Finding My Rainbow After the Storm

The Return of the Little Letters...

2011-03-05T10:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Straight Down golf tourney, don't even ask how I ended up caddying all weekend, but let's just say it was the best decision I made all Fall.

Dear Mom and Dad, no matter where you live, it will always be HOME to me.

Dear Holidays, I just LOVE you.

Dear Brett, thanks for bringing us doughnuts...IN bed.

Dear Daddy, I want your 4Runner...that is all.

Dear Pecan Grove, driving down the streets and seeing all the houses lit up makes even 70 degree Texas weather feel like Christmas.

Dear Papa Archie, I'm so sorry we put you through another year of Robinson sibling antics at Hunan Garden... one of these days we'll grow up. Maybe.

Dear Texas December, best month of the year.

Dear Trish, you have and always will be my 3rd sister.

Dear Mom, you pretty much define amazing.

Dear sisters, we are so different, yet so much the same. I love you both for more reasons than I could ever count.

And this is one of them.

Dear Longboard Cafe, margaritas pierside could not be a better idea.

Dear ruffles, I really love you.

Dear Em, sweet photo bomb.

Dear Robinson ladies, you pretty much rock my world.

Dear God, thank you for creating a world full of this type of stunning beauty.

Dear Peppy, thank you for being the best little traveler EVER.

Dear oceanside street fair, please and thank you.

Dear Santa Barbara, what is UP with these trees?

Dear Fess Parker, your resort's pool isn't a shabby way to spend Valentine's weekend.

Dear 101 road trips, I just can't get enough.

Dear "No Pet" Policies, ...about that.

Dear Pepper, I figured you'd like hotel sheets and black out curtains just as much as your Mommy does.

Dear California, I just can't get enough of you. A lot of people have asked if I'm going to pack up and head back to DC or even Texas, but there's no way I could bring myself to leave this place unless I absolutely had to.

Dear "All Department Work Weekend", #not a fan.

Dear Margaritas, you got me through Saturday afternoon.

And Dear Stillwaters Cab Franc, you got me through Sunday.

Dear Bladerunner Salon, you knew exactly what I needed.

And Ben, you REALLY did! :)

And last but not least...

Dear Sweet Readers, thank you SO MUCH for the sweet comments, emails, and messages after my last post. It's people like you that keep THIS smile just as bright as the California sunshine.

For Someone Who Doesn't Like Lemonade...

2011-02-26T21:09:00.000-08:00

I've sure had to make a lot of it this past year.

We moved clear across the country for a job I lost exactly 5 months later. I found another great, full time job soon thereafter, which went through huge management changes and overturned the entire staff 4 months after I started. Then, I went two months desperately searching for work, in an area that is EXQUISITELY beautiful and amazing, yet extremely lacking any sort of job market. During that time, I was offered an incredible opportunity to move back to Ireland which I turned down because Kiel was in such a good place with his company here; one of the hardest decisions I've ever made. Then, two months later, Kiel and I separated. I wish I could say that it was a mutual decision and we came to it on amicable terms, but I just can't. I do not believe that marriage is something you can "decide" isn't for you; that's not how I was raised nor how I want to live my life. Marriage is not always easy, but compromise and selflessness are small prices to pay for what can and should be the most rewarding gift. If things aren't how you like them, you make changes. If something is broken, you fix it. To make a long, emotional, painful, and astonishing story short: both spouses need to make changes and make those fixes. Unfortunately for me and my marriage, that was not the case.

I'm not writing this blog to ask for sympathy or to bad mouth anyone; I simply felt the need (and push by SO MANY of you) to resurface and clear the air.

Since November, I have been living with a friend who is more understanding and sympathetic to this situation than I ever could have imagined and having her to talk to and share with has helped me in more ways than I could ever list. I have surrounded myself with people who are positive and happy and continuously remind me that I am going to make it out of this not just alive, but so much better than before. I started working for a large, well-known insurance brokerage in October, and by diving headfirst into my job with such an enhanced passion for success I have seen so many new and exciting opportunities for my career. To say I have been blessed these past few months is an understatement. What could and should be the lowest time in my life has turned into one of the happiest, and I have SO many people to thank for that.

I'd like to be able to say I'm going to get back to blogging regularly, but I just don't know if I can. I really am trying to take this time to focus more on enjoying my life and BEING happy than making sure to document every moment and making sure to fill my days with activities and events that are blog-worthy. I went back through months and months of my old posts, and after reading all of the fun stuff we DID, it was easy to see how I could have overlooked the way that we FELT. It's hard to see that your marriage isn't what it should be when you spend every waking minute planning fun things to do and places to go. As they say, you live and you learn.

And add just enough sugar.

Have a Happy Halloweekend!

2010-10-28T15:24:00.003-07:00

I'm about to finish up the work day and head down to LA to board a limo to take our group of friends to Vegas, but I'd thought I'd leave you with a little love...

It's safe to say this picture is one of my all-time Pep favorites.

cold toes|hot oven

2010-10-17T16:15:00.007-07:00

How is it already Saturday and I'm still working on this post I started LAST Sunday. Blog fail.

We were having a true to Fall weekend here in SLO; drizzly, overcast, cool, and windy. Living on the Central Coast, we don't see many days like this, so it's nice to take the opportunity to cozy up and slow down. I curled up in one of my favorite "snuggly" blankets with a steaming cup of tea and relished the scent of pumpkin wafting through our Cali cottage. I baked up SIX dozen amazing pumpkin cookies- and let me tell you, they were amazing. And.They.Are.All.Gone. Yep. AND, I may or may not have licked the bowl I mixed the icing in, it was that good. Try them, you'll understand. And the icing was definitely the icing on the cake, pun intended. I melted some butter and brown sugar on the stove, then mixed in a bit of milk, vanilla, and confectioners sugar until it formed a delicious brown butter glaze. Sorry thighs.

1 cup unsalted butter (I always sub "Apples and Prunes" baby food instead)
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, more if you'd like a more spicy cookie!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter (or baby food) and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pie spice. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Drop by teaspoonful onto baking sheet (I used my SilPat and they came out perect), about 2 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool. *note: these are pretty cake-like cookies, so making them small keeps them from turning too muffin-like.

Oh, and I can't forget the best part...the icing:

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter (don't try to make this healthy...not worth it)
2 Tablespoons milk
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
5/8 Tsp pure vanilla (one quarter + one eighth)
1/2 C of confectioner's sugar

Melt butter and brown sugar together in small saucepan. Remove from heat and add milk, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar; mix well. Dip the COOLED cookies upside down into the icing and allow to set before serving. Don't forget the MOST IMPORTANT STEP: licking the bowl. You won't regret it.

This kind of weather has me welcoming extra time in the kitchen; standing over the stove with my legs agaist the warmth of the oven door...ahhh, heavenly. I decided to try one of our favorite restaurant dishes out at home with some healthy renovations (hey, I have to make up for those cookies somehow) and I think I found a new favorite. When we moved here, we both swore we didn't like "Indian" food- and yes, to us, anything curried was considered in that category. At our first experience dining at Novo (now our FAVORITE), we were talked into trying the Thai green curry. AND, we fell in love. Something about the perfect combination of coconut milk, lime, and cilantro had me head over heels. If you'd like to take a reduced-guilt version out for a spin, I HIGHLY recommend this easy recipe!

1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
jalapeno pepper to taste, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons curry powder, preferably Madras
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Sea Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Saute onion and bell pepper in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, curry powder, garlic; cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and add evaporated skim milk and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring to prevent scorching. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and curled, 10 to 12 minutes.

Combine lime juice and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Add to the shrimp mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve over brown basmati rice. Enjoy!!

"So, when are you going to start sharing these goodies with ME, Mom?"

My 100 26 Things...

2010-10-12T10:37:00.014-07:00

I've seen a lot of bloggers tackle the big "100 Things About Me" list that's going around...yeah, not going to happen here, folks. Not that I don't like sharing, it's just that my blog has already made my life such an open book I couldn't think of 100 things you don't already know about me if I tried.

Soooo

I thought I'd revisit this post from exactly a year ago and re-do the ABC's of me. I think 26 sounds a lot easier to tackle AND it gives letters for starting points- double bonus! Here goes:

A- Alabama WHO?!?!?! Oh. My. Goodness. The insanity that was last Saturday's win against the #1 team in the country can't be properly described in this post. I have never before watched a game so intently...Kathryn, I know you're shaking your head at me. It was just THAT amazing of a win. (You KNOW I couldn't do a whole post without gloating, just a little!) B- If anyone in the Houston area is hiring mechanical engineers, I know a great candidate in Brett Robinson. My little bro is currently looking for work, so if you know of anything, please hook a sister up!

C- I am trying my hand at some Fall crafts this year and, shockingly, none of them turn out as awesome as I've hoped. Here's to next year!

D- Our poor, sweet dog, decked out in her witch getup, which she hates.

E- I could NOT be more excited about the engagement of one of my very best friends last weekend. My college buddy/former roomie/dc partner in crime proposed to his wonderful girlfriend Courtney and I just am over the moon thrilled. I can't think of anyone who would be a better fit for Dave, and I can't wait until their wedding next fall!

F- I've always said winter is my favorite time of year (yes, even when living in DC), but I'm slowly warming up to Fall. The leaves, the scents, the food, the anticipation of the holidays right around the corner...I'm smitten!G- I'll use this as an opportunity to send a birthday shout out to my sweet Grammy! Happy Birthday Charlotte Rebecca Robinson! xoxo

H- I am so excited for Kiel and I to go as Adam&Eve for Halloween this year. My costume should arrive by mail this week, and maybe if I stop eating for a few days, it will fit.

I- This should come as no surprise, but I'm pretty obsessed with all things Irish. A few days after I got back from our trip, these little gems may or may not have found their way into my shopping cart. That cheese may or may not have disappeared within a few hours.J- Probably the funniest text I've ever received in my life came on Saturday from Jerry Hughes. I asked if he missed sporting purple on gamedays, and he replied "Naw...purple made me look fat." I AM NOT JOKING.

K- If you like Kettle Corn as much as I do, you MUST try the kind from Popcorn, Indiana. They sell it in red bags at CVS and Costco, and it's the same company as Dale&Thomas, so you know it's awesome. It's not too syrupy sweet the way some kettle corn is and has the PERFECT amount of salt. Try it, you'll like it.

L- We are spending Halloween weekend in Las Vegas! I am SO excited- not only have I never been, but apparently Halloween is kind of a big deal there. Who knew!? Kiel's buddy is treating us (yes, you heard that right) to this trip; including the drive to Vegas in a limo, a stay at the Mirage, tickets to "O", and partying at the Hard Rock's Halloween Ball. We are beyond blessed by his generosity.

M- I can't even look at the letter "m" and think of anything other than "Mom" or "Mary Beth"... I am so incredibly lucky to have such a selfless and caring person in my life to aspire to become.

N- Rekindling my hot romance with Netflix=most awesome idea ever. Movie+couch+wine+snuggles=perfection.

O- my darling blogging friend Haley gave birth to precious baby Owen last week...check out her adorable blog and HOPEFULLY there will be some baby pics up there soon. He is just toooo cute!

P- I am currently obsessed with all things Pumpkin; lattes, muffins, bread, pie, candles, lotion, etc. Even the color, which looks awful on me. LOVE IT.
Q- I have yet to find a place here in SLO that makes some really amazing queso. Or, I'm just so enamored with Ruthie's, nothing else can compare.

R- I've been working really hard to get back into running. I used to run almost every single day, but after a long vacation it's SO HARD to get back into it!

S- Sweet Mer once again hosted her annual Scarf Swap! I was paired with the adorable Abby and received this beauty, which not only is full of my favorite color (red), but also matches my orange riding boots perfectly!

I sent miss Abby this cute kiwi and cornflower scarf that I just thought was too cute to pass up!

T- Um, is anyone else loving the Fall TV lineup? Between SisterWives, RHofDC, Outsourced, Running Wilde, and S#*! My Dad Says, our DVR is becoming more full than Lindsey Lohan's rehab passport.

U- I'm pretty sure Montana de Oro offers the ultimate view of the Central Coast.

V- Have I mentioned that I adore visitors? Especially the "you shouldn't have moved" kind from DC... :) I think after ten months of convincing, they finally see why we love it here.
W- I am so looking forward to spending Thanksgiving weekend up in Portland. Kiel's mom is entertainer extraordinaire and cannot wait to eat not ONE single healthy thing!

X- Uhhh...these new Caramel VIA packets from the 'Buck are pretty yummy, and I'm pretty sure they contain Xanthan gum. Oh yeah, that's a stretch.

Y- I live here. You should be jealous. And come visit. Z- We even have zebra here. No, not joking- check out Hearst Castle.

This post has taken me the entire day already, so it's about dang time I wrap it up and head to bed. I hope everyone is having a great week so far and I'm looking forward to read a few things about each of you!

More Joy Than I Can Put Into Words...

2010-10-04T10:38:00.011-07:00

I've been seriously stalling when it comes to posting on Mom and I's trip around Ireland. It's not that I don't have stories to tell, things to say, pictures to share, details to divulge; no, that's not it at all. It's just... I know there is no possible way I could put into words how much this trip meant to me and how much the time spent one on one with my mother filled a void I never even knew existed.

I love being from a big family and couldn't imagine a single day without one of my siblings. I love the hustle and bustle of being "home"; friends in through the back door, my brother and sisters sharing the details of their ever-changing lives, my mom running a thousand miles a minute. However, the opposite end of this large-family spectrum? Individual face-time with our parents came few and far between. I remember back to when I was a little girl and feeling so special on my birthday when the babysitter would come and I would be leaving for a date-night alone with my parents! (I also remember my siblings' birthdays, when I'd be overcome with jealousy when they did the same!) Fast forward to present day and, even though we're grown, it's pretty much the same. Oh, except nowadays I bring home my husband to add to the group! :) So when I say this trip meant a lot to me, besides the fact we were going to explore my favorite country ever, I mean that the uninterrupted time spent with my mom-regardless of where we were- for EIGHT straight days, was absolutely priceless. We leaned in together on the flight up to Atlanta and just got giddy and said "we haven't spent this much time alone together in over TWENTY YEARS!" We then immediately followed that up with "I hope we don't kill each other!"

While there was SO MUCH I could share about the trip, I'll just leave you with some of my favorite details.

I am directionally challenged. I've known this for as long as I can remember. What I didn't know? I received my impeccable gift for getting lost a block from my own home from my dear old mum. We opted out of the GPS in the rental car because we didn't want to wait for one to be returned, didn't have access to MapQuest, and only had the resource of a map-of the COUNTRY-for direction. Let's just say we renamed the trip to "The Blonde Leading the Blonde Tour 2010". It took us about an hour to get from the airport to the hotel because we didn't have a street map and none of the roads in Dublin's city centre are marked. It was that easy.

To revisit the first point: we got lost. A lot. And we laughed a lot in the process. We stumbled upon things we never would have with perfect directions; ruined castles, fisherman's wharfs, the backyard of someone's beautiful country home. We asked over 10 people a day for directions, laughing with them at our American stupidity and reliance on technology to know which end is up.
My mom is my favorite traveling partner- ever. She gets a lot of flack from people for being as outgoing and social as she is; striking up conversations with anyone she meets and learning their life story in the process. My Dad's long running joke when she'd come home and say how she met a nice woman at the post office is "So...where's she from? How many siblings? What does her husband's sister do for a living?" Yeah, we poke fun. But when you flip this, and you're standing in a country where EVERYONE is JUST.LIKE.THAT? We made a lot of friends, learned so much about the culture, got amazing tips from the locals, and just had a grand time.

Our trip consisted of a lot of driving- going from the East Coast in Dublin, to the West Coast in County Mayo, down south to Limerick, and back to Dublin. All while stopping at every little village we could in between. The cute country roads would wind through little towns that were made up only of a few houses, a church, and a pub. Since this was a really unstructured trip, we'd just stop where we wanted, having a steaming bowl of chowder and a pint of the ruby stuff as our little hearts' desired. We'd sit at the bar and chat with the locals and find out information about the area and what "must see" things we should add to our list. It was a really awesome way to travel.

Irish men LOVED my mother. Holy hell, she was Miss Popular for sure! I think she just has such a way of connecting with everyone she speaks with...but they all loved her. And NO ONE believed she was my mom, which had her hysterical. Our favorite was a gent named Niall in Castlebar who had been in a golf tournament for half the day and drinking with his mates for the other half. When I said "Oh, this is my mom" he looked at her, in utter shock, and said "You lyin' bitch!" Now, if a man in a bar HERE had said that to me or my mom, he would have been met with a swift kick to the chin. However, in his slurred Irish brogue, it just sent my mom and I into a fit of laughter, because he didn't mean it to be offensive- he was just that shocked. 50 in Ireland doesn't look exactly the same as 50 in the US. I definitely couldn't be mad at him considering he then asked for Kiel's number, and CALLED HIM, from his cell phone at 2am to ask my Mom's real age. I think that $100 cell bill should teach him lesson enough. :)
My mom is a machine and doesn't need more than 4 hours of sleep a night. I was exhausted; getting back to our room at wee hours of the morning and then being woken up at 7 or 7:30? Who does that?!?! We'd be at the pub/hotel lounge and I'd be begging to go to bed and she'd be the one asking for "a few more minutes"!!! I am officially the loser in that relationship. I owe my dear old friend caffeine a big shout out for getting me through the week. We laughed knowing my Dad was looking at the credit card statement and thinking it had been stolen because there was no way anyone would make FIVE latte stops a day. Oh, challenge accepted and dominated, Mr. Robinson.

Don't ever fly direct from Paris to Houston. Unless, of course, you'd like to take a tour out your window of England,Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and the entire MidWest. 6 hours there, 11 hours back...you do the math. But hey, I've always wanted to see the Arctic Ocean. Oh wait, no I haven't. :)
This video makes my heart so happy. At the Traditional Irish Night at Bunratty Castle near Limerick...

For the full picture recap from the trip, you can look here.

