Indian Lake, Ohio

I don't have too much to say. I've been up since 4am, leaving this morning from my wonderful trip at Indian Lake, Ohio.

We started the weekend celebrating my Dad's 60th birthday ... his gift: Skydiving! Him, two of my brothers and a friend decided to leave their life up to a flimsy piece of cloth. I stayed down below.

My dad and E

My brother Brett, his friend Alex and their skydiving-guide Trev

There was a really cool, chill vibe at the skydiving center that almost made me want to try it ... almost. ...

We then made it up to my family's lake house. I hadn't been back in two years! This place is super special to me. I believe the second time Mark came to visit (the first was our first meeting), I brought him here. He had to understand what this place meant to me. We even made our wedding photog trek up here for an hour-worth of engagement fodies.

Neysa Ruhl Photography (she's the best!)

We use to spend almost every weekend during the summer at the lake, and when we were really young, my mom would take us there for two weeks at a time. It's just so relaxing. It was great to be back. Here's a weekend in photos:

Our "backyard"

Boating

View from our deck

Covered bridge built sometime in the late-1800s

the Tilton Hilton

Kayaking

Everyone Loves a Good Martini

Be warn: This post may contain cheesy and sentimental rambling, but it’s on my mind.

Yesterday, I took the pup-pups to their doggie hotel, as I was leaving early this morning to go to Ohio for the holiday weekend. When I got back to the apartment last night, I spent the rest of the evening wandering between packing and cleaning. With Mark gone, and now the pups gone too, I was super depressed.

I finally told myself to pull it together as it was 9 p.m. and I still hadn’t packed (I HATE IT!). It was then I realized how I probably wouldn’t be in Miami if it wasn’t for Martini (Disclaimer: Morgan is just as important to me, but Martini and I have been through a lot in the last four years, so he will be the focus. But Morgan the Clown has a very special and very large piece of my heart).

Martini-dog

When I got Martini, I was in a not-so-good place in my life. I was extremely depressed: I hated my job and felt like I was going nowhere. I had been so driven in college, but a year out and I was not only lost, I lost ambition. Somehow the little guy brought me out of it. Even though I never thought of myself as a “dog mom,” he gave me some purpose to each day. And slowly purpose in other areas of my life came.

Puppy Martini

If it wasn’t for Martini, I wouldn’t have joined eHarmony and I wouldn’t have met Mark. One night, as I was talking to myself Martini, he jumped off the couch and went to his bed.

Martini and Me

Was I that boring? It was never my goal to met someone, let alone fall in love with someone when I joined eHarmony. I had just finished a bartending job, and was SO OVER meeting guys that way. Most of my friends were dating guys who moved to Cincinnati from elsewhere, so they didn’t have many friends to set me up with. And I hadn’t joined a church yet. Online dating site were become somewhat commonplace, so I decided to see what it was all about.

Anyway, so Martini convinced me I need to at least try to put myself out there. He also made me braver. My phobia of living alone and sleeping in a apartment/house/etc. alone slowly dissipated. Even though he was only about 8 lbs. (now, 13 lbs. … oops!), it just felt better having him by my side. I also knew that no matter how sucky my day was I got to open the door and see is silly-big-eared-face looking up at me. The peace he brought me earned him the nickname,“Buddha.”

Halloween-Martini, wearing a costume banana on his head

He’s very unassuming and low-maintaince. He wants to be next to you, but isn’t bothersome. He’s usually skid-ish (due to the home he was rescued from), but is a good judge of character in people. I will never forget, after an early morning of volunteer work, Mark was taking a nap as I showered. I came into my room to find Mark asleep and Martini had snuck on the bed and was curled up against him. Mark had Martini’s approval.

Packing Martini

The move to Miami would have been nearly impossible had Martini not been there. Mark left a few days after we moved in. He actually left the morning I started school. I got lost after dropping him off at the airport and never made it to class. A sobbing tearful car ride, I made it home. I think I cried almost everyday for two weeks. I missed home, I missed my friends, I missed my parents, I missed Mark, I missed my church, I missed Kroger’s salad bar … you name it, I missed it!

