salsa, pictures, & paintings (day 14)

 Is it really Tuesday? Where did the weekend go?!


I have a yummy fresh salsa recipe that I need to share.... I made some yesterday and it's pretty much all gone. I think I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, & dinner.


4 roma tomatoes
1 medium green pepper
3 green onions
1/2 a jalapeno
1 lime
season & garlic salt, pepper and cilantro to taste


Just chop it all up (I leave mine in bigger chunks, but my bf uses a food processor), squeeze in the lime juice and add the seasonings... then shake it up real good. It's super easy to make and tastes delicious!
Here's a recap of my weekend in photos....

Amber, Diana, & I at the Paseo Arts Festival (it was sooooooo hot!)

Amber & Jackson at the Arts Festival (seriously, how cute is this?)

Diana & I at the Pretty Black Chains CD release party

Diana & I going to get food at 6pm for the first time all day long (*bad idea)

Those were all taken on Saturday.... Sunday, I obviously did absolutely nothing but lay on the couch all day (I'm way too old to think I can start drinking at noon AND close down the bar at 2 am) and Monday, I painted..........

First of all a HUGE thank you to Amber for letting me use her camera!!!!!! They're all 12" x 6" but I decided to try to paint on all the canvases I have laying around before buying any more.Hopefully I get some more painting time in before classes start next Monday!
Now off to my 100 day challenge... Hope you all have a wonderful day!




Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

my darling little sister & I (summer of 2010)

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music to my ears (day 13)

I'm going to keep it super short today because I'm taking a little break from the computer and trying to focus on reading and painting....


I couldn't choose just one... I love them both equally....
Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist

Led Zeppelin

Pink Floyd

must love books (day 12)

I love new books. 
I love old books. 
I love used books.
I love the way the smell.
I love the sweet whipser of the pages turning.
I love the white space between the lines.
I love putting the first crease in the binding.
I love reading about the author on the inner back cover.
I love taking the jackets off hardcover books.
I love the way books take me far away while laying in my comfy bed.
I love books that make me cry.
I love books that inspire me.
I love books that teach me something.
I love books that teach me something about myself.
I love lending books to friends.
I love talking books with my favorite librarians.
I love books recommendations from friends.
I love books recommendations from blogger friends.
I love books recommendations from complete strangers.
I love racing to read a book, yet never wanting it to end.
I love the feeling of wanting to live inside a book.
I love opening my mailbox and finding a lovely package containing books.
 

Day 12 - A picture of something you love

sweet saturday songs (day 11)

Here are a few songs I've been listening to on repeat while stuck in a room with filing cabinets all day.... enjoy :)









 

Day 11 - A picture of something you hate

all this mail I get.... bills and junk mail... waste of precious trees

ode to jill (day 10)

What a week!!! I am pleased to say that I picked up my paintings yesterday and I am working on getting them all listed on Etsy... but listing stuff on etsy is so time consuming and I'm short on time.... but my goal is to have them up by Monday :) Amber is letting me use her camera until I get a new one (thanks Amber!!!) but I did take a few with mine that need major photoshop help!


Now to the 100 day challenge.... I've put together a few fun pictures for you :) I'll let them do the talking!


Day 10 - A picture of the person you do the craziest things with


That would be my dear Jillian.
We have been friends since jr high track, but we really had a fun-filled year of shenanigans in 2008 when I lived in Wisconsin.... Here are a few highlights........

probably my favorite picture... wigs, sombrero, crimper, ginger ale.

at Katie's bachelorette party

a little crimp crazy

halloween 2008

outside the coroner's building... idk why

Jill's graduation night!

Karaoke!!! My first time! B-B-B-Benny and the Jetsssssss

my wisconsin going away party

my first ever motorcycle ride!!

our tribute to Nettie (Jill's mom)

notice the meat man in the center of the deli counter.

paintings (day 9)

Today I pick up my paintings from The Wine Gallery :) I'm kind of happy to have them back!
But the good news is that I sold 3 of them!!!!

I have to  meet a woman at the gallery tomorrow at 3pm to sell my sugar skull painting and then another friend of mine bought 2 paintings (the fish in the bowl and the birds I painted at the wine tasting) that I will be delivering to him on Wednesday.

and I painted a canvas for my bff Katie's birthday :)

and once again, blogger is being a brat and letting me comment sporadically... so I promise I've been reading and trying to comment! Darn blogger! I hope you're all having a happy thursday and looking forward to a 3 day weekend :) 

Day 09 - A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most

that would be myself.... I've learned that I can always depend on myself and that I should appreciate and love myself like I would a friend :) I have to thank Liz for making me realize this... I mean, it makes sense, right? I'm with myself all the time, I am constantly talking to myself inside my head (especially when I'm trying to meditate!) and ultimately, my decisions are my own. I'm just thankful I finally realized this :)

twisters and a very happy birthday (day 8)

