Fabulous Run

(Fair warning...this is long) It's the last day of 2012. Do I even remember everything that went on this year? I was so busy! The end of the previous year changed everything in my work world and I entered 2012 covering four (4!) sports that I didn't know much about. Field hockey, badminton, tennis and triathlon. It was a definite learning experience. Towards the end of January I got into the NYC Half...and that's when I started training. Yep, eight weeks to get ready for a half and I had barely been running. But I switched gyms and my friend Alexa got me to the gym most mornings to get my runs in...bc it was too cold to run outside! My mom, aunt and cousin came up to NYC to support me. When I got out there on race morning, my goal was just to finish. Oh, and to beat Kelli, one of the Real Housewives of NY! Happy to say that I did pass her around mile 7. Who runs that far with their hair down?! As I was nearing the end, I noticed I was going quite a bit faster than I t...

I didn't mean to take a short hiatus from blogging but it happens. Last weekend I went home to Philly for the holidays. It was a short trip. Saturday night I got in and I left to come back Weds afternoon. And my flight home in Philly was delayed, there was some pretty bad weather. And all I could think about was my boss, when I bought the ticket, saying "what if you get snowed in." So I did end up getting out, but not without some hassle. My bags didn't make it and when I did finally get them, everything was all wet. But overall it was a good trip. And then it was right back to work. Work, oh the work, so busy. Random segue ...This is what I bought myself for Christmas...and I love it!! Now I just have to learn how to use it properly! And this cake! I went to Sweet today while I was out at the store. And I want one! I need a reason to get one. I was going to try and make something similar tomorrow night but I now all of a sudden have plans. Who knew? I'm ...

Plans? Me? ...doubtful. I'll be in Houston, where I still know very few people outside of work, with two weeks to go until race day. Everyone will be very busy. It's been a while since I've had real plans on New Years. I actually can't remember the last time I did anything fun. There were the years when I lived Indy, some of which were when I had a boyfriend who lived overseas, and then last year when I was living in Ct. I think I was always home in Pa, I just never did anything. Maybe it ended for me when, many years ago, I went with a girlfriend to Ct so she could visit a boy. That trip was a complete failure. But if I could do something/had people to do something with, I would want to throw a party. I love having people over. A girls night in, fancy, but in PJs. Something like that. Movies, good food, champagne. All sounds good to me. And I've been dying to have a reason to get a cake from Sweet .

Here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week: I. want. this. outfit . And I was totally willing to pay the $350 to get that skirt and sweater. Even though I have absolutely no where to wear it. I would have figured something out. But they don't have the skirt in my size. And I thought about getting the sweater anyway, but it just wouldn't be the same. I will continue to stalk it online however, in the hopes that the skirt comes back. And after a night out in the outfit, I would come home and put on these Ugg slippers . Ya, I said. Uggs. I like them. And I'm proud of it. Get over it. Still obsessed with getting a puppy. So cute. And it's not like I'm traveling for work anymore. But I do work some crazy hours I guess.  They are just so stinking cute. So if anyone has a little french bulldog puppy to give away, you know where to find me.

I didn't want to write about this. It's so tragic and it's getting so much media attention. Obviously I think we should honor those that were lost, but to keep publicizing the shooting - it's just too much. Friends of friends lost their beautiful little girl. The pain involved in losing a sweet, six year old child is unimaginable. Unbearable even. NBC's The Voice paid tribute to the victims last night with a touching rendition of one of my favorite songs ever - Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

So I almost always have the urge to bake something. But with the holiday just around the corner I finally have an excuse! It's cookie time. And Sunday night I decided to try out a cookie I pinned on Pinterest ages ago. The meltaway cookie . Judging by the picture I thought it was a sugar cookie but the texture is actually more like shortbread. I followed the recipe to a T and when I was done mixing it all together, the dough was a crumbly mess. So I just added two more tablespoons of butter and that seemed to do the trick. It's always hard for me to judge baking times. One, because I use a baking stone instead of a cookie sheet and two, bc my oven never seems to actually be the right temperature. I generally just add two minutes to the time and then go from there. My cookies browned a little so I probably should have taken them out sooner, but the one I tried so far tasted good! I would give these cookies (specifically my turn at making them) a B. They're good but...

Ha. If only. There will be no snow where I am this year. Today is December 14 and the forecast for today in Houston is a balmy 72. I knew when I moved here that it wouldn't be the same as home, obviously, but I never imagined 70s in December. No wonder I didn't realize I was leaving for PA in just over a week. I am not ready for the holidays yet. I have decorated my apartment already but I still have several people to buy for and hopefully I will get it all done this weekend. But first I have to figure out what I'm going to buy for them.

