beauty in my own town

I drive past this house nearly every day & decided to finally pull over to take a quick snap. How awesome & unique is this?!?!?!?!


This is by far the coolest historic building I've seen in Denver thus far. I mean, really, check out all the interesting design details -in one building. And far from being overwhelming, it all works together nicely, I think. It's currently under some kind of renovation. I hope they're just fixing it up & not changing it. And do click on some of them to get a closer look. I'll post more when the renovations are completed; can't wait to see the finished look.

10 days in

Some may say it's blasphemy, I call it the perfect pint.


I've been doing the morning green smoothie for 10 days now. So far so good. I ran out of vanilla Spirutein on Tuesday so yesterday's smoothie was a bit, well, green. I used romaine lettuce, a peach, a banana, & o.j. Very lettuce-y tasting. Today had a couple plums instead of the peach & I added a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract & a teaspoon of agave to offset the lettuce taste -it turned out really yummy & saved about 100 calories. Spinach definitely adds the least amount of extra flavor. I do like collards in my smoothie, though. Yes, raw collards. It's quite tasty. I think that's what this picture is.

I'm back on track with my C25K running program. I took some days off after Spain because I had jet lag so bad the first week back. A couple days turned into more like 2 months. I ended up starting all over again just for the sake of not pushing too much & injuring myself, like I did last year when I tried this program. So far, so good. Tomorrow will be week 3, day 1. This morning I went as soon as I dropped off the littles at school. There's a bike path nearby & the loop I did was just about the perfect distance. I think that's what's going to work out best until I can get back into going to bed earlier so I can run before I take Maddie to school (I just can't seem to wake up at 5:30 am to go running when I fall asleep at 12:30am. Go figure.)

miscellaneous stuffs

the darker color is the previous wall color, the lighter is new. BUT I'm not liking the light color now that I have the trim finished. Repainting is in order today.


I didn't get a shot of the door before repainting, but you can see the blah brown color that it was on the hinge there


more tattoo fun. They took turns on each other's foot. I think on the left is "Tails" from Sonic. And maybe that's "Amy Rose" -also from Sonic - on Lib's foot on the right.


Fi especially wanted me to get a shot of her smiley face


Shhhh, artist at work

another school year

This is her "take my picture but I'm going to act like I don't want you to" look. So far she's had her schedule changed 4 times. But she seems to be rolling with it. I can only describe her reaction to middle school as exuberantly enthusiastic. Yes, Maddie. And I'm not talking about snowboarding. It's SCHOOL! Wow, who would've thunk it. So far she's tackling her homework as soon as she gets home (except Fridays -have to work on that so she's not waiting until 8pm on Sunday, like this past weekend). She really is impressed by her teachers. I don't know if it's because her classes are all geared toward the "gifted" population & so they're taught differently than traditional classes so that appeals to her. Or maybe it's the stimulation of having a different teacher for each class so she's not bored sitting in the same classroom all day. She's still a bit reserved -like she was at her new elementary school all this past year. I'm hoping she can come out of her shell & let the "real" Maddie shine out for everyone to see (not just for me!). She told me that she may want to drop orchestra because it's "just not my thing"; she'd rather be in drama. I'll have to write a letter to request it, though. Hope it works. It'd be nice for her to be in some kind of drama activity -as a healthy outlet for all her own drama ;P


what the little's did the day before the first day of school: drew tattoos on each other & then proceeded to take pictures of them. What can I say: It's a wonder Nikki never got into drawing "tattoos" on herself. I mean, she was the child who was raised around the tattoo scene.


and an artistic shot of an ankle tattoo. Not bad for a 6 year old photographer/photo shoot director, I think. These two littles kind of keep me in awe.

Lib, ready to rule the roost. She's familiar with her new teacher because Fi had the same teacher last year.





Fi with her schultuete. Garrett reminded me at 1am the night before that Fi needed one. Oops. How could I forget, right? I mean, it is the family tradition handed down from my own German mom. My siblings & I each had one. Nikki & Maddie had theirs. Of course the littles will have theirs. So I broke out my crafting supplies -had to work with what I had on hand. Not bad, huh? (Lib's already planned how she wants hers designed next year -Sonic the Hedgehog will be involved). The teacher was fairly sparing with handing out the candies, so the schultuete still sits in the classroom. Maybe she's using them as treats or rewards? Little Chrissy -I mean Lib sneaks in after school to get a piece for herself occasionally. (Indeed, Fi brought it home today, passing out candies to her friends & teachers that she saw on the way to the car.)



And a reminder: how little they looked last year. They've grown leaps & bounds it seems.

2 days in

so I've started on this 30 day challenge that was initiated by Sara at Happy Foody. Some of you know I've been contemplating returning to a vegetarian lifestyle. And that I've been contemplating going completely raw. In my search for info on a raw lifestyle, I came across the Happy Foody blog. The 30 Days Green challenge seemed just right & the timing was perfect (found it Sunday night). Do you love synchronicity as much as I do??

The challenge is to drink a green smoothie every morning, exercise of some sort every day, salad with lunch or dinner, no soda, & no white sugar. Easy enough & all good. Seems like a smooth transition to a veg diet.

Yesterday's smoothie consisted of o.j., low fat yogurt, spirutein, and spinach. Did I mention that the Cuisinart handheld blender is my new favorite kitchen appliance? I've been having a smoothie nearly every day for the last month or so, but I've never added greens. Why? It was just as tasty as without, but had that many more nutrients. Today was o.j., spoonful of HOMEMADE yogurt, spirutein, frozen red grapes & spinach. Yum. Hmmm, come to think of it, I'll have to check the ingredients of the spirutein for sugar. I like it for the protein, but have never thought about the sugar content -or what kind of sugar might be in it.

