Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Best part of my night...

Just when I didn't think I could recover from my stressful night (25 days until the wedding day for crying out loud!) Pfunk made me this heart out of an envelope and delivered me a glass of wine. No wonder I am marrying him. He is the sweetest man on Earth.
Now if you are saying, "I thought you weren't drinking until the wedding." Plans have changed... that is all I am doing... to keep some sort of sanity... Well, maybe just a glass or two a night.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Memorial weekend...

It is that time of year again. The smell of sunscreen permeates the air, my sister is going cherry wild, and PFunk is starting to drink Miller Chill. Summer is upon us, but somehow, God has blessed us with a GLORIOUS 85 degree day in late May.

Today I am sitting poolside, watching PFunk pumice the side of the pool, while I blog, read my book and drink cucumber water... in an attempt to make up for the massive amounts of wine and beer that was consumed over the long weekend. We have determined that living in the heat has justified our "vacation" lifestyle.
We lounge around in bed all day...

Take naps morning noon and night....

Blog by the pool in my LARGE hat...

Read books, eat cucumbers, drink cucumber water

and just hang by the pool in general.

Who could ask for a better life? If only it were really a vacation and we didn't have to go back to work tomorrow.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Wedding wine box!





Mustang Man's dad offered to build us the wine box for our wedding ceremony.
The wine box will hold a bottle of wine, two wine glasses and love letters that Mustang Man and I have written to each other. The wine box will be opened annually on our anniversary. Each year we will replace the wine and the love letters for the next year.
When we received the package from the mail man I was so excited! Once it was opened, the water works started flowing!
Less than a month away... I am so excited!
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Piggy Backing for a good Cause...

... and in all honesty, I have been wanting to do this post for a few weeks now. If you follow Mrs. B. Kim's blog at all you will see a few posts  (most recent included) about her BFF Sasha traveling to Uganda, you may remember this one... you know, the one about the Royal Wedding? Well, she gave a little plug at the end of it requesting folks help her BFF get to Uganda to help with Krochet Kids Intl.  by clicking on this link and buying some dope stuff that Sasha's creative chums donated for her cause! So, buy dope stuff I did... well a painting... and when I came home to this box,


well, I was muy excited! 
As quick as I could I opened the box to find loads of goodies! 


Stickers galore!!! (I might need too go buy a new Nalgene bottle just for this collection).


And, last but not least, the painting I ordered. I knew I needed it the moment I saw it! I was so glad it hadn't already sold! Sasha's friend recreated the painting Miss Dior by artist Rene Gruau.


There are still several items left to purchase on Sasha's  tumbler here and here if you want to help her help others! It is a pretty amazing cause.

Or, follow Mrs. B. Kim's advice.

A Life time Juxtaposition

The last few weeks I have been feeling very nostalgic. Everything seems to remind me of home, or a moment in time. Whether it is someone wearing my mother’s perfume, or the dairy cows I can smell in the morning, even the moisture in the air can take me back several years to a camping trip or something. It all takes me back and gives me a funny feeling in my tummy. I don’t know that it makes me miss home, but it makes me want to create that same important feeling, the feeling that I will remember later in my life.


Last night, CatMT posted about a Bonnie Raitt cover, sang by Bon Iver. I was trying in vain to play it on my Android. As I put my head on my pillow, I was hoping it was I Can’t Make You Love Me. When I arrived at work I remembered that I REALLY wanted to hear the cover, so again, I went to CatMT’s blog and pulled it up. Sho’ enough, it was I Can’t Make You Love Me! Although Bon Iver certainly doesn’t belt it out the way Bonnie does, it took my heart back to my first year in high school when my darling sister sang that song in voice lessons. Man she could have given Bonnie a run for her money! And like everything she does, it was amazing. I still try to get her to sing it every once in a while…

Bon Iver’s version reminded me of (although possibly quite cheesy) Maxwell’s This Woman’s Work. The sentiment in his voice, connecting to the memories I have with the song made me feel overly emotional and nearly on the verge of tears.


