a concert + a kilt + a dog = our rockin' friday night

The concert Friday night was good but I must admit I didn't enjoy it as much as I did last year. He was great but apparently I wasn't in the mood to be surrounded by a crowd gyrating to the music and waving beer bottles + feather boas. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with any of that, just that I didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind to be surrounded by it. Either that or I'm just getting old and I'm not ready to cop to that just yet.

I wasn't crazy about the pictures I took last year and swore the next time I saw him I'd have a better camera. While I do have a better camera this year I realized shortly before we left that I didn't have a clue how to best use it in such horrible lighting conditions. Thankfully Tracie responded to my plea on Twitter for some quick tips and although I still didn't know exactly what I was doing, I did manage to get some clearer pics this year. I went crazy playing with my camera during the show [I took 189 pictures!] but found I only had about 20-25 keepers. All I can say is thank goodness for digital cameras so the bad shots can quickly be deleted.

He's known for emotional songs delivered with intense passion and while that is still the case, it was nice to see him crack a smile on more than one occasion. Even Lee commented on how he seemed happier this time.

The neon lighting in this photo was horrid so I made it black + white instead. I loved that one of the guys in his band rocked a kilt. Seriously, how cool is that?!

At the end of his insane encore he even took the time to shake hands and sign autographs. While that may not seem like a huge deal it's the first time we've seen him do that. Too bad I didn't come prepared with a ticket stub, picture, or like one girl, cowboy boots to be signed. Oh well, maybe next time.

The above picture [or those below] are not among the most clear but I had to share them with you in order to visually tell a very cool story. Towards the end of the show a dog ran out on stage from the backstage area and was having a ball running around. The above picture is of Gary directing him away from the crowd.

I'm guessing the dog has a decent amount of stage experience because it immediately found a spot from which to take in the jamming...

... and got comfy. Not sure why but I found this insanely cool.

What did you do this weekend?

tonight

...I get to see him {again} and I cannot wait! We were supposed to go to his concert last night but due to me feeling icky we rescheduled for tonight ~ lucky for us he was in town for two nights! It was just over a year ago we saw him the last time {post about it here} and I'm more than ready for a repeat performance.

::photo from here

words to live by

::from here

healthier choices {week3}

Dinner this week has included Turkey Sausage-Gnocchi Soup [above] and Portobello and Black Bean Quesadillas [below]. Both were incredibly easy and very good.

I didn't love them as much as some of the others but that could be in large part because I haven't been feeling that great this week. I've been having issues with sinus congestion + pressure behind my ears so that may have affected my taste buds. Lee, on the other hand, seemed happy with them both.

Last night I'd planned on making Cumin-Spiced Chicken with Chunky Tomato Sauce and Chili-Lime Corn [off the cob] but just didn't have the energy so we enjoyed leftovers from our Sunday dinner instead. We were supposed to be out tonight but had to change our plans and while I should make this healthy meal for dinner I seen to be craving some serious comfort food [do you do that when you're feeling icky?] I think pizza is in our plans instead and while that's clearly not a part of "healthier choices" I just can't help myself. This is definitely still on the list but I'll have to let you know how it was next week.

How about you ~ have you had any good + healthy meals lately?

pretties

I'm feeling a little under the weather today due to a silly upper respiratory infection but these pretties from Lush Boutique are making me feel a little better. I don't wear many accessories but would love to figure out a way to make any one of these a part of my wardrobe.






Aren't they pretty?

2010 goals {update}

Now that the calendar page(s) have turned I thought I'd look back at my 2010 goals and see how I'm faring so far...

* Use less plastic - I opted to steer clear of Sigg due to issues with denting & having to hand wash and decided to try something like this to start with. Finally picked up two today [one for me + one for Lee] and hope to put it into action beginning tomorrow. And while I'd like to say that I'm regularly using my cute reusable bags, that just isn't the case. I have, however, gotten better at remembering to use them. Baby steps...

* Give my blog a mini-makeover & post more regularly - I'm posting more regularly but haven't done anything about its mini-makeover yet.

* Focus on my life, not others - I'm trying but not much to report just yet.