Well, I survived the storms that blew through the state of Oklahoma yesterday. People were leaving work early because the news was predicting the worst weather would happen between 3pm and 5pm. I went to pick my bf's kids up from school when I got off, just in case the weather people were right for a change. Shortly after we got home the sky turned dark and the sirens starting going off. I typically don't panic during storms... but I panicked a little. ok, kind of alot. I put the kids in the hallway with a mattress over them (and they played their DS's completely not stressed out at all) while I sat on the phone with my mom (1,000 miles away) in front of the tv. I think what worried me the most was that some of the tornadoes were appearing out of nowhere... and we have no basement or room without windows, so how was I going to fit me, 2 kids, 3 dogs, 2 cats, and a cockatiel in the end of a hallway under a mattress if there was a tornado? Anyway... I'm happy that we're all safe but my heart goes out to all the people whose homes were ruined and whose lives were taken by the storms today. 


I'd also like to wish my bff, Katie (an aspiring yoga teacher who is going to join the blogging world very soon!), a very happy 29th birthday! I hope your day is perfect and filled with many smiles (and the present I mailed you!)


I hope that you all have a very happy wednesday!

Day 08 - A picture that makes you laugh

Aw... baby franklin! This picture cracks me up because he was sooooo tiny and now he's soooooo big! This picture was taken in September of 2009 (about 2 weeks after he was given to me) at a pooch parade that my insurance agency had a booth set up at. He weighed about 8 pounds and I could hold him in one hand. 

Now he's about 90 pounds and I couldn't pick him up if I tried, although he whines when I pick up the other dogs.... poor baby has nooooo clue that he's giant :) 

hello Bali (day 7)

What a three day weekend! I feel like I really got a lot accomplished but also took some much needed 'sara time'.

Friday night was pretty low key and my bf went out after the kids went to bed so I drank a glass of wine, painted, and watched Stone (because I'm obsessed with Edward Norton).

Saturday morning was time to do a deep clean of the house then a trip to super target... followed up with dinner, a few beers, and the Thunder vs Mavericks game (which I had high hopes for, but we lost... I still <3 James Harden though!)

Sunday (my faaaaavorite day of the week) was spent mostly in the kitchen, which for me is highly unusual! I started reading about dog foods... and decided to try to make my own. I used a pound of lean ground turkey meat, a 16 oz package of carrots (the pureed them), and a mixture of brown rice and lentils. I boiled the rice/lentils and meat in 6 cups of water, then added the carrots and then simmered for about 20 minutes. I swear the puppies knew I was cooking for them because they were all in the kitchen staring at me the whole time! I mixed the homemade food in with a little bit of their regular dry dog food and let it soak a little.... they LOVED it!

While reading about homemade dog food I also learned something new... you can rinse out, dry, then bake eggshells and grind them up to sprinkle on your dogs food for calcium! I had no clue... all this time I've been crunching them up and putting them at the base of my rose bushes... now the rose bushes have to share with the puppies! I have a pretty glass jar next to the stove reserved for egg shells :)

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item

almost a year ago, I was browsing the shelves of half price books. Since reading  Eat Pray Love, I have dreamed of traveling to Bali. I wandered over to the travel section, as I often do, and ran my fingers along the spines of all the books filled with pictures of places I longed to see. I came to the Indonesia section and paused. There were two books... I picked one and flipped through it. As I flipped through the pages, I noticed something stuck between the pages...

I couldn't not believe my eyes or my luck! This business card has been in Bali and when I go to Bali (when, not if) I will stay here and get another business card to leave in my Indonesia book when I sell it back to Half Price Books. I carry it in my wallet and take it out from time to time to remind me of my dreams....

What Would Liz Do? (day 6)

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day

Elizabeth Gilbert

 Liz. Yes, we're on a first name basis.

I've read all of her books (except Committed, which is on my list) and I've actually read Eat, Pray, Love three times. I have purchased probably about 10 copies of this book, which I then lend to people (and never get back) so I have to buy another. Strangely enough, this doesn't bother me... I just want everyone to read it because I think it's so amazing.

I can't even describe what the book meant to me... I was so inspired! It is the first and only book I have ever highlighted and written in. There are so  many good quotes, one is even on a painting I did last month. ( which is in the Wine Gallery now, pictures coming soon!) 

Eat Pray Love helped me through some rough patches and whenever I find myself in a predicament I often ask myself 'What would Liz do?' She strives for balance and isn't afraid to take risks or try new things. Her words and way of describing things in Eat Pray Love struck a chord deep within me... I often found myself with my jaw open, rereading in amazement, sometimes I swear she knew exactly how I was feeling and put those feelings into a beautiful arrangement of words.

