An 8 year [non-celebratory] Anniversary

CINDY + ERNESTO = EIGHT YEARS! OMG!

Haha! I love Someecards - they had plenty of other appropriate cards for anniversaries. We have decided that we will only really "celebrate" the anniversaries divisible by 5. That means Ernesto has 2 years to plan the best surprise vacation for our tenth!

It was a special day without even planning. My parents have been into biking for a while now and have sought out different bike paths in Ohio and they wanted to take us.
We did have to drive about 40 minutes to reach the path, but it was well worth it. It runs from Lisbon Ohio (the 2nd oldest town in the state) to Lithonia (I have no trivia about this town)
The weather is beautiful here now and it is very green due to all the Spring rain. The path is paved and flat, so it's an easy ride. We rode 20 miles.
The trail was mostly in the shade and surrounded by fields. I love the tractor crossing sign.

My parents wanted to take us to a cool place to eat. I was immediately impressed by the Steel Trolley Diner (140 E. Lincoln Way, Lisbon, 330-424-3663) when we pulled up.
I was even more impressed when I saw that this little diner was featured on the Food Network and won the "Best Burger in the Country Award" at the National Hamburger Festival in 2006.

Of course I had to try a burger. The All-American Red White & Blue Burger was tasty. Cooked medium rare and piled with blue cheese. De-lish!Speaking of medium rare, I can eat red meat daily and not get sick of it. Ernesto and I went to a butcher shop by my parents and bought 2 huge porterhouse steaks and some filet mignon for dinner and fired up the grill. We threw zucchini and prosciutto wrapped asparagus on the grill too. Don't be jealous.

THE LIST...38 Things To Do Before I Turn 39!

Wait a minute...I hope you don't think I'm turning 39 anytime soon! Please! I have 3 1/2 more years! (yikes that isn't long is it?)
Anyway, I am a serious list maker...I have a journal with me at all times, and whenever I think of things I don't want to forget, I whip it out.

THE LIST was inspired by a great blog Hula Seventy. I have been following her for a while. Her blog makes me smile. She also loves to makes lists.
I will be referring back to this A LOT over the next few years....as I cross [hopefully] every item off The List!

1. take piano lessons
2. overnight hiking trip
3. get a job
4. buy a sewing machine
5. run 4 more 1/2 marathons
6. get Viva La Cocina [Mexican food blog] up and running
7. fix up Cannondale road bike and use it
8. take photography classes
9. replace my lost wedding ring
10. write a guest blog for someone else
11. scan my old pictures
12. hike Machu Picchu
13. wear a thong on the beach
14. finish crocheting turquoise blanket
15. get a Mexican passport
16. visit Maureen and Lauren in the US
17. have kid(s)
18. visit Lucy in Australia
19. Introduce [my jewelry line] Zafiro to the world
20. buy a parrot
21. get Rare back
22. do 3 proper crossfit [kipping] pull ups
23. open KitchenAid mixer wedding gift
24. paint a room turquoise
25. bake a cake or tart
26. make a wedding photo album
27. host a food cook-off challenge
28. sew a skirt & apron
29. tour Sonoma wine country
30. buy belly dancer outfit (like this from Istanbul) or at least take another class
31. get an iphone
32. embroider a peacock
33. read 5 books
34. frame artwork from my travels
35. use my FLIP Camera
36. plant a vegetable garden
37. reupholster a chair
38. buy a house

Ayyy Kelli, To Be 18 Again

I can't believe how time flies! My niece Kelli just graduated from High school. I was only 17 years old when she was born! I found this pic the other day and my dad scanned it for me. I think Kelli was 3 and I was 20 when it was taken. Now she is heading off to college, my alma mater, The Ohio State University. (my sister is an empty nester at 40, and I don't even have a nest yet) Here is the beautiful grad with her mom and tia CindyKelli's graduation party was on Saturday. Jenny and Scott have a huge back yard, perfect for parties. The weather was perfect and it was so much fun - there we over 100 people there! Kelli and my mom are standing in front of an awesome picture collage that she made for her partyThe party went on long after the guests left. It was so cool hanging out with everyone. My brother Brrrian drove 9 hours just to spend 2 days with us. wow! Unfortunately, my brother Tim couldn't make it. The next day we all went to cheer for Kelli during her commencement ceremony. There were about 300 kids in her class. [read: long ceremony]
Since her last name starts with S, she was in the last row to be called, but looking very excited as they said her name. Of course when her name was called we made a big scene and held up a sign with her name on it. Everyone is so proud of her. Especially her parents. Who would have thought they would raise such a smart, beautiful and talented daughter? Just kidding SchaffNers!!We did lots of posing with the glowing grad, she wanted pics with everyone. She is a picture-ass!

