run dream cook

florida recap - part 2

2012-03-05T08:20:00.002-05:00

The plan for Saturday was to get up and move but not do anything too crazy or tiring. We decided to head to Downtown Disney and do a little bit of shopping then a little bit of eating.
Our first stop was Goofy's Candy Company. This was basically a no brainer since we had two pregnant ladies in tow. Jess found her new favorite food there, a rice crispy treat covered in chocolate and dipped in reese's pieces. Molly got some gummy goofies and mom got a giant bag filled with chocolate covered peanuts and raisins. A breakfast of champions if you ask me!

Overwhelmed by choices

Waiting outside the candy store.

After walking around for a while we went in every shop available. In the World of Disney there are TONS of awesome ear options. Of course being the goofball that I am, I had to try them all on...

Pretty sparkly ears. These were awesome but HEAVY

Tiny hats on strings. Also awesome, but the string tried to strangle me.

Super duper scary Tinkerbell ears with extra eyeballs

Finally a Grumpy hat. This one is just so me, don't ya think?

We shopped and shopped and then grabbed lunch. We went to Fresh-A-Peel so we could each get something we wanted. I wanted to keep it healthy and stick with salads and Jess wanted chicken fingers so this worked out well for all of us. After lunch we left Downtown Disney and went back to the condo for a bit. Molly and I threw on our bathing suits and laid by the pool catching up. We don't get to see each other nearly enough so it was awesome to have a bit of downtime to just chat.
I made dinner in the condo Saturday night. I wanted to make something that I've eaten before a long run before, so I made grilled chicken, wild rice, corn, and tomato and mozzarella salad. It was delicious and the perfect way to spend the day leading up to the race.
Then it was time to get our race gear together and head to bed. I think I hit the sheets around 8:30, trying to get in a couple hours of sleep before the 2am wake up call!

Race pile on the bed!

lets tango

2012-03-02T09:57:00.003-05:00

I'm back from Florida and I'm still craving the warm sunshine. It was amazing down there. The only cool day was race day and I couldn't have asked for it to be more perfect!
I'm sure you've hear that the color of the year has been decided and it is none other than tangerine tango! Orange? Yeah...I'm not a huge fan of orange on my clothes. Perhaps it's my pasty skin tone, or just that it seems to clash with my hair. I'm just not all that into it! That doesn't mean I won't be participating in this trend though. There are definitely ways to add pops of orange to an outfit without looking like you ate a few too many carrots.

As always, linking up with the lovely Alison of Long Distance Loving for Friday's Fancies!

lets tango by rundreamcook featuring facets jewelry

This dress is PERFECTION. I love it so much. The huge flowers with the perfect shade of orange on the very neutral and subdued background. I'm seriously in love with this.
Orange shoes might be the only totally orange item I own. I have shoes that are very similar to these and I love them. I live in this type of sandal almost all summer long.
A bright blue bag...What's not to love. I adore that it brings out the blue a little bit more as that is the color I would want to highlight more than the orange.
And the jewelry. Simple bangles paired with simple red studs. The outfit might look a little like a bag of skittles threw up, but that is kind of how I like my spring and summer clothes to be. Super bright and super fun!

florida recap part 1

2012-03-01T05:04:00.000-05:00

I'm home and honestly I'm not all that happy about it! We left Florida where it was 85 degrees and bright and sunny to come home to snow on the ground and below freezing temperatures. It sucks a little bit. Instead of focusing on the snowy chilliness, I'm going to relive my trip by telling you all about it!

Mike and I, bright and early - getting ready to take off!

Right after landing in Orlando!

Our flight left at 7am on Thursday morning which meant a 5am wake up call. I am definitely not a morning person, but I powered through. My adrenaline was definitely pumping. It was perfectly warm and very sunny which was an amazing welcome to the sunshine state!

Our fabulous rental car. It was a Camry and had TONS of space!

We started by renting a car and heading straight to get some lunch. We went to BJ's Brewhouse for lunch and I think the restaurant opened at 11 and we pulled in at 10 after. Next stop was mom's condo. It was my first time there so we hung out and unpacked a little bit before heading to get some groceries and stock the kitchen.

Everyone messes up our "J" names!

This Starbucks is my mom's favorite place ever. She would spend all day here if we let her.

Quick trips to Publix and Target were in order. We had dinner at the condo and just hung out, it was an early night because of the early wake up call. Plus, Friday morning we had to get up early too, it was expo day!
Expo day was tons of fun. We got up and ready and hit the expo first thing Friday morning. We got there by 8:30 and hopped on line waiting for it to open at 9am. There was a bit of a line, but nothing too crazy and the horsemen from Cinderella were there to pose with for pictures. I was really happy with how well it was organized.

I cried. Right then. I was just so overwhelmed with emotion. It was awesome.

Our chariot awaits!

The runners!

I had one person in front of me on the line to get my bib, but they were quick and it was easy. Then heading to the Josten's center for the expo was fun. There was a red carpet for the princesses to follow. I walked in, got glittered and headed down to get some swag. I picked up an I did it shirt and the car magnet. I was disappointed not to find the tiara 13.1 magnet that I had seen from previous years, but it's ok I like the Mickey one too.

With my bib after being glittered by a fairy godmother!

Trying on my new shirt over my dress!

Then we went to pick up our shirts and check out all the other goodies on the expo floor. I didn't buy anything else but I did get a few free luna bar samples. The lemon zest one was disgusting, but the s'mores one was delicious. I checked out all the booths and nearly bought a couple things, but decided to hold back. I knew I had a couple Disney days ahead of me so I saved the cash.

After the expo it was HOT! I think it got up to like 87 degrees. Mom, Jess and I made the decision to make it a pool day. Us girls put on our bathing suits and the boys put on gym gear and we all went outside. Mike did a short run while Dan did some walking and calisthenics. The girls hung by the pool, soaking up sun and loving the heat.

Look at that baby bump!!

Sitting by a pool looking at a lake. Gorgeous!

Molly came for the weekend on Friday night. We went out to dinner, had lots of laughs and hung out for the rest of the night.

Saturday and Sunday recap will be up tomorrow!

My mom and Molly at dinner. Awesome.

Jess and Dan at dinner. Our waiter got major bonus points because he treated our pregnant ladies very well! His wife
is pregnant too so he knew who to cater to!

Cheesy excited grins! Super excited for this trip!!

back to ny

2012-02-29T07:56:00.001-05:00

Goodbye Florida. See you soon.

blogging from florida

2012-02-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

I'm officially a half marathoner!

As I write this, I'm sitting outside on mom's porch, drinking a cup of tea and getting ready to head to Disney World for the day. We're still debating what parks we're doing, but we're ready to go enjoy the day!

princess half

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

While everyone else is posting super glam outfits for the Oscars this weekend, I'm posting my running gear for this weekend! Half marathon here I come!

princess half by rundreamcook featuring asics shoes

and away we go!

2012-02-23T05:38:00.000-05:00

Today's the day! We're leaving for Florida. Actually as you read this, more than likely we'll be flying high above the east coast. Our flight leaves at 7am this morning, so we'll be on the ground bright and early! I think our plan for today is to head to the condo, go to this "amazing pizza place" across the street from mom's house and then head to the grocery store. Jess has been demanding that we go there the minute we land since she decided to come down with us. She's pregnant so I'm not sure how much I believe all of her raves about the place, but according to her it is the best pizza in the world and nothing will ever top it. The best part about the pizza place is that it isn't even really a pizza place, it's a brew house. At least there will be beer.
I'm being a little bit of a freak about eating for the next couple days. I'll go for the pizza, but I'll skip the beer today but I want to make sure I eat good normal foods between now and Sunday. I'm going straight to the grocery store to get some dinner choices that I can make in the condo. I'm trying to eat as normal as possible and keep it pretty darn healthy. After the race, I'll indulge plenty. Heck, after 13.1 miles I'll have an extra 2000 calories I can burn through that day. It is a vacation after all.
I'll be back later with pictures from the day!

runDisney

2012-02-22T06:11:00.000-05:00

Good morning friends!! Today is my day to finish packing and get my butt in gear because I leave TOMORROW for Florida and my first half marathon!!!! AHHH! That's how how I feel. Like I might spontaneously com-bust at any given moment. I'm beyond nervous and so excited I might pee my pants. I've trained. I'm ready. And I'm breathing into a paper bag.
Today's pins for Oh! How Pinteresting Wednesday are all themed for my runDisney weekend. AHHH!!!

Source: piccsy.com via Natalie on Pinterest

This is crazy gorgeous. I haven't been in that castle in 10 years and I cannot wait to run through it. Just thinking about it gets me a little teary.

Source: weheartit.com via Laddie on Pinterest

All of these make me want to get out there and run. Especially Nemo - Just keep swimming. Or running as it may be. No worries <3

Source: ginafilipelli.tumblr.com via Gina on Pinterest

I can and WILL do it. Sunday.

Source: Uploaded by user via Hannah on Pinterest

I dream it every single night. Finishing this is beyond anything I every imagined I'd be able to do, and I can't wait to have that medal around my neck.

Source: 4.bp.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love sparkly running shoes. I will be glittering mine for the race. Spray sparkle EVERYWHERE.

Source: images.google.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Can't wait to stop for this photo op!!!

Source: dwtickets.com via Marissa on Pinterest

I feel this way already and I haven't even gotten there yet.

Source: Uploaded by user via Nathalie on Pinterest

It will be better than any fairy tale ever told.

I have some posts set up for while I'm gone, but I'm bringing the computer so I'll be able to check in! Definitely Monday with a recap!

anxiety.

2012-02-20T06:33:00.000-05:00

Source: graphicleftovers.com via Coleen on Pinterest

I am having crazy anxiety. I'm leaving in a couple days, the race is less than a week away, plans keep changing and I feel like I'm going to pass out or pee my pants at any given moment. I'm having freak outs about the race. It isn't about finishing, I know I can handle it. The hay is in the barn as they say.
My freak outs are about logistics. Where are Jess and Dan going to wait to cheer us on? What days should we go to the park? What should I eat for dinner? I'm just freaking. I have knots in my stomach. Ugh.

So I'm trying to calm down. I'm going to the gym now to work my butt off and release some of this tension. I'm really hoping that will work. A margarita sounded heavenly last night, like it would have calmed my nerves, but I don't drink often at all and I didn't want to drink the week of the race.

Source: destinedtobebeautiful.tumblr.com via Nicole on Pinterest

In other news, I want to pick up this book, The Baker's Daughter, before the trip to read on the plane and during some downtime while I'm down there. I feel like it is going to go by so fast, I don't want to miss a moment of it. I want to make the most of the downtime and get away from all of everything going on here.

Source: eatliverun.com via Cindy on Pinterest

so soon.

2012-02-19T06:49:00.000-05:00

The half marathon is a week away. I'm sure you are super ready for it to be here already so I'll just SHUT UP about it. I'm sorry but it is pretty much all that is on my mind. I can't help it. I'm stoked and petrified. Thrilled and scared. I can barely contain myself.

I'm leaving for Florida on Thursday! Packing commences tom

away we go

2012-02-17T05:46:00.000-05:00

Alright friends. I am in dire need for your help. I upgraded my blogger profile to be attached to my Google+ account. However, I'm now a "no-reply" blogger and it is driving me CRAZY! I cannot for the life of me figure out why this happened, or how to fix it! My email address is there and set to public. I can't figure it out. I'd love advice!! Someone please help me!

