work has been crazy. when you’re the new kid you have to put in extra hours. JOY! i keep thinking, if i just get past this next week things will slow down. and then i realize, this is what having a real job is like… it’s not supposed to slow down. JOY!

luckily i’ve been finding fun ways to occupy my time, or most importantly, a fun person to occupy my time with.

introducing… SOPHIE!!

for the record, i absolutely adore this child! she is happy 99% of the time, and so easy to have around. i challenge anyone to spend a day with her and not have baby fever!

i’ve always loved taking photos. no, i’m not proclaiming myself a photographer and slapping up a website.

you are not a photographer… <— that's good stuff, just sayin!

but i am obsessed with sophie, and practicing my photo taking skills on her. luckily she doesn’t seem to mind, or she’s not old enough to roll her eyes at me yet!

SO, i thought i would post some cuteness for everyone to enjoy:

obviously the portland trailblazers should be paying this child to advertise for them!

it’s not normal how sweet this child is…

and don’t even get me started on her baby feet… seriously, is there anything cuter than baby feet?

and to the writer of this book… yes, sophie will be in your next ad campaign. just leave a comment on this blog and i’ll get you in touch with her agent.

now tell the truth… how many of you reading this are contemplating plans to have a child!?!? i told you… baby fever inducing!

and finally… sophie’s hat trick!

i actually do have a pretty good excuse though…

a couple weeks ago i woke up feeling like someone was sitting on my chest. of course i immediately concluded i was dying of heart failure… the doctor said it was “just a virus” and sent me packin with no drugs, just an “it should get better on its own”… WELL 5 days, a trip to urgent care, and a chest xray later, i had pneumonia!

needless to say i not only haven’t felt like computing, i haven’t taken any pictures, done much of anything productive, or even made it through a whole day of work in two weeks!

so what could i possibly be here to ramble on and on about??? well, BOWLING FOR SIGHT of course!

many months ago, anne and i made the trek to idaho to participate in a bowling fundraiser for my local Lions Club

(a mullet is preferred but not required for membership)

the Lions Club mission is: “To empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.” i am proud to say members of my family have been involved with Lions Club for many years, and i was excited to get to go home and participate in the bowling fundraiser with my family’s team!

i never blogged about the big day, and have regretted it. so when i read GDW‘s do gooder post… it reminded me of our bowling extravaganza, and i feel i should give it its proper moment in the spotlight!

so… LET’S BOWL!

we invaded the local bowling alley, “Freedom Lanes” – yes, you read that right!

we had official pins (WARNING: blinking pins may cause seizures)… and we went all out and got a team sponsor, “umpire camps”

the locals came out for the big fundraiser!

we had good luck charms

rented shoes

high class catering

enthusiastic fans!

ball selection and warmups…

i won an incredible door prize!!!

as the competition heated up, so did mary!

security was on hand in case anything got out of hand…

team spirit was everywhere!

there was an auction to raise the big bucks, with some seriously killer prizes!!

while we were there to help raise money, and spend time together…

when the ginormous trophy was revealed… the competition reached a new level!

some pulled out their super serious bowling form…

there was hope…

camaraderie…

and by god there was triumph!!

now that’s what i call a fundraiser!

i have thought on and off for months about reviving my old friend THE BLOG, but struggled with a good angle? how often to post? a food blog? a photo blog? a what’s happenin in our crazy life blog? and clearly nothing happened…

when i read my favorite crazy dog lady and all around awesome chica’s blog about the new year, it struck a nerve. so here i am!

let’s be henry frank, 2010 sucked!!!

but 2011, i honestly think it’s going to be another story! i guess there’s no crystal ball telling me as much, but i have a feeling, and really, i don’t see that it can be much worse… onward and upward, there’s nowhere to go but up, it’s always darkest before the dawn, cliches are awesome!

plus, i <3 numero 11… always have, always will

SO i've made a list… i'm sharing it with you… and the plan for my little slice of the blog world in 2011, is to dazzle you with babble about whatever comes as a result of the list…

eleven in twenty eleven:

1. TV Rots Your Brain
2. Hit The Pavement
3. Drop The Extra Baggage
4. Let’s Go To The Movies
5. Bring Home The Bacon
6. Learn the Ropes
7. Supper Club
8. Blog It Out
9. Say Cheese
10. Enjoy The Arts
11. Sew… a needle pulling thread…

viola!! more to come…

Happy New Year!!

i wanted to pop in with an update b/c… well, frankly… someone in our house is getting larger and LARGER… thank sheba it’s NOT ME!

remember this fuzzy little bear!?!?

well, it’s been 8 months, and let me tell you… things have changed!

they’ve changed to the tune of 115 lbs!!

i can’t even tell you how much we love this guy… so rather than articulate, i’ll let his disgustingly adorable face do the talkin:

of course the slobber comes with the territory

he’s a big rugby fan… can’t you see how excited he is!?!?

cute cute Porter Blue…

Because today I got a promotion and will no longer be underemployed!

