Spring Saturday

Spring is here to stay in central Texas and there was no way we could stay inside on such a gorgeous day!

Let's go already Mama!

We spent the morning going to our favorite garden store, Natural Gardener.  Even though my lemon tree is awash with blooms and my mint has grown back, we needed some more green to add to the patio.  Problem is we have a lot of shade, so we needed to chat with the folks at NG to find the right plants.  We got some really beautiful plants to pot and I am really excited to see how they grow.

While we were there at Natural Gardener, we spent some time visiting with the goats and chickens.  Billa loves visiting with the chickens and we got a cute video of her talking to the chickens with Daddy.

After we dropped Daddy off at work, Billa and I headed to Lowe's to get some additional planters and then to Target to grab a few other things.  Our Target recently expanded it's gorcery area, and there was a giant cow statue out in front of the store.  Billa was so excited, it's not even funny.  Here we are posing with the cow and mooing.

We capped off of our Saturday with a family dinner since Michael's dad was in town.  We went to Guero's and enjoyed enchiladas, tacos, and margaritas while visiting with Auntie Cait, Auntie 'Chele and Uncle Kevin, and Zeydi.  Before we knew it, it was time to go home.

Today we are cleaning house and finishing up our planting.  I'll be sure to post some pictures of the patio when it's done!

Cheers,
Kelly

Plagued by Pestilence

The plague has hit our house!

Michael asleep on the couch.  Snack doesn't look too thrilled with me.

I think it might be the flu and if that's the case, I'm going to be mighty PO'd if I get it too!  I already missed three days of work a couple of weeks ago due to a sinus infection/cold thing and I really can't afford to miss anymore.   Whatever this is, Michael got it first and ended up missing up work yesterday as a result (well, that and minor car accident thanks to the icy and snowy roads--he's ok BTW, just a little sore) and he's missing out again today.

Poor kid! She passed almost before her head hit the pillow.

Now poor Billa's got it!  She had a little fever last night and her constant coughing kept me awake, but by mid-morning she was her usual spunky and energetic self, so we went for our usual Target run and foodstore trip, albeit a bit shorter than normal...I didn't want her to tax herself!  By the time we got home, Billa was cranky, shivering, and her temp was starting to spike up again.  Argh!

I really hope that this thing leaves our house soon and I hope all of you are taking precautions this winter season to stay warm and stay healthy!

Kelly

An Anniversary to Wine About...

This month Michael and I hit the four year mark of being married and while it was actually a week and a half ago, we weren't able to do anything to celebrate it until this weekend. And really, there was no whining involved, but there was plenty of wine!  My friend John bought us tickets to go to the Austin Wine & Music Festival out at the Domain and we had a great day tasting wines from local vineyards and listening to live music.  The only whining was about the weather, which was hot and muggy, but even with an unexpected downpour in the middle of the festival, we still had a great time!

We started off with a light lunch at Tomo Sushi.  That's John in the back and his friend Amy.

And by light, I mean a lot.  John just kept ordering roll after roll, dish after dish.  The above is sea bass, escolar, butterfish, salmon, and albacore tuna.  My favorite was the escolar; it was like butter and so tender.

This was our favorite roll at Tomo.  It's called the "Say my name!" and was jalapenos spread with cream cheese that had scallops, tuna and crab mixed with it, and is then lightly fried.  It had a spicy chipotle type mayo on top and the texture was amazing.

We were definitely fat and sassy after all that and definitely ready for some wine tasting! (And note to self, Mama and Daddy were right about the slouching...gotta work on that)

It rained for about 30 minutes while we were there so we went under some tents to stay dry.  It was a welcome relief from the heat, but when it passed it just got muggy and gross.

So we cooled off with some frozen yogurt from Mambo Berry.  This stuff is amazing.  This is their swirl with their green tea and original tart.  Yes, I said tart.  The yogurt has very little sugar in it, but you don't miss it at all.  It was so refreshing and delightful without being overwhelming!  If you want to try some, they can be located down on South Congress Tuesday through Sunday next to Hey Cupcake! in the airstream trailer food park.  Seriously.  You need to try it at least once!  And yes, you can get sprinkles on it if you want :o)

John and Michael convinced Amy and I to do a cigar and port seminar with them which was very educational and actually pretty fun.  I love a good port and we were able to sample ports from two different wineries, Dry Comal Creek's 1096 and Stone House Vineyard's Scheming Beagle.   I personally preferred the Scheming Beagle although both were excellent.