This is my last Friday in cold, (un)winter-y New York before heading to Florida for the race and I have been day dreaming about this for the last 6 months or so. So the fact that Alison's theme for this week's Friday Fancies is "Let's Fly Away"! In the middle of February, even if it isn't bone chillingly cold, it is hard to not fantasize about taking a journey to the tropics or at least somewhere bright, sunny and warm.

away we go by rundreamcook featuring coach handbags

I love this maxi dress. When I'm feeling pretty after days on the beach gallivanting in the sun and sand getting a light tan, there is nothing better than a flowing maxi dress. Soft fabric just makes you feel exceptionally gorgeous.

Especially when I'm on vacation, I love dainty flats with dresses. I am not the girl who feels prettiest in heels. I don't know why, but I almost always choose flats. I love the white/silver braiding on these.

Love this bag. I own it is coral, tan and chocolate brown but I need it in grey/silver to go with this dress. It can just jump into my closet at any time now!

Simple but pretty hoop earrings. Just enough shine without being overly glam.

I never go without sunscreen. Never. This sunscreen makes it easy to be glamorous and girlie. The best part about this one specifically is that I'm not allergic to it. I'm allergic to both shea and cocoa butters so it is super hard to find sunscreen that I'm not allergic to without spending a million dollars on it. This was a happy find in walgreens one day. I'll never go back! The only thing is that I don't suggest using it on your face because it can take a couple washes to get all the shimmer off!

spring cleaning

2012-02-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

Spring cleaning for me this year means sorting through my drawers and closet and ditching all of the clothes that really don't fit anymore. After losing well over 50 pounds, there are a lot of things in my closet that I shouldn't be wearing anymore.
Since I have to get rid (mostly that means donate) of so much of my wardrobe I've been doing a bit of online shopping (aka day dreaming) about what I'd like to add once I make room.

here

boudoir love

2012-02-15T05:26:00.000-05:00

I've set "boudoir shots" as a goal for myself for Mike before we get married. I'd love to feel comfortable enough in my skin to take pictures like that for him. I know it would mean the world to him. He'd absolutely love it. I have a ton of pictures pinned and I thought I'd share them for my Oh, How Pinteresting post for today in honor of it being Valentine's week!

Just a warning before you scroll down though - some of the pictures are suggestive and may not be work appropriate if you're browsing on a lunch break!

Source: evokingconnections.com via Kristen on Pinterest

Gorgeous lingerie.

Source: desireehayesphotography.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

Slightly sweet and innocent, yet totally sexy. I love this.

Source: joielala.com via Shelby on Pinterest

I love this. Tank top with lace...

Source: jenniferwilliams.com via Sophia on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Jon on Pinterest

Gorgeous wedding shot.

Source: boards.weddingbee.com via Rebecca on Pinterest

LOVE this silhouette.

Source: weddingbee.com via Christa on Pinterest

I love how happy she looks here. Nothing is sexier than happiness.

Source: stumbleupon.com via Ian on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Whitney on Pinterest

I love this...pulling the panties up or down is amazingly hot.

Source: desireehayesphotography.com via Misha on Pinterest

She is stunning, but so is her bedroom!

Source: desireehayesphotography.com via Nakia on Pinterest

Mike would adore this picture.

Source: theknottybride.com via Christina on Pinterest

This is more my speed though!

we've got a real good shot...

2012-02-14T05:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Mike is actually a huge fan of Valentine's Day! He loves all the wonderful mushiness associated with it. Truthfully, I could take it or leave it, but since he loves it so much, I indulge his wishes. Tonight we will have takeout from my favorite spot for Thai food, it's kind of a tradition for us, and we'll snuggle up and watch a movie together. His idea of a perfect night.

It didn't take long for me to fall for him, and I fell hard. He is such an amazing guy and I feel so lucky every day to have someone like him in my life. This song quickly became "our song" once I heard it. Mike didn't kiss me at the end of our first date. There was a lingering hug, but no kissing. Then our second date, we went to the movies and there wasn't even hand holding. As we were saying goodbye at the end of the date, he hugged me and kissed my forehead. I looked at him and was like "seriously?!" He finally kissed me for real, and I was hooked. I've kissed him every time I've had the chance ever since.

I'm linking up with From Mrs to Mama in honor of Valentine's day for her What's your Love Story linkup! Here are the questions for us taken ladies!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

20 months

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We met online, our first date was at a Chili's

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

He definitely is the guy I hope to marry. I sing him "if you like it then you should probably put a ring on it" once a week if not more.

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We aren't married yet, but we will be eventually. I'd prefer a small wedding, 100 people or less and I want a "different" kind of venue. We're hoping for an airplane hangar.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

I call him babe or Michael, sometimes stinky-kid. He calls me Jules usually.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He's so determined. He keeps me inspired. He loves to cuddle just as much as I do.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

Just the two of us, anywhere any time.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

He's a flowers, teddy bear, strawberries, champagne and rose petals kind of guy. I'm a pizza and a movie kind of girl.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

I think I'm a sunset on the beach kind of girl, cozy clothes, just us but super romantic. I love it.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I want to travel all over with him. I can't wait to travel as a family with our kids, and give our kids the kind of experiences that our parents were able to give us.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
Thai food takeout! Yum!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
Nope...I'm not big on Valentine's Day gifts. Although I guess I am secretly hoping that he is going to replace a ring of mine that went missing :(

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
We talk about everything, try to do things we both love to do and cuddle as often as possible.

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

We didn't look our best, but I think this is the moment when we were proudest for each other. He had just finished his first half marathon and I got a PR for my 5k. We inspire each other to be better than we could possibly be apart.

pretty like a princess

2012-02-13T09:22:00.001-05:00

I made my tutu for the race on Saturday morning. I'm a huge fan of how it came out and I wore it all over the house to make sure it's comfy. It's actually a bit big on me, and I'll have to take some of the tulle off before the race, but right now it is just too pretty to mess with.

Step 1 - tie ribbon to two chairs and pull them far apart.
Step 2 - slip knot the green tulle onto the ribbon leaving space between each piece.

Step 3 add color in between the dark green pieces.

I like how this shows how sparkly the light green tulle is.

The top of the tutu. I found that thicker strips of tulle worked much better.

The finished product. I love it more than you can imagine.

14 days

2012-02-12T06:45:00.000-05:00

1,209,600 seconds.
20,160 minutes.
336 hours.
14 days
2 weeks.

Until the half marathon. I'm a princess and I'm ready to earn that tiara!

pink and red

2012-02-10T05:01:00.000-05:00

I love red and I love pink, but generally not together. So when I saw that the theme for this week's Friday Fancies was pink & red, I was a little perplexed. I wasn't sure how to pull together an outfit in this color combo that I'd actually like. But, leave it to polyvore...I was able to find ways to mix the colors together in a way that wasn't crazy loud, but definitely gave the Valentine's Day vibe.

pink and red by rundreamcook featuring pink shades

I love this shirt. I'm a huge fan of asymetrical necklines/cowl necks. Plus, it's a gorgeous shade of dark red that everyone looks good in!

A great pair of jeans. They aren't really anything special, but they're a good color, with good fading on the thighs. Plus I like that they aren't crazy skinny or boot cut, just perfectly straight.

Who doesn't need a pair of polka dot Toms? I definitely do. This is where my pink comes in. I think they keep the outfit casual and fun. Plus, I like the different shade of pink involved.

I love a good purse, but really I normally carry around my small wristlet. I love the size of this one, and I like how the tan color matched the shoes without being matchy-matchy.

More of the pink/red combo. The watch is just fun. A great accessory with any outfit, but it looks sweet and festive for a Valentine's Day look.

I need new glasses and these are fantastic. My current classes are red wire frames, and I'd love to get black/pink plastic frames as my new pair but I don't look very good in them.

new circles

2012-02-09T06:57:00.000-05:00

I'm very new to Google + and really I'm still working on figuring it all out. My circles are tiny bit pathetic at the moment, but with Google moving away from Google friend connect and toward total Google + integration, I thought I should probably hop on that bandwagon sooner than later.

I've been working on giving the blog a bit of a cleaner look. I seem to make constant small tweaks to get it to be a little bit closer to the look I'm going for. First I changed the basic font, then the background color away from cream to grey. Then I moved from the fuchsia color I had been working with to more of a plum. I'm a fan of it right now, but who knows where we'll go. I'd like to figure out a way to integrate green into the design somewhere but haven't been able to figure out where the right place to put it is. Plus when I work with illustrator, every time I pick a green I like, it somehow auto-corrects it to a more minty shade that I hate. I guess that's the problem with not being a real designer and goofing around in illustrator. I've really loved learning what it's capable of and making pretty graphics, but obviously I'm far from proficient!

So back to Google+. Recently I updated my buttons on the sidebar and yesterday I added the Google+ button in an attempt to not be the last person to join. So, if you are a follower and you'd like to continue to be one once GFC (Google Friend Connect) finally bites the dust, I think all you have to do is click my button and add me to your circles. There are different types of circles, so far the bloggers I follow have all been added to my "following" circle. But I have NO idea if that is the right place to be!

Are you on Google+? Wanna be friends?

oh, saint valentine

2012-02-08T06:31:00.000-05:00

I'm a very girlie girl. I love all things pink, purple and sparkly. That said, it shouldn't be surprising in the least that I adore Valentine's Day. Hearts, flowers, hugs and kisses make everything better. Therefore I'm devoting today's Oh! How Pinteresting! post to all things lovely.

Source: brownpaper--packages.com via Mickelle on Pinterest

I love these blocks. Pretty, simple decorations that jazz up a mantel for the holiday.

Source: google.com via Diane on Pinterest

Chocolate cupcakes with pink frosting, yum! Plus, the heart sprinkles are gorgeous. They're so pretty. I'll be making them for Mike and a couple friends for Valentine's day.

Source: craftster.org via Carol on Pinterest

I'm making this for Mike for Valentine's day. I think he'll really like it and we have a pretty strict no gifts policy for V-day. I think this can be an exception that won't get me in trouble!

Source: giverslog.com via Heather on Pinterest

Or these. He would LOVE this but I hate smarties. Yuck-o.

Source: blonde-designs.squarespace.com via Lauren on Pinterest

This is pretty darn cute. So easy to do with kids.

Source: creativepartyideasbycheryl.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

<3 Love this. I think Valentine's day will definitely include a couple of girlie pink cocktails.

Source: delish.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: thetwineryblog.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Ok, I love this too. So fun!

all consuming

2012-02-07T10:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if you've noticed but pretty much my every thought is about the half marathon and my trip to Florida. I check the Orlando weather about 400 times a day. I go over my packing list in my head. I have nightmares about my costume. It's pretty much all consuming. I can't get my mind off of it. So, I'm sorry that you have to deal with my obsessive compulsive rants for the next 19 days. Holy guacamole, 19 days.
Today's rant centers around the race outfit. A lot of people are donning costumes, dressing like their favorite princesses. I'm not sure I want to be a full on princess, but I do want a running skirt and possibly a tiara. I got that custom running shirt that I won from SUAR's giveaway a couple months ago. I designed it and fell in love with it for the race. But now looking at the weather, and after running yesterday in 50 degree weather and sweating my butt off, I'm starting to second guess that choice. I think I may want a tank top, but I don't really want a plain one, but spending a lot of money on something that will kind of be Princess race specific sounds silly.