Brrrian decided he would give his own speech at the podium after the ceremony.

I feel very lucky to know my neice so well. I really admire her. She is going to be successful in anything she does. Her "plan" for a major is journalism and photography, but we all know how a major can change a few times during a college career. ha! I hope she does stick with that though so she can teach me everything she knows! Im so excited for her, do you remember moving away from home and your first year of college? OMG! The stories I could tell. I hope she will tell hers, at least the edited version on her blog, which she promised she would start updating soon. I can't wait to hear all her adventures.

Mama Im Coming Home

When I was in college, my parents sold the house where I grew up in the country (North Lawrence, Ohio) and moved to Canton, Ohio. Even though I've never lived in the house my parents built there, I still consider it home. Home is anywhere that my parents live. We flew into Akron Canton airport and Paul's Shuttle pulled right up. I greeting them with my happy dance. You can't read my dad's shirt here, but it says Paul's Airport Shuttle. He said that business really slowed down while I was in Costa Rica. haha It was like we were carried away to a private oasis. This is how I feel in my parents' back yard. My mom's garden is amazing. We were home less than a half hour and my mom and I did a "tour of the estate" I was dying to see all her plants and flowers. Everything was blooming.My dad and Ernesto jumped into a little landscape lighting project, trying to decide where to place the lights. Here are some of my favorites:

Sweet Williams Chives

Lupine

foxgloves

The Porter, Atlanta

Wednesday was a beautiful afternoon in Hotlanta and Neto had just finished his big lighting job (someone has to work!). This was reason enough to walk down the street to a bar called the Porter in Little 5 Points. Its another "gastropub" (pub with higher end food) The style of the Porter is rustic with a cement bar stretching down the long narrow space. Lined with chatty locals, and no pretentiousness, it's a true pub atmosphere. The beer list is insane -about 4 pages long. Smita and I both tried the Blanche de Bruxelles (a blonde beer spiced with coriander, bitter orange peel, nicely lemony) So refreshing!

The apps were equally satisfying. We feasted on the Belgian fries, the brandade (a codfish, potato and garlic confit) and the fried goat cheese sticks.

The Porter has outdoor seating [on tree stumps], friendly service, and interesting people watching (if you have been to Little 5 before you know what I mean) If you are looking for a good happy hour or are a beer connoisseur, I highly recommend you stop by.

I Have Been Tagged!

Rachel over at Bling on my Sewing Machine just completed this questionnaire on her blog and tagged anyone who reads it. I love these things. Consider yourself tagged too.


What is your current obsession? watching Food Network

What is your current favorite memory? My year in Costa Rica (watch recap here)

Starbucks or Peet's? Starbucks, we don't have Peets

What's for dinner? Indian tuna cakes and polenta fries

What would you eat for your last meal? My husbands' fish tacos

What's the last thing you bought? 2 Joey lipsticks and white Puma loafers

What is your favorite ice-cream flavour? I can't pick one

What do you think of the person who tagged you? She is inspiring

What was your favorite toy growing up? barbie dolls

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? To my parents house

Which language do you want to learn? Portuguese

What's your favorite quote (for now)? "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream." -Mark Twain

What is your favorite colour? Turquoise

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? jeans by seven

What is your dream job? hosting my own travel show

What is your worst habit? putting y on the end of one syllable words (like kissy kiss)

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on? summer dress and these sandals

Do you admire any one's style? Jessica from What I Wore

Describe your personal style? I forgot after Costa Rica, I have to rediscover it

What are you going to do after this? Go for a much needed pedicure

What are your favourite movies? The Fugitive, Crash, Kite Runner, American Beauty

What is your favourite fruit? Mangoes

What inspires you? traveling, browsing magazines/blogs, good conversations, my mom

Your favorite book? Angels & Demons

Do you collect something? Sand from the beaches I've visited

What are you most proud of? that I volunteered for Habitat for Humanity for a year

What do you like most about yourself? that I'm always friendly and open minded

What is your go-to nail polish color? OPI Dulce de Leche

If you're interested and want to join in, consider yourself tagged.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

Melissa over at  The Inspired Room  writes a weekly series called Beautiful Life,  and I thought this post fits perfectly with her theme.

Yesterday when Smita asked me to go to the Atlanta Botanical Garden, I was so excited.  Yes, gardening excites me, especially since I have not been able to garden for about one year now.  Damn Costa Rica! Ha!

I had a year membership to the gardens a few years ago. Talk about a beautiful life.    30 acres  right in the middle of Midtown Atlanta with every type of plant you can imagine.  There are a bunch of specialty gardens:  tropical, dessert, orchids,  Japanese garden, the list goes on.   During the warmer months they even hold weekly cocktail hours.  There was a 9 month exhibition there in 2004 called Chihuly in the Garden, where 50 original blown glass sculptures by internationally renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly were on display.  The exhibit is no longer happening but there are still a couple installations of his work, like this beautiful blue one.

This was the perfect spot to play with my new camera.   I was happy that after my long absence from gardening I still remember so many plants.  My mom is a great teacher.

{snapdragons}

{salvia}

{hydrangea}

This is a new one for me. I fell in love, but forget the exact name.  I know it is in the allium family.  Onion something... Below is one of my favorite kinds of plants.  Stonecrop, which is in the sedum family.
I think I have much to learn, for example, it was so sunny and I think  the ISO on the camera needed to be adjusted so the colors would come out more vividly.  Like in this next pic.  (I like that it has some of the buildings in the background though so I thought I would share)This is the Dorothy Chapman Fuqua Conservatory its a beautiful building which houses the tropical and dessert gardens.  
I felt so happy afterwards. Besides hanging out with my great friend,  I felt so inspired.  I really need to get a garden quickly.  

CrossFit in Atlanta

Ernesto and I just got back from doing a kick-ass CrossFit workout in a CrossFit Gym.  Our friends Tori and Marcus work out at CrossFit Decatur and although we have been doing the workouts for a while in Costa Rica, we have never been to an actual CrossFit  gym.  It was awesome!  In a warehouse style building, it was airy and open with all the garage doors open.

The "WOD" was called KELLY.   Run 400 meters, 30 jumps onto a 24" box, and 30 wall balls.  Ernesto took a couple pics of me.  Yes, he finished before me.You must throw the medicine ball up to the top line and catch it and squat till your ass hits the ball on the floor.  5 rounds for time. It hurt.  Bad.Ernesto finished at 29:14 and I finished at 41:06.  The best part of this gym is that you are working out with a group of people and their are 2 trainers cheering [read: pushing] you to finish fast. UGH!  

You pay for this "personal training" too.  $150 single/$250 per couple per month.  Steep yes, but your ass will be in shape in a few months.  Literally.  I would consider this splurge, once we "settle down."  It can be counted as entertainment money.  Here is Marcus (blue shirt) with us.  Thanks for inviting us dude, it was a great way to start off our saturday morning.The gym is right by our old house, so we had to do a drive by.  It made me a little teary eyed.  It looked so cute.I wanted to get out and look at MY garden.   We were shocked to see that they cut down the HUGE oak tree in front.  

Welcome to Atlanta & Happy Bday Smita

It is so weird to be back...mostly because we don't have a home.  Walking through Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood was so beautiful, I was feeling so nostalgic.  

 It was almost like we never left (well, not quite).  I do think Atlanta is really a nice city though.  Maybe we will set up here again.  This house would be just fine.

Ok, seriously.  We did go look at a house in East Atlanta.  I saw it online a few weeks ago and I keep thinking about it.  

It is another fixer-upper.  Someone had already started renovating the inside, but the outside needs new siding and a roof (at the very least)  I cant believe I would even consider buying another fixer-upper...but this is a great neighborhood where we could stay in for a long time and it's low price for the area.  It has a big back yard, big front porch, 4 bedrooms/3 bath and the street is so cute.  Isn't it cute?   You can walk to East Atlanta Village!   See virtual tour here.   Its just a thought.  I can hear what you are thinking...and the answer is - yes, Ill need to get a job! Ha!
Its just that Im feeling so domestic lately.  I wanted to bake and it was Smita's Birthday so I had a perfect excuse.  I picked a lemon upside down cake recipe from Food & Wine Magazine and add fresh ginger.  It turned out just like the picture.
We met Smita and Jen at TAP, a "gastropub" right in Midtown. (14th & Peachtree)  The weather was perfect and although we were just going to stay for drinks before heading to a Cambodian restaurant (the bday girl's choice) we sat outside for hours and ended up eating right there.

This may have had something to do with it as well.

I gave Smita her gift from Ernesto and I, a beautiful Mola from Panama.  She has a lot of wall hangings from her travels, so I knew she would like this.

It felt nice to dress up, and I had nothing in my bag but CR clothes.  I borrowed this beautiful orange silk shirt from Smita and I want to steal it...shhhhhhhh!  Being amongst of the tall buildings in the middle of the city really was nice.  I really am a city girl...well, and a beach girl...and a mountain girl...