elizabeth

I've moved...

2010-02-16T23:32:00.002-06:00

to a new blog!

http://austindallas.blogspot.com/

Yele Haiti

2010-01-14T16:21:00.004-06:00

I know there are so many ways to donate and the Red Cross (and giving people) have gotten the word out about texting a donation, but just wanted to let you know of another option. It's always hard when donating money to know exactly where the money is going, but sometimes you just have to give out of faith.

Yele Haiti is a foundation that Wyclef Jean founded in 2005 to raise funds and build awareness for his native country. All funds raised at this time will go to the Earthquake Fund. You can donate to Yele Haiti by either texting “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here to DONATE.

And if you're still unsure about who/where to donate, check out this list and these tips at Charity Navigator. Although Yele Haiti is not on this list, I've done some research and feel confident in donating to them. But again, donate where you feel comfortable. Just donate.

Merry Christmas. IOU.

2009-12-22T12:39:00.009-06:00

I just love sending Christmas cards. And I especially love Paper Source cards. Fortunately, I found the perfect cards this year and eagerly addressed, stamped and sent them out. Unfortunately, I didn't quite put enough stamps on all of the cards--about half of them were square cards. And I didn't even know it until I read Jen's blog today. So...if you received a lovely notice from the USPS that postage is due on an item mailed to you...I owe you 20 cents. :)

Here's the other card that had the correct postage on it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

mary + bobby

2009-12-15T10:07:00.000-06:00

My 30th Birthday

2009-12-13T14:38:00.001-06:00

I had the best birthday celebration(s) with my friends and family. Love getting to celebrate for a whole week! :)

It started with the 30th birthday trip for Robin, Barbie and me. We started a tradition of taking a trip each time someone turned 30...starting with Julie in Vegas. Then we celebrated Jen's birthday in San Francisco. Megan's birthday was at Hotel Zaza. And finally, it was time to celebrate ours in Puerto Vallarta!

This is where we spent most of our days...chillin' out, maxin', relaxin' all cool...

playing this...

while Jen practiced her ninja skills...

tried to sleep comfortably on the "king" sized bed...

the birthday girls, Robin, Barbie and me, at dinner at Cafe de Artistes...

we watched shows each night...but let's use the term "shows" loosely...

because I hardly think Stevie Wonder in a Santa suit, leading Eeyore on a leash qualifies as entertainment. But who am I to judge?

Julie and Jen at dinner the last night...

me, Lisa and Barbie...

And this picture is for the Mystery Girls...yes, Gilda tried to make an appearance!

And when we got back from Mexico, we celebrated in Dallas with a party at my house...just laid back, grilling and hanging out.

with my brothers, Benton and Bobby

Ginny and Celeste

Megan and Chris

Tim and Lydia

Gina, Jen and Barbie

Jason and Danael

And Lydia and Gina took me to Cretia's to celebrate and Bobby and Mary took me to breakfast. I've been slacking on taking pictures and, obviously, blogging. Hopefully I'm getting back on track now!

Feliz Navidad en la casa nueva.

2009-12-10T21:48:00.013-06:00

The wedding was amazing, beautiful, so unique...and SO cold! I didn't take that many pictures, but I will be updating at some point. Until then, here are some pictures of my Christmas decorations. I really wish you could get away with leaving Christmas decorations up all year long. It's just happier that way.

And since I didn't blog about it...now's a good time to let you know that I moved. A whole 1/2 mile from my previous place. Had to move very quickly, but found a much better place. I guess it's the downside of having a shady landlord when the economy's tough.

Here are the pics. And my favorite Christmas songs for your listening pleasure.

And I didn't even blog about Christmas last year...so here's a picture from Christmas last year so you can better see my goth tree as my brothers call it.

Merry Christmas!

Did you think I was going to update my blog?

2009-12-02T16:02:00.008-06:00

Don't get too excited...I'm letting other people do the writing for me. There's so much going on right now, so I'll just link to everything for your reading pleasure. I promise I haven't completely abandoned this blog, and hopefully once things calm down I will be back to blogging!

First up, my brother Bobby is getting married this weekend. I absolutely love his wife-to-be, Mary, and we have all been looking forward to this weekend. Lovely, rustic wedding in Nacogdoches...in the snow? Pray for good weather on Friday and Saturday! And I'll have pictures and details when I get back. For now, check out their adorable wedding page here.

Next, my best friend Lydia is due today! But most likely, Bobby's birthday won't be until next week. (Not to be confused with the Bobby who is getting married this weekend.) She and Tim are definitely ready to meet him and you can read her blog here.

Then we will have my cousin Whitney's wedding and our family Christmas in Abilene.

Tiffani and Tim will be the proud parents of Mazie Marlene.

And in May, my little brother Benton will marry his best friend, Laura.

And I promise to update my blog before then.

Hmmm...

2009-07-06T23:03:00.000-05:00

I never know what odd requests and projects I might get from the lawyers in our firm. What started as a pitch to a potential client has turned into follow-up "gifts" (and I do mean to use quotation marks when I say gifts) for the soon-to-be clients. I was laughing at the situation until I saw the suggested recipients. I mean, that family has got to be rethinking their search more than I did mine...

Happy 30th, Lyds!

2009-06-11T14:43:00.005-05:00

In honor of Lydia's birthday into the adult world, I thought I would share a picture of us when we young-er. This was actually the first picture Lydia, Gina and I ever took together. See if you can find us three...just look for the three most stylish girls and it won't be hard. Ha! (You can click on the the picture for a larger image--if you dare.)

Lydia, Gina and I all met while we were interning for the Mavericks and quickly became friends. Fast forward to today and the three of us went to Mi Cocina to celebrate Lydia's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Lydia!!! Hope the big 3-0 is the best yet!

Family Fun

2009-04-14T21:46:00.026-05:00

My parents and grandparents came in town this past weekend for Easter. We started off with the Mavs game on Friday night, where my grandparents got to sit front row! Thanks, Gina! Great game and the Mavs won!

Saturday morning we got up and had breakfast at John's Cafe. Yum, I'll take any excuse to go there. Then it was off to the Arboretum for Dallas Blooms. There wasn't enough room for all of us on the tram and guided tour, so Benton, Bobby, Mary and I took a slightly different tour. And saw a few flowers along the way. These pictures probably won't entertain anyone as much as they did us, but here they are...

Senior pictures?

We had to wait for some little kids to leave the deers alone. Seriously, let the adults take their picture.

more Senior pics?

When B&B's Go Bad

2009-03-05T16:04:00.000-06:00

So, my blog has become less of an update on my life and more of a rant of my dislikes. And while this is not exactly a positive post, hopefully it will provide a laugh for you and provide me with a post other than how the recession sucks.

My parents and grandparents are coming to visit Easter weekend and I was being the good daughter/granddaughter and searching for hotels for them. I thought they would really love to stay at a bed & breakfast and started googling options.

And came across this.

I immediately had to email Lydia because she and Tim have decided that *someday* they would like to own a bed & breakfast. I think Lydia is taking notes right now and she even mentioned that Amelia will be an inspiration to her.

I mean, yes, she's an inspiration. But does she think that first picture is going to entice you to stay there? Amelia, take off the Birkenstocks and stretchy shorts and maybe dress up a little for your big debut. And maybe make sure you're not standing in front of ghetto cars. Oh, and maybe make sure your B&B is not an apartment on a sketchy street.

Recession Sucks

2009-02-24T09:56:00.002-06:00

Another round of layoffs.

I know that so many people have been laid off in recent months, but this time it affected people I knew. Hopefully things will start to pick up soon?

I don't get political on my blog too often; mainly because I don't like talking politics in my real life, so why on my blog? So don't shoot the messenger. I believe in the direction President Obama is leading our country and I know that eventually the economy has to turn around. But how is $13 a paycheck going to help?

Save money...buy Uggs?

2009-02-12T10:27:00.003-06:00

There are so many articles out right now about how to save money and prepare for hard times in this recession. But this one just ends up being funny.

Apparently, to save money, you should go out and invest $180 in some Uggs. Now, they do advise buying Uggs versus Manolos. And while that move could save you over $500, I think it's ridiculous that Uggs are not seen as "conspicuous consumption."

*In full disclosure, I hate Uggs almost as much as I hate Crocs. It's OK, I wear flip flops nine days out of ten; feel free to judge me. :)

25 Random Things

2009-01-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

Everyone is creating these lists on Facebook and I finally caved. But since it's a big accomplishment that I actually completed the list, it's serving double duty as a blog post. Enjoy.

1. I start a lot of things and never finish them. I've actually started a similar list of random things for my blog and never finished it. I have tons of crafty and personalized gifts started that have never made it to the recipient.

2. I pop my wrists and hips all day. Not so much with the knuckles.

3. I've seen a few celebrities in my day and the only time I've been starstruck was when I saw Little Richard at the Nashville airport. Star. Struck.

4. My hair was straight as a board when I was little. Now it's a curly mess.

5. I not only have weird urges to jump off bridges, balconies, etc., but in my head it seems inevitable that it's going to happen. Sounds weird and morbid, but I've seen this on several people's list of 25 things. Don't judge me.

6. I made it a year without a car or cable and now I can't remember my life without them.

7. I want to be a wife and mom someday, but the thought of settling down freaks me out. Maybe I can be like that family that traveled the US in an RV for a year? Ha. No, really.

8. I hate iced tea. Very un-Southern of me, but it tastes worse than water to me. And yes, I'm not a big fan of water either. Drinking more water is an ongoing resolution for me.

9. I could eat Mexican food every day and probably for every meal. I tried this out when I moved back to Texas.

10. I have a dream of owning my own boutique/antique store one day.

11. I also have a dream of my family doing a "Flip This House" style venture one day. Gotta convince them.

12. On our senior spring break trip in college, I lost my id the day before we left, tried to fly with just my student id (they told me it would have worked before 9/11), drove 3 hrs roundtrip to get a new one, caught the last flight out, rode in an unmarked "taxi", almost missed the ferry and had to stay in Cancun by myself, finally made it to Cozumel to meet up with everyone. Now, it's a really funny story. At the time I was just annoyed and determined to make the trip. Someday, I will keep this story from my kids.

13. Slimy foods (mushrooms, cooked carrots, peas, oatmeal) make me gag. But sushi is one of my favorites.

14. In high school, I used to take naps before getting ready for bed. I would be comfortable on the couch or somewhere and the thought of getting ready for bed exhausted me.

15. I usually laugh at EVERYthing, but if something is really funny I will snort.

16. I had to have 11 teeth pulled before my braces were put on.

17. If I didn't have to pay for gas or worry about parking I would drive a big truck.

18. I don't like country music, but George Strait was my first concert and I still like him to this day.

19. I hate the feeling of long nails. I have to cut them as soon as they grow out.

20. I took ballet for 7 years and I don't really like to dance now and I'm not that graceful.

21. I don't like snow or water skiing, but I love to be in the mountains or on the lake.

22. I would love to live in New York someday, but maybe for only a few months.

23. I hate talking on the phone and therefore I'm not good at keeping in touch.

24. I've been dying my hair dark for a couple of years and some of my close friends and family didn't even know it wasn't natural.

25. My favorite band growing up was The Beach Boys; in high school, one of my favorite bands was Metallica; in college, I loved Nsync; and now, I love unknown, random bands. I'm all over the place.

For anyone else who doesn't understand the importance stupidity of "First"...

2009-01-22T10:59:00.003-06:00

more music charts

Leaving Beantown - It's Long and It's Random

2009-01-19T18:13:00.001-06:00

So here is the long-awaited post about my move back to Dallas. Enjoy.

I've been asked the question "Were you excited to move back to Dallas?" a bazillion times. And my answer remains the same: Eh.

