Pretty Pretty Bang Bang

The weather has gotten warmer which means wearing less clothing to stay cool. The trick is how to look cool and stay cool at the same time. Before stepping out, let’s go over a few rules for summer.

1. If you’re going to wear sandals, make sure your feet are manicured. I’m not saying they must be polished, but at least trim your toenails and clean up your heels. This goes for men too!

2. As a general rule, buy white pants one size up and have them altered to fit properly. And wear nude-colored underwear! I shouldn’t even have to say this, but I’m tired of seeing striped, dotted or colored underwear with white pants.

3. If you’re going to wear a strapless top, buy a strapless bra. My sister is barely a size A and even she wears one. The last thing I want to see is you bouncing up and down.

4. There is such a thing as shorts that are too short. If you have to wax before wearing them, they are too short! I’m so tired of seeing girls wearing shorts that are shorter than my underwear. Gross!

5. Men, I don’t need to see your hairy back and shoulders. You can wear a tank top around your house, but put on a t-shirt when you’re in public. Also, if your gut hangs out below your shirt, it’s too short.

6. Bikini tops are meant to be worn to the pool or beach, not to the mall or Walmart. Put on a t-shirt.

7. Sunscreen: wear it!

I’m sure I’m missing a lot of things with this list, but these are my top gripes. What are yours? Share, please!

Have you ever seen something/someone and wondered what in the world was going on with them? Or have you ever wondered why some people are considered celebrities? I got to thinking about the things that make me go “huh?” and thought I’d share them. The list is long, so I’ve edited it a little!

Things that make me go “huh?”

1. Wearing scarves in the summer. I don’t understand the desire to wrap something around your neck when it’s 90+ degrees outside. I don’t care how light or gauzy the scarf is, it’s going to be hot wadded all up around your neck. Plus, it looks ridiculous paired with shorts. Just sayin’.

2. Driving/riding in a convertible with the top down and all the windows up. Wtf? A convertible is going to be windy. Period. Don’t want wind? Don’t take the top down.

3. Evening shorts. Yes, there really is such a thing. Make them out of brocade, satin, silk, whatever but they are still a pair of shorts. Want to show off some leg? Wear a mini skirt.

4. Wearing Uggs in the summer with shorts. Forget the comfort factor, the look is just horrible. The boots are hot! They are the only things that keep my feet really warm in the winter so I can’t imagine wanting to wear them in the summer.

5. Couples who live in ridiculously large houses. Our paper has a Sunday feature called “Home of the Week” which spotlights houses in the area. Aside from the horrid decor, I’m struck by how large the houses are and how only two people live there. Sure, I understand the whole “extended family” thing, but who wants to clean it? And why have 2-3 living areas, 4-6 bedrooms, 4-6 bathrooms and more just for every day living? Family can stay in hotels or sleep on the floor when they visit!

6. Couples who never fight. BORING! I also figure they are either just not talking to each other in general or are lying. Everyone fights. Everyone gets hurt now and then. The most successful couples communicate and work out their problems.

7. People with no hobbies. Don’t tell me you’re not artistic or talented because hobbies have nothing to do with that. I just can’t imagine going through life with no interests besides work or family. Read a book! Learn to bake! Garden! Do something!

8. Botox. ‘Nuff said.

9. People with no sense of humor. How boring must their lives be?

10. Why in the hell the Gosselins are celebrities.

What are things you don’t understand (besides quantum physics or rocket science)? Share!

Steve turned 40 yesterday! When I asked him how he wanted to celebrate his milestone birthday, he replied that he wanted to visit my sister and brother-in-law in Des Moines, do something fun with the girls (and most adorable nieces on the planet), have a great dinner at Django and do drinks at The Royal Mile. Anything else, he said, would just be more icing on the cake (which was chocolate with peanut butter frosting). We had a small gathering at our house last weekend but his actual birthday weekend was non-stop celebrating.

We arrived in Des Moines on Friday and were greeted by big smiles and shouts of joy from the younger crowd. Lydia and Julia had been playing in the front yard and watching the street for our arrival. What a great way to start a weekend. Ralph, being a great cook, had a delicious dinner of grilled chicken, couscous and fresh salad for us. We dined outside and enjoyed a cold beer while the girls played in the yard. Saturday, Blair and Steve took off to do their thing while Ralph, the girls and I headed downtown to the sculpture park for a walk and a picnic. I’m amazed at the wonderful art in Des Moines. Apparently a prominent family, the Pappajohns, were art lovers who collected sculpture and donated their private collection to the city for a park. The latest edition, a piece by Keith Haring, was being installed and we were lucky enough to see it. After lunch, Ralph decided it was time for the girls to have “quiet time” which means they read quietly or nap while she takes a break. She was hoping they’d nap, but they decided to lie on the couch and giggle until they got into trouble. Soon Steve and Blair returned home so Ralph and I ventured out to the mall for some retail therapy. I found a cute pair of distressed khaki crop pants at The Gap for $14 and Ralph found some crop jeans for $20. I wore my pants the next day and Lydia asked me why there was paint on my pants. I told her it was the fashion and she replied it looked like bird poop. Ah, the wisdom of a four year-old! I had to laugh because, well, she was right!