And, I'm proud to say, we definitely did NOT kill each other.

This was our first night in Dublin, at The Temple Bar pub, where live music and cold Guinness are a standard Tuesday fare.

Look Who's Back, Back Again

2010-09-27T15:33:00.006-07:00

Ahhh yes, I have returned to the blogging world. While I've been home for almost a week now, I've been in post-procrastination mode for two reasons: first, 12 hours after I touched down we had DC friends at Casa de Andersen and second, I honestly don't even know where to begin.

Since quite a bit has happened since September 8th, I figured I'd spare you all a three-hour blog read and just break it down a bit. Let's start with our weekend in Htizzle...

Kiel and I headed down to Santa Barbara for our flight, enjoying insanely gorgeous coastline and incredibly delicious CoffeeBean along the way. While Santa Barbara is a little over an hour from our house, I always welcome flights out of SBA because we pass the CoffeeBean&TeaLeaf, which I believe is God's gift to coffee lovers. Landing in Houston, and seeing my mom waving from across the TSA check point, is probably one of my favorite feelings in the whole world. No matter how many times I've told her just to wait in the car, she never fails. My Dad and Em met us for dinner and we shared laughter over a great bottle of wine that I convinced the waitress to let us open in the restaurant. The poor girl hadn't even heard of a "corkage fee"; it's safe to say I'll do anything for a good Cali red. :)x

Saturday morning, Trish came down bright and early so I could get some sweet snuggle time with precious little Phoebe. I'm honestly still trying to get used to the fact my bff is now a MOM, it was so awesome seeing her with her baby girl and witnessing first-hand how much she's changed. Mom and I then did a little last-minute trip shopping, watched my Gamecocks WIN, and welcomed Brett home from his looong drive down from Milwaukee! All Brettster had been clamoring for was a trip to Ruthie's, so we headed out for what was probably the most entertaining dinner of my life. Between Brett and EJ acting so "in love" celebrating their "anniversary fajitas", my Dad throwing out some of his Archie-isms, Mom getting "sooo sleepy" from her one margarita, and Kiel being his typical gullible self, I got an ab workout from all of the laughter. Which was a good thing, considering I ate my weight in queso and guac. God doesn't let us choose which family we are born into, but even if I had a choice, I wouldn't have picked any differently.
I got up at the crack of dawn on Sunday to put my Bachelor's in Tailgating degree to good use and whipped up some 5-layer dip, breakfast biscuit sandwiches, honey biscuits, and margaritas for the Colts/Texans game. I think the best part was Brett micromanaging my "ham biscuits" and letting me know I don't make them as well as the ones in South Carolina. I let him stay with us for ONE lousy football game (just so happened to be the one in Clemson where the teams went ghetto and started beating on one another mid-game) and now he thinks he's an expert on the subject of Southern game grub?!

Back to the game:

Houston gets hot. I know this, I lived in that city for almost six years. But STILL, holy hell it gets HOT, and the morning of the game was no different. Within minutes of setting up at the tailgate, I looked like I had been doused for a wet t-shirt contest. 100 degree temps with 90% humidity=one miserable mamasita. It didn't help matters that everyone decides to GRILL in this heat, just adding suffocating, hot smoke to the mix. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE food, but there is NOTHING on this planet worth eating that would force me to stand over molten coals in scorching temps to cook. NOTHING. Oh, and it was so dang hot that no one really even ate anything, not my dip, not my biscuits, not the Hilshire Farms factory lineup coming off of the grill, nothing. It was too hot for BEER, people. Our case was still full, the only thing going like hotcakes were the bottles of water. Misery.
Usually, it's the tailgate, not the actual game, that excites me in regards to sporting events. Not today. The thought of the ice cold, chill-inducing AIR CONDITIONING inside Reliant Stadium had me racing for the stands faster than *some running back's name* racing for a touchdown at *some football stadium* against *some opposing team*. Yeah, I'm so down with my football lingo.

Back to the game

Well, it kind of sucked. Jerry was told he'd sit out the first two games, the visiting team family seats were in the bleeds, we got boo'ed and harassed by EVERY Texans fan in sight, and the Colts ended up losing. *grumble grumble* As we unhappily descended the stairs, we get met at the bottom by a HUGE man in a suit asking for the "Hughes Family"...sure, I look just like Jerry, I can pull this off. After getting some fancy schmancy passes to the "Family Waiting Area", we walked into what I am fully convinced was Kiel's version on Heaven. Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, Joseph Addai, and some guy I'd never heard of named Peyton Manning were just mingling around with everyone. Kiel was honestly like a little kid in a candy store, so star struck, just walking around taking pictures of (not WITH) everyone he could. I, on the other hand, just walked up to Mr. Manning (since I heard he's kind of big time) and asked him to sign my jersey, football, program, ticket stub. FAIL. Whatevs, I told him he had a great game and did awesome things for my husband's fantasy with his 491 passing yards. Lauren busting out football stats- BOOYAH! Good thing I was eavesdropping on the Garcon family's conversation or that could have been an awkward moment: "So, about not winning today..."

We rode the post-game high straight to BJ's for dinner (by this time, our not having eaten because of the heat was catching up to us and we were FAMISHED) and had to deal with yet ANOTHER round of people rubbing in our blue-and-white clad faces that the Colts had lost. It's okay, because this time I just said "well yeah, but I got to meet Peyton Manning..." and they shut up, real fast. I wonder how much spit ended up on my pizza?

The rest of the evening was spent watching my Dad "hip check" my mom (if I had caught this on video, none of us would ever have to work again), Brett MacGyver the crap out of my suitcase, Mom procrastinate packing, and Kiel pass out on the couch while the rest of the family was busy making fun of Emily in my parent's room.

All in all, we can just say that the weekend was a "great success".

Wrap it Up

2010-09-08T07:22:00.006-07:00

With the onset of football season comes the reminder that "summer", for the Andersens, is over. Granted, the weather will stay pretty much the same until December or so, and I can still head to the beach whenever I wish, so I guess I should say my season of "summer companionship" with my husband is over.

Scratching you head, dear reader? Just watch and learn.

Two weekends ago (pre-football):

Friday night brought us to Edna Valley Vineyards for their annual "Movies Under the Stars" to watch Back to the Future...and yes, that IS a Delorean parked out front. Don't even ask. Young Michael J. Fox is definitely worth wrapping ourselves in jackets, scarves, and blankets for a few hours in the chilly evening air. The bottle of Edna Valley V didn't hurt either.

The next morning, we were up bright and early to head to Arroyo Seco a few hours north for a day falling on my ass hiking through the freezing cold brisk river.
After an evening off semi-homemade pizza, good wine, and fun games at Sterling and Roxan's lake house, we headed home the next morning to make it to Kiel's company picnic. Maybe we're a tad biased, but we definitely think we had the cutest child there.

Out for a walk around Shell Beach, I found the house I can finally see myself settling down in. For the low, low price of $6.5M, you too can have a 4bedroom pad overlooking the ocean. (And no, the house isn't on fire...that's just the remainder of the morning fog on the mountain.)

So now, let's fast forward to last weekend:

Where this

Served as the center of Kiel's universe. Yes, those are the games he watched on SATURDAY. All of them. Notice the way he meticulously listed them out, hour by hour, so he could make sure to capitalize on any commercial time by switching to the right channel to catch the score of another game. I mean, I guess the list was a good idea because the world would come to a screeching halt if he had missed the Cincinnati/Fresno State game. I mean, considering he knows no one on those teams, at the schools, or even alums of those schools, who could fathom him missing a game like THAT?!?!

So, what do I do for fun myself? I eat.

Thanks to Molly's amazing recipe, I made my own little version of her "Plum Cake" with strawberries in lieu of the plums. Survey says: AMAZING! :) If you like to bake/cook/read amazing writing, you should seriously check out her blog. I was introduced to it through a colleague a few years ago, and her story of culinary school dreams shattered by a loss of smell following a car accident just moved me.

Saturday, I escaped the ESPN sound stage that had become of our living room, and headed with my friend Renee to catch Eat.Pray.Love. at the local theater. During the scenes in Italy, my mouth was literally watering; how I wanted to transport myself to that dinner table and enjoy every cheesy, saucy, slice of goodness right there with Liz in Naples. So, after the flick ended, what did we do? (Well, we walked around Sephora and played and shopped for an hour, but after that...) We grabbed a nice little table al fresco under the heater at Palazzo Guissepe and promptly ordered Italian wine. Then we ordered a super thin crust, wood-fired pizza. Topped with crisp fried eggplant. Drizzled in olive oil. Healthy, right? Oh, and if you've seen the movie, you may remember the scene where she cuts into the fried zucchini blossom and the cheese goes oozing out onto her plate. Yeah, we may or may not have ordered a few of those. Heaven.

Sunday, I escaped once again (all the games he missed on Saturday were DVR'ed to be watched Sunday) and headed down to Nipomo to have a nice girls day with Sandee and our pups. Luckily, the amazing brunch and delicious wine made up for the insanely bad "Backup Plan". I'm sorry, but WHO approved the part of the script where she takes this dude on like their THIRD date to her OB appointment, complete with vaginal ultrasound, and he's just sitting there next to her while she's in stirrups like they're in a bar?!?! Um, how realistic. J-Lo movie FAIL.

Labor Day was uneventful (you know, because K spent the day watching DVR'ed HIGH SCHOOL football, no I'm not joking), until I flipped on DDD and saw one of my favorite people on screen. No, not the blonde making the unfortunate face, but the brunette behind her ON HER BLACKBERRY. Way to make your television debut, Deebs...next time, let's try looking a tad less interested, okay? :) In your defense, that burger looked friggin' gross. Also in your defense? I think you were bbm'ing me.

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. If anyone would like to come out to California and finish my packing (both for my weekend in Houston and week in Ireland, thank you) for me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Flashback

2010-09-02T10:11:00.005-07:00

Today is the official kickoff to the start of college football season, a formal holiday as celebrated by my husband. Now, as I've divulged in the past, football season in general leaves me widowed for months on end. I have explained my absolute dread for the Fall, knowing that it would bring months on end of constant cheering, yelling, and couch-dwelling for my significant other. This year is no different; I know from today until February I have lost my husband on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and whatever random days they stick games these days. I know this, I'm prepared for it...but it doesn't make it suck any less.

However...

Today is also the first home game for my South Carolina Gamecocks. I don't know yet what it was, but I was flashed straight back to this exact same day, eight years ago, when I attended my first game sporting Garnet and Black. I remember as we stocked up days before at the bookstore, grabbing anything and everything we could to rep' our team. I remember the day of the game, pressing temporary tattoos on the side of my face with a dripping wet cotton ball. I remember filling our 64oz coffee mugs with Cruzan Coconut Rum and pineapple juice (now I know where those 30lbs came from). I remember driving in Lee's Blaze through the gates of the Fairgrounds and emptying out into a sea of people, gathered from all over the state, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. Up until this day, I had never attended a college football game. I definitely hadn't attended an SEC college football game. I don't think anything anyone could have said could have prepared me for the 100,000+ people filling the entire fairgrounds, adjacent streets, parking lots, front yards and driveways. I learned a lot of things that day; extreme heat and humidity can lead to monsoon-like rainstorms mid-game, garnet colored bandannas will bleed like crazy when soaking wet, and wearing more cocktail-appropriate attire was mandatory. I also learned that some people get freaking crazy serious about their team spirit (I couldn't count the number of Gamecock tats), tons of sugar+alcohol=massive headache, and the chills that run down your spine as the final chords of 2001 Space Odyssey play and Cocky emerges from his smoke-filled platform will rival nothing else.

Fall 2002

Over the next three years, our tailgating style changed...64oz mugs of sweeter than saccharine cocktails turned into a flask of bourbon in my purse, Gamecock branded gym wear morphed into strapless dresses and strappy heels, parking in the 'grounds became unnecessary as we (oh so intentionally) moved into an apartment across the street from the stadium. We went from walking around aimlessly to hanging in the frat tents to partying with one of my all-time favorite families and half the city of Graniteville, SC in the BP parking lot. And yes, you could RENT spaces at a gas station parking lot to tailgate for the low price of $100+/game. South Carolinians don't mess around. I learned that an 8pm kickoff means 9am tailgating, Tequila Rose shoots easier than amoxicillin, and that a true Southern football fan will arrive with no less than 14 containers of deviled eggs, barbecue, chips, dip, steaks to be grilled, pies, cobblers, assorted cheeses, a relish tray, and even a gosh darned smoker pulled behind the car.

Fall 2004

Fall 2005...Yes, I flew in for a football game a week before leaving for Dublin

I remember when I finally made the decision to study abroad, one of the first things that came to my mind was "Holy crap, I'm going to miss my last football season at Billy B". I didn't love football then, and I most definitely still don't, but something about the camaraderie, the team spirit, the sense of togetherness that a football game brought to the University of South Carolina for those weeks in the Fall had me hooked. As Kiel and I put the game on (at 4:30 our time) and watch the lights of "The Cockroach" shine onto the thousands of fans wearing garnet and black, dizzy from one too many bourbons, and jumping with excitement as the notes of 2001 are belted out from the band I'll feel a pang of jealousy and sadness that I'm not still a student, that my year doesn't revolve around those 8-12 games at home. I'll think of how far I've come since that first game in 2002, how much I've accomplished and how many places I've been.

I'll still get those chills.

My Thoughts on Summer, Revisited

2010-08-29T20:56:00.000-07:00

I have never been a fan of summer.

Growing up in upstate New York, summers were hot and sticky non-air conditioned months of uncomfortableness. I can still recall (all too well, thank you) that feeling of actually sticking to the toilet seat as I relieved myself from the 18 glasses of KoolAid Lemonade I chugged after a game of tag through the sprinkler. We had one window unit AC in the house that my parents put in their bedroom- leading to many nights "camping out" on sleeping bags on the floor next to their bed. Since the other 10 months of the year were cool, chilly, and snow-filled, a house with central air conditioning was unheard of. The closest pool was a solid 30 minute drive from our house, and the three of us would drive my mom crazy until she'd take us to swim. The smell of chlorine, sunscreen, and Chocolate Eclair ice cream pops still takes me back to the Hurley Rec, even to this day.

Then, in the 7th grade, we moved to Houston and summer as we knew it got flipped upside down. That hot, sticky misery we bid adieu in late August now followed us to Texas and hung around until THANKSGIVING. 90 degree days got you down? Well, how about you try on 110 degree days for size, and throw in 15% higher humidity while you're at it. Let's just say -for first time Houstonians- the end of August isn't prime relocation weather.

So what did I do upon high school graduation? I packed up my sweaters and scarves and headed up "north" to South Carolina. Dear Lord, what was I thinking? I can distinctively remember calling my mom as I left the Business Admin building on my walk back to the Bates House dorm (who's house!) and before I had even gotten halfway to my room the sweat was trickling down my arm, off my elbow, and into a nice drip trail on the sidewalk. Lovely. At least in Texas we lived in a new house with industrial-strength central air... the ghetto fab Bates seemed to have the original units from the 70s. If I had a dollar for every day the ac was out, I would have paid off that out-of-state tuition faster than you can say "collard greens".

Less than four years later, I once again packed up my gloves and golashes and head up "north" to Washington, DC. *insert deep belly-aching laughter here* Um, DC summers give Houston summers a run for their money! The only difference? In Houston you go from air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned school/store/office. In DC, we walk. We'd walk from our home to the (un-air conditioned) metro station. We'd walk from the metro to the office. We'd walk to go to restaurants, bars, shops, and business meetings. Nothing says "classy" like getting to your job interview and having to hose yourself down in the office sink before you can even catch your breath. Brutal. I'd take trekking in the windy sleet and snow over that ANY day. At least in the cold you can add more clothing to stay warm; I've realized you get quite a few awkward glances if you try to beat the heat by walking to work naked.

So where does that bring us now? Perfect Paradise, California. Um, seriously. On August 23rd, we bought our first fan. Yes, we were one week shy of September before we even felt the need for a little air circulation in our home. Two days later the "heat wave" was gone and the fan has now retired to the attic. Gorgeous, bone dry 80 degree temps during the day: check. Breezy, chilly 60 degree evenings: check. Early August date-night snuggle sessions on the couch under a down blanket: marry me.

For the first time in 26 years, I want to celebrate summer. I ride my bike to the gym for Tues/Thurs evening classes and have to remember a light jacket for the ride home. I pack my basket full of goodies from the Farmers Market and cruise down the road with the wind in my face and the scent of charcoal wafting through the evening fog. We spend every available moment at the beach, letting the sun kiss our skin while trying to keep the ocean breeze from losing our pages in our summer reads. The air conditioner in my car hasn't been tested in over a year- I hope it still works. Then again, when will I ever need to use it? On Wednesday evening, I diced and sauteed and boiled together an incredible cauldron of shrimp and corn chowder, which we enjoyed steaming hot with slices of toasted sourdough baguette. I cup my piping mug of coffee each morning, shivering in my robe as we wait for the sun to warm up the sleeping town.

There are very few things in this world that can achieve such a desirable level of perfection. For me, I'm not taking a single day for granted; surprising everyone, especially myself, when I hear my voice utter the words "I love summer"...

There is a very short list of places I would rather be.

If "Italy" was your favorite part of Eat.Pray.Love., you HAVE to read this book. Not only is she a fabulously entertaining writer, but each chapter has a recipe. Oh, not to mention the author is sweeter than blueberry pie and is allowing me to help test recipes for her next book. Be still, my heart.

Stopping by Daddy's office to help him break up the seemingly-endless 12 hour days he's been putting in.

Mat Kearney acoustic concert? Yes, please.

What's that? A hug? Sure, why not.

Cake pops! And yes, that is a styrofoam cut out of FRANCE that I may or may not have done completely by hand. Baller status, party of one, right this way.

Saying goodbye isn't hard to do when you're already making plans to go visit.

Kiel and Josh being mature, well-behaved adults.

"Dude, I'm lovin' your wife's balls..."

Oh summer, why do you have to end?