I'm not sure I can pull of the tiara on the tush thing, but I do love it!
Source: fuckyeahbabies.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

My current thought is to buy a green tank running shirt and make a funky colored DIY tutu and see how that looks. I'm also on the hunt for an inexpensive tiara, and a way to make the tutu sparkle a little bit without being irritating on the run.

Certainly not inexpensive, but definitely gorgeous
Source: glowlikestars.tumblr.com via Angelique on Pinterest

I don't know what colors I will use, but I love
this sparkle!
Source: bathroomcraft.wordpress.com via Dana on Pinterest

Perfect color green - and I love Old Navy's gear. Found here.

Now on to find mom's outfit! She wants to be like Cinderella!

winner winner chicken dinner!

2012-02-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

Well if you don't live under a rock, I'm sure you know the Giants won the Superbowl last night! I honestly can't say I was all that interested in the game, but I certainly had fun hanging out with my family and eating FAR too much food.
I made bacon cheddar cheese bread, beer macaroni and cheese and buffalo hummus. I was a silly blogger and forgot to take pictures of them, and the rest of the food we had covering 4 tables around the house. It was amazing though. My aunt brought lemon squares that were amazing, I think I ate half the tray myself.

Wahoo! Superbowl!

Jenn and I being a bit silly. Kind of a horrid picture, but we had fun!

spring fever

2012-02-03T08:20:00.002-05:00

The best thing about the beginning of spring is the ability to pull out all of my skirts that have been hanging out in my closet gathering dust and show off my bright white legs. I love skirts and t shirts, I live in them all year except in the winter. I'm not a huge fan of tights, so my skirts don't get much love in the colder months.
This week's friday fancies is all about spring fever!

spring fever by rundreamcook featuring splendid tops

twiglette

2012-02-02T16:33:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, today was my sister's 20 week ultrasound appointment. Jess, Dan, Mom and I gathered together in the little room and watched the amazing ultrasound tech point out every little bit of twiglette. We saw the baby's heart and fingers and toes and up his nose! All of that was really fantastic. It was amazing to see all the little pieces in there.

But we all knew why we were there...

To get lots of great pictures of the baby.

To oogle of mom and baby....

And of course to find out whether to go out and buy all pink or blue!!!

Side view. This one is upside down because he is breach.

Seriously adorable baby.

The "goods." It is most certainly a boy!

Obviously after the appointment we had to go to BRU to check out some goodies to buy for the little man!

babies.

2012-02-01T06:38:00.000-05:00

Everyone in the world is pregnant or has a newborn at home right now, that's at least what my facebook would have you believe. Oye. There are sonogram pictures overwhelming me every time I log in! Now, that rant may seem a bit bitter (I am 27 and certainly have baby fever) but I'm really not. I'm super excited for those who are close to me who are expecting. Actually, a family that I have babysat for on and off for the last 3 years welcomed a new addition to their family on Monday. I was with Sarah, the three year old, after dropping her mom off at the hospital to have the newest addition to their family. He was born via emergency c-section (her fluid was dangerously low) early Monday evening. They haven't settled on a name just yet, but he is doing great despite only weighing in at 3 pounds 12 ounces. Such a peanut!! He'll be in the NICU for the rest of this week, but they're expecting to bring him home early next week.
But that isn't the only baby close to me. As I said back in December, I'm going to be an Aunt in just a few months. Tomorrow is the big day when we find out whether Twiglette is a boy or a girl. We're super excited and have a late breakfast planned (work-shmerk) for after the doctor's appointment. I'll probably wait to post until tomorrow afternoon when I have new pictures of the adorable little Twiglette.
So with all of this baby fever going on, I'm dedicating today's Oh how pinteresting post to babies in all their smushy adorable cuteness.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Julie on Pinterest
This baby makes my heart flutter. I can't wait to take pictures of my niece/nephew's tiny fingers and toes.

Source: photocreationstz.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest
I have the perfect basket to do this with! Jessi's baby will not have a full head of brown hair though like this adorable little man. Jess and Dan were both super bald as babies, plus they are both super blonde!

Source: cynthiawoodmanseephotography.com via Julie on Pinterest
I love ruffled diaper covers. They're the best.

Source: reynadenisephotography.com via Julie on Pinterest
Dan is a huge Cowboys fan and I can't wait to take this picture...Whether it's a boy or girl, this is a must!

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest
I love this! Just so cute and simple

Source: brittamariephoto.com via Julie on Pinterest
I love this outfit. I don't want to buy it for Jessi's kid. I want to buy it for mine and hoard it until I finally get engaged, married and pregnant.

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest
This little girl could make me happy during the worst day ever. She is just too cute for words.

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest

Source: thegeekfey.tumblr.com via Julie on Pinterest

That quote is fantastic. I can't wait to paint it and put it on my baby's wall.

diy expert

2012-01-31T06:24:00.000-05:00

Good morning! I'm super excited today because I'm bringing back Laura from Beauty & the Beard. For last week's Friday Fancies post we were randomly linked up and I was thrilled. I adore her blog. Laura is absolutely a DIY queen. I'm so inspired by her! I asked her to write a guest post for me on some of her DIY projects to give me and all of you some inspiration and a few tips!

_______________________________________________________________

Dearest readers of Run Dream Cook...we meet again!

Yes, you thought you'd seen the end of me last Friday for my Friday's Fancies blog swap post, but I'm back! If you all haven't been by my blog Beauty & the Beard- in my posts I usually am sharing my DIY projects & recipes (with a lot of sarcasm, may I add). I was thrilled and flattered when Julie asked me back to share with you all my DIY Inspiration!

First of all, let me start this post off by saying I am no Martha Stewart. I'm wayyy too messy to be like Martha. If she saw my craft table on any given day I think she'd faint on the spot. That being said, although I may not be so coiffed and soft-spoken, I love coming up with cheap, easy, fun crafts. My favorite place to get inspiration is Pinterest, and I'm sure I'm not alone on this. I have a special board dedicated to crafts and recipes I absolutely must try- whether they seem easy or difficult. That way when I go back to that board when I'm in the mood to create- I can decide how committed and involved I want to be each time with a range of ideas.

For example, I saw this easy tape art project on Pinterest:

I loved the idea and thought it would be even better as a triptych, so I grabbed a few canvases and and ended up with this:

See the whole post HERE

Is what I ended up with wildly different than the inspiration? No. Did I still make it my own? Yes. Crafts like this are great because they are simple, but still leave you with a sense of accomplishment, and feeling like you can take on bigger projects.
I love getting inspiration from Etsy as well. I'm a big fan of supporting local artists, or small businesses, and Etsy is all that rolled up in a website. I do purchase things from artists- but sometimes I see amazing things with absolutely ridiculous price tags. This always motivates me to make a better, cheaper version. One particular craft I found was this awesome string and nail Texas piece...that had a price tag of $60 + shipping!

I knew this couldn't cost a penny over $5 to make, and it absolutely didn't. A bit of wood, acrylic paint, paneling nails, and embroidery floss later I was left with this:

Find the whole post on this HERE

Is it as perfectly uniformed as the inspiration piece? No. Did it cost less than $60? Yes. ($4 I think!)

As you can see, sometimes I take the inspiration and work literally with it- essentially trying to mimic their techniques. The more and more I DIY, the more and more new ideas I come up with for my own crafts- recently I had a day off and out of nowhere decided to paint a tree on a wall to hang my statement necklaces from...Man, was my boyfriend surprised when he came home that night! Here are a few of my favorite DIY projects:

Rainbow Polka Dot Phone Case (Found HERE)

Drink themed Scrabble Coasters (found HERE)

Paint Chip Christmas Cards (found HERE)

Marbleized ornaments (found HERE)

Painted Jewelry Tree (found HERE)

I really think one of the big parts of crafting is accepting the fact you aren't going to be perfect right off the bat. No one is born with the ability to paint perfect lines or dream up epic colorful murals (Unless you're Martha, of coures). It takes times to figure out what your niche is, and what inspires you- and the only way to do that is trial and error. I've had plenty of failed attempts at projects, but then again I've had some amazing outcomes- all by just jumping in and trying it. I love looking at other blogs, websites, Pinterest boards, and Etsy shops to appreciate the creativity of others- which in turn inspires me to find my own creativity. If you need to, start small! Do crafts step by step you see on a website! The more and more you do you'll find yourself coming up with new ideas...and before you know it you'll be inspiring someone else with your work.

Thank you SO much to Julie for letting me on the blog again, and I truly hope you all stop by Beauty & the Beard if you like DIY crafts...and endless sarcasm. B&B has only been around for a few months, and I appreciate every single follower and comment I get! Thank you so much for your time!
xo, laura
psst, you can follow me on Pinterest with a click of this button:

run girl run

2012-01-30T06:48:00.000-05:00

I did 12 miles yesterday. TWELVE miles. I'm sometimes surprised at myself. I've officially been running for a year now. I started c25k the last week in January last year. To say that I'm shocked that I've gone from struggling through that first week (only 2.1 miles!) to finishing my very first 12 mile run is a huge understatement. I do take walk breaks, but I'm ok with that.

My socks love to run too. I'm kind of a doofus.

My run was kind of rough yesterday. At around 6.5 miles my left ankle started to scream at me. I was freaking out about it, how am I going to finish a half marathon in 4 weeks if I can't do 12 today?! *insert hyperventilating here* But then I gave myself permission to walk. It was magical. I had been maintaining 12 minute miles and I was doing fantastically, but I couldn't handle the pain. Once I took about a .25 mile walk break I was ready to go again. I was feeling ok and I finished all 12. Take that left ankle! Now today I'm pretty darn sore. My ankle is still freaking out at me a little, but I'm icing it and taking it easy today. I'm going to head to the gym just for some core strength training and leave off the cardio. I'll do a short speedy run tomorrow followed by some intense elliptical work if my foot/ankle let me.

I did lots of cuddling with the puppies when I got home. They were worn out after having lots of visitors this week, so they are loving cuddling with me on the couch. I ate my face off. A chicken salad sandwich, a pickle, tortellini, a few sweet potato fries and a bit of ice cream. Yup I'm pretty sure I ate most of the 2100 calories I burned off. But that's ok, long run days are "free" days.

it's almost here!

2012-01-29T10:25:00.003-05:00

The final countdown is here! I'm sitting here waiting for Mike to get here so we can go for our 12 mile run together. Four weeks from now I will be done with my first half marathon! I feel ready. I know I can tackle this goal and I'm ready to enjoy the time leading up to and following the race.

Mike and I are planning on 12 miles today, 6 next weekend, then our final long run will be 13 miles. Then we're planning a short and easy shake out run for the Sunday before we head to Florida. These are all in addition to the normal mid week runs that we've been doing since the summer. We leave on Wednesday the 23 and I get giddy just thinking about it!!
I've been overwhelmed with planning thoughts. What do I pack? The weather is a lot warmer than I anticipated, can I still wear the outfit I planned? Am I going to die in the humidity? Will the warmer weather really bring down my speed enough to worry about? Do I bring gels as a carry on? Can you bring empty water bottles in your carry on? How many different outfit choices should I pack? Is planning a beach day for Saturday really a good idea? What do you wear to the expo? I'm just freaking out a tiny bit.
Then I remember to take deep breaths and realize how much fun it is going to be!
I seriously can't wait!

a very special guest

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Today I have the pleasure of blog swapping with Laura from Beauty & the Beard. Be sure to head over to her blog to check out my post!

