… cupcake recipe (root beer float on left, complete with straws*) and a new photo app for my phone.  Uh oh.  * Vanilla peppermint on the right. Birthday gifts for my wonderful boss. 

Trader Joe’s flowers, Provision’s patio (pastries admired through the glass only*)… … and warm sunshine made for a nice lunch hour today.  It’s amazing how much smoother the day goes with that mid-day break.  *but I did buy some cookies called Ladybugs. Couldn’t help myself.

Had an interesting experience last week. I took Tanner and his friend to see Trevor Hall in concert*. At first, the most interesting part of the concert was the venue and the crowd. It was at this little club downtown and there were no seats. Instead, we were corralled around this stage like a herd…

Tonight at the craft store, I argued with myself about buying some nifty little Halloween cupcake liners. “You know you’re going to make cupcakes. Buy the liners.” “But it’s barely September. Don’t buy these silly things now.” “But they’re so cute – and they might be gone later. Buy them.” This went on for several…

Don’t these leaves kind of look like Big Bird tracks? Ya know, when I was a kid, Big Bird was never my fave in that place up where the air is sweet. So I was a bit disappointed when I took the Sesame Street character quiz and discovered that my personality most resembles that enormous walking…

Drew and I went for a long walk this evening in order to give Tanner a quiet house in which he could crank out some homework. Now we’re home and I’m trying to decide whether to watch Federer and the Open or read a book. Oddly enough, I think Coffee With the Buddha is going…

Today I headed to the Busch Memorial Conservation Area to take some pictures and to enjoy the day. Unless I’m mistaken, the last time I was there was in July of 2009. Not sure why it’s taken me so long to get back there. It’s a fun place — and apparently I’m not the only…

….weather, perfect company, perfect day.  I got to spend this 70+ degree Saturday showing my Mom some really fun places in my zip code! We started out at the local farmer’s market. Lots of families, puppies on leashes, and, of course, locally grown goodies.  So looking forward to planting some of these when the weather…

On my way home from a nice long walk at Powder Valley this evening, this sweet little white bloom on the side of the road caught my eye. I was so impressed with this gutsy little thing that I pulled over to get a closer look. It had twisted and pushed its way to the…

With a few random observations from the day, it seems like a good time for Dear So and So notes… Dear Unidentified Blooming Bush Near Our Driveway:Thank you for giving us lovely pink blooms all summer long. Feel free to keep the show going until it snows.Smiling every time I see you,The Neighbor Dear Obscure…

  Enjoy summer’s warmth while it’s still here, baby girl. 

Day One of the US Open is under way and I’m feeling absolutely giddy. Love these spots, love this tournament. Got both McEnroe brothers commentating during our first prime time television session and Federer has already hit a nasty tweener for a winner (SportsCenter Top 10 Plays, are you listening?). I mean, come on. Does…

Yesterday, I spent close to twelve hours working on one necklace and matching earrings. Today, I went to the office and worked for half of the day, then I came home and started baking cupcakes for a baby shower tomorrow. In all, the cupcakes took eight and a half hours. I’ve been working non-stop from…

Lunch at a great little greasy spoon near the office. I spent the remainder of the afternoon smelling like a fry cook, but that grilled bacon cheese sandwich and fries was well worth it. So good. And this afternoon, Ben & Jerry’s homepage gave my office a good laugh. You’ll only appreciate it if you’re…

Warm sunshine and fresh breezes are welcome here. It’s been months since they’ve heard it, but the *crack* of the window being raised brought the kitties flying in from different corners of the house. 

Well, I learned a couple of things this evening. For starters, I learned what Powder Valley looks like through the lens of an iPhone app. And it’s really cool. But you know what else I learned? I learned that fall is coming and the sun is going down earlier. Much earlier. Though it might seem…

…greetings at our door.  Judging by the number of folks walking by out front, it seems that the association’s pool was a popular place today. Funny to see how many people notice the kitties at the door. Lots of smiles and pointing. 

Last year we made a somewhat fruitless drive to Centralia, Illinois, for their annual balloon festival. Nasty weather prevented all but one balloon from inflating — and that balloon was quickly taken down thanks to the blustery conditions. I feared a repeat as we left for Centralia last night in a thunderstorm. But lo and behold,…

I promise I will stop gushing about the Hipstamatic one of these days. Really, I will. But not yet. What is it about these photos? Don’t get me wrong — I was pleased with what I took of the balloons with my Canon. But I’m in love with these. These are less about the beauty…

Confession. I have a new television love: Ghost Hunters. (Yeah, I know. I never said I had depth.) I don’t understand the source of my fascination, but I can watch back-to-back-to-back episodes in one sitting. Imagine my excitement when I found out that the show’s season premier includes an investigation of the Lemp Mansion right…

See these sweet little boys with their matching clothes*, impish grins and bad haircuts**? These sweet little boys are now big men on campus.*** A senior and a junior in high school. Seriously, when did this happen? I got up bright and early this morning to fix them a breakfast of scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls…

Today we got to meet Alanna, the brand new grand-baby of a friend at work. Aww, such a pretty little girl. And so tiny. 

We’ve returned from the hottest tennis climate we’ve experienced — a whopping 109 degrees. The above photo really sums up the trip. Everything about Tulsa was dry, hot, and stressed. One of the tournament officials told me that they’d had a guy come out to gauge the temperature of the court and found that the…