Gettin' Back in Gear

Does anyone else feel like their exercise routine gets a little sidetracked during the summer? I still get in a decent amount of exercise, but I haven’t been consistent. I know that part of the reason that I fall off of my schedule is because we tend to go out of town more during the summer months. And I tend to like to spend as much time outside as possible while it's warm so I want to play tennis or go to the pool rather than go to the gym for a cardio workout. Not that that's bad, necessarily, since I'm still being active, but I find that I don't work out as hard when I'm doing fun outside activities. Cold weather apparently motivates me to exercise more! I'm weird like that :)

(image via Google)

Last academic year, I joined the gym at the university where Peter is getting his Ph.D. and started going to their group fitness classes. I went to the Muscle Works (a body sculpting class) and Abs/Low Back classes regularly and really enjoyed them. I'm definitely a group exercise person. The great thing about classes is that there is some accountability with the instructor and your classmates. I love the sense of community!  I've never really liked exercising alone, either running or biking outside by myself or doing an exercise DVD at home. I get bored with exercise so easily by myself (and it's so easy to cheat and cut corners when I'm alone!). The classes also help me go to the gym for cardio workouts on the eliptical machine, stairmaster, treadmill, etc. because they make me stick to a certain schedule. I just get used to going to the gym every day after work.

(image via Google)

 Fortunately, Group Fitness at the University starts back in a few weeks, and I’m excited to get my routine back. They did have a summer schedule, but I opted out since there were no good classes offered after I get off of work at 5:30. I'm really hoping that they have some good options at the 6:15 class time, especially the two classes I mentioned and Yogafit. Has anyone tried Yogafit? I wanted to go to the Yogafit classes last year, but none were offered at convenient times. I love yoga and have felt the need to start practicing again recently since my back and neck have started feeling tight and sore (that's what sitting at a desk all day will do to you!). Let’s think good thoughts that the classes I want will be offered at the right times and we’ll have great instructors who use great music! Last year there was one instructor who acted like a drill sergeant (seriously, his voice was SO incredibly loud!) and used the worst music in class. Not the most inspiring for me!

Weekend Recap

Peter and I had really busy, rather stressful work weeks so this past weekend we just wanted some good old- fashioned downtime :) On Friday night, we played tennis after work, and then we watched the 5th Harry Potter movie (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) since I had finished reading the 5th book last week. We also made these for dessert.

(Sorry for my serious lack of food photography skills. Not quite up to Pioneer Woman's level!)

Mmmm ... root beer floats (a.k.a. heaven in a glass!) :) I havn't had a root beer float in quite awhile, and it was a wonderful summer treat.

On Saturday, I ran some necessary but rather boring errands (library, Target, grocery store, etc.), and when I came home, these beauties were waiting for me on our dining room table :)

Peter has good taste, huh? And I have one sweet, thoughtful husband :) Surprise flowers are my favorite!

I made Baked Ziti and Summer Veggies from last month's issue of Cooking Light.

(I obviously did not take this picture! Image via Cooking Light)

Peter declared this recipe a winner after he put the first forkful in his mouth so I guess I'll be making this again sometime soon! After dinner, we watched Secretariat.

(Image via IMDB)

The movie was OK, but the tailored, 60s fashions that Diane Lane wore throughout the movie were great! Part of me really wishes that white gloves and hats were still expected accessories for women :)

On Sunday, we went to church, ate lunch, and then headed to a local driving range. Peter had not practiced his golf swing in forever and I have never even attempted a golf swing (except for the mini-golf kind!) so we thought it was high time that we went. Peter did really well; he was hitting balls 150 feet and even farther. You can't see it in the picture very well, but there was an old car sitting in the grass that Peter was trying to hit. He never did, but he definitely came close. We wondered if you won some kind of prize if you hit it :)

I was not hitting them quite so far (maybe 50 feet?), but I did manage to hit a few :)

(This is not one of the times I managed to hit the ball 50 feet. If you look near my foot, you can see that the ball did not get very far.)

After running one more errand, we went home, ate leftovers for dinner, and read for awhile. A relaxing end to a relaxing weekend :)

Pinnable Me Friday: Masculine Birthday Parties

I’m linking up with Stefanie from Paw Prints & Pastry Bags again this week! I love Pinnable Me Fridays :)

My husband's 30th birthday is this month, and he is finally (Finally!) letting me throw him a birthday party. He doesn't really like all of the attention that can come with birthdays so it will not be a big shindig. We're going to have an informal dinner party with some of our closest friends here in MD, and I'm going to make some of his favorite dishes. I can't resist adding some special birthday touches, though, so I've been looking at Pinterest for some inspiration. Guy birthday parties are much harder to plan than parties for kids or girlfriends!!! I want things to be masculine but fun, and I think I've found some good ideas this week.

(I still have not figured out how to embed images from Pinterest to my blog! I again apologize if an image isn't attributed correctly!)

(From Kara's Party Ideas via Paige Evans) 

I'm not sure about the poufs hanging overhead, but I love this dessert table! Understated, masculine colors and decorative accents with nothing frilly and plenty of yummy treats :)

(From s220.photobucket.com via Kimber Jepperson)

Since it will be my husband's 30th birthday, these favor boxes caught my eye because of the cute tags. But I also really like how the ribbon and twine jazz up plain white containers. Fun but not girly!