____________________________________________________________

Hello followers and lovers of run dream cook!

My name is Laura and I'm the lady behind Beauty & the Beard. I was so excited to do the Friday's Fancies blog swap this week with Julie- and I think we've come up with a great theme!

Since it's wintertime, it can be kind of a bummer with all the dark colors that come out in the stores and the big, puffy coats that cover up all the fun fashion out there. Therefore, Julie and I decided to find ways this week to fight the Wintertime Blues- with either great blue items than can be worn all winter or ones that we look forward to getting back in during Spring!

Here's the collection I came up with featuring great blue items to liven up your winter wardrobe:

1. This Paul Smith Wool Blazer is the perfect bright note for an evening out for drinks!

2. Who says winter coats have to be black and boring? This Blue Bardot Neck Coat will brighten up any day walking through slush.

3. This SuperTrash bracelet is the best way to brighten your day when you're checking your watch to see what time it is!

4. If you've gotta wear a scarf to hide from the wind, why not make it a bold blue like this one?

5. Nothing will get you through a long, grey day at work like these Manolo Blahnik electric blue pumps.

6. Statement necklaces are a staple in every season, and this blue Plait Necklace is perfect for winter.

7. Nothing brightens up an outfit like a great, bold bag- this MiuMiu one is just the ticket!

Hope these pieces inspire you to find ways to beat the Winter Blues! Make sure to stop by Beauty & the Beard to see Julie's collection - and while you're there check out the rest of the blog and follow along if you'd like!

Thanks for doing the swap with me Julie- who knew it would be such a great way to make blogger friends?

one small rant.

2012-01-26T06:23:00.000-05:00

I'm pretty addicted to Pinterest. I usually spend some time every evening unwinding while mindlessly browsing random pins and I really love it. I've even found tons of very inspirational pins that I adore on there. I find myself looking at different inspirational running slogans, which inevitably brings up countless "thinspiration" pins.
Now this is where I'm going to rant for a minute...I find them disgusting. Now I'm overweight, there is no arguing that, but I'm also working my butt off to get fit and healthy. I'm disturbed by the sentiment that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." That's just bullshit. There are thin women who are fit and healthy and are amazingly inspirational to me. But there are also women, more than likely the ones pictures in these "inspirational pins", who are either naturally thin or thin in a very unhealthy way. Until I started working out and running I assumed that my irrational anger toward that idea was mostly jealousy, but now I've lost 50 pounds and I feel the healthiest I ever have. I can pretty much say with certainty that I'm annoyed by the idea because it isn't rational. I've worked for a year now to lose weight and to keep it off. It isn't about just not eating a cookie. It's about changing how you view yourself, how you view the food you put in your body and the way it makes you feel.
Honestly, sometimes a cookie just feels really good.

Now that I'm done with my rant. I'd like to share some of my favorite inspirational pins.

Source: 25.media.tumblr.com via Allyson on Pinterest

While I LOATHE the signature (byebyechubbydays yuck) I love the concept.

Source: Uploaded by user via Leah on Pinterest

Finishing the half will make me an official badass.

Source: team-sparkle.com via Kristen on Pinterest

I heard Jennifer Hudson say the other day that whenever she gets the slightest urge to exercise she gets up and does it immediately without thought because otherwise the task gets daunting and overwhelming. I loved that because it is so true. It takes 2 minutes to get ready so just get out there and go when you have the smallest opportunity.

Source: fannetasticfood.com via Julie on Pinterest

I'll be lapping them slowly, but I'm doing it. One little mile at a time!

Source: Uploaded by user via Alli on Pinterest

This is one is my absolute favorite. I will be telling myself this for every single mile of the half marathon.

fun fashion

2012-01-25T06:48:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things to browse on Pinterest is fashion. Whether it is bridal, formal, or just plain old every day clothes, I'm completely addicted! Over the past few weeks I've noticed that a ton of my facebook friends are now following me on Pinterest. It's almost odd since I don't talk to these people very often, but I guess they like my ideas, so the more the merrier...right?!

So now it is time to link up with Michelle from The Vintage Apple for this week's Oh! How Pinteresting! Link up!

Source: tumblr.com via Zachàry on Pinterest

Love this. Can Mike and I wear this in Disney without looking like total dorks? (I don't think so - but I adore it!)

Source: polyvore.com via Carrie on Pinterest

I'm in love with teal, and I own those earrings. Gorgeous!

Source: vivafullhouse.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Holy gorgeous yellow shoes. I adore these.

Source: polyvore.com via Kami on Pinterest

This would look awful on me but I LOVE it. Look at those shoes. Look at the gorgeous pink. This outfit is kind of perfection...on someone else.

Source: Uploaded by user via Amanda on Pinterest

Where do you wear this? I love it and I want to know so I can go there!

Source: Uploaded by user via Lacey on Pinterest

I love this. I want to wear it tomorrow...Ok maybe like 6 months from tomorrow...And I will look good in it by then. I will. I promise.

Source: 30.media.tumblr.com via Kyla on Pinterest

Buy me these?

Source: polyvore.com via Alana on Pinterest

Look at these shoes, they are SO fun! I want this outfit for Florida.

Source: esther.com.au via Mallory on Pinterest

This dress is seriously gorgeous. The color combo is fabulous and I love a deep v!

Source: polyvore.com via Julie on Pinterest

And finally, I love this and I need every piece of this. I love the bag the most though. Mustard yellow with green?? That is seriously heavenly!

on the horizon

2012-01-24T06:50:00.000-05:00

My Disney race is less than 5 weeks away! While that means I'm getting nervous about the race, it also means that I'm getting super excited about going to Florida for a week! I'm really looking forward to a week in warm weather. It will be the first time Mike and I have gone away together. It'll also be the first time that I get to see my mom's new condo. She bought it almost two years ago now and I haven't gotten down there yet.
Now that winter has sort of arrived here in New York, and all of the spring/summer clothes have debuted in stores, I'm excited that I get to do a bit of shopping for my trip!
I've been doing a bit on online drooling during the day and these are a few things I've found.

This dress is from Express and I've been drooling over it for about a month now. I'm hoping for a
good sale!

This "coat" is fantastic. 3/4 sleeves in such a bright sunny color. So perfect
for springtime!

I actually already got this skirt. I love how it fits, although it is a tiny
bit longer than I'd prefer.

I need this dress. Talk about easy breezy! I love it.

happy monday!

2012-01-23T12:02:00.002-05:00

After my snowy weekend and a very fun night watching the Giants win their game, I woke up feeling super refreshed and ready for the week.

I took my first snowy run on Friday evening. We got less than an inch of snow on Thursday night so I thought it was a good intro to snowy road running. It really ended up being more of a tutorial in running on sanded/salted roads. It was definitely different but not necessarily difficult. I'm used to running on pavement, which is solid under your feet. It took about a mile to get used to the sliding under my feet.

I finally bit the bullet and read The Hunger Games. After everyone around the internet has read them and raved about them, I decided it was finally time. I spent my snowy Saturday curled up on the couch with hot tea and a kindle. It was glorious and I finished the first book and downloaded the second and got about 1/3 of the way through before I finally dragged myself up to bed. I read the rest of the second one on Sunday (I did stay up until 2am to do so) after the Giants game.

Mike wearing Devan's snowboarding helmet. A "rally cap" according
to my uncle!

Mom, Mike and I went and hung out at my aunt's house to watch the Giants game. I'm not a huge football fan but I definitely like a good party. I made a standing rib roast, mashed potatoes, peas and salad (and some chicken for myself). We hung around and chatted while football lovers watched the game.
All in all, one heck of a weekend!
Bring on the week <3

i'm inspired.

2012-01-20T06:17:00.000-05:00

Friday! Wahoo! That's how I was feeling when I woke up this morning. This is the first time since October that I haven't been able to see my grass when I woke up. I'm totally loving this "dusting" of snow we got! Even more than that, we are expecting real snow this weekend. It will only be 3-6 inches but at least it's something! Bring on some snow! When I escape to Florida in February I really want it to feel like an escape from the cold.

This week's theme for Friday Fancies is outfit inspiration. I was stumped when I got the email from Alison with the theme but when I saw the weather forecast for today I knew exactly what outfit to pick. I've been drooling all over this Kourtney Kardashian picture since I saw it on Pinterest months ago. So in honor of my snowy morning, here is my version of this gorgeous look!

inspiration by rundreamcook featuring a mohair coat

Hope you have a fabulous weekend! I'm really excited about a snowed in Saturday and then 6 white fluffy miles on Sunday!

dog sitting

2012-01-19T09:22:00.004-05:00

This week while my brother-in-law has been out of town, my little sister has been staying at my house with her dog, Addie. She's really a wonderful dog, but my oh my is she energetic! She's a black lap, greyhound mix and she looks exactly like you'd expect that to. She's tall, skinny and always moving.

Meet Addie

Poor Sheldon and Cooper don't know what is going on. She will just come up to them while they're sleeping, get into play stance and bark once or twice to get their attention. It's adorable! I think my dogs love having a friend to play with all day but I think they'd also like to get a little more rest.

Cooper in his very handsome coat! I trimmed his bangs myself!

This is what Coop wants to be doing. That's his "blankie", he carries
it with him everywhere.

Sheldon has taken to hiding in places Addie won't go. She's afraid of laundry baskets, so that's where he will sleep.
By the way, he put that blanket in there himself, resourceful little pup!

What my house looks like every 5 minutes. They make SUCH a mess!

weddings are pinteresting

2012-01-18T06:15:00.000-05:00

I love the pinterest link up that Michelle from The Vintage Apple hosts every week. This past week I must have been feeling extra lovey because I pinned a lot of wedding/event things! Mike and I aren't engaged and we probably won't be for about a year, but that doesn't stop me from day dreaming about when that day finally gets here.

Source: etsy.com via Shawnee on Pinterest

I love this teeny program. Kind of silly but adorable.

Source: blushingbridewedding.tumblr.com via Julie on Pinterest

This could be the coolest save the date ever. I love it!

Source: reasonstobreathe.tumblr.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love these, and they'd make for some pretty awesome pictures.

Source: i39.tinypic.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love bar menus.

Source: etsy.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love the lacy dress. I'm not sure it is the right style for me, but I love it on others.

Source: thekitchn.com via Julie on Pinterest

I have a serious crush on burlap right now.

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Julie on Pinterest

Best day ever will definitely be the theme of our wedding. I love it. Super clever.

Source: Uploaded by user via Julie on Pinterest

I love this. It is ridiculously gorgeous.

Source: 1stwebdesigner.com via Julie on Pinterest

That's some pretty awesome lace.

Source: minted.com via Julie on Pinterest

So pretty.

Source: stylemepretty.com via Julie on Pinterest

The flowers on this cake make me swoon. I love them. The roping is impeccable too.

Source: ashleymaxwellphoto.com via Julie on Pinterest

I love this sentiment.