*Be healthier - I've made a lot of progress on this one! For the past several weeks I've been cooking healthier and have gotten to the gym 3-4 times per week. I'm still doing some serious splurging on the weekends but am trying to be smarter about what I chose to indulge in.

*Learn + practice photography - Registration for the online photography class I've been dying to take opens tonight. There is limited availability so please keep your fingers crossed that I get in! {Update: registration has been postponed until Wednesday}

*Be involved + make a difference - I'm still doing my weekly volunteer gig at the hospital but am hoping to increase the time I spend there. I haven't yet called the local food bank but it's on my list.

* Be less serious + more silly - I'm really trying at this one but would probably need to check with Lee to see how I'm really doing...

* Be less critical - A total work in progress.

* Be more spontaneous + less task driven - Another work in progress.

* Waste less time by limiting my computer use - Total fail. MUST. GET. BETTER.

* Read more non-fiction - Finished The Blind Side [loved it!] and am about to start on My Life in France.

While I still have some serious work to do, I'm happy to see that I am making progress. How are you doing? Are you still working toward your 2010 goals or have they fallen by the wayside due to a crazy busy life + schedule?

my calendar wall

It's finally done and I absolutely love it! I'd originally planned to do it in our study but I don't find myself in there much now that we have a laptop and want to enjoy the gorgeous calendars as much as possible. I decided to use a small wall we have in our kitchen nook that separates it from our living room. The picture didn't turn out very well and it absolutely doesn't do it justice [I blame it on the boring beige wall color] but here it is...


They each have their own personalities and I adore each + every one of them!

Here's where I got them:
every jot and tittle
Linda & Harriett
Erin Condren
ilee papergoods {sold out}
Nicole Hill Gerulat
Page by Paige
simplesong

I also have a couple inspirational messages hanging on the wall. The "Ignore the Rain, Look for the Rainbow" small print is from Abbie and I got the other as part of Suann's letterpress subscription last year.

What I love the most is that each month I'll have an entirely new design on the wall. I can't wait to see what February has in store...

{p.s. Huge thanks to Tracie for the inspiration!}

puck off

I realize the correct term is "faceoff" but didn't find it as catchy.

We have a professional hockey team in the area [they're in the Central Hockey League, not the NHL] and the company my husband works for was a part of their promotional schedule last night. It was "Cowboy Up Night" presented by Horseshoe Casino & Hotel and the two guys that normally do the ceremonial dropping of the puck were unable to attend. Lee was asked to do it instead so I accompanied him to the game and looked forward to taking his picture as he dropped the puck. What I didn't anticipate was being a part of the festivities myself.

The ceremonial dropping of the puck involved us walking out to the center of the ice [thank goodness for the carpet!] after we were introduced [very, very weird] and dropping the puck as a guy snapped our picture [given I don't know where the guy was or when he snapped the pic I have a feeling it won't be the most flattering picture ever taken]. Once the puck was dropped the captain of the Mudbugs picked it up and gave it to us. He shook our hands and then the captain of the opposing team did the same. I must say, very nice guys! I don't have much experience with hockey or hockey players but my impression has always been big, burly, and mean. These guys may have been big but they definitely weren't mean [at least not in that moment] and they had nice smiles [who would have thought?]

Before I knew it we were headed back to the stands and as this picture proves, I was quite happy about our experience. Seriously, I had no idea it could be so much fun to be a part of the ceremonial dropping of the puck! The pictures may be a little blurry but I'm so thankful a co-worker of Lee's was at the game to document our experience. [Note to self: work on your posture.]

We had dinner plans with some friends we hadn't seen in awhile so we were only able to watch the action for the first period but I must confess, I had a good time. I don't know if I could have stayed engaged for an entire game but it was fun for the time we were there.

And...I felt like we were a lucky charm when they scored first. Luckily I snapped this photo before the other team scored 2 goals. We took that as our justification for leaving early. We didn't want them to lose after all! Needless to say, we were happy to see in the paper this morning that they won 6-3.

Our evening ended with a wonderful dinner with great friends. We may have eaten entirely too much and had just a bit too much bubbly [for me] and wine [for Lee] but we loved every second of it! Today, on the other hand, I'm wishing I'd had a bit less to drink.

What did you do last night? Anything fun + exciting?