Weekend, recap

I was trigger happy with the camera this weekend and it shows! We crammed so much into three short days (not pictured? I went to the grocery store twice; Huynh golfed twice). Let's do this.

Huynh made us a photobooth word bubble prop this weekend! We had the wood on hand, so after a run to buy chalkboard spray paint, we were set. It motivated me to run to Hobby Lobby to make the rest of the props only to be bombarded with Fourth of July decor. In April. I read a lot about the Paleo Diet but not quite sure I can give up on dairy. Our I <3 U freak flag is still flying strong, two+ months later. Best purchase ever.

Friday night, we went out in Montrose for a tour of apps and beer at some random joints. I paid for it on Saturday but it was so much fun! Meagan came out and gave me (us) the best engagement gift - a dish to hold my ring in! I love it - and it's in our wedding colors!!

I found this cookbook that I seriously considered buying - not only do I have a weakness for books in general, but I have a major weakness for cookbooks - but decided to put it back on the shelf for now. It will make it into my home eventually. We took advantage of a break in the rainstorms and fired up the grill for some ribs, chicken, and asparagus - all under the pretense of leftovers (which there are plenty). I tried new marinades for both (ribs, chicken) and each was a success! The asparagus was simply coated with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and grilled for 5-7 minutes. Even Gatsby approved.

While I was out, I also picked up A Streetcar Named Desire and Labyrinth. Couldn't resist. We watched Labyrinth while I made cookies - I had all the ingredients on hand! - which added it along with The Iron Lady to my thirty list. xoxo.

Weekend, recap

Happy Monday! 

Oof. We were busy. Started out easy enough when I wasted an hour at Barnes and Noble reading Steve Martin's new book. It was incredibly funny! I know my dad would love it. We also went to the King Tut exhibit, thus full-filling one of my thirties (no. 17), and ate lunch at Tiny Boxwoods - Huynh tried the white wine mojito and I tried the sangria. Yum.

Later that evening, while perusing my Google reader, I found the kitchen of my dreams. It was promptly saved. We also bought the ingredients for crawfish - my soon-to-be-hubs has a killer recipe. I nothing short of lick the bowl. Oh and I realized that I bought the german language magnet at the exhibit. Blonde.

Saturday we headed to Lampasas for a crawfish boil at Ellen's casa. It was so good to see her!! But, of course, the only picture I got was of me cuddling her puppy, Walter Eugene. His cuteness was too much to handle. We headed back super early Sunday morning so I could catch the matinee performance of Annie with the girls. They loved it! Annie was a super cute 4th grader from Brenham. She did such an amazing job.

In the midst of all of that, we also watched The Descendants and My Week with Marilyn. Three down, 97 to go. Oh and if you get a chance, watch Being Elmo. It was fascinating.

Crawfish

{baker art & design studio}

Super busy weekend... Today, we are hitting up the King Tut exhibit - yay for marking something off the list - and then Saturday, we are heading to a crawfish boil in Lampasas! Good food and friends. Le sigh. Sunday, Huynh is golfing while the girls go see Annie. I'm going to need two more days to recover.

Oh and can you believe that Sunday is already April? 190 days until our nuptials. Happy weekend!!

Luck of the Irish

{lisa barbero}

Last night we watched Hugo* and Like Crazy which got me to thinking... I have seven movies being released in March alone that I want to see: Detachment, Casa de mi Padre, Jeff, Who Lives at Home, Delicacy, The Kid with a Bike, Mirror Mirror, and, of course, The Hunger Games. Seven. I will basically be living at the theater. Since we have cancelled cable, we have also been watching more and more movies on Netflix. Have you seen Life in a Day? It's an intriguing documentary comprised of selected videos clips from over 80,000 submitted to YouTube all documenting life in 190 countries on one day; July 24, 2010. It's a rather fascinating glimpse at life; how we can be so predictable but yet so unpredictable at the same time. I ended the movie deciding that we were quirky, eclectic, but overall, likable and relatable. For the little over hour and a half, I was immersed in the strangers' lives slowly realizing that for everything that divides us, there are just as many things that unite. 

On that particular Saturday, I was in Amarillo cuddling my nieces so I know I was having a good day :).