Source: blog.thebecker.com via Julie on Pinterest

I want to look this amazing on my wedding day. With such gorgeous flowers and whoa. I love it.

a deep sigh of relief

2012-01-17T09:37:00.002-05:00

I feel like I have a holiday weekend hang over and I didn't do one bit of drinking. Those three days flew by. Late Friday night Mike and I got to snuggle on the couch and watch a movie, that was awesome. We chose to watch Ides of March, I was really pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. I didn't really know what it was about, but I knew it was nominated for best picture at the golden globes, so we decided to give it a try. I'm not sure it was Mike's cup of tea, he is far from a political person, but I liked it enough.
We had a very wintery weekend here, even if we still haven't had snow since October. (Last night's 1/2 inch so doesn't count...) It was quite chilly, I don't think getting above freezing the whole weekend. I knew I had a long run to get in at some point in those three days and I decided to push it to Monday just based on the temperature. So when Monday came and I had 10 miles to do and it was still only 12 degrees outside, I was petrified. TEN miles?! What have I gotten myself into?!?

The hat is too sexy for words!

That is a LONG distance to run, I was freaking out. Luckily I have the world's greatest boyfriend and he was running with me (ok, ahead of me but at the same time). So I bundled up and I conquered my 10 miles and it only took just over 2 hours to do it. While I was running the cold was no big deal, I was actually sweating and ditched my gloves about 3 miles in. The cold was only a factor when I got home and I was stretching and trying to eat something. I was freezing and shivering. I took a nice warm shower which was great while it lasted. I think it took me a solid 2 hours to warm up after I ran. That was the hardest part. Yesterday I also managed to forget to charge my phone, so I lost music 5 miles in and I ran without music for the first time ever - and I did it for 5 miles. Yikes. That was a change! Since my phone was dying I turned off the music to try to keep the battery a little longer. I use RunKeeper during my runs and I really like the occasional time/pace updates in my ears. Luckily I still had my garmin on so I could track my distance and speed.
I always forget to take after pictures after my runs. But, you're not missing out - It isn't pretty!

Hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday today!

sunshine yellow

2012-01-13T06:35:00.000-05:00

Good morning love and happy Friday! I hope you all had wonderful and super productive weeks! My week was pretty productive, I even managed to get in all of my gym days! I took Wednesday as a much needed rest day. I kicked my tush hard core with weights (upper body/core Monday lower body on Tuesday) and I was very achy. I took the opportunity to have an "active rest" day. I knew it was going to be rainy yesterday and today so I took the pups for a nice 2 mile walk. They definitely appreciated it. I wish Sheldon could keep up with me for the 10 miles I have planned for tomorrow. I love to run with him, he's such a good running buddy but 10 miles is a bit too much for him.
We are one week closer to the Disney race! AHH! I just need to keep reminding myself to take long deep breaths. This time, 6 weeks from now, I'll be in Florida freaking out. I'm so excited I can barely contain myself. With Florida in mind, I'll segue to this week's Friday Fancies! Our theme was "crushing hard." I have been in love with yellow all fall and winter and now I'm seeing all sorts of yellow/grey combinations in stores for spring.

sunshine yellow by rundreamcook featuring neon dresses

Diane von Fürstenberg neon dress, $500
MICHAEL Michael Kors t strap flat sandals, $49
Marc Jacobs genuine leather handbag, $1,095
Balenciaga square aviator sunglasses, $375

I'm totally in love with this sunny yellow. It's bright and happy and perfect for a warm weather escape! I'm in love with those Michael Kors sandals too, except for the fact that I'm pretty sure they're jellies, and I can't wear jellies...They ALWAYS give me blisters...yuck.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'll be back Monday to report on my 10 mile run this weekend. Yikes. 10 miles. Whoa.

one down...

2012-01-12T06:09:00.000-05:00

I want to start this post off by saying this was probably the best soup I have ever made and I have made a lot of soups. I made Jenna's Asian chicken noodle soup and was blown away by the results. It was super simple to make and it just made me feel good!
The slight spice from the ginger and the jalapeno was perfectly balanced the the noodles and the cilantro. I wasn't surprised by the results because every recipe I've made from eat live run has been fabulous. This recipe will definitely be added to my list of regular recipes!
The only change I made was that I didn't add the rice vinegar because I didn't have any in my house...oops!

Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

Recipe from Eat, Live, Run

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4th tsp salt
6 cups chicken broth
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 baby bok choy, chopped
5 oz chinese noodles (about half a package)
sriracha sauce for serving (optional)
chopped cilantro for serving (optional)

Directions:
Heat the sesame oil over medium high heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the minced garlic and ginger and briefly saute for about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and bok choy, sprinkle with salt, and saute for another three minutes until chicken has turned white but not completely cooked all the way through.
Add the chicken broth, jalapeno and green onions to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until chicken is done.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling salted water, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
Add the rice vinegar and soy sauce and stir. You can add a little more salt if you like, but taste first because soy sauce already contains a lot of salt! Add the noodles to the pot and serve with chopped cilantro and sriracha sauce on the side.
Time:
45 minutes

giveaway!

2012-01-11T16:38:00.005-05:00

Hello friends. I love sharing awesome giveaway finds with ya'll. I have to share this one with you!
Magan from A Touch of Class reached 100 followers!! Wahoo for her! I'm creeping up there, slowly but surely! I'm pretty excited for her!
In honor of the accomplishment, she is having an awesome giveaway. I highly suggest you go check it out. While you're there, poke around her blog, it's one of my favorites!

home inspiration

2012-01-11T06:45:00.000-05:00

I know it is only early January but with the gorgeous weather we've had, it feels like spring is just around the corner. Springtime makes me think of cleaning and redecorating. I love the feel of a bright fresh coat of paint on the walls and maybe even on some furniture!

That's why I'm devoting this week's oh how pinteresting post to home decor!

As always, go check out what everyone else is pinning at The Vintage Apple!

Source: favoritepaintcolors.blogspot.com via Kimberly on Pinterest

This paint color is called Glass Slipper by Benjamin Moore. So gorgeous. That mirror is kind of awesome too!

Source: houzz.com via Brianna on Pinterest

I love this house. All of those windows though! They're good and evil...Lots of sunlight is great. But lots of heat in the summer and lots of cold in the winter. But wonderful to look at.

Source: bhg.com via Marilyn on Pinterest

I adore this headboard. The patchwork is gorgeous and bright and airy. I love it.

Source: edmonton-kitchens.ca via Edward on Pinterest

I love bench seating in the kitchen. It just seems so homey and cozy. I love it.

Source: abodelove.blogspot.com via Nancy on Pinterest

Love horizontal stripes in a hallway! Even better with the picture layout...and those puppy pictures just make me smile :)

Source: projectnursery.com via Kerri on Pinterest

I love nurseries even though I don't (and won't for a while) have a reason to have one in my house. But I really love this color combo. Gorgeous.

Hope you're having a perfect Wednesday!

run baby run

2012-01-10T06:37:00.000-05:00

So far this winter we have been subjected to crazy unseasonably warm weather. Don't get me wrong, I am so not complaining! I have a half marathon in just under 7 weeks and if the weather was like last year, we would be having snow every Tuesday that cripples us until Thursday and there would be slush EVERYWHERE. Last week, I did my first run ever in below freezing weather. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I did 7 miles in 22 degrees (12 degree wind chill). It was also my longest run to date. After the run I had a tiny bit of soreness but really I felt great. I could have kept going, but I try to remember that you should always finish with a little bit of gas in the tank.

Ready to run in the cold...SO not sexy!

This week for my long run, I tackled 8 miles. But this time it was 57 degrees outside. On January 7! I was running and a biker was riding in the other direction, we paused for a moment to relish in the gorgeous weather! We were both out there in SHORTS! I am so thankful for the warmth. While running in 22 degrees wasn't terrible, I am thankful I haven't had to figure out how to run in slush yet. I know it is only January 10 and since I'm posting this, we will certainly wake up to 3 feet of snow sometime in the next couple weeks, but I'm ok with it. I've gotten this far with gorgeous weather, and I'm loving it.

Look at that! High 30's!

After both runs the minute I finished my cool down and sat, my feet cramped so badly! For about a solid minute I thought my feet were going to fall off my body. It was so painful. After the 7 mile run, I thought maybe I hadn't gotten enough electrolytes during my run. I read that in the cold your body loses electrolytes faster and I only drank water during that run, so for the 8 miles, I drank NUUN throughout the run and ate 2 servings worth of chomps. I was really disappointed when I cramped up again after the 8 miles. Any ideas?? Tips?

12 recipes for 2012

2012-01-09T06:44:00.000-05:00

I like to consider myself a bit of a foodie. There are very few things I love more than spending time in the kitchen cooking delicious food for myself and for my favorite people. Most people just assume that with my restricted diet (I don't eat red meat, pork, anything ground, anything in a tube, or shellfish) that I don't eat much. But in reality, aside from meats, I will eat just about anything. Put any preparation of any vegetable in front of me and I'll at least taste it, but more than likely, I'll love it.
One of my goals for 2012 is to cook some recipes that I've never tried before. This could be anything from a different flavor profile or cooking with different ethnic foods. I've been pouring through foodgawker looking at photos and looking through different recipes and this is the list of 12 different foods to try in 2012.
I'd love to get your suggestions too! One of my favorite things about foodgawker is reading the blogger's perspective on the recipe. I love making recipes based on other people's reviews. So link me to your favorites!!

Polenta Squares with Mushroom Ragu from Running to the Kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread by Willow Bird Baking

Coconut Oatmeal from The Eccentric Cook

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms by The Curvy Carrot

Thick and Creamy Potato Latkes from Sweat Pea's Kitchen

Grilled Angel Food Cake by Panini Happy

Winter Chop Chop from With Style and Grace

Bourbon Pecan Pie Brownies by The Daily Waffle

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup from Eat Live Run

Scallion Meatballs with Soy-Ginger Glaze by Smitten Kitchen

Cranberry Chipotle Ketchup From The Type A Housewife

Wheat Berry Salad from Spoon Fork Bacon

Well friends, there you have it, 12 must make recipes in 2012. I can't wait to get your suggestions too!

fresh start

2012-01-06T06:45:00.000-05:00

Good morning! Happy Friday! I hope ya'll had a fantastic first work-week back! This first week of 2012 has been pretty darn fun. I got to spend lots of time with Mike, had some post work sisterly bonding time and found out that one of my cousin's is going to be a daddy! His baby is due a couple months after Jess, in early August! Yay for 2012 being the year of the babies!!
Yesterday Jenni and I met up to do some serious sale shopping. I was in dire need of new bras. I got two new ones for Christmas which was awesome, but I also got lots of money in gift cards to VS. I love that their sale starts the first week of the year, it makes new bra shopping so much more fun. We tried on every bra available in our sizes (the lack of bras in my size is a rant I don't need to share on the blog - but ugh so frustrating!) and came out with a couple each. The only ones that worked for me happened to be the exact same as the ones I got for Christmas. I decided it didn't matter if I had two of the same, as long as they fit really well. Then we went to Target. One of my favorite things to do after Christmas is over is to hit up the Target clearance for goodies for next Christmas. I like to stock up on wrapping paper (I never pay full price for it - I have enough for all of my wrapping needs next year!), bows, gift toppers, ribbon, sometimes an ornament or two, and the occasional decoration item. This year with Twiglette (my sister's baby) on the way, I got super excited when I saw they had the Christmas onsies on clearance for 90% off! They were 60 CENTS each! I got 3 in various sizes....I think they're pretty gender neutral as they're all red and black. Paired with jeans they're boy and with a tutu and tights they're girl! Magic. Between the two of us, we only spent $19 and look at this cart of goodies!!