Now don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like Dallas and there's absolutely nothing wrong with Texas. It's just that it didn't exactly happen according to my original plan. And I kind of like things to go my way. There, I said it.

The move back was spurred on by the ending of my apartment lease. I had still been working without a boss (for a total of 7 months) and let's face it--retail was (and is) going down the crapper. So I was faced with the decision: sign for another year and look for a new job or move back to Texas and look for a new job. So I made the decision to apply for jobs in Texas and see if anything happened before the lease re-signing deadline.

It worked out that I got a call from one of the law firms I applied to in Dallas. Did a phone interview, was able to interview in the office while I was in town for Sarah Beth's bachelorette party, and was offered the job the next week while I was traveling to Tahoe for Megan's wedding.

Like I said, it all happened pretty fast and so it took me a while to absorb it. Maybe I still haven't fully absorbed it? Anyway, I miss Boston most days, but I'm enjoying Dallas for today and the time I'm getting to spend with my brothers and friends.

I realized in looking through pictures that I have a lot I never posted from my time in Boston. So follow me as I travel through my picture folders...

Here are some pictures from last February. Erin was my saving grace in Boston. It was so great to have such a good friend to go through the craziness that accompanies a move across the country. I could not have done it without her! And I'm hoping she gets into grad school in Boston because I plan on coming to visit regularly.

This was from the same night in February. One thing we had to get used to was that there are not many fast food restaurants in Boston. Even fewer that stay open late night. So we had to resort to making food or eating whatever you could find in your pantry. This was one of our late night creations made with friends. Doritos, rice and cajun sausage. But I'm pretty sure it was all eaten by me and Erin.

This picture is from when the movie Bride Wars was filming on my street. Massachusetts gives lots of tax breaks for films and it's easy to film "New York scenes" in the neighborhoods of Boston. So...I woke up many mornings to find a notice on the front door that a new movie would be filming that day. So cool, but I still never saw an actual celebrity.

Coleen and Mindy came to visit the weekend before St. Paddy's Day. We didn't do much because Coleen was sick and so we definitely didn't take pictures. But I did snap this picture of our exciting Saturday afternoon. Wall to wall mattresses to watch movies. Great set up. :)

After Coleen and Mindy left on Sunday morning I met up with Erin to watch the infamous St. Paddy's Day parade in Southie. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that the normal 20 minute subway ride would turn into 2 hours. This is all we saw of the parade.

Back in a warm house party.

First and only time to try the fried dough. It's sold all over Boston in the food carts. Kind of similar to a funnel cake, but not as good in my opinion.

I know this picture doesn't seem that exciting, but at the time, it made our ~~month~~year. After trying every Mexican food restaurant in Boston, we finally found a good one in Cambridge. And it couldn't have happened on a more fitting day: Cinco de Mayo.

I took this picture when Jen Steffenauer came to visit. It's a note explaining how this person's headlight ended up on the hood. And who said Bostonians aren't friendly? Too bad it was a note from someone other than the person who actually hit the car.

In June, we decided that a harbor cruise would be a good way to see Boston. Unfortunately, we didn't realize that the harbor cruise was actually a 1993 booze cruise.

But Erin, Wendy and I made the best of it by getting airbrush tattoos.

And doing what we do: judging people and their unfortunate fashion decisions.

This was at the combined birthday party for my Neimans friends: Lisa, Barbara and Dena. Always fun with these girls.

At an event called "The Greatest Party of All Time." So wrong in their description, but again, we made the best of a bad situation.

With Lisa and Wendy. Wendy has a problem with not blinking in pictures.

Snapped this picture of the alley behind my apartment. Not your typical alley, but very nice for me since I walked everywhere.

Brooke came back for a training class in August and happened to be there on her birthday.

Finally! A Red Sox game. The only "seats" available were standing room at the very top of the ballpark. But so worth it.

And these pictures are from my last few days in Boston.

with Wendy and our GM, Lesley

Neimans friends

last night in Beantown

one more of the one million pictures we took that night

the rest are from my last day walking around the city

Good times and good memories. Here's to more wherever 2009 may find me!
day

SB's wedding

2009-01-17T12:04:00.030-06:00

Well, the post about me leaving Boston is taking longer than I have patience for now, so I thought I'd finally post about Sarah Beth's wedding. I know...my blog is all out of order now. And it was so up to date before that...

On to the wedding!

It was beautiful, SO much fun and SO Sarah Beth! Her family did all of the decor and the entire reception. Amazing. And I'm pretty sure that my mom already booked them for my future wedding.

It all started with the rehearsal at the church and then rehearsal dinner at Casa Herrera.

SB and Joe in their Best Friends necklaces that Tiffani got them. Don't worry; Joe's not a Guido in real life.

group pic

Brooke and me

Tiffani, me and Emili sporting the gifts from SB

with the bride to be

bridal brunch hosted by Tiffani, Sunni and Emili

getting ready time

picture time

cool, calm and collected

Some friends have a more traditional "traditional" picture. We have this. Brooke and Tiffani have been captured too.

after the ceremony

reception area before

and during

first dance

Brooke loves champagne!

Emili and Jason love 8th grade dances!

cheers time

Mom and Dad time

and dance time!

with Mr. and Mrs. Moschella

time to go home

And the song choice? Another tradition of ours! We asked the DJ if he had Chaka Khan and he said "Only the old stuff." Does anyone really listen to new Chaka Khan?

Whew.

2009-01-15T10:56:00.003-06:00

Sometimes it's good to know you made the right decision.

Padres Part Dos

2009-01-13T21:53:00.001-06:00

Sunday afternoon we went to a cafe in the North End and watched football games. There were about four tables in the place and eight TVs. Nice.

And of course we had to load up on the Italian pastries. But my mind fails me as to what we did Sunday night. Oh well, I'm sure I was a great hostess even if I'm not a great blogger.

It finally stopped raining on Monday and we had another day of walking planned! We started out at the Boston Public Library. I had been wanting to go see it and thought it was something my parents would love. Now, I'm a little embarassed to say that I had to pass the library every day--two or more times a day, actually, since it was halfway between my apartment and work--and I had never set foot inside. And I can't believe I didn't. I instantly fell in love with the place. And instead of carting my laptop all over the city to get a signal, I could have been here...two blocks from my apartment.

There was also an artist's exhibit going on and we all loved her work.

I don't even know.

Then it was off to Harvard.

I had been hyping up the visit to Mr. Bartley's since that's a must on my guided tour for everyone. But sadly, we learned as they were carting out ashes that there had been a fire. I was so sad to miss out. I mean...for my parents, of course.

So we went down the street for crepes. And I wish I had a picture of Bobby's face when he realized where we were going. Classic.

After lunch we took the T back and I finally got a picture of this historic spot.

We walked around Fenway and had some of the best frozen yogurt from Ankara. Another place I'm craving as I type...

The only thing my dad wanted while he was in Boston was clam chowder. So for dinner we went to Quincy Market. Tourist trap? Sure. But I think they have some of the best clam chowder.

And count on my dad to make friends with people in Boston. I'm sure it was the southern drawl, but people were giving him extra chowder here...a free cookie there... I lived there for a year and I sure didn't get any free stuff!

He even made friends with Norm.

Tuesday was the last day everyone was in Boston and I had to go back to work. But we had time to go get breakfast at Paramount and see Beacon Hill.

I was off to work and Mom, Dad and Bobby did a little more exploring before they had to catch their flight. Here's Boston through their eyes...

My mom loved this 7 Eleven. Only the best in Beacon Hill.

Posing with the ducks from the Make Way for Ducklings book.

my favorite - The Public Garden

Typical.

Try that again.

You can go ahead and say it with me, "Awwwww..."

It was the best time and we made the best memories. Even though my Boston tour guide days are over, I'm available for hire anytime you want to go!

Padres in Beantown

2009-01-12T23:25:00.002-06:00

My parents had been planning to come visit me in Boston and thought the fall would be the perfect time. Their timing couldn't have been better since I got an offer for a job back in Dallas and moved one week after their visit. Yes, spoiler alert: Elizabeth ends up moving back to Dallas.

My parents arrived on a Friday afternoon, back in September. I met them outside the subway station and we walked the three blocks to my apartment. In the pouring rain. You know the drill by now--if someone came to visit me, it poured rain. We grabbed a quick lunch so I could go back to work and Mom and Dad could dry out.

Friday night, I introduced my parents to the awesomeness of Cafe Jaffa. I'm craving it now just thinking about it. We then hung out in my apartment and rested up for our big Saturday.

We started Saturday off with the Freedom Trail and Dunkin Donuts. And as expected, my mom read Every. Single. Plaque. But it was fun and I actually learned a few new things.

for the kindergarten teacher in our group

in the Granary Cemetery

Mom posing with her people--the Irish. Dad doing what he does in every picture I take--not smiling.

moon shoes make the Freedom Trail more enjoyable

where it all began

street art

Bobby was actually able to come visit again and he got to Boston on Saturday afternoon. So we picked Bobby up at the subway station and went to dinner at the Barking Crab.

We went to my church on Sunday morning. But not this one.

Smiley and Not So Smiley on the T

walking around Boston

with more of her Boston people

smiles squared

There are usually little old Italian men playing on these bocce courts.

gelato!

Part Two coming tomorrow.

Always Catching Up

2009-01-12T22:08:00.002-06:00

Yes, my blog thinks it's still September. I know you're thinking I should just skip the past few months and start blogging about what I did today. (I'll save you--I went to work, yoga and now time with my DVR and blog.) OK, so maybe I should scrap the blog completely because clearly my life is too exciting to keep up with.

But here's a little insight into the workings of Elizabeth...I can't just skip things. For example: when reading a book, I try to skim and get ahead. I'm told by my mom--who has a Masters in Reading--that this actually can be done and it's a great way to read a lot in a shorter amount of time. But not me. I end up taking twice as long because I read...skip ahead...read more...keep thinking about the words/sentences I skipped and end up going back to read what I missed.

All that to say, I have some big things I haven't blogged about yet. Hopefully one day I'll be caught up.

The Adventures of Flat Batman

2008-12-19T11:00:00.001-06:00

Some kids have Flat Stanley; we had Flat Batman. And yes, I realize that FB is not really flat and we are not really kids.

It all started on the flight to Tahoe for Megan's wedding. I was starving by the time I landed in Dallas and met up with Jen and Christine. I ordered a Happy Meal and was going to throw away the toy before Jen stopped me.

And it was a good thing because who knew how much joy Flat Batman would bring us?? The only rules: Flat Batman had to go everywhere with us and we couldn't let Megan and Chris (aka bride and groom) know until after the wedding weekend.

Here we are at the first stop in Tahoe, Fanny Bridge. Aptly named because of all the fannies you see as people peer over into the water to see the fish. Funny thing...Megan took this picture and she had no idea what we were doing.

We're not up to anything...

So you can't really see FB's fanny through the cape, but you get the idea.

Here he is looking all superhero-y. Other than that, I don't know what he was doing in this picture.

Such a lush.

This was definitely our shining moment: FB on top of the cake at dinner the night before the big day. Jen snapped a picture of him on top of the actual wedding cake.

Cute couple.

Superheroes gotta look nice too!

FB showing us his killer moves. (And Chris was still completely unaware.)

Kung Fu Casino.

On our way back to Dallas. Good times in Tahoe.

You can read about the rest of Flat Batman's adventures on Jen's blog!

Catching Up

2008-12-18T21:24:00.002-06:00

I have semi-unpacked (Christmas decorations are up...who cares if I still have 10 boxes to go?), finally fixed my USB modem and rejoined the internet world. So I have lots of things to catch up on. I'll try to knock them out as quickly as possible. As they used to say at every sorority meeting...GET EXCITED!

