Oh hai! Let's ketchup.

So I haven't been around much as you can see, but things...life...has been very good. The Omaha trip was wonderful, fast paced craziness but I think next time we'll go the airplane route. There's just too much we want to do when we visit that wasting a whole day in the car isn't worth it! Instead of car-riding we'd like to sip an Irish Coffee @ Mr. Toad...get the creme brule at M's Pub...hit a few more antique shops...the list is endless! This is the only photo from Omaha... a silly picture of Pat (looking a little suspicious) and I at Slowdown before the Lady Gaga show...and as Gaga shows go..it's always too much, too fast.

Work is A-Ok (I got a new office!... with a window!)

A few weeks ago Living Social had a great deal: 20 pilates and yoga classes for $20! I snagged one and so did a few friends so twice a week I've been going to yoga! The first class I signed up for was called "Fundamental pilates"... I'm thinking... ok fundamental.. like.. beginners, right? hooollllyyyy crap..that class was NOT for beginners. I don't exercise regularly. I'm not proud of it, but I would make an effort.. maybe... twice a month. After years and years of gymnastics and cheerleading, I guess I was just over it. So I thought "ok... lets start slow.. ease into it with a little "fundamental" class. NOPE. The instructor was great, but she was going at like...fitness guru pace. She was Denise Austin on speed. She didn't really modify anything for someone who.. oh I don't know... hadn't worked out in a month and had never taken a pilates class in her life. By the end my body was shaking horribly...my muscles feeling like jello. For a split second I though "oh shit...I can't stand up"... and it freaked me out. So with focus... I got up..and walked very slowly to the door...then to the car where I proceeded to get into the drivers seat butt first and lift each leg...one by one.. into the car. It freaked me out and so until I they offer a beginner's pilates...I'm done with pilates.

Probably because I'm a spaz.

Yoga on the other hand... I liked! It was challenging...I learned that I don't know how to breathe which is funny...and that I'm about as flexible as a bread stick now. I have another class scheduled next week! Today I'm doing something called Shimmy Express...which I believe is something like belly dancing? Basically a gut focused work out which it something I am all for. So... I've been working on my fat ass fitness, trying to be  active at least 3 times a week. Swimsuit season y'all. It's still coming.

We went to the Bayou City Arts Fest last weekend which was fantastic! Made By One Girl was there again and I bought two more of her map love notes. I just love them!

Last weekend was also the first Braud family (minus Michelle+Dylan and Peter) crawfish boil of 2011... SO EXCITED FOR CRAWFISH!

{ryan's photo}

My brother's been living in Peru and visited Machu Picchu this last weekend- abso beautiful!:

{pete's photos}

Michelle and Dylan are still surrounded by snow in MN but it's getting better, right? RIGHT? IT HAS TO WARM UP. SRSLY.

This weekend the Final Four is in Houston. I loathe basketball...I hate the squeaking sound the sneakers make BUT...because of the final four there are tons of free things to do in Houston this weekend! (Free is good... the Mercury needed some repair work this week...VERY inconvenient). So Friday the Hold Steady is playing a free show and Saturday-- Kings of Leon! The shows are @ Discovery Green which is one light rail stop from our house! Free things we can walk to! Which means... first we walk to the pub... THEN to the park. It works out.

What else has been going on? Oh, I've just started season 2 of LOST. Y'all I know I'm all late to the party but that show....is so good.

Ryan and I watch an episode of X-Files every night before sleep. It's one of my favorite new traditions. The other night we made an X-Files fort...it lasted like.. 10 minutes before it got kind of annoying (we're not architects...I'm gonna have to look up how to properly build a blanket fort on the Internet)  but it was fun for those minutes.

I hope you've been well, happy, busy (good busy...not the "oh my God I'm going to die" kind of busy). I'll be around more. Getting back to blogging is on my to-do list along with losing 10 lbs, letting my hair grow, eating less crap-food and being a better person.

Random acts of Irish Festival/ Stew cook-of in Downtown Houston

This past Saturday Ryan and I hopped on the Metro-rail downtown to see what kind of adventures we could cook up. We hopped off a few miles down the road because we heard music & saw lots of people hanging out on a blocked off street. Turns out it was the 4th Annual Rory Miggins Irish Stew Cookoff and we got our St. Patty's celebrations off to an early start.  We paid a little entry fee which went to the Houston St. Patrick's Parade Comission, grabbed a couple of Guinnesses  and walked around to each tent to taste their fare while listening to Irish bands.. There was one tent that had an amazing spicy chili...not Irish.. but awesome anyway. Nothing like a random festival on a beautiful Saturday!