But the celebration for me is really about the fact that I stepped out (ok pushed myself out) of my comfort zone, stood up for myself, and went after what I wanted…

I

that’s right…

anne is a trekkie, and we threw her a star trek, voyager birthday party!

she was captain janeway (obviously) and JR was her first officer, chakotay

uhura showed up… in more than one form!

and she hooked up with spock

and with worf!

haley and desi rocked the deep space nine bodysuits (how awesome are they!?!?)

chakotay found he had the hots for deanna troi

and maybe the hots for spock and captain kirk too??

captain janeway made sure her first officer was up to speed…

friends came from many quadrants to join the festivities

there were plenty of star trek eats… all inspired by our favorite cookbook

there was janeway birthday cake

we partied on the transporter

we weren’t sure if some guests were from outerspace or the land of elves??

the drinks were flowing (romulan ale, klingon blood wine, maporian ale, and trixian bubble juice)

we’re pretty sure spock had a few drinks b/c he started photo bombing…

and as i believe tends to happen given the strength of the romulan ale… some people started gettin frisky!

space… the final frontier!

but the difference is, this week also had some high points!

so let’s just get to it…

the other day at work i found out our firm had a suite at the blazer game… obviously i accepted the invitation to join everyone!

the view was pretty decent…

the spread was really fun…

nacho bar

pasta salad, veggie tray, and sw chicken wraps

the wraps were really good

gold fish snack mix, popcorn, and dessert tray

we even had binoculars on our chairs

it was a pretty suite night!!!

one could certainly get used to living the high life!

oh but that was NOT in the cards for me… the other morning, i rolled myself out of bed, complaining b/c i did not want to go to the gym, dragging and grumbling i opened the door… to a lake in my front yard!!

apparently our water main busted and had been filling up the yard and running down the street all night… that’s one way to get out of going to the gym!

we shut the water off at the curb and called the plumbers…

consoled myself with a green monster…

$2,000 later…

we have a new water main (can you see the old nasty one next to it??)… but are still waiting for the inspection before we can backfill it all…

definitely a LOW point!!

at least we’ve had some good food!

greens… literally…

i had some green veggies i needed to use up or suffer the agony of food gone bad

broc, asparagus, edamame, brussells with italian seasoning, garlic powder, and sea salt

plus a boca burger, sandwich thin, feta spread, dijon, dill pickle

and a dirty rugby player for dessert…

isn’t the teen a lil dreamboat in the making!?!?!

i guess we could sit around and sulk about the stream of misfortune and CRAPOLA we’ve all been enduring lately, but nahhhhh…

this weekend we’re busy busy busy… it’s ANNE’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND Y’ALL!!!!!

our friend kim is in town from LA, and of course found time for snuggling

indulging in smoothies (tropical green and chocolate/cherry)

watching the teen play rugby…

and NOW, we’re off to the birthday party. it’ll make for quite possibly the best post ever… but for now, i’ll leave you with a hint as to the nature of the festivities…

=P

of course we started with mocktails…

then food…

flat out/turkey/avocado/homemade sundried tomato spread/spinach… rollll ups

nikki’s flatbread

veggies, chipotle hummus, tj’s whole grain pita chips

everything was pretty yum-o and kept us busy sipping and nibbling throughout the festivities

SO… how did everyone feel about the oscar results?? i was torn… i’m just gonna say it, i don’t think “the hurt locker” was the best picture. i didn’t think it was a bad film, but best picture??? nah…

HOWEVER, what i did love about the oscars last night was that it was definitely a night for the ladies!

and appropriately so, given that March is Women’s History Month and today is INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton posted a brief but great statement on the importance of “investing in the potential of the world’s women and girls…”

i loved seeing so many strong, classy, intelligent, beautiful women at the oscars last night…

gabourey sidibe is so sweet and full of life… i bet she would be a hilarious friend!

mo nique showed us that we can’t let people who doubt us or tell us we “can’t” run our lives

meryl streep is so classy and fun… i actually love that she’s uncomfortable on the red carpet

kathryn bigelow… first female to win best director is fantastic!

but i know i’m not alone in saying, for me, the night belonged to sandra bullock!

she was so beautiful last night, but it wasn’t even her “look” that i think was so beautiful. her acceptance speech was one of my favorites ever, and i was so touched by her words, in particular where she kind of dedicated it to “the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they came from“

she said those mothers and parents don’t get the credit they should, and i couldn’t agree with her more. i come from a family close to adoption, and as is the case with many subjects, the media only reports the negative side. and that’s so sad b/c there are so many tremendous adoption stories of lives saved, families made whole, love, and happiness…

our family would not be complete without it…

brothers wouldn’t have each other…

important moments would be missed…

the world’s problems may not be solved…

who would cousins be proud of?

shenanigans would be lacking…

we would all be missing out on one of the best senses of humor…

i love you chrissy… i couldn’t imagine my life without you!

