aids are referred to as "plasters" I think... Might have been plastic... Don't remember. Will find out tomorrow.

After a great day at work- I am learning loads already! We went out to cocktails and dinner. 4500 miles from Delhi was a wonderful Indian restaurant. The King Prawns were spicy and amazing! And I tried Dahl Maculki which was amazing too. And the naan... So yummy.

Not many photos other than a hilarious photo of a colleague smoking next to a no smoking sign... But I did snap 2 from the neighborhood we were in.

Across the street from where we had cocktails... See the double decker?

And Delhi was down this road on the right. very sleek and modern decor. Quite busy for a Wednesday night also.

I am so lucky to have amazing colleagues who have welcomed me with open arms. I was also unexpectedly gifted with an Oxford University sweatshirt (they know how much Americans LOVE college shirts/sweatshirts even if we didn't go there! Haha guilty as charged !) and a guide book for Oxford. I can't wait to go exploring this weekend.

I am definitely stopping at Lush and Topshop!! And we drove by these ghost tree things that were absolutely stunning. I must go back and find them!

Until tomorrow... Night!

Blog Press is being a turd and not letting the photos post... I wil try and edit later.

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Firsts

2011-06-14T17:00:00.001-04:00

I have to be honest. I am still kind of in a fog. I still can't quite believe I am here and yet as I sit here at the table looking outside at 21:03, it is still light out and I can here the sounds of the city centre around me. It is still not quite real.

Today was a day of firsts yet again.

First double decker bus ride to my First day at work.
First lunch from the canteen. (jacket potato with cheese)
First free run around Oxford. 1.25 miles, not too shabby!
First random stop in at a restaurant to order "takeaway"
First time I had exact monies to pay! Though I looked like an idiot trying to find which one was the 20p coin.

And of course, some photos to share:

Breakfast and British Morning News

Kind of like first day of school!

A la Skinny Runner!

Not much space, but I made it work!

Random street markings. I will find out what they mean eventually... I know some but I have never seen these without a pedestrian crossing close by. Maybe I just missed it.

And with that, I am signing off, calling Mr. Buckeye and heading off to dreamland.

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Exploring Oxford. Day One

2011-06-13T16:33:00.002-04:00

I went walking a little bit today after Penny showed me around and before grabbing dinner and coming home. Even though it is just after 9:00, I am sitting here ready for bed and enjoying the fact that Glee is on! I can't wait for my head to hit the pillow though!

Of course I took tons of pics... I know blog readers love photos!

View from the Magdalen Bridge

Patisserie where I enjoyed a strawberry milkshake with Penny.

I found Lush! But I walked in an English chap called me "love" and told me they were closed for the night. I will return for some bath bombs!

Lovely arch

Inside a library courtyard

Get to know and love the self portrait- I will become a master!

This building was gorgeous!

Walking down high street. Taxi!

Siansbury's on The Plane... Where I bought groceries.

Okay that is enough for tonight.

Zzzzzzzzz.

Cheers from Oxford!

2011-06-13T10:14:00.001-04:00

I have arrived safe and sound.

No major issues save for one screeching toddler that seriously tested my plane rage capabilities.

Luckily the 2nd leg of the trip was without said toddler so I half enjoyed it. 2 inflight movies (just go with it and going the distance), a pasta dinner, 4 hour snooze, breakfast, 15 minutes of circling London before cleared to land and I have arrived.

I am unpacked, showered, and ready to go explore Oxford shortly.
(no worries I have someone going with me from work)

The view from my kitchen. Quite adorable I think.

Let the adventure begin!

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Fill in the Blank Friday!

2011-06-10T16:34:00.001-04:00

1. This weekend I'm Attending my first high school reunion- 10 years! With my husband, bestie, and her husband. Followed by heading to the airport because I leave Sunday for England! emotional weekend I am sure is coming my way!

2. My last vacation was Las Vegas and LA last year with friends. We go to Vegas every year... Except this year. bummer. .

3. My next vacation will be In August- Mr. Buckeye will be joining me for a week in Europe!.

4. My favorite way to relax is Knitting in the coma chair with a good chick flick on in the background.

5. When vacationing one should always Bring a camera! I bought an extra memory card for the summer! .

6. When vacationing one should never forget sunscreen!

7. The best part about a vacation is being able to see other environment and experience new things. Plus, it always makes you appreciate home even more when you get back. .

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Double whammy

2011-06-09T16:28:00.001-04:00

2 trips to the dentist, 1 follow up at the eye Dr...

No more Dr visits! I give!

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Home away from home

2011-06-07T09:30:00.001-04:00

First appt of the day... let's hope those clouds on my corneas have dissipated a bit. Otherwise I am screwed!

Update: I am better and not going blind. Another follow up on Thursday... I should just move into one of the rooms in the back for the week!

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Guilt

2011-06-06T16:24:00.001-04:00

I think she gets it and is making it her job to make me feel as guilty as possible for the next 6 days. She won't even look at me...

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Eye feel the burn!

2011-06-03T16:30:00.002-04:00

After having eye issues for the last week I had to break down and FO to the eye Dr. It turnaround out I have an infection and I can't wear my contacts till at least Tuesday. Fortunately she gave me these super stylish sun shields since the sun is bright enough to blind you without proper eye protection.

I understand if you mo longer want to be seen with me..

And $20 later for a bottle (steroids and antibiotics) the size of a thimble that make you feel like you have poured bleach in your eyes I am feeling like I would rather be stuck with hot pokers than use that stuff again.

What luck...10 days till I leave for Europe and this happens.

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Time for Change

2011-06-01T13:02:00.000-04:00

New projects in the 2buckeyes house!

My father in law has come down for the week and will be painting the trim and doors, my office/craft room, and the guest bath. Let's just hope I LOVE the colors I picked on the walls as much as I loved the swatches!

(And how awesome is Instagram??!! Man I wish there was an Android version of it. I'll just have to enjoy playing with it now that the Mr. surprised me with an IPAD2 as an early birthday gift so that I can take it with me to Europe this summer. ZOMG I leave in 12 days! Might be time to start packing??)

Today is National Running Day! I'll be running for sure. Who else is with me?

Happy Birthday

2011-05-24T21:24:00.000-04:00

To my little buddies Cade and Emerson!

I hope all of your amazing 4 year old birthday wishes come true-

Love you and miss you!

Leeshie

Sunny Sunday... for a change

2011-05-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

And thanks to Janelle I have something to do on this fabulous sunny day!

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UPDATE: That lasted all of an hour before a crash of thunder scared me back to reality. I posted that at 1:27pm. As of 2:30 It is now monsooning... again. Thank you Ohio, I was beginning to get worried since you gave us what appeared to be normal weather for a change.

2 x 4

2011-05-21T11:28:00.000-04:00

One week ago today we celebrated the birth of my 2 favorite little people.

Of course, their real birthday isn't for a couple more days, but they are currently in Florida celebrating in the fun and sun!

It was an absolute perfect day and of course Aunt Leeshie (that would be me) ran around like paparrazi and snapped up as many pics as I could.

Here are some of my favorites.

Fill in the Blank

2011-05-20T13:05:00.000-04:00

Wow, so apparently Blogger Droid App has been on the fritz and not posted anything in the last 2 weeks! I'll need to fix that soon!

Time for a little Fill in the Blank Friday. Hopefully I can answer all of the questions!

1. People always tell me I look like me. There have been random occasions where I'm told I look like someone but I never know who it is. When I was younger my Grandma used to tell me I looked like Brooke Shields... But I think the only similarilty was the eyebrows!

2. Friends don't let friends eat the entire pint by themselves. They grab a spoon and dig in with them!

3. A sunny day is perfect for a run at the happy place, followed by lounging on the patio with family and friends with a cold beverage and music playing.

4. My favorite accessory is jewelry: Wedding/Engagement Ring, Diamond Studs, Diamon circle necklace (all from the hubs) and my sterling heart locket necklace. Non- jewelry related, I can't get enough of small shawls and light scarves!

5. If I could afford it I would hire a personal chef to cook for me every day.

6. The cure for boredom is a new ball of yarn and a new pattern... or for the non-knitterly folk, a phone call to a good friend.

7. I am currently "in like" with fresh fruit. There was a ginormous bowl of it at the twin's birthday party and I was lucky enough to bring a bunch home. So fresh and sweet and tart and delicious! .

I'm a Reader

2011-05-06T19:22:00.001-04:00

Another one to add to the list. Just finished The Life and Times of Delila by Lindsay Klug. It's another vampire and werewolf story but the farthest from Twilight you could think of. This is her first publication and I couldn't be happier for her.

I don't do book reviews and Lord help me if I ever needed to write a book report again. However, I will say that the story as it unfolded was interesting and held my attention. I was nervous what I would think considering we are related (cousin in law) but in all honesty I liked it. If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable read; pick this up. Available in e-book format on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. She is also ridiculously hilarious and if you are on Twitter you should follow her. But only if you have a sense of humor and can handle swearing...@infidelqueen

Note: I purchased the book myself and Lindsay had no idea I would blog about it. My opinions are my own. kthxbai.

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A day at the Park

2011-05-02T13:57:00.001-04:00

The rain let up just long enough for us to enjoy some time outside.

Of course I had to bring along the camera and snap away.

We had tons of fun on the slides, swings, and running bases at the ball field

(FYI- Twisty slides as a 5'9 twenty something year old aren't nearly as much fun as when you were younger- in fact, it's slightly terrifying when you realize your super long legs prevent a smooth descent...and you think you might have snapped a femur on the way down)

Some of my favorites:

Announcement

2011-04-29T04:40:00.001-04:00

Well, considering all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding today and the fact that all eyes are looking towards London and the UK for the Royal Wedding this morning- I figured now is as good a time as ever to share some news that I have been holding on to for quite a while.

This buckeye will be spending most of her summer here:

Doesn't quite look like Cinci does it?
If you answered NO! - then you would be correct.

I'll be spending my summer in Oxford England!

I'm a Reader

2011-04-25T21:33:00.000-04:00

Well well well. Look at that.

I managed to add 4 books over the last 2 weeks!

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. Wish by Alexandra Bullen
3. Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins
4. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
5. The English American by Alison Larkin
6. Water for Elephants (Nook Book)
7. Sizzling Sixteen Janet Evanovich
8. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)- Audio Book
9. Mini-Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

I've got a couple more books going now as well. I picked up Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. I absolutely loved her book Firefly Lane so I'm hoping this is another awesome one. I also purchased my cousin's wife's new book The Life and Times of Delila and have started that as well.

On the knitting front, I ripped out what I had started of the 2nd sock because it just wasn't right. Come to find out I forgot to do the regular rows in between increases so my sock was large enough to go around a Clydesdale Hoof.

(Source)

I re-started and it's now much better. Amazing what reading directions correctly will do for you! I'm half way through the foot and hope to get to the heel tomorrow. Even better news- the socks are coming up pretty much as a matching pair! I only hope that continues through the heel. I love the tri-color primary effect I got on the first one.

Blessed

2011-04-24T15:34:00.000-04:00

We spent yesterday with our one (two?) and only niece and nephew.

Emme, Leeshie, Cade, oh- and Lady Twinkletoes's fabulous pink fingernails!

But not for long because we found out earlier this week that we will be getting a new little niece or nephew come Fall because the Sister-In-Law is pregnant!

So excited!

I'm a Reader

2011-04-19T19:41:00.000-04:00

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. Wish by Alexandra Bullen
3. Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins
4. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
5. The English American by Alison Larkin
6. Water for Elephants (Nook Book)
7. Sizzling Sixteen Janet Evanovich
8. Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman)- Audio Book

I loved BH2TW so much and I knew I would. I'm a religious reader of her blog and read the first part via her blog posts and fell in love. As an added bonus, the book was read by her which I think made it even more charming!