Now, onto my absolute favorite part of the week! Friday Fancies! This week's theme was "best foot forward." With the idea being to design an outfit around a great pair of shoes. I think the shoes I pick are always fabulous, but not really realistic in my life. So, this week I went with a pair that I might actually wear on a day to day basis. And seriously, who doesn't love silver Toms??

fresh start by rundreamcook featuring blue flat shoes

And oh my goodness. Someone find me that bag....my birthday is April 9! I'm just too in love with it. And really, that shirt...Ok...I really just love this outfit!

Happy Friday! Hope you have a fantastically fabulous weekend!

a year to remember

2012-01-05T19:16:00.000-05:00

I rang in the new year in style and I like to think that's a sign of things to come in 2012! Mike and I have been talking about what sorts of things we want to see or do this year. I think that's a fun thing to do at the start of any time period. We had a very similar conversation at dinner on our anniversary. Just thinking ahead for what we want to accomplish or enjoy in the near future.
I have a few goals for 2012. I don't think of them as resolutions. They aren't things that I am starting to work toward now that the new year is here, but things I am looking forward to in the coming year.

First and definitely foremost, I am looking forward to accomplishing my biggest goal from last year which is to run my first half marathon. Honestly when I started running at the end of January last year I had no idea that I would fall in love with it as much as I did. I cannot wait for February 26 to get here!

Source: polyvore.com via Sharon on Pinterest

In conjunction with that last goal, I am really looking forward to my trip to Florida in February! Not only will I be heading down to run the race, but I'll also get to spend a couple days on the beach and most importantly I'll get to spend a couple days with one of my best friends from college. I cannot wait.

Source: anniewisc.tumblr.com via Annie on Pinterest

I'm hoping to find a new job in the hospitality industry. With the end goal being an event planner, I want to start working in a hotel doing SOMETHING, anything really....

Great my new niece/nephew and spend as much time with him or her as physically possible.

Source: frecklefacephotography.ca via Sheri on Pinterest

Continue losing weight at the same pace I have been and hopefully hit my goal of being fit and at a weight sometime around May.

Source: fitandfreee.tumblr.com via Anne on Pinterest

Spend as much time as I can enjoying every single moment of life. I'm certain 2012 has great things in store for us and I can't wait to experience every moment of it!

Source: flickr.com via Kristine on Pinterest

I hope you're as ready to rock this year as I am!!

ready to run

2012-01-04T06:39:00.000-05:00

I've been training for my half for what seems like a really long time now. I've been running and working on it for almost a year. I can't believe that it is less than two months away. I've been really lucky that I haven't had a hard time finding my inspiration to get out there and run. I've honestly really loved every moment of my training.

Source: thehealthychange.tumblr.com via Amy on Pinterest

I want to run the Brooklyn Bridge this year...I don't know when, perhaps before the half, but it just seems like a pretty awesome place to go for a run.

Source: thehealthychange.tumblr.com via Kate on Pinterest

I remind myself of this every single time I go for a run. I don't look like a runner, but I certainly feel like one! It was hard at first going into running stores, feeling like I don't belong there. But I know I do. I work hard and I may be slow, but I am out there, pounding the pavement.

Source: caloriesandcardio.tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest

Gorgeous. I want to run there.

Source: runforpeaceofmind.tumblr.com via Jason on Pinterest

Again...I love this sentiment. I may not be fast...but I'm still doing it!!

Source: cafepress.com via Nicci on Pinterest

Don't forget my point one!!

top ten

2012-01-03T06:41:00.000-05:00

With the start of the new year, I wanted to write about 2011. Honestly, I can't complain even a tiny bit about it there were so many good moments. So without further ado, my top ten moments of 2011!

10. May 29. My cousin's adorable daughter's Christening. It was a seriously gorgeous day. We got to hang out with my mom's side of the family, which is something we don't get to do as often as we should. Plus, any day that I get to hang out with this gorgeous girl is a good day in my book!

9. February 26. I watched some of my favorite people in the world jump into ice cold water in support of the Special Olympics. It's a cause very near and dear to my friend AJ's heart so it's something that they do every year. I love being there to support them and to capture the craziness on film.

8. August 28. Hurricane Irene hit. Now, this is supposed to be a top ten list and this doesn't seem to fit, but we had SUCH a blast waiting out the storm. We made it through this storm without a single problem and we were so lucky. I know many weren't as fortunate as us and my heart really goes out to them.

7. September 18. Mike's first half marathon!! It was the dutchess county classic and he was a total rock star. I'm not sure had done enough preparing, but he finished strong and I was so proud of him! They also had a 5k and I rocked it. This 5k is where my current PR came from!

6. March 17. I went flying with Mike for the first time! Mike and I had been trying for about 3 months, but every time our schedules aligned, the weather didn't cooperate. While I was terrified at first, he's a fantastic pilot and put me right at ease.

5. October 18. I went pumpkin picking with my family. We had a great time but really not all that fantastic. The best part about it was that it was the first time I saw my sister after she called to tell me that she's expecting my first niece/nephew in June!

4. June 25. The biggest graduation party I've ever seen! We called it the Merrwagly party as it celebrated 4 of my cousins graduating from high school, 1 from middle school and one from elementary! We sure know how to party. We hung out all day and then partied the night away, definitely the party of the summer!

3. April 17. My first ever race! It was the Hand-in-Hand "super 5k" and it kicked my tush! I had been running for just about 3 months at that point and the race was just under 5 miles. I wasn't really prepared for it, but in the end it was completely awesome.

2. June 18. My first anniversary with Mike! We had the most perfect day. The whole day was spent hanging by the pool lounging around and then we got ready and went out for the best dinner I have ever had. Beyond delicious.

1. November 25-27. Black Friday and Tree Hunting! This needs no explanation, it was so much fun and the perfect start to the holiday season! My absolute favorite weekend of the year.

Happy 2012.

change in plans

2012-01-02T18:17:00.000-05:00

My new years eve was very different from what I posted about on Friday. I still went out to my sister's house for my niece's birthday party but I ended up coming home early and going out for dinner and dancing with Mike. Friday night at like 6pm I got a phone call from the local radio station saying I won dinner for two with a four hour open bar for NYE. I was beyond excited! I had never been out to ring in the new year. I normally either hang at a family party or with friends at home. I was so stoked to get dolled up and spend the night out with Mike.
I went out to my sister's house and we had a blast celebrating Jaclyn turn 11. She is so big. She'll be taller than me by the time she's 12, I'm certain of it. In fact she'll probably pass by me by spring. It's nuts! She definitely got the crazy tall gene from her dad's side of the family! I left out there around 5, stopped to pick up an iced tea from Dunkin Donuts and came home to get primped.

At my house, ready to head out.

I got new nail polish for the occasion...my polishing job is awful
but I love the color. Ulta's "Tink-her-bell"

I showered, did hair and make up, threw on a dress and some shiny accessories and I was ready to go. Mike looked amazing in some new pants. He is so amazing, I was so thrilled to ring in the new year with him. Winning was so random and exciting. I forgot that I had even entered the contest. I did it on facebook on Wednesday and just assumed since I hadn't heard anything that I didn't win. When she called it took a minute to sink in! The place was amazing. It's a locally owned restaurant that has 3 locations near me. I had been to one of the other locations, but not the one that was hosting the party. After some googling, I found the menu and some details. Apparently that if I was paying for it, it would have been $89 per person plus tax and 18% gratuity. So it was worth just about $200...awesome.

Red wine, rib eye, and shrimp make for a very happy boyfriend.

I had potato pancakes with smoked salmon as my appetizer and Mike ate the grilled scallops. Both were delicious, well I'm taking his word on the scallops as I'm allergic to shellfish. The potato pancake was definitely my favorite thing I ate all night. It was seriously delicious. Then we had the salad course, I went with the house salad and Mike chose Caesar. Again, delicious, but it was a salad...it wasn't going to knock my socks off. For dinner I had chicken, the only choice I'd eat, and Mike went surf and turf which was grilled rib eye steak and shrimp. The chicken was honestly just eh. Kind of typical catering hall kind of food. We chose to skip dessert because it took over 2 hours to have the first 3 courses and we really wanted to dance our booties off and enjoy the DJ before the ball dropped. Our wonderful waitress wrapped our desserts up, but they got left out over night when we got home.

We got our swag...ya know, hats...lol

Mike and I both drank a little more than we should have and we ended up sharing a cab home with another couple that had also won the night out from the radio station. The waitress definitely kept our Prosecco flowing all night long. It was really awesome. We had SO much fun. I was so glad we got the opportunity to go out together. Definitely a wonderful way to ring in the new year!!

So excited and loving life.

We had so much fun.

Drunk face with noise makers....

Probably should have stepped away from the bar...

Sad face about an empty cup...And pimpin' in Mike's hat

Mike got his tush kicked by the wine/Prosecco and was majorly hung over all day yesterday. I'm one of those evil people who doesn't get hung over. I've never had a hang over, but I can't imagine going through what Mike did yesterday. Yuck!

ready to party!

2011-12-30T06:38:00.000-05:00

It's New Years Eve weekend!! Last weekend was a time to relish in family time and this weekend is time to party your butt off! Saturday we are spending the day at my sister's house celebrating my niece's 11th birthday and then glam-ifying ourselves! We're going all out with sparkle and glitz for the night even though we will just be celebrating at her house.
It will be a night filled with games and booze and I'm sure more laughter than I can handle.

I'm linking up with Alison of Long Distance Loving as always for Friday's Fancies. I can't wait to see how everyone else is glam-ing up to ring in the new year!!

new years by rundreamcook featuring engagement rings

I had to throw the engagement ring in there! Who wouldn't love getting that surprise at midnight?! I know I would.

a wonderful christmas time...

2011-12-29T07:35:00.000-05:00

This has been an incredible Christmas season. I am super lucky to be surrounded by such an awesome family. Here's my Christmas recap in pictures

Santa came! Looks like we were very good this year

Dan, full of Christmas cheer. I think the mug of beer helps too!

My wonderfully pregnant sister and her husband opening presents

Michael and I opening presents

All of her girls in one room, a cinnamon bun and coffee? Life is definitely good!

Jenni doing a self take during present opening

Over 40 people at our Christmas dinner, it was glorious.

Organized chaos of family...all trying to out talk each other.

My cousins Amanda, Precious and Brittney

My brother in law, Tom and cousin Benson. Ben was hours away from turning 21 here!! Happy Birthday Ben!!

new years pinspiration

2011-12-28T09:26:00.002-05:00

Christmas weekend was fantastic and New Years will be just as great. My niece was born 1/1/1 so we always do a NYE party for her. She has to go back to her mom's house at 5 on NYE so we will celebrate her all day long and then the kids will go home and we will have a sparkly adult new years eve bash to bring in the new year. I love it!

Source: polyvore.com via Katie on Pinterest

I love this top. So much sparkle, I can hardly handle it!

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via KK on Pinterest

Gorgeous NYE decorations!! Love the star punches in the numbers.

Source: thecupcakesocial.com via Kristina on Pinterest

So creative and pretty! But with so many people at our celebration, I don't think anyone would notice the designs.