It also took me back to those weekend mornings when we would be rallied out of bed, breakfast was scarfed and then it was on to chores. Bonnie Raitt would be be blasting though the speakers of our old stereo and I can still remember the warm sun spots on the carpet where I would lay down just listening to her sing… procrastinating.



Now that I am older, wiser, and quite possibly hipper, this Bon Iver cover fits perfectly into my life. The “Skinny Love” singer melts my soul with his breathy vocals, and this song in particular has created a new memory in my heart and created a new stamp in my life to reflect back to. Perhaps I will remember the wedding planning, or the chill in the air this morning… who is to know until I hear it again a few years down the road.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Trying to get it right… again.

In my past life, I was very physically active and very healthy. I was at the gym every day… well, nearly every day. But I was never a beefcake, In fact, even when I was able to curl 20 lb dumbbells my muscles were never bigger than they are now. “Ligament strength” they say. Truth be told, I don’t know if large muscles are ever a girl’s motive to work out. It is usually weight loss, a flat stomach and nice bum. For me, it is health. I don’t want to lose weight, or get those six pack abs (well that isn’t a “goal” per say, would I be upset about it? No.) I just want to be healthy, live a happy life and feel good in the process.

The last 6 months have REALLY slipped for me. I have been eating processed foods, meat occasionally, drinking lots of red wine and haven’t looked at my tennis shoes for… about 6 months. They are collecting dust under my desk at work.


 The way things have been going I feel weighed down, depressed, VERY low on motivation & self esteem, and tired 100% of the day. I even feel like my social skills have been suffering. How could they not be? Today I read this article on Yahoo! about food myths. I read things I already knew, and it DID encourage me to get my rear in gear, we all need reminders! Health is one of the most important things to me and I am so frustrated I let myself get this far out of control.

 Tonight my fiancĂ© and I will be heading to Lifetime Fitness to start up our memberships again. We have one month and one day until the wedding, and neither of us are where we want to be. Processed foods are a way of the past, starting today! If food doesn’t have nutritional value, it is not going into this body. The most difficult part of this? I am giving up Dr. Pepper again. Being healthy takes a lot of work, more work than most know... it isn't a diet, it is a life style change... and I need to get back to it!

My Health Goals: (whether extended or immediate)

  1. Eat more whole foods (80% of daily diet)- need to create meal plans
  2. Increase Energy- Increase Motivation
  3. Attend yoga classes for physical/spiritual/mental health
  4. Correct Body Fat : Muscle Ratio
  5. Run 3-5 miles without stopping
  6. Work out in the morning twice a week 5:30 AM with neighbor Jackie
  7. Build shoulder muscles (for wedding pictures!)
  8. Increase core strength (reduces visible food baby)
  9. Buy Vibram 5 Fingers for barefoot running initiative
If anyone has tips on how to get back on track, and stay on track I would love to hear them! I am begging for all the encouragement and motivation I can get!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Surviving the Weekend

Well, we literally survived the weekend! Not only did the rapture not happen, but we also survived our engagement picture session in the heat, dog sitting my sister's pup Abby, and another trip to the PHX Food Trucks! Also, Cricket gave me a nice suicide scratch down my forearm. Glad it didn't go deeper!

Friday night, after a bout of shopping, The Kims, Mustang Man and I hit the road to 3rd Friday. I didn't even know that PHX Downtown did 3rd Friday, and apparently, not a lot of other folks do either. It was a low key night compared to what 1st Friday is... I am told. Still, there were men in skirts and people moseying about. We didn't stay for long.

Mrs. B. Kim just picked up a new camera and she has been wanting to test it out, so we decided to spend another day together to do some e-pics... in the heat... not as devastating as when I did my sister's though. It was a lot of fun, and I am so proud that Mustang Man was such a good sport in doing all the silly poses that Mrs. B. Kim and I wanted to do. Her hubby TK was using another awesome camera to catch some candid moments, and those turned out amazing as well!
Here are a few shots that I had the opportunity to edit:



Bri has posted some of her faves too

After this little shoot I took a 2 hour nap, and then slept for 10 hours that night. the heat totally took it out of me. But, after seeing the pics, it was totally worth it!