Megan and Chris' wedding

2008-11-08T08:38:00.001-06:00

I'm just now blogging about Megan and Chris' wedding in Lake Tahoe that happened almost two months ago. But it was so beautiful and such a great weekend that I can't not post about it. It was a destination wedding at its best and Megan was in her prime planning every detail of the big day. Or rather, the entire weekend. There are just too many pictures, but I will try and do it justice...

The first of many carved, wooden bears.

cheerleaders?

beautiful

view from our house

The uni-boob in the convertible. And Emily and Jen.

Emily, Kerri, me and Colleen

Megan, Celeste and Jen

the happy couple

We kept ourselves entertained at the house for hours.

We look special...

Celeste and me

beautiful bride

Mr. and Mrs. Gaines

pashmina princesses

dress #2

The dance crew ~~singing~~ screaming the last song of the night, Don't Stop Believin.

SB's Bachelorette Party

2008-10-26T13:57:00.014-05:00

I know that Sarah Beth's wedding was a few weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to blogging about the bachelorette party. But it's my blog and I'll blog two months late if I want to.

The bachelorette party was in Dallas and I was so happy to be able to come back for it! It started out at the Embassy Suites...dinner at The Porch...a tattoo that never happened...dancing at the Slip Inn...and late night at Whataburger. A perfect party!

Get your guns up?

Bachelorette attire--SB style!

Annalee, Jason, me and Brooke

Tiffani, SB and Brooke

Eager bride-to-be!

Jamie and Jason both tried to do the splits. Is that possible after Stodge burgers and mac and cheese??

Not really...

Don't worry...I did tan before the wedding. Hopefully you won't have to shield your eyes on those pictures.

Posts about Megan's wedding, Sarah Beth's wedding coming...eventually.

One thing down...

2008-10-19T22:00:00.004-05:00

I know I've been MIA for a while. But I've been busy looking for an apartment, securing movers...and buying a car!

I ended up getting a Honda CRV--the same car my parents made me test drive for my college car and I refused. But in my defense, the car looks totally different. And I was an 18 year old brat and I wanted an SUV!

Funny how things change?! This time around I was more concerned with gas mileage and reliability.

But let's face it. It's still not an SUV. :)

Shown in actual size in comparison to my brothers' trucks. But I love my car!

Now I just have to find an apartment, fly to Boston to finish packing and meet the movers, move into the new apartment. And then I should be back to blogging on a more regular basis. Stay tuned...

Austin...from Texas? Did you make that up?

2008-10-04T20:21:00.005-05:00

I know...blogging on a Saturday night = not cool. But I'm stuck in the airport in Atlanta for two hours as I make my way back to Dallas. And I have too many things to post about in the past month so rather than start tackling those I decided to post something really important. Like how many Elizabeth Austins there are out in the world.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
744
people with my name in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

I got this from my friend Rikki's blog, who is unique enough to not share her name with anyone else. I knew that my name wasn't so unique. I still remember seeing the phone directory for our dorm in college with everyone's full names printed. I think about 95% of the girls had the middle name Elizabeth or Ann/Anne. But I think I'm one of the few that still goes by the full name!

And it's been funny to hear people's reaction in Boston when they hear my last name. Wait...your last name is Austin? And you're from Texas? Did you make that up? Yes, in Texas they just let you pick your last name. :)

OK, more posts and pictures to come in the next couple of weeks. I'm buying a car this week and looking at apartments so first things first.

Austin in Dallas...I'm going to have to think of a new name for my blog

2008-09-26T14:37:00.002-05:00

Because I'm moving back to Texas!

I accepted an offer with a law firm in Dallas working in the Marketing department. I am excitedsad to make the move. More on that later as I post about recent happenings. But it's happening quickly and I will be in Dallas next weekend. Yes, I have one week to pack. This time last year my belongings had been in a storage unit for two months while I hoped to move.

My parents are actually in Boston this weekend to visit. They had already planned the trip, but I'm sure they're wishing they had come earlier now that I will put them to work packing! :) Not because I'm an evil child, but it's pouring rain all weekend. I really wasn't kidding when I said it rains in Boston everytime someone comes to visit me.

So I won't be blogging much while I'm busy packing, moving, looking for an apartment, buying a car and trying not to lose my freaking mind. :)

Well, now that you've made the choice so clear...

2008-09-03T21:49:00.004-05:00

I still remember proudly going to vote for the first time. I was so excited. Finally. Railroad commissioner? Are you sure that's a real office? Well, I don't know exactly what they do, but I'll vote for the Republican. I'm really rockin' the vote! City Council? Place 6? Uh...guess I'll vote for the...Republican? No worries, it's a straight party ticket for me. It's time the voice of America's youth was heard!

And that voice--according to me--was stupid and completely uninformed.

So since then I've always tried to be a little more informed when I step into the booth. But I seriously don't like politics. Not office politics. Not social politics. Not political politics.

Believe me, I am grateful for the opportunity to vote and I will gladly exercise it. But I could do without the circus leading up to November 4.

Today I wouldn't label myself as Republican or Democrat. I like to live in the fantasy world of 'can't we all get along' and 'why can't I vote for some pieces of both candidates?'

And the more the candidates and parties talk trash about the other instead of telling me why I should get behind them in the first place, the more annoyed I get.

In the hopes of staving off apathy I have been forcing myself to watch both the DNC and RNC. But between the smug jokes, the plugs for future campaigns and the stupid, stupid stories it's been hard not to immediately put the TV on mute.

Two that stick out in my mind:

Stupid #1
From Hillary Clinton..."To my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits..." You were misinformed when your speech writer told you that would be hip to say. And you're not fooling anyone. You're not backing Obama; you're already campaigning for 2012.

Stupid #2:
Huckabee gets up and the verbal diarrhea immediately begins. He takes way too long to tell a story about a random teacher in a random classroom who wouldn't give her students desks. She (and apparently Huckabee) then make the inspiring conclusion that McCain fought for our country...and...he bought you...that desk? You could almost see the wheels turning...How did I get here? Must tie it back to McCain...yeah, McCain. McCain bought you that desk!

And to that I say...WTF? I wish this was an election where I only had to choose the next Railroad Commissioner.

Barcelona and random thoughts

2008-08-30T13:43:00.002-05:00

Before you think this is going to be a gushy post about my study abroad experience and label me in with this group let me just state for the record: Yes, I did study abroad in Spain in college and I absolutely loved every second of it (except for the 2 days I was out cold from paella poisoning or something) and have dreamed about going back ever since. But this is not a post about my study abroad experience. Mainly because my pictures are stored at my parents' house and we all hate to read blogs without pictures.

So I'll throw you a bone. Here's a picture of my favorite city.

No, this is actually just a post about my ramblings. But I started daydreaming about Barcelona again when I went to see Vicky Christina Barcelona last weekend. My mom asked me as I was walking to the theater if that was the movie about the threesome. I explained to her that no, she was wrong--it was just about a love triangle. Uh...just a heads up...my mom was right on this one.

But a few scenes aside I really loved the movie and the fact that it was filmed completely in Spain. And Scarlett Johansson didn't get on my nerves as much as she usually does. By the end of the movie I even found myself identifying with her. She talks about how she has so much creativity and emotion inside of her and she just wishes she was artistic enough to express it. I can't tell you how many times I wished I could play the guitar or piano (on more than a 4th-grade level) or write a book or paint or sculpt. It's all crystal clear in my head...just doesn't seem to translate to something tangible.

Exhibit A: the canvas I have painted for the second time because I hated my first attempt and it now sits against my wall in a creative shade of black

Maybe I could just paint a blue line somewhere on it and convince people they are stupid because they just don't "get it". I love love modern art, but don't get me started on how stripes and splatter paint can be viewed as fresh and edgy.

Anyway, to round out this random stream of consciousness...I've been in Boston now for a year. ONE YEAR. And since I'm starting to get the one-year itch (this usually happens to me with apartments, not cities) I may or may not have looked at jobs and apartments in Barcelona after I got home from the movie. But don't worry, Mom. And I'm quoting you..."I can go anywhere I want...as long as I end up in Texas." :)

Or maybe I'll be headed straight back to Texas. Or maybe I'll be staying in Boston for another year.

You'll know when I know...

Don't you hate having that annoying song stuck in your head and no matter how many songs you play you find yourself singing a JESSE MCCARTNEY song?

2008-08-29T10:52:00.009-05:00

Now you'll have it stuck in your head too.

You're welcome. :)

I couldn't agree more

2008-08-06T10:21:00.004-05:00

Unless you are a full-time gardener or three years old you should stop wearing these.

I just read this article and found myself laughing and agreeing with it whole-heartedly. Here's a snippet you'll enjoy if you're a Croc hater like me. :)

They've managed to separate money from the wallets of millions and millions of seemingly sane people who wake up, look in the closet, and actually decide: "Today I'll leave the house wearing these neon-green Dutch bubble shoes with Swiss-cheese holes in them. Maybe I'll even buy some little plastic strawberries or bananas and jam them in the sweat holes, just to jazz things up and make the bacteria incubate faster." That's fine. I say do whatever you want in the privacy of your own home. Let your Crocs freak flag fly. But don't make the rest of us watch.

Be careful what you wish for...

2008-08-01T15:01:00.002-05:00

Of course I had all year to use my Flexible Spending account money, but I waited until the last minute. A couple of weeks ago it hit me that I was going to lose about $300 of my hard earned money. I frantically called the dentist here that was referred to me to see if I could schedule a cleaning. I stocked up on teeth whitening gel and was fitted for a retainer. I had braces 18 years ago, but my bottom teeth are starting to move. (Can we slow down for a second...I had braces 18 years ago?? Whoa.)

Rather than go through the pain of braces again (which was the first option they gave me--seriously? for one tooth that is moving?) and seeing as how I only had $300 of "free" money I opted to go for a retainer and just deal with it.

During the cleaning my dentist sees a discoloration under one of my sealants. (I just realized how boring this post is and how I'm giving you way more information than you ever wanted to know. But I've been to the dentist 3 times in the past week so it's on my brain. I'll try and get to the point. And stop delaying it with explanations like this.)

Anyway, as she takes off the sealant she realizes it's a small cavity forming. So I have to come back for a filling. As she drills into my tooth...and drills...and drills...and drills she realizes that while it is a tiny cavity, it has now made it's way through to the top of my tooth. I'm now going to have to have a root canal.

I kind of freaked out for a second. I've never even had a cavity (great genes in the teeth pool, I guess) and now I have to have a ROOT CANAL?!?!

My new dentist was kind enough to draw me a picture of what happens with a root canal. It's ok that I'm not seven years old; the visual helped.

Long story short (finally), I went back in for the root canal this week. I actually didn't feel a thing and the process was entirely painless. Until I go to the front to pay. Ouch. I guess that's what I get for wishing I could use up the rest of my money...

Talk Nerdy To Me

2008-07-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

I'll be the first to admit that I like dorky guys. Notice I said dorky, not nerdy. Sounds a tiny bit nicer and cuter. But when you pass this t-shirt 3 times in 5 minutes...you know you're walking through MIT. :)

4th of July

2008-07-20T15:19:00.001-05:00

4th of July in Boston was great. We staked out a spot on the river at 2pm for the 10pm fireworks show. It was worth it--great seats and the best fireworks show I've ever been to. There was even a free concert before the Boston Pops started. Unfortunately for me it was Rascal Flatts. Seriously? I have hours to kill and I have to listen to them?? Oh well...fun times still.

patriotic neighbors

Larissa, me and Erin

potluck picnic

What is wrong with this picture? Yes, there is a girl in a wool coat. On July 4th. Love the New England summer.

pretty sunset

mobile canoe

and the fireworks begin

NYC x 2

2008-07-18T11:20:00.002-05:00

(I did finally purchase a laptop and was excited to blog more often. But the dang anti-virus and spyware is SO good that it won't even accept my wireless card. I have a love/hate relationship with tech support and we've been chatting every night. I hope to be caught up on all my posts very soon. Until then, here's what was happening with me four weeks ago.)