Source: blog.freepeople.com via Jillian on Pinterest

I probably need these. I'll wear them every day, ya know to the grocery store.

Source: secretsofasupermommy.blogspot.com via Laurie on Pinterest

After hours of games and drinking midnight snacks are definitely necessary! What a cute tag.

Source: twodots.com.br via Sarah on Pinterest

I will definitely have a glam smokey eye for Saturday night

Source: weheartit.com via Amanda on Pinterest

And then I will top it with this much glitter. I'm not sure HOW, but I will do it. Any tips are appreciated!!

Source: google.com via Whitney on Pinterest

LOVE this. Individual bottles on ice. I swear, it doesn't get cuter.

Source: dandee-designs.com via Nikole on Pinterest

How perfect? I love the design of this box!

Source: dribbble.com via brad on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Julia on Pinterest

How are you celebrating NYE this year??

post christmas coma

2011-12-27T07:07:00.000-05:00

Apparently I needed a day to recover from Christmas weekend. We had a fantastic weekend with family and friends.

Christmas eve was great! We spent the day out at my sister's house celebrating with my niece because she spends Christmas day with her mom. After celebrating with her and eating delicious food made by my wonderful sister we went to my cousin's house to see the kids and have some dessert. Her kids were so excited, it was completely adorable. Zach, who is 8 was tracking Santa on NORAD obsessively. It was so fun to watch him get excited about where Santa was at every single moment. Then we went home and started doing our thing. While mom finished wrapping presents I brought down and arranged the ones I had wrapped. Then I sat down with a cup of tea and watched every Christmas special on tv. It was glorious. We finally went up to bed at around midnight.

Zach showing me the NORAD app on his ipod.

Before Santa came

Addie, my sister's dog, helping herself to the canister of
dog food we keep in the kitchen.

Mike in his Christmas pjs

Sheldon snug as a bug in my bed.

My sister got to my house at around 7am, honking up the driveway and singing jingle bells to wake us up and get us ready to open presents. We made coffee and started cooking some early morning snacks.

After Santa came!!

Santa was absolutely amazing to me and I couldn't be more thrilled with the presents I received Sunday morning. I got a ton of new running gear which is awesome. Lots of cold weather gear, which is awesome because it has finally gotten COLD here in the northeast! I'll be loving the hat and gloves and long sleeves on my run tomorrow morning. I got a new tv for my bedroom. It's small and perfect. Some new clothes, first time I've been in a medium....ever I think. Santa his up Victoria's Secret hard core! I got 2 new bras and a lot of gift card money to hit up the semi annual sale. This is amazing for me. My bras were awful. I have a really hard time finding ones that fit me really well except for the very sexy push up and I get super annoyed paying $50 for a bra, so getting one for Christmas was perfect.

Mike had a very running gear Christmas too, he loved it all! I think we all really enjoyed waking up Christmas morning and spending a nice relaxing two hours to open presents, snack on a cinnamon bun and drink copious amounts of caffeine. It was honestly the perfect Christmas morning.

stalking

2011-12-24T09:22:00.002-05:00

I love Santa. It's true. I love the magic he brings to an otherwise commercialized holiday, I love the joy he brings to little kids faces, and I love the anticipation of when he will be here!

Yesterday Mike and I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the big guy himself. Like really close, as in Mike was in the big red suit.

Jenn, my older sister is a preschool teacher and was in a bit of a bind when Santa called out sick. She called and asked Mike and of course he said yes. He was a bit nervous at first, those are really big shoes to fill, but once he was decked out in the get up, he said it was awesome. First we went to the baby room (1yr old and younger), where all but two of them were completely terrified. He posed for pictures with screaming babies and gave out presents.

Then we were on to the bigger kids. The 3-4 year old kids! This is Jenn's classroom. She had all the kids in one room and they were singing Christmas songs, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" to be specific and Mike walked in and the kids freaked out! They were SO excited. Running up to him and hugging him. Thanking him for being there. Telling him just how much they loved him and how good they've been this year. He was fantastic. With oodles of "ho ho ho's" and getting his belly to jiggle as much as possible, he played the part really well. In this room there were more than 30 kids and he gave them all their presents and then sat for pictures with them and helped them open their new toys and examine the very cool things he brought them. Watching him play with the kids made my ovaries ache like you wouldn't believe.

If you don't have little kids in your life, you may not be familiar with NORAD tracks Santa. This is my favorite thing of all time. As a kid (ok I guess teenager) when this came out my dad LOVED it. It's the dorkiest thing ever really. You can check in online and see where Santa is at any given moment. They give you facts about the different cities and an ETA for when you can expect him to visit your house. I'm 27 and I track Santa like a crazy ex-girlfriend. I love sharing it with my cousins. It makes me feel like I'm sharing a bit of my dad with my younger cousins, in such a fun way! So, go track Santa.

tipsy turtle friday!

2011-12-23T06:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday my lovely friends! Christmas is in 2 days!! TWO DAYS! Are you ready? I definitely am! Today is Christmas Eve in my sister's life which means the big man comes to her house tonight to bring presents to my niece. They started that tradition years ago so they could experience the magic of Christmas morning with her even though they only have her on Christmas Eve. (She spends Christmas day with her mom) So today marks day one of our three day extravaganza and I'm super excited.
First I want to share with you my absolute favorite Christmas treat recipe. It's for tipsy turtle bark. It couldn't be easier and it is seriously delicious.

Tipsy Turtles:
1 bag good quality chocolate chips
1 bag chewy caramels
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup whiskey
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Melt chocolate and spread to about 1/8-1/4 inch thick on a nonstick surface. I use a silicone mat. Put it in the refrigerator to help it set a bit faster. While chocolate is setting, melt caramel with the heavy cream and whiskey. Once smooth pour it over the set chocolate. Top with chopped pecans and refrigerate until caramel is also set. Cut into squares.
Proceed to eat the entire tray. Then repeat!
I always have to make two batches because I eat one myself!!

Now onto my favorite link up!! For Friday fancies this week we're dreaming of a white Christmas. I don't think that we'll get to enjoy snow this Christmas, but I'm still hoping! I decided to go pretty darn fancy and with a "winter white." This is definitely not what I'll be wearing on Christmas day, but I wish I was! I wish there was a holiday event that required this dress, it is just gorgeous!

winter white by rundreamcook featuring platform high heels

I hope you all have a magical holiday weekend. Merry Christmas!

peanut butter kisses

2011-12-22T06:12:00.000-05:00

Peanut butter and chocolate. Can you think of a better combination?? It is definitely one of my favorites. Perfect mix of slightly salty and sweet. Yum. These cookies have a bunch of different names, I think Hershey's calls them peanut butter blossoms, but I've always called them peanut butter kisses. Adorable and delicious they are a fabulous Christmas treat!

Peanut Butter Kisses:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
48 hershey kisses, unwrapped

Directions:
Cream together the butter, peanut butter and the sugars until fluffy. Add in the egg, milk and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minutes. Finally mix in the flour baking soda and salt.
Form 1 teaspoon (ish) sized balls of dough and put them on the cookie sheet. Once evenly spaced, press a kiss into each one and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let cool for a few minutes before trying to move them.
These are a little bit softer than normal peanut butter blossoms because of the extra peanut butter, it just makes them better in my opinion!!

molasses kringles

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've made gingerbread for the past 10 years, every single Christmas. It's delicious, but definitely a lot of work. This year I decided to branch out a little bit and instead of doing the "roll and decorate" gingerbread, I wanted to try a chewy molasses cookie. After searching foodgawker for what seemed like hours, I decided to go with a recipe from What Megan's Making for molasses kringles. They certainly did not disappoint. They are soft, chewy, spicy and just a bit sweet. I when I make them again I'll ditch the glaze though. I think it made them just a bit too sweet. If you want the recipe for the glaze, check out Megan's original recipe!

Molasses Kringles:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add in the molasses and egg and beat until well combined. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix until just combined.
Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. On my 1/2 sheet pan I fit 20 cookies and they barely fit.
Bake 10 minutes until lightly browned on edges. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet.

nyt chocolate chip cookies

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

If you've read any blogs during the holidays over the past few years, I'm sure you've heard of the New York Times chocolate chip cookies. There are a million chocolate chip cookie recipes out there. They go from super simple to really complicated.

This one is more on the complicated side. It takes two different types of flour and it has to sit overnight in the refrigerator. When all is said and done, they are definitely delicious. I'm not sure if they're really worth all the extra time and work, but they are delicious. The best thingt about them is that even if you over cook them a tiny bit, they are still nice and chewy! I tried not to change anything, but I decided to go with smaller chunks of chocolate and smaller cookies. Cookies that are FIVE inches are huge, especially when there are so many other cookie choices around to try. I'm not going to include the recipe here, but check it out. They're at least worth a try!

t-6 days

2011-12-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

Let the Christmas countdown begin! There are 6 shopping days until Christmas, how are you spending them? Me? I plan on wrapping, cleaning, wrapping, catching up with old friends, cleaning, and cooking my tail off.
I mentioned on Friday that I was going to spend Sunday baking with my family. A full day of beating, mixing, laughing and eating. It was really awesome. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am to have such an awesome family. I made cookies on Friday and Saturday too. It seems like I'd have far too many but I give away A LOT of cookie trays. We give them to Mike's family (4 separate houses) and a bunch of different friends. I think I made 12 cookie trays over the course of the weekend. Since there is an abundance of cookie recipes hanging around my house, I'll be sharing them with you all week long. Check back later for my kickoff recipe, the NYT chocolate chip cookies!
Sunday was spent surrounded by my favorite people. The best part about it was sharing the traditions that I had growing up with my grandmother with my younger cousins who never met her, or who are too young to remember her.

jackon, 3, appears to have dug into the cookies before they were ready!

jaclyn, 10, telling her dad she's "gonna get him" with her cookie hands!

she apparently gets prettier every day.

my sister and twiglette (that's what we call the baby!)

working hard on making snowballs, recipe to follow this week.

tom, the only male helper we had!

seriously gorgeous ladies

devan helping jackson "rake" the powdered sugar, he was shoveling snow!

sisters! they get mistaken for each other all the time.

my mom gets mistaken for them too and she married into the family!

sisters...again!

Don't forget to check back later for my review on the famous NYT chocolate chip cookie recipe!!

cookie weekend

2011-12-16T06:50:00.000-05:00

With this being the last weekend before Christmas, it is cookie weekend around here! Saturday night everyone is heading to my cousin's house for party night and then we'll be up early for cookie Sunday! I'm super excited about it. We will make (what seems like) 4billion cookies and some of them might even get baked...We're big fans of cookie dough in this family! We have a recipe for Chocolate chip cookies that makes the absolute best cookie dough you've ever tasted. The cooked cookie is pretty good, but the dough is spectacular. I'm pretty stoked about it!
This week's theme for Friday Fancies was sparkle and shine. No one loves sparkle more than I do, so I was totally excited to come up with an outfit for this one.

sparkle and shine by rundreamcook featuring diamond jewelry

family time.