Here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week: Lo & Sons - The OMG - Overnight Medium Gym bag. I've seen it on a few blogs, including Breakfast at Toast , and I am in love. It looks like the perfect travel/carryon/weekender/gym bag. I can't remember where I first saw this candle, but I am obsessed. It's cute and holiday-ish. It's got gold polka dots for crying out loud. And it smells like balsam and cedar. I. want. one. But maybe when it goes on sale. $50 for a candle, even a three wick, is a bit much. OMG. I came across a recipe for champagne cupcakes the other day on pinterest. How can I not make them? I love love love cupcakes. And I'm also a huge fan of champagne :) Who doesn't like bubbles? I may have to try these this weekend.

Did I tell you I have a twin sister? No? Well I do. And we couldn't be more different. I have brown hair and brown eyes, she's blonde with blue eyes. And four inches taller than me. She's the loud one, while I've always been more reserved. She has a blog too. http://oohla-la.blogspot.com/ But obviously mine is better. :) There's no competition between us at all. And if you believe that, I  have a bridge I'd like to sell you. I was born 17 minutes before her. And for the first, idk, 15 years of our lives it was the only time I had to myself. My favorite question that people ask us is what does it feel like to be a twin? Umm...nothing? I don't know any different. I'm not gonna lie, we're not as close as we could be. Don't look at me like that, you know it's true. Sometimes we talk every day (ok, talk is a stretch, more like txt or fb), other times (the bad times) we can go months without speaking. But that hasn't happened in a...

Social media. I can't leave it alone. Facebook, twitter, instagram. And pinterest. Oh my pinterest.   I can get lost in there for hours. There is so much to look at. I find recipes and clothes I want and house projects I think are cool.I've planned parties based on things I've found on pinterest and found DIY Christmas gift ideas that I might use. Anything and everything you can think of you can find on pinterest. I have 15 boards (+1 private board - Love this new feature) and over 1,100 pins.I just can't stop myself. AND it made my day when one of my friends told me that my pinterest page was the best and worst thing that ever happened to her and was it bad form to repin every single thing I had ever pinned. :) I think this some ecard is so true! Two of those three things - cooking and working out - are some of my favorite things to pin. I think in the future I will write some pinterest reviews...how a recipe turned out, whether or not a work out was ef...

Here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week... ABC's Scandal. O. M. G. This show is amazing. I love Shonda Rhimes' other shows, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, but Scandal is on a whole other level. Kerry Washington as "fixer" Olivia Pope is fantastic. And her wardrobe...I want it all! I can't wait til Thursday nights to watch. NWM DC Half. Nike has put on a women's half and marathon in San Francisco for the past, idk, at least eight years. Hugely popular, they run a great expo in Union Square and the on-course amenities are great. Then there's the firemen in tuxedos that hand you a Tiffany's box from a silver platter as you cross the finish. Hello. What could be better. They're finally having a race on the east coast. This coming April, they will put on a race in Washington DC. But they're events are so popular that they have gone to a lottery format to gain entry. Myself and several of my family member...

I had a work meeting last night, but I totally DVR'd the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and watched it when I got home. Hey, I said don't judge me. I watched the show almost two hours after it ended and it still had five topics trending on twitter. Those ladies are beautiful. And it makes me want to refocus and rededicate myself to the gym! I mean, holy cow. Alessandra Ambrosio just had a kid in May and she looked amazing. And she was the one wearing the really expensive bra. And I just read she's my age. Do I have time to head to the gym?

The holiday season is here! I can not believe it is already December. I always struggle with what to buy for some people while with others I know exactly what I am going to purchase. And I like to start shopping early...spread the buying out over a few paychecks :) I found a huge gift guide with options for everyone at To & From Magazine . Seriously, it's 152 pages. A little dash of Ash is doing a whole series of gift guides and I particularly loved her "gifts for girls with resolutions" day. And Olympic marathoner Kara Goucher put a list together too... How do you get through your holiday shopping? Do you make lists, are you organized? Or do you just wing it?

There are some really talented ladies out there, blogging their hearts out. And I love to read their stories. See what they're doing, how they get on with their lives. So here are the blogs I stalk on a daily basis: Chic runner A little dash of Ash Em in NYC Made by Girl Travel Babbles One twenty five Young house love Style me swanky Ooh la la Breakfast at toast Sequins and stripes Glitter and pearls Style me pretty Bikinis and passports What Courtney wore The Everygirl

I called Vanity on Friday afternoon to tell them I wasn't happy with my haircut and see what they could do. They offered me two options - have the same stylist fix me or see somebody new. I chose somebody new. Joe could see me at 6:30 that night. He talked to me about my issues with the cut, how he could fix them and them talked me through what he w going to do. I like him, he was very nice and helpful. And while I still don't have the haircut I wanted, I think I got the best out of what he had to work with. And I don't feel like I have a mullet in the back anymore! I would def see him again.