Gorgeous weekend to explore the HTX!

This weekend was a busy busy one! We kicked it off Friday night @ Dolce Vita with Mom and Dad! I had been trying to get them to go for the longest time. It was amazing as always! After dinner Ryan and I went over to Royal Oak to celebrate the birth of our friend Sam. We woke up early on Saturday and cashed in my massage coupon Ryan gave me for Christmas! That is THE way to start the weekend...

[ Tennison]
Snapped a quick photo of the apartment as we were leaving. It was the most gorgeous day so we walked to the spa!

[tacos!]
After our massages, we got all cleaned up and headed downtown for the day-long Main street block party which was held at The Continental Club, The Mink, The Mink Backroom, Big Top, Pachinko Hut and Natachee's.

You can't block party without some amazing tacos first so we stopped into Tacos-a-go-go for lunch!

We hung out at Mink and Backroom for a while, listened to a few DJ sets and then went over to the Lawndale Art Center for a free screening of Handmade Nation! It was such a fantastic and inspiring film...You've gotta see it! Etsy Houston had a table set up in the front where you could make cute little paper crafts and there was even free St. Arnold's on tap! Such a cool event and I got to meet Miss Roxy of grrfeisty! 

[showing off my paper hearts!]

[ Lawndale]

After the film screening we went back over to the block party and watched a few more bands and DJ sets. The long day was starting to catch up with us (and the tacos were wearing off) so we went down the street to check out the new Natachee's Supper N' Punch! We split a turkey burger and some fries- it was delish! Can't wait to go back to try more. Below is a shot of the bar area. It's such a cool vibe in there, they play 1950s doo-wop music so you can sing along between mouthfuls.

                                                                          [Natachees]

It was only about 10:30 pm when we called it quits, but we kicked the day off pretty early.

Sunday morning was pretty grey and dreary so we decided to try another new place suggested by my friend Lauren, Asia Market in the Heights. OOOOhhh man. This place is amazing!! It's an Asian grocery mostly, but there are about 10 two-seater tables in the little cafe area. We ordered two chicken pad kee maos and boooyyy was it amazing. I mean... I'm still thinking about it.. It's definitely going to fill the hole that Pei Wei's Thai river noodles left (after they took it off the menu!! Argh!) But you know what? Take THAT Pei Wei... I've found something better AND CHEAPER.

[asia market]

Maybe it doesn't look beautiful....I guess Thai noodle dishes aren't that photogenic...but it's my new favorite thing.

So now it's Monday again and I'm feeling refreshed and inspired...ready to kick this week's a$$. Last week Ryan and I went jogging around downtown and came across the coolest random fountains and parks. I hope it stops raining so we can do some more exploring!

Happiest Monday y'all!



mozart, soccer and rainbows!

OOOooo-whee another good one! Friday was my "off" day, so I slept in until about 10:30 or so (glorious!) and since Mom's on Summer break, she drove down for a little escape from the 'burbs. We drove over to the heights and went to Onion Creek Cafe for a cold beer and some lunch on the patio. I had the veggie french bread pizza and Mom had an amazing feta and cranberry spinach salad (they also had a goat cheese & strawberry salad that I'd really like to try...next time!)

After lunch we drove over to 19th St. for some window shopping and antiquing. We spent about an hour inside of Grace Hart & Co, where I bought a fantastic pastel summer dress for 13$ and Mom bought a really cool delft-looking planter for 8$! We went over to Replay where I found a really great Matryoshka/nesting doll. I'll have to snap a photo of her, she's so pretty.

After shopping, we attempted to get pedicures (as I've never had one, which is horrible..) but since the shop by the house was super busy, we opted for granitas at Empire instead. So Mom and I had good, action packed afternoon!

Friday evening was so nice. During the summer, Miller Outdoor Theater hosts the Houston Symphony for free concerts, Summer Symphony Nights, so Ryan and I packed up our little camping chairs, some fruit, nuts and wine, and enjoyed Mozart and Tchaikovsky under the stars. It was so breezy and comfortable.