Truly Scrumptious

2010-08-20T08:07:00.009-07:00

**Prayer request: I wrote this a few days ago and hadn't gotten around to adding the pictures. In the time since, Kiel's stepmom Liz has suffered a major stroke and is in the hospital recovery from brain surgery. We would appreciate any and all prayers you could send up for Liz Andersen, and that the doctors watching over her in Missouri are filled with strength.**

My oh my, have I been a busy little bee since Saturday! Like I said in my last post, we had plans for the drive-in for Saturday night date night. Well, a few hours before the show we got a super fun offer to go out for drinks and couples' game night with a few friends of ours...which I was totally down scrapping the movie for. Mr. Andersen had other ideas.

Let's start by saying I make 99% of all social plans for our little family- Kiel always goes along with whatever ideas I come up with, plans I make, friends I invite over, etc- and does so happily. THIS is something he used to his advantage Saturday evening; when I told him about the change of plans he just looked at me, frowned, and said "Babe, I REALLY have been looking forward to seeing these movies, can we reschedule with friends?" *sigh* the fact he NEVER argues about what we do paired with the 55+ hour work week he had worked had me sunk. I may have pouted, just a little.

However, I have a confession: snuggling up in the car under lots of blankets and pillows, with Pep curled in a little ball on my lap, sipping a glass of wine... pretty close to perfection. It didn't hurt matters that The Other Guys was beyond friggin' hilarious ("I got so drunk last night...I thought a tube of toothpaste was astronaut food") and Salt was a lot more entertaining than I thought. My only beef with Angelina Jolie as an ass-kicking double agent? She needs to put on a few pounds before I can actually believe she'd be able to roundhouse kick five guys at once without her toothpick of a leg shattering. Just sayin'. best seats in the house!

We were up bright and early Sunday morning for brunch on the beach! We had such a fabulous time with Kiel's stepsiblings mom and her husband (I sat here for a solid 15 trying to figure out what they'd be called...step mother in law? no. I gave up.) and Pepper enjoyed the company of their sweet as can be pooches.

There is something about old goldens that just makes my heart melt

After walking the Bob Jones trail on yet another completely gorgeous day, the three of us were beat! Mind you, walking 5 miles wearing skinny jeans and flip flops probably wasn't the best idea, but it was a last-minute idea.

This week has been uneventful, besides the fact that Martha Stewart keeps calling asking for her swagger back. Oh yes that's right... Lauren Robinson Andersen has become all sorts of domestic. I have painted: I have whipped together the most delectable nectarine crumble EVER: That WHOLE bowl is fat free. Serious.

I scored big at Farmers: I have fully embraced my calling as a chef (Super Healthy Eggplant Rollatini that are TO DIE FOR):

I probably should have taken a picture when they came out of the oven nice and bubbly, but the day-after-leftover shot works too.

and on today's agenda? Getting all Bakerella in this bish and baking red velvet cake pops for our dear friends' going away party tonight: Will post pictures of the outcome later! :)Daniel and Laura are moving to FRANCE with his job for a year! Raise your hand if you're jealous. *arm pops out of socket*I hope you all have a wonderful, snuggly weekend.

saturday sweetness

2010-08-14T10:05:00.008-07:00

I figured I'd skip Zumba this morning to stay home, make round 2 of the infamous banana-chocolate chip pancakes, and get a quick blog in before beginning our Saturday. Maybe if I type really, really fast while jogging in place I can burn a fraction of the 500+ calories I'd be sweating out if I had actually made it to the gym. One can always hope.

Kiel was extremely grateful for all the laundry, bed making, food preparing, designated driving, and shopping I had done to get ready for our house full of boys last weekend so he wanted to take me on a fancy date night on Monday to thank me. The location was up to me, which pretty much equals bad.news.bears. Have I mentioned I'm a fat kid through and through? We went to Palazzo Giuseppe for plate after plate of delectable Italian tapas; eggplant parm lasagna, spinach ricotta gnocchi, prosciutto-wrapped prawns...enough to feed a small army. One slight glance out the window at Koberl at Blue and my heart was set on desert: their famous chocolate lava cake. So yes, we went on a restaurant crawl- paying our tab at one restaurant and sauntering our stuffed selves to another! Let's just say we were very appreciative of the 25-minute bake time for the molten cake! Now do you see where my guilt is coming from for skipping my workout this morning?

Oh, and then we receive this little gem in the mail from my grandparents for Kiel's birthday. Yes, the card and little plane are cute- but let's set our focus on the true star of this shot- the Stowaway Sweets chocolate box! This little confectioner outside of Boston makes THE most incredible chocolate mousse truffles in the entire world, and a pound of said goodies arrived on our doorstep. I wish I could show you a picture, but unfortunately they are all gone. Yes, in the course of 5 days... I am so ashamed. On second thought, maybe I'll hit the gym with Kiel when he goes this afternoon.

The high cost of living in downtown SLO is completely worth it to us, especially when I can ride my bike home from Farmer's on Thursday evenings, the scent of fresh basil and cilantro wafting from my basket

The fact it's the most beautiful place I've ever been doesn't hurt, either.

Friday lunch date with Daddy at High Street Deli...

Followed by a fun playdate with our neighbor Frankie... what a life Miss Pepper leads, eh?

This picture just cracks me up! Looks like someone got a little worn out!
I'm sorry, but is this NOT the cutest little fur munchkin you have ever laid eyes on? She is the sweetest thing too. We're so lucky that both sets of our neighbors are not only great friends for US, but they also have sweet fur friends for Pep!

Friday night Concerts in the Mission Plaza=love. Pack a picnic, grab some ice cold Firestone brew, and listen to local bands rock out for FREE?! Sign me up.

Andersen, party of 3. I really wish I had snapped a shot of the sweet Harings, Lindsey's teeny baby bump is so ridiculously adorable! Sadly, I think I made her hold my beer while I took this picture...because we're classy like that.

Well, there's the past few days in a nutshell, folks. I plan on spending the rest of my Saturday at the beach and then later snuggling up at the drive-in to watch The Other Guys and Salt. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend...xoxo.

As Fun as it Seems

2010-08-09T16:16:00.010-07:00

After countless emails and messages back and forth, I was FINALLY able to nail down a weekend for Kiel's birthday shenanigans. Four of Kiel's best buddies (3 of whom he's been bff's with since KINDERGARDEN) came in from LA/Orange County/Fresno for a weekend of fun and Sun in SLO. Everyone trickled in on Friday evening for a night of pizza, beer pong, and White Castle cheeseburgers. Oh yes, I treated the guys to a gourrrrrmet meal! Then this amazing "hyphy wifey" graciously offered to dd and I do believe I drank the Frog and Peach pub out of Diet Coke...2am, exhausted, with a car full of definitely-not-sober boys=FUN FOR LAUREN. I did, however, get treated to some late-night Belgian fries, and got to read the funniest comment card I have ever seen in the process- "You should serve fried chicken with your waffles, you'd make more money and Snoop Dogg may even come in".

I delighted the boys in the morning by whipping up my version of Irma's super yummy banana-chocolate chip pancakes. Seriously, the best pancakes ever- especially when served with whipped cream in lieu of syrup!

My San Jose cousins (well, 2 of the 5) were in town for Mere's soccer tourney, so while the boys recovered, I went to cheer on the West Valley Wildcats! Nolan was an EXCELLENT babysitter for Pepper, until she decided to sprint ACROSS THE FIELD after me on my way to a potty break.
The guys hit up the golf course while I was at the game, and when they came home immediately passed out on the couches. It took me a solid 15 minutes looking for Pep until I finally caught this angle... lazy bones! No trip to SLO is complete without a trip to the insanely delicious Firestone Grill for their famous tri-tip sandos.

Nor without a stop into Powel's Candy Shoppe. You HAVE to love a place that has Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory playing nonstop.You could say they were, well...like kids in a candy store. :)I'm sorry, but if this isn't the most hilarious thing I've ever seen I don't know what is! I love Kiel's friends for two main reasons: the first being they are all kind-hearted, sweet, generous men. The other being they share my love of whiskey.

I kind of like Frank's arm covering my face, it makes me look tan.Let's just sum up the night that ensued after the above picture was taken: we went downtown, partied our faces off, danced like there was no tomorrow (um, I swear 'DJ Donk' watches SYTYCD because he played EVERY song from that show...I busted out my NapyTabs moves, don't you worry), Alan and LB got into a bit of an "altercation" with one of the bouncers, we picked up the jackets and comfy shoes we had stashed for the walk home, we stood in front of a house and watched the college party get broken up by police at 3:30 in the morning, and we then spent about an hour convincing Kai that one of the girls he had been macking on was "less than attractive". I swear, I haven't seen 4:45am on the clock since that was the time I used to get up for work!

The next morning, Kiel helped himself to a breakfast of champions: cold french fries and ranch dip that had been left out all night. Lovely. For those of you who didn't watch this past season of The Bachelorette, you can stop reading now. I hope you have a fantastic start to your week!

But, for those of you that did: you may have seen this picture on Facebook. Haha.

As I was stepping out of the ladies room at Mother's on Saturday night, I look up and just saw Kasey standing right there. I burst out "I will guard and protect your heart!" and went back to the dancefloor laughing hysterically. Well, as the bar closed I see my work friend Johnny (pictured on the right in black) and start talking to him...well, turns out Kasey is his roommate! After hanging with them for about an hour, this is what we've learned:

Kasey gave Ali a "5 on a scale of 10" (our friends that know her from Palo Alto said it was more of a 6.5- ouch!)
He said Frank really was a tad obsessed with Ali, and the guys would say things like "dude, she may not even pick you"...so that may have led him going back to whats-her-face.
While he seems much taller in person, his voice sounds much WORSE
Girls were flocking him all night taking pictures and dancing with him, however, once the bar cleared out he was looking for anyone who wanted to come "after party" at his place. No takers, including LB and I.
He kept saying, over and over "don't you worry, big things are coming for me" and that he couldn't tell us if he was single or not... trying to convince us he was the next Bachelor. No way, Jose. That spot belongs to Chris L.
Oh, and just so you all know: I sang with him. You know, to completely round out the "let's make fun of Kasey" sesh. As we were sitting on the windowsill, I go "As I sit here, on this crazy Saturday..." and HE GOES "on this busy sidewalk in the middle of the ciiiiiiity" I die. (The next morning, I got a text from my friend Lauren "Um, you realized you SANG with Kasey last night, right?")

I think my fave part was when Alan walked up and said "Dude, an Ali tattoo? Lame."

All in all, the weekend was a great success. I have to give some props to my hubby and all of his buddies for sitting there and waiting while we asked Kasey all these questions about the show "Were the Craigs really as douchey as they seemed?" "How long were you really stuck on that glacier alone?" "Did anyone tell Justin he missed a spot shaving his chin" etc... they knew we loved that season and let us get our dirt. Here is probably the best clip from the entire season...

Sweet Summer Smiles

2010-08-04T11:30:00.007-07:00

Riding my bike to the gym on Thursday evenings, then stocking up at Farmer's Market, and riding home with a basket full of goodies.

Concerts in the Plaza on Friday nights. Great tunes. Old hippies dancing. Amazing beer. 'Nuf said.

Being able to spend time with Kristen and Brian on both Saturday AND Sunday. Sushi date+Gus' patio+seeing fluffy Cheverson=happy L&K.

AWESOME girls' night on Monday for the Bachelorette finale. Even though "Team Chris" was outnumbered 4-to-2, Emily and I were able to console ourselves with pizza, good wine, and guacamole. Plus, Chelsey has a friend who is/was a contestant on the next season of Bachelor, and she texted "Chris is sooo nice", so we're thinking he is the next Bach'. Love it.

Getting so excited for Kiel's birthday celebration weekend! We have friends coming in from LA, Orange County, and FresNO and I have some pretty fun stuff planned for my mister. I've spent every minute of free time this week turning our bonus room (my closet) into the 3rd bedroom so we don't need to have people sleeping on the floor.

(reeeeeuniiiited, and it feels so goooooood)

I've literally become addicted to yoga...my god, I can't believe those words just came out of my fingers. I feel awful; I've spent the majority of my time turning my nose up at the folks in the gym with their little mats while I was busy getting a "real" workout. Little did I know yoga can KICK your butt!
Dear Environment, how much do you love us? We made it through winter with just one little heater for evenings, and now we're into August and don't have an AC or even a FAN. Top that with the fact we ride our bikes everywhere... I'm awaiting a knock on the door from Leo diCaprio with some sort of award.

It's August...which means I'll be exploring Ireland with my favorite woman in the world NEXT MONTH. Giddygiddygiddygiddy!

Oh, did I mention the day before we take off for Dubs we'll be cheering on the Colts' #92 (who just signed his 5-year contract this week!) at his first pro game in HOUSTON?!?! Sorry Texans, but these Houstonians will be wearing blue to the game!!!

These Are My Confessions...

2010-07-28T08:03:00.005-07:00

This is probably the closest I'll ever get to living in Texas again...I prefer Pep's company over that of most of the humans I know.No matter how much I love sweet animals, the filet at The Range is reason enough to NEVER be vegetarian.As much as I adore the beach, I hate sand. Thus, we park ourselves on the steps leading down to it!The view still isn't too shabby... AND we can bring a picnic that's not full of SANDwiches. Yes, we laughed at this middle-of-a-crowded-beach-day wedding. Not a very kind or Christian thing to do. I'm sorry, Jesus.

Oh yes I did eat this ENTIRE plate by myself. Oh how I love Farmer's Market veggies.

Guilty, as charged.

Friday Favorites: Weekly Recap

2010-07-23T09:24:00.006-07:00

I just realized I blogged about Kiel's birthday but never finished my post from last weekend. Since I had already uploaded the pics, I'll just add some more and caption away. This, as you know, is my go-to blog template because a) it is easy and b) it is really easy.

Just had to post this shot (taken very sneakily, I may add) of my version of Porn for Women. Yes ladies, not only is he vacuuming, but he even uses the hose to get under the vanity/behind the potty/etc. Be still, my heart.On Friday, we biked down to Concerts in the Plaza, where we ended up at the beer vendor mingling with friends and never even saw the band play...where we all ended up going to the Creeky Tiki for post-concert drinks...where we then ended up going to Native for post-post-concert drinks...where we finally ended up at a table for 12 at Sumo Sushi for post-post-post-concert saki and sush.

Oh, sush AND some ice cream for the *almost* birthday boy. He seems so thrilled. Luckily, it was Amy's bday too so he shared the spotlight.I've been trying to get a shot of the fog rolling in over Madonna Mountain to accurately capture how GORGEOUS it is every evening as the fog comes in from the coast... I think I'm getting closer to achieving success.All snuggled up at the drive-in, just waiting for it to get dark.I absolutely LOVE the vintage snack bar ads they run...Almost as much as I LOVE Ellen Page.Up bright and early Saturday morning to spend a day relaxing on the lake with Sterling and Roxan. SOMEONE seems to be enjoying herself.Enjoying some shade to escape the scorching day. How it's 78 degrees in SLO and 98 degrees 25 mi north in Paso is beyond me!At the fair last night, we just couldn't resist this pic!GOOOO COCKS!I wanted to take this little nugget home...until I actually smelled it. Waiting for Jeff to appear, and killing time by counting the number of teeth, camouflage outfits, and clear stripper heels we could find in the audience. I asked Kiel if he wanted to change out of his work clothes, but it wasn't really worth it since he doesn't own a "Git 'er done" wife beater. My favorite part of the Jeff Dunham show? The long trailer he showed for "Dinner for Schmucks", which he's in. Oh em gee, I can't wait to see that flick.

Aaaannnndddd, that brings us up to this weekend. Kiel has had a crazy busy week at work (minus Tuesday when they sent him home) and I think some strict r&r is in order. Netflix, pizza, glasses of vino, and snuggs with my hubby sound like an INCREDIBLE Friday night.

Happy Birthday, Future Hubby!

2010-07-21T11:10:00.003-07:00

How many of you are familiar with Facebook? If you are, you'll know what writing on someone's wall is...and how common it is to get over 100 "wall notes" on your birthday from friends who log on and see the alert that it's your special day. Well, on July 20th four years ago, that's what happened. And this is what I wrote on Kiel's wall:

Lauren Robinson wrote

at 9:14am on July 20, 2006

"Just wanted to wish my future hubby a very happy birthday..."

Now, let's recap: in July of 2006, I had a boyfriend who was NOT Kiel V. Andersen- and I hadn't even met Kiel at this point- but wrote this as a complete joke. The mutual friend who "introduced" us (via Facebook, no less) used to call Kiel my "future hubby" whenever she referenced him, and was met with my rolling eyes. So on his birthday, when I wanted to wish him well, I used that funny little term of endearment, having NO idea how true that was. Four months later, we started dating. Fourteen months later, we got engaged. One year later, we got married. And now, 18 1/2 months after that, I'm wishing my hubby a very happy birthday.

I left bright and early to get Kiel donuts to bring with him to work, but once he arrived and started passing them out, he was told to go home and just "call in sick"! Talk about an amazing place to work, eh? So the birthday boy came home, ate a few donuts in bed, and snuggled in for a lovely mid-morning nap which had us waking after NOON! Modeling the new Bay Area Blanket I made... which will come in handy while watching the games on chilly nights!Enjoying a few hours on the beach- the BEST way to play hooky in my opinion!I took a page out of Meredith's book and tried making the framed football chalkboard. I bought the biggest mirror I could find and still had trouble fitting all 13 games on there!Oh, and the asterisk next to the November 6th game against Arizona State? He now has 4 tickets to that game, courtesy of moi and the Robinsons.When I asked Kiel where he wanted to go out for his birthday dinner, I wasn't surprised in the least that he said In-N-Out. Yes, we will drive 17 miles for some animal style!!!I decided against bringing the cake with us, so Kiel enjoyed it at home with shots of Jameson. Four, to be exact. That boy is trying to turn himself Irish.

All in all, Kiel had an awesome day and we're so looking forward to his fun party weekend with friends from out of town in August. Trying to coordinate the schedules of an attorney, a law student, and an engineer has proved a daunting task but we think we have the perfect weekend to look forward to!