it’s been beautiful in portland the last few days

(i’m sure even just mentioning this will cause the skies to darken, the clouds to roll in, and the rain to pour, but i digress)… so yesterday, after breakfast…

a fitnessista inspired egg puff on dave’s killer bread dressed by frank

we decided to uncover the scummy pond that’s been stagnate since winter and crank it up…

we discovered the koi are in fact still alive (minus ralphie, who i believe we lost to a predator of some sort before winter)… after a trip to the pond store, too much money spent on replacement parts, and lots of “help” by porter (interpretation: standing right next to us, chewing on pond parts, and splashing in water), we hooked it all back up…

we still have a lot of yard work to do (i have no idea why the previous owners kept a dirt outer ring of the yard), but i’m already excited with how it’s looking so early in the year!

the backyard is one of the big reasons i bought this house, and i can’t wait to be able to sit on the upper deck and have dinner overlooking the yard.

between our own yard work, swapping out guest room beds, helping nikki cut down five large bushes in front of her yard and digging out the remaining stumps *insert flexing of muscles and girl power here*… we were TIRED, and i needed a green monster

enjoyed on the upper deck with my best friend

(sporting the one ear back look… i wonder if this will become a trend like the one strap of the overalls unhooked???)

in the green monster:
1/2 c. almond milk
couple dollops 0% plain greek yogurt
2 c. organic baby spinach
frozen pineapple
frozen mango

i liked the hint of tangy that the greek yogurt gave the smoothie…

i won’t get sick of these any time soon

speaking of sick, anne is nursing a nasty cold (clearly she needs more green monsters), so i thought i’d make a veggified dinner for all of us.

i started with vegan stuffed mushrooms:

1 lb. large mushrooms
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 7oz. package firm tofu
8 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt/pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. dried breadcrumbs

remove stems from mushrooms and put the caps in a baking dish

preheat oven to 375

toss everything, including the mushroom stems, except the olive oil, parsley, breadcrumbs into food processor and chop/mix it all up

heat oil in skillet, and toss in the mixture for about 5 minutes or until tender, obviously making a big mess on your stove top… then mix in the parsley and breadcrumbs

stuff mushroom caps with mixture and shove into the oven for about 20 minutes or until browned on top

i’ve never made stuffed mushrooms without drenching them in cheese, but these were really good, and the tofu provided smoothness to the mixture. i would definitely make these again, and experiment with other ingredients like italian seasoning, or giving them an asian flare…

speaking of asian flare

no, not that kind

i also made a pretty good stir fry to round out the evening

today i’m hoping to tackle the yard a little more, hit the gym for an overdue elipticizer interval workout, maybe some weights if i’m feelin dangerous, and then get ready for the oscars.

what’s your favorite thing about your house/condo/apartment??
what’s the one thing you would love to have in your dream home??

my favorite parts of my house are the backyard, and the huge window in my living room that takes up one whole wall and looks out onto the upper deck and over the backyard. i always feel like i’m part of the outside.

i’ve always wanted a big home theater. i LOVE movies, and would love a big screen and big comfy couches or chairs to watch lots of movies in…

ok, that’s basically a lie… there’s not much going on around here tonight.

BUT this morning… someone came up with a new game!

if there’s any question about whether we’ve got a water dog in our house… porter’s new morning game is to stick his whole head into the shower and get it all wet.

silly furry child!

and for those who are wondering… 85 lbs!

i’m feeling lazy, so in the style of one of the hippest chicas around… this is going to be quick and dirty!

i am getting into the habit of coming home from the gym in the morning and packing my food for the day. i know, it’s not that exciting nor is it a novel idea, but hey, i’m celebrating the baby steps!!

i packed a supa tasty salad…

naked… but of course i didn’t leave it at that…

morning star buffalo fake chicken nugs

light ranch / frank’s swirl.

all mixed together for lunch, this was a WINNER WINNER UN-CHICKEN… ummm… lunch??

i had breakfast at work…

some green monster action

1c almond milk
2c spinach
1 banana
ice

i know the green monster is not new to a lot of people, but on the off chance it’s new to anyone reading this… trust me when i say TRY THIS SMOOTHIE! try adding spinach to any smoothie… i swear on my doxie’s life you cannot taste the spinach! and adding spinach to your diet can work wonders! energy, skin glow, etc.

just do it! and then come back and thank me!

work was a freak show… so dinner was my go to i’m exhausted and do NOT want to cook spot…

laughing planet!

i love having a place so close to my house where i can snag something quick, but not horrible for me!

plus, it’s such a fun place…

i had the green chile burrito with tofu on a whole wheat tortilla

never fails to be delightful!

we actually don’t have much planned for the weekend.

until sunday anyway…

i LOVE the oscars… and i hope i’m right when i say i think steve martin and alec baldwin are going to be hilarious!!

did you see “it’s complicated”????

are you an oscar fan? who do you think will take the top prizes??
according to roger ebert, this year is too predictable:
best actress – sandra bullock
best actor – jeff bridges
movie – hurt locker

do you agree???

i’m torn about best actress… sandra bullock has put the years in, but something about me is pulling for gabourey sidibe…??? did you read “push”… or see “precious”?? there aren’t words…

for a complete list of nominations, go HERE