Saturday night was the big Steve birthday celebration and once again Des Moines did not disappoint. We started at an English Pub downtown called The Royal Mile. Known for its huge beer and scotch selection, along with great pub food, The Royal Mile is a fun start to the evening. We sat outside on the patio and laughed at the horrible punk band playing outside at a neighboring bar. We had some great beer (my new fave: Old Speckled Hen), delicious Thai Curry Eggroll appetizers and big laughs over the band. From there we went to Django, a French restaurant located in the Hotel Fort Des Moines in downtown. We’d eaten there last year and had such a wonderful meal and experience that Steve knew it would make the perfect birthday dinner. Without reservations the wait was about 20-30 minutes so we decided to have a drink at the bar. Steve asked the bartender, Elizabeth, if she knew how to make an Old Fashioned then grilled her on how she does it. Sufficiently impressed by her knowledge, he ordered his drink and declared it perfect. Blair got a Mojito and Ralph ordered red wine. I wanted a gin martini but was afraid I would get drunk too fast (I’m a cheap date) so Steve handed me his phone which has a drink app on it. I looked up gin then started scrolling through the list until I came to The Bennett. I handed the phone to Elizabeth, who said she could easily make it, and I soon had a delightful pale pink drink in front of me. Lest you think I’m a fou-fou drink person I’ll explain that The Bennett has gin, fresh lime juice, a little simple syrup and bitters. Not fluffy at all because the gin cuts the sweetness. Delicious! We toasted to Steve and his birthday. We were having so much fun at the bar chatting with our new friend Elizabeth and telling customer horror stories that we decided to stay at the bar for dinner. We ordered an appetizer of delicious cheeses and cured meats then Ralph and I split what must be the most fantastic hamburger ever made. The hamburger was something Steve discovered the first time we visited Django and is the reason we return. What it really is is ground steak with high quality Swiss cheese and a French sauce that should be illegal. I think it contains Brandy, butter and heavy cream, but I really don’t want to know the details. The burger was paired with French fries, of course, but they were unlike any I’ve tasted. They were perfectly crisp, perfectly salty and perfect with the burger. I couldn’t finish my fries even though Ralph and I had split the burger, but Ralph ate all hers. Elizabeth treated Steve to a birthday dessert chosen by me and, on her recommendation, I chose French Toast. Yep, real French Toast with bacon-infused maple syrup and cinnamon gelato. Heaven! We left in a food coma and decided it was one of the best meals we’d ever eaten. Well worth the discomfort.

Sunday was a little more low-key. Ralph took the girls to the pool while Steve and I went to Half-Price Books and the Apple Store. Blair smoked a pork shoulder for dinner. Ralph made an incredible chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and we had a nice celebration on the patio. The girls were giddy about Steve’s gift: a trip to the Iowa State Fair in August. The Smiths are treating Steve to a day at the fair, complete with all the fair food he can handle. Ralph said it would be a rough day as they start out with fresh mini doughnuts and go on to corn dogs, gyros, frozen lemonade and more. My stomach is already turning at the thought. Of course being lead around the fair by two adorable guides will be the best part. We ended the evening by enjoying a 202 Stephen Vincent Pinot Noir that we’d been saving for a special occasion and I think a 40th birthday is the perfect reason to celebrate. It was worth the wait as it turned out to be an outstanding wine.

We’re home and I’m actually looking forward to getting back to my routine. I loved visiting my sister and the entire Smith clan, but enjoy getting back to the grind. I especially need a break from all the food rules I broke all weekend! Hope your Memorial Day weekend was safe and relaxing!

It’s Thursday and my week has gotten better since my last post. Steve managed to get hot water flowing again, the gym was back to its air conditioned comfort on Tuesday and my defective shoes have been exchanged with the new pair arriving just in time for me to wear them out this weekend.