Yesterday, we also decided officially on Ireland for our honeymoon! It was really a toss up between it and Switzerland but what it came down to was timing - Switzerland starts really closing down starting in October which would obviously be when we would be there. Sooo, done! Ireland, it is. I even went and bought Frommer's yesterday during lunch because I was so excited. We are leaning towards ten days there so let the planning begin. We head to Wichita Falls tonight to meet Lexie and play with the other kiddos - all six of 'em. It'll be a full house at Mimi and Pop's! Have a good one.

*Watching Hugo counts towards 1 of the 100 movies promised before I turn thirty (no. 12). Yay!

30 before 30

{john derian}

{john derian}

I couldn't decide between the two plates; frankly, I love them both... so you get both. I had to close the site the other day because I realized that I was just wasting time looking through all of the gorgeous plates they have to offer. Seriously, love.

I turn thirty in 709 days. Thirty, y'all, thirty. I guess I shouldn't feel too stressed about it. In fact, Huynh is already there and he's doing just fine. Turning 28 felt pretty anti-climatic but with all that we have going on during this 28th year of my birth, I can imagine that 29 will be here before I know it then it's all downhill from there!

I kid.

Regardless, I'm participating in 30 before 30!

1. Get married.
2. Travel to Seattle.
3. Travel to Hawaii.
4. Buy a 50mm lens.
5. Begin the house search.
6. Learn Vietnamese.
7. Wake up earlier.
8. Photograph and print all three corks.
9. Lose 20 lbs.
10. Run a half marathon.
11. Buy a fantastic new purse.
12. Watch 100 classic movies. Hugo, The Descendants, My Week With Marilyn, Labyrinth, The Iron Lady, The Philadelphia Story, Pride and Prejudice, Annie, Revenge of the Nerds, Heartburn...
13. Go to an overpriced concert of someone that I probably would have never attended otherwise.
14. Wear lipstick and rock it.
15. Perfect a signature dish that I will be comfortable making for any house guest.
16. Open the discussion about starting a family.
17. See the King Tut exhibit. a
18. Try surfing.
19. Learn how to use the manual settings on my camera.
20. Pay off Texas Exes.
21. Go hang gliding.
22. Attend yoga classes.
23. Go to a drive-in movie.
24. Double our savings... or triple, quadruple...
25. Buy a sewing machine and actually learn to use it.
26. Send birthday cards.
27. Ride a motorcycle.
28. Try snowboarding.
29. Reach 200 followers.
30. Party to celebrate dirty thirty!

So, some of them are a given. We are getting married (no. 1 - soon! 218 days); I cheated because we are already planning on going to Seattle (no. 2) Labor Day weekend for a family wedding. However, neither of us have been and both of us have always wanted to go. My sister is debating going to Hawaii (no. 3) for her 40th birthday and we are fully intending on tagging along and learning how to surf (no. 18). We have to learn how to wake up earlier (no. 7). Just the other day, Huynh set his alarm to go off at 5am, got up and headed to get ready. I laid really still hoping that he would forget that I existed only to have him come back to bed and snooze for 45 more minutes. We were really tired?

We have one out of the three corks (no. 8) that I would like to photograph; the other two are forthcoming. We have signed up for the Houston half marathon (no. 10 - next January!) and yes, I already bought my ticket to see Madonna (no.13). Very overpriced for the nose bleeds but it's MADONNA. Huynh already went hang gliding (no. 21) in Brazil which means that I have to try it in someplace just as fabulous. I also have to try snowboarding (no. 28) in exchange for Huynh trying to ski. We'll see how that goes.

Oh, and our definition of "classic" movies (no. 12) includes anything from Gone With the Wind to Ghostbusters. We like to define it loosely.

Not one to give up on any promises made, I figured that it was also about time we gave an update on our resolutions. We don't wake up at 5:30 - see above - it's more like 5:45 for Huynh, 6:20 for me. We aren't working out quite six days a week but it is definitely an improvement on last year. We have completely cut out drive-thru, including Sonic drinks, though! I have slightly started to learn Vietnamese; I've read 2 books. Huynh has indeed been talking to his family more and drinking less. We both have been cooking more and really enjoy our time together carpooling... sometimes. We are eerily quiet in the mornings.

Becky and Aaron are here tomorrow; Rodeo Sunday! I'm ready for quality friend time. Happy weekend.