It's coming, y'all...and I'm scared...

I'm talkin' bout swimsuit season...but I'm trying to be optimistic! After browsing lots and lots of suits I found one...I present to you my 2011 suit aaaand I have to lose about 8 lbs before I can put it on.

It's being delivered Friday! I better stop eating.

Have you found your spring/summer 2011 suit yet? Are you even thinking about it?

[RE]Creation

I haven't been around much...and to be honest, lately I have't made much (nothing). I love this space and I truly miss it.

Real life can get busy and not leave much time for interweb-life...but I don't feel like anyone should ever apologize for spending time away from the computer.

I think a big part of it is my new workspace. I was moved to a new office about 2 weeks ago and am now in a cube in a very open space, i.e. no privacy. Everyone that walks by can see what I'm doing on the computer and I don't want to get reprimanded for spending time looking at crafts, pretty photos, etc when I should be updating "bills of materials" and "collecting bid acknowledgement" forms.

When I get home in the evenings, I feel so tuckered and I look at my fabric stash and say "I'll play with you soon".

Today I leave for the beach for 4 days and I plan on recharging, getting inspired, and coming home with fresh new ideas, maybe working a bit on the ol' etsy (haven't sold anything yet which can be a little disheartening, but maybe I just need a new angle..?) and starting some new projects, take more photos, cook something new, get creative again.

I guess we all fall into little ruts and I'm just gonna have to dig myself out... with a sand bucket and shovel.

[photo: weheartit]

it's beach season y'all. my lobster-tinted skin knows it.

be inspired to cover yourself in coppertone and visit this amazing flickr set.

Birthdays, Sunburns and Burgers

Shame on me for not taking my camera out more this weekend! It was an absolutely gorgeous one and I only have 3 shots to prove it.

The weekend started Friday at noon with some lunch at home a little grocery shopping and then a little napping. That night was Lindsay and Eric's 30th birthday extravaganza at Patrenella's, a great Italian restaurant off Washington converted from an old house. It was a pretty cool communist dinner, meaning the 20 people at the table all shared appetizers, salads, and 4 different entrees. The food was fantastic, as was the bottle of Pino Noir Ryan and I shared. After dinner everyone went to a bar called The Black Swan for a few cocktails, but ultimately Ryan and I called it an early night. Maybe the Italian food (and the fact that I stuffed my face so hard paired with the wine) made me a little sleepy.

We got up Saturday with plans to visit the Houston Zoo (which I've never seen despite living here for 14 years..) We bought our tickets (save 2 dollars per ticket if you buy @ a Fiesta grocery store first!) but then proceeded to drive around the parking lot for 40 minutes. Obviously on a beautiful Saturday afternoon the Zoo is packed. Seriously, uncomfortably so. We eventually decided quit...we have our tickets so maybe we'll go on a Friday afternoon when it's not as crowded. We headed over to Cedar Creek to sit in the sun and shared a salad and a few pints before calling it a day.

Sunday morning we got up early (ish) and drove into Galveston! We packed up a little lunch, some snacks, threw some chairs in the back of the car and we're relaxing on the beach before noon. I left my camera in the car so only managed to snap this one photo on the way out, of the Texas Heroes Monument ("built in 1900, the 72-foot monument honors those who fought and died in the Battle of San Jacinto to win freedom for the Republic of Texas from Mexico...")

Driving back into the neighborhood, I spotted a bit of Guerrilla/ Urban Knitting/ Knit Graffiti. LOVE THIS. The stop sign pole on the corner of Taft and Welch is covered with a long colorful knit sleeve, definitely making street art a little more warm and fuzzy.

After getting back home, we had a hankering for a big juicy burger cooked over an open flame... and didn't really want to go inside and call it a day yet. We sat on the back patio, read a bit and grilled up some REALLY good hamburgers.

I like mine covered in sauteed mushies! MMMMmmmmm.. gah, they were good.

There's so much to look forward to this week and the upcoming weekend! Today Ryan and I have haircuts and then maybe heading over to porch swing to see that their trivia night is like. Wednesday is Cinco de Mayo so there may be some fajita grilling and Tecate drinking at the house. OH! It also happens to be this blog's 1 year anniversary! I may have a little giveaway-blog-birthday-party sort of thing here, so come back and visit on Wednesday!

SEA CREATURES!

Today I am enjoying sea-critter photos and art! It's warming up, y'all- we'll have our toes in the sand in no time!
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A Laissez les bon temps rouler and Who dat! weekend

It's still a little early, as Mardi Gras day isn't until next Tuesday, but we were so lucky to catch the Krewe Of Aquarius Mardi Gras parade (be careful if you click that link at work... there's a pretty loud muzak version of "When the Saints go Marching in" on the home page!) in Galveston when Ryan was here this weekend. It was his first Mardi Gras parade, but definitely not his last. Even luckier that Saturday happened to be the most beautiful day we've had in about 2 weeks (sunscreen would have come in handy though, as Ryan left Houston with a little more color than when he arrived). We drove into Galveston a little before noon, watched the hour-long parade (caught so many beads, proof below!), sat poolside in the sun, walked along the seawall, enjoyed a few beers and had an awesome super-fresh seafood lunch. Such a good day and a great visit this month.

Ryan left early yesterday, around 3, but was home in time to catch the Superbowl, which was absolutely fantastic; history was made! I went to a party with Nora for the 1st half, where I proceeded to stuff my face with all things unhealthy and met up with Megan at a pub for the second half. Needless to say, the voice is a little hoarse this morning and this week is fruit and veggie. I'm absolutely exhausted, but a good-exhausted.

I'm sure my parents had a difficult time peeling their faces off their pillows this morning, just like I'm sure the city of New Orleans hasn't gone to bed yet...

Hope your weekends were beautiful and relaxing!

beads!

HUGE oysters on the half shell for lunch on the beach!

Galveston Seawall

Sitting by the pool/ beach bar, relaxing in the sun and waiting for the parade to start.

Floats! It was a great parade; so long and so much fun! Nothing like dancing in the street on a perfect Saturday, collecting plastic necklaces with thousands of your closest friend-strangers.

Video of a local Galveston high school marching band!

“The beach is in our blood. Everyone in our family returns to the beach instinctively, just like the sea turtles.” - Sandy Archibald

such a relaxing much needed vacation. good food, family, sun, books, wine, sleeping in...all the ingredients for a perfect long weekend. I was so proud of myself for making it there on thursday afternoon without any hitches. i google-mapped the condo and taped the directions to the inside of my planner (which is filled with lots of lots of google-maps, drink and food recipes and little notes). I get so nervous driving alone to a place i've never navigated. The drive turned out to be very easy and pleasant. (but i am still so very thankful for my ipod) After about 2.5 hours driving through very dry south texas landscape, you are rewarded with a trip across a very tall bridge and the smell of salt water in the air. It makes the 2.5 hours very worth it. I love living downtown in houston and i appreciate the big city, but there is absolutely nothing like waking up whenver you please, putting your swimsuit on and burying yourself in sand and a good, scary book for 3 whole days.

[homage to arrested development]

[the bro]

[5 pm waterline wind down]

[sandy love notes]

[beach beers]

[beach books]

[sun naps]

[orange toes]

[sandy feets]

[ souvenir shops]

Beachy!