Saturday was also action packed! I wish I had taken more photos. We went over to Rudyard's at about 1 to watch the US-Ghana soccer game. We lost, but I really enjoyed cheering them on this year . After the game, we waked over to Westheimer- it was gay pride weekend so there was so much to see and do around Montrose. People were out and about early in the morning, tailgating before the parade at night. After walking around for a while I went home for a quick nap and then we hit the parade! We caught tons of beads and just had so much fun. Fuzz looking "festive" in her rainbow beads.

Sunday we relaxed pretty hard. Did a little grocery shopping, sat outside by the pool and read, watched a little bit of the Mexico-Argentina game and grilled veggies and corn. I got a little bit of crafting in last night and fell asleep so fast.

So excited for the 4th of July weekend and my teeny tiny 3 day workweek coming up!

Happy Monday!

Texas is so pretty part II & Creatures on the move!

The annual Chappel Hill Bluebonnet Festival is this weekend! I'll be on the road from Omaha to Houston so I'll probably get to see a few, but I'll have to be sure to make it out to Chappel Hill next year (even though I said that last year...) Mom and Dad are going on Sunday so I'll post some of their photos here next week. Since we had such a cold, long winter, the bluebonnets are supposed to be amazing this year.

Speaking of Mom and bluebonnets...

... taking a cue from the blue bunny, she posed my little raccoon I gave her in the bluebonnets, like so many families do this time of year. This guy got out to see them before I did!

the great outdoors!

Ohhh boy was this weekend gorgeous! And so busy!

I kicked it off with a mini-hang out with my crafty friend Tara. We paid a visit to Mr. Bob McDougal who advised me that no, my sewing machine is not a piece of crap, I just don't know how to use it. (Fair enough) Bob-visit followed by a trip to High Fashion Fabrics where we spent almost 2 hours (easy to do..) and found 3 great new fabrics and a few do-dads.

Had a delicious dinner with Lindsey at Oporto, a tapas cafe and wine bar. Ohmygodtheclams. The food here is fantastic and easily one of my new favorites.

Later that night, I walked down to Mango's and had a few beers with some pals I hadn't seen in a while. By then, I was pretty tuckered so I called it a (pretty action packed) day.

Saturday afternoon I went down to the Bayou City Arts Fest with Nora! Was my first time and will definitely attend the one downtown in October. It was almost 80 so it was pretty warm, but the park was shaded by lots of trees and there was no shortage of beverages to enjoy. There was so much to see!

I made only one small purchase but I'm very happy with it. One of the first booths we stumbled on featured some great paper craft, paintings and handmade journals. The artists name is Lisa Norris, a Chattanooga resident and graduate of Parsons School of Design. She works with old photographs, vintage fabrics and papers, buttons and other found objects. I purchased one of her "Love Notes", a little note card made from an old map of Europe and folded into a heart. I'll have to scan it, it's so cute. I bought it with a specific person in mind, but I have to admit I'll have a hard time parting with it. (what's the opposite of buyer's remorse?? That "Damn! I should have bought more!" feeling.

You can see and learn more at her site Made By One Girl.

Here are a few more (quite random) photos of sights from Saturday!

Pretty woodcut birds- I really liked this artist: Dolan Geiman, from Chicago.

RAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!!

(Oh haiiii dixieeeeeee!)

I love everyday objects-turned-faces!

pretty enamel blossoms wide shot of a booth

above: this was a person. on stilts....mildly creepy.

above: this is paper!

So that was Art Fest! After the day at the park, we enjoyed a few pounds of crawfish, potatoes and corn. After all that sodium, I was craving dark chocolate espresso brownies (specific..), so I nommed those while watching episodes of The Ricky Gervais Show (true love).

I didn't have much slated for Sunday afternoon so after cleaning up a bit, I was getting hungry. It was a breezy 72 degrees and I wanted lunch, but I also wanted to sit outside... I need a grill. After a little visit to Target and the grocery, I was grilling in no time. Actually that's not true. It took about an hour to assemble the damn thing, another hour to get a fire going, and then an hour and a half later when my shrimp-jalapeno-goat cheese en brochette still weren't cooked because of my weak, weak fire I gave up and stuck 'em in the broiler. Oh well- I'm not entering any BBQ contests any time soon. I'll just have to practice more! I'm thinking veggie kabobs sometime this week!

They wanted to cook... they really tried.

Post grilling- fail, I went up to my little work station and got busy on a new little envelope clutch, using some new fabric I bought on Friday.

I like the little frog closure, although it was a pain to sew on.

Whew! That was a lot. I really should get to work... I hope your weekend was filled with sun, tasty things and good people!