1.24.2011

Muchas Gracias

While I was running this morning, I was listening to a certain little song that always makes me smile: Sweet Serendipity by Lee DeWyze.  As a result, my mind began wandering every where of things that I am thankful for in my life.  I have so much to be thankful for that I don't even know where to start.  Many of these things are big, but many of them are also the little things in life.  There are so many little things that can add up to happiness, no matter how small or insignificant they seem.

Here's a few...or maybe more...to begin my list of the little things in life that make me happy:
being a Nido girl. having the best family in the world. laughing uncontrollably. smiling. my bed, aka, a cloud. running shoes. music. music. music. dave barnes. jon mclaughlin. *NSYNC (yes, I said it). t-shirts. freshly washed jeans. sharpie pens. winks. sunshine after a cloudy day. friends who have become sisters. an organized room. chapstick. ponytails. coffee. coffee mugs. a good hair day. cheesy tv shows. a text from an unexpected person. the ability to speak another language. an inspirational teacher. a good book. an uplifting story on the news. hope. memories. old pictures. a compliment from a stranger. piano. sheet music. piano solos at the beginning of a song. waking up with a smile. a great conversation. quoting a movie. singing in the shower. fruit. quotes. glasses. motivating lyrics.
The list goes on...and will resume later.
Until then, think happy thoughts and know that something's watching over you like sweet serendipity.

1.20.2011

Gilly?

Today, I got a phone call from one of my most favorite people in this entire world.  Sadly enough, I am on the mountain while she is on the hill.  Our time apart makes our time together that much more special and is the reason why there are a few tears shed every time we are lucky enough to see each other at home.  On a happy note,  she finally got the package of love I sent her!!  I discovered the art of the Shutterfly book and compiled all of our memories.

This post is dedicated to my best friend, Emily.  We have been through so much together over the years and I would not be who I am today without her. She is not only my best friend, but my sister, my co-teacher, my fellow Dave Barnes lover, my partner in crime, my little Gilly, and also happens to be the girl who made me jump 25 ft. into a river.  In a nutshell, I love her.  



Thank you, Em, for being such a big part of my life. I love you, sister!!

1.17.2011

Love the Glove

Let's be real, I'm smitten' with the mitten.  I love the glove.  Actually, all the lovies love the glove.  Especially now because one of us is actually stuck in that particular snow globe while the other two of us are in our own respective tundras.  We were all born in the mitten state, but ended up being Southern transplants.

Today, I wear this shirt for a few reasons. 1. It was given to me by a lovie.  2.  It is dark and gray outside, and I feel like I might as well be in Michigan.  3. I miss my lovies and this shirt just makes me smile and think of them.

Don't forget to Love the Glove today!

1.16.2011

The Power of a Chip

Running.  It's a mental thing.  A stress reliever.  A way to get lost in thought.  My love for running began in middle school after watching my sister...let's just call her legs...run all the time.  As I got older, I realized that running was my outlet.  Stressed? Run. Upset? Run. Seriously worried? Run. Extremely excited? Run. Happiest news ever? Run it out!  While I ran track in high school, I decided to start going on long runs in my neighborhood that may as well be its own city.  I quickly learned that running is an impossible task unless I have my sidekick: my iPod with my nike chip. 

I need music.  Fast music.  Music that makes my heart smile.  Alongside that music is a tiny little chip that tells me everything I need to know about my run.  Calories burnt, distance run, mile pace...the list goes on. It even lets me choose a power song! When I feel myself getting a little tired and I know I don't want to stop, I press the center button, and on comes my power song.  It's a little embarrassing, but that power song is Footloose by Kenny Loggins.

This morning, with my running accessories at my side, I managed to go 6.5 miles without thinking about anything.  It.was.fabulous.  Had my little chip not been plugged in, I would have never known how far I ran.  I then came to this conclusion: I run more than I walk.

Happy Running!

1.13.2011

Making Whoopie

Yes. While I was home for a month with nothing to do besides spend and savor endless amounts of time with the best friends and family a girl could have, I had time to make whoopie. Seriously, I made the best batch of whoopie.  Well, pies that is.

Whoopie Pies are simply clouds of perfection that melt in your mouth and are my new favorite dessert to whip up.  The kitchen is where all the magic happens at Casa Nido and where I've learned about my passion for cooking and baking.  On Christmas morning, I opened up a package that had a whoopie pie pan and a whoopie pie cookbook.  I felt like a little kid who was ready to play with the toy that moment it was taken out of the bag. The cookbook has so many different mixes and matches of pies and fillings.  Limoncello, S'more, Nutella, Fluffernutter, Strawberry Shortcake. You name it, it's in there.  The sky is the limit when concocting these little puffs of goodness.  I decided to go simple on my first batch: Lemon with a marshmallow filling.  They were nothing short of delicious.  My family loved them and as usual, Andi was my taste tester.  My next batch was made for a girl's night full of laughter, smiles, and cheerful chitter chatter about life and all things wonderful.  These ones were chocolate pies with the marshmallow filling and were even more perfect than the first go-round.  









Next time you're trying to think of something fun and different to make, think whoopie.  You don't necessarily need the pan either.  A cookie sheet will do just the trick.  The perk to having a pan is that you get the perfect shape, for the perfect bite, for the perfect morsel of goodness.

Have fun making whoopie!

1.10.2011

Grace Explains It All

After giving it much thought, I have decided to enter the wonderful world of blogging.  Many thanks for the inspiration can be directed to my sweet sister, Nina.  I love reading her blog and check it daily with high hopes that a new post will pop up only to put a great big smile on my face.

In the words of Crystal, I'm diving in and making my own space.  A space to share moments of gumption, serendipity, and of course, grace.  Every day, I try to find something that has made me smile and be thankful for God's grace.  Today, that thought was of the snow days my sisters and I spent when we were all home together.  Watching the snow fall on the mountains today put that smile on my face and made me think of those days when we were so excited to have a day off from school and our mom would make us a special breakfast.  Not only does that memory make me smile, but any memory that includes the three Nido girls tends to have that affect.  Andi and Nina are not only my sisters, but they are my best friends and will be mentioned often in posts to come.

"If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking"