goodbye january!

i have never been so happy to see a month OVER!

january was a tough month.  i had such high hopes the end of december that i would start a clean slate.

i would accomplish things.

however, that hasn't been the case.  i feel like a whole month is gone.

so, where does that leave me now?  well, january may be over, but february is here and everything is made new again.  time to get down to business.

time to focus on my diet and health.

time to tuck away a few dollars.

time to make more time for those closest to me.

 and most of all time to smile through the tough times and realize all things happen for a reason.

soooo.....did anyone else have beautiful weather this past weekend?

it was in the 70's here!

my soul is aching for spring and this weekend was just a tease.

i did manage to sneak in some yummy treats and discover a fabulous new place.

books and breadboard.

it's a small artisan deli inside a local bookstore.

a novel idea right?

we had this delightful cheese board.

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an evening should always end with a cupcake.



bake it pretty

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i discovered a wonderful bake shop in downtown asheville a couple weekends ago.

bake it pretty.

they have some of the cutest things for cupcakes and decorating.  i've already made a list of things i want next time i'm in town.

it's a delightfully wonderful place and there's always great shopping music on too!



celebrating

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i had a celebratory day with a couple of our pals in downtown asheville.

we spent the entire day bouncing around this curious city and discovering new places.  we had lunch at the green sage cafe.  it was yummy.  i had the cowbow quiche that had black beans in it and was layered beautifully.

we browsed around galleries, had coffee at old europe, and ended the night at the french broad chocolate lounge nibbling on truffles.  i had the cosmic love truffle with a rose petal on top.

it was a blissful celebration.

beof bourignon

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my hubby and i had MLK day off and so i decided to get creative in the kitchen.

i made beof bourignon and not just any beof bourignon, but julia child's beof bourignon.

and let me say...it was nothing short of amazing!

i'm somewhat, only somewhat, obsessed with french food and the romanticism of france since seeing julie and julia last year.  i own the movie and have only watched it a few dozen times.

meryl streep played a brilliant part in the movie and always makes me smile throughout.

i bought mastering the art of french cooking.  it's a classic and the first recipe i made sure to try, definitely not the last, was her beof bourignon.

it did not fail to impress me.  i cannot wait to "master" more of her recipes.

any suggestions?

early girl eatery

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sunday the hubs and i spent the day wandering around asheville and discovering new oddities about the city we adore.  one new discovery in particular, we had a late lunch at the early girl eatery.  there was quite a wait but it was so worth it!  we shared a whole wheat pancake to begin with and i had a country breakfast with sausage, eggs, and home fries.  oh and we can't forget the biscuit with their homemade blackberry jam!

i love sharing meals with the ones i love and this place definitely has my stamp of approval.

celebrations and resolutions

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i celebrated by 30th birthday by being snowed in.  it was honestly comforting and relaxing.

my dad came to pick me up so i wouldn't have to drive in the icy mess and my mom cooked a wonderful birthday meal with cake!

i was glad to see the sparkly sun melt away some of the snow and it glistened so bright on the ground.

now, i think i'm ready to think about my new year's resolutions.

these are in no particular order, just small steps to accomplish a few goals this year.

1. wear red lipstick. i bought a tube before christmas and have not been brave enough to wear it.

2. exercise regularly. i always resolve to lose weight so maybe if i just make a habit to exercise and not focus on seeing results, it might be a bit easier.

3. learn the art of baking.

4. get back into hiking. plain and simple. seek nature.

5. read the stacks of books i have.

6. simplify and organize. hello yardsales!

7. drink more water.

8. ride my bike.

9. set up an etsy shop. i've got lots of ideas!

10. breathe. just slow down and breathe.

none of these are drastic and by no means unattainable.

i can do this!



the big 3-0!

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today i turn thirty.

this age has hit me a lot harder than i thought it would.

twenty-five was a good age.  i lost track of how old i was between 26 and 28.

29 was good until december when i realized i only had one more month of my twenties.

and now it's here.  THIRTY!

i prefer to inform people that i am celebrating my first anniversary of my 29th birthday.

well at least it's a good enough reason to eat a cupcake or two!

snow day.

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it's a snow day!

can't say much...it's time to play!

weekend.

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this weekend we discovered a new coffee shop downtown.

the coffee bar and inside is cakehead bakeshop which sells delightful baked goodies.

i think it's gonna be a new hangout spot.

also right next door is a small local bookstore.

3 of my favorite things right there together in one place: coffee, treats, and books!

home.

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just a little glimpse into our home and a few of the little things that have meaning to me.

1. old taffy tin

2. handmade birdhouse ornament, antique rooster pitcher (wedding gift), and old snuff jar

3. antique milk stool from my mom

4. cozy living room

5. my jewelry nook with old glass bottles and brass owl earring holder

6. lovely yellow kettle from the hubby for christmas

7. antique quirky pillows with all the colors i love

happy weekend!

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it's the weekend again!

i could not be more excited.  what have you got planned?

i'm hoping to discover a new local coffeehouse and catch up on my reading.

some time will be spent grocery shopping at trader joe's (a newly discovered place too).

is it odd that i secretly enjoy grocery shopping? 

 does anyone else get excited when strolling aisles lined with food?

i hope to have my mother-in-law over for lunch on sunday.  her birthday is this weekend so i need to do a little shopping for her as well.

i hope you all have a beautiful weekend.  we are supposed to get some wintery weather that i hope will carry into next week!

cats and bread.

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i had twelve days off from work to celebrate the holidays.

it was a whirlwind and flew by so quick.  i would give anything to have just one more day.

the last day of my vacation i did have to go into the office for a few hours but i resolved to come straight home and spend some time relaxing and baking.

the kitties decided to relax too, a little more than me.

one of my favorite christmas gifts was from my mom and it was a cuisinart food processor.

such a wonderful surprise!  i made my first loaf of homemade wheat bread and it was so easy.

and ever so yummy!  i cannot wait to make lots more loaves.

what will this year bring?

ok.  so i've thought about my resolutions for the new year.

only a little bit though.  it seems every january when a new year rolls around, i'm motivated, i'm ready to dive right into plans and goals for the "new" year.

this year, not so much.  i'm not feeling as driven as i should.

partly because i see obstacles hindering me from starting my diet or from adding to our savings account.

what hinderances you ask?

how about the 5 bags of candy hiding in the pantry that i can't bare to see go to waste.

or the fact that this coming week will be stressful at work and i will be working til late in the evening and can't plan and cook a healthy meal for me and the hubs.

add to that, my birthday is next week (the big 30) and of course there will be cake. 

there's always cake right?

and starting a savings account?  psh!  how about a microwave that quits on new years day? a car that needs a set of new tires and some minor, but still drivable, issues that need fixing.

yeah, i know in retrospect, these "problems" could be alot worse and they aren't nearly as complex as what others are going throught right now. 

i'm blessed beyond compare.

i have a loving family, a nice house, i'm warm, and have pretty much all my needs met and two cute kitties to boot!

so tomorrow will be a new day and i will take each one day by day.

happy new year.

new year.

happy new year to you all!!!

what are your resolutions/goals?

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we rang in the new year with dear friends at the french broad chocolate lounge in asheville.

what a great way to start 2011!