It has been great to be able to take quick trips to New York. It's even better when you have friends there for work and you have a great (and free) place to stay!

A couple of weekends ago my friend Robin was in town for a conference for the Communications industry. One of her sessions was called "Taking a BYTE out of your company's website"...or something like that. So we tried to cram in some fun before the real fun began.

I met her at her hotel (53rd and 6th, Robin) and we grabbed a quick lunch so that she could register for the conference.

Then, cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery of "Lazy Sunday" and Sex and the City fame. The line was around the block, but we knew it would be worth it. And it definitely was!

a little too eager about my cupcake

That night we went to a comedy show at Upright Citizens Brigade. We saw Mother, an improv act that uses the audience's cd's and iPods. It was hilarious and for $8 we were highly entertained.

After the show we went to dinner at China Grill. It was great, but one thing I could never get used to: 11pm dinners. And because we're cool kids we went straight to bed after dinner!

Sunday morning we woke up (had another cupcake for breakfast) and went to the Ground Zero Museum. This tiny museum houses the only photographs taken at the World Trade Center site after 9/11 and items recovered from the site as well. It was so moving and emotional. Click on the link for the museum and you can view some of the pictures. And if you're in the NYC area I definitely recommend this stop.

After the museum we went around the corner for brunch at Pastis. I love love this place. We went a few years ago on our girls trip to NYC and saw Mark Ruffalo. No celebrities this time, but it was just as good.

Next up was the Metropolitan Museum of Art--or as I shall snobbily (made up word??) refer to it: The Met. I had read about the latest installation of the Costume Institute and was so excited to see it.

Now, it's not like I would get excited about Comic Con or anything else superhero-related. But this was amazing--runway pieces from the past few decades that mirror some of the latest costumes from superhero movies. I know...I'm a dork.

We had to race through the rest to see a few of our favorite painters. Robin and I both posed in front of the real life paintings that hung in our college dorm rooms. Gotta love the stylish poster decorating in college.

Robin and Van Gogh

me and Monet

The next weekend Coleen was in New York for a conference and I was back on the bus for another quick trip. I met Coleen and her co-worker, Jackie, in Chinatown for some shopping. And I finally found a cute store to replace my favorite store in Dallas, Ciel. I just have to go to Chinatown for it.

We stopped for pizza and some air conditioning in Little Italy. NYC, and especially Chinatown, has to be the worst place in the heat of the summer. Sweaty people pushing into you from all sides. Ugh. Miss...Coach, Chanel, Gucci? In a creepy back room with no ventilated air? No thank you.

We dropped everything off at the hotel and went to wait in line for half-price tickets. We ended up getting Legally Blonde, our first choice!

The musical was great. Funny, cute, entertaining. I still have some of the songs stuck in my head...Omigod, omigod you guys...

We had sushi at Ruby Foo's. Another 11pm dinner. We walked around Times Square for a while and then back to the hotel.

Coleen and Jackie had an early flight on Sunday morning, but I got to sleep in. Then I went to see the World Trade Center site. We went there on our trip in 2005, but after seeing the museum the weekend before I had to go back. It's strange and sad to think that we have this moment where everyone knows exactly where they were and exactly what they were doing. Our generation's 'Where were you when Kennedy was shot?' And it's crazy that 7 years later it still looks like this.

And as Matt Lauer would say...on a lighter note...here are some pretty pictures walking around New York.

Dallas

2008-07-02T14:42:00.002-05:00

I made it to Dallas in time for a quick nap before Lydia's birthday dinner. I hadn't seen Lydia and Tim's house (besides on her blog) and was so excited to see what they had done. It is in a great neighborhood with trees and [Texas] hills. They have already painted and replaced fixtures and it feels so homey. Check out her blog to see pics of the house!

Then it was off to dinner at Joe T. Garcia's in Ft. Worth. I've always loved this place and it was the perfect excuse for more Mexican food.

Lydia and me

Ginny, me, Coleen (notice the super white Boston girl in the middle...you are correct in thinking I haven't seen the sun in a year)

Lydia took Thursday off from work and we got to hang out all day. We started at Starbucks and then headed back to Ft. Worth to visit our friend Summer's store, Dean-Kingston. Summer did a great job and the store looks amazing.

Then we met Ginny for lunch at Fred's Cafe, on Summer's recommendation. Another great hole-in-the-wall place so of course I loved it.

After lunch Lydia and I did a little shopping and drove around to see more of her neighborhood. Lyds, thanks for showing me a fun time in Arlington!

Bobby picked me up so we could meet Benton for dinner. We happened to drive by the Cowboys' new stadium and I was in awe. This picture just doesn't do it justice--it is massive.

Then off to dinner. This is how the pictures usually go down with our family.

I spent Thursday night with Coleen at her new apartment. We got Chick-fil-A chicken biscuits and Diet Cokes in the morning, a must-have with us. Then she dropped me off at my old office so I could have lunch with my former boss. She walked me around the newly remodeled floors and we made the rounds to see everyone. Then we had lunch at Enchilada's. Yes, more Mexican food. It was so good to catch up with Pam. Besides not having a boss right now, I really miss my old office and the fun we used to have!

Let's see...Friday night I stayed with Jen Worley at her "new" house. I got to see the house once before I moved, but she's also painted and renovated a bit and it looks great! We were both a little tired so Jen had the awesome suggestion of picking up Bueno and watching the shows she had Tivo'd. Of course she had to twist my arm on both. :) Then we watched this movie--I think Jen is the only person who owns a copy of Space Camp.

And I fell asleep because that's what I do during movies. But it was an awesome flashback.

Saturday morning we woke up and lounged around. And realized at 10:57am that we were going to miss out on taquitos at Whataburger. Do we give up on taquitos? No, Jen calls to place an order for pick up. We raced to Whataburger to pick them up. And cut in line because obviously we were VIP. I'm sure the Whataburger employees loved us! :)

Then it was out to the pool for 4 hrs.

And I put sunscreen on, but my powder white skin didn't stand a chance. Of course we documented it because we went picture crazy at Idle Rich that night for Jeremy's b-day.

Jen W, Coleen and me

Lisa and me - no pictures of the birthday boy, but this is his other half

Jen and me...if only we had been able to get some sun...

Barbie, Robin and Jen

me and Jen S

Gina and me

Adam and Coleen

Coleen and me

Sunday I had lunch with Benton and his girlfriend, Laura. I hadn't met her yet so it was great to have some time to chat and get to know her!

Sunday night Brooke and Caleb had me over for Supper Club--our group has dwindled, but it was still great to get together like old times. Brooke is an amazing cook so I'm always up for dinner with them!

Coleen was a great friend and took me to the airport EARLY on Monday morning. After a couple more delayed and cancelled flights I finally made it back to Boston. Thank you EVERYONE for letting me stay with you and driving me around. Now it's your turn to come visit me!

Abilene

2008-06-30T13:12:00.000-05:00

The rest of my time in Abilene was spent eating and hanging out with family and friends. Of course.

We had lunch at Rosa's before Bobby had to drive back. My family has been eating at Rosa's (in Odessa) since we were little. My grandparents would let us pick anywhere we wanted to eat when we were visiting and we almost always picked Rosa's. We're easy to please.

Sarah Beth and Joe grilled out for us on Sunday night. I made Strawberry Shortcake for dessert and it was so good. If you're a fan of it with biscuits instead of angel food cake I suggest trying this recipe. Yum.

I decided I wanted a project to do while I was in Abilene. My mom has sewed since before I was born and has always hoped that I would want to learn. That crafty urge has never kicked in until now. I had dreams of sewing a dress using a vintage pattern and fabric, but since I didn't decide to become a seamstress until a few days before I settled for making an apron.

I was excited when we picked out the fabric and my mom announced to the lady measuring it that it was my first sewing project. She told me that she had a girl in earlier working on her first sewing project too. A matching shirt and shorts. Oh, and she was 9 yrs old. But the lady reassured me that it was never too late to learn to sew. Well, I didn't need reassurance before you compared me to a 9 yr old...

Anyway, here is the finished product. I think the only way my mom could have been more proud is if I had sewn from a pattern in Spanish.

Tuesday night my grandparents wanted to introduce us to their new favorite Mexican food restaurant. So we drove an hour to Ballinger to eat at Alejandra's. It was a great time to catch up and the fajitas did not disappoint.

On Wednesday I met Sarah Beth at La Popular for breakfast burritos before we left for Dallas. Are you sensing a pattern here? Yes, I had Mexican food almost every single day I was in Texas--sometimes twice a day. No complaints.

My parents drove me halfway to Dallas. We stopped at the SmokeStack to meet Benton for lunch. Another place that our family has gone to for years. The big draw used to be the Dublin Dr. Pepper, but now it's a perfect meeting place for us halfway between Abilene and Dallas.

As always, I loved going home. It was the perfect relaxing "vacation"!

You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, so it's all right. -Maya Angelou

2008-06-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it had been 6 months since I had been in the Lone Star state! I was seriously craving Mexican food and time with my family and friends--and maybe in that order :) --and it was time for my 10 year high school reunion. All good reasons to come home.

Let me just start off by saying I have the BEST family and friends. I'm sure you think that yours are the best, but you are wrong. It's always interesting when I come home to visit because I am car-less. I don't miss my car at all in Boston, but I feel like such a burden to everyone when I get to Texas. But everyone carts me around without complaint--at least to my face.

It started off with a very long day of traveling. I like to think of myself as a laid-back traveler. Flight delayed? No worries I'll get there when I get there. Missed a connecting flight? Just book me on the next flight. Lost my luggage? Deliver it when you find it. But all three of these things and spending over 8 hrs traveling? That forced a fake smile and the bags under my eyes.

Fortunately, my smiling brothers were there to pick me up.

Bobby drove me to Abilene and we stopped for a late lunch at Mary's Cafe in Strawn, TX. My parents always eat here and I finally got to try it out. I love hole-in-the-wall restaurants and you know the food is going to be good when the sign for the restaurant is hand-painted and your waitress is wearing jorts.

We made it to Abilene in time to stop by the Abilene airport and pick up my luggage they had located and shipped on a flight. Except that my luggage wasn't there and wouldn't show up until 9:30 that night. Lucky for me Sarah Beth lives in Abilene and I actually ended up borrowing a dress that was much cuter than mine!

Off to the reunion at Perini's, which reminded me of the million high school graduation parties we had there. Allow me to go off on my Abilene tangent for a moment... I loved high school. Loved growing up in a semi small town. Loved that we knew not just everyone in our class, but everyone in our high school. And I loved that so many from our class wanted to go to our reunion. Abilene to anyone else will seem boring and uneventful, but if you're from Abilene you feel the same way as me. :)

Diggs, me, Kendel, Erin

Diggs, Kelly (one of my first friends at Wylie), me

Roxanne (one of my best friends from hs), me

Wylie High School, Class of 1998

And for those of you that didn't go to our high school I won't bore you with any more pictures. For those of you that did, you can view the slide show here.

My mom saved this article for me from a magazine (probably from the September 1995 Redbook, right Mom?) :) and the quote at the heading of this blog was listed. It was a great article about how your home (town, people, restaurants, even new neighborhoods) changes and evolves into something different from what you grew up with. But the heart of your home will never change. Love that.

More to come on my trips to Abilene and Dallas...

Lauren's visit

2008-06-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

My friend Lauren was in town the weekend after Memorial Day. We worked together at Neimans in Dallas and she was up here to help in the Natick store. She LOVES Boston as much as I did when I used to visit. No, probably even more. I'm expecting a call any day now saying that she's moving up here!

