Trip Recap: St Louis!

Greetings! Today is my Friday since I have tomorrow off! This has been a really busy week for me! My schedule has been full of fun things like haircuts and baking nights with a friend, but I haven't been home before 8:30 this week, which leaves me feeling a bit frazzled!

I wanted to do a trip recap while it is still fresh in my memory! I had an absolutely fabulous time in St. Louis. From the fabulous weather (sunny + 45 degree = amazing) to the much needed girl time to the shopping, it was an all around wonderful weekend! Unfortunately, I did not take many pictures - I was too busy enjoying myself, I guess you could say! Here are some of the highlights, bullet-point style!

• Seeing Nora's beloved penguin exhibit at the zoo! You can get so close to the penguins - they can actually splash you!
• Eating the most delicious crinkle cut fries ever!
• Walking through a super cool used book store!
• Sitting on Nora's bed, paging through magazines while listening to the local Gen X radio station. It brought back memories of the simpler pre-driver's license days when we were housebound and had to entertain ourselves.
• Meeting Nora parents! Her mom has been to Paris - it was fo fun to talk about my trip with her! I jokingly referred to her dad as Michael Corleone - he is TOTALLY the Italian father. There is no mistaking this man's heritage!!
• Meeting Nora's boyfriend - who happens to be absolutely fabulous!
• Enjoying shopping and a movie on Sunday afternoon. We saw The King's Speech, which is just as good as everyone says it is - go see it!
• Enjoying a delicious home cooked meal! Nora is a wonderful cook! The stuffed chicken breasts were so yummy - I will definitely be attempting to make those some time!

I am sure I am leaving something out, but this captures the bulk of it!! You can read Nora's recap here!

This trip, like my trip to Tucson, was really restorative for me. It's good to be reminded of the good things in life. So when my mind drifts to not so fun thoughts, like this...

(source)

I will chase away those thoughts by focusing on memories made on this trip!

Book Review: Lonely

Last week I finished Lonely by Emily White. I was drawn to this book because of the the subtitle: Learning to Live with Solitude. I would not describe myself as a lonely person - sure I have my moments when I feel lonely but in general, I would describe myself as quite content. I do spend a decent amount of time alone, though, and while I haven't completely given up hope of getting married someday, I do know that there is a chance that I will always live alone. It's positioned as a memoir interwoven with cutting-edge scientific research. After reading it, I would say that it's a book with cutting-edge scientific research, interwoven with White's story - meaning, the bulk of the book is the regurgitation of research White has done on the subject of loneliness.


White asserts that she feels there is less of a stigma to saying you struggle with depression than saying you struggle with loneliness. There is a perception that loneliness should be something you can control, or that it is a result of being lazy or uninteresting or unattractive. I didn't really agree with her opinion that depression has less of a stigma because, as someone who has struggled with depression in the past, I think there is a pretty pervasive belief in society that a depressed person should also be able to 'fixed themselves'. That said, I can sympathize with how White felt during those years when she was battling loneliness and hopefully the fact that loneliness is receiving more research attention will shift the perception about it and lessen the stigma that is currently attached.

Because I was expecting more of a memoir, this book did not appeal to me. If you are interested in the research that has been done in the field of loneliness, then this is the book for you...

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Ten on Tuesday

1. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Spending time with my cousins at the lake.

2. What is your favorite quality about yourself?
I am very determined - when I set my mind on something, there is no stopping me!

3. What is your favorite thing that your child does?
I have no kids, but I love it when my nephews tell me they love me!

4. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?
I love to curl up with a good book and a freshly brewed cup of coffee!

5. What is your favorite restaurant? And what is your favorite thing on the menu?
That's a tough one... Maybe Barrio? I love their guacamole and their steak tacos. Yum.

6. What is your favorite piece of jewelry (besides your wedding ring)?
My friend Heidi got me this Paris necklace a couple of years ago - one side has a pic of the Eiffel Tower, the other side says 'Ooh La La'. It's a fun piece to wear!

7. What is your favorite night of the week M-TH? And why?
Tuesday night because Parenthood is on. That is one of the few shows I watch these days!

8. What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate mousse

9. What is your favorite item in your make-up bag?
Probably my mascara? I really like Neutrogena. It doesn't clump!

10. What is your favorite smell?
The smell in my mom's kitchen on the morning of Thanksgiving. I think it's the smell of the stuffing that I adore. Mmmm...

Taking to the Skies - Again!

Good morning & Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week. Mine has been pretty busy/hectic, but it's been a great week. It was my 2nd week at my job and I am loving it! I've already gotten to do a little bit of writing! The nerd in me loves all the research I am doing and the social part of me loves all the client meetings & interactions with our sales partners.

What's made this week even better is that I've had another weekend getaway to look forward to! Early tomorrow morning I fly out to St. Louis to visit this lovely lady!!!


That's a picture of Nora and I this summer at the Brandi Carlile concert. I got to play tour guide when she came to visit so now it's her turn to show me the sights of her city! I have never been to St. Louis so am really excited to check out another US city! She's got a great itinerary planned for us which includes things like: the penguin exhibit at the zoo, hot cocoa, book stores, Mexican food, a home cooked meal, and SATC + wine + perusal of Vogues. And the temps are going to be in the 40's which will feel FANTASTIC!

I'll likely be back next week with yet another travel re-cap! Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

And the winner is...

The lucky winner of the $50 CSN giftcard is Kelly of She Wears a Red Sox Cap! I actually referenced her in the blog post - maybe that was her good luck charm!!