We had an event last night for work, a Hall of Fame dinner, that required cocktail attire. No problems there, I have plenty of dresses. However, I am not the best at doing my own hair. I had been thinking about getting my hair cut for weeks, so I called yesterday morning and made an appointement for just after lunch. Being new here, I wasn't sure where to go. So I asked my coworkers where they go. Vanity on San Felipe. It's a nice looking, upscale sort of place. An Aveda salon. Obviously I don't know the stylists, so I made my appointment based solely on time. And I ended up with Shadya. She seemed nice and I explained to her exactly what I wanted - basically a long bob, showing her the pic below - telling her that I was just getting past the stage where my hair flips out at the bottom (I hate that). I know a flat iron will make my hair do what I want, but I'm not a stylist and I usually don't like the way it turns out. My appointment was for 1:15 and I got o...

So here's what. I love Andy Cohen on Bravo TV and watching his show Watch What Happens Live. And every night on his show he does Here's what three things I'm obsessed with tonight. So I think I'll borrow his idea and change it up a bit to a weekly piece. Here's what three things I'm obsessed with this week: I have been eying this shoe on nordstrom.com for ages. I need to just buy them already! Same goes for these holiday cards from Paper Source that are currently featured on goop.com . And since we are now in the holiday season, I think it's finally appropriate for me to be watching my holiday movies (that I watch all year anyway). White Christmas is one of my favorites!

As of this coming weekend I will have lived in Houston for three months. Originally from the Philly area, I have also lived in South Carolina, Colorado, Indianapolis and Stamford, Ct. Houston is different. So different from any of the other cities I have lived in. It's almost December and it was 80 degrees outside today. 80! It's coming up on Christmas time and they are decorating the palm trees at some of the shopping centers. And in the Galleria, the really big mall, they have an ice skating rink. I guess it's true what they say - everything is bigger in Texas. After three months I still only know a handful of people in town - my coworkers and a few others. It makes for sometimes boring weekends, but at least it's easy on my wallet. But it does have anything and everything I can think of. The shopping, the restaurants, the running trails and parks - there's always something for me to do. The thing is, I think the older you get, the harder it is to ...

I first saw a 20 wishes blog over on travel-babbles.com (it's one of my daily reads). It's a list of twenty fun things that you would like to see, do and experience over the next year. You can see her list here: http://www.travel-babbles.com/2012/11/20-wishes.html Some blogger friends of hers came up with the idea because ""Life is short. Life is not guaranteed." So I thought I'd give it a try. Right now, being new in town, all I have are the daily tasks - eat, work, sleep, run. Sometimes its even as fun as pay bills, do laundry, pick up takeout. I need to get out. Do stuff. Meet people. Get. A. Life. So here's my list of 20 things that I want to accomplish in 2013: 1. Get a good camera done 2. Take a solo vacation 3. Keep up with this blog 4. Join a running club 5. Run the Nike Women's half in DC didn't get in 5. Go to a concert 6. Finish decorating my apartment 7. Get another tattoo 8. Make at least four new recipes a month 9....

Holidays are big in my family. HUGE. Last year there were 30(ish) people at my Aunt's house where I had dinner...and that wasn't even all of us. This year, now that I'm in Houston, I wasn't able to go home. It was the first Thanksgiving I have ever missed. (I also ran my first-ever Turkey Trot. One word - blisters.) But lucky for me, my twin sister decided she would come out to visit for a few days. We decided on a menu early on - turkey breast, green beans, twice-baked potato, salad, stuffing - all of which I needed to get before she got here because she wasn't coming until late Weds night. I also added Sprinkles cupcakes, corn bread muffins, white wine and some cookies to the menu. I went a little overboard while shopping for my first turkey day and spent way more than I should have. And we definitely had way more food than was necessary for two people. But Crate and Barrel, Paper Source, Whole Foods and Central Market are my friends. And, truth be told...

I had told my boss after we ran a half marathon at the end of October that, hands down, I was not running the 25km race (that's 15.5 miles!) three weeks later. I took 10 days completely off from running. That was when I found out that another guy in the office had gotten me an entry for the 25k! So I started running again. But not very far. This was also around the time that I started the My Fit Foods 21 Day Challenge. It's a company here in Houston and you eat their food, and only their food, for 21 days. It's three meals and two snacks a day (about 1200 calories for me) and you can only drink water. So race morning comes and I was so nervous. I've never run that far, ever, and I wasn't sure I was going to that day. It was a loop course (three times a five mile loop) and I thought, well maybe I will just run two. I got out to the start line, the gun went off, and off we all went. The first loop was great. For the amount I had been running, I felt very comfort...

Hi new blog! As an avid reader of beautiful blogs with pretty things and inspiring ideas, I thought it was finally time to create my own. A place for my thoughts, photos and favorite things. I hope you enjoy and check back often.