Change is Good

the "before" with our celebrity hair photos

after

I've never gone this short before.  It was fun for my sister and I to go out and impulsively chop all of our hair off.  It was a good change.

4 Years

It's our anniversary today.  I love you Sam!  I'm still visiting family.  I'll be posting some of the fun stuff we have been doing soon.

Off Again

Well, we're off again tomorrow to see my family.  My little sister is graduating high school.  I'm very excited to see my family and spend time with them.  I think it's funny that when all is said and done Sam will receive eye care from four different states.  It pays to have an eye doctor in the fam (thanks Heidi)  A lot of friends will be in town as well.  I just need to get my butt in gear and unpack and pack so I can wake up at 5 am.  Wish me luck!

It all ends With a Trip to the ER.

Every time we move, something weird happens and it becomes more stressful and difficult.  We were forced out of Eau Claire early with a roof cave in and shoddy wiring.  When we moved from Colorado I had to rush back to bake a wedding cake.   This time, Saturday night I was packing up everything in suitcases and thinking to myself just how simple this was.  Not much harder than packing up from one night in a hotel.  Maybe this is because we do it all the time, or maybe it's because we didn't have much with us.  

Sunday morning we wake up, go to pick up our car rental at 6:30 am, but then we headed to the Emergency Room.  Sam thought he had some allergies going on in his eye, one was itchy and bugging him.  Late Saturday night he looked at it with a flashlight and we determined it wasn't dust.  It was a piece of metal.  This had to have happened Friday.  So we decided we better get it taken care of, because we were driving home and wouldn't be back for another two days.  We sat and sat and sat in the ER Sunday morning.  They were very busy.  We arrived at 7:00 am and left at noon.  They were not able to get it out-aarrgh!  Sam was fine, just a little irritated.  At least he got some antibiotics.  So much for the drive up the coast.  We had to cancel our reservation for a hostel in Eugene, but we were kinda excited for an excuse to spend a little time in Bend.

So we drove and made it to Klamath Falls, Oregon and spent the night there.  We made an appointment in Bend.  They got the piece of metal out, and all is good.  It will heal well.  

I had to drive the whole way home.  Sam didn't like this, he likes to drive.  The good news is that when I'm behind the wheel I don't mind pulling u-ies in the middle of the highway to go back and see what we just missed.  So, when flying by at 75 miles an hour and seeing this tree filled with shoes, naturally, I knew we had to turn around.  The highlight of our trip:  Sam saying sayonara to his work boots.  

I tried to get him to say goodbye to the Keens on his feet as well.  He considered it, but decided to keep them.  

 You see Sam has a little shoe attachment.  He had trouble saying goodbye to a stinky old pair of his beloved red shoes in Bari, Italy. (I'll save that for another day)  When Sam gets rid of a well loved shoe, it must have the right departure.

The wind up

Now they will have a happy home.  A good symbolic way of saying goodbye and good riddance to a tough job.

Napa

Sam had another day off so we headed to wine country.  We started out in Berkeley with a lovely walk to Rick and Ann's for breakfast.  It was a perfect morning, we had seating outside overlooking the crazy huge Claremont Resort.  

 

We went to Sonoma first for a little tour and tasting at Sebastiani's.  

This is at the Beringer winery in Napa.  This was such a great house.  I can't believe that back in it's day it only cost $30,000 to build.  It has gorgeous hardwood floors, stained glass windows, carved molding, hand painted trims.  Amazing.

Of course we had to stop at the CIA (Culinary Institute of America)  I would have loved to dine there, (it was a little pricey-not too bad though)  We did get there just in time to take a peek inside to drool at all the great kitchen equipment in their gift shop.

All the Pretty Flowers

My favorite color: orange, paired with my favorite flower: gerber daisies and a new favorite: ranunculus 

Here was the Easter week arrangement.  Plenty of lilies 

Ah, and this was the great bouquet Jess picked out for me.  It suits me to a T.  It reminds me of a warm summer day.

  

DIY Flowers

After hearing Elise was doing her own flowers for her wedding, I was reminded of how much fun I had doing my own.  Arranging all the flowers for my wedding with my girlfriends was one of the best memories from the week of the wedding.  Yes this is a little random, but my anniversary is coming up so I'm allowed to relive it again a little, right?

Yes, it was stressful, yes we looked awful.  In the end everyone {and everything} looked lovely, don't you think?

To Market

Remember how I said I didn't mind running errands and shopping here.  Today I decided to bring my camera with me while I picked up my groceries.  

I pick up fruits and veggies at this corner market.

The most gorgeous flower arrangements are made right here.

This is the yummy chocolate shop.  Today I picked up a champagne truffle.  Look, they even make ice cream cone and chocolate lab truffles.

The butcher helps me pick out meat at Ver Bruggge's

Today I decided I needed a mini eclair along with my baguette.

After La Farine, I can stop in for wine at the shop next door.  

Sometimes I do a little window shopping.

And then the unglamorous part, getting the rest of the groceries across the street.  And hauling the heavy bags back home on the bus!

Street Art

My cousin sent me these pictures.  Edgar Mueller is a crazy artist who does this street art.  I love it when artists do interactive projects like this.  How creepy would it be to walk up to these without knowing what was going on?  Check out Mueller's website