Dinner at Scoozi.

Lauren popping her collar to fit in with the Bostonians.

The old crew from Neimans.

Lauren bought about 20 Boston t-shirts to take back. We spotted this one at a t-shirt stand.

Check out number 4. We all love the store, but I'm pretty sure it's not where you go for bargains. But I guess bahgins at Filene's Basement doesn't have the same Bostonian ring to it.

We also went to see Sex and the City. I'm sure everyone has seen it by now so I won't bore you with a review. But I loved it, might be going back to see it and will definitely be buying the DVD when it comes out. Even with all the hype though I couldn't believe how many people went to see the movie. We went on Saturday night and there was a line of people waiting to get in as we left the theater. AND there was a line of people sitting in line for the show after that one. Crazy fans. :)

Jen's visit

2008-06-20T12:58:00.023-05:00

Jen came to visit Memorial Day weekend! She flew in Thursday night and left Monday morning so we had lots of time to hang out and explore Boston.

Thursday night we went to a party at Crush, a really cute boutique in Beacon Hill. Of course it started pouring rain as soon as we were ready to leave. I'm not kidding about it raining every time I have visitors. Anyway, we had fun and did our part to support the store. Then we went to dinner at Harvard Gardens and made it out for one drink before we realized we're old and can't hang on a Thursday night.

I had to work on Friday, but met Jen for a late lunch and some shopping on Newbury Street. After all the shopping we were hungry for dinner so of course we decided to get cupcakes. A new cupcake shop, Sweet, opened in my neighborhood so we met up with Erin to try it out. It was such a cute place (they even had Willy Wonka playing on a big screen). But at $4 a cupcake I don't think it will be a regular stop.

Not the best picture because I took it with my phone. I didn't want to be that blogger who takes pictures of everything and posts every detail. Oh wait...

Saturday morning we walked around the North End. We got coffee at my favorite, Boston Beanstock.

Then we came back to my neighborhood for EarthFest and a free Cracker and Cake concert! So old school and so much fun. And apparently Cake has a new album coming out.

Our neighbors at the concert. There is a group of kids in Boston that dress up as zombies. They walk around the city carrying signs that say things like 'Zombies are people too'. They don't do anything...they don't try and scare people...just walk around like zombies. So strange. Yes, I did recently read a series of books about vampires and loved it. No, I don't want to join their group.

Then Saturday night we went to dinner and went out. I can't remember where we went for dinner...this is why I shouldn't wait a month to blog about something.

Sunday we went to brunch at Bouchee. Then Jen and I went to the Arboretum. I had been wanting to go for a while and it was a perfect afternoon for it. We took books and magazines, but ended up taking a nap in the grass. It's so different from the Dallas Arboretum but just as pretty.

We had dinner and went to bed so Jen could get up at 2am for her flight--yikes. Thanks for coming to visit, Jen. I had a blast!

The haircut

2008-06-20T12:01:00.005-05:00

So I'm sure you've all been on pins and needles to see the haircut. I won't keep you waiting any longer.

I got over 4 inches cut and as usual I immediately decided to start growing it out again.

Dirk, don't read this

2008-06-18T14:43:00.000-05:00

...but I've been cheering for the Celtics. Not when they were playing the Mavericks, of course. And I'm not a bandwagon fan claiming to have stuck by them for 22 years. But last night's game was amazing.

You couldn't help but cheer for the Celtics. Or at least against the Lakers. The Celtics deserved to win and especially the second Big Three.

Awesome.

Awesome.

And awesome.

As much as the Patriots fans got on my nerves I was fine with the Celtics fans. And yes, I know they're the same people. But there's something different about fans still cheering for a team when they've come off a 24 win season than cheering for--no wait, expecting--a perfect season. I'm going to try and sneak out for the victory parade tomorrow and I'll try to keep reminding myself that I'm not really a Celtics fan...

I haven't missed cable

2008-06-03T16:41:00.000-05:00

...until now.

The new season starts June 12! Is a cable bill worth it for one show??

Taking you back to English class...

2008-05-28T14:35:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting here addressing envelopes for invitations to our customers and I come across this name: Ms. Alba Tross.

For real? It's like an intellectual version of Ben Dover.

I don't claim to be a literary nerd, but I do remember this poem distinctly from Mr. Goodenough's Senior English class. Actually, I didn't remember the poem; I remembered that we had to write a "burden" on a piece of paper and wear it around our necks for the day.

The Rime of the Acient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
Had I from old and young !
Instead of
the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.

So apparently I am a nerd who got a kick out of this. I mentioned it to someone in our office and she said, "Isn't that the prison in San Francisco?"

My [work] life lately

2008-05-17T17:06:00.012-05:00

I know I've been MIA for the past month or two. Well, I've been spending my time at work. I spend most of my days scheduling trunk shows with vendors, writing copy for mailers and letters, planning cocktail parties and coordinating one major event each year.

But about 4 months ago we somehow landed 3 big events for our store, all to take place during one month's time. And then my manager gave her notice and moved on to a new job. I guess someone heard my wish for more responsibility. :)

The past few months have really been a challenging, but rewarding time. So many times I wished for another set of hands to help with coordinating the events. But if that other set of hands had been here I would never have gotten the same experience. So bittersweet.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. My family is always wanting to see what I do; hope this gives you some insight into my job. On to what you really want to see...pictures! (And I can't take credit for any of these pictures...we hired photographers to capture it all.)

Event #1 - April 10
Martinis, Makeovers and a Mission
- 350 guests, benefiting breast and ovarian cancer research, live auction and US premier of the Yves Saint Laurent fall collection

Event #2 - April 29
Kelly Gray Personal Appearance for St. John
- fashion show and cocktail party

Event #3 - May 8
Cartier dinner and fashion show

What do you think?

2008-05-12T12:45:00.009-05:00

I'm getting my hair cut on Friday and I'm in the mood for something different. Let me know which one you like best!

OR

Uh...can you tell that I'm done with my events at work? :)

Lydia and Tim's visit

2008-05-09T11:24:00.003-05:00

The weekend after Brooke and Caleb's visit, Lydia and Tim were in town! Tim had a conference for work and they planned a trip to come early for the weekend. Once again, I was super eager to have visitors and prepared a list of restaurants and places to go.

Lydia and Tim arrived on Friday around noon (in matching white shirts and khaki pants, I might add). I met them outside of work to do the usual passing of the keys. They went on to drop off luggage, have lunch and wander around my neighborhood. You'll have to check out Lydia's blog for more stories and pictures. Actually, it's a lot of the same stories and pictures, but she's much better with the details than me!

Friday night we went to dinner at Stella in the South End. I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for a while, but it's far away and I keep finding other restaurants in between. OK, Mapquest says it's only 1.3 miles and I walk about 5 miles a day, but any distance is far in heels. I can't wait for flip-flop weather!

After dinner we went back to my neighborhood to a great tapas bar, Bar Lola, and met up with Erin. This bar has the best sangria and we had lots of fun catching up over our pitcher. This is the first of many pictures that Tim had to take of the three of us. Thanks, Tim!

Saturday morning we woke up and went to Dunkin Donuts. On a side note, I've actually grown to like Dunkin Donuts. But I have to coach all the visitors before we go. As much as it's Starbucks mission to be friendly and welcoming I think it's Dunkin Donuts mission to try and scare you from coming back. You have to know exactly what you're ordering the second they yell "Next in line!". And they put all of the sugar and cream in it for you so you have to know exactly how to tell them to fix it. Seriously, they yelled at an 80 yr old woman who was in line ahead of us because her little legs weren't carrying her fast enough to the register. Wow, that was a long side note, but now you know my feelings on Dunkin Donuts. :)

After our much-needed caffeine we headed off to walk the Freedom Trail. Yes, Lydia and Tim were upset that I wasn't in a Colonist costume to give the tour. And in case you were wondering:

col·o·nist
n.
1. An original settler or founder of a colony.
2. An inhabitant of a colony.

co·lo·ni·al·ism
n.
1. the control or governing influence of a nation over a dependent country, territory, or people.
—Related forms
co·lo·ni·al·ist, noun, adjective

I've been calling John Adams and John Hancock colonialists. You learn something new every day.

You know you're in a sports town when...

Lydia and Tim at the Old South Meeting House, the site of the meeting that started the Boston Tea Party.

One of the sights on our walk.

For some reason these bags are very popular in Boston. You will literally see this bag or backpack on every girl you pass. I don't understand it. And I really don't understand spending $150 on it.

We walked through the North End again, walked all the way to the water and found a great park. I can't wait to go back when the weather is warm (at least by this Texas girl's standards)!

We stopped for some seafood at The Barking Crab and then headed back to my apartment for a nap. For dinner we went to Cafe Jaffa and then went out to the Liberty Hotel that night.

The hotel was once the Charles Street Jail. The whole place has been renovated, but still has a few jail cells and catwalks that the guards walked. The bar is called Alibi and was the old drunk tank. Great concept, right? Well, the rest of Boston thinks so too. We walked up to a line around the building. We were not in the mood to wait in the cold so we talked to the doorman. Tim wanted to be smooth and slip him some money, but we found a way in for free! He told us to walk through the restaurant that connects to the lobby. So VIP. :)

Anyway, I'm glad we didn't wait in the line because we were ready to go after one look around. It is definitely a cool place, but I'm pretty sure the Ghost Bar crowd in Dallas jetted off to Boston for the weekend. So we stayed for one drink and then called it a night.

Our proof that we were there.

Sunday was a great way to end the weekend. We walked over to Beacon Hill for brunch, but there were long waits at every restaurant. So we ended up at a really great cafe, Bella Vita.

We did a little shopping at H&M and then went to hang out in Cambridge. We ended up having our own pub crawl. And of course, we took pictures along the way.

We started out at Grafton Street Pub.

We stopped at BerryLine for some frozen yogurt. Everyone made fun of my Fruity Pebbles choice, but I think they were jealous when they saw it.

Next stop was People's Republik.

Last stop was at Miracle of Science, where I had the best steak kabobs. This place is right by MIT...love the periodic table menu.

They got to stay through Sunday night. On Monday Lydia flew back to Dallas, Tim went off to his conference and I had to go to work. But it was another great weekend. Thanks for coming to visit, Lydia and Tim!

Brooke and Caleb's visit

2008-05-06T11:15:00.001-05:00

A couple of weekends ago my friends Brooke and Caleb came to visit. (Yes, I realize that my blog is always slacking. Work has been really busy and there will be a post soon about all the events that have been overtaking my life!) Back to the visit...Brooke had qualified for the Boston Marathon and deferred it a year so that she could come up here once I had moved.

We didn't take that many pictures during the weekend so I'm inserting a picture from my going away party last August.

They arrived on Friday afternoon and I was stuck at work. Fortunately, Brooke's dad and stepmom were here and they did the Freedom Trail and all went to dinner. We met up after and walked to my apartment--low-key Friday night.

Slept late on Saturday morning (that counts as an activity, right?). Then we walked around Boston. I took my first picture in front of Cheers. Hard to believe I've been here 8 months and this is the first Cheers picture. I have, however, taken about a million pictures for tourists as I've walked by.

We walked on to the North End, the Italian neighborhood. I love this neighborhood--tiny streets and hundreds of Italian restaurants. Seriously, it's a little overwhelming if you're trying to pick a place to eat. We decided to just get a slice of pizza and watch some of the NBA playoffs.

We had dinner at Cafe Jaffa, one of the only casual restaurants in my neighborhood, but one of my favorites.

We had plans to watch the Mavericks game, but didn't take into account the fact that both the Red Sox and the Bruins were playing. We stopped at about 10 different bars and restaurants hoping that the game would be on. We finally caught the second half on a tiny TV in the corner of an Irish pub. Oh well, it wasn't a good game anyway.