Steve has been on vacation this week and he had several goals: power wash the deck, stain it, work on the landscaping and read a book. I think the only thing he completely accomplished was power washing the deck, but I think he’s had a good week. Frankly, I thought the landscaping job was a bit much and the deck needs more prepping before the stain can be applied but he did so much to start the process. He wanted to read a book, but never picked one out so he just had to be content playing “Call of Duty” on his XBox. Poor guy.

This weekend is his 40th birthday and we’re celebrating with my sister and brother-in-law. It will be fun hanging around my nieces who are already planning Uncle Steve’s Iron Man 2 themed party. Saturday night the grown-ups are headed to dinner downtown. Steve wants to start with drinks at an English Pub called The Royal Mile and we’ll dine on French food at Django. I know that even if the meal is cold or the service is bad we’ll have a great time.

Hope everyone is happy, cool and safe this holiday weekend!

I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed in the first place, but I had no idea the craptastic day ahead of me. I did my usual wake up/drink water/take vitamins routine before heading to the gym with no sign of the impending doom. Steve started his first day of vacation so we went together but in separate cars so he could meet the AT&T guy back here by 8 a.m. We got to the gym around 7 and it was already hot. Pavel said he’d had the air going full blast since 5 a.m. and things weren’t getting any cooler so he figured the air was out. He turned it off and opened the doors. Although the gym is small, one large fan just wasn’t enough to keep us comfortable. Luckily, the treadmills have fans built into them so doing my cardio wasn’t horrible. At least we do a morning workout. I’d hate to be headed over there tonight.

I arrived home to no phone or Internet as the AT&T guy was working on the line. The good thing was that Steve had brewed a nice pot of coffee and had the paper waiting. I fixed my lunch and started to clean up the blender from Steve’s breakfast shake. Hmm, I wasn’t getting any hot water. Come to think of it, I didn’t have much hot water yesterday afternoon when I took my shower and I wasn’t getting any last night when I washed my face. I chalked it all up to being too impatient to wait for the water and the loads of laundry I’d done yesterday using hot water. But this morning I didn’t have any excuses. Sure enough, the water heater was dead.

I had to go to work and I actually thought about taking a cold shower, but talked myself into returning to the gym (which was getting hotter by the hour) to shower. I raced over there, showered and returned home to get ready for work. Steve was relaxed through the whole thing but all I was thinking about was how he was going to lose a day working on the deck project. Still, hot water is a bit more important. I left for work with Steve assuring me he’d take care of the situation. Turns out, the water heater was just 2 months away from the warranty expiring so all he had to do was drain it, haul it downstairs and return it to Lowe’s for a replacement. We ended up with a better, more efficient model for a mere $35 more.

I wanted him to call a plumber, but he chatted with Valerie’s brother Darin (who is a plumber) who advised Steve to do it himself. Since Steve had installed our last water heater and uninstalled this one, he felt confident he could do it. Our neighbor’s son came over to help him haul the thing upstairs and he’s currently working on the install. We should be running hot water by the time I go to bed.

So it guess it doesn’t sound like too bad of a day, but I did have another incident at work. I was wearing my killer new shoes when I discovered one of the grommets had come undone on the top. Grr, now they will have to be exchanged and I know they won’t have another one in my size which means I’ll have to have one shipped and I won’t have them for Steve’s birthday dinner out on Saturday. What’s a fashionable girl to do? Maybe buy a new pair? Nope, not in the budget. Oh well, I’ll keep my feet under the table and no one will notice!

Aside from the kick-ass architecture and design of our house, one of the best features is the deck. Built off of the dining room (which is a story up from the ground) the deck juts out into the trees making it feel like a treehouse. The best part is that the mosquitoes don’t seem as thick at that level so I don’t get eaten alive every night.

With part of our garage sale money, Steve and I invested in a table and four chairs. Since the deck is two levels, we decided to put the table and chairs near the door and grill for an outdoor dining experience. It’s wonderful. That it, wonderful when it doesn’t rain which it’s been doing almost non-stop for the past two weeks. Still, we’ve managed to enjoy two meals at our table and wonder how in the world we managed this long without one.

Next week Steve is taking time off to enjoy a little vacation in honor of his upcoming 40th birthday and plans to work on re-staining the deck. Once the stain is done, we’re going to install some accent lighting so we can enjoy the deck all evening. After all that work it just might be time to throw a party. We’ll keep you posted.

It’s rare that I write a serious post, but I’ve had some things on my mind lately and wanted to share. We’re facing a busy summer of milestone birthdays (three 40th birthdays in six weeks!), regular birthdays and a big wedding celebration. The obligations, cost and time commitments are stressful and we’ve been trying to figure out how to make it all work and have fun while doing it.

