Getaway Gone Too Soon

 It's July but feels like September here in Maryland. For someone like me who gets the chills when the thermometer dips below 70 degree this unusual weather makes me wanna hop on a plane and head south. And if I actually had the guts to do that right now I'd head straight back to Sanibel Island in Florida. We were there a few weeks ago doing the Sanibel stoop till our backs hurt.  About a half an hour from Fort Meyers, Sanibel Island is one of my favorite spots in the sunshine state. A picturesque tropical getaway that's not mobbed with tourists. The ones that do know about Sanibel respect the land and locals unlike other hot spots in the state. I'd give anything to be back at Casa Ybel, our room (a full kitchen!) was just thirty steps (we counted!) from the shell filled beach.  When we weren't hunched over looking for just the right ocean gem, we were in the hotel's saltwater pool, exploring the town or other beaches on the island. We also spent time down the road, hitting several restaurants on Captiva, a tiny island you can walk from end to end in just a few minutes...it's where my husband wants to stay next trip down south.

Fitting it in...

If you're looking for a quick workout I've got several for you.. Earlier this year my schedule was just nuts. Every day I promised myself I get some exercise but mornings were crazy, and there's no way I could do anything during the day - didn't have the kind of job I could just pop out and go to the gym and I was too damn tired by the time my daughter went to bed. So, one night I said, screw it. I've got to do something before I get flabby. So, my bleary eyed self bought a set of  T 25  tapes, a new 25 minute workout from Shaun T of Insanity fame. $119.85 plus tax and shipping.  Not cheap. I know. But I put it on my AMX anyway. When the box arrived a few days later I opened it up even though I really didn't feel like it. Determined to keep my promise I tried one out and slowly got into it. The workouts aren't exactly fun. I'm more a power yoga kind of girl but I try to do one every couple days. Not seven days a week like you're supposed to. All right, sometimes I just do a T 25 workout every other week. I actually mix it up with shorter workouts with the ladies from Tone It Up. You can also catch these two on their Bravo show. I also like the videos from POPSUGAR . Totally free! Throw in regular dog walks with Roxy and I'm feeling pretty good!

Dressing up your kid's art...

I never thought I'd be one of those sentimental moms who wants to keep every stick drawing and painting her kid brings home from school. But I am. While some of Natalia's artwork winds up in the trash or recycling bin, most of her creations are either in a storage box or collecting dust in a basket until I plunk down more money online.

The rest of Natalia's stuff is on display in the house. I know there's all sorts of things you can with your kids art these days - Parents.com has some great suggestions - but nothing beats a great frame. This beauty from Homegoods makes this portrait of our dog Roxy look fancy. I liked this so much it's on my husband's nightstand in our bedroom.

The sketch below is in my home office. I usually buy white table top frames so I can set them next to personal photos.

When Natalia brought home this gigantic map I didn't know what the heck to do with it. It's so large there's no way to store it unless it's rolled up and put in a closet. So, I grabbed a frame from Michaels and hung it in our guest bathroom.

Three down, countless more to go!

Meet Roxy

At  twelve-weeks-old Roxy looked sweet and innocent...

HA! After just a few days in the house we realized just how dumb our previous dogs were compared to Roxy.Border Collies aren’t like other pooches. Even a rescue mix like Roxy will outsmart you over and over again.

Before she turned one Roxy left teeth marks in every slipcover in the house.  Demolished two rugs. Ate a corner of the family room couch. Gobbled up five dog beds.  And shredded a dozen tennis balls. PLUS, she chewed part of our back porch railing and the siding on the garage. WTF! Somehow, doing the damage when our backs were turned. She's as sneaky as can be, quietly coming  up behind you and poking you with her wet nose, trying to push you to go where she wants to go (something Border Collies do when they are herding sheep).

I’ve had dogs since I was a kid and know how to raise them but jeez, this dog was a royal pain.  Our old dogs Crash and Thor did little damage when they were puppies. Sure, Crash ate a plate of chocolate chip cookies, but she survived. And yep, Thor flooded the kitchen with pee most days but that’s it.  Roxy was like a hungry two-year-old loose in a candy store.. How they heck were we going to reign in this bad girl? Slowly but surely, after countless walks, hours of training and trips to the Pet Smart toy isle Roxy started to calm down a bit. And now at two-and-a-half years later Roxy’s finally shaped up and settled in..  

My daughter’s head over heels in love with her – and so am I.

 I can’t bear to think of life without Roxy some day. Sure, she still bounces off the walls at times chasing down tennis balls, decapitates rabbits in the backyard and keeps bringing her snack toy to you until you give in and fill it up with peanut butter.

But Roxy no longer eats the house or runs it.  She’s turning out to be the best dog ever – sweet, loving and smart as a fox.

R U Ready 2 Learn Something?

Proof, I'm not the only one fed up with poor grammar. Now, if only folks under thirty would get their act 2gether.

Goofy Wedding Picture

Jeez, what a way to kick off your marriage...ouch!

Got Bedhead?

Some women sleep in their b-day suits or in skimpy lingerie, not me, I've always been a t-shirt and sweats kinda girl. Since my sweats have seen better days I've been glamming it up a bit and wearing cute PJ's from Bedhead. I have the leopard pj's below...

Rubbernecking

Ever driven by a store, wondered what was inside, but never felt like stopping the car and pulling over?
I must have cruised by Flora's Feathered Nest for about a year before I finally checked it out. It's in an odd location - plopped down off the side of River Road in Potomac, Maryland (just outside Washington D.C.). Not the kind of road that's littered with strip malls, mostly oversize houses and unlucky deer.  So, like everyone else around here the only time you'll find me on River is when I'm heading to work or picking my daughter up from school. But one day I finally decided to see what Flora's was all about. Turns out, it's the cutest store. Items for the home you don't see at Pottery Barn or other chains.  The kind of place you can spend a paycheck in just minutes.

Getting Things "Just So"...

Since we moved from Florida to Maryland five years ago I've been obsessed with getting our house "just so".   The outside has plenty of curb appeal now - puke yellow paint has long been replaced with a classic silver gray and a pop of turquoise at the front door.

  The bees that set up house in the two overgrown holly trees that used to the flank the front door now live at some other sucker's house - tormenting anyone who dares to reach for the door knob. The original mailbox has been replaced with something shiny and new.

 Even the rotting custom banister was rebuilt. And the entire backyard was enclosed with a picket fence tall enough to keep the dog inside and the deer at bay.  Lucky for them, too bad for the squirrels, rabbits and chimpmunks that our border collie Roxy has sunk her teeth into.

Now, if only the inside  matched the outside. It's getting there slowly but surely. Most of the rooms are done.

But because I'm picky and my husband drags his feet when I give him a "honey do list"  it's taking a helluva lot longer than I expected to get the whole house together. Jam packed Fred Flinstone closets on every floor!

Sooner or later, someone's going to open one and get clocked in the head with something. But for now, I'm focusing on what's out in plain view. Going to keep on dabbling in this and that till things look just so...then maybe I'll tackle what's behind closed doors. On second thought, screw it. The closets can wait another five years.

Under Construction

Under Construction...

Posts coming soon!

Tracy