On Sunday, Brooke and Caleb went to the Red Sox vs. Rangers game. They actually found some affordable tickets on StubHub, but I waited too late to get mine. Which means I waited a couple of hours and the price had already doubled! So that's when I went to see Young @ Heart. Brooke carbo-loaded with pasta for dinner and then we all went to bed early for the big day.

Brooke had to get up super early to meet the buses that would take all the runners out 26.2 miles. Caleb and I met Brooke's parents at the finish line to wait and watch. Here are some pictures from the race.

We had a spot right under the big screen and could watch the race. It was mainly video of the front runners in the Men's and Women's divisions. But after the winners crossed the finish line it was the Lance Armstrong show. Almost 30 minutes of watching him run. Apparently no one else crossed the finish line between the winners and Lance!

The crowd at the finish line.

Lance Armstrong

And here's Brooke! We almost missed her...we were looking for the wrong color shirt. 25,000 people were running--it's amazing that you could pick people out at all!

Brooke did great, finishing very close to her qualifying time. And I'm told that's great considering it was hot weather for running (although I was cold in a fleece and a jacket!) and the difficulty of the course. It is really motivating to see everyone cross the finish line. When you see the 10th senior citizen cross you start to think that maybe you should start training for a marathon. And then reality set in as we started to walk to meet Brooke and my legs were stiff from standing for 4 hrs.

We went back to my apartment and got ready for dinner. We wanted to avoid the marathon crowd (restaurants were booked past 10pm!) so we ended up in Brookline at a random, but very good, cafe, Zaftigs.

But as we were walking to the subway station we heard clapping. There were still 2 runners finishing the race! They had been running for over 8 hrs. More heart than me. I would have given up and caught a cab a long time before that!

It was a lot of fun to have Brooke and Caleb here and I was a little eager about my first Marathon Monday. Can't wait to have you guys up here again!

Young @ Heart

2008-04-22T15:52:00.001-05:00

While I'm waiting on pictures to post about this past weekend (my friends Brooke and Caleb came to visit this weekend and Brooke ran the BOSTON MARATHON!) I thought I would blog about a documentary I recently saw--Young @ Heart.

It's a documentary about a chorus of senior citizens. It follows them through rehearsals, performances and even music videos. I'm sure you're thinking at this point that my taste in movies is completely awful. But I wouldn't steer you wrong...you should definitely go see this one! If it's not in a theater near you then wait and rent it on Netflix. It's such an uplifting, bittersweet movie and you really get caught up in it. A note of warning though: I cried throughout the movie and I'm the same girl that was dubbed a "heart of steel" after sitting through Titanic three times and not crying.

Bobby's visit

2008-04-14T13:04:00.001-05:00

Last weekend my brother Bobby came to visit. I met him at the subway station, but this is what got off the train.

He almost wore his white velcro shoes (and yes, he wears those on a regular day), but was worried that someone would think he was slow and try to help him at the airport. Good thinking... But someone did stop him to tell him he was a little early for 4th of July. Bobby told him he was just wearing it to embarass his sister and the guy thought it was awesome.

He brought me a Shady Grove t-shirt from his latest visit to Austin and about 10 burned cd's. He didn't manage to make it to Boston with the Taco Bueno I requested. Everyone who visits thinks I'm kidding when I request this. Let me clarify--I'm not. :)

So after Bobby changed, we went to dinner at Upper Crust, a really great pizza place in Boston.

I had Friday off and of course it rained. We watched King of Kong and tried to wait out the rain. (Bobby wasn't so sure about this movie and you might not be either, but I had heard it was good--no judgement until you've seen it!). After we realized it was going to rain all day we decided to walk the Freedom Trail. (Turns out I'm not as fun of a tour guide when my socks are soaking wet.) There's a story behind this statue and you'll have to wait to hear it until you all come to visit!

We stopped at Fanueil Hall and had lunch at Quincy Market and dried out for a bit.

Then we went to see the new movie, Leatherheads. Watching the movie I couldn't decide if I liked it or hated it. George Clooney should definitely not quit his day job and become a full-time director. But by the end I decided the movie was good for what it was--a lighthearted, funny movie. It didn't hurt that you got to watch him for 2 hours.
And I know I'm a little OCD, but I couldn't get over the fact that the costume designer thought that every single person in the 1920's wore a hat at all times. Seriously...if you watch it you'll notice that in crowds of hundreds of people there is a hat on everyone's head.

Then we had macaroni and cheese and dessert at Cafeteria. Seriously the best mac and cheese I've ever had. Better than Hattie's in Dallas. And that's a bold statement.

Saturday we watched a season of It's Always Sunny and then went to lunch at Mr. Bartley's for burgers and frappes. Just a heads up, if you're coming to visit me we're more than likely going here.

We walked through Harvard so that Bobby could say "he went to Harvard".

Saturday night we walked to Fenway and watched the Final Four games at Cask'n Flagon. We literally snagged the last table so we actually got to enjoy watching the games.

Sunday we got up and went to my church and then watched more It's Always Sunny (good Sunday morning combo).

Benton, we missed you on this trip, but already planned everything for when you and Bobby come visit--including somehow getting Red Sox tickets at the Rangers prices.

And if you're still reading...Mom, I hope you enjoyed the play-by-play and now feel like you were there all weekend. :)

Rain Rain Go Away

2008-04-03T12:44:00.001-05:00

This must be a joke. I have people coming to visit for the next few weeks. The weather prediction each week: sunny and warm (well, warm for Boston) during the week and rainy during the weekend. This happened when Coleen and Mindy visited St. Paddy's Day weekend and happened even when Jennifer and Julie visited in January for the Mavs game. So, my advice to you--if you're coming to visit me pack your umbrella and rainboots!

You're from Texas and you hate country music?!

2008-04-01T16:47:00.010-05:00

I get this question a lot here in Boston. I love alt country, folk, anything related, but my personal idea of torture is a Toby Keith concert. Just ask my friends about the Rascal Flatts concert I got guilted into going to... So some people were as equally confused when I got excited about this concert this past weekend. I just kindly explained the difference between alt country and country--one is good and one is bad. :)

It was definitely different than any music we would hear in Austin or Dallas, but it was definitely good. But I have to say the girl in braids, cowboy hat and full duster would have been out of place anywhere. Actually, maybe her inspiration literally came from the poster...

Warning: Shallow Post Ahead

2008-03-31T12:04:00.004-05:00

So there's nothing meaningful to this post, but I'm really excited about these two new stores in Boston. We shopped at these stores while studying abroad in Spain and thought we were oh so cool. So I'm still working on the cool part, but at least I can get the clothes again!

Only 25 days Brooke!

2008-03-27T16:12:00.000-05:00

This post is for my friend Brooke who is running the Boston Marathon in 25 days! As if she needed a reminder. The sidewalks of Boston are usually full of runners, but the past couple of weeks have been crazy! I thought I would be motivated to start running, but it hasn't kicked in. I'll just stick to my yoga and cheer from the sidelines. :)

And I just realized I never blogged about St. Paddy's Day. I'm horrible about downloading pictures and I hate to post without them. So don't be surprised if you see a St. Paddy's Day post from me around Memorial Day!

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T09:20:00.005-05:00

I didn't get to go home this year for Easter, but I did get my Easter package from my grandmother (and the post office actually delivered it before Easter)! I also had my one Cadbury egg for the year. I love these, but one is more than enough. I didn't get my annual Peeps marshmallows though. Am I the last person in the world that likes these? But same thing--once a year is more than enough for me.

I went to my church here in Boston, Reunion. I love this place. It wasn't the usual Easter morning message, but rather about how organized religion shouldn't matter so much. It doesn't matter the way you worship, if you dress up on Easter or if you wear jeans, the rules you follow according to your denomination or religion. Bottom line: Jesus died for all of us, but his death means nothing without his resurrection. Good reminder.

I hope you all had a happy Easter!

Next Year

2008-03-21T12:56:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a sad day. My Baylor Bears lost in their first NCAA tourney appearance in 20 years. And to top it off, the Mavs lost to the Celtics again and they're falling further and further in the West. Here's to better seasons next year.

Update on Benton

2008-03-10T16:35:00.000-05:00

Well, as Benton says, "Life is funny and God likes to keep you guessing." As most of you know, after months of thought, prayer and preparation my little brother, Benton, decided to join the Marines. But things changed quickly on February 12, Benton's birthday, coincidentally--he blew out his knee during training exercises.

After a week of physical therapy they decided Benton would have to come home while it heals. He may go back in the fall, but for the timebeing he has found a new job in Sales for Donor Direct. He's moving back to Dallas even though he swears he hates Dallas. :)

I have the same feeling I did when I was a teenager and used to argue with my parents. I mean that one time I argued. :) After fighting for your point and then getting your way, you can't really enjoy it. But for someone whose life just took a 180 Benton is handling it all well. Thanks for your prayers and I will keep you updated.

And because it's starting to seem like I have only one brother... Bobby is still working at PineCove as a Conference Director. But he dreams of a career in sports. So if anyone knows of any dream jobs hit me up!

Dear Texas,

2008-03-07T09:38:00.005-06:00

Snow? Twice in one week? In March? Even though Boston thinks you're crazy for shutting down, I'm defending you. After all, just last year I was one of those people that eagerly checked the news to see if I was one of the lucky that got to stay home from work. But I've got a plan, if you have the snow can we have the 80 degree days?

Once

2008-03-05T09:09:00.003-06:00

I am obsessed with the movie/musical Once and even more so with the soundtrack. (I am also now obsessed with NetFlix, which is providing me entertainment sans cable.) I had heard of this movie, but never got around to seeing it in the theater. But I happened to be watching the Oscars in a bar and the shouting from some friends of the actors/songwriters when they won convinced me to rent it right away.

I'm a nerd and I watch every bit of the Special Features on DVDs. I love to hear the stories from filming, the ideas behind the movie. It is so simply filmed and so real because the actors are musicians, not Hollywood actors. If you haven't already seen this movie you must rent it and you must watch the movie commentary and the music commentary--it makes the movie that much better.

Today's Special

2008-02-28T09:16:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday I had to bring furs back to our store from a fashion show. At midnight. I know...glamorous, right? But the midnight run to the dark and empty store reminded me of this gem from my childhood...

Pieces of home

2008-02-25T21:46:00.001-06:00

I know Valentine's Day was February 14 for most of you. But my Valentine's Day wasn't until February 22. My grandmother sends all of the grandkids Valentine's cookies each year (we also get Halloween and Easter treats--even my cousins who are married with kids of their own). Of course I love our family traditions and I look forward to these every year. My cookies took over 2 weeks to make the trek to Boston. The cookies were crumbled and hard as a rock, but I still ate a few. The chocolate covered cherries didn't stand a chance. And my cousin, Molly, included a cute scottie dog bath set that almost made it in one piece. Apparently, the postal service can just stamp "Damaged in Handling" and they're off the hook. But I don't care, I loved it.

And a few weeks ago I got this package in the mail. My mom and other grandmother bought me these shirts so I wouldn't forget my roots. My mom almost didn't buy the "Don't Mess with Texas Girls" shirt because she thought people would take it as a challenge here. Bring it on. :)

And I stumbled across this blog which I love. She discusses in detail her love of mexican food and even a love for Whataburger and Taco Bueno. She also takes beautiful pictures and praises Texas artists. Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Now if only she lived in Boston and had already tried out all the mexican food restaurants here...

Movie time again

2008-02-18T14:43:00.005-06:00

I was going to review the movies I saw this past weekend, but we're super busy at work right now with my boss quitting and all (more on that later, I'm sure). So here's the condensed version.

