Gno Way, That Gnome is Skiing

My sister LOVES gnomes (and pigs), so I'm often on the look out for gnome and pig-related gift items. She has a full-sized gnome named Squats, but she doesn't have one that can accompany her on her many travels. So, for Christmas I got her a Gnome & Garden Gnovelty Kit at ABRGS. Little did I know what a fabulous life the little gnome would soon have.  For the last few weeks I've been getting texts and email updates with photos of everything Gnoman Rockwell (yes that's what she named him) has been up to. He even skis Lake Tahoe! I can gnot wait to see what he gets up to next - perhaps a trip to India in March?

Photos courtesy of Gnoman Rockwell.

Happy New Year

I am finally back in New York after almost three weeks of fun in California and as of tomorrow real life resumes. That means work, school, and blogging when I can. For tonight though I'm staying in, watching the Golden Globes, and cooking with some fun new kitchen tools I got for Christmas.

Every year since 2004 I have taken of a photo of my friends on New Year's Day. Below are the very best from this year - one normal and one freestyle. Certainly one of our best shots and best New Year's Eves.

Photos by Oh MG.

I'm Off

The past 10 days have been too busy for words. After being sick again, working a ton, taking a final, writing two papers, and hosting a pretty fabulous holiday party last night, I am finally ready to get out of town. I look forward to skiing, drinking California wine, spending time by the ocean, and seeing friends & family. Happy Holidays! Light posting until 2012.

Photo by Oh MG at Lava Cap (yum!)

Love in Morse Code

via Betsy & Iya

A few weeks ago for a special occasion, JM got me something I had been long-coveting: the Morse Code Romance Necklace from Betsy & Iya. The one I got spells out L-O-V-E (I think the one pictured says I-F). Obviously, as with any new piece of jewelry, I have been wearing it all over town lately and pretty much get a compliment each time I do. No one has been able to read that it says LOVE, but I'm hoping I'll run into an old telegraph operator who is just tickled over my necklace. We'll see.

PS. I am so jealous that when Sarah B. is in Portland for Christmas she gets to go to the B&I retail store where there's jewelry plus other fun stuff. It looks oh-so-pretty.

Christmastime is Here

Though I was supposed to spend lots of quality time at the library on Saturday, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It was too gorgeous out and JM and I had an opportunity to bring home a 5.5-foot frasier fir. And once we started I couldn't stop - also bought a wreath for the front door and put some extra boughs and holly branches from our front yard in jars around the house. I'm far from being crafty, but am proud of the effort. And wow, it's going to 60 degrees tomorrow. This is what I imagine Christmast must be like in LA - not bad! Please excuse bad phone photos.

Photos by Oh MG.

PS. I just cannot get enough of this song right now!

This Photo Makes Me Happy

It is currently my desktop background and I smile every time I see it. Been thinking a lot lately about how much fun our vacation was! Taken at Utah Beach, Normandy - August 2011. Photo by Oh MG.

Happy Halloween

I shopped my closet for a Halloween costume and came up with this ... a beat poet of course.  All things considered I was quite happy about it and fit right in at a Halloween house party where everyone simply culled clothing from their own wardrobes.  That's JM as Paul Bunyan.  I am not a candy person, but night was made by the presence of pigs in a blanket (and a good amount of wine).  HAPPY HALLOWEEN.

What To Be For Halloween?!

Halloween 2009 - As Cleopatra

Halloween 2010 - As Sloane Peterson

The inspiration just isn't there this year, whereas I've known exactly what to be the last two years.  This weekend I bought an aqua-marine 1970s style evening dress for $14.99 just for the heck of it.  Um, what could I be in that?!

Happy (Busy) Fall

Image by via You are the River via Desire to Inspire

Oh MG, where did September go?  The saddest part of the quick passage of last month is that I've been too busy to blog!  At least I'm not the only one.  Apparently Hilary is feeling it too and others are struggling with time management.  Alas, we're all busy.

So what have I been up to ... going to school, being a teaching assistant, hanging out over the the Annie's (and guest blogging over there), cooking a lot (thanks to this month's issue of Everyday Food from which I have made four meals in the last week), trying to exercise, and catching up on Boardwalk Empire.  I've also been too busy to read, which in my life is just plain wrong.  Maybe one day I'll get the chance to curl up with a book in a lovely room like the one above.  

Here's hoping October will calm down a little bit - and that it will stop being so damn humid in New York City and that all the mosquitos will die.  Happy Fall.  

Will be posting sporadically for now.

Into the Great Wide Open

The day is finally here, I am heading to Uganda for a summer internship!  Posting will be sporadic, but I make every effort to get some photos up from my travels ASAP.  Happy Summer!

Almost to the Finish Line!

...and I am feeling quite happy about it.  The Biostatistics exam is done (it went surprisingly well!), now I just have two papers to finish by tomorrow evening.  Trying to hang in there ...

Photo of Cate Blanchett by Annie Leibovitz

Some Scenes and Facts from the Road

Ice cream in a pretzel cone is just heavenly!

It's always good to have a word of the month.

Virginia was home to the most battles of the Civil War.  Visit Fredricksburg if you are ever in the market for Civil War bullets.

South Street Brewery is one of the few places to get food in Charlottesville after 10:00 PM (believe you me, we tried many a restaurant).

Check out Consignment House and Circa in Charlottesville for amazing vintage browsing.  More on my fabulous finds later.  Hello Barcelona chair.

The dumplings at Marco & Luca in Charlottesville were delicious.

The yellow paint in the dining room of Monticello was the first paint to utilize synthetic colors.  Additionally, Thomas Jefferson had a special closet above his bedroom for "off-season" clothing - it was well ventilated and let light in to combat moths (how very practical, Carrie Bradshaw would be jealous).

Thomas Jefferson was 6'2".

Virginia is the 5th largest wine producing region in the US.  I enjoyed a flight of Virginia wines along with a delicious dinner at Staunton Grocery.

Before heading back to DC, we stopped in an old rail station in Staunton, VA.

I Fought the Ice, and the Ice Won

At 7:30 AM yesterday while scurrying down 7th Avenue in Park Slope, I hit a patch of black ice and took a nasty tumble.  I was so dazed I didn't know what hit me until two bystanders generously helped me up.  Luckily I was a block from home and hobbled back.  My right ankle is now twice the size of my left ankle. A visit to the doctor and an x-ray confirmed that it's not broken, but I have been ordered to Rest, Ice, Compress, and Elevate for the rest of the week.  Translation: no school and a lot of Netflix On Demand.

Inauguration Day

Photo via http://www.jfklibrary.org/

As I told Amber while in the Bay Area last month, I've been meaning to start a blog for ages.  So I made it my New Year's resolution.  It's debuting on January 20th -- fitting both because I accomplished a resolution in a decent amount of time, and because today is the 50th anniversary of JFK's inauguration (and I just LOVE the Kennedys).  Check out the Tumblr At Its Best for fun Kennedy photos.