HAPPY MONDAY!

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Phx food truck lunch


This morning Mrs. B. Kim sent me an email letting me know that Short Leash Hot Dogs, along with several other food trucks, was going to be in our hood.. and I mean where we work together... not our neighborhood. Attending the truckstravaganza in the Whole Foods parking lot was the best decision I have made all day. 

We stood in line for about 10 mins. When I walked away from the truck, I realized I had forgotten to order my coleslaw, BUT, let's continue with the story. I got my "Weekly Hot Dog" which is a wiener of choice, add caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and bacon. *drool* Mrs. B. Kim got the Moji Hot Dog... Veggie Wiener, beans, cheese and green chilies... 
We parked our rears on a curb by the Carte Blanche Gourmet where we had been considering a second course, but were too full... But then, the voice of an angel called from her heavenly cart and offered a FREE portabella taco... this intense taco had AMAZING chunks of mushroom, pumpkin seeds and cheese. I believe it was in a sun dried tomato tortilla... and it was OUTSTANDING! I was still so full from my Hot Dog I ended up just eating the innards... which was totally satisfying.
My lunch date and I scurried over to the garbage and were met with coupons for FREE sunblock from Whole Foods! So, since we were already in the parking lot, we traipsed over to get our sunblock... We entered the store and were met by a kind woman who offered us a FREE sample of Potenshaa... a Energizing Face Oil! Oh what a glorious day!
We left Whole Foods with full bellies, a free oil sample, facial sunblock, and I picked up a magazine, and my Bach's Rescue Remedy... as I am sure the next month is going to be quite stressful.
This lunch was a success! (Sorry for the lack of photos, I left my phone at home today... trust me, the food was outstanding, and I have a feeling you will be able to see some pics at Mrs. B Kim's blog soon)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

It is a gloomy day..

and I totally love it. These are the days when I want to call in sick just to curl up on the couch and watch RomComs, and catch up on reading. I remember when I lived in ID and couldn't wait for the spring to arrive, ugly gray days were a constant, now they are a comfort. The harsh sun in the Southwest can be just as exhausting, if not more.

So today, as I work in my windowless cube, drinking my Cinnamon Dolce Latte from , I pray the clouds stay over us so I am justified in putting sweats on the moment I arrive home and watching "How I Met Your Mother" reruns.

Monday, May 16, 2011

This Growing Up Thing...

Some of my family members say I have unrealistic expectations of everything, Christmas, vacations, and, as it is coming down to it, life in general. As a kid I imagined my adult life full of dinner parties where the women are dressed like Jackie O and the men from Mad Men, and all my serving dishes would be the talk of the party because they were so unique and beautiful. The dinner I prepared would be so outstanding that my female guests would beg me to share my secret recipes, but I never would. Music would always be playing in my house. Every room. And it would be jazz music, or easy listening. This would be the soundtrack of my calm life. My house would always be clean and organized and I would know where every item went, because, naturally, everything has its place in the house. And my children would be beautiful and well mannered and help the neighbors with their lawn work or carrying in the groceries, even if they didn’t get a nickel for their labor.


Well, with Mustang Man’s and my wedding day nearly a month away, I have decided it is time to get on track.

So here are my new goals:

My sweet family has started getting me the items I need to make my dream life a reality. I can’t wait to get my serving bowls home from Idaho! And the rest of my cookware and aides! This will encourage me to have more dinner parties and entertain my friends more often.


From Macys

We have started having folks over for dinner parties, but because of my youth, I still dress like a bum! My youth is not an excuse though. I follow plenty of sassy bloggers that dress exactly how one should dress for dinner parties, but they do it every day! I should invest in more dresses like this…



I will also be perfecting my cake soon. This was an idea my sister gave me. I need to make a cake so well that everyone silently says, “I really hope Emily brings that delicious chocolate cake of hers! It is just the most decadent outstanding dessert I have ever tasted.” So, perhaps when we return from the wedding I will use my new baking devices from our registry to create this masterpiece and then place it on my new BEAUTIFUL cake stand.