(From google.com via Julie Fei-Fan)

I think Peter might be a bit embarrassed to have so many photos of himself hanging on our wall so I'm not planning on incorporating this into his party. But I think it's very creative :) And I really like the color that the balloons add!

 (From Hostess with the Mostess via Maryland Magnolia)

Peter was born in the 80s so I think that this "Circa 1980s Cassette Tape Party" is very fitting :) I especially love this invitation! And the cookie favors are great too!

(From Hostess with the Mostess via Maryland Magnolia)

This is from a beer tasting birthday party :) This is a great idea for a guy's birthday (Peter would definitely approve!), and I think this dessert table is fairly easy to do and appropriate. The bottle cap-shaped cake is especially fun :)

(From Hostess with the Mostess via Maryland Magnolia)

This is from the same beer tasting party. What a great way to present snacks! They were going for a pub-type presentation, and I think it worked.

(From Hostess with the Mostess via Maryland Magnolia)

My husband isn't an avid golfer, but this dessert table would be perfect if he was. I think it's a great idea to bring someone's favorite hobby into their special day. Look at those Jell-O cups and the donut holes representing golf balls :)

Thursday Thoughts

There's no real theme for today's post. This is just a sampling of the random thoughts running through my brain this Thursday morning :)

1. Crazy About Pippa

(image from InStyle)

Maryland Pink and Green posted on Facebook this morning that Pippa Middleton will be getting her own TV special next month! Crazy About Pippa will air on TLC on August 9th at 9 p.m. ET. According to an article on InStyle, the show "delves into the younger Middleton sister’s life and work." I'm pretty excited about it! Are y'all going to watch?

2. Meg Braff in Southern Living

(images from Southern Living)

I was thrilled when I saw interior designer Meg Braff featured in the July issue of Southern Living.  I was reading the article last night and was surprised to find out that the house that is featured is Meg Braff's family lake house at Pickwick Landing on the TN/MS border. How many times have I gone to Pickwick in my life, never knowing that one of my fave designers might be vacationing nearby?

3. So You Think You Can Dance

Is anyone else addicted to SYTYCD like me? I'm not a huge reality TV show viewer - I'll watch bits and pieces of American Idol and sometimes get into a season of Bachelor/Bachelorette - but I love SYTYCD and rarely miss an episode! I used to dance, and I really enjoy seeing the new directions that dance is taking on the show. I'm still mourning the loss of Miranda this season.

She was such a versatile dancer, and I think she was cut way too soon. Since Miranda has left, I've been cheering for Caitlynn.

(images from Google)

I don't think the guys' performances have been as good this season so I havn't really been rooting for any of them. I'm predicting that Ricky will be cut tonight, but I have no idea which girl will be going home. Who do you think will be going home tonight? Who do you think is going to win it all?

4. New Arrivals at J. Crew

I got the new catalog from J. Crew last night, and I would like one of each of these please, please, please!

Fisherman's Henley Sweater

Stripe-breaker Sweater

Cailey Cord Blazer

(all images from J Crew)

What new items are you craving for autumn?

I hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! We're headed to the beach, and I can't wait to feel sand between my toes :)

Weekend Recap

It was blazing HOT this past weekend in DC which is to be expected in late July, but it seems like I never get used to it. This is the part of summer that I don't like - when I start to "glisten" every time that I walk out of my front door, when my swim in a sizeable swimming pool isn't very refreshing because the outside temp has heated the water to a nice tepid 80 degrees, when my glasses fog every time I exit my car because of the difference in temp between the air-conditioned interior and outside, etc., etc., etc. You would think that this weather would actually make me feel all happy and nostalgic since I grew up in Memphis where summers are generally unbearable, but I didn't really enjoy summer weather growing up in the South either. I love all of the things that come with summer - sundresses, the beach, sangria - just not the sweltering heat and humidity :)

On Friday night, I celebrated my friend, KJB's, birthday with our other friend, LRC, at the Cheesecake Factory. I always forget how much I like cheesecake until I go to the Cheesecake Factory again :) We were seated on the patio which is probably why I forgot to take any pictures since I was so boiling hot, but we had a lot of fun eating and chatting! I always love a girls night out with two of my favorite girls :)

On Saturday I visited a new produce stand in our area. It's called Gorman Produce Farm, and it's attached to a small family farm.

(image from Gorman Produce Farm)

I was a little surprised at how crowded the stand was (parking was scarce!), but it was really fun to look at all of the fruits and veggies on offer. I left with some peaches and a jar of local honey, and I think I'll return this weekend for some tomatoes and probably some more peaches. It was in such a pretty area too; I loved driving through some green countryside on the way there :) After running some errands, I returned home, and Peter and I went for a swim (in a pool that felt more like a hot tub!). I made Skillet Pork Chop Saute with Peaches from Cooking Light for dinner, and it was yummy! As was the Sangria Blanco from Southern Living that I also made to go with dinner :)

(image from Cooking Light)

On Saturday night, we watched Country Strong with Gwyneth Paltrow.

