Move

Swooning over this video - isn't it brilliant? Makes me want to go galavanting all over the world (even more than I already do...), and even sadder that this weekend is coming to a close. *sigh*

Falling for fall.

Isn't fall just delicious? I adore the crisp, blustery air, snuggly blankets, hot tea, crunchy leaves, and, of course, s'mores. What's your favorite thing about autumn?

~xo mandy

Florida: The Journey

4:00 AM - Stumble out of bed with three hours of sleep (looking quite awesome I might add...).


5:00 AM - Head to the airport (I think...I gained consciousness at the airport so I'm not entirely sure how I got there).

5:something AM - Check in, security, boarding. Check, check, check.

6:something AM - Try to load carry on into overhead compartment: *thunk* "Oh crap. Please God, let this go in." *cram* *shove* grunt* *stuff* *sweat* Success! After the entire plane has now watched the obsessive over packer who apparently needs to take all of her luggage with her ON the plane, I take me seat. Ahhhh...

7:30 AM(ish) - Arrive at DFW airport, or a space station...still not sure. Figured out you have to go upstairs and take a shuttle to the other side of the airport to get to my gate. Very interesting, I was quite entertaining figuring that out I must say. Thank God for a long layover. Found my flight on the monitor and which gate I was supposed to leave from. Then sleepily ordered some coffee and oatmeal and parked myself in a lounge chair to nap pout wait out the layover. At least Communist News Network (CNN) was on to fill my daily BS quota. Ahem...moving on. After taking pictures of the waiting room and my coffee, and my oatmeal (repeatedly) and getting the 'what's up with the weird chick in the corner taking pictures of her Starbucks?' looks from, well, just about everyone - I headed for a potty break and my gate.

9:35 AM(ish) - So, boarding time is 9:45 AM and I figured with my luck I'd better wait right there (after about THREE more potty breaks, that is - can anyone say air plane bathroom? AKA port-a-potty in the air, no thank you).


9:50 AM - They've not started calling groups for boarding...hrm, that's weird.


9:55 AM - Still nothing...there's not a lot of people over here...hrm...I better go ask what's up. Waited in line behind one guy for what felt like FOREVER...forget it, let me go check the monitor one more time even though I've checked it twice and I know I'm supposed to be at gate A28.


10:00 AM - HOLY CRAP!! MY GATE'S A20, NOT A28 - AND MY FLIGHT LEAVES IN 15 MINUTES! I calmