Series
Categories
Shop Now
My Picks
follow Archives

Friday, January 31, 2014

CLAY

I've been thinking a lot about my husband lately. Not that I don't normally think about him, but for the past month, he's just put me in complete awe when I sit down and take the time to process everything he's managed to accomplish at his age.

I usually choose just one song to go with most of my Art + Story pieces, but it was impossible for me to pick only one song for this country-boy / musician / thrill-seeker / entrepreneur guy. So, here are the two songs that remind me of him: Perpetuum Mobile by Penguin Cafe Orchestra & Sunny and 75 by Joe Nichols.

This one, appropriately, is titled Clay.
He is beautiful, all-around--as beautiful as a man can be.

I can’t find a way to sum him up completely; he’s just made of too many parts. He is my symphony; he opens me up to the life around me, teaching me to love and better understand others in this world. His rhythm is undeniably gorgeous. He works with perseverance, strength, and purity. He quite literally sweeps me off my feet on any normal night when we’re cooking dinner together in the kitchen, just to lift me up, hold me tight, and watch me grin. He’s there to push me further than I ever think possible. If he doesn’t know the answer, he’ll work to find it, and his curiosity keeps him learning every single day. How many times has he told me to look up something if I’m not familiar with it? Too many, I know. He encourages me through not only through his words, but also by his genuine actions.

He is lovable and hilarious, making me laugh until I can’t take it anymore. He is spontaneous, taking me up the smoky mountains, diving beside me into the sparkling cold waters, and sitting beside me for hours, gazing up into the starry night skies until the sun gradually ascends over the pink horizon. Yes, you can be sure that he’ll play to the extreme, hurling off his shoes and charging on the slippery grass, bolting into the air and landing hard on his frame just to catch the Frisbee, football, or whatever is it he’s going after. I’ve listened wide-eyed when he tells me about his stories, from the moment he narrowly sailed his way out of the ship’s path as a teenager in San Francisco’s freezing waters, to the many times he’s come home with broken limbs, unbeknownst to him until an entire week later. Despite his play-hard attitude, he always plays gently with me, always safeguarding the delicacies in his life.

He is the believer who is constantly challenging me to have faith, he is the violinist who serenades me in the daylight, he is the football player who is the epitome of rough, yet he tries his best to be gentle, he is the nerd who is furiously typing the latest and greatest program, he is the giver who sees the best in people, and he is, fortunately, mine.


* * *

Here's a little more about this guy if you're curious: 

Clay's Twitter
Clay's team startup company, SocialREST
More about SocialREST

And last but not least, happy Friday, you pretties! 

Thursday, January 30, 2014

NUTELLA BANANA SMOOTHIES

Try not to be too jealous…buuut, I didn't have wrap my entire body in blankets, scarves, or head warmth gear today. That could only be the reason I'm hungrily thinking about a smoothie my guy made me last weekend when the sun was shining with me in a sleeveless shirt and yoga pants hanging out in the backyard.

We sort of have this ongoing feud of Nutella-hogging, where either Clay devours the entire jar in only a few days, or I hide the evidence around the kitchen in hopes that he won't find it.

On another weird note, I've been excitedly vacuuming my heart out with this new vacuum cleaner we finally purchased far too long after our old one pooped out. Guys, I feel like in an infomercial when I use it, just blabbering on about how great it is and making Clay come look at all the tremendous amount of dirt it picks up in every single room.

But anyway. Smoothies.
If you're a fellow Nutella/banana addict like me, you're probably going to horde them the same way I do. 
*Recipe above yields approx. 4 servings

When it warms up on your side of the globe, maybe you can enjoy them. :)

Friday, January 24, 2014

WARM

Brr! San Antonio iced over this morning, and even though it's all gone already, it's still cold for this Texas girl. I weirdly love to go running outside when it's super cold. Guess I enjoy bouncing around all bundled up like an eskimo.

Clay and I are going to try to go zip lining this weekend, which we've been putting off since September. Hope we actually make it out there and don't freeze alive in the process!

Here's a small Art + Story for ya. This one's called Warm, and it makes me think of this song. Happy Friday!
I pull the sweater tighter around my shoulders, leaning toward the icy window and peering outside. The leaves swirl around, doing their floating dance around the rooftops. My tea is waiting for me to drink; I'll close my fingers and palms around the warm cup, letting the soothing liquid rush down my throat.

Later on today, maybe around three, I’ll gather the wood outside and take it all inside, piling the logs in the fireplace to start an orange, flickering fire. I’ll pull the leather chair in front of the flames, stretching my legs out, my bare feet warming up over the calming heat.

I’ll wrap the blanket over my sweater, slip into the fluffy house shoes, and shuffle around the tiles until I can no longer see the sun peeking over the hill. Soon the sun will overpower the cold, but until then, I just need to find a way to keep warm.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

LAST, BUT NOT LEAST

My mother-in-law has two gorgeous pastel drawings of Sam, her eldest son, and Clay (now my husband and the mischievous middle child) when they were adorable little guys. She always told me that she regretted not getting a drawing of Todd, the youngest son, who was a little baby at the time. 

Understandably, the artist charged double for babies, seeing that babies don't care to look in one given direction while they're being drawn. That being said, I don't know how the artist managed to get Clay to sit still for 20 entire minutes to get drawn. That'll always be a mystery. 

I thought it would be so cool to try and replicate the artist's style and create a pastel drawing of tiny Todd as a four or five-year-old (I can't tell how old he was in the photo), and above is the result. I'd say it looks 90ish % like the real Todd. But hey, for my first real pastel piece, I suppose that's alright. I guess it would've been nice if I remembered to take photos of Sam's and Clay's portraits so you guys could have seen all three boys together. Whoops. Maybe I'll remember at some point. 

You wouldn't believe how fun pastels are. It's like you're a kid again, rolling up your sleeves, lying belly-down while drawing on the sidewalks, ending up with a smudgy face and hands that can't touch a single thing until you go wash them in the sink. Unless, of course, you're already a master of pastels (or chalk). In that case, you already know what I mean. :) 

Friday, January 17, 2014

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Need I say more?

This weekend, we're headed to Austin. I've had insane allergies for like TEN days, and I've been under the influence of Benadryl for far too long. I excitedly asked Clay this morning if he thought the allergy situation would be better in Austin, but of course he shook his head and told a deflated me that San Antonio isn't the only city suffocating its inhabitants with sneezes, scratchy throats, and itchy eyes. 

Oh well. Benadryl, you'll be coming with me this weekend. I'll still be happily smelling the roses, except in conjunction with a hazmat suit. 
This little black bean is going to accompany us to Austin, but I'm not sure she'll be all that psyched to sit in the hotel room for a while. She loves to be in on the action, at all times. But then again, she does spend about 92% of the entire day sleeping. Maybe this will be a relaxation vacation for her highness.

Have a great weekend! :) 

Thursday, January 16, 2014

A FEW FROM ROME

I seriously can't believe it's been almost half a year since we were walking on foot through Rome. Clay always jokes with me and tells me that I have a habit of erasing unsettling experiences out of my brain, and he could just be right. When I look back at these photos, I almost forget the intense sweat caused by the sun beating down on our heads and backs, how I would turn the shower to ice cold and shiver appreciatively under the stream of water when we got back from a few hours of roaming around, and sticking our faces smack in front of a tiny fan in our little bedrooms at night.
I wish you could hear the sound of the water coming from the fountains filled with the best-tasting water on Earth. They're just downright beautiful compared to the metal water fountains found in the U.S. But, skeptical as I am, I only drank from choice fountains that everybody else seemed to be drinking from. Not that that would mean everything is 100% go-for-it. Ah, well. 
Artists propped watercolor paintings up on painted gates everywhere. These paintings were some of my absolute favorites. Kinda kicking myself for not buying any.
There's my sis trying her best to shield herself from the relentless sun while we waited in a monstrous line to see the Vatican. Thankfully she and Clay thought ahead and bought us all tickets to get in faster, so we didn't have to melt all day. 
Look at all those flowers! And of course those thin, tall palms get me every time. Thankfully San Antonio has a few of those too. :) 

Hope you guys are having a great week!

Friday, January 10, 2014

BIRTHDAY

It's my big sister's birthday today. It's hard to believe she's nearing the 30-year mark. To me, she'll always be the exuberant 7-year-old, the determined 16-year-old, and the independent 24-year-old, to name a few.

Because anyone could easily catch us quoting one of our all-time favorite movies, Just Friends, I would pair the following story with this song. Michelle, this is for you.
We lie around on the sofa, letting our limbs hang like sloths sleeping on the highest, spindly branch on one of the tallest trees in the jungle.

We jump all over the living room, never allowing our bare feet to touch the carpet. Only the tops of the tables, sofa arms, chair seats, and smooth wooden benches can be our space for solid ground. Otherwise, I’ll lose the game and once again fall short of your heightened coordination and careful attention as you hop from the side table, to the sofa’s arm, to the velvet chair cushion.

We build the fort of blankets on the limbs of the tree outside, dragging the white metal table and chairs inside the structure for the summer tea party. While you run inside the house just for a minute, I manage to crash down on the metal table and eventually bounce down to the grass in a painful heap. That left a bruise. I obviously don’t do as good of a job without your guided expertise in the building process.

You’re growing out of playing Barbies with me, but you’re still nice enough to pretend for just a while longer. While I play the character of only one Barbie, you’re forced to play the characters of the rest of the fifteen plus Barbies. Including the much-needed male characters.

You start to collect and read every Star Wars book imaginable. I begin to fling my entire body in front of the TV screen as you try to watch one Star Wars movie after another, my small fingers gripping onto Barbie’s hair.