I found a new favorite recipe for raw kale salad -sooooo freaking delish, I almost ate the whole thing in one day!!! I found it also at the Happy Foody blog. Actually, I think I found this recipe & then spied the 30 Days Green challenge. I never knew kale could be eaten raw. I think I may never eat it cooked again. Seriously, this recipe is that darn good! It's definitely going to be a once a week salad. I used the hemp seed oil, tomato, a whole avocado instead of half, lemon juice, sea salt & a couple splashes of Cholula instead of cayenne, and a couple shakes of Seto Fumi Furikake. I might try adding some pine nuts or sunflower seeds next time.



(oh, & the sweetness in Spirutein comes from fructose. whew!)

Japanime button workshop

(so that's where all those DAM stickers end up)

Maddie & I participated in this workshop through Fresh City Life at the Denver Public Library. When I first told Maddie that I had signed her up, she was less than enthusiastic about it; she said she wasn't interested in Asian culture anymore. I made her go anyway. And she was glad I did. She's already planning on going to the next workshop & has her sisters wanting to go as well.


The workshop was held at a little coffee shop called NOVO. OMG. One of the best cups of coffee I've ever had. Seriously. Right up there with Paris.


first we cut out pictures for our buttons




then we used a template cutter to make the pictures round




then we stood in line with 30 other folks to have our turn making the actual buttons



Afterwards we walked around the block, no traffic, hardly any people (the library closes at 6pm most days of the week; crazy, right?)(and the DAM closes at 5; more craziness).


interesting sculpture outside the coffee shop




the famous horse on chair sculpture outside the library


I don't know the name of this sculpture outside the old section of the DAM



Denver Public Library -central branch, west entrance


Denver has a cool city & county seal, no?


the new section of the DAM jutting out over the street in front of the library

And then Maddie had her haircut -an inspiration she had early Thursday morning. She was so pleased with the cut, she couldn't stop gushing about it during the drive home & all the rest of the night. I personally received an abundance of hugs & kisses & verbal thanks for taking her (& paying for it). I have to agree -it really is a super cute look on her. (I haven't seen her this happy since she was in the Mediterranean in Spain)


proudly displaying her new 'do and handmade by Maddie buttons





what do you think???

happy 21st birthday to my eldest daughter :)

How did I get to be the mother of a 21 year old? Time, tears, laughter, snuggles, hugs & kisses, serious talks & random chats...and more. It seems like she was a little girl not so very long ago. Now she's a self-supporting, living on her own adult and nearly a college graduate. Wow.

Some random memories:
-Guinea Pig in the Barbie jeep being pulled around the courtyard.
-Elementary school sleepovers & making movies
-Missing the DD bus at 5:50am & trying to catch it further up Colo Blvd. or the B or BX downtown...or Westminster -or 104th -or Broomfield...for 4 years of high school!
-Camping trip in Dinosaur, CO along the Yampa River...and counting 100+ mosquito bites upon returning home
-Cross country road trips
-T2 & the DIY John Conner haircut in the bathroom -pile of hair on the toilet lid & scissors hidden behind her back
-face mask for baby sister's first solo diaper change
-London
-Scotland
-Vermont
-myriad Discovery Zone visits
-"Sweet Child of Mine"
-Rhinny
-Scully & his mysterious leg afflictions
-"booya to the dude eating a cheeseburger for breakfast!"
-xmas list for the mall Santa was an animal cracker box full of pictures
- $300 texting bill
-Saturday night Nickelodeon viewing
-Brotherly Love
-bad batman & queen frostine & princess patasa & baby slobber
-myriad nicknames: Nik, Snick, Snickerdoodle, Nikkel, Nikkicita, Nikkolai, Nikkivitus

(this picture is from Spain & is not typical behavior...but I think tonight there will be some alcohol consumption!)

oh, the cleverness of Lib

a couple zingers tonight:.

While driving home from the store, in the backseat the girls were playing pretend of some sort. Lib says, "How 'bout if I have all the super powers and I'm awesome." Not so much a request or question, but a statement, lol! Nothing like going for the gusto :)

At dinner, Lib decided that indeed she does really like tomatoes. But there weren't any left for her to have more than the already consumed requirement of "you have to take one of everything & taste a bite of each." Fi had her one tomato & wasn't going to eat more than the "taste", so I told Lib she could have it. Fi passed it to Garrett, who put it on Lib's plate -fingers to fingers to plate. Not so concerned about those germs, she asked Fi, "Did you bite it?" with that look of disdain for those germs, if you know what I mean. I said, "No, she didn't bite it." Lib looked incredulous & pushed the tomato to the side of the plate. So I said, "Who cares if she did bite it? You have the same germs." -thinking of the shared sodas & lollys, and whatnot. Lib retorted, "No, we do not have the same germs. My germs are pink and sparkly!" Yep. Captured forever with my camera eyes.

Oh, & don't forget the box of sugar cubes I found under the computer desk while Lib & Fi stood in front instead of sitting to play on the computer. (All the better to reach the box and not get busted, my dear.) "But they just taste so goooooood," was her response when questioned about it. Have I told you that we have our very own Little Chrissy? (seen the movie "Pecker"?)

random lazy summer days

Taught this to the girls one night, now it's one of Lib's favorite "faces" to make


wait for it, wait for it


ah, sweet relief from what little summer heat we've had


Mad's taken up Snick's old board & helmet


Then there's butt boarding (I think the spin she tried down the hill freaked her out a bit, so she wanted to lower her center of gravity)


Hey! Wait! That's MY helmet