Morgan and Martini love

While Martini doesn’t do too well with crying girls, he would at least sit next to me on the couch. And having him with me brought some routine to my life in disarray. Once again he was my Buddha (and sometimes my clown; he would occasionally get stuck in the clothes bins kept under the bed. I would come home, call him and have to track down the jingle the tags on his collar made).

WHHHHYYYY?

Again, he also made me braver. He LOVES running around, preferably in a yard. And even though he is little, high-rise apartment life did not agree with him. I had to brave Miami traffic and the fact I could get lost (something I hate) to find dog parks and beaches for Tini to let-loose.

As hard as it’s been moving down here, I would not be here this long if it wasn’t for Martini.

Maybe it’s the three-hour layover, maybe it’s the fact I’m on the verge of “Crazy Dog Lady,” but I believe he is a gift from God. He’s loved me when I didn’t love myself, I’ve relied on him for strengthen when I thought I was weak, and he’s been my “counselor” when I was losing my sanity. That’s a lot to ask from a little dog, and he’s fulfilled those “responsibilities” with ease … which is why I call him Buddha.

"the Buddha"

Lovin' Me Some ...

I need to be better at updating this blog. Since I have a final on Friday, this will be a shorty, “What I’m Loving Wednesday!” Happy Hump Day! (Did all you SUA girls smile?)

My hubby came into town this weekend, which was awesome, since it would have been over a month until we see each other otherwise.

We did our Friday night usual: Cheesecake Factory and a movie.

LOVIN' me some Red Raspberry Martini,

the Herb-crusted Salmon

and Red Velvet cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

Needless to say, I think my first meal after my fitness competition will be at the Cheesecake Factory.

We ran errands the next day. A little surf shop near our apartment is one of the only places that carry my favorite flip-flops:

Reef, Wispy 2

I actually didn't own a nice pair of flip-flops until I worked on the boat. These are perfect! They are super light-weight (like wearing nothing) and they just go with everything without looking too beach bum. Pup-pup Morgan ate my last pair in November, and I have been struggling to find another.

I also picked up some of this:

I LOVE anything mint from foods to scents (maybe because it smells so clean). It's delicious!

My hair is so dry (thanks to the curling, teasing and straighten I do), so I usually by a heavy duty conditioner and/or use a leave-in. Well, my hair is super-duper soft after using this:

We stopped by Fresh Market for some afternoon munchies, and splurged on the strawberry cupcake. OMG! Fresh Market has the BEST bakery selection. Seriously.

I got my iPhone last week, so when I’m not obsessing over Angry Birds, I’ve been obsessing over Instagram. Here are a few of my faves :)

The handsome hubs and my little burrito

Martini-dog

Martini reminds me of the Stapler guy in Office Space,

since Morgan took his bone

Miss Morgan, sitting pensively on the balcony

Jumping on the Bed

I’m sitting here, waiting for my new iPhone to arrive. Yes, I am turning in the ol’ Blackberry.

My husband has been begging me to get the iPhone, which was the plan until last December when my then BB Pearl died. The iPhone for Verizon wasn't out yet, so I was forced to use my upgrade for another BB.

But when the hubs was at the Verizon store the other day, he found out the sales associate wanted to get rid of his new iPhone because it couldn’t do something that the Droid or something not Apple could do. So he sold it to my husband for a discount and it’s supposedly on it way here. It was supposed to be sitting at my doorstep by 10:30 a.m. Nope. I figured at least by noon. Still no. So I am hoping it comes soon, even though my pool day is already ruined. :(

It’s not that bad though, as this will be arriving soon after:

Oh, yes I did.

On another note, remember that commercial awhile back when the guy is surfing the Web and eventually comes to the end of the Internet? That’s what I feel like today.

The Internet is boring me. Then I browse on over to Potterybarn.com, click on "bedding" and once again the world is right. I have a slight obsession with bedding. I know, it surprised even me.

When I was a teenager I remember begging my parents for a teal and purple duvet set (I didn’t even know what a duvet was!) with palm trees from Roxy. I think I cleaned the entire house every week for a month.

During college, I would buy a new duvet every year. And once I moved on my own, with all my borrowed furniture and three jobs, I splurged on two bedding sets (I couldn’t decide. Obviously I bought one, and went back a few days later to buy the other).

