23). Fly a Kite

Knowing that flying a kite was on my Thirty Before 30 list, the Mister bought me a "cow" kite for my 29th birthday!  

When we woke up on Sunday morning the sky was clear and there was a nice breeze so we decided it was the perfect day to fly my cow kite, aka MonaMoo.  I was so excited when we arrived at Sandy Beach, a place popular with kite flyers, because it was perfect kite-flying weather: the wind was blowing and the sun was shining!

{kite flying at Sandy Beach}

Unfortunately kite-flying wasn't quite as easy as expected.  Despite all of the wind, I couldn't get my kite off of the ground.  I tried running with the kite and I tried tossing it up when a strong breeze blew, but each time the kite would fall harder and more deliberately than the time before, all while the Mister and I laughed harder and harder!  We were even laughing when one of the poles snapped, even before the kite made it off the ground.  But thanks, to a new friend, Sam, MonaMoo found new life!

{sick MonaMoo and the broken pole}

Sam, a regular kite-flyer, said he had been watching us as I tried to fly the kite, and admitted laughing "with" us.  He took a look at MonaMoo, and began to help us make repairs: the string had to be re-tied (it was tied incorrectly), then Sam used some plastic tape to repair the broken pole and then proceeded to help balance the kite.  

{Sam was laughing as MonaMoo crashed}

After the repairs, a little advice from Sam, and a little persistence MonaMoo took off!!! 

And she flew higher and higher and higher yet!  

After a rough start I was more than excited to see my kite up in the air!  

I had a wonderful day flying my kite...

 and I hope to fly MonaMoo again sometime soon!

Balloons Make it Better

I came across these Luis Monteiro photos while working on my "Thirty Before 30" post and loved each of them! -There is something so special about balloons that make me happy and bring a smile to my face.   Here are more photos from the same shoot:

Thirty Before 30!

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I love making lists and I love birthdays, so naturally, I thought it would be exciting to make (and complete) a list of thirty things I would like to do before the big 3-0.  I started by googling and looking at other "Thirty Before 30" lists; I was surprised to see just how many people are in the process of completing and how many have completed their own list.  As I began to construct my list (months ago) I was surprised to discover just how difficult it is to create a list of fun and meaningful things that I could do, and would still find interesting and relevant months from now.  I also found that it was very important to me that I be able to challenge myself both mentally and physically, and that each item on the list be tangible and able to be accomplished.

Now that my list is complete I am excited and optimistic that my journey to thirty will be filled with fun, adventure, laughter, and love...

And so without further adieu, here is my "Thirty Before 30"

1. Go Hiking 3/6/2011
2. Be able to solve a Rubix Cube 
3. Fold 1000 Cranes before the wedding (and teach the Mister to fold #1001)
4. Get Married 11/19/2011
5. Find my Perfect Red Lipstick 
6. Have a Picnic
7. Take and Pass the Series 66
8. Have a Mothers' Day Tea/ Get-Together for the Family 5/7/2011
9. Make 'Smores 
10. Make Boeuf Bourguignon 5/14/2011
11. Save for, and Buy Myself Something Fabulous and Timeless
12. Go to Fukubukuro 1/1/2011
13. Go to a Farmers' Market and Cook a Meal with my Findings 5/14/2011
14. Go Wine Tasting 
15. Drink Freshly Squeezed Fruit Juice 
16. Buy a Lottery Ticket
17. Do (and Complete) the 30 day Shred Challenge 
18. Go Horseback Riding 
19. Plant a Vegetable Garden 
20. Go to a Carnival with the Mister 
21. Go to the Beach  
22. Make Jewelry 
23. Fly a Kite 1/30/2011
24. Shoot my Shotgun
25. Go Bowling 
26. Bake a Pie from Scratch 
27. See the Sunrise and Sunset (on the same day)
28. Make a Photo Book from my Trips with the Mister 
29. Schedule a Happy Hour / Reunion for Work Friends
30. Learn to Change a Flat Tire

It's my Birthday!

Some people don't like birthdays because they just think about getting older, but I love birthdays, and think they are much less about age and more about celebrating a person and their life.    

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I owe my love for celebrating birthdays to my parents who always made a HUGE deal about my birthday!  Some of my favorite birthday memories include waking up, on my birthday, to a bedroom filled with streamers and posters, balloons on the ceiling and some on the floor, and birthday cards and presents everywhere (all over the house, in my backpack, my lunch...).

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Today was just as special as all the birthdays I remember growing up.  Even before my birthday, I had already received a bunch of presents and cards (I love cards!!) from my sister and niece, one of my BFF's, the Mister, and the Mister's grandma!  And even though I had to be at work, today was a fabulous day!  When I woke up my blackberry was flashing and already filled with tons of birthday messages: one from Italy, a couple from Tokyo, and many from friends and family whom I haven't spoken with in months!  I even had my favorite Starbucks breakfast sandwich waiting for me at my desk when I got to work, presents from a bunch of co-workers, lunch with with the Mister and a bunch of the girls, phone calls from all of my favorite people, dinner with a good friend, and even a homemade chocolate cake!