Suddenly we’re old enough to seriously worry about boys. And homework. Then college. And jobs. And money.

We ski on the slopes with the bits of snow flying into our faces; I scream out of sheer fear, and you turn around to laugh, of course. We try to split the gas and hotel fees for our summer trip to the beach, and we realize how rusty our math has really become. You flip the sausage, pour the syrup on the waffles, and stir the sugar cubes into the tea, serving all three to me as I sit at your table, one swinging foot hitting the chair rung every now and again. Our dogs sniff the floors and bark at the cars, and we lung after them when they start running full speed. You fall in a heap on the grass while we walk the dogs on the college campus near your new house, and I turn around to laugh, of course.

You’re a year older today, and I’m close behind you. Based on our past record, I suppose I should admit that we’ll be there for one another, whether it’s to lend a hand or offer an ear. And every one in a while, one of us is bound to turn around at the other and laugh. Of course.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

2014: RUN

I always consider setting lofty resolutions for myself each year, but I think I've finally come to terms that smallish goals pave the foundation for much bigger goals. 

In the case of 2014, I just want to continue a few things that I somehow managed to keep up since…August, I think. Like trying to go on a run almost every day. On December 31, I completed my first 5k with my mother-in-law and Clay. Granted, we totally didn't run the entire time, but my little self was inwardly bursting with pride when I crossed the finish line. Maybe the next time I do a 5k, I'll run for real. 

A few days ago I decided to ditch my frumpy workout gear for a look that looks like I have it all a little more together. You know, the look that nonchalantly flips her ponytail while saying, "I so know what I'm doing, and I can last for 17 miles!" << (we'll keep it between us that I can barely last a mile without losing it). 
Credit: I own and photographed all products above.

1: Remember those bright Nikes?
2: Scarf knitted by me. These videos are great starters for learning how to do it: 1, 2, 3.
3. My ears would freeze without this head wrap thing. You can find one at a store like Academy or Walmart.
4. My mother-in-law saw this waistband that I could stuff my phone in and surprised me with it. Beats running without any chance of communication! 
5. I got this stretchy top at Ross, I think. Keep an eye out at that store, and you'll snag one for about $5.
6. This is the best sports bra I've ever owned. Granted, not the prettiest thing in the world, but oh does it  support you like no other. This one is Lily of France.
7. Gotta sport old colleges past! Clay bought this for me when we were still dating. I was gradually turning into an icicle in ACU's library while Clay was in class when I was in Abilene visiting him and my family, so he bought this sweater for me just so I wouldn't be cold anymore. That little sweetie. So even though I'm a Red Raider for life, there will always be a bit of Wildcat on me. 
8. I'll be crestfallen the day leggings go out of style. These workout pants (bought at T.J.Maxx) make me happier than you could imagine. 

What are your plans for the new year?

Friday, January 3, 2014

WINTER COAT

I'm late saying it, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! It feels like it's been forever since the hub and I have been able to spent such a long time back in our hometown. I think it was about nine days total that we were there. Looong, huh? I spent most of my days curled up on the couch, sketching faces in the pages and listening to classical music, every once in a while trying to figure out how to play my ukulele.

It feels almost weird to be sitting in the office working again. Isn't it crazy how rusty one can become with just a little bit of time spent away from projects? It's like I had to wade my way through Photoshop again to remember everything that once easily came to my brain. But here we go anyway! 2014, I feel like you'll be pretty awesome.

To start it off, let's get back to our Friday Art + Story, shall we?

This one's called Winter Coat:
I grabbed my coat and threw it around my shoulders, shuffling behind him on the gray cement newly coated with tiny flecks of sleet. “It’s snowing!” I yelled out to him with glee, staring straight up into the cloudy gray sky.

What felt like only a few hours beforehand, we had been on the exact same path, walking back to the icy car, hastily swinging open its doors and immediately flopping ourselves into the seats, simultaneously turning the knob of the heater as high as it could go. The sky was pitch black then, and the church bells were ringing into the starry night above us. Moments before, we had sung in unison with the flickering candles and the beautiful choir, the melodic organ paving the harmony for all of our voices. My eyelids were falling as he drove us out of the quietly lit city, past the placid lake, toward the country on the outskirts of town. The lights fell away, and he turned the car onto the road speckled with homes and their decorated trees, peeking out the windows into the magical world with its mountain-like backdrop.

The snow was fleeting, as were the late nights filled with shrieks of laughter, all of us huddled around the glossy screen as we watched movie after movie, our fingers stealthily sneaking into the red rectangular tin of chocolate peppermint bark, and the drinks filled to their brims with Pimm’s, cucumbers, and strawberries.

We don’t need our coats now that the snow is gone, but eventually, it will come back around to greet us, as it joyful does every year.  Until then, I’ll have to be patient.


* * *

Hope all you pretties enjoyed the holidays! Happy 2014. :) 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...