27 Dresses: too predictable, pretty cheesy, but there are some funny and very realistic bridesmaid moments. Wait and rent it.

Definitely, Maybe: very cute, not the typical romantic comedy, which is good b/c it keeps you guessing, and it stars Ryan Reynolds--enough said. Definitely go see it.

U23D: more of a concert than a movie (we actually had to remind ourselves not to try and score the front row seats), actually this was better than a concert b/c you were literally on the stage with U2. Skip out on work or whatever you're doing as you're reading this and go see it now. I'm going to see it again this weekend. And again. And again.

NYC in less than 24 hours

2008-02-15T13:15:00.008-06:00

Last weekend I went to New York to meet up with my friends, Coleen and Mindy. Mindy lives in New York and Coleen was there for work and apparently any excuse to go to New York is fine with me! So I hopped on the bus, we drove through the snow squalls (of course this Texas girl had no idea what a squall is--it's a really intense snowstorm that lasts all of 30 seconds to a couple of minutes--and visibility is worse than in fog...good time to travel) and I made it with 30 minutes to spare before our dinner reservation.

We had dinner at Tao, a great Asian restaurant known for celebrity sightings. No celebrities, but we had some amazing sushi!

Proof that Col tried the sushi

We were stuffed, but there's always room for dessert. Especially for a giant fortune cookie filled with mousse!

Since our reservation was at 6:30 we were ready to hit the town at 8:00. We walked around for a while, but didn't feel like staying out.

Col and I did take a picture in front of the infamous ESPNZone from our 2005 NYC trip. And no, we don't think it's cool, but we have some good memories from that trip.

And you know you're getting old when you'd rather go back to the hotel than go out! So we went back to the hotel, changed into pajamas, watched TV and just talked.

Mindy and I went to brunch the next morning and I got back on the bus to come back to Boston. Such a quick trip, but so much fun!

Happy Birthday Benton!

2008-02-12T11:28:00.000-06:00

Today is my brother Benton's birthday. He just finished his first three weeks of OCS and could finally make contact with the outside world this past weekend. It was great to talk to him and hear that everything is going well. He said he gets in trouble at least once a day for laughing so it's good to know that nothing much has changed. (This is also the kid who got sent to the principal's office for smiling.) At least he's having fun!

I love visitors

2008-02-08T16:54:00.000-06:00

I had lots of friends in town last week and weekend. I would like to think that they all would have come to visit me anyway, but the occasion this time was that the Mavs were in town.

Tuesday night I finally got to see Juno with our stat crew friend, Charlie. I loved the movie, but just wish they would have turned the soundtrack down. Random. Then Wednesday night the Mavs people arrived and I went to dinner at Kingston Station with Charlie, Art and Erin. We had burgers with fried eggs (much like the Stodg burger at The Porch, Dallas folks) and truffle fries. I think my new obsession is truffle fries. I've ordered them as an entree before. Don't judge me.

Then we met up with the rest of the Mavs crew: Sarah, Mark and I even got to see Laura Green and Coach Daddy for a few minutes. Lydia is probably the only person that will know these people, but I know she appreciates the details.

My friends Jen and Julie got in Thursday afternoon and Thursday night was the long awaited game. Their trip has been planned since right after I moved up here. There was no question as to when they would come visit. It would be whenever the Mavs played the Celtics.

Backstory for those of you that don't know why...I became friends with Jennifer and Julie when I accepted the fateful offer to work at The Heritage Organization. We all worked in the HR department at this shady and yet awesome place to work. I started getting them tickets to the Mavs game each year and it just so happened that the first game they went to was Mavs vs. Celtics. We've celebrated this anniversary for 5 years now!

The game was a lot of fun. Right up until the last couple of minutes. I had every confidence in our team and we were cheering loudly. We put up with the death stares and the yells of "How 'bout them Cowboys?". Yeah, good one. But sadly, we just didn't pull through.

Here's a picture of us in the arena.

And here we are at the VIP access waiting for the players after the game. And VIP apparently meant eVery sIngle Person cheering for the Mavs. We didn't feel all that special.

After the game, we met up with friends. Some guy leaving the game was in such a hurry that he kept on driving when his license plate fell off. We tried to flag him down, but he sped away. So of course, Jen tucked the license plate into her coat for the rest of the evening. Best souvenir ever.

Friday it rained all day. So we stayed in my apartment all day and watched full seasons of How I Met Your Mother, It's Always Sunny and Friends. Cause you can't do that in Texas, right? But I was a good host and made breakfast for my guests. It's full-service when you stay with me.

Saturday was much more productive. I gave them my personal tour of the Freedom Trail--trust me, it's much more interesting than the ones you pay for.

We took the T out to Cambridge to see Harvard. We had the BEST burgers and frappes (or what we Southerners call milkshakes) at Mr. Bartley's. And I broke my New Year's Resolution of no cokes for a homemade root beer.

Then we walked back to my apartment. Jen and Julie estimated that we walked about 6 miles on Saturday. Maybe that cancels out everything we ate?

After a quick (or maybe long) nap we got ready and went to dinner at The Beehive, a jazz restaurant and bar. It has a fun atmosphere and great food. And to quote Julie she had "the best meal of her LIFE." It's that good.

Sunday we walked to the North End to visit Mike's Pastry before they had to catch their flight. We walked there again so the Italian pastries we had might as well have been fat free. Are you sensing a pattern here?

It was a fun weekend and I loved getting to catch up with Jen and Julie. And I'm looking forward to my next visitors!

My celebrity crush (or one of them)...

2008-02-06T10:51:00.000-06:00

There have been about 15 movies filmed in Boston since I moved here and I haven't once run into a celebrity. I mean, Kate Hudson and Dane Cook filmed in my neighborhood for 2 months and even shopped in our store and I didn't see boo.

But today I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I was walking in Beacon Hill and was stopped on the sidewalk by some very big security guys holding umbrellas. Next thing I know Ryan Reynolds is walking out of the Fox News station. We made eye contact and it was magical. He even gave a shout out to one of my favorite shows, Two Guys & a Girl. I hadn't actually heard of this movie he was promoting, but I'm definitely planning on seeing it now.

Click here to watch the clip from the news show...

Now we're even

2008-02-04T11:03:00.000-06:00

The Celtics beat the Mavs on Thursday night.

The Patriots lost the Superbowl.

And they're trying to blame it on the parade that was already planned. We tried that excuse when we lost to the Heat in 2006. It didn't work then and I'm not buying it now. But I was excited for Eli Manning. And it somewhat lessens the blow that the Cowboys were knocked out by the Superbowl Champs, right?

Tagged

2008-01-24T11:52:00.000-06:00

I was tagged by Rikki. Here goes...

1. Ten years ago: I was a senior in high school. I had been accepted to Baylor and I was so excited to go. But I was one of those people that had so much fun in high school I didn't think that college would ever be as great. Looking back I would say I was fortunate to enjoy both.

2.5 things to do on my to-do list: 1. New Year's Resolution: do more stuff in Boston...whatever that entails, 2. pay off my credit cards (for real this year), 3. drink water every day...sounds easy, but not for me, 4. read at least 2 books a month, 5. be a better blogger

3.Snacks I enjoy: dry cereal, tortillas and cheese, edamame, Hot Tamales

4. 3 bad habits: Not balancing my checkbook. Falling asleep during movies. Speeding (back when I had a car).

5. If I suddenly became a billionaire: I would travel for about 6 months, quit my job and have my dream job of just volunteering (and I remember my mom saying that wasn't a real job...)

6. Places I've lived: Abilene, Waco, Dallas, Boston.

7. Jobs I've had: day care teacher, Baylor Athletic office assistant, Mavs intern, Cheesecake Factory hostess, Human Resources and now Public Relations

8. Things people don't know about me: I love Metallica. I actually like going to the dentist. My first car was a truck. I hate grocery shopping.

I tag Lydia, Megan, and anyone else procrastinating like me.

So proud

2008-01-17T18:23:00.000-06:00

My little brother, Benton, has joined the Marines. It honestly took me a while to absorb the information. Then when I did I was mad at him for being selfish and leaving. Then I had to realize how ridiculous I was... This is the most selfless act. He is leaving family and friends. He is leaving a good job. He is leaving free time. He is leaving any chance for long hair (and there was a time when he had it). All because he feels called to serve his country. And I couldn't be more proud of him.

He leaves on Saturday for Officer Candidates School and then basic training. And I know he'll succeed because

he's smart

he could live off the land if necessary

he can outsmart anyone

he is an incredible athlete

he already wears camoflauge every day

he's the bravest (and sometimes craziest) person I know

Pretty much there's no one I would rather have defending me. I admire his strength, determination and complete selflessness. He is so excited to go, but say a prayer for our family because we still don't have quite the enthusiasm he has (but we're getting there). And BIG PRAYERS for Benton as he begins this journey!

Christmas

2008-01-08T14:52:00.000-06:00

I don't have too much to write, but I have lots of pictures to post! I was lucky enough to be able to take a little over a week off from work. I got to have Christmas at both grandparents' houses, Christmas at our house on Christmas morning and then spend a few days in Dallas. It was so great to relax and see family and friends!

Christmas on the Austin side is always so entertaining now with 10 kids! They're all my second cousins and unfortunately we only get to see them a few times a year. I love being the "coolest one" although they're warming up to my brothers so I may not have that title for long.

Waiting to open presents...

I guess the rest of the family got really boring. We watched them run headfirst into the couch for about 45 minutes.

And then they found this game. Another good 30-45 minutes spent laughing and watching this.

Typical...

The family

The gift from my mom and me was that we painted all the girls' nails, decorated Christmas cookies and watched a Christmas movie. I think it was actually more a gift to my cousins to have a couple of hours of peace and quiet!

And I finally got to meet Hayden, my cousin Doug's son. Now there's finally another boy in the family...poor Madison has had to put up with 8 girls growing up!

Our family decided to go bowling on Christmas Eve. We weren't sure who we would be celebrating Christmas Eve with at the bowling alley. So we decided to pick names to fit in.

I guess I didn't take any pictures of our family opening presents on Christmas Day. Otherwise, they would have gone here.

Then it was out to Odessa for Christmas with my mom's side of the family. No kids on this side so there aren't as many pictures. But my grandmother is usually just as entertaining.

Here she is with the cashmere scarf I gave her. So rich!

Then I got to spend a few days in Dallas and sadly didn't take any pictures but this one. And it's blurry at that! Oh well, too much fun to take pictures. I loved seeing you all!

I heart Mexican food

2008-01-04T15:45:00.000-06:00

I definitely got my fill of Mexican food while I was in Texas. Well...who am I kidding? You can never have too much Mexican food! But this might explain why I haven't found a good Mexican food restaurant in Boston...

Christmas pictures are coming...

It was beginning to look a little like Christmas...

2007-12-21T14:16:00.000-06:00

I put up my trees right after Thanksgiving.

Unpacking was just not important at the time.

It snowed...

Christmas lights started going up...

It snowed some more...

And snowed even more...

But I'll be home soon! I can't wait for the Texas weather. Love you all and miss you...see you soon!

Christmas Music

2007-12-12T13:27:00.000-06:00

I have pictures of my Christmas trees, decorations and the lights and snow of Boston, but as always, I haven't downloaded them yet. So there's nothing to read or be updated on in my life...just Christmas music that I could listen to yearround if it was socially acceptable. Enjoy!

Heart of Gold

2007-11-28T15:30:00.000-06:00

This is just a quick post to ask you to say a prayer for my friend, Tiffani. She will be having open heart surgery on Thursday, November 29th to replace her heart valve. Tiffani explains it all in this post. Please pray for Tiffani, her husband of six months, Tim, all of her family and the doctors that will perform the surgery. You can check in on Tiffani's blog and her sister, Sunni's blog for updates.

