Happy Dogiversary, Hunter!

Two years ago today, we adopted a new friend.
And it's been smiles and laughter ever since.

Thanks Hunner, we love you.

The fateful day ♥ Little could Dad guess how much he would grow to love this dog.

Catching the view out the sun roof.



I wanna see too!



He is such a character.



Saturday Snapshots: Peru



Saturday Snapshot is a perfect opportunity to share with you some more pictures (after all, I couldn't choose just one) from my adventures in Peru.

Oh, the beauty of Machu Picchu.



Can you believe it? A Robin egg blue VW bug (aka my dream car), and I match!

Dressed like local Peruvians on a floating isle at Lake Titicaca.



Taking in the sunset.

 

Twilight hour! Sunset hike at Lake Titicaca.

Humble lodgings with our host family at Lake Titicaca. We're enjoying a typical Peruvian Lunch.

Dined on local fare; yes, that includes guinea pig (cuy).

Peru: home to the world's best iced coffee, in my humble opinion of course.

That is an alpaca steak. YUM.

Homemade chocolate tea at El Choco Museo.

Join the Saturday Snapshot fun here:

Four Favorites Friday 06.24.11 Cleveland Edition

Have you ever been to the beautiful city of Cleveland? Planning on going? Here are some of my favorite gems from the Cleveland area.

1. Lucky's Cafe. Delicious food, friendly atmosphere, easy to miss, hard to find, but well worth the trip. They use all locally grown ingredients and have been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives. G ordered waffles with caramel syrup and I got the Cuban sandwich with fresh potato chips.

2. The West Side Market. No trip to Cleveland is complete without a stop here. Fresh produce, meats, cheeses, pastas, pastries, etc. The market is a great way to buy locally & it's affordable.

3. On the Rise Artisan Breads & Pastries. This treasure is nestled into a lovely neighborhood. The smells alone are heaven, not to mention the breads and pastries! Throughout the week I enjoyed an almond croissant, a sticky bun, a "Jennifer's Cookie," and a french bread loaf.

4. The Cedar Lee movie theatre. Features the best independent films and offers the old time theatre feel. Saw The Tree of Life here (and if you've seen it, please tell me what you think) this time around. Quaint theater. Love it.

[all pictures taken by me]

Almond croissant, anyone?

Go Meat!

West Side Market yumminess!

Favorite from Chicago Midway: a water bottle fountain with a ticker that says how many plastic bottles have been saved!



Hot in Cleveland

I had a great visit with the boyfriend. I can't tell you how nice it was to be reunited after six months apart. Long distance relationships are trying on so many levels, and even being back in physical proximity has its own challenges, but we are troopers & had a great time together. We ate out a few times, cooked for each other a few times, walked together, talked together, and visited the Cleveland sights. On Saturday, we spent our last few hours together at a church praying & then the Cleveland Science Museum (which is so entertaining).

I love that we can be weird together.

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Tutorial Tuesday: Striped Tie-dye Tank

Here's a basic tutorial on how to make a stripped tee or tank using dye.

                                      From this...                                To this!

Materials:
Dye (Tulip or Rit; I used Rit)
Rubber bands for guides
Rubber gloves
A white tee or tank (I used a ribbed tank)
Boiling water
A disposable basin (or one you don't mind ruining from the dye)
A dark plastic or metal spoon to stir dye

First, boil the water. While you wait for that place rubber bands around sections of your shirt. You can do small stripes or large stripes; I chose to do two large stripes.

Once the water is boiled, pour the correct amount into the basin according to package directions.

Measure & add dye. Mix.

Place first "stripe" of the shirt in the dye using the rubber bands as guides. The shirt will act like a paper towel and absorb the dye past the rubber band. I think this looks awesome with different gradients of color. And don't worry if you get a few splashes of dye on your shirt, it's original and handmade! If you want very small stripes, applying dye to the shirt using a syringe or squirt bottle works very well. My stripes were very thick, so I dunked. Repeat for the next section & leave in dye as long as package directs. I did about 10 minutes per stripe.

Very carefully rinse each stripe in the sink until water runs clear.

Chelsea dyed hers with a squirt bottle and did thin stripes, also a great look.

Let dry before washing in the washing machine. During dye-day we were pressed for time & made the mistake of putting all our shirts together in the washer while wet so much of the dye bled. If you're using dark colors (blue, green, purple, brown, black) wash on a cold cycle!

Tank top: $3 for 3 (ie $1 for 1)
Dye: $1.66
Total: $2.66 with dye left over

Pink is the Color of Life Today

I saw this flower while walking the other day & it got me blushing pink. I currently have a hankering for that pale, pearlescent pink.

Delicate, soft, humble & antique. It reminds me of poodle skirts, ballerinas, gentle kisses, and bubble gum after you've chewed it a while. ♥

From top left, clockwise: $125 BCBGMAXAXAZRIA Women’s BG6338 Analog Eclectic Plisse’ Pink Dial Watch endless.com; $36 Petite pink bike print tee topshop.com; $89 Lowestoft sunglasses jackwills.com; $110 Jeffery Campbell ‘Lookbook’ Oxford nordstrom.com; $36 Pink Varigated stripe tee topshop.com; $70 Pink Silk Shorts by Boutique topshop.com; $850 Larkspur & Hawk Emma Ring barneys.com; $14 butter London Nail Lacquer nordstrom.com; $16 Cute Satin Flats forever21.com; $88 Sondra Roberts Pleated Box Clutch nordstrom.com

Four Favorites Friday: 06.10.2011

It's Tie-dye Friday!

1. Check out this awesome tutorial by Sweet Verbena. A practical & affordable craft. We will be making these tonight!

2. Did you know you can dye buttons with Rit dye? Check it out!

3. This is the srunched/folding technique by My Byrd House. Love how it turns out!

4. This is just some eye candy from Pattie Wack to get you in the dyeing mood.

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Happy weekend! I'll be sure to post pictures of what we create next week. PS-In 24 hours I will be Ohio-bound! YES.

Fear: The Good & Bad

Fear is a curious thing. It manifests itself in many different forms. Fear is good can be beneficial, but it also can be very detrimental. Fear can motivate you or it can plant doubt in your mind so deep and so profound that it slowly chokes out all confidence and conviction. The key is not letting the latter happen.

I've recently become aware at the crippling grasp fear has on me sometimes, and I hope that by acknowledging this fact I make the first steps towards changing it. It's those whispers in the back of my mind that turn into shouts. What if I don't get in? What if I'm not cut out to be a doctor? What if this relationship isn't worth all the sweat and tears? What if one day he opens his eyes and decides there's someone better? Am I crazy: Peru, alone, for a whole month?

Fear of failing. Fear of the unknown. Fear of inadequacy. Acknowledge them. Address them. Pray through them & overcome them. That's what I'm trying to do.

Fear can be a catalyst, an instigator, a motivator. It's all about deciding how to use it. I recently finished Michelle Au's book "This Won't Hurt a Bit" (we all know how I feel about this book) where she briefly touches on the topic of fear. Here's my favorite bit (yes, another quote): "Fear is a stimulus to be better. Fear protects you from hubris. Fear is a guard against complacency..."

Morning Offering

This seems like a good prayer for me today, especially the last bit (as I have already dropped an iced coffee in a parking lot, spilled scalding tea on my arm [now burned], and forgot socks [wearing tennies with barefeet... eww]). Make it a wonderful Tuesday!