We want to participate in everything. All these events center around family and friends so it’s not like we don’t want to be a part of them. It’s just, well, we wish they were spaced a bit further apart! Try cramming three 40th birthday celebrations, two additional birthdays, a rehearsal dinner party and a wedding all in six weeks and see how you feel about it.

The bottom line here is that as we plan these events we are reminded of how loved we are. We know that we are important to our friends and family and being involved in their celebrations is our way of showing them how much we love them. Steve and I have had several moments this weekend where we’ve looked around our house then looked at each other and said how blessed we are. It’s not just about what we have, it’s who we have in our lives. We’re happy to share in these moments just as we hope they are happy to share in ours. But I still want my own birthday celebration!

Every time I have a garage sale I swear I will never have another one, yet a year or two goes by and I find myself knee-deep in clutter and planning another sale. This year, Valerie emailed me asking if I was interested in having one with her and I decided I could scrape together a good amount of crap worthy of the work. Last weekend we had the sale at her house and made a respectable amount of cash and got rid of a huge amount of stuff. Still, I was reminded why I hate these things in the first place.

* The tools are not for sale so please stop asking. If they were for sale, they’d be on a table and priced. Joking about buying them does not endear you to me.

* Please do not smoke in my garage. Yes, I know it’s outside, but I still don’t want to inhale your second-hand smoke. Plus, it’s really rude.

* Just because the end of the driveway is clear does not mean you can pull up in it and park. Unless you have a severe handicap that prevents you from walking too far, park on the street.

* I am not Walmart, Target or Dillard’s. I do not have tissue to wrap that $1.00 figurine you just bought or a box for the excessive amount of stuff you want to purchase. The boxes you see stacked in the corner are for boxing up what’s left to donate. Please stop begging for one. If you’re going to do that much shopping, plan ahead and bring your own box/bag.

* Yes, I will take less, but the more obnoxious you are about bargaining, the less I will budge. Be nice and fair and I’m willing to deal.

* No, I don’t have a place for you to try on clothes. The jeans are $1.00. If you’re not willing to take a chance then don’t buy them.

* Thank you for sharing your life story with me. It was fascinating.

Despite all the annoying people it was a good sale and we made enough to buy the patio table and chairs we’d been eyeing at Lowe’s. Plus, we got rid of a ton of stuff and Goodwill got a really nice donation last weekend!

It’s finals week and today is the final critique for my metals/jewelry class. The project was to create a ring that was our choice and I’d had a design in my head since the first project. Actually, I think I’d had the design for much longer, but I knew what I wanted to do so getting started was easy.

If you remember my first ring, it was a granulated band with sections cut out to expose the finger of the wearer. I really liked the results so I continued that idea with this piece. Although I’m not a huge fan of pearls, I wanted to set one in this design and have the sides cut out to expose the curves of the pearl. Thanks to Sarah, I had two gorgeous black pearls she’d picked up for me at the SNAG conference in March. I granulated the walls of the setting with my hammered granules for a textured effect. I’m pretty happy with the results.

I was originally going to put the setting right on top of the band, but decided it would look better setting up off the band. Here’s another shot:

You can really see the pearl and the wearer’s finger with the setting lifted. The ring is very wearable and the pearl is somewhat protected with the granulated walls.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know about how I changed my eating habits a few months ago. Steve joined in too and we’ve been eating the Pavel way ever since. It’s really quite easy once we got the hang of it and the benefits far outweigh the cravings. Plus, knowing we have three cheat meals a week means we can pass up temptations that come our way.

Since we started the plan, Steve has lost 20 pounds and I’ve lost 7 plus about 4% body fat. I’m pleased with the results but try to stay realistic about where I’m headed. I understand I will never have a flat stomach, will probably never be a size smaller than I am now and could gain it all back in an instant. Steve, on the other hand, is viewing his success quite differently.

He’s thrilled to be wearing pants in a size he hasn’t worn in years. While I tend to still look at the flaws and the areas I need to work on, Steve is excited about his progress and the fact his clothes are getting too big and his stomach is so much flatter. This morning he wanted to show me how slim he looked in his work clothes. And he did look slim. I’m really proud of him for keeping up his healthy eating habits because I know food is something he really enjoys.

I just think it’s funny how men and women view their successes and themselves. Steve sees the positive changes he’s made and how they are affecting him. I see how much more work I need to do despite all my success. I’m beginning to think I might need to take some cues from him and start celebrating what I do like about myself rather than focusing on what I don’t.