2011-12-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of time with my family. There are a lot of us and spending time with them makes me happier than most things. Today I'm heading with my aunt to pick my cousin Danielle up from college.
Our Christmas tree hunting tradition is one of my favorite traditions. We go to a massive tree farm and search for the perfect blue spruce tree and then cut them ourselves. Then we tailgate. Different foods, Christmas cookies, and of course hot cocoa and spiked eggnog. This year was no exception. The weather this year was incredibly warm though. While this was fantastic for the tailgating and hanging out part, I definitely prefer the years when it has snowed. Nothing screams Christmas tree hunting more than a snowy chilly day.

my pregnant baby sister and my Aunt Cindy, her God Mother

matchy-matchy in our festive hoodies

Santa and the Mrs. rode in on a tractor. Totally awesome

This is my favorite 3 year old ever. He was sleepy and wanted to snuggle.

Preggo and her pup, Addie.

Our tree. You can't tell here but it was SO crooked on the bottom from growing on a hill!

Another family tree. We started this tradition with them over 22 years ago!

Momma and Dan. I love this picture!

Twiglette's first tree! It is SO blue, gorgeous.

Gordon and Dan...Two of a kind. Love them!

First time seeing everyone since the big announcement means she had to
show of the belly!

Some festive eggnog! (I love my aunt's hair here - she's the blonde one)

Silly children. I love it.

Nothing beats a big cup of cocoa.

Britt and John snuggle time!

Us Merrymans look pretty darn good in red!

Of course we have to take a family picture with Santa!!

most wonderful time of the year

2011-12-14T06:57:00.000-05:00

I'm heading to help my Aunt finish her Christmas shopping and wrapping today so I have Christmas all over my brain. As of last night I'm officially done with my own shopping and I have a very tiny bit of wrapping (the stuff that I bought/ordered last night) left to do.
I really might have a small Christmas obsession. I don't really mean that in a negative way though. I think pinterest is just feeding this addiction though. I swear there are a million different holiday ideas on there an I love about 90% of them.

Source: caphillstyle.com via Julie on Pinterest

This is called a sugar plum cocktail. I love the name! How festive!! Plus, I own that tablecloth!

Source: deliacreates.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Holiday shaped pizza. I am SO doing this!!!

Source: bookshelfporn.com via Julie on Pinterest

This book tree makes me think of my older sister. She would love it.

Source: hautelook.com via Julie on Pinterest

Simple and super fun tree skirt! My tree skirt is gorgeous, but covered in presents already.

Source: lilybeanpaperie.typepad.com via Karen J on Pinterest

I love everything about this.

Source: etsy.com via Kirsten on Pinterest

And I'll leave you today with my favorite saying for the season.

an old favorite

2011-12-13T06:55:00.000-05:00

Last night I was stuck in my living room glued to the tv after I went downstairs to let the dog out and found White Christmas on tv. I love the movie. It's definitely a holiday classic in my family.

This little blog is not my first, although so far I'm much better with it! The absolute most popular post on my previous blog was one about salted caramels. I made amazing chewy salted caramels last year. They are super decadent and delicious. I decided to share them with you guys today because they are too good to miss! I'll be making them today, a giant batch to share with all of my friends!
(these pictures are from my old blog - I'll update later today with some new shots!)

Sea Salted Chewy Caramels:

5 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line a 9x9 baking pan with foil and spray foil with vegetable oil spray.

In a small sauce pan melt the butter, once melted add in the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a slow boil stirring frequently. Remove from heat

In a 4 quart sauce pan with high sides mix together sugar, corn syrup and water. Boil without stirring (a gentle swirl of the pan occasionally is helpful to avoid hot spots) until a light golden color, approximately 310 degrees. On my gas stove this takes about 10 minutes.

Add in the heavy cream mixture. BE CAREFUL! It will boil up violently!!! Return to heat and stir frequently until mixture reaches 248 degrees, it took about 8 minutes on my stove. Pour into the lined baking pan and let cool.

do you remember...

2011-12-12T07:42:00.000-05:00

So it was a beautiful fall day back in October when my mom, my sisters and I went pumpkin picking...It was torture to not tell ya'll then...

But when I took this picture she is making that face because I was making a joke about how her belly would be out that far shortly! Jess found out she is pregnant and I can finally tell all of you because yesterday was the first day of her second trimester! I will have a little niece or nephew arriving sometime around June 24, 2012!

holiday party

2011-12-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the weekend! We're one week closer to Christmas friends! How is your shopping going? I'm almost done, I need to finish up a couple things for Mike and to figure out what to get Dan, my brother-in-law. I started wrapping and everything that I've purchased is wrapped AND under the tree. I feel so accomplished!
This weekend I have a jam packed schedule of running and cookie baking! I have my longest distance run (to date) this weekend, shooting for 9 miles. I actually plan on running to the local mall and having mom pick me up there. I like running TO a destination instead of in a loop. We'll see how it goes. I'm getting really excited about the race. Knowing that my cousin finished one last weekend is really making me more confident that I can do it too.
Yesterday my stupid check engine light came on. Stupid. I have to go this morning to have the code red to figure out what is wrong with it. I have never had a check engine light come on before so I have NO clue what to expect. I'm hoping for something stupid like I didn't put my gas cap on tight enough, and not something major like the engine is going to fall out of the car. I'm so not a car person. This post is feeling a little ADD to me today...Sorry about that.
Onto some gorgeousness! As always on Fridays I'm linking up with Alison from Long Distance Loving for Friday Fancies! I love this link up and if you haven't checked it out, you really should. I get such great style inspiration from it and this time of year it is full of holiday gift ideas! The theme this week was to pick an outfit for a holiday party. I'm totally feeling purple for Christmas this year. Well, I suppose I was feeling it last year too, but I really like purple. Especially rich, eggplant-y purple. And especially paired with something nude/sparkly.

holiday party by rundreamcook featuring a one shoulder cocktail dress

What are your weekend plans? Do you get to go to a holiday party? I soooo wish I did....

lucky ducky!!

2011-12-08T07:21:00.000-05:00

After I won the SUAR giveaway I entered and then won another one!!! This time it was from Amy at Pumpkin to Princess. She gave away a GU sampler pack. I was just as excited about this as I was about the shirt.
After hearing all of the fueling options out there I was more than a little over whelmed. I started tasting a few things and using them for my longer runs/workouts, but I still hadn't found anything I loved. I tried nuun tablets and I really liked their tri-berry flavor, but not the lemon-lime one so much. I felt like they helped me during workouts, but since they are low calorie, they weren't a good fueling solution. I was thrilled to get this big pack of GU products to try! These are the goodies I got:

I am so excited to try each and every one of these things out. I'll post about how much I love them as I try 'em!!

cookie time

2011-12-07T06:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure of where the tradition of Christmas cookies came from, but they are one of my favorite things this time of year. I love to bake (I think that's a given) and I love to give delicious food to my family and friends. I like to try new recipes every year while still doing a couple of old classics. It wouldn't be Christmas without chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, or gingerbread. But there is always room to try out some new recipes that just may become classics. I have a couple of recipes that I'll share with you in the coming weeks that are my absolute favorites.
I pinned a couple new recipes this week so that's the theme I'm sticking to for this week's link up with Michelle of The Vintage Apple.

Source: tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Sugar cookies in gorgeous bright colors with simple designs. I love these.

Source: bhg.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Eggnog Spritz cookies. Everyone loves these, and I love the light muted colors. Normally we do them in bright greens and red, but I'm kind of digging the light blue and greens.

Source: flickr.com via Tarevale on Pinterest

Christmas pudding cookies? Gorgeous. I love the soft texture they seem to have and the adorable fondant designs.

Source: realsimple.com via Carly on Pinterest

I love shortbread cookies. I love them more when they're dipped in chocolate. Then dipped in candy canes? Life is good.

Source: google.com via Teresa on Pinterest

Gingerbread. Yum.

grateful

2011-12-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

So way back in October Beth of SUAR held a giveaway with Family Fan Club and I was super lucky and I won! The giveaway was for a shut up and run shirt, one of the family fan club designs, or a custom shirt. Immediately entered in every way possible. Earlier that week I was showing Mike the Family Fan Club website and telling him how I needed a custom shirt for the Princess Half. I wanted a shirt that said "no day but today." I'm kind of a huge RENT fan and I try to live with that thought always in the back of my mind. Then I found out that I won and I think I did a happy dance right in my kitchen! I was home alone and I was shaking my booty and hopping and dancing around. I was super stoked!
After talking to Beth and Paul of Family Fan Club a bit I made up a design for the shirt. It says no day but today on the front and then it has my blog url on the back. When it came in the mail, I was blown away. It came out even better than I could have imagined.

I love it! I'm wearing a real bra and pajama pants, but I still LOVE the
shirt.

So in love with this shirt.

I really just posted a picture of my tush on my blog.

The shirt is awesome. It's thin and the printing is fantastic. I completely love it! I cannot wait to wear it. I'll be giving it a test ride at the gym today!

I seriously recommend working with Paul and the crew at Family Fan Club. They were incredibly helpful and wonderful!!

back on track!

2011-12-05T06:19:00.000-05:00

Geez last week was just a blur. I don't really feel like I did all that much, but I also feel like I didn't have a free minute! I hate when that happens. But it's a brand new week and I'm determined to be more organized with it.

Source: google.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

First and foremost, I want to congratulate my cousin Precious on finishing her first half marathon, Rock and Roll Las Vegas, last night. Kick ass Prec!!! Such an inspiration! She started with c25k about a month before me and we both (but separately) decided that within a year of starting we wanted to complete a half marathon. She's a rock star!!!

With that said, onto the weekend recap! Thursday night I saw Breaking Dawn with my bff Kristyn and Mike. I haven't read the books and I'm barely even a Twilight fan, but agreed to go because both of them really wanted to see it. Honestly, I was disappointed. I didn't feel like there was nearly enough substance in it to justify the split between the two movies. Then Mike and I went and hung out at the diner. I haven't done that since I was in high school. It was kind of fun to go late in the evening (I think we got there at like 10:30-11ish) and get dessert and tea and just chat. I really love that kind of time with him.
Saturday I spent the WHOLE day at the mall/shopping with my Aunt Tink. Phew that was exhausting! She got a lot of her Christmas shopping done and we had a fun day together. I got a few things, mostly stocking stuffers, but really I'm mostly done with my shopping already. On one hand it is pretty awesome because I don't have any stress, but on the other hand it is almost boring. I love being out there and shopping and people watching. It just makes me happy!
Onto the week my friends! Hope you have a great one!!

think red

2011-12-02T07:01:00.000-05:00

This week has totally flown by! I feel like I'm still catching up on sleep from black Friday and here we are a whole week later. I have lots of stuff to share with you, but that post will have to come later. For right now, like yesterday I'm keeping it simple and linking up with Alison of Long Distance Loving for Friday's Fancies. This week's theme is all about being inspi(red) to move towards a cure for AIDS. I'm stepping out tonight in red (although my real life red is not nearly as fabulous as my look below!), let's work toward a cure people!!

think red by rundreamcook featuring high heel booties

take a moment

2011-12-01T10:47:00.001-05:00

I know I promised a Christmas tree hunting recap today, but then I realized today is December 1 which makes it world AIDS day and I felt that deserved some special attention. While I don't personally know anyone with the disease, I do know a few people who have been touched by it. I've done quite a bit of work volunteering with different charities that benefit AIDS research. It is a cause that has always been near and dear to my heart.
I'm wearing red today to support the cause.

Source: blog.joinred.com via Krissy on Pinterest

Lets get to work on the AIDS Free generation.