Three Things I'm Loving Right Now

For C's graduation I wanted to give him something that showcased our many adventures together.  I saw this idea on pinterest and thought it was perfect.  I bought a three picture frame and got the maps of everywhere we've lived up until this point.  So, the three things I'm loving right now are all the cities that have came and gone through our lives together.

East Lansing - although we weren't really friends or dating at the time we both lived and went to college here!

Dallas - where we first were a real couple not doing long distance. We stayed for a little over 2 years and although it wasn't my favorite city, we had some fun times and really grew as a couple.

Phoenix - current city and looking forward to the many memories to come.

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Things I'll Miss About Dallas Part II

My movie boyfriend, Jill, and our ability to always sit next to the craziest people.  She might not miss me dragging her to romantic, lame movies, but it just won't be the same without her.  I'll miss her sarcasm and our obsession with our puppies.

Little Jack!  I actually had one last weekend with the little guy as his owner was out of town on my last weekend in Dallas.  I'll miss his little face and Mia will miss her buddy.

Last, but not least, my friend Hus-pants.  Seen here looking her finest on my last night out in Dallas.  I will miss chatting throughout the day, our obsession with T, our similar anxieties, and her support for the changes I"m making in my life right now.

These places and people (and dogs) are going to be all very missed, and am proud of have had them all in my life.  I have one more Dallas restaurant review next week, but other than that I'm officially a Tempe, Arizona resident.  Thank you Dallas for great times and some amazing people and experiences.  Bring on the next step!

Things I'll Miss About Dallas Part I

Spring Creek Natural Area.  It was my favorite place to walk Mia, and even thought the heat is making outdoor activities a little harder, it's still such a great park!

Plus it has little streams, where Mia first learned to swim.

Downtown Plano.  I've lived here for the last year, and really enjoyed this historic downtown area.  The restaurants are great and it's so charming.

Haggard Park, located right next to downtown Plano.  Perfect walk from my apartment, and it's a great place to sit and read a book.  They also have concerts and different activities at night!

And of course, Central Market.  I will miss wandering around the aisles gawking at all the amazing food.  I will miss the many cooking classes I've taken.  I will miss the quick meals I could pick up if I didn't feel like cooking.  

And the desserts, this picture says it all.  I hope Arizona has a grocery store that can compete!

Big News

Recently I read this post listing 15 things that you need to give up to be happy.  The title caught my attention, and as I read on I enjoyed it more and more.  Think positively, be happy with who you are and where you are, don't blame, don't criticize, be present, don't limit yourself.  All great messages, so please make sure you read and think each bullet through and relate it to your life.  The last bullet is what inspired me to write this post about 2 months early (on April 6th to be exact) and to finally say my big news out loud. 

"15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path."

After 4 1/2 years of working in the retail industry I have decided to make a big career change, and couldn't be more excited.  Ultimately I would like to have my own bakery/cafe, as of now the road that will lead me there is a little fuzzy.  What I do know is I am going to start working in some kind of bakery or restaurant in near future, specifics to come as I come to them myself.  I'll be deciding if I want to start culinary school or continue to work in restaurants soaking up as much as I can. 

The decision to this has been very difficult, the style of living I have become accustomed to over the last years will dramatically change.  I also hope to be happier.  I am no longer going to let my check book and early ideas of what success means hinder my life.  I am going to be doing something I love, everyday.  I'm going to own it and live it, and I couldn't be more excited to share the news and start actually doing it!

Along with this change also comes a move.  C has graduated from school with his masters in electrical engineering and taken a great job in Phoenix, Arizona.  I couldn't be more proud of him, he will be doing something he really enjoys and it's an awesome opportunity for him.  Although I've never thought of Dallas as home, there are things I will miss.  Change is inevitable, and I am excited to take this next leap together. 

Finally, I want to thank YOU.  I started this blog on a whim of boredom and, quite frankly, the need and want to eat some tasty dishes.  It's turned into so much more for me, it's turned into something I want to spend my days doing.  Thank you for reading, commenting and being part of the journey that's gotten me here.  I truly appreciate it, and look forward to sharing the upcoming adventures with you as well!  Guess the only thing left to say is.. wish me luck?  I hope the new adventure will keep C and I  laughing and happy.

Happy Monday! 

Birthday Dinner

Thought I would share some photos of my birthday dinner!  Starting with the cool designs in the butter.

Side of Mac and Cheese?  Sure, why not! 

Dessert -- after we had eaten most of it :)  Everyone deserves a tasty birthday dinner.  Where's your favorite place to celebrate a special occasion?

Happy Monday! 

Possum Kingdom Lake

C took me to Possum Kingdom Lake for my birthday weekend.  I had a great time, it was so nice to get out of Dallas and slow down for a while.  