Happy birthday, future hubby.

Joie de Vivre

2010-07-15T09:30:00.004-07:00

It seems a common theme in this little blog of mine is documenting all of the big, fun, note-worthy events in life. Scrolling through posts, I've seen days where I've written about trips we've taken, adventures we've embarked upon, designer duds purchased, and even a few "whoa, you sitting down folks? this is big news" entries. I skip a lot of the little, less-interesting details of life because, let's face it, who really gives a rat's tush. But the thing is, I do. I give a rat's behind and even his front end too. While the "big deals" in life are important, do they honestly define our true source of happiness? Let's go with "not really" for 400, Alex. I have found myself just smiling at the smallest, most random little things lately and HONESTLY, that's what makes me happy, folks. Sure, planning upcoming trips to Vegas, Houston, Ireland, and Italy are awe-some...but here are the things that have made me truly, deep-down in my toes, loving-my-life happy:

Waking up each morning to the smell of coffee brewing. Kiel gets up first and gets the pot going before I've even seen the light of day and that, to me, is just amazing.

Turning on the radio and having an incredible, blast-from-the-past song blaring from the speakers. I'm talking to you "How Bizarre", which I've heard not once but TWICE on the Top 40(?!?) station in the past week. Doesn't speak too highly of 106.1 or the DJ, but I sure have enjoyed the heck out of rocking out in the car, belting "Policeman cops his shades, says 'that a Chevy 69?" while cruising the 101.

Our gym FINALLY hired a Zumba instructor. Everyone has varied opinions of this workout, and my opinion is IT ROCKS. Since this is my blog, my opinion is king (right?) and honestly, anything that gets me excited to sweat like a pregnant nun in Church can't be half bad.

Kiel telling me he's going to grow his hair back out and stop shaving his head.

Freshly cleaned sheets paired with freshly shaven legs. So random, but is ANYTHING better than slipping into bed with that feeling? I think not.
Walking by and smelling someone's perfume/cologne that is the same as a loved one and getting bombarded with memories of being near that person.

The weather here is beyond friggin' ridiculous. It's been sunny every.single.day for months on end, it hasn't rained in over 70 days (sorry lawn), it's warm but breezy, and the cool evenings are the perfect (unnecessary) excuse to cuddle up with my loves on the couch under a blanket. We don't have an air conditioner, we don't even have a FAN in the house, the windows have been permanently open since March, and it's absolutely perfect.

Our friends. Honestly, talk about something that's easy to take for granted. Moving out here really opened our eyes to how important good friends are to our lives and we have been so incredibly blessed with the people we have met and come to love out here on the West Coast. Some of the most genuine, kind-hearted, and generous people have found their way into our life in one way or another and I couldn't be more grateful.

Being married to someone who is more supportive and on-board with my ideas, spontaneity, and goals than I ever imagined another person to be. Comparing bucket lists and realizing we have so many of the same dreams, places to go, things to see and do, in common really solidifies why I said "yes" on January 17th, 2008. I don't know many people who can look at their significant other, one with a wonderful job he loves, one with a home he adores, one very comfortable with his current life, and say "Hey, let's uproot and go do something crazy, like live on an island with no material belongings" and he replies with "as long as we can take Pep, I'm SO down!" Considering some of the plans we have for our future, I'm pretty sure if someone wants to buy my "book of life" they'll have to purchase multiple editions.

My family. Kiel's family. They pretty much rock steady.

Our dog. She really does make me smile so many times a day. No matter what anyone says about animals, that unconditional love I receive from Pep is such a perfectly wonderful addition to my already full heart.

Refocusing my life on the things that truly matter. Letting go of the need for material possessions and instead looking to accumulate life experiences and photo albums full of memories of places we've been and things we've done. And since we're talking about Kiel and I, let's go ahead and add "things we've eaten and wine we've drank" to that little list while we're at it. At least I'm honest.

I hope everyone is having a happy week and taking the things that are making you smile and appreciating the shiznit out of them. I am packing up a good book, an iced coffee, and the cutest pup on the block and heading out to the beach for some sun. xoxo.Those eyes say "No, I was not rummaging through your purse for snacks", but somehow I believe otherwise.

Practically Perfect in Every Way

2010-07-11T08:45:00.006-07:00

Some of my favorite things about the past two weeks...

Cruising on Don's VIP Wine Tour bus to the Tobin James Industry Party. I mean, seriously? A Mercedes BUS? What is this, Europe? I have signed in blood I won't post 99% of pictures from the event, so I'll leave you with this classic shot. Don't even ask what we're doing because honestly, I have no idea. Unlimited wine at the bar topped with random full bottles appearing in my hand out of nowhere led to a very hilarious night. Of course that led to a very awful morning, but that's a different story.

As you may recal from my last post, we planned a last-minute trip up to San Fran to see our DC bffs! Luckily for us, we were able to cram a TON into two short days and did the following:

Attend the Garcia/DeHoyos family reunion. Unfortunately, I was so preoccupied with eating my 30lbs of bbq that I didn't take a single picture!
Spend time with Kiel's parents, sister, brother-in-law, cousins, and lots of other people we don't see nearly often enough. Again, pictures would be nice, eh? Kristen, did you take any?
Ate our way through SF, including stops at Boccalone, Palomino, Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and my love: Ghiradelli.
Spend some amazing time with my aunt, uncle, and ahhdorable little (and not so little, considering Brendan is 21 and about 8ft tall) cousins in San Jose. What was supposed to be a "stop and chat" turned into "stop, chat, stay for dinner, stay for margaritas and fireworks, get home around 2am". Oh well, some things are just worth sleepy work days! :)
Oh, and did I mention I was reunited with my brunette other half?We were so.incredibly.happy to spend time with one of our favorite couples in the whole wide world. Deebs and I taking random ridiculous pictures while Eric and Kiel look up sports scores on their iPhone/Blackberry? Some things will NEVER change!
In case any of you reading would like to see more pics from a great whirlwind trip up to the Bay, here's an album from the Book of Face.

One of my new favorite things to do in the evening is our "wino walks" around SLO. It's so nice to walk around, enjoy the crisp, cool evenings, and explore this sweet little town we call home. It's even nicer when you add a classy plastic cup of wine...what open container?!?!My stud muffin.

Trying to get a shot of the fog rolling in over Madonna Mountain.One of my FAVORITE things about the Central Coast is that while it peaks around 75-80 midday, it gets down in the 50s-60s in the evenings. Here I am, modeling my Ugg footwear in mid-July, after wearing a sleeveless dress all day!
Okay, coffee's done and I need to get ready to pour at the Central Coast Wine Classic. 500 people, 60 wineries, and a whole lot of the purple stuff... my idea of Heaven! :)

BEYOND Excited

2010-07-02T22:57:00.005-07:00

Tomorrow, we're driving up to this city

Because this coupleIs flying in from here Because Kiel and Eric make each other laughAnd I pretty much love every single thing about Kathryn.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and happy 4th... catch up on Monday!

xoxo, L

Keeps Getting Better

2010-06-25T08:39:00.010-07:00

So, I'm sure by now a bunch of you are sick and tired of this constant bubbly, happy, sunshine-beaming-from-my-tush... sorry. If you fall into that category, I suggest you give up and stop reading now. Six months into this new adventure in our lives, I am finding myself happier than I ever have been before. Let me show you some of the reasons why:

This beautiful spot of beachy goodness is a mere 10-minute drive from Casa de Andersen. I used to say, "If I lived near the ocean, I'd go to the beach every day" and my beach-dwelling friends would laugh. Well, guess what? I head to the sandy waves almost every day I'm not working!
Pep seriously cracks me up with her love of the shade. Kiel and I were leaning against the steps reading, and she decided that tucking herself behind Kiel's back seemed like a cozy little idea.

To steal Meredith's adorable term: "My whole heart for my whole life"

Next bar, next drink in the sunshine, next shot of our dog pretending to be human.

So much of my happiness can be attributed to this guy, this one right here. Our corresponding love for spontaneity has led us on many a fun adventure and I consider myself a lucky gal. Who else would listen to me read aloud pages from "Confessions of a Video Vixen" while I steal paragraphs from his Tucker Max read? That's LOVE, people!

Bali's Yogurt. FroYo can go one of two ways for me... healthy (or DC Style as we call it): EuroTart yogurt with coconut, almonds, and some fruit. Or, we have the "Go Big or Go Home" version: chocolate yogurt with Reese's cups and hot peanut butter sauce. Better, in my opinion, than Kiel's inverse of pb yogurt and hot fudge, but equally sinful. Hey, at least the YOGURT part is fat free!!!

We started out Sunday driving down to hit the hot, sunny beach in Santa Barbara for a change of scenery. Well, genius Lauren says "Let's stop at a winery first!", so Fess Parker's in Santa Ynez it was. Pepper tried her best to whistle the tune to Davy Crockett, but the long snout proved difficult.

Oh, what's this? ANOTHER winery? Sure, why not. Besides, I had to take this picture for Haley. The entrance reminded me of someone's big day.

Six wineries and half a bank account later we made it home. Needless to say, we did not make it to the beach!

(Oh, and I want to disclaim: We shared a tasting at each winery and Kiel only took little micro-tastes. I wasn't really in the mood for him getting a DUI, or us dying.)

I could not love her any more if I tried.

If anyone reading this is ever in SLO, you MUST go try this meal at Firestone Grill downtown. Obviously, if you're here visiting us, it will be a check on our to-do list, but just in case... famous tri-tip sando (on GARLIC BREAD), fries/rings and the homemade ranch dip, and a Shock Top. Now, make sure you get the Shock Top and not some other beer because that orange perched on the rim is the ONLY thing healthy about this meal and we all need our vitamins.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and I'll leave you with one of the best quotes I've heard in a long time. And by best, I mean considering-getting-it-tatted-on-my-body good.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

Some Faves this Friday

2010-06-18T10:09:00.005-07:00

Since Ivy hasn't posted her famed "Friday Faves" yet, I figured I'd take over for a bit and share some things I'M digging before the weekend rolls around. Here goes...Gorgeous day, new US Weekly, PepperAnn, and the sound of waves crashing below. Heaven?

Sandee had the great idea to check out Meridian Vineyard's Food and Flight seminar... holy chimichurri, Batman! Delish food+yummy wine+outdoor "classroom"=SERIOUSLY happy Lauren

It really is such a shame it is SO UGLY out here.

Proof that CoffeeMate loves me and wants me to be happy. Still not as tasty as International Delight's Chocolate Mint Truffle, but since that only comes out during the holidays, this will DEFINITELY do.

I came home the other day to my hubby rapping his little heart out to Eminem's new album, in the kitchen. Moments like these really solidify why I love this man.

And can we all take a minute to check out Pep's disgust watching his skills? Hahaha, between Kiel singing, Pep's face, and the 20 open bottles of wine on the counter I can't decide what I love most about this shot.

I could seriously spend every free minute at the beach...and I do.

Pep apparently gets her love of the shade from her Auntie Em. Her dermatologist is so proud.

It's a rough life, but someone has to live it. I thank God every night for that someone being me.

Had to Buy Some Extra Postage for this One...

2010-06-05T17:33:00.005-07:00

Dear Central Coast,

I honestly cannot describe the passionate love I feel for you. Your constant high-seventy degree days, abundant sunshine, blue skies, and breezy, bone dry weather have made this Texan/South Carolinian/Deecer very VERY happy. Have I mentioned that the people who live here are awesome? Everyone we meet is sweeter than syrup and so down-to-Earth amazing. I.Love.Everything.Here*

In the past few weeks (oh, look who has to dig into the memory banks to catch-up blog, AGAIN) the following has happened:

Attended a super fantastic Charity Casino Night benefiting the SLO Children's Museum with Josh, Linds, Daniel, Laura, and about a thousand other local young professionals. I would give more info on this awesome event, but after three FULL 8oz pours of vino the night ended pretty fuzzily. I'd feel more guilty about this, but c'mon, it was for charity. :)

Kiel's sister Kristen and her hubby Brian came down to compete in the Wildflower Triathlon. Let's just say they are pretty badass. No, we did not join them. However, we were TOTES down for the carb loading the night before, courtesy of Mama's Meatball. Just because we're not hardcore athletes doesn't mean we can't eat like we are!
Daniel and Laura were sweet enough (I think the word "sweet" was invented to describe those two, btw) to invite us up to their lake house for a spontaneous overnight trip. One margarita machine+7 great people+3 cah-razy pups+1 awesome boat=one helluva weekend.

My bff Tricia, the girl I've been friends with since 1998, the one who helped me sneak duffel bags of beer out of my house, the one who hated swim practice as much as I did, the one who rolled in the minivan with me after I got my license, the one who gave our welcome dinner speech as the Matron of Honor when Kiel and I both came down with laryngitis before the wedding, the one who I've cried with, laughed with, and shared so much with... she had a baby. After 9+ long months of waiting, we finally found out that Trish had been carrying a healthy, beautiful, precious baby GIRL when Phoebe Grace Thacker entered our world. I have to give the BIGGEST shout out to Tricia: she was admitted to the hospital at 7am and Phoebe was born at 8:30... ROCKSTAR DELIVERY!!! I am so anxious to get my tush back down to Houston and see that sweet little angel and hug the most wonderful mama.

My adorable friend Meredith and her boyf John came down last Friday from San Fran and spent a night at Casa de Andersen! We took them to our fave restaurant, showed them the pretty creekside sights downtown, and then opened their eyes to the craziness that IS the Madonna Inn. Cocktails, cake, people watching, and a quick trip into the men's bathroom rounded out what turned into a pretty amazing night. Now we just want them to come back when we don't all need to wake up early the next day so we can party like it's 1999.

We spent the rest of Memorial Day weekend in El Lay(LA stands for Lauren Andersen, fyi) for one of Kiel's bff's bdays. Kiel and Alan (and Kai, Elliot, and a handful of others) have been best buddies since KINDERGARTEN and are all pretty much the nicest and funniest kids you'll ever meet. So, after a gor-gee-ous cruise down the entire Cali coast, we picked up Frank and Patti in Redondo Beach and headed downtown for a day of laughing, drinking, rooftop chilling, and impromptu shower dance parties. Oh yea, we're cool like that. :)
So, here we are- into JUNE already? Time is going so stinking fast and I'm just loving every minute of it. Life is far too short not to get exactly what you want out of it and right now, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm really going to try to get back into the swing of blogging on the regular... but don't put your money on it just yet. xox0

Love and hugs, LA

*I could have done without the $400+ fee to register my car/get a license in the state of Cali...but it's still worth it.

Every Day is a Gift, We Just Need to Unwrap the Bows

2010-05-19T22:13:00.006-07:00

Goodness gracious, I have NEVER realized how true that is until now. A lot has gone on since I posted last and there have been a few things that have kept me from posting. The main one being this: one of my sweet girlfriends from college passed away a few weeks ago. She ended her own life. This was the first time in my 26+ years of having to deal with suicide on a personal level, and I can't really put into words the profound effect that had on me. Not so much that she is gone... she lived on the other side of the country and besides a few Facebook chats here and there, we hadn't talked all that much since college. No, what hit me so drastically, in a way that had me sobbing uncontrollably more than a few times since she passed, is the fact that someone so wonderful, so sweet, and so (SO) beautiful would be SO UNHAPPY with her own life that she would consciously choose to end it. That is a huge, jagged, and so disgustingly bitter pill to swallow. Knowing that she must have been in so much pain, so much confusion, and so much agony inside that no one knew about that she would feel like there was no other escape...that is heart wrenching. I have continuously prayed (since hearing the news from LDT) that Lauren's family, friends, Gamecocks, and the Slampigs (yes, that's what the group of my gf's called ourselves) will take this as a wake up call to see just how precious life can be. To see how much opportunity and how much joy there can be- we just have to look around and grab it. You'll often find that happiness truly is right where you left it; but so many times we get so busy we forget where that is.

Lauren is the beauty on the far left.

Kiel and I have made such a conscious effort to not take this amazing life we have for granted. We have been taking advantage of every opportunity to get outside, spend time with some of our amazing new friends, and love each other every single day. We've stopped looking for perfection and instead, started creating our own. Our life out here has just become incredible and I could not imagine it any other way. I can't even count how many times over the course of the last few weeks I've just looked at Kiel and said "I'm so happy" or "I just LOVE it here"... that is a blessing in itself. One that I count every day.

Our Life Lately...

2010-04-27T12:43:00.008-07:00

I'm about to head out to run some errands (one of which being the DMV, hence the Blogger procrastination) but I did want to put up a little post about our lives as of late. I leave you with a bunch of pictures- I hope you're not reading this on your Blackberry, folks! :)

Living in SLO, basically at the base of so many incredible little mountains, has really increased (or should I say, began) our love for hiking. This is the view from the top of Madonna Mountain...looking out over Bishop's Peak. GORGEOUS.Pep keeping guard at the tippy top. Our house is right down there, under her little tushy.

This lady on the trail had decided to take her TEN YEAR OLD Golden with her on the hike... it was way too hot for a pooch that old, with that much hair, on that warm of a day and exhaustion kicked in, so Kiel and Josh alternated carrying her back down to the trail head. Poor puppy :( And yes, Lindsey and I know we have really great guys.