I will focus less on the stress of my job, and enjoy my soon-to-be new husband’s company and take care to spend time with Cricket and Lou Lou individually. I will focus on contacting my relatives more often and strengthening those bonds. I will also write my good friend MalTort at least once a month. Nothing will ever beat a good pen pal. That being said, I should probably invest in that stationary I have been wanting.

I am sure this will all come to fruition know that I have written in out... a sort of To-Do List.

Monday, May 9, 2011

H20

It is all I am drinking, besides coffee, until the wedding... Wish me luck! (ps check out my cork board faux coaster)
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Friday, May 6, 2011

Spring means it is time to tweet!

I have a Smartphone... I often times blog straight from it... much to Mrs. B Kim's chagrin. But, now that I have a Smartphone... I thought it also important to increase my self importance... I have a twitter account. I followed Mrs. B Kim's lead on this one, and much to my surprise, I know a lot of people out there in the Twitter world! Follow me if you wish: EmmyHaire.

Happy Friday y'all!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

coconut h20

Its the bomb... I am hooked... and trendy I guess!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Bridal Shower: Day Four- Easter Sunday

Thank goodness I didn't drink as much as I had planned to at the bridal shower. I was able to rally quickly and spend Easter Brunch with my ma, Johnny, Aunt Kimmy and Jamie. It was no surprise to me when I arrived to a beautiful tablescape and mimosas with fresh fruit.


One of my favorite things outside the dining room window is the mural Johnny did. It looks like an Italian villa, but to me, it is heaven. All our animals are there, and the sun is shining. Once I sat down for brunch, I noticed Buddha staring at me with his readers on... Only at my mom's house will you find that. After brunch, and I had set off for Boise to catch my plane, my mom and Aunt Kim set of for Shoshone Falls, or the Niagara of the West.  They had it running at full force, which truly is a site to see. Looks mighty chilly if you ask me!


When we (my darling sister, my Lisa and Aunt Lilis) arrived in Boise we had about an hour before we had to be at the airport. So, obviously we stopped for some grub. Flat Bread is the new hip spot in town. I have heard there is even one in downtown Boise... They had a slew of options, even gluten free dough!


While we were waiting for our pizzas and flat bread we tested our wine knowledge. My Aunt Lilis is a wine genius!


This was my last stop in ID before heading back to the heat that is the South West... and boy was I ready to thaw out my bones!

Bridal Shower: The Day of... or Day Three

In the morning, my BFF and darling sister had to think of a way to get me out of the house for a while so that all the decorations and food would be a surprise, at least the presentation of the food. So, they took me out to Java for some breakfast. I don't know if it was my old time feelings coming back, but my BFF and I sat and talked for nearly an hour after my sister left to head back to DHR. Not seeing each other for nearly a year leaves two chatty gals plenty to talk about!


After a quick successful round of shopping at the Magic Valley Mall, my BFF and I set off for my mom's house to do the trial hair and make up. Des purchased me clip in extensions, and to be honest, I don't think my hair ever looked so good! No, I know it has never looked so good! Imma model if you know what I mean, and I do my little turn on the cat walk, ya on the cat walk


Here is the final product. It turned out just like Des and I wanted it to. Shakespearean, and whimsical! Not wonder she is a stylist to the stars!


Once we arrived at DHR, it was party time. Wine started pouring as soon as the guests arrived.


The cheese trays were phenominal and my dearest mother made these AWESOME wine labels. They say our names and the date of the big day... not to mention featuring my second favorite artist's work. (Gustav Klimt). My sister, my Lisa, Auntie Lilis, and my Dear Dad put so much hard work into making this a beautiful event.


They had been collecting candle sticks for months just for the shower... and look at these AMAZING brownie bites. There were even some with Sea Salt on top... HEAVEN!


After the guests made there way out the door, we sat down to have another glass of wine and clean up. It was a beautiful day... One of the best days.