Life According to Rex

This. Face. Ever since it came into my life about 9 years ago, this little face has made my heart grow bigger and my days end happier.  Who knew joy could be directly proportional to the amount of tail wags, puppy kisses, and snuggles you get in a day?  Every day he makes me smile, shake my head, and fall in love more. And every day he teaches me about fast forgiveness, living in the moment, and that when life gives you reasons to get excited - you need to GET EXCITED! Preferably by wiggling your butt, and jumping up and down (sometimes with a spin in between).  So please understand if I greet you with a butt wiggle and a spin the next time I see you :)

Life is one big game according to Rex... so you may as well have a ball (or in his case, as many tennis balls as you can possibly find)!

Twirly Bird

Shirt (Anthropologie); Skirt (eShakti); Shoes (DSW); Necklace (The Limited)

If you don't have a top that broadcasts your favorite animal, spirit animal, or both... you need to fix this problem immediately! The same goes for a skirt that properly twirls... Truly what's the point of a skirt if it doesn't twirl (unless it's a pencil skirt in which case the point is total world domination). This is one of those outfits that immediately makes me happy... not to mention I envision meeting future friend soulmates by sipping chai tea at a coffee shop and looking up to catch the eye of a girl wearing an equally awesome bird shirt...

Friday Find

I recently discovered an amazing summer cocktail that is light, refreshing, and delicious. My only complaint is that it doesn't come in a box, with a straw...  The star of this little mixer is the honey flavored whiskey - every sip (...or gulp...or swig...no judgement!) is finished off with a lovely sweet aftertaste. Meet the Honey Bee.

Honey Bee

• 1 part honey flavored whiskey
• 2 parts sweet & sour mix
• Quick dose of water to cut down on the sour

New Rules

Not that these rules are necessarily new... but in the middle of paying bills, getting to work early so I could finish that overdue presentation, scheduling my next dentist's visit (bravo to anyone that can maintain that 6 month schedule), going grocery shopping and doing all of the other "adult things" life demands... I became numb.  And I was in severe violation of most of these rules.  The fun in my daily life was replaced by duty... the passion in my work felt like a chore... and I found myself being silent in situations I would otherwise take a stand. Yeah I was in a rut for sure. 

So here are my new rules, and must have's for any situation... personal, work or otherwise. 

Have Passion: 

Nothing important is worth doing unless you are genuinely emotionally connected to it.
Get fired up and give a damn.

Have Fun: 

Life is short... too short to not find ways of enjoying yourself. Period end of sentence. 

Have an Opinion:

There are days I'm still learning that not everyone will like me, and some days I'm better with that than others.  The truth is there is no sense in trying to please everyone... it will never happen, no matter how hard you bend, compromise or try. So have an opinion... and then rally around the other smart people who share it ;)

Work Week Ease

Real life translation: Dress (The Limited);
Vest (Macy's); Necklace (H&M)

Dresses are my favorite because they are the easiest outfits ever. And denim vests have a special place in my heart because it was part of the outfit I wore on my first day of high school (yes I remember my first day of high school outfit, and yes it was a jean vest with jeans...).  Adding a denim vest to this dress makes the whole look more casual (not to mention a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll) while still being work appropriate.  It's a perfect look for a Monday...  easing the way into the work week, while still hanging on to the fun from the weekend:)

Labor of Love

My daily orchid view 

New leaves and a new root

    This orchid is my labor of love... and the most work I've put into any plant.

After letting it sit on my windowsill at work with no progress for months, I was just about to throw it away when a co-worker looked at it and said there's no way it was dead since it had green leaves.  I then started googling orchid terms like a crazy person: what do white roots mean? What color are the roots supposed to be?  What is the difference between a spike and a root?  When can I expect my orchid to bloom?

So I brought my little gal home and repotted her... I got rid of the roots that were over watered and mushy... and once a week she gets watered and sprayed with orchid plant food. She seems happy, even growing new leaves and new roots.  But if anyone knows orchids, you know it's the coveted flower spike that will eventually bloom that I am waiting so impatiently for.

I don't have kids but I imagine the feeling is similar... I wake up every day to see if there are any changes, make sure she's had enough to eat and drink, and I hope I've given her everything she needs to grow and reach her full potential. And like kids - these toddler years truly are the worst (but I hear we'll be best friends when she goes to college).

    

Easy & Impressive Appetizers

Hummus Cucumber Bites

Caprese Salad Skewers

Chicken Skewers (to be grilled)

Summer is supposed to be effortless right?  The thought of making dinner just seems too complicated when hosting a laid back summer evening. That is the beauty of appetizers... they immediately bring down the formal factor (especially when you put it on a stick) and up the ease factor - which in my world means more wine for everyone! And the only thing better than something being quick and easy, is when it's equally as impressive.  Here are three no fail appetizers perfect for summer - we made them on Friday night, and the evidence disappeared quickly :)

Hummus Cucumber Bites

• Ingredients: Cucumbers, spicy hummus and parsley to garnish
• Peel the cucumbers in stripes
• Cut the cucumbers in 1 inch sections and scoop a little bit off the top
• Spoon the hummus (we used spicy red pepper) into the little bowl you created
• Add a sprig of parsley

Caprese Salad Skewers

• Ingredients: Grape tomatoes, basil leaves, mozzarella balls, balsamic vinegar
• Cut the grapes in half for the base of your skewer
• Put a tomato, basil leave, and mozzerella ball on a toothpick
• Put half a cup of balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes
• After the balsamic vinegar cools a bit (and thickens) - spoon it over your skewers

Grilled Chicken Skewers

• Ingredients: Chicken breasts and marinade
• Marinade chicken for 24 hours (we used Caribbean Jerk)
• Cut the chicken into 2 inch squares and skewer
• Grill & enjoy!

Long Time, No Talk

Tom surprised me with a weekend in Sonoma, California and proposed in February 2014.  The nicest people took pictures when they saw the deal was going down!

Our wedding Save the Date featuring the most important guest of all :)

One of my favorite pictures from our day... 

 "princess for a day"

Long time, no talk - right? Maybe I'm feeling less hogtied... maybe I feel a bit guilty that my last words were "I promise I'll be back"... or maybe I've had a couple of margaritas with a good blogger friend (ahem, Rachel this post is for you!), and I can't deny that a part of me really misses this special place of the Internet that is 100% me, myself, and mine. So here I am again, and here's my five second recap of the past two years:  I got engaged, married, and am happily making our house a home in suburbia. The pictures tell the story much better. 

There is so much to catch up on, and I have so many questions... Does anyone else have a hole in their heart where the Braverman family used to be?  Is it just me, or does the world need more girl power? Do you also feel guilty if your fitbit doesn't alert that you've hit 10,000 steps a day?  And have you tuned into Hot 102.5 on iHeartRadio? Literally... they are all my jam :)  

Now that we are all caught up - let the fun begin.  Houston, do you copy?