Post-hike double date for sandos and beers... and loving our new mode of transportation. Yes, that is Kiel Andersen. ON A BIKE. AFTER A 3 HOUR HIKE. I am so proud of what I've accomplished with this sports-obsessed couch potato!Oh, and speaking of being proud: THIS is my new office. I am managing the tasting room for Eagle Castle winery- please look at how GORGEOUS it is- and assisting with all of the Castle events. Can we say INCREDIBLE? My first task each morning is to taste all 14 of our wines, the owners give hugs like they're going out of style, and I've already been promoted and am working with the buyers as well. I LOVE MY JOB. And too bad the views are terrible.
And don't even get me started on my awful commute. :)

In other news, some of you may have watched the NFL draft last Thursday and seen THIS GUY:

You may remember me talking about THAT GUY in this post... well, my fam was sitting with Jerry, his parents, and the local news team when the Indianapolis Colts gave him a call as their first pick of the draft. Absolutely incredible to see something this amazing happen to someone that we've known since he was 16... and on the BASEBALL team in High School. We used to make so much fun of Meghan and crack up when she'd say "Someday, Jerry will go pro and we'll be riding in an Escalade on 22's"... well, when Jer picked her up on Thursday in his black on black Escalade on those 22 inch rims, she got the last laugh! After a quick shopping trip to stock up on Indy blue, Megs, Jerry, and his family boarded the Colts jet Friday to head up there for the day to meet the team and owners and do press. Whirlwind experience for my little sister; until she head to head back to Huntington, WV and get back to school by Monday! :)And now onto much less exciting things...

I've had a lot of requests to see our cute little house, so here goes. This is our en suite bath: And here's the view from the entryway:

Guest bathroom:

And me being super creative and trying to get the whole guest room in one shot:View in from the back door:

Our room and the bonus room are NOT ready for their photo ops, so maybe someday I'll be able to show those. I just love our little home sweet home here in paradise. I just feel so at home here; like this is a place I could stay forever and ever. Now, I just need to get Papa Archie out here and take him to some of the 150 wineries in the region and get them to move out West!

When Prayers Go Up, Blessings Come Down

2010-04-21T16:44:00.009-07:00

Amen.

As most of you know by now, I am pretty much *madly* in love with my parents. So my long weekend trip down to Houston two weekends ago pretty much made my month. My main objective for the trip was to celebrate my bff-since-8th-grade at her BABY SHOWER (oh dear, we ARE grown up)... which was quite a coincidence considering I had flown to Houston from DC the exact same weekend just two years earlier for her bridal shower. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Over the course of the long weekend I:

-was driven straight from IAH to Ruthie's for some TexMex. This is honestly the most hilarious thing; the restaurant is right around the corner from my parents' house and they go there (quite literally) at least once a week. It's beyond sweet to be greeted with a hug from your waitress while enjoying a margarita and yummy green dip.

-witnessed my sister at that age where every single thing our mother does is of utmost embarrassment and I just can't help but laugh... I know I used to feel the exact same and try as I might, Em just doesn't believe she'll ever look at Mom the way I do now. Give her a few years.

-hugged Trish's sweet baby bump and took my own in-person guess whether it's going to be a little Gavin Cash or Phoebe Grace blessing us with his/her presence next month. I'm still SO torn and cannot, cannot WAIT to get that text from Justin!
-gorged myself silly at Sandy McGee's. The fact that she won't open a cafe here in California is just torture!

-surprised my Mom with her 50th Bday gift...an 8-day tour of Ireland with me in the Fall. Probably one of the best feelings of my life, to give something so special to someone SO SPECIAL to me.

-headed downtown to see the one and only LDT (okay, I know you're LDP now, but you'll always be LDT to me), meet her incredible hubby, see how much her teeny puppy has GROWN, see her beautiful new home, and enjoy a little karaoke. Honestly, I'm seriously thinking all of our vacays need to head down to TX from now on! -let my mom drag me out to the Run for the Rose after a long 3.5 hours of sleep. Hey, my time for the run may have been sub-par but I think I won some sort of trophy for the speed I was able to eat a slice of pizza, a kolache, a lemon bar, and a spring roll- washed down with chocolate milk. Honestly, don't they realize this is a RACE? What kind of post-run food is that...however, I'm not complaining.
-had Papa Archie treat me with an incredible bottle of vino paired with his famous artichoke dip. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.
-got a call at 3:50am from United letting me know my flight had been cancelled. Mom and I then spent a solid hour trying to get me rebooked...hunched over the computer, in the pitch black kitchen. Nothing was better than my Dad walking in at 5am, going over the coffee pot, and then asking us if we had made coffee. UM, how about "why the hell are you two up on the computer before five in the morning?!" Haha, oh Archie.

-met my Dad's home nurse Dennis. He is the spitting image (and sound) of this guy:

He also spent a lot of time talking about his wife and kids. Made for a very entertaining afternoon

-bought Chelsea Handler's new book and read all but 14 pages of it on the flight home. If liking her is wrong, I honestly don't need to be right.

-realized why we love SLO even MORE...they let us bring Pep INSIDE for happy hour, like this. Hahaha!-finally contributed to Bubble Gum Alley. Yes, this truly is an alleyway downtown completely covered in used gum wads. And all along, Kiel just thought it was the name given to the area by Starbucks where all the middle school kids hang out!

-had Kiel's parents in town this past weekend and had a fabulous time with them here in SLO. Showed them the incredible craziness that is the Madonna Inn on "big band dance night". Already planning their next trip and this time incorporating some wine tasting with a winery crawl!Gaudy much?

-celebrated Livi's first birthday!

Oh, and one more teensy-tiny detail? I got a new fanfreakingtabulistic job and I start tomorrow. More details to come, but in the meantime, be jealous. :)

60 Out of 99...With a Few Years to Go!

2010-04-09T06:32:00.004-07:00

I cannot for the life of me remember WHERE I saw this posted on the good ol' blogosphere, but I thought the list was adorable. I loved how completely random (and even unsavory!) some of the items were. There were a couple on here I'm GLAD I haven't done yet and don't know if I ever will; hitchike, bounce a check, hold a freaking praying mantis, etc. You catch my drift. Take the list, bold the ones you've done, and voila! Instant blog post!

99 Things to Do Before You Go...

1. Start your own blog

2. Slept under the stars. Oh how I loved our backyard camping during the summer while growing up in NY

3. Played in a band- I mean, I played the flute in BAND-band... that counts, right?!?!

4. Visited Hawaii (now that we live on the West coast I see this trip in our imminent future!)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disney World

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo - and we have the awful home movies of that talent show to prove it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visit Europe...I checked this off the list day 1 of my life! And since moving to the States at the ripe old age of 8 months, it's become my hands-down favorite place to travel.

13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child (this is on my must-do list for life though)

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty- the crown counts, right?

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight...pillow "fight"? What about a pillow "beatdown"!?!? TED ARMET!

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- hey, my boss used to SUGGEST THIS! Rosemary, if you're reading this, you were the bomb diggity shizNIT of a boss.

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb. Lauren+baby animals=JOY

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon. I've actually been contemplating this for a while now as an awesome challenge for myself but I HATE running. Really, I do. So instead I'm looking at doing a crazy hike to tame this wild hair.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice-not only have I RIDDEN in one, but I also yumbo-ed off the edge of one. BONUS POINTS FOR ME.

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run (if you've ever seen my softball skills you'll accept this is the impossible!)

32. Been on a cruise- multiple river cruises. Not a fan of cruise vacays though.

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language...FAIL

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person

41. Sung karaoke, unfortunately for everyone who's ever had to bear witness

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant. DO THIS! The lady at Au Bon Pain on L St in DC used to ring up the extra danish for the nice homeless man outside before I even had to open the bag. If any of you work in downtown DC, you KNOW WHICH MAN I'm talking about. The one who compliments your outfit (in a very non-sleazy/you made my day kind of way) and is so kind...he used to get breakfast and a coffee a few times a week from me, just for putting a smile on my face on my way to work.

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris...I'm checking this off, even though the top was closed and we could only go up 3/4 of the way. That's what we got for waiting until our last day in Paris to go!

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater...AND we have one five minutes from our house in SLO and cannot wait to go!

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business... I had a rockin' lemonade stand one summer (ie;day) as a kid

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies...and thinking about rejoining the Scouts just to get first dibs on those bad boys next season

62. Gone whale watching, with Grammy and Grampy. One of the perks of having Bostonian grandparents!

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma...did anyone else do this is HS just to get out of class?

65. Gone sky diving. I want to SO badly and am trying to convince Kiel to come with.

66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp...Dachau in southern Germany. One of the saddest experiences in my life.

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter- right over Dollywood, baby!

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial...my favorite monument, by far.

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades- let's not revisit my opportunity to do so (and hold baby alligators!) but I had to stay back in the room sick with the flu while everyone else went!

75. Been fired from a job- lifeguarding, summer of '00, with Trish. Hahaha.

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating- FISH only!

88. Had chickenpox...worst.experience.ever. I was 9, my mom was pregnant with Em and couldn't touch me. I think I made my Dad feel like crap after the 5th day of yelling and crying "I don't want you, I want Mooooooommmmmmmmmy"

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous- bonus points for KISSING someone famous. Sorry Kiel.

92. Joined a book club...and that lasted all of two sessions. Haha, sorry BdS ladies.

93. Got a tattoo...have one, am contemplating #2

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake- been there, seen it, but it was FEBRUARY and I'm not crazy

97. Been involved in a lawsuit- oh how do I loathe credit fraud

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

I hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend ahead. I take off tomorrow for Htizzle and am beyond excited to see my parents and Emily, celebrate Trisha at her baby shower, see Leanne who now LIVES IN TEXAS!, and surprise my mom with the best.birthday present.EvvvvER. More details to come. :) Oh, and since I hate posts without pics...

I just *loooove* her

Fifty Years Ago Today...

2010-03-30T08:27:00.006-07:00

Fifty years ago today, Mary Elizabeth Moynihan was born in New York. Eighteen years later, she became one of the first female civilians to attend Norwich University in Vermont. Four years after that, she married Capt. Frederick Illingworth Robinson and moved to Germany. Eighteen months later, she became a mother. And twenty six years and two and a half months after that, one of the most incredible examples of human existence I have the honor of knowing is celebrating the big 5-0, deep in the heart of Texas.

In the years between March 30, 1960 and March 30, 2010 she became Mary Beth, one of the most giving, most selfless people the world has ever seen. She became a stay-at-home Mom, and then she became an extremely successful Marketing Director. She has become an advocate for those less fortunate, and she has become a part-time a medical researcher. She has become a mentor, a counselor, and a confidant for her children. In the course of becoming all of those things, she became hands-down my favorite woman, ever.

When I say I could not have been born to better parents, I couldn't mean it any more if I tried. My mom is such an incredible rock, such a strong person who will put herself last in any situation- sometimes to a fault! When I hear about the things she does for others and the sacrifices she continuously makes to do so, I feel so incredibly blessed to have her as an influence in my life and the woman I hope to someday become. When things go wrong, and when things go right, she is the first number I dial. When life is hard, she is the neck I want to hug and the shoulder I reach out to lean on. It's been that way for as long as I can remember... in 6th grade when Louis Apicello didn't ask me to dance at the social, in 8th grade when I failed Mrs. Dick's algebra class and had to back out of the school play, in 11th grade when I was dumped by my first real boyfriend, in college when I couldn't decide what course of study to pursue, and now post-grad when I debate cross-country moves and life-changing decisions; she is the first person I look for, she is the one I seek for advice and consolation.

I have learned (over time) that the older I get, the more I need my mother in my life. There are days when I miss her so badly it hurts. There are days that her random hilarious texts brighten up the crummiest work day. There are days when I hear about something she does or something she feels for someone else and I know that if I can become half the person she is I will have achieved something great.

I know she won't read this (honestly, maybe she'd get on the computer for fun if she had half a second in her day to sit down, but that never happens) and I'm kind of glad she won't because I know she'd be ticked. But, like always, the more stubborn of the two of us will win out. So, here's to you, Mrs. Robinson. Jesus loves you more than you will know. And so do I.

You Take a Guess

2010-03-28T18:27:00.007-07:00

So, I may or may not have become the biggest blogging failure this side of the Mississippi. Or the Atlantic. Or any body of water on this great green Earth.

I may or may not have purchased a pair of Reebok EasyTone kicks. After all, it was Amanda who pointed out that they would still achieve a 28% better butt workout if we're just sitting eating frozen cookie dough...thank you Mr. Schwann's Man for making me lardalicious.

I may or may not have spent my entire childhood being convinced that this is what a "carpool" was and being completely horrified when my mom would talk to my friends' moms about them.

I may or may not have found something I actually feel is worth collecting.

I may or may not have turned around while driving to capture this image of Pep while going 50mph. Sorry CHP.

I may or may not have become "that girl" who takes her pup everywhere with her in a padded bike basket. I also may or may not have almost run over Pep with said bike, but that's a minor detail.

I may or may not have climbed to the top of Bishop's Peak and then had a panic attack that Pepper was going to tumble off the mountain and refused to go any further.

I may or may not have gone on a 10 hour double-date with Lindsey and Josh...and really, really enjoyed it. This date also may or may not have included a tour of the men's room at the Madonna Inn.

I may or may not have painted my toes on the floor of the Phoenix airport at 8am waiting for our ride. Hey, I never said I was super classy. Oh wait...yes I did.

I may or may not have eaten more than half of this ring of cookies while in Phoenix. Seriously, what the HELL kind of crack do they put in these fluffy morsels of heaven?!?!

I may or may not use fear as a selling point for our mattresses. And feel no shame in doing so.
I may or may not have watched the blizzard hit Denver the night before my 7am flight and secretly hoped my flight was canceled so I'd have the rest of the week off of work. I may or may not have been in luck and instead was forced to watch one flight get canceled and get put on two standby lists and sit on the tarmac for 2 hours waiting for deicing, but, I digress.

Awwww Snap, Look Who's Blogging

2010-03-15T07:31:00.008-07:00

Okay, I admit it; I've become the WORST blogger since moving out here. Honestly though, I just DON'T get in front of the computer at home anymore. Like, ever. And while I spend 9+ hours a day in front of the screen at work, I definitely am not using that time to blog. C'est la vie.

One of the main things we've (okay, I've) really been working on is trying to make friends out here! Seriously, I never realized how much you take having a core group of friends to hang out with, happy hour with, have dinners with, etc. until you DON'T have any. Inside scoop: it sucks. We are so lucky to have the Michelson family out here on the Central Coast with us, but since they're down in Nipomo things like quick dinners or television-watching weeknights are hard to do. Luckily, with a little bit of friendly-neighboring and some online stalking we have been able to find a handful of couples to hang with and I am just SO HAPPY. Between dinners and happy hours and movie dates and fun in the sun our schedule is beginning to look just the way I like it: packed like a suitcase going on a trip overseas.

I would love to fill you in on everything we've been up to in the month it's been since I posted, but it's not going to happen today kids. I still need to pack for three SEPERATE trips I'm making between this and next Thursday. Yeah, you heard right. Please say a prayer for Kiel's family as we're going up to Merced on Thursday to lay his sweet grandmother to rest. Unfortunately, we can only stay the day so we can get back to take off at 7am Friday to Scottsdale for a wedding weekend, then I leave for Denver straight from PHX for a work conference.

My other FAIL as of late? Taking NO pictures. I still have no idea where my camera is (Kiel, if you're reading- did you leave it in LA?) so I'll leave you with some pics snapped on my phone.

This is what I do when Kiel goes out for the night. Online chatting + dinner of CHAMPIONS= freaking awesome night. If I don't put it on bread, the Fluffernutter is healthy, right?!

Shots like this make me really appreciate the rain

Oh, and shots like this? Makes me appreciate chocolate-covered FROZEN cookie dough courtesy of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Did I mention that this was AFTER a taco at Chipotle and BEFORE a huge Irish dinner feast at Dave and Amanda's? Yes, I am the most gluttonous chick ever.

So, we hike it off. Pepper has no complaints.

See that little "M" up there on Madonna Mountain?

What whaaaaaaat!

Our house is down there...somewhere. Kiel tried to find it but my ADD kicked in.

I totally stole this idea from Nina and framed some menus from our favorite nosh spots for a wall in our kitchen. More to come...

Hope everyone is having a lovely week and is able to share in some of our INCREDIBLE weather. This lass is gearing up for St. Pat's tomorrow and already excited for some fish and chips, hard cider, and blaming this sunburn on my "cheap Irish skin" :)

Things I'm Loving

2010-02-24T20:00:00.005-08:00

My goodness, honestly... remember when I used to blog all the time? Yeah, that was before the move to California. Since living here, my time is consumed with a commute, enjoying this fanfreakingtastic city, and oh- actually WORKING at my job. That's right folks, I'm not spending my hours behind a computer blogging and online shopping anymore. Nope, I do shit. And, (ba-da-ba-ba-baa!) I'm lovin' it.

So to get back to my point, I don't have the time for the long blog posts and thoughtful writing anymore. Sorry. While I do miss it, I'm kind of starting to see that it's a tad more enjoyable (for me at least) to spend my free time living my life, rather than documenting it. I don't even know where my camera is at the moment (shocking, RIGHT?!) and I haven't put an album on on the Book of Face since my birthday. Um, for a girl with over 2000 pictures posted that's a big withdrawl! Since I always have my trusty phone by my side, I've snapped a few pictures in the past couple of weeks of things I'm digging that I decided to mash together and come up with a post for the blog.

Our triple-date Valentine's celebration at Casa de Michelson and the smorgasbord of delectable delights my divine SIL put together. See those cute little Edible Arrangements? The ones with the heart-shaped pineapple chunks? Yeah, she made those.

My "not a paper cup/lid" set from said awesome SIL. You know, because it's not like half the calories I consume are in frothy, caffeinated form or anything.

I know she makes it to every post and you might be sick of her, but I'll never be able to convey the amount of love I have for my little muffinugget and how the crazy amount of unconditional love she brings to my life can help brighten even the cloudiest of days. (and yes, that's Ruche's "Chenin Grape" scarf...a b-day gift from Amanda. I think I should retitle this post as "the shiz my SIL has done for me since 12/7/09.)

Okay... I LOVE red wine and I really, really, really LOVE chocolate (I firmly believe that chocolate is proof that God doesn't want me to be skinny, fyi) but I think this is pushing it. Even for me, the human garbage disposal.

Pepper and I's favorite running trail thus far. Yeah, I know...the view is cruddy, but what can ya' do?

Livi trying to break into her Daddy's rice crispy treat...what's not to love about this picture? However, I think Olivia may be a yummier little treat than the marshmallow square.

