Vacation!!!

Well friends, it's time for me to take a vacation. It couldn't have come at a better time!

I'll be spending the weekend in Duluth, MN. Chilling near Lake Superior, cruising Canal Park, haunting the Glensheen Mansion.

Monday I head to Florida! I need sun!!!

And of course, watching lots of MN Twins Baseball!!!

Have a great week! I know i will!

Sometimes you just need....

A bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates....

I got both yesterday! My wonderful boyfriend showed up last night with these in hand... It was such a sweet gesture! I had a stupid day at work and was feeling pretty blue, not in the best of moods. So we made spaghetti carbonara and salad, watched some Lost and tried a few chocolates. (okay he had 1, I tried the rest).

I looked at him and said, How did I get so lucky?

Really, how did I? Wow!

Thanks T! You're the best.

Chandelier Magic!

I really want a chandelier for my dining room. But everything I look at is too expensive or not what I'm looking for.

My mom gave me one of her old brass chandeliers and I'm thinking about spray painting it...

What do you think? Maybe a bright Fuchsia or a Hot pink?

I saw this idea on Design Sponge, I love the before and after!

There are also these examples on Apartment Therapy:

There is so many things you could do to jazz up an old brass chandelier! I'm so excited to make over mine! I'll post my before and afters when I'm finished!

TEN

Here is something stimulating and interesting for you to read on a Monday:

10 Important Facts

Some surprising medical facts for you to consider whilst going about your daily chores today:

1) No one in the entire world can touch all their own teeth with their tongue.
2) Mad people everywhere are now trying this.
4) You've just tried, and discovered this to be untrue.
5) Now you're sitting there with a crazed smile on your face.
5) Bet you didn't notice that I'd skipped number 3!
6) And now you've gone back to check.
7) Bet you didn't notice that I'd skipped number 6 either.
8) Fooled again...
9) Bet you didn't notice that number 5 appears twice!
10) Now that hopefully you've got a smile on your face, remember that that's what it's all about, and go back to your daily chores...
Wasn't that fun?

One more week and then I am in Florida! Sunshine and Baseball are calling my name! Thanks for sticking around Mauer!!!!

All things good...

It's been a good couple of days despite the rain. My car that horribly fell apart pulling into my driveway is now fixed! Spring is this weekend, Spring break is in less than 2 weeks! Florida\Sunshine\Twins Baseball\Pool\Beach\Bliss.

The highlights of the past week included:

La Boheme at the MN Opera. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was funny and sad and sappy. Am I an Opera convert? I believe I just might be!

Last night T and I went to The Dancing Ganesha Indian Restaurant. We had a $50 Gift Card to use and we did not hesitate to use it. My favorite was the Chicken Keelgiri Korma, chicken chunks cooked in a coconut curry sauce with cilantro and chillies. We loved everything we ate, and we got a ton of food!

I also had two of these:

Mango Mojitos!

Gossip Girl is back... my horrible guilty pleasure that my 33 year old self watches without hesitation. I did not really like last nights episode. The whole Chuck finding his mom part is boring. Move on. What I really want to know is, When are they bringing the real Chuck Bass back? This one dresses too conservatively and is losing his edge. I'm Chuck Bass. Own it!

I Can Read Movies!

I love these I Can Read Movies Book Covers! I'm thinking about framing a few! Especially the Sixteen Candles cover.

Happy Monday!

RIP

It's so sad when your childhood icons pass away...

I just learned that today Merlin Olsen, who played Jonathon Garvey on Little House on the Prairie passed away. I always thought he was the nicest man next to Charles Ingalls on that show. My dad once gave me a Merlin Olsen Pro-Football trading card! I still have it!

And of course how sad that Corey Haim died?! I think things were a little tough for him and I feel bad for the way his life turned out. So very sad. I first remember seeing him in Lucas and loving his lovable dorkiness. And then I loved him the "Corey" movies! Licenced to Drive, Lost Boys and Dream a Little Dream. I saw that movie in the theatre a few times and thought the Coreys were sooo cool!