(image from IMDB)

Ugh!!! I had high expectations for this movie since I usually love Gwyneth and the previews looked really good (and I really like country music!), but this movie just fell flat. It could have been good; the acting was decent and the juxtaposition of the young couple just starting out on the country music scene and the older couple who were country music vets was interesting. The plot was confusing and unbelievable, though, and the ending was awful. Disappointing to say the least :(

Sunday was just a relaxing day at home after church. Nothing particuarly exciting, but we did get really involved in watching a nature program on a couple of orphaned cheetah cubs in Africa (Peter and I love our nature programs!) and we made some oh-so-delicious peach milkshakes for dessert. If you have never blended fresh peaches with vanilla ice cream, you need to do so ASAP. One of my favorite summer treats :)

Pinnable Me Friday: Craft time!

I’m linking up with Stefanie from Paw Prints and Pastry Bags again this week! It was so much fun last Friday!

This week I'm exploring the many DIY projects shown on Pinterest. I consider myself to be a little "challenged" when it comes to craft projects, but I do enjoy them when I have the time. Pinterest offers me a lot of inspiration when I'm trying to channel my inner Martha Stewart  :)

(I still have not figured out how to embed images from Pinterest to my blog! I again apologize if an image isn't attributed correctly!)

From marthastewart.com via Jacky {The Sweetest Petunia}

Can you tell that the tray was originally a cookie sheet?! Clever and an oh-so-useful trick for parties! Not only do I love the chevron pattern, but I'm really digging the orange too :)

From marthastewartweddings.com via Danielle Hoxit

Use a map from your travels as the mat in a framed picture from your travels. Ingenious!

From craftberrybush.blogspot.com via Ann Christian

Did you know that you can dye any clear glass jars any color? I didn't so I was really excited when I found this project! I love the look of colored mason jars (especially blue ones!), but they can be hard to find in stores. Now I can just buy clear ones, dye them, and use them as vases, drinking glasses, etc. Problem solved.

From twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com via Emily Rhind

I have tons of extra beautiful scrapbook paper, and these coasters would put it to good use! I could have coasters for different seasons, coasters that coordinate with party themes, monogrammed coasters, etc. All I need are some ceramic tiles and a few other supplies, and I'm good to go.

From designdazzle.blogspot.com via Tara Weigner

Such a colorful, fun mobile for a nursery! And not too difficult to do which is a huge plus :)

From marthastewart.com via Courtney Dyar

Want etched, monogrammed glasses? Now you can make your own! Easy peasy :)

From casasugar.com via Julie Dearing

This is probably the most ambitious project that I pinned, but I think it's within the realm of possibility for me. I love the look of painted dressers and the stenciling and fun drawer pulls add a really unique touch!

Etsy Finds

I've recently started browsing through Etsy during random moments of free time, and while I was totally overwhelmed at first because there is SO much to look at, I've found a few dealers who have some really fun stuff :)  I'm always blown away by how creative and talented people are (especially since I'm craft-challenged!)

1. Bridgman Pottery

(image from Bridgman Pottery)

I have to give a little shout out to a hometown fave, Bridgman Pottery. All of the pottery offered is handmade in Memphis, TN, and is safe to use in the oven, dishwasher, and microwave. The owner describes the pottery style as "slightly wabi-sabi," but I think these pieces would look great in any kitchen.

2. Ideal Bookshelf

(image from Ideal Bookshelf)

Ideal Bookshelf is Jane Mount's ongoing project. She paints "sets of books as a form of portraiture: a person's favorites (of all time, within a genre or from a particular period in their lives); the ones that helped make them who they are today." This, of course, warms my heart as a librarian, and I think I need one of these custom paintings pronto :)

3. Note Trunk

(image from Note Trunk)

Looking for a unique address, kitchen, or wedding stamp? Look no further than Note Trunk :) They specialize in custom stamps that add "a fresh look to all of your paper-goods." They offer both traditional wood mounted and self-inking stamps.

4. Winifred Studios

(images from Winifred Studios)

How cute are those Adirondack chairs? Winifred Studios offers customized party and wedding invitations, stationery, gift tags, and calendars. They can basically cover all of your paper needs with fun, whimsical designs. So adorable!

5. Tessyla

(image from Tessyla)

I came across one of Tessyla's necklaces in the current issue of Southern Living and loved it! I made a beeline to check out Tessyla's Etsy shop and found many more lovely necklaces, earrings, and bracelets on offer. I'm going to have a tough time deciding which one I like best :)

6. Bungalow Bath & Body

(image from Bungalow)

Sugar scrub cubes? Raspberry lemonade scent? Yes, please! I think that these cubes made by Bungalow Bath & Body are such a great idea; instead of scooping a runny handful of scrub out of a jar and losing half of it on the shower floor, you can just pick up a neat little cube instead :) Bungalow also sells soaps, lotions, and lip balms in other yummy scents like pink grapefruit, coconut lime, and cake batter.

Thanks for shopping along with me today! What are your favorite Etsy finds? Do you sell anything on Etsy?