And I’m picky. For our wedding, I only registered for sheets, because I couldn’t find a duvet set I, ahem, we liked. A few weeks after the wedding, PotteryBarn was having a sale on bedding, so obviously I had to buy something. The current print:

But I am getting the itch again. Since we don’t own a house, and we will be moving again in the next year or so I don’t want to clutter the apartment with a lot of stuff. So my decorating has been limited to the bedroom. Ultimately I’d love to repaint the bedroom, but we have a four-poster bed and a huge-ass TV on the wall that I’m not about to touch. And I know Mark will not want to spend a weekend at home repainting a perfectly good paint job. So I have been looking at bedding.

Here are a few of my favorites:

I might have to have the decor ... and the room, too.

It's bananas.

Love the pillows too! And the photo arrangement. Ahhh. PB ...

P.S. The phone has since arrived! Off to the Verizon store and much dreaded grocery shopping!

Dress Code

When I met Mark, I quickly learned that pearls and argyles does not a yachtie make. While they might fly at the country club or in the Hamptons, actually working and living on the multi-million dollar floating mansions is a lot less glamorous.

And while Top-siders look great at the annual club cookout, you better be a superior sailor if you wear them on the dock. (Although, I’ve been having a love affair with this pair of Sperry’s:

so I might have to break this rule, ... and fast.)

That being said, preppy, fancy dress and real yachting don’t mix. However, apparently preppy, fancy dress and Miami don't mix either. I’ll give it to Miami that often times it is too hot to even wear a tank and shorts, let alone dress up and slap on make up.

But I’ve been stalking reading blogs of some lovely ladies back from around my neck of the woods and the topic of Lilly Pulitzer comes up quiet a bit.

A few years ago, when I had a wedding to go to every other weekend, I stumbled upon Lilly. And while I adored the clothes, they’re a bit expensive to only wear once. At the time, I worked a job where I could barely pay the bills and have fun, so I had to downgrade my taste to oh, say, Forever 21 or the Gap.

Now, I have no weddings, nor do I go out much, and I live in the frickin’ tropics, so paying even $50 for a dress seems silly (while I do dress up on my clinic days, most of my classmates tend towards scrubs, so business causal is a bit too much).

Some of my favorite Lilly’s are a bit too dressy (ahem, expensive) to wear while acupuncturing.

This might work in clinic, or perfect for a day in Newport ::sigh::

Somebody invite me someplace fancy! Fast!!!!!

I would wedding crash just to wear this dress.

Um, no. Never ... Sorry Lil

But I’m thankful for sites like Ruelala.com! (Seriously, check it out … and Gilt.com.) Last week they had a HUGE sale on some Lilly. And I was lucky enough to pick some up at half price (I love a sale! I could be in the running to be on the next Extreme Couponing. While I was gushing with my steal, my sweet hubs told me if I really liked a this-season full-price dress I can buy it … but honestly, where is the fun in that?)

So ... what do you think?

Perfect for summer and for clinic (... pardon the Kong)

Not too sure about this one. Hubs, what do you think?

Morgan getting some mirror action

If I do keep it, I might have it tailor to make it more form-fitting …. I don't think A-line does much for me.

Loving Me Some ...

Oh! It’s What I’m Loving Wednesday.

1. God (duh!)

I’ve been wrestling with whether I should get a job. I’m in school, getting my Master's in Oriental Medicine (basically, to become an acupuncturist) and it’s an intense, accelerated program. But, as the half of the marriage that put us in debt (a little debt, but debt nonetheless), I feel like I should pull my weight. My sweet husband continuously tells me, at this point in time, I do not need to work. Instead, he says, I need to focus on school and take care of the pup-pups.

As a good Christian wife, I will listen to my hubs wishes … however, since “the perfect job” seemed to pop up the other day I decided to petition the even Bigger Man before bedtime.

I woke up the yesterday morning and checked my email. Every weekday I get a devotional email from my church in Ohio. And guess what this one said, “The problem with desires - even ones that improve our health or financial standing - is that they can distract us from God's ultimate purpose in our lives. ... It's hard to let go of our passions, but without balance in our lives, it can be difficult to follow the paths God has planned for us.”