Tiffani is one of my first friends from college, even though she's from Abilene. We all bonded over snack nights and late night talks in Collins Hall. Tiffani is such a true friend that we can pick up wherever we've left off whenever we see each other. I miss hanging out with these girls every day, but I know that we'll be forever friends!

Tiffani, you have so many friends and family praying for you! We love you!!

The First Thanksgiving

2007-11-26T21:27:00.000-06:00

This was my first Thanksgiving away from home and my first Thanksgiving to cook. I love going to my grandparents' (we alternate each year) and sitting around talking with family and of course, watching football. But I probably would never have attempted a turkey unless I had to. My friend, Celeste, came to visit me in Boston so I had someone to eat turkey with! I insisted on having a traditional Thanksgiving meal and I documented the experience to prove to my mom that I did in fact touch a raw turkey.

I actually have pictures of the raw turkey, but they're just not blog appropriate. So here's the final outcome. And yes, that is a Coors Light can in our turkey. Sorry, Mom.

Cooking a turkey was actually one of the easiest things I've done. I had psyched myself out about it, but once you "prepare" the turkey there's not much else to do. But sit and wait. And go have coffee. And walk outside...since it was sunny and warm here in Boston. It was beautiful, but I was so jealous of all the calls from Texas telling me about the snow!

The leaves are finally falling here in Boston (3 weeks late as I'm told by the locals)...

The meal that we finally enjoyed.

We managed to stay in the apartment for the rest of the day, napping, watching football, napping, watching movies, napping... I have to say that it didn't really feel like Thanksgiving since I was away from my family, but overall it was a fun and relaxing day. I did get phone calls from everyone in my family and for someone who hates to talk on the phone, I loved every minute of it!

Here are pictures from the rest of the weekend...

Random picture of a purse from 1991.

When we ventured out on Saturday we were greeted by an entire block of fire trucks and ambulances on my street. One of the apartments across the street was on fire. Smoke was coming out the side of the chimney. This is why I need some lessons in fire building before I attempt my first fire.

We had some good seafood.

We had fun doing lots of nothing. I'm thankful for a friend that would fly across the country to visit and not care that we did not have an itinerary for the weekend.

And I'm thankful for all of my family and friends. I don't take it for granted that I still feel close to everyone when I'm 1700 miles away! Mom and Dad, thank you for praying for me even when you wished I would change my crazy mind about moving to Boston. Bobby, thank you for making me laugh when I needed it. Benton, thank you for moving me again and being someone I can look up to. I love you all!

Let it snow

2007-11-20T11:03:00.000-06:00

It snowed yesterday (didn't stick) and it's snowing today. So of course I felt the need to buy 3 pairs of boots. In my defense, I got rain boots, snow boots and a comfortable pair of boots to walk in (since I'm quickly finding that high heeled boots are not the choice of footwear when you don't own a car). So yes, they were all necessary. I wonder how long I will actually be excited about the snow??... For now I'm happy.

BOSTON CURRENT CONDITIONS
36°F at Logan Airport
as of 11:55 AM
Flurries
33° F RealFeel temp

1995 called...

2007-11-14T09:42:00.000-06:00

Only in Boston could The Mighty Mighty Bosstones sell out 5 shows. FIVE! Really? I'm not sure a reunion is such a great idea. Who listens to ska anymore?? Who knows...apparently they have a few new songs, which I haven't heard. Maybe they've changed it up.

In case I have any Boston readers (which I don't think I do), I'm not knocking Boston's taste in music. But only a hometown band could come back from hiatus and sell out 5 shows in a few minutes. Yes, minutes.

Drumroll, please...

2007-11-03T16:16:00.000-05:00

The much-anticipated, long-awaited pictures of my apartment.

entry

bathroom

bedroom (not as tiny as it looks)

living room (and fireplace!)

living room again

kitchen

And that's my apartment. It will more than likely have furniture in it, but who knows when. And yes, there are bars on the windows--not because I live in the ghetto, but because I live on the first floor. Don't be scared to come visit!

Happy Belated Birthday Post

2007-10-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

So I'm a lazy blogger. But without the software to download pictures from my camera I have to go to Kinko's. I pass the Kinko's every morning on my way to work, but actually remembering to go inside is more difficult than it seems. But anyway, we went to NYC for my birthday at the beginning of October. It was another quick trip, but it was a lot of fun!

The first stop off the bus was to get cupcakes. We had seen this place the last time we were in New York, but didn't actually get a cupcake because we had just eaten lunch. This time we made sure to eat cupcakes before lunch. This was the first year I haven't had my grandmother's red velvet cake for my birthday (I ask for the same cake and meal every year). So of course, I had to get the red velvet cupcake.

Then, since we had nothing planned for the day, we walked around. And I'm pretty sure we came across the awful wedding dress shop that Carrie and Miranda went to in Sex & the City. Remember the one?? These dresses were awful. Here is one with faux flowers for the romantic bride...

A sheer dress for the scandalous bride (sorry for the blur)...

And for the practical bride...a dress shaped raincoat. Complete with train. I didn't get a picture of that one, but it was hilarious.

Walking around...this picture looked much cooler in my head.

Worley, you can appreciate the awesomeness of this picture.

We went to dinner at a mexican food restaurant (it was good, but no Tex-Mex) and then met up with some of Erin's friends to go dancing.

Apparently, we think we're cool.

We were supposed to get keys to stay in my boss' old apartment (she just moved from Manhattan). Uhhhh...but it took us a few hours to get the keys. Then when we did get the keys only one of them worked. So we spent a couple of hours in the lobby of her apartment. And by lobby I mean closet.

Our view from the room.

We took the 8am bus back to Boston and slept for the rest of the day! I love traveling with no plans.

You know you're from Abilene when...

2007-10-17T14:54:00.000-05:00

mid phone conversation your dad says, "I have to go. This cow is about to have a calf."

I love it.

Movie nerd

2007-10-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

I haven't downloaded any pictures from NYC and I still don't have an apartment (this deserves it's own post later), so I'm giving you my movie reviews. If you don't like my movie choices (Jason Reale), then tough--you don't know what you're talking about. :) And I'm stealing Jacob's idea for a post anyway. So onto the 3 movies I've seen in one week. I told you I was a nerd.

But first, here are the items I have to take with me to every movie:
1: zip up hoodie
2: Hot Tamales
3: Diet Coke
#2 and 3 stashed in my purse, of course

3:10 to Yuma
I'll admit it. I'm a Texas girl through and through, but Westerns have never been my favorite. I have vivid memories of watching Westerns with my family growing up. By watching I mean I usually made it through the first 10 minutes and woke up in time to see the ending credits. But Jacob and Tiffani both blogged about this one. And the remake was written by two Baylor grads, so I thought I'd give it a chance.

The movie was so good and I was actually on the edge of my seat through most of it. Christian Bale and Russell Crowe were both great and I have to say I was skeptical at first of them playing cowboys. But somehow you get attached to both characters. People in the theater actually clapped and cheered when Christian Bale mentioned he was stationed in Massachusetts during the Civil War. But no one paid attention when they mentioned Abilene. Probably Abilene, KS, but I'm going with it.

My review: Go see it!

Elizabeth: The Golden Age
I actually just saw Elizabeth for the first time this summer. (I fell asleep during that one too and had to watch it again the next day. Are you sensing a pattern with me and movies??) But I loved the first one and couldn't wait for the second movie to come out. So I marked my calendar to see it opening weekend. Super nerd.

This movie was still good and told pieces of history I'm sure I skimmed over in school. But I was disappointed that it was just good. Maybe I had hyped it up too much? Cate Blanchett was still amazing and for once I actually liked Clive Owen. But the storyline was slow and the artistic side of the movie seemed a little forced. I think I counted about 20 scenes that were filmed through a window or reflected in a mirror.

My review: Rent it (but along with the first movie as well)

Into the Wild
I actually knew nothing of this movie before seeing it. I was bored on Sunday and this movie sounded interesting. So, Hot Tamales and Diet Coke in hand, I at least thought I would be entertained for a couple of hours.

The movie is based on a true story and those true stories get me everytime. I now want to read books on this kid in the movie and find out even more. It's that good. You get caught up in the story; you're frustrated, you're sad, you're happy. His story and where it takes him, what he does is so crazy. I hadn't seen the lead actor, Emile Hirsch, in any other movies. But he's so good and so believable. And he lost 40 pounds during the filming...isn't there Oscar buzz when someone gets that much into character?

My review: Go see it! And pull out your old Jack London books for reading material after.

So there you have it--my movie reviews for the week. Hopefully I will have some updates soon on what's going on with me!

Catching Up...

2007-09-25T19:19:00.000-05:00

I finally found my camera cord, but of course the software cd to download the pictures is still packed up in Dallas. And we're so high tech now that I forgot it's possible to download pictures somewhere else. So after a trip to Kinko's, here's what I've been doing the past couple of weeks...

I went to NYC with my friend, Erin, a couple of weekends ago. The great thing about being on the east coast is that everything is so close! We had heard about this bus that takes you from Chinatown in Boston to Chinatown in New York. For $30 roundtrip. I was literally picturing a sketchy bus with chickens and knockoff Gucci's piled high. How else can they transport you at that price? But it was actually a decent bus and we made it in one piece. But then we heard that those buses crash a lot in bad weather. Greyhound is looking like a much better option next time. But here are some pictures from our day trip.

Fifth Avenue, of course

Central Park

I had just put my camera up when Chris Rock and family walked right past us. By the time I got my camera back out they were across the park and walking away from us. But if you squint you can tell who it is.

And we had to end the day at Tasti DLite. It took forever to find this place (even though we walked by it several times). We asked several people and they had no idea what we were talking about. Apparently, New Yorkers aren't quite as obsessed with Sex and the City as we are.

The weather has been amazing the past couple of weeks and I'm trying to take advantage of it now! I love walking around the city and exploring new neighborhoods. I haven't been to the gym once since I've moved, but I'm getting a better workout just walking everywhere. And the 4 flights of stairs I have to climb everyday is better than any stairmaster. Although, wouldn't you think that the stairs might get a little easier each day? Hasn't happened yet. But here are some pictures of the city.

The Public Garden

my neighborhood

walking to Cambridge

And this past weekend Erin and I decided to drive up the coast and see a few of the small towns. We got in the car and took off. And then we decided where to stop. It was a perfect, laid-back Sunday afternoon. We stopped at Manchester by the Sea, Gloucester and Rockport. And here are the pictures.

And I may have found an apartment today (third time's a charm?). Stay tuned for that update. I know you're all on the edge of your seat... ;)

Across the Universe

2007-09-17T21:23:00.000-05:00

I just saw Across the Universe last night and I hate to make bold statements, but it was one of the best movies I've seen in years. I knew I would enjoy it because all of the music is from The Beatles. But it so cleverly written and just a beautiful movie. Of course, the movie gets a little strange, but it is after all based on The Beatles music. Even Bono sings The Beatles. Go see it and let me know what you think.

And it doesn't hurt that Jude is really, really good looking.

I think I'll move to Boston...

2007-09-09T19:15:00.000-05:00

I still can't believe that I'm living in Boston now! I think it will finally hit me when I've moved into my own apartment and feel somewhat "settled". But so far I'm loving my new job and having so much fun exploring the city. I definitely miss my friends and family already, but hopefully I'll start to meet some new people here. And I can't wait for everyone to come visit!

Here are a few pictures from my going away party.

I have the best friends and I love and miss you all! I'm missing pictures that I wanted to put up so I stole all of these from Lydia. :) Apparently I packed my camera cord so I won't be able to download pictures for a while, but hopefully I'll keep this blog up to date. Check back for all the info on what's going on with me!