And yes, I smoked my first cigar.  It really wasn't that bad since you don't inhale it, but I don't think I will be making a habit of it--it makes it hard to taste anything for a bit afterward and my nose was not happy with me the next day.

All in all, a lovely day.  We are so grateful to our friend John for giving us the opportunity to enjoy this milestone in a way we love best! 

Here's to four years...may there be many more!


Bottoms up,
Kelly

Saturday Silly Soakiness

Last Saturday Michael had to work overnight, so Sybilla and I went to spend the afternoon with my mom while Daddy got some sleep.  Billa's favorite thing about Boppa is that she lets her run amok in the garden and outside.  We live in an apartment, so it's not often Billa has a big 3 acre backyard to run amok in.  The most exciting thing that day was when Boppa let Billa water the garden.

I just get tickled pink when I see this picture!

Making a swamp in the right side of the garden.

Making a swamp out of the left side of the garden.  Equal opportunity swamp maker here!

We also visited with Gumerry, our former cat.  Look, he's the size of Texas!  REALLY!

If I ever had doubts about whether he was happy where he was, I have them no more.  Gumerry is one fat and sassy kitty and it shows! (Should you be worried about his weight, never fear.  The vet says 22 pounds is normal for a farm cat built like he is, plus, he has more fur than fat...my allergies can attest to it!)

Time to clean up!  Mom just hosed Billa off in the mudroom sink.  Good thing it's big enough to be a bathtub for Billa...that kid LOVES to splash in the bath!

Besides making a swamp out of my mom's garden and playing in the mud and whatnot, I also got some time on the sewing machine and started on the quilt for Billa's room redo I'm working on, plus I got to experiment with a new recipe featuring a star ingredient: serrano peppers.  Yes, my friends, it is the first thing we have harvested from our garden boxes!  I made a honey serrano cornbread that was very delicious, but I think it could use a little tweaking. 

After our fun and wet day, we packed up and headed home, just in time to send Daddy off.  Billa will get to play with Boppa again this Saturday while Michael and I finally go celebrate our 4th wedding anniversary.  I can only imagine what hijinks Boppa has in store for Billa this time!

Cheers,
Kelly

How did you enjoy your Sunday?

I have to be careful about those moments when the silence suddenly becomes noticeable in our household because it usually means Billa is doing something she's not supposed to be doing.  Those moments are dangerous for any mom.  When raising our children, we often find ourselves in that place where all we crave is five minutes of quiet.  And of course, it always comes back to bite us in the end, because we inevitably never learn to be specific in our request on what those five minutes should entail to whatever higher power it is we're praying to.  But when your child is screaming their head off and you are about two seconds from doing the same, the particulars of any wish are not that high on the priority list. 

So it was today that I found myself wishing for about five minutes of peace to rest my weary butt in front of the computer and just veg for a moment.  Sometimes mommies need to mentally check out too, y'all.  We may be super heroes, but even super heroes need a vacation!  As I sat idly perusing my screen, I suddenly realized that I couldn't hear anything and hadn't heard anything for about five minutes.  Oh great, I told myself.  You've done it again Kelly!  You got complacent and now Sybilla's gone and done something.  Brace yourself, girl, you are about to pay up...

Sometimes we mommies needn't worry so much:

It will all turn out right in the end.

Happy Sunday,
Kelly

Kitties, Weddings and Gardening, Oh My!

We had another one of those "I need a weekend from the weekend" kind of weekends.

Friday evening we got our new kitty, Snack. She's petite, gray, adorable, and such a little snuggle muffin. She's very talkative, however and we discovered that she has no problem talking to you about ANYTHING. Not very shy, that one. And yes, we're keeping the name.  So far, our favorite nicknames are Kitty (Billa's), Snack Attack (Michael's), and Snicker Snack (mine).  She is also a very good sport because Billa likes to carry her everywhere and not very gracefully at that.  She constantly worries that Snack is not well fed and watered, and she tries to rectify this by spoon feeding the cat kibbles and water. 