Kelly, I will email you the details! Happy shopping!

Tucson Trip Recap

I spent MLK weekend in Tucson - best. decision. ever. I booked that trip quite a long time ago and it really was so fortuitous that I planned it in January as I was in dire need of a getaway! Now if only I could have brought the sun and warm temps back with me!!

The flight to Tucson was, well, not so great. Let's just say it reminded me why I avoid connections. I nearly missed my connection in Denver but luckily they held the plan for me. I had landed 10 minutes after my flight was supposed to leave, so I was so sure I'd be sleeping on the floor of the airport in Denver. Phew, I was relieved when I made my connection as that was not appealing.

On Saturday morning, Abby and I hit the road and headed north to Phoenix to visit one of my best friend's from college. She had a baby on December 15th so I got to meet baby Elle when she turned 1 month old! Oh my goodness, she is such a beautiful baby. She has perfect, porcelain skin and is just so petite! She even had a special "Paris" outfit that she wore!

Heidi and I with baby Elle. Look how bright it is and check out all those lemons! Color me jealous!

We headed out to lunch and were able to eat outdoors! It was so great to catch up over lunch! Heidi brought along my birthday gift - she got me the Paris plate I have been coveting for over a year!! I can't wait to serve some macaroons on it at my birthday party!

I'm so glad I got to meet my faux niece while she is a still an infant! She'll be back in Minnesota this summer but she'll be 6 months then so will be in such a different stage so I am glad I planned my trip shortly after her birth.

After lunch, Abby and I headed back down to Tucson. It was nice to have the car rides to catch up! I love being around her husband and treat him like he is a brother, but there's nothing like one-on-one time with my sister, which is very rare since our family is so big! I don't remember the last time I had her to myself - it was probably the night before her wedding!!

When we got back to their house, they brought out some champagne and we toasted to the good things to come in 2011, like my new job. :)

After drinks, we headed out for some sushi at a local sushi restaurant. The temps were mild so we sat outside. I feel so cooped up due to our cold winters - it was awesome to eat outdoors!

On Sunday afternoon, we headed out to do some hiking. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do, so I am glad I was able to enjoy the beautiful weather while getting a good work out!

I really should have taken a picture of the trail we hiked. Ay yi yi, it was steep! I was sucking wind like nobody's business. I barely talked during the ascent because I really could barely catch my breath. I am going to blame the altitude...

The steep hike was worth it, though! There was an awesome canyon that we hiked to. This picture doesn't do it justice, unfortunately! We rested for a bit and then headed back down that steep, steep trail! I definitely felt it in my glutes the next day!!

After the hike, we drove up Mount Lemmon to a look out area to take some pictures!

Abby and Ryan

Isn't the view incredible?

That night, Abby made butternut squash risotto and Ryan grilled some steaks. Yum! I don't get to eat grilled food during the winter so this was such a great treat (and the risotto was to die for). After dinner, we watched the Golden Globes together which was so fun. Then Ryan asked if we thought we had room for some frozen yogurt and Abby said, in the words of our late grandfather, "There is always room for ice cream!" So we headed to a self-serve frozen yogurt place where I ate a ridiculous amount of ice cream + fun toppings. Mmm... Part of me wishes we had self-serve yogurt places in Minneapolis... part of me knows it's probably a good thing we don't!

And there you have it! It was a short trip, but I had a wonderful time!

Ten on Tuesday

Another batch of questions from the lovely Chelsea of Roots and Rings!

1. Do you decorate for Valentine’s day?
No, but I did in college - I used to put up these pink, heart shaped lights. I was known for loving Valentine's Day - even though I was always single. I know many people hate Valentine's Day - and I do not care for the commercialized aspect of the holiday, but I do love that there is one day of the year where we are reminded to tell the people we love that we love them. I know you shouldn't need a holiday to do this, but sadly, some people do.

2. Does your desktop have a picture or computer graphic? Is it organized?
My desktop if organized. I can not stand a cluttered desktop with tons of files saved out there. It makes me cringe when I see that someone's entire desktop is filled with files! I have to resist the urge to organize it for them. I have no picture in the background - it's just a boring blue background!

3. Do you use a paper planner, electric planner or no planner at all?
In the past, I printed off calendars and used them to plan out my life. But they are not very portable, obviously, so I needed a new system. After Amber raved about her Erin Condren planner (and seeing it in person on our Portland trip), I decided to invest in one. It should arrive this week - can't wait!

4. Do you change purses or bags often or stick with a good thing?
I am sort of hard on purses because of the amount of stuff I haul around, so I change them somewhat frequently.

5. What’s your favorite YouTube Video?
I don't have one... I really am not on YouTube much!

6. Do you use Turbo Tax or a real person to pay your taxes?
I use an H&R Block tax filing program and file my own. I actually enjoy doing my taxes. :)

7. How many states have you set foot (or tire) in? Which ones?
Oh geez, that's a good question... I don't even know.... Maybe 20? That number would far lower had I not gone on trip to California with my grandparents in their motor home. I really have not seen much of the US!

8. How many countries have you been in? Which ones?
I have been to 10, in the following order: Canada, England, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Dominican Republic, France.

9. How many pillows are in your house? (Sleeping or decorative)
I have 2 sleeping pillows, 5 decorative pillows on my bed, and 4 pillows in my living room which are boring ones that came w/ my furniture.

10. How cold is too cold for flip flops?
Maybe 50 degrees? I am actually not a huge fan of flip flops so I don't really wear them all that often! I'd prefer to wear flats over flip flops...