Starbucks, I will never, ever, nomatterwhat stop loving you. Without you, I would have no job, no friends, no anything because I'd be in a melted pool of human on the floor or still stuck in bed for the day. Oh, and I know, I know...I'm not using the cup shown above. It was in the washer :(

I had found this adorable black and cream damask rug that pretty much filled the living room. While I luuuurved it, I was having the hardest time figuring out what sort of prints I could hang that wouldn't clash or be way too busy with the intricate rug. Well, look who had to go all Martha Stewart in this bish.
Anyone remember "Bang Gate 2005" after my time in Ireland? The one where the girl gave me inch-long baby doll bangs WITHOUT MY ASKING OR KNOWLEDGE? No? Well, I do. But for some reason, when my oh-so-adorable new stylist asked me on Saturday if I wanted a "new, funky edge" I totally went for it. Let's just say round 2 went exponentially better than round 1 and I haven't cried myself to sleep about the new 'do ONCE... which was basically how I spent the entire month of December 2005.
Well, there's my little list of things I've been loving lately. I want to give a BIG shout out to my Aunt Debby, who couldn't get comments to post on the blog but mailed me the sweetest LETTER telling me she reads and doesn't want me to stop. You are pretty much awesome. :)

*oh, and so I don't catch any more grief...BENJI SERINSKY THIS SHOUT OUT IS FOR YOU!!!

Okay, I Lied

2010-02-11T10:49:00.007-08:00

The blog did not come out tomorrow. My excuse? I a) realized I didn't have my camera cord and you KNOW how I feel about picture-less posts and b) I got back to the hotel and got in bed super early. I watched The Bachelor for the first time since season 1... and let's just say I'm contemplating making a "Team Tenley" shirt for next week. Love her, emotional-wreck and all. Really, really loved her Daddy too... reminded me a bit of Papa Archie.

I'm just going to throw some random pictures up here and caption away. I should note that I don't post much anymore because honestly, who's reading this little blog of mine? If you want to see more posting then write a COMMENT so I know I'm not just typing to nothingness, okay? Please, and thank you.

Out to dinner while Irma was in town... Olivia takes after her Auntie Lauren and likes to double-fist carbs WHILE eying the sweet snacks at the same time. *LOVE HER*

Livi also likes drinking water, but doesn't like sippy cups one bit. This is the best solution Amanda has come up with and it's BEYOND hilarious to watch. Especially when she sighs with relief after a sip!

Irma brought down Kiel's favorite cake for my birthday! Happy birthday Kiel...er, Lauren! :)

Out to lunch in Palo Alto with Irma's wonderful sisters and nieces... all I can think of while looking at this picture is that song "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things does not belong!" HAHA!

I obviously lost this race.

Pepper hearts Palo Alto, especially when it includes treats.

Yeah, remember my mention of the most hilarious gadget ever? The DogMill. The world's newest breakthrough in laziness.*

My newest Naughty Monkeys...thank you Irma for talking me into these and out of the black/silver ones. The line "But how many pairs of yellow shoes do you have?" worked like a charm.

That is a mountain. A mountain covered in fog. Crazy.

Imagine my horror when I realized the shirt I wore on Sunday for the conference was BLUE! Oh NO!

Luckily, my black and gold nails were there to rep the Saints!

And, just because... I leave you with the cutest little muffinugget this side of the Mississippi.

*This would be a wonderful gadget, and not at all considered "lazy" if purchased because a pet owner is unable (due to physical disability, etc) to walk the dog themself. However, since it was in a pretty high-end, hoighty-toity shop, I'm going to doubt that's who they're aiming toward.

The Blog Will Come Out...

2010-02-07T21:43:00.002-08:00

TOMORROW!

Promise. I'm in Yakima, Washington bored to tears in a hotel room. I had every intention of writing a great post tonight documenting our trip up to the Bay, my making a friend (yippee!) and going on my first GNO in MONTHS!, and my incredibly crazy random trip up here so far. And then I got on my Google Reader. And then I read all of your incredible posts. And then I realized I wasn't in the mood to write anything worth reading. So, I'm taking my to-go glass of Yakima Valley red to bed with me and shall put off blogging for yet another day. Tune in tomorrow night folks, because if for nothing else, you'll get to see a really awesome picture of the most hilarious gadget ever invented.

Night loves.

Dear Blog, I Miss You

2010-01-26T11:11:00.007-08:00

Dear Cabo, I loved you... you were exactly what I needed at exactly the right time. If you want to see some pics, just click here!

Dear 12 pina coladas a day, now YOU really were somethin'. And boy oh boy wasn't it just AWESOME that the resort told me you were sugar and calorie free? Double bonus!

Dear husband, thank you...for being you. For hitting the dancefloor with me until the DJ was done and rocking out singing and dancing without a care in the world. Your complete lack of worry about what others think is one of the main things I love about you.

Dear all-you-can-eat restaurants, bad news bears.

Dear driver, thank you for letting us bring our cocktails in the car on the way back to the airport. Thank you also for not laughing at me when I ATE IT getting out of your van and bruised my entire body on the way down. Thank you also for not making me pay to have the blood cleaned from your door from my gushing toe.

Dear LAX weather delays that stuck us in the Cabo airport for 4 hours, FAIL.

Dear Dave and Amanda, thank you so much for watching Peppy for us while we were gone. She really loves spending time with her aunt and uncle... and all the food you leave out for Magnum that she is able to steal.

Dear Olivia, I know you can't read yet... but I just loooove you. I love your little laugh and precious sparkling eyes and that new adorable wave. I love that I can watch you grow and learn so many new things. And mostly? I love that these days if I put my arms out to you, you reach out to me too. *heart melting*

Dear Mom, thank you for the wonderful care package of items for our trip you overnighted the day before we left. I'm still really sorry I didn't open said box until after we returned.

Dear In-N-Out, I still love the sh*t out of you. Nope, you haven't gotten old yet.

Dear Irma, I am so glad you were able to come down from the Bay for a visit and see where we call home. We always love having you in town, no matter how much my thighs hate you for it! Our kitchen feels much more well-equipped after your departure; maybe the next visit I'll actually cook for you instead of drag you from restaurant to restaurant! :)

Dear Kathryn DiBitetto, I just want you to know that I really, really miss you. And no, Eric... not in THAT way.

Dear friends and family, I can't begin to thank you all for the wonderful messages, cards, and gifts I received for my birthday. You have no idea how incredible it is to return home after a long weekend away to nothing but positive reinforcement that this world has more than its fair share of amazing people.

Dear Mom, (oh wait, is that twice?) ANOTHER care package? Sheesh... you spoil us. Now you just need to send a big chest of drawers to keep everything! No matter how old I get, coming home to a box on the doorstep NEVER gets old.

Dear Mr. Hyphy (yes, you get two as well- it's late and my brain is le tired), I am SO EXCITED for the fun Carmel/Monterey getaway you planned for my birthday gift. Even more excited that we have another fun weekend trip to look forward too in less than a month! I am beyond impressed you managed to plan that all without a hitch and without my knowing.

Dear America, can't we all just get along?

Dear Chi, yo- thanks for not burning down our cute little house yesterday when I left you on from 6am to 5pm. I know what you're thinking..."This is the 15th time you've done this, when will you ever learn WOMAN!", and I promise, I'll try.

Dear portion control, go fly a kite. The Healthy Choice "dinner selections" I just had for lunch would leave Mary Kate hungry.

Dear home, you are gorgeous. I am hitting on you, that's how hot you are. Now hand over the digits, girlll.

"I'll Take 'Life With a Side of Guilt' for 200, Alex"

2010-01-20T08:55:00.006-08:00

I haven't blogged in a while and for the first time, it's intentional.

You see, the minute I start to think of what I would write about: updates on our new life out here, going to the beach all weekend, getting the most adorable beach cruisers in the world, fun and exciting travel plans, anniversary and birthday celebrations... I just get so overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt because I have an incredible life. Guilt because we are healthy. Guilt because I've been blessed in almost every single aspect of my life in the past year. Guilt because I am happy.

Following the recent tragedy in Haiti, and the light that's been shed on the suffering they have faced for years and years... I just feel horrible to have what we have and do the things we do. I woke up on my birthday this past Sunday and couldn't stop thinking of the people out there who were born on the same day as I, who weren't sitting on a warm, sunny beach drinking a pina colada. People who will never spend a birthday, or any other day for that matter, doing that exact same thing. I am more grateful and thankful and appreciative of every single blessing and opportunity in our life, more than I ever could think of words to describe.

Maybe I'll post later in the week to recap our Cabo anniversary/birthday vacation... but for now I'll just leave you with a picture. No, this picture wasn't taken on vacation- it was taken here at home. You now see where this sense of guilt is coming from?

PS: Many thanks to Meredith for this incredible post and incredible link to Hope for Haiti's Children. If you think you may be able to donate $32/mo (literally, that's only 7 Starbucks runs to "sacrifice") the impact you can make on the life of a child in Haiti will have an exponentially greater benefit than that daily jolt of caffeine. They aren't accepting new sponsors at the given moment (because of current relief efforts) but they should be soon. I know I have it bookmarked and have donated in the meantime.

My Life Has Gotten in the Way of My Blog

2010-01-08T12:59:00.001-08:00

So, let's see... yesterday I went to work, babysat sweet little Olivia for an hour or so, went to Firestone Grill to meet up with Kiel and our neighbor-friends to watch the game, walked around Farmer's Market, ate delicious pizza, and watched an episode of "Always Sunny" before heading to bed shortly after ten.

Oh, what's that? What have we been doing the month or so prior to yesterday, when I became more MIA than Tiger Woods' after Thanksgiving? Let's recap...

The third weekend of December we moved into our adorable little house on this adorable little street with this adorable not-so-little view.

Dear new kitchen, I love love love you.

Pepper checked out the ocean for the first time... not a fan.

Olivia learned how to sing karaoke.

Kai stopped by for a visit on his way up to the Bay from LA! He (and every other person here) loves Kiel's license plate.

Pepper was adorable... but that's not really new.

I fell in love with the Mission on Christmas Eve... yes, that's our new church- yes, it is GORGEOUS.

We had lots of self-taken picture failures.

We had an incredible and gift-PACKED Christmas morning. (ps: who else loves Pep's doggy door?!)

Christmas Day had us hiking around Lopez Lake with some of Kiel's siblings... most.gorgeous.day.ever.

Enjoyed some exciting apres-dinner activities at Karen and Bill's on Christmas.

Had a wonderful night with some wonderful people on NYE... and yes, this is the ONLY picture I took all night.

We decided to live up in San Luis even though I'd have to drive a half hour to work... This is the commute I have to "endure" every day.

Officially became obsessed with In-N-Out Burger and SO thankful that the closest one is about 20 minutes away or else I'd look like a blimp right now.

Headed to Shell Beach after wine-tasting on our anniversary; pardon the purple-tinted teeth.

Pepper soaked up the sun in Morro Bay.
*sigh*

Honestly, I am convinced this is the most wonderful place anyone could live. It's been 70, sunny, and perfectly perfect every single day for the past few weeks. I love you California and I'm so sorry I cried at the thought of moving here when our plane took off on December 5th. I promise I will get back to this ol' blog and give some updates and share pictures more than once a month like I've done the past two months.

2009: A Recap

2010-01-07T12:49:00.008-08:00

I saw this on Jenn's Blog and thought it would be a creative way to get me back into my old blogging habits...

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Oh, let's see: Got married, attended a Presidential Inauguration, moved to the West Coast, had a niece, went to Paris...

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I really wish I remember if I made any last year, but I do know I'm going to keep them this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes- many! First baby cousin Abi was born in January, and then cousin Scarlett AND our first niece Olivia both born in April!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Lord, thank you so much for keeping all of our loved ones in our lives in 2009.

5. What countries did you visit?
Well, Puerto Rico doesn't count... so just Ireland and France.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you didn't have in 2009?
I'm reversing this question... I'd like to have LESS stress.

7. What dates from 2009 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
Far too many to count, but 01/03/09 is at the tippy top.

8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Packing up our lives and moving cross-country... WHILE working full time!

9. What was your biggest failure?
I refuse to fail for good... any "failure" is just a first attempt.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Does Swine Flu count?

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our Christmas/Anniversary trip to Cabo- we leave in 9 days!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband... who moved to a city with a HORRIBLE job market and was able to secure a wonderful position within two weeks of us living here. So many blessings.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Besides cheating celebrities?

14. Where did most your money go?
DC-area rent!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Have you ever met me? I basically get excited about everything.

16. What song will always remind you of 2009?
Anything by Lady Gaga.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a. I'm going to say "less" happy, just because last year on this day I was on a boat sailing around the Spanish Virgin Islands with my husband of a few days and couldn't have been happier if I tried.
b. I am no where near as in shape as I was for our wedding... working on it though!
c. Oh who knows!?

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent more time with my family.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Work 11-12 hours a day.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Three ways: first with Kiel on Christmas Eve going to Mass and out to dinner, then on Christmas Day with part of Kiel's family, and then the day after Christmas with Amanda's family! :)

21. Did you fall in love with 2009?
It had it's ups and downs.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Oh my GOSH, thank you television for bringing us Modern Family!

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Absolutely not.

24. What was the best book you read?
Hate to say this but reading "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" while on the way to/from Europe sure made the time FLY by. (Note: I DO NOT endorse Tucker Max's behavior or recommend this book to the faint of heart!)

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. One of the best.

26. What did you want and get?
Too many to count. The diamond earrings for my birthday from Kiel are up there though, that's for sure!

27. What did you want and not get?
A more unified country.

28. What was your favorite film of 2009?
Hmmm, that's a good one! The Blind Side, Whip It, The Hangover, and Up were all really great.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

For my 25th birthday on January 17th Kiel surprised me with gorgeous earrings (mentioned above), tickets to "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center, and an incredible dinner overlooking the Potomac.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not stressing out over the move.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2009?
What?! Considering I wore yoga pants to work almost every day...

32. What kept you sane?
Kiel... he always tries to calm me down when I'm going nuts. He's the B to my A.

33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Not exactly an issue, but I do have to say sitting in the freezing cold with over a million people on the Mall on January 20th definitely had the most impact.

34. Who did you miss?
All of my family and friends that are spread out across this ENTIRE country.

35. Who was the best new person you met?
Hmmm, that's a tough one.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2009.

As Ferris Bueller pointed out: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it".

Okay, I'll be back tomorrow with LOTS of pictures and updates!

It's Been So Long, Even KIEL'S Asking Me to Post...

2009-12-08T21:29:00.007-08:00

As you can imagine, we have been two busy busy bees since I last had a chance to post. Between then and now, I have: finished selling a bunch of our stuff on Craigslist (which is a MUCH bigger p.i.t.a. than ever anticipated- like 20 emails back and forth for each item), packed up the trunks and shipped off two cars (again, much more of a p.i.t.a. than anticipated- seriously? They can't pick up the cars less than 20 miles from our place? Sheesh) made half a dozen trips to buy boxes/wrapping paper/etc, finished packing our entire apartment, spent a day with our Mayflower movers, had our incredibly wonderful going away happy hour/night out/nice dinner (yes, in that order), and let's see...what else. Oh, MOVED TO CALIFORNIA, so I have a few things to discuss.

First, do NOT plan your going away party the night before your cab takes you to the airport at FIVE THIRTY in the morning. Seriously- going down in history as the worst idea Kiel and I have ever had and, trust me, we've had more than a few. After hanging out at the bar and getting drink after drink handed to us by our incredible friends for about five hours, we decided it might be a good idea to get some food in our systems. Well, Eric Dunn had the BEST idea of the night and a little group of us randomly went for a late-night dinner at La Tasca; one of Kiel and I's faaaavorite spots to nosh in DC. After plate after plate of Spanish tapas and a couple pitchers of sangria we sadly said our goodbyes and headed back home...around midnight. Never mind the fact we still had to pack up our suitcases and clean out the rest of our stuff laying around the apartment. Let's just say a 2:30 bedtime after a night of partying with a 4:30 wake up call leads to a VERY fun morning. Picture the two of us spending 15 minutes trying to find our packed key to lock up, trying not to yumbo in the cab, and having to step out for air periodically at the airport before our flight. Yep, suuuuuper fun. However, I will say this (and so will Kiel): completely.worth.every.minute.

We were met at the airport in San Luis (on the edge of the tarmac, mind you!) by our gracious and glorious hosts for the next week and the cutest niece I ever did see. Amanda and Dave planned a great trip up to Cambria to the Hearst Castle on Sunday, so after sleeping in and becoming "real" again we headed up for a day of elephant seal-watching, castle-touring, and view-gazing from the most GORGEOUS spot overlooking the ocean. I started work on Monday and since then it's just been one big (neverending) slumber party. Like I said to my mom: "you know after a dinner party and you're tired and you just want everyone to go home so you can relax alone? Well yeah, it's like that... but we haven't left in 10 days." Honestly, D&A deserve a golden "Sibling of the Year" plaque after all that they've done for us during this whole transition. I've said it once, and I'll say it a million times more; we're lucky b*tches. :)

The keys to our adorable house were handed to us today, but since our moving truck is somewhere up in Washington state, we're camping out another night at Casa de Michelson since none of our stuff is here yet. I CANNOT wait until it arrives and I can unpack and decorate and make it "ours"... luckily this extra time lapse is giving our new pillow cases time to arrive from England- gotta love Etsy!!!!!!! Anyone looking to change up their pillows, you HAVE TO CHECK out Marie's shop: here

Okay, it's late and I have to get up at 6 and I'm too tired to finish this blog, so here are some pics. Oh, if you want to see more, here's the album: bookOFface

xoxo

Looking Back...and Gazing Ahead

2009-11-29T14:48:00.006-08:00

Exactly one year ago, I decided to start my own blog to keep far-away family and friends updated on our little life here in our nation's capital. Now, looking back at the 99 posts I've written since November 28th, 2008, I am beyond appreciative to have those memories documented; written down and stashed away- all the details of the life we've lead. It hit me really hard with my family in town that home really is where your heart is; it's not the roof that you live under or the city streets you walk or the incredible things that surround you. Home is where your family is, where you create your own memories, where you start your own traditions, where you build your life. Where your home is does not define the life you will lead- it's the life you lead that will define your home.Having all of the Robinson's together reminded me of this in so many ways; we have lived SO many places and still, our family is the same family regardless. We will still gang up on Emily, laugh hysterically at Brett, roll our eyes at "Meghanisms", make fun of Lauren, and drive our parents crazy no matter WHICH of the 1o cities that we've lived in we've been; that doesn't change with our geographical location. So, this life that I adore- one of adventures and new experiences and going on food excursions and having wonderful friends- that life comes with us in the boxes and suitcases to California.