What? 

Saturday morning we all got up early and took over a bunch of stuff to the Marino house for the neighborhood wide garage sale. We got rid of a ton of stuff and made $175 profit. Not bad for our first garage sale ever! The neighborhood association is having another one in October and we are looking forward to culling a bunch of stuff then. Part of our profits went towards buying a trike for Billa; the Marino's neighbors were selling a Radio Flyer trike which I snapped up for $10. I met a mom at the park recently (and ran into her again on Sunday, how crazy is that!?) and she had highly recommended it. It's the perfect size for Billa and she LOVES it.

After the garage sale, we all went out to Tres Amigos for lunch to celebrate and then Michael's mom came and picked up Sybilla for Gigi Slumber Party Fun.  Michael and I had a wedding to attend and we were really looking forward to a night out.  I have to say, we've been to a lot of weddings, and while we think ours is one of the best, Andy and Nadine's wedding was ah-MAZE-ing! The bride outdid herself in creating a simple, whimsical, and warm atmosphere and the weather was just perfect. The event was held at the Hummingbird House which is apparently owned by the folks at the Great Outdoors. Nadine is Indonesian, so part of the ceremony included a traditional Indonesian egg-stomping ritual. The bride and groom each stomp on an egg and then clean off each other's feet. I'm not sure what it's supposed to symbolize honestly, but it was very cool and very funny to watch.  

Andy is an old friend of ours from Michael's Winedale days and does a lot of improv comedy around town–he's a super funny guy and so nice to boot!  And of course, Nadine is just a dear too.

Andy and Nadine are both very funny people and there was no shortage of love and laughter at this wedding. I also loved many of the personal touches that they incorporated into the wedding, like the name tags, the stuffed animals from their childhood, and board games on all the tables. We had so much fun catching up with all of Michael's Winedale family that we eventually moved the party to a bar by UT until almost 1 in the morning. Or maybe later, I can't remember really, because I'd had a few too many tequila sunrises mixed by the really hot Italian bartender. Another perk of this wedding? Meeting new people, like the gal who teaches dance lessons for couples and is a big theatre dork/food junkie like we are. Heck yes! Dance lessons and dinner parties, here we come!

Clockwise from left: Each guest stamped their fingerprint on the tree (which was hand drawn by the bride) and signed their name on their fingerprint.  Talk about an unusual guest book!  All around the grounds you'd find random stuffed animals paired together and the tables had board games on them for folks to play with.  The bride and groom opted for cake balls in lieu of the traditional wedding cake (no, I didn't do them).  Nadine made name tags for all the guests that also included two or three talking points–it was so much fun to see what people had and it really helped start some great conversations!

Unfortunately, Michael had to work Sunday morning, so I slept in and nursed my little self-induced headache before Billa arrived back home.  We went out and picked up kitty stuff and shopped, then came home for a nap, before we all went as a family to Natural Gardener to look at plants and then grocery shop, before wrapping things up with dinner at our neighbor's house. George and Maho used to live across the hall from us, now they live across the courtyard from us. Maho cooked the most amazing seafood pasta I have ever had, with shrimp, salmon, and bay scallops. She also made a delicious chocolate sformato for dessert that was to die for.

Billa enjoys some airtime on the tree swing at Natural Gardener

What's so funny, guys?

Why these old billy goats, that's what!  The goat in front kept bleating at Billa and Michael, as if he were an old man yelling at them.  The other one just sat in back and chewed his cud quietly.  I love how goats are like old men!

All in all, it was a fantastic weekend spent with friends and family and nothing but laughter and good times. And even though we are exhausted and left desiring some additional vacation time, we'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it left us this happy and contented.

Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend,

Kelly, Michael, Sybilla, and introducing Snack

No cake in sight...

I've been enjoying a cake free week and it has been nice.  It's not that I don't love cake; I do, otherwise I wouldn't keep up this expensive hobby and continually hone my skills.  But like all jobs, hobbies, and passions, sometimes you need a break from it in order to come back to it fresh and feeling good.  What can I say?  Vacations were the best thing ever invented! 