Picked up 2 more books at the library as well. The newest Shopaholic Book by Sophie Kinsella- Mini Shopoholic, and another book from Kristin Hannah called Winter Garden. (She is the author of one of the best books I've ever read- Firefly Lane)

In knitting news, I added to my stash today :)
I checked out a newer shop nearby and of course couldn't resist picking up some more sock yarn- which technically doesn't count as stash right?

Anyways, I got a skein of Cascade Heritage in a lovely teal blue color.

Source

And another skein of lovely Malibrigo Sock Yarn in a gorgeous Purple color

Source

Both are destined, I'm sure, to become lovely little shawls to add to my collection.

What say you?

I'm a Reader

2011-04-14T22:50:00.000-04:00

1. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
2. Wish by Alexandra Bullen
3. Mockingjay by Suzanna Collins
4. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
5. The English American by Alison Larkin
6. Water for Elephants (Nook Book)
7. Sizzling Sixteen Janet Evanovich

So I said I needed to buy a nook book and I did! And then I poured through it quickly. Water for Elephants was really good but definitely disturbing. I can't wait to see the movie but honestly I'm a little worried given certain scenes and the subject matter. I have a feeling PETA is going to have a field day with this one. But Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon? Yes Please!

Sizzling Sixteen was another great Stephanie Plum book by the awesome Lady Evanovich. I look forward to reading every one of these. Quick mindless reads that are entertaining and I love following the characters. Although I heard a rumor that it was going to be turned into a TV show or movie or something (the series... there are now 16? books?) and Stephanie Plum would be played by Katherine Heigl? I'm terribly dissapointed if that is the case. Although I really look forward to finding out who would take the part of Lula and who the dreamy Ranger would be.

Okay enough of that. I'm currently listening to The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummonds awesomely amazing Black Heels to Tractor Wheels as a book on tape (cd) I read the story on the blog and fell in love. it's an amazing love story and Ree is witty and charming. Plus, added bonus, she is the one reading the book!

I'll need to pick up another book at some point too. As always, leave suggestions down in the comments. I know I need to pick up Sarah Addison Allen's new book The Peach Keeper, and my cousin's wife Lindsey just had her first book published! The Life and Times of Delila only available via e-book and you can pick it up on amazon or barnes and noble. Check it out! Think vampires, werewolves... Twilight for adults maybe? I'm looking forward to it.

Awesome

2011-04-13T21:01:00.003-04:00

I had maybe the best run of the last few weeks today. I actually felt a smidge like a runner.

Background:
We have started running every Wednesday and Saturday. ("We" would be myself and the Mrs. K-Nun)
She helped me so much and supported me in the half marathon training and she totally rocked her goal to finish in under 2 hours! She has no desire to run another race, but she is more than willing to continue our weekly runs at the happy place. HOWEVER! We changed it up and have found a mini-happy place a little closer to home that now hosts Wednesday runs. It's a 1.4 mile loop around a pretty lake. 2 hills unfortunately but I guess it's a good thing to challenge us.

So this loop... I have yet to run a full loop. Until today that is.

I ran the first mile (including the 2 hills) followed by walking the last .4

I was ready for the 2nd loop and told myself I would run until K-Nun caught up to me. Ran the 2 hills... no K-Nun. I didn't see her till around the .8 mark. She got a little closer at the mile... and caught up with me shortly after. But I looked at her and said I was going to the end! I was so close! I even managed to pick it up for the last .1 and finished strong.

Total distance: 2.8 miles. Total ran: 2.4 miles

I was definitely out of breath in the end but the awesome feeling finally found me today.

And oh what a feeling.

Post run was "fend for yourself" for dinner.

Rather than running to grab fast food, which is what I really wanted to do... and rather than eating an entire package of noodles by myself, I had a serving of noodles, cooked some chicken on the stove, and made a dinner salad! (Romaine, Tomatoes, Feta, Cucumbers, Pickles- a la Skinny Runner, and Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing) I couldn't even finish the salad. It was a little too big.

All in all it was a good day tater.