Liz is such an inspiration and true to herself... I would love to be trade places and be a traveler/writer for a day! 

btw... hope you all have a beautiful monday... I just had a huge piece of chocolate cake wih white whipped icing for breakfast :) happy monday to me! 

monday morning inspiration

Beautiful pictures are one of my biggest inspirations... here are a few of my favorites!

They are all from this source.

happy wedding weekend (day 5)

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite memory

 This is my bff, Katie. This photo was taken on a chilly October night at a little bar in Minneapolis around midnight. The story behind this is what makes it one of my favorite memories.


No she doesn't really have blue hair (although it looks great on her)... it's a wig. Which was the theme of her bachelorette party... that I almost missed.


I was so excited for Katie's wedding... I was in walmart in Beaver Dam, WI buying scrubs for work when she called me to tell me that Bill had popped the question. I think the whole store heard me squeal. Between her family and Bill's family, her wedding party was pretty big... so when she asked me to not only be her personal coordinator, but a bridesmaid, too, I was so happy that I cried. I helped plan her bridal shower from 1,000 miles away and exchanged e-mails with her sister (the MOH) almost daily about wedding and bachelorette party plans. 


The party was to take place on the Thursday, (the rehearsal & dinner on Friday, and then the wedding on Saturday). We were going to go out to dinner and then surprise her with the wig theme afterwards and go out to a bar/club.


I bough my ticket months earlier and my bags were packed Wednesday night. I woke up Thursday morning eager to get going bu my flight wasn't scheduled to leave until noon. Katie called and asked if my flight was on-time, and I thought 'why wouldn't it be?!' but I checked anyway.


When I logged on and typed in my flight number my heart sunk and tears filled my eyes. My flight had been cancelled and rescheduled for Friday afternoon. I frantically called the airlines (and I apologize to the person I talked to because I was not so nice!) and tried to get on another flight but they didn't have any available. My bf was a little more calm than I was and started looking for flights with other airlines.


After much searching and many tears, we ended up cancelling our rescheduled flight and booking 2 one way tickets to Minneapolis with a layover in Denver which was supposed to  arrive just in time for the bachelorette dinner. 


Well once we arrived at the OKC airport, our new flight got delayed. Then it got delayed again. We finally made it to Denver, where our flight got delayed again. Then we finally got in the air and had to take a few laps around Minneapolis because the Vice President was flying out of the Minneapolis airport and no other flights were allowed to leave or arrive. By the time we landed, found a taxi, and checked into the hotel, I was on a mission. It was almost midnight so I put on my dress and my heels, called a cab and ran out the door. 


When I arrived at the bar and walked inside I was greeted by a group of girls with the brightest and biggest hair I've ever seen. 

All the stress and flight hassle was totally worth seeing Katie in her blue wig... I think we hugged for about 5 minutes! My bf and I ended up taking a taxi to the airport Sunday morning, renting a car and driving 14 hours back to OKC.


The weekend was amazing and I'm so happy that I didn't miss (much of) it. Here are some fun pictures from 'happy wedding weekend'....

the bachelorette party

the view for our room on the 16h floor

right before the ceremony

the wedding party

bridesmaids with the groom

cheer!

the infamous jump shot

bff love

soap and bubble baths (day 4)

I can't believe I forgot to mention this! I tweeted about it and completly forgot to blog about it... what was I thinking?
I bought bars of solid shampoo and conditioner from Courtney of The Everything Soap Blog. It arrived last Saturday, along with a sample of a facial bar, too! I've never been so excited about washing my hair. ever. I can't believe I never knew such an amazing thing existed! My hair is much softer and I haven't even needed my arbonne face lotion that I've used for years. I highly recommend all three of these soaps and can't wait to try her new lotion bar! Her shop is Milk & Honey Naturals if you're interested in trying it out :) 

and speaking of soaps......  It's time for my 100 day challenege

Day 04 - A picture of your dream night

bath. wine. book. a night just doesn't get much better than that! well, unless maybe there was some music playing and a big reese's peanut butter cup :)

sustainable okc (day 3)

It's Friday! I've made it through my first week of no classes... I'm almost used to not having homework either in front of me or consuming my thoughts constantly. I'm sure I'll get used to it next week, right before summer classes start.

Since deciding earlier this week that I wanted to focus on sustainable design, I've been doing some research. I didn't find any sustainable design programs in Oklahoma (surprise, surprise) but there's an amazing program in Minnesota that I would love to take after I graduate. I did find an organization in Oklahoma though.... Sustainable OKC. I am now a member and I contacted the head of the marketing & PR committee about volunteering to do some graphic design work for them. I'm really excited about it and can't wait to see what they need help with!

Now on to my 100 day challenge....