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I just finished writing my Thank You cards to my friends, family, and co-workers, and as I look at the stack of envelopes I can't help but think of just how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life who love me and celebrate me.

Today is also very special to be for another reason: this post is my 100th post!  YEAH!  

Thank you for reading and for your comments I appreciate it all.    

Arithmetic for Fashionable Foodies

pretty shoes + desserts = happiness.

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chocolate - napkin = delicious mess

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cupcakes x cupcakes = edible fashion

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dessert spread / a bunch of friends = perfect party

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Berry Yummy Blueberries!

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I just went to the grocery store for just a couple of things but my grocery list got thrown out the window when I spotted a sale on blueberries!! All of a sudden my mind started to race and I thought of so many different "blueberry" recipes that I have been meaning to try:

Lime Blueberry Tiramisu

Blueberry French Toast Skewers 

Blueberry Balsamic BBQ Turkey Meatballs

Blueberry Cream Tarts

PS. Although I went home with some blueberries they were eaten (yum yum) well before I got to try any of the above creations... better luck next time :) 

What's in MY bag?

I was researching (birthday) handbags and crawled my way into  A Hasty Life's "It's in the bag" blog crawl!  I was so excited (and spent hours, literally) to see what people put in their bags!

{Ashley's Bag}

And in the spirit of bag sharing... here's what I have in my Black Kate Spade bag (Christmas gift from the Mister):

• Red Kate Spade Wallet
• Gold Kate Spade Business Card Holder
• iPod Touch and pink zipper pouch
• Black Daily Organizer/Planner
• Black Coach "Gift Card Holder"
• Tiffany and Co. pouch for thumb drive & memory stick
• Blackberry
• Keys
• Survival Pouch (Listerine Strip, extra contact, hair clip, floss, eye drops)
• Vera Bradley Camera Case and Nikon Camera
• Burberry Sunglasses
• Makeup Case (Chanel powder and eyeliner, Bobbi Brown lip gloss and mascara)

whew... that's a lot of stuff!

Things to do...

The Real Simple Ultimate To Do List is kinda amazing, especially for someone like me who loves to make lists and is actively trying to start 2011 as happy, organized, and clutter-free as possible.  

I downloaded (and printed the list) and so far my list includes:

Booking a hair cut

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Booking our flight to LA Donne's wedding

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Visiting L.Joy and her family before they move to Texas

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Organizing my Bedroom Closet 

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and finding myself a BIRTHDAYpresent!  

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File Fabulous

Heather Brookes Interior Organization is a firm that I came across while looking for organizational inspiration.  I love how fresh and current everything looks.    

... HBIO even makes file organization look kinda amazing!  

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I was so inspired that I decided to funnel my enthusiasm and attacked my main file drawer at work:

Before:

After:

I feel energized and motivated to organize MORE! 

Oh! Hello, Cupcake!

Today a GREAT friend brightened my day by bringing me a homemade cupcake!  The cupcake was deliciously moist but my favorite part was the frosting!!! 

The frosting was fudge-y but hot heavy, and not too sweet, almost like a dobash frosting.  This got me thinking, dobosh frosting isn't too difficult to make and would be a great and unexpected way to jazz up a box of the Mister's favorite, devils food cake!  In fact, the recipe I have has only six ingredients: 

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup (sweetened) cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt 

1/3 cup cornstarch

As I continued to enjoy my cup cake I was in for a great surprise:

OMG there was a fudge filling in the middle!  Ooohh! So good! 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Golden Globe Fashion

Tonight was the 2011 Golden Globe Awards and although I was busy doing things around the house I couldn't miss... the pre-show on E! Here are just a few of my favorite GG dresses!

{Olivia Wilde in Marchesa and here}

{Eva Longoria in Zac Posen}

{Anne Hathaway in Giorgio Armani Prive}

{Sophia Vergara in Vera Wang}

{Mila Kunis in Vera Wang}

Whoo Hoo!

Yeah! I'm feeling better! 

I am grateful for my health and am so excited to enjoy my weekend!

She Had Me At "Lemon Cake w/ Blueberry Sauce"

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Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, is one of Food Network favorites! While I was on the couch with my soup and blanket I caught an archived episode called "Going, Going, Gone" and was inspired to try a few of her recipes:  Crunchy Noodle Salad, Lemon Yogurt Cake, and Blueberry Sauce (for the cake).

Blah.

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Boo. I'm not feeling so well.  I'm hopeful that I will feel better by the (long) weekend.

Closet Crush

After organizing my holiday decorations I have been wanting do more organizing and have just picked my next project... my closet!   I want to maximize the space of my closet while being able to hang and store my clothes in a way that is functional and well, pretty too! Lookie lookie!  I have found some amazing closet inspiration.

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PS. I think, after amassing a bunch of closet pics, I might have more than some wonderful closet inspiration, I may or may not have a chandelier crush :)