Well anyway... so sad how his life had to end. :(

The Perfect Storm

Last night T and I were watching Lost. T is my chauffeur if you are wondering who this mystery person is. Anyway, after Lost it was time for T to drive me home. We walked out to his car and then T said, Oh Darn girl, I locked my keys in the house.
I just laughed it off (he did this few weeks ago too).
I said, NICE!
It was raining by the way. And chilly to the bone. Thankfully, his car was unlocked so we sat in there. He placed one pleading call to his roommate.
Please come home and let us in.
And then T's phone died.
Here we were, in the dark, raining, no phone, no keys.... I embraced him and said,
It was nice knowing you I'm glad we could die together. Or maybe I didn't say that? But it sounds so dramatic and sabrina-esque.
But then he said, I think there is a window we could climb through.
OKAY!
Sure enough his living room window was unlocked.
He pulled the screen off.
He hoisted me up.
Through the window I went.
Lucky for me there was a futon underneath the window.
But unfortunately I did a face plant on some wood carving with David Hasselhoff's picture glued to it.
Kristina, I kid you not! The Hoff glued to a piece of wood!!!
Then the neighbors called the cops and when the cops came I yelled,
It's not breaking and entering if it's your own house yo!!
Actually, that didn't happen but I just wanted to spice the story up.
T jsut got his keys and drove me home.

The end.

Spring Decorating

Although Spring is a few weeks away I decided to start putting out my Easter\Spring decorations. Oh and Gossip Girl is Back!

LMAD!

Once when I was in Vegas, I appeared on little show called Let's Make a Deal.

I didn't win any money but I won a lot of respect from the Strip.

Meow!

Faaa Laaaa Laaaa

For the first time in my life I am going to the Operaaaaah! Not Oprah, OPERA LA LA LA LA....
Next week my boy T and I are going to see La Bohème. I've heard wonderful things about it and I so am excited to go. The Opera always sounds like such a romantic thing. Some of my favorite scenes in movies are of the Opera.

The scene in the 1994 version of Little Women when Jo March and Professor Baehr are at the Opera and he is telling her what they are singing about...


"My soul is an opening, love is a fatal power. Your heart understood mine in the depth of the fragrant night. I listened to your ravished soul; to your beloved voice. Your heart understood mine."

I love the Opera scene in Life is Beautiful...



And of course who doesn't love the scene where the Marriage of Figaro is played over the loud speaker in Shawshank Redemption?



"I have no idea to this day what those two Italian ladies were singing about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I'd like to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free."

I am very over the moon for my Opera experience. I'll let you know how it goes!

If you have been did you enjoy it? Would you go again?

For Today...

I borrowed this idea from my friend Laurie over at Thru My Cottage Door.

FOR TODAY

Outside my window... blue skies, sunshine and melting snow!

I am thinking... My trip to Florida is going to be wonderful and relaxing!

I am thankful for... So much! I am beyond blessed.

From the kitchen... I am going to attempt to make Pumpkin Butter for someone special.

I am wearing... Dark jeans, black cami, black cardigan, bright yellow scarf, big white flower cut-out earrings, yellow flats.

I am creating... felt, fabric and ribbon pins.

I am going... to dinner tonight and enjoying lots of Mexican goodness & margaritas.

I am reading... Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jaime Ford

I am hoping... That it works out to take a road trip this summer to visit my friends in Michigan and then on to New England!

I am hearing... Pandora Radio, Swoon by Imogen Heap.

Around the house... Easter\Spring decorations waiting to be put up.

One of my favorite things... Fresh flowers on my desk at work. It makes the day so much better.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Spending time with T, hanging with my brother and a birthday party!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

TWD ~ Toasted-Coconut Custard Tart

I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but since I didn't bake very much last month, I wanted to make sure to try this one. I kinda fudged a little bit and didn't make the sweet tart crust, but used a puffed pastry dough.

I have never toasted coconut before, so I wasn't sure when to take it out of the oven. Some of the flakes were turning really brown while others were still white. I just eventually took it out of the oven and said, to heck with it.

I had no problem making the custard, but I didn't have any coriander, nor did I have dark rum. So I just added more vanilla. Everything was going smoothly until I realized i forgot to add the butter pieces. I honestly didn't feel like this recipe needed butter, so I was fine leaving it out. And you know what? It tasted just fine. I also didn't make the whip cream topping. I didn't want to buy the heavy whipping cream. It was torture enough buying whole milk (since I do not drink dairy products), so I just skipped the topping.

This recipe was so simple and easy to make and I actually really liked it with the puff pastry, very light and flaky. I am on a health kick (or trying at least, darn Easter candy!) So I just had a bite, and I am bringing the whole thing to work tomorrow for my wonderful colleagues.

Toasted-Coconut Custard Tart