We had the most amazing time with my family in town. Honestly, I cannot express enough how much my family makes me laugh- with them and at them. I think Kiel said "I wish they were still here" about ten times yesterday, and so do I. I've lived so far from my family for so long that I don't always realize how much I miss being around them until we're all gathered together; sharing stories and cracking up and passing around hugs. Hopefully once Daddy gets a taste of SLO and the incredible wineries they'll pack up and move out West! *fingers crossed*So to sum up what I'm thankful for: the blessings I've been given by growing up in the Robinson family. The kindness, humor, generosity, wisdom, optimism, and loyalty I've been surrounded by my entire life has enriched my 25 years in monumental ways. Fred, MB, Brett, Meghan, and Emily: I love the $h*t out of you. :)
For the rest of the week's pics, click here.

Counting My Blessings

2009-11-25T07:38:00.003-08:00

Since it's technically not Thanksgiving, I'll save my "I'm Thankful For" post for tomorrow. However, since the girl coming to pick up the loveseat is running an hour late and the car carrier is running oh, say FIVE hours late, I figured I'd kill some of the waiting time by doing what I do best... procrastinate on the computer.

While my stress levels have been running sky high and the anxiety over jobs, moving, packing, uprooting our life and replanting 3,300 miles away, preparing for the holidays, and figuring out car issues* has been keeping me up at night; I really put things in perspective and am able to see that my problems seem so petty and we are still blessed beyond belief. I met up with my sweet friend Danielle this week and learned more about her husband's extremely rare diagnosis and battle with Burkitt's Lymphoma; a suit of armor no one is prepared to wear, one that is uncomfortable and ill-fitting. Her positive outlook and attitude about the situation is astounding. Here I am bitching and moaning about having to pack and Kiel not finding a job when I should be praising the Lord that we are both healthy and happy.

So my advice to you, dear readers, is to think about the one problem you're facing in your life- big or small- and just realize that no matter what, there are people out there who would trade problems with you at the first opportunity they could get. I hope everyone has a blessed and happy Thanksgiving with family and/or friends. The entire Robinson crew lands today and I just could not be more excited about it if I tried... xoxo

*I don't recommend parking your new car for oh, say 18 months or so without it being driven. Not fun when you decide it's time to use the car again. Not fun at all.

Bring Your Feminism to Work Day

2009-11-20T17:46:00.005-08:00

(or the working title: Procrastination Is My Middle Name)

I need to start off by explaining I do not consider myself an uber-feminist by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, I completely agree with the Webster definition of feminism: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes (duh), but I'm not one of those "you shouldn't cook and clean and stay home with children" types. I'm all about the freedom of choice; women should be free to CHOOSE whether or not they want to work, have children, stay home, cook dinner every night, etc. Or have the right to CHOOSE someone else does those things. However, I REALLY don't believe the whole notion that someone who goes to college and then chooses to stay home raising children should be told they are "wasting their education and potential" like I've heard so many times before. So yeah, I'm pretty much a middle-of-the-road type of gal.

Hmmm, where was I before I pulled out the soap box? Oh yeah...

At work the past few days, one of my new colleagues had been complimenting me on my choice of footwear. Now, we all get the compliments from girlfriends, gay friends, random ladies on the street and that's swell in its own right. However, when said colleague is a 55+, frumpily-dressed, married father of two... that compliment MEANS something, you know? " I mean, I bet this guy would get the phone ready to call the mortuary if he heard me say "I DIE" (RZ fans, anyone?) so to have him notice my shoes really solidified the fact that they were as snazzy as I thought.

So, I thank him and explain to him that I REALLY love shoes, have over a hundred pair, etc... and he says to me "Wow, you sound like a shoe-holic! I feel sorry for your poor husband." Um, what does Kiel have to do with anything?! Last time I checked, it's the 21st century and I have a job (and a good one at that!) and buy my own dang shoes, mister. But thanks for thinking I need to rely on my husband to buy my shoes. So that was yesterday.

Then TODAY, he came into my office, looked at my feet, shook his head and said "Whoa, another cool pair? Now I REALLY feel bad for your husband." Honestly, it took every.single.ounce.of.control I have to bite my tongue and just let him walk away. Did I mention that I actually bought them myself? No. Did I mention I studied hard and have been collecting as much work experience as I can in order to have a job where I can spend as I please? No. Did I mention that when we move I'll be supporting our little family myself until Kiel finds something? No. Honestly, the nerve.

PLUS (oh and this is my favorite part) HE WORKS WITH ME. I mean, if he had met me on the street, on the metro, ANYWHERE other than the place where I spend almost 9 hours every day working I could understand... what does he think? That I just REALLY enjoy spending my days reformatting resumes and figuring out how to organize 10 years' worth of HR documents? "Yes, that's exactly right sir- I'm just here voluntarily. No, no, I don't get paid for this and yes, my husband buys all of my shoes".

I know this conversation lacked any sort of malicious intent and he is just a little old-fashioned and accustomed to supporting his own wife's shoe habits. For some reason it just really got to me... maybe because I've been working full-time, organizing movers and subletters and househunters on my spare time, and also trying to fit in packing our entire apartment for the past few weeks and deserve some recognition, dammit! Whew. Glad to get that one off my chest.

In the words of Chelsea Handler "WHAT a dum dum!"

For your reference, this is what's been adorning my tootsies this week:

And now I must go get back to this, because we have people coming to pick up a bunch of our furniture tomorrow and I don't think anyone will even be able to find it:

Thankful for SO Much

2009-11-16T18:58:00.005-08:00

As some of you may know, I have been one big ball of stress these past couple of weeks. All of the moving companies were either DISGUSTINGLY high (honestly? Five grand to move a 10-foot UHaul worth of stuff?), had bad reviews and seemed sketchy, or had the most rude and arrogant moving consultants I'd ever dreamed of meeting. Both of the cute houses that we really could see ourselves living in had fallen through to renters who could sign a lease before December 1st; one causing more than a few tears from this house hunter. Kiel's company rejected his proposal to move his position to work at home, so now we're faced with his unemployment upon arriving in California. It just started to seem like NOTHING was going our way; what had once seemed like the best opportunity that we were so excited about was slowly starting to seem like the biggest headache that no Advil could cure.

Until last night.

In the course of a few hours, we: found the most.adorable. 3br/2b house, the absolutely wonderful owner sent us the lease and can't wait to meet Pepper, was able to negotiate the You-Know-What out of our estimate with Mayflower so we can go with a trustworthy company and stay within budget, sold almost all of our furniture that we're leaving behind (with not a ONE Nigerian scammer to respond!), and found reasonably well-priced flights out to San Luis! Whew- what a night!

It looks kind of mini in this pic but it goes back really far!

We suffered a bit of a setback understatement of the year) when the sweet owner emailed me this morning saying they're having unexpected company for Thanksgiving staying for two weeks and the house wouldn't be available until the 15th or so! Um, okay- there's the ONE drawback of living somewhere so gorgeous: family comes to vacation and stays for two weeks!!! :) After a mild panic attack, I was completely calmed down by Amanda. They graciously will let us stay with them for the week/week and a half until our new house is ready. After double-checking with the movers that the truck won't show up before the 15th and being enticed by a week of living rent-free, we realized that this may be a blessing in disguise. I'll get some time to get acclimated at work before the unpacking frenzy begins, we'll be able to spend time with that fabulous family that we just adore, Kiel will have some extra time to look for work without the nagging feeling to unpack, and we get a few extra days to pack here before the movers show up.

Okay, I've been needing to say this for a long time now...

Amanda- you have been a complete lifesaver for us in this process. I can honestly say I don't think we'd have been able to make the move without your help, and we appreciate it so, so much. You have done everything so eagerly and without hesitation; we are beyond blessed to have you in our family and in our life.

For those of you who don't know, our sister-in-law Amanda has gone above and beyond helping us look for places; taking picture upon picture, asking the owners a zillion questions just like I would, and taking measurements and sending us dimensions along with detailed descriptions of every part of each house. Did I mention that in order to do so she has to feed, change, pack up, and drag her poor BABY the 30-minute drive to SLO, strap her into the front pack, and then put the hungry, sleepy angel back in the carseat for the half-hour trip home? She has done this SIX times for us, and if it wasn't for her (and sweet Olivia) we wouldn't have been able to snag our perfect little home out West. Are we lucky or what?! Plus, the emotional support and plethora of moving/packing/house hunting advice have been invaluable to me throughout this process. I love you; my sister from another mister.

They are just too adorable for words...Watch out little Livi... Auntie Lauren is coming to smooch all over you!

Well, now I'm going to finish this glass of wine on the couch with my little fam to celebrate the newly paved surface on this road to our next adventure in life.

"When Life Hands You Lemons, Make Juice" -Kielism #547

2009-11-11T10:36:00.006-08:00

I gave myself a few days before posting about our trip to Tucson hoping it would give me some time to look back with nothing but fondness and let go of some of my frustration surrounding the trip. Let's see how I do...

As I wrote in my last post, this trip came with REALLY awful timing; not just because of the amount of stuff we have to do here at home, but also because we're about to face a bit of a financial hurdle while Kiel is out of work. However, we planned this trip as a fun CouplesCation with close friends of ours back in April, so we just shelled out the $800 for plane tickets knowing we'd have enough fun to make up for it. Long story short: Thursday night we find out that our friend has gotten very sick and they weren't going to be able to make it- 15 hours before we were set to get on a plane to meet them in Tucson! They were literally the only reason we were still going after finding out about our move!!! You know those times when you are just SO FRUSTRATED with a situation and there's really no one to blame for it? Yeah, let's just say I'm glad I had my Mommy here for venting!

Not exactly an ocean view...

SOooo, we ended up making the most out of it (what else can ya do, right?) and having a nice little weekend getaway, just the two of us. I wish I could say I wasn't thinking "we could have gone to Puerto Rico/Jamaica/the Keys/Bermuda with this time and money!" in the back of my head the whole time, but I was. I mean, don't get me wrong- Tucson is great- but, for a nice little getaway with the hubs I picture something a tad different. Luckily we ran into a decent amount of Kiel's friends on Saturday so we were able to hang with people he hadn't seen in a few years so that kind of helped my travel remorse. I think the round after round of bourbon Kiel kept in my hand helped a bit too; he's a smart one that husband of mine.

If you'd like to see more pics, you can check out my album here.

Moving on...

We came home around 1am on Monday night and man, was it nice to come home to a spotless apartment (you can imagine how it looked when we left at 3 in the morning!) with vacuum lines and all! I called my mom after seeing the made beds, clean sheets and towels, new kitchen rugs, new night lights, new toys for Pep, and absolutely sparkling bathroom to yell at her for spending her last day in DC cleaning. Her response "Of course I tidied up! You can't come home from a weekend away to a messy place!" Um, Mom... we're going to be out of town the first weekend in January, feel free to come visit our new home while we're gone!!! Kiel and I are certainly blessed in the mother department; between being wined and dined to our hearts' content with Irma in town the prior weekend and then having a personal maid/butler with my mom in town last weekend we realize how spoiled- and lucky- we both are!

Okay, now I must go and see what I can start packing, continue looking for a place to live in SLO (yeah, kind of important, isn't it?), and settle on a moving company that will not a)totally rip us off and b)not disappear with all of our stuff somewhere along the 3,000-mile way. Who wants to trade stress levels with me right now? Any takers?

Didn't think so.

Timing FAIL

2009-11-05T14:22:00.003-08:00

So, I'm sitting here waiting for my laundry to finish so I figured I'd get a post in before we jet off to Arizona tomorrow. You know, out West... where we'll be LIVING in less than a month. Unfortunately, we planned this trip way before we had any idea we'd be moving to Cali so Kiel and I made the decision to go to UofA's homecoming this year and save a football weekend down at USC until next fall. Well, it looks like we'll be heading to more Southern Cal games than South Carolina games come 2010, so this year would have been a more fitting time to take advantage of being an 8 hour drive from my alma matter, eh? It doesn't help matters that I have friends heading town to Columbia next weekend for the Florida/USC game and an open invite for Kiel and I. I jumped at the chance and then quickly reminded myself that we'll only have TWO WEEKS to prepare for the move (you know, minor details like packing) and I probably shouldn't spend one of them frolicking around a tailgate and stuffing myself silly with all things "Country Fried".

*sigh*

You live and you learn.

However, I am admittedly excited about another fun-filled weekend in Tucson; soaking up the 85 degree sunshine, partying at Dirtbags like I'm 21 again, and late-night runs to Los Alazanes for the best taquitos and guac this side of the border.

My mom's been in town since Tuesday night and I've barely seen her! She's here for a marketing conference, and considering I spent FIVE HOURS sitting in a stylist chair yesterday getting my roots done (don't even ask) and she's been at the conference since 7:30 this morning, we've been passing like ships in the night! I'm so happy I'll get more of a chance to hang when she's back at the end of the month for a big Robinson Family Thanksgiving in DC. We did have enough time after she was done last night to head to Lauriol and enjoy a mug, errr, pitcher of margaritas on the rooftop. I love this lady...
It's about time for me to finish (ie: start) packing before I need to go sign the sublease on our apartment. Yep folks, this little 800sqft palace was a steal on the market right now for $1,800... crazy, I know. Now if we just find a place in SLO my blood pressure might drop a bit.

Oh, and since this is turning into the most random post- is anyone else completely *infatuated* with Starbucks' new dark red cups? Talk about a perfect accessory to any Gamecock tailgate ensemble!
Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back to blogging on Tuesday!

Above the Weather

2009-11-01T15:40:00.008-08:00

I'm sitting here at my desk in our living room watching my hubby live out his turf dreams on the PS3, listening to our precious pooch snoozing away curled up in his lap, sipping on some fabulous Peter Lehman shiraz, and swaying to the tunes of the OH-so-talented Brandi Carlile and I honestly couldn't think of a place I'd rather be. *sigh* I love evenings like these...
Kiel's momma was here with us for the weekend and we really did have a wonderful visit. Finishing off the tail-end of this plague, I definitely welcomed an extremely laid-back and restful few days; stuffing ourselves silly with the most.amazing.food.ever, visiting some of our favorite DC dining digs, and just relaxing in our cozy apartment. And quite honestly, who WOULDN'T appreciate a stay from someone who's idea of a fantastic night in involves stopping at Whole Foods for 6 different kinds of cheeses, baguettes, fruit, a basket full of wine, and not to mention the Godiva box waiting in the car. It was nice for Kiel and I to let her experience some of our favorite spots this wondrous city has to offer... and to have her appreciate them just as much as we do! (Kiel definitely got his "foodie" instincts from Irma; I'm still thinking mine came from a two-part combination of my Dad and my Mom's mommy.) It was also so nice to have another wedding-show-loving person here! As much as Kiel loves watching (and making fun of) Bridezilla with me, I don't think he truly has a grasp on the full talent of David Tutera the way she does!

We have Monday to ourselves and then MY sweet Momma comes on Tuesday! What a funny coincidence- both Kiel and my mom having work meetings in DC within a few days of one another! Unfortunately we'll be in Tucson all of next weekend so we won't get much "hang out" time with MB, but it's nice to know Pep will be in good hands with her Mimi while we're gone! Oh well, we can make up for it when the Robinson's invade the District later in the month. :)

Well, it's about time for me to wade through the leftovers in the fridge and "make" dinner and join my sweet little family on our outrageously comfortable couch. Oh, and look for the rest of that Godiva... I know it's around here somewhere.

PS: Oh Ivyyyyy :)

A Few Answers...

2009-10-28T09:36:00.010-07:00

Please bear with me as I'm still fighting off this AWFUL flu that just won't let up! In celebration of today being my first "fever-free" day, I decided to be that crazy rebel I am and... blog. Whoo hooo.

I've received lots of comments, emails, etc. regarding my last post so I thought I'll just tackle as many questions as I can in the easiest way possible; the beloved bullet.

We are moving to beautiful, sunny, San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast. Think wine region meets beach meets perfect weather year-round. SLO sits halfway between LA and San Fran, just a few hours from each- can you say ROAD TRIPS! :)

We are moving because I was offered an incredible career opportunity. That, and this:

Average SLO Temperatures

Period Minimum Maximum Rain (Inches)

January 41.2 64.0 5.16"

April 45.1 68.3 1.6"

July 52.4 78.5 0.0"

October 50.1 76.8 1.1"
We still have no idea what Kiel is going to do for work; that scares me sh*tless but my laid-back Cali Boy is confident it will "all fall into place" once we're out there.
We will most definitely have a guest room so if any of you would like to come visit, enjoy a winery tour or two (or 12), stroll the famous Thursday evening farmer's market, and dip your toes into the chilly Pacific just let us know the dates and Casa de Andersen will be awaiting your arrival!
A lot of people have said (after my last post) if I love it so much in DC, why leave? Well, I'll say this: Three plus years ago when I moved here I never imagined falling in love with this city the way I did. So who's to say I'm not going to feel just as enamored with SLO and be writing it love letters a few years down the road? I guess I'd never know if I didn't try, right? :)
A few of you may have expected a move, just to a more southern region of the US. Well, let's just say that my sweet Momma put her kitten-heeled, size 6.5 foot down to the idea of us moving to Houston. My parents know that living there is not what we want and refuse to let us move there for them. Plus, they're making plans to move out of Texas after Emily graduates anyway, so they don't was us there "holding them back". Haha, thanks Mom! I also think Dad's going to rack up some crazy frequent flier miles coming to visit us considering we'll be surrounded by AMAZING wineries in SLO, Paso Robles, etc.
Approximate move date: December 1st, 2009. Fingers crossed it all works out with our movers and finding a new place!!!
Oh, and Meredith... that picture was our Christmas card for 2007! ;)

Well, I think that's about it... things have just been crazy busy for us trying to sublease our place, find a new place, scheduling movers, scheduling car-shipments, Kiel looking for jobs, beginning to pack, and so on and so forth! Never a dull moment in the Andersen household, eh??!!??!!