Truthfully though, I did do SOME things cake related...I stocked up on some supplies for upcoming cakes, drew out some sketches, set some timetables in place and signed up for the big cake show here in town at the end of this month.  And I've thought about cake.  But I did not make any and that in and of itself was a relief!

So what else did I do besides the other things mentioned above?  Well, Billa and I did some shopping on Saturday and went to a birthday party for one of her school chums.  We had a great time eating hot dogs, hitting the pinata and running around the backyard playing.  It was such a nice day and the kids were having so much fun, that the mom and dad throwing the party decided to scrap the secondary post party plans which was to go a little place down here called Locomotion.  We all decided that if the kids were having fun playing OUTside, why take them back INside to play somewhere else? Exactly!

Today we went to my mom and dad's for waffles and Billa had a blast playing with her grandparents.  I loved it when Billa went upstairs and discovered my dad's server.  They were 'beeping' back and forth with each other and you have to admit, it's really freaking adorable when a grown 56 year old man makes a beep noise with a two year old.

This afternoon we all took a lazy day nap and went to a non-Super Bowl Super Bowl party.  We're huge fans of college football, but pro ball doesn't really excite us that much.  We'll watch it if it's on, but we won't go out of our way and we don't really have a favorite team.  But you mention the words 'college ball' and you can't keep us quiet!  We made hot wings and french fries with the Marino's and then we sent the kids to the playroom while we watched the movie Funny People, which was funny, but really really really long and slow to develop.

Now we are relaxing as Billa nods off and another week is at our door.

Until next time!
Kelly et al

Happy Birthday Madel(e)ine and Weekend Recap (with video!)

We celebrated two birthdays this weekend... Madeleine and Madeline.  Madeleine was turning 5, and Madeline was turning 1.  Confused yet?  It gets better.  Madeleine passed on clothes to Sybilla who passed on the clothes to Madeline.  And I've worked with both Madel(e)ines' mama's and been to both of their weddings.  Silly similarities aside, we had a great weekend!

Saturday we went to Madeleine's birthday party where we stuffed ourselves silly on hot wings, hot dogs, and fajitas.  Well, I did anyway.  Billa chowed down on 'shie's' (goldfish) and de-boned hot wing meat.  I made Madeleine's cake for her, which was supposed to be a Tinkerbell cake, but ended up being a really lovely fancy flower cake instead.  No worries, it worked out for the better I think!

The flower cake I made for Madeleine; it was swirled pink vanilla and chocolate inside.

Madeleine's birthday was actually Monday, but when you asked her at the party, she said, "It's today!"

Sybilla has discovered a love of frosting now!

After a nap and some more baking on my part, we drive up to Cedar Park to visit the other Madeline and bring her cupcakes for her birthday party.  Her party was a family only affair, so we stayed and played on Saturday evening while her mama, Caroline, and I caught up with each other.  Billa fell in LOVE with Caroline's cat Casper, who was VERY patient.  This cat is ginormous, by the way.  Anyone who thought Gumerry was big never met Casper.  He weighs in at 27 pounds (Gumerry topped the scale at 22) and is the size of a Smart car.  OK, maybe not that big, but he's still large!  While he was very patient, he did not like being picked up or pounded on by both girls, so he made himself scarce very quickly, which is not his norm from what I understand.  I hate to break it to you, Casp, but get used to it.  Your child pet is about to change!

I made cupcakes designed to look like the Hungry Little Caterpillar...I loved these, they were so colorful!

Billa and Madeline get some instructions on how to pet Casper (bless his heart!)

And here is Madeline enjoying her cake; her mama called to tell me that she would have kept on eating cake if she hadn't taken it away from her!

Today we enjoyed a lazy Sunday, the deinition of lazy meaning "let's clean house, do two loads of laundry, the grocery shopping, and then watch a couple of movies."  It was lazy more in the sense that we didn't really cook much (hot dogs for dinner and blueberry cake for breakfast) and there was no schedule.  We just went with the flow, as you can see.

Kickin' back while watching the Little Mermaid

Billa also enjoyed her dinner which she will tell you about here:



And there you have it. Until next time!

Love,
The Guerra's