The Post With No Name

I'm clean out of names for this post.

How in the Sam hill do I begin to thank you for all of your wonderful wishes!?

I loved reading them all - in fact, I read them each more than once and it just put such a smile on this 'old' gals face!

Shall I list my gifts?

Yes. 

Brooks running shoes - custom fit from Glenco. Swoon worthy.

Now I have to do something to honor those shoes!

An electric tea pot from Aaron - cutest thing ever - red - adorable and the boy knows I'm having a serious love affair with tea.

A Spiderman belly ring from my cousin Jim.  Uber cool!

Dinner out from my fab friend Donna.  Thanks girl!

Flower arrangement from my bosom friend Gina - a shopping trip and a new outfit to come - after I lose this last ten pounds!

Tomorrow night out with my sis and new brother in law - dinner and more fabulous gifts to come (according to Aaron).

Something handmade from my dear friend Renee - to come.

A personal workout with my Coach and a vintage apron from my New Zealand kindred spirit Fiona.

The crazy hat you see in my pic from my Boot Camp buddy Laura.

I even got an beautiful card and key chain from a blog reader Lisa!

Thanks Lisa!!!

My day ended up being nice and quiet.

I love me some quiet.

In between birthday phone calls, texts, flower deliveries and UPS gift deliveries (a girl can dream - although I did get one lovely bouquet delivered!) I got out me paint brushes.

Ever since I saw this picture on Pinterest - I've been a woman obsessed.

I've got to do something similar in my office.

I want it to be a space where I just long to linger - and sew - and write - and create.

Because I have such a small, 'charming' home - my studio will have to be an office/craft room/pantry/storage area.

I'm OK with that.

Orange has been my new favorite color - and I had some orange paint - so this is what I did.  I'm not sure the photos are going to translate well here - but let's give it a go.

I didn't plan on 'decoupaging' when I painted it orange, it was just a fly by night decision - and after I did decoupage it - I wasn't happy with the orange - which is just really - whatever, aye?

I have to apologize for the photos in this post.  I actually took pictures of the process, had nice photos of the shelves without food so you could see the vintage recipe ads that I had decoupaged on the walls - and now they won't transfer to the computer.  I had to quickly take photos with my phone and then email them to myself just now, and well, honestly, I'm mortified at how terrible they are!

  It really looks MUCH cooler than this.

As you can see, I don't have much food in my pantry. 

Most of my food is fresh and in the fridge.

Please note that the canned goods - although sparse, are alphabetized.

Don't hate.

I have some rogue crackers left from Christmas dinner.

The chickens will probably end up with them.

I'm hoping to have this project done real quick like.

Glenco's been taking measurements for the desk, and I'm thinking about paint colors for the walls.

I cooked what possibly could be the best beef stew that ever was.

I bought some meat from Whole Foods on the way back from my weekend away (eek!  just realized I never posted pictures!  I'm so discombobulated!)

It was grass fed, humanly raised beef - and it tasted like the meat I remember as a kid.

I'm ruined.

How will I ever just buy beef at the regular store now!?

How!?

I have to share the recipe with you - it's from 'Clean Eating' magazine.

Picked Aaron up from school - which I normally only do on Wednesday when he spends the night - but he gave me the 'but I want to spend time with you today' spiel and I fell for it.

: -)

Enjoyed his company through dinner.

The child is amazing.

He's not all sullen up like I had worried he would be as a 16 year old.

He's charming.

He's affectionate.

He's super chatty.

He's quite mature in many ways, and immature in the ways that it seems he should be at this age.

And that's OK.

You've got to give the people you love room to grow - room to be themselves.

I love watching him blossom.

After he left, I hunkered down with my lemon tart and my favorite polygamist family 'Big Love'.

Lord.  That show.

Talk about guilty pleasures.

I've got to get myself running now - so no more time to chat, and yet - so much more to chat about!

I want to share my two new recipes with you - and I want to encourage you that eating gluten free is EASY!  You can do it - and I would so encourage you to try it - you'd be surprised at how much better you'd feel.  Trust me, I was so hesitant to do it - because it was trendy - and I'm the furthest thing from trendy.  In fact, I'm quite rebellious.  If gluten free is the rage, then I'm eating some serious gluten!

I also wanted to remind you that my Coach's Boot camp sign up is MONDAY!

You only have a few more days to get signed up on the Early Bird Email List.

If you are sitting on the fence about this - and you want to join, but you are scared, or otherwise indecisive...please....email me your phone number and I will call you and talk to you.

It's life changing.  : -)

So much to say, so little time.

I'm literally bristling with thoughts and ideas and hopes and goals and assorted nonsense.

Bristling I tell you!

Til next time - be kind to each other.