Now I'm off to guzzle some more DayQuil.

A Love Letter To This City

2009-10-24T17:49:00.011-07:00

To my dearest District of Columbia,

Thursday, June 1st, 2006, I received a very unexpected phone call from a recruiter. A recruiter based in Washington DC who had seen my resume online and wanted me to travel up to her office so I could meet with her team. So, I went shopping, packed up a few business suits, and prepared to head up to the District for a couple of days to meet with her and hopefully be set up on a handful of interviews in the city. Little did I know, just two short weeks later, I would interview with an organization at 4:30pm and start the VERY next day...10am to be exact.

It was a crazy whirlwind of a time; bouncing from couch to couch, living out of my suitcase and shopping bags, actually staying at my recruiter's apartment, and finally settling on a nice air mattress at my organization's controller's house in Bethesda. I went from being a college student praying I'd make A's on my finals and shaking the University President's hand on that graduation stage to being a metro-riding, rent-paying, meeting-attending grown up working just a few streets from the AMERICAN President in a matter of WEEKS. Did I mention I still had a lease going on a house in Columbia SC where, oh, ALL of my stuff was? Minor details.

In the 1,200 or so days that followed, I: moved, bought a car, learned how to pay bills, fell in love, received a promotion, moved, adopted a dog, learned how to drive in snow, got engaged, moved again, quit my job, started a new job, got married, moved yet again, witnessed a historical Presidential Inauguration, turned 25, and finally started to make sense of this crazy thing called life.

That call from Rakelle Sutton that Thursday afternoon in 2006 changed my life in so, so, so many ways. Living here has opened my eyes to so many incredible experiences that I never in a million years could have imagined. I have met people and done things and seen things and been around things and experienced things that I'm convinced I couldn't have anywhere else. Sometimes, when we see busloads of tourists from Japan or Russia drop off in front of Kiel's office or at the edge of the Mall it hits me that we live somewhere people pay to come visit from AROUND THE WORLD. These monuments, these museums, these landmarks, this immense governmental power... that can only be found here, just steps from where we work, just a mile from where we lay our head to sleep at night.

The opportunities that I've created for myself here are numerous and I feel so blessed that I've been fortunate enough to live the life that we lead. Did I take a huge risk moving to a city with nothing but two business suits and a duffel bag? Did I take a big leap moving to a city where I knew ONE person? Did I take a crazy chance accepting a job that had me talking to CEOs and Board Presidents, giving them advice, at the ripe ol' age of 22? In the words of the best-dressed VP candidate ever: You Betcha. But somehow, someway, I DID take that risk, that leap, that chance and not ONCE considered packing up and going home; giving up and cashing in while I was ahead. And for that, I thank you...

And I just want you to know... I am going to miss you when we move to California in December to start over; taking even more risks, leaps, and chances. However, you can rest assured that I will never, ever forget you and all the memories we have made together.

Love always, and forever.
Lauren R. Andersen

Wake Me Up When Football Season is Over

2009-10-17T16:12:00.004-07:00

In case I haven't explained this well enough on here before, let's recap: my husband is crazily, scarily, annoyingly obsessed with sports. Especially PAC10 sports. It doesn't really matter WHICH sport, although Arizona basketball and Southern Cal (no I WILL NOT call them "USC") football definitely take the cake. In AUGUST, I told Kiel that we were thinking about planning a trip down to Busch Gardens with friends the weekend of October 17th. His reply? "Um, we can't. Southern Cal and Notre Dame play that weekend." Yeah, soooo? And why on EARTH do you know that two months in advance?!?! Let's take a little peek into what MY Saturday's look like during football season, shall we?
Pose #1: Hands on hips, right up on the TV. (One of 2 that are in our living room dedicated to different games Thursday-Monday. One of the joys in my life as you can imagine.) This pose is reserved for kick off, challenge replays, and anything within the red zone.

Pose #2: Hyperventilation Nation. Typically gone to when his team is down or the opposing team is about to score. Possibly pulled out for last-second winning opportunities as well. Usually follows hair pulling or fist beating.Pose #3: When his team is on offense, and about to snap. I have to tell him (multiple times) that he is not actually on the field himself. Nor does he have any chance of making a play himself. NOR can the team hear him when he yells play calls.

Now, mix up these poses for approximately three hours, add in some yelling, EXTREMELY loud hand-clapping, cheering, hair-pulling, heavy breathing, jumping up and down, and the occasional break down and that's what I have to look forward to from August to January. Oh, but them I'm just BLESSED with basketball season and the vicious cycle begins all over again.

"When is my normal Daddy coming home?"

I don't know Pep... but I'm right here with you waiting until he does.

*Side note: I took all these pictures today while he watched the game...and he didn't even notice me, standing 5 feet away, wielding a camera with a flash. THAT'S how much he pays attention to anything other than that damn pigskin.

ABC's of Me...

2009-10-10T09:38:00.012-07:00

I've seen quite a few fellow bloggers do this and have been meaning to jump on the bloggy bandwagon but I've just been on the go nonstop and haven't been able to hop on. Since the drizzly morning is putting QUITE the dent on my plans for Pep and I's run on the Capitol Crescent Trail, I figured now's as good of a time as any! (Fingers-crossed that the sun makes an appearance this afternoon so we can head on out!) So, in the meantime, I shall blog while my living room is filled with the obnoxious sounds of THREE conflicting football games as Kiel switches back and forth between the two TVs and the mac. Be jealous.

A-After picking our own Pink Lady apples last weekend I set out to make my first apple pie. (The only reason I've never made one before is because I HATE peeling apples, especially since the peeler we have s-to the-ucks. 8 apples peeled by hand with a knife= early onset carpel tunnel).

B-Pretty much obsessed with the amazing beef stew recipe I stole from my sweet sister in law Amanda. Deeeelish.

C- Cinnamon Pumpkin scented products from Bath&Body Works... love them.

D- Loves how I get my "fat kid" antics from my sweet Daddy... and how his surprise care package included books by Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay. Thank you!!!

E- My youngest sister's name is Emily, and I'm still jealous that my parents didn't give that name to me- I love it!

F- I am beeeyond excited that Brett and Meghan will be coming to DC to spend Thanksgiving with us this year! With Megs finally being 21 and able to hit the town, I foresee some serious family fun.

G- No brainer... GO GAMECOCKS!!! Top 25- now THAT'S what I'm talking about!!! :)

H- Can't wait to head to Tucson for UofA's Homecoming next month with Frank and Patti- nights out at Dirtbags, F&F green fries, and late-night Los Alazanes!!!

I-"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz is one of my favorite songs ever... and the first half of our first dance for our wedding. The second half, "Walk it Out" by Unk, is not.

J- Does anyone else just love Jason Bateman? I know, I know... I'm really just in love with Michael Bluth, but whatever.

K- I am chocolate and Kiel is my peanut butter; two things so completely different but surprisingly mix together so perfectly.

L- The soundtrack to Love Happens is SOOO good and has been on repeat in the car since I saw the movie. Here's a little sample of the tunes:

M- SO excited for my Mom's visit next month! I'll finally have someone to hike the trails with! Just wishing we weren't taking off for Arizona for half of her stay. :(

N- I am proud that a fellow American has won the Nobel Peace Prize. I find it so sad that a committee chosen by the Norwegian Parliament can have faith and support in our leader while so many of my fellow countrymen refuse and are using this as a platform of attack. It is so refreshing to see something being said about an American President on a world stage that is positive... can't we all appreciate that?!

O- I am so incredibly in love with my precious niece Olivia... her Mommy just posted some new pictures (how jealous are we of that gorgeous Central Coast weather?) that are BEYOND cute.

P- I know, I know... she's a dog. However, I still can't explain how much I adore my little Pepper.

Q- Quaker Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal is the perfect start to a perfect fall day.

R- Reese's Cups just came out with DARK miniatures... let's just say they don't stink at all.

S- Meredith hosted a "Scarf Swap" on her blog and I was paired with her adorable sister Megan who sent me this cute scarf that perfectly matches my fa-vor-ite brown cardigan:

Anyone going to a ACU home game this season may see Megan sporting her new purple and white one from me! PS: DC is having perfect scarf weather right now, ladies! :)

T- My latest obsession is definitely trail running. Don't ask how this got started considering I HATE running (yes, it's a strong word but yes, it's a very strong feeling) but something about being outside, jumping over rocks, running along the river's edge, and smelling the cool leafy fall air has got me HOOKED.

U- I went to school at the University of South Carolina... best 3 1/2 years evaaa. The other semester was spent at Griffith College of Dublin, but I already had a "G" written. :(

V- The only thing vanilla ice cream is good for is making things "a la mode". For everything else, there's chocolate, cookies and cream, mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, cookie dough, strawberry, dulce de leche, cake batter, peanut butter cup...

W- Is there ANYTHING that doesn't taste better with some yummy whipped cream? Next up? Trying to petition Starbucks to start using ReddiWhip (30 calories) versus their heavy stuff (200+ calories).

X- I recently had some x-rays taken at the dentist, to which the hygienist spent 5 minutes trying to align the laser cross hairs across my face. She just couldn't grasp the fact I smashed my face on a toilet seat a few years ago and my nose is quite a bit off from where it's supposed to be.

Y- I would love to read all of YOUR ABCs!

Z- Pretty sure my favorite animal print is zebra...

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend; getting some rest, enjoying the beautiful fall weather, and spending time with family and friends! xoxo

A Post Long Enough to be Considered In-Flight Reading Material

2009-10-06T18:31:00.008-07:00

So apparently MIA doesn't just stand for the airport code for my least favorite city in the country around here anymore does it? Man, it's been a while and we've done a lot since I last wrote. Here's a recap... and don't say I didn't warn you about the length of this post!

Kiel's brother David came out from California for work and we had such a great time with him here. The ONLY thing that could have made his trip any better was if he had brought his wonderful wife Amanda. Scratch that. If he had brought his wonderful wife Amanda and darling daughter Olivia. I missed these two...

Dave was spending Wednesday and Thursday out in Great Falls, VA for work so I got the pleasure of driving him 45 minutes there, 45 minutes home, and then picking him up at the end of the day. And when I say "pleasure", I couldn't be more honest. Great Falls is one of THE most gorgeous areas in this country and I got to drive through windy roads that looked like this

and got to drool over houses that looked like this.

After work on Thursday, we took advantage of being all the way out there and hiked around the falls. Like I said, this area is truly stunning.

Thursday night we took Dave on a mini pub crawl through our neighborhood and walked to four different bars- on a work night! I think the highlight of our evening was the waitress at our last stop serving me SCOTCH and Diet Coke when I definitely asked for bourbon! I tried to tell her otherwise and she wouldn't have it! Haha, I know my whiskey... us Gamecocks bleed bourbon.

On Friday I put on my tourist hat and took Dave to my favorite of the Smithsonian's, the Museum of American History. I haven't been there in a LONG time so it was fun to do things we don't normally do living here. Then we walked to the Capitol, met up with my favorite Floridian/New Yorker Kathryn (who's now famous on YouTube with the Congressman she works for), where she hooked us up with tickets for a tour. Pretty awesome! Then we walked the entire length of the Mall, which is normally my FAVORITE thing to do. Except for when I'm wearing little jelly flats (Meredith, you made a good call with the Hunter's instead!) and ended up with my poor little feet COVERED in blisters. Moral of the story? Always carry spare shoes in your bag when wearing new(ish) shoes or you'll end up buying a pair of Jack Rogers sandals not even in the color you want JUST because they were the only thing that would be comfortable!

Kiel met up with us after he got off of work and sushi, happy hour at Sign of the Whale, a night of dancing debauchery, and late-night Crunch Wrap Supremes followed. Never mind Dave's 8am flight. Let's just say that the 6am car ride out to Dulles was one of the worst trips in a car I've made in my life. EVER. Kiel and I went back to sleep, rolled ourselves from the bed to the couches around noon, and then stayed there the rest of the day. Productivity at its finest, ladies and gents.

Sunday we traveled out to Homestead Farm in Poolesville, MD with some of our favorite people- Benji&Vera and Eric&Kathryn for a day of apple picking, animal petting, and making fun of ourselves (and a few key others) the entire day. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day...

This is not a painting... Kathryn took it on her little camera!

Yes, we did make the boys recreate our awesome ladder pose... and they loved it.

Look Benji! You did make my blog for the juggling!!! :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend (ANOTHER win for my Cocks and now we're RANKED!) and a great week ahead. I'm looking forward to as much time outdoors in this amazing Fall weather as I can possibly fit and enjoying the "fruits" of our labor!

October Has Some Mighty Big Shoes to Fill...

2009-09-28T11:21:00.010-07:00

Dear Rio Grande Baja Gold,

I don't know who decided to mix half of a frozen margarita with half of a Corona light, but let's just say that person is un genio!

Dear Pepper,

Thank you for being such a good little dog and allowing us to bring you everywhere. You, my dear, are hands-down this thrill-of-the-hunt-shopper's greatest find.

Dear "Gourmet" Dog Food,

Thank you for coming in your nice little bowl. This was extremely convenient when, at 5:30pm, I realized I had not yet fed our pooch BREAKFAST and was no where near our home. You were an awesome last-minute find. Pep, don't get any ideas- this isn't becoming the standard; you're not THAT spoiled!
Dear "Love Happens" movie,

You were pretty much depressing and sad, not the adorable RomCom you come off in previews. Please remake yourself and have Jennifer Aniston on camera for MORE than 20 minutes. Thanks. Oh, and not really loving the closed-captioning/subtitles/really annoying text on bottom of screen- however, it did show the lyrics to the BEST.SOUNDTRACK.EVER.

Dear Sunday,

You were my one day that Kiel will give up football and spend time with this hyphy wifey. Your glorious weather definitely assisted my efforts to get my FANatic hubby away from the telly!

Dear Butler's Orchard,

Driving through your farmland really did make it feel like Fall.

Dear Hour Drive with the Windows Open,

Let's just say I was really glad for that store where I could grab a comb before I had to be seen in public.

Dear Gorgeous Weather,

You pretty much rocked my socks. Man, WHAT a day for hayrides and hot cider!

Dear Butler's Orchard,

FAIL.

Dear DC Area Weather that is INSANE,

You go from one hour of gorgeousness to THIS faster than we could go from 0 to 60mph. THIS was not in the forecast and really put a terrible damper in my fun outdoor day. However, you quitting the rain and becoming a sunny beautiful evening was not really necessary as we were heading indoors to Mass.
Dear Chevy's,

You and your enormous, this-is-most-certainly-more-than-one-serving meals were a lovely way to salvage our Sunday.

Dear Pep,

I saw you look at those two labs walking by, on the other side of the gated patio, and I saw your little smirk. Just because places allow you to enter the typically dog-free areas is really no reason to be smug.

Dear Guacamole Man,

Um, thanks for hooking us up with an extra avocado in our order... my butt really appreciated those calories, I mean that KINDNESS.Dear waiter,

Thank you for not looking at me like I was crazy as I wrapped the pup in my handmade in India wool scarf. She was cold.

Dear Random, Last-Minute Date Night to the Ballpark,

I had such a wonderful time and laughed so much with my hunny. I'm going to miss you during the off-season.

Dear Presidents Race,

You are the one reason I still root for the Nationals.

And now, just for kicks...

Please look at that teeny tiny little boy giggling and oh-so adorable.

That precious little boy grew up to become this sweet, oh-so adorable husband. I'm a lucky gal.

It's the Little Things...

2009-09-25T08:40:00.008-07:00

Everyone knows the big events (weddings, celebrations, births, vacations, etc) add so much joy and excitement to life. However, it truly is the little things, the minute everyday details, that can bring so much happiness to your everyday routine; be the reason you're excited to get out of bed in the morning and the reason you're smiling when you hit the pillow at night. So, since it is a fabulous Fall Friday, I thought I'd share some of the little things that have turned the corners of my mouth up this week...

That refreshing visit home to see my parents, where comfort is showered like raindrops and hugs can be found like pennies in a coin jar.

The "Creamy Nutmeg" wallflower from Bath & Body Works that is making our apartment smell like a bakery before Thanksgiving.

The pretty pink roses Kiel had waiting for me when he picked me up from the airport that are STILL alive and oh-so-pretty.

The white truffle oil I bought and is being drizzled over homemade pizza TONIGHT.

The perfect candy apple color of my Mom and I's matching pedicures. (It's OPI Dutch Tulip, fyi)

The cooler weather allowing me to break out the sweaters and boots.

The two wonderful visits I was able to have with my MOH/BFF while I was in Houston. No matter the miles or months in between us seeing each other, we can always pick up right where we left off. I love you, Trish.

Having a quick coffee date with my hubby before work this morning at Starbucks.

When Kiel leaves just enough milk in the carton for me to have one last bowl of cereal.

The way a match smells right after you blow it out.

The sunshine coming through in perfect timing for a margarita al fresco with my sweet cousin Kristen.

Catching a chick flick in the middle of Sports Saturday with a fellow "football widow".

The pumpkin festival we're going to (fingers-crossed) try to attend on Sunday; weather permitting. How WONDERFUL does mulled cider, a caramel apple, and a hayride with your sweetie sound right now?

I hope each and every one of you has a very happy weekend!

Period	Minimum	Maximum	Rain (Inches)
January	41.2	64.0	5.16"
April	45.1	68.3	1.6"
July	52.4	78.5	0.0"
October	50.1	76.8	1.1"