Day 03 - A picture of the cast from your favorite show

I cheated a little because I cannot choose. I tried. It's just not possible. Here are my 4 favorites :)

true blood

GLEE!

my so-called life

vampire diaries

100 day challenge... day 2

So, as I said yesterday, I am going to be taking part in a 100 day challenge.
Today I'm on #2, which is A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

 When I read this I immediately thought of friends. But I have so many close friends that I grew up with... how could I pick just one. Then it dawned on me... duh, Sara.

my mom and I

 My mom and I don't always see eye to eye. OK, we RARELY see eye to eye. We are so much alike, yet so different. But I can call her in the middle of the night and she will answer. I can call her collect from a pay phone outside a grocery store, in a dress and barefoot at 5 am and ask her to drive 30 minutes to pick me up because I can't find my car and she will. (I know because I did this... almost 10 years ago and I've learned my lesson!) I can call her when I need a recipe. I can call her when my car won't start. She's hugged me while I cried over boys. She's helped me with my homework. She taught me how to ride a horse. She's done my make-up and hair while letting me play dress up with her clothes. She let me lick the bowl after making brownies. She's stayed up all night with me when I've been sick.

I don't even have a recent picture of both of us and I only see her once a year, but my mom has been there for me and she is without a doubt the person I've been closest with the longest. 

the abc's of me

I was tagged by the lovely Veronica Grace over at Knitful Dezigns

 

A. Age: 28 (I'll be 29 in August)
B. Bed size: king
C. Chore you hate: all of them. lol... but seriously.
D. Day: Sunday.... my lazy day :)
E. Essential start to your day: sugar and almond milk with a little coffee
F. Favourite colour: oooh, this changes all the time... usually pink
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5' (my mom always said good things come in small packages!)
I. Instruments: um, I drum on my steering wheel while I drive, does that count?
J. Job title: full-time student, part-time HR assistant, painter
K. Kids: 3 puppies, 2 kitties and an overzealous cockatiel
L. Live: Oklahoma City, OK
M. Mum’s name: Janie
N. Nicknames: Sarafina, Sarri, Lemonbug
O. Overnight hospital stays: Last time was when my bf had to have his tonsils taken out and I spent the night with him
P. Pet peeve: Where do I start? lol... people who drive slow in the passing lane, spitting in public (gross!!), being late
Q. Quote from a movie: What's with today, today? Empire Records <3
R. Right or left handed: Right handed
S. Siblings: One little sister, Samantha, who is in Italy and I'm jealous.
T. Time you wake up: usually around 6:30 am
U. Underwear: I used to go for cute, now I go for comfy (I'm old!)
V. Vegetables you dislike: peas. They are the ONLY veggie that I don't love.
W. What makes you run late: Nothing. I get anxiety about being late so I'm always super early so even if something happens, I'm still on time :)
X. X-Rays you’ve had: um, teeth and my right wrist which I broke in 6th grade

Y. Yummy food you make: I can't really cook... I try but it usually doesn't turn out very good. so I'd have to say peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwiches

Z. Zoo:  I love the zoo but I always feel so bad for those poor animals! The last time I went was last August when Miranda visited me.

Ok now to tag...
Laurie/Primal Painter of Energy Art & Healing 
&
Heather of Heather Rae's Musings

sewing, strawberries, and... GPA's

Wow, 2 posts in one day :)

I haven't figured out yet if I should include my 100 day challenge and my regular post together or separate. I'm just going to put them together and see how it works, but I just thought that this topic deserved it's own post.

First, I sewed my very first project from a pattern! All by myself!!

It's a little pouch just a little bit bigger than my cell phone... not too bad for my first time, huh? I bought a few more patterns for some tote bags and a ruffled wallet, so hopefully I'll have some free time soon to work on them!

Next, my strawberry patch is doing incredibly well... I can't seem to keep up with all the strawberries!

I picked a bowl after taking a walk/jog last night , then made a smoothie! I added my own strawberries, of course, a banana, a scoop of sugar free cherry ice cream, and some vanilla soy milk and it was a.maz.ing.

Last, but certainly not least... they posted official grades on-line last night. I have been checking every few hours because I'm a nerd like that. So here's my final official grades for spring semester....

Notice that little number in the upper left of the screenshot? 4.0 :)
I literally squealed and jumped off the couch! I've been working so hard since committing to this degree in january and it's just so nice to see that all my hard work and effort have paid off.

Going back to college is something I've been wanting to do for years. I went to a technical college in Madison, WI immediately after graduating. I had no clue what I wanted to study, so I took general classes (algebra, english, intro to film, and psychology). I didn't really enjoy my classes, the school was small, and I was a young, naive girl from a tiny country town living in a big exciting city. Needless to say, I stopped going to class after about 2 months. I knew eventually I would return, but it's easy to put it off. Ultimately, it's taken a few not so ideal jobs and the big 30 looming in my not-so-distant future to give me the final push.

So there you have it lovely blog friends... I hope you all have a beautiful day :)