Mia had a great time, swimming and acting like a hunter :)

The area is so gorgeous.  It's a must see for anyone that lives in the Dallas area.

We visited the area last year around the same time, you can see my post here.  They were having a lot of wild fires around the lake, and we saw the outcome of the fires as we walked around. 

I know it's a good thing, as C has told me, but it was still sad looking.

There were bright areas though, that were starting to bloom again.  

I love this picture.  Among all of the damaged trees, new life. 

Thank you C for the great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Friday Morning via Instagram

Spring has sprung in Dallas.  Hopefully it's not a fake out! 

Have a great weekend everyone :)

Momo Italian Restaurant

This year for Valentine's Day we did a little stuff for me: going out to eat, and a little stuff for C: going out drinking and dancing.  A little of both turned out to be a really fun night.  I was proud to hear that he enjoyed this restaurant as much as I did, which is a huge compliment because C can be hard to impress!  Momo is an authentic Italian restaurant north east of Dallas, and although the exterior isn't much to look at, the inside and food is what counts, and it was awesome.  It's BYOB so we brought our own wine to enjoy.  

After you order they bring out some fresh bread and homemade pesto.  At this point I was getting more and more excited for my entree because everything tasted so fresh!

C ordered the Fettuccine Alla Santalloro and although I was too consumed in my dish to try his, he really enjoyed it.  All of their pasta is homemade, which makes the pasta dishes taste so different and unique.

I ordered the Ravioli de Carne, homemade pasta stuffed with beef, pork, cheese and served in a wine sauce. It was so delicious,  the mushroom cream sauce is to die for!  It was the perfect serving size, and the prices are so reasonable.  Especially because everything is homemade.

Digging in and enjoying our wine!

We ended the night with tiramisu and coffee.  I LOVED this place.  If you live in the Dallas area or are ever visiting and are in the mood for fresh, homemade, reasonably priced and refreshing Italian you won't be disappointed by visiting Momo!

Dallas "Winter"

This is what I wake up to everyday.  Yes, I have Crocs.  No, I don't think they're cute.  I do, however, think they're the most comfortable shoe ever, and they're easy to slip on and take Mia outside.  Unfortunately Mia likes to eat 3 things: Crocs, my hands, and C's hands.  Makes it hard to get them on my feet and out every morning... she's so cute though, I can't stay mad for too long. 

Last year at this time we had a HUGE snow storm.  Look at how different the landscape looks now to how it looked last year.  I'm starting to wonder if this will be Dallas' winter this year.  I'm ok with it; being that we have a new puppy, the nice weather has made it a lot easier for us to take care of her. 

Taking walks in the morning with Mia and my crocs, without socks, is actually really nice.  We both enjoy the weather and sunrise.

Being that I'm from the Midwest, I'm a little concerned if/when Mia does see some snow she'll be a little freaked out.  We'll deal with that when the time comes though, and I'm starting to think it won't be this winter!

Make sure you stop back here tomorrow for a great Super Bowl appetizer!

I'm pretty happy when it rains

I don't think I truly appreciated rain until I moved to Texas.  This weekend it rained for the first time in probably five months.  I'm not exaggerating either, it would sprinkle for a couple minutes every once and a while, but then would stop.  This weekend I actually had to use my wind shield wipers, and I could hear the rain hitting the windows as I fell asleep.  I don't know about you, but I sleep so peacefully when it rains and feel completely rested when I wake up.  So, I won't go as far as to say I'm only happy when it rains, but I do get pretty happy!

In honor of the rainy day I thought I would post some rainy pictures from my new obsession: Pinterest.  If you haven't checked it out, please do.  It's like a blog with only pictures, and pictures of everything you can imagine...

....including rain. 

Lake Texoma

This year for the 4th of July, C and I took a trip to Lake Texoma to go camping for the weekend.  Yes, we are that nuts to think that camping in Texas in July is a good idea.  We still had a great time, despite the heat.  It was nice to get out of the city, and be surrounded my nature!  

I was really surprised how beautiful and large the lake was, it was gorgeous.  We had the perfect camping site, right on the tip of a peninsula.  There were cliffs everywhere, and I took a lot of pictures.

We also could walk down from our site right onto the beach.  Considering how hot it was that's what we did all day was lay in the water.

C eating breakfast and relaxing!

Right across from us I found my dream house.  If anyone knows the person who lives here let them know I want to become friends. :) 

This was the beach before it got very busy, but it was still really fun.  I think the 4th of July is meant to be celebrated on a lake, so we picked a great place.  I'll show more pictures next week.

Hope you all have a great weekend, see you back here on Monday!