Ah, yes. I desire for a job. But I don’t need a job. I need to finish school, and do well. In fact, I might have the opportunity to take my boards as early as the end of this year (God planned?). I also need to take care of the pups and be there for the hubs when he does make it home. Our time together is few and very precious.

Oh, and just to be clear: I love God everyday.

2. Miss K Lo.

Miss Kelly is this lovely lady:

And last week I received two unexpected packages in the mail. A signed copy of a book with 100 devotionals in it, along with this lovely card:

And a few days later, this card:

It’s an anniversary, and yes, it’s about three months early, so that means, believe it or not, Kels is actually EARLY! And it's a perfect card.

Realizing how much I LOVED getting mail, I’ve decided to start sending mail to my gfs. I like the idea of sending a handwritten note. So I am placing all the ladies names in a bowl and weekly or bi-weekly, I will be selecting a name and sending a note. Ladies, if you read this check your mailboxes.

3. Vegetable Quinoa

I’ve been trying to eat clean, meaning cutting the amount of processed food I consume. I have been doing pretty well. Eating non-processed foods, means I have to cook. This little gem of a recipe is from June’s Oxygen Magazine.

Vegetable Quinoa, makes 1 serving

3 tbsp. quinoa

¼ yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 stalk celery, finely chopped including leaves

1 clove of garlic, finely diced

½ red bell pepper, finely diced

t sp. Tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

2 egg whites, beaten

1 whole egg, beaten

1 cup broccoli, chopped

½ cup water

1. Cook quinoa according to package

2. Heat 2 tbsp. of water in a skillet. Steam-saute onions and carrots about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, except broccoli. Cover and heat for about 3 minutes.

3. Add cooked quinoa and broccoli to skillet; add more water to steam. Cover for about 3 minutes until the broccoli is bright green.

It’s a lot of food and super good. AND! Egg is a natural mood-booster. The added broccoli also enhances the dopamine production (the chemical that is thought to be linked to the brain’s pleasure center). Eggs and broccoli also have omega 3s, which is helpful for a brain boost. :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Ugh! I haven’t done a posting in a while (you’d think I’d be all excited with the new design and all).

Anyway, I’ve decided to jump on the blogger-bandwagon. If you read blogs often, you’d notice Wednesday usually brings a particular type of post: “What I’m Loving Wednesdays.”

Since I’ve been dying to post something, but I don’t have time (I have to rehearse a speech I have to give tomorrow … I actually skipped my class tonight to rehearse, but obviously I am not rehearsing. Mark, I promise right after this post!). So, welcome to my “What I’m Loving Wednesday!”

While I was also not rehearsing, I decided to give myself a little mani-pedi. When "varnishing" my nails (as the hubs calls it) I usually stick to black, navy or dark purple hues. Branching out a little, a few weeks ago I went with this awesome color:

Mermaid Tears from OPI's Pirates of the Caribbean collection

Don’t be afraid. When on, it’s a beautiful sea foam green. I got a TON of compliments. It’s a great springy-early summer color, and a break from the pinks and corals of the season.

So feeling brave, I decided to go even softer:

Dear Diary ... from OPI'S Bridal Collection

I had posted before that the wonderful hubs bought me a makeup case-load of mini OPI nail polishes for my birthday, and this color was one of those little gems.

What will I be wearing with my newly painted tootsies? I LOVE LOVE LOVE these pants!

The Columnist

I bought them at Express over Memorial day weekend! I have been looking for pants like Audrey’s:

But since I’m 5’2” most crops hit me at the ankle or make me look like I have HUGE hips. These not only hit at the perfect spot, they make my legs look about five inches longer!

The hubs has been home for the last five days, and is on a smoothie kick. So every morning, this lucky girl has been served smoothies in bed. He blends bananas, berries and a mango juice together. SOOOO good. I add a scoop of Optimum Nutrition's vanilla whey and it’s like dessert.

The hubs, being a pirate himself, was dying to see the new Pirates movie. I saw it because of this:

yum! :P

And because I love her:

But I ended up REALLY LOVING it (despite the fact we had to see it in 3D). Go see it (but not in 3D).

We also saw this movie:

I use to want to be a comedienne, so yeah for all-female comedies. And double snaps for funny as hell movies that just happen to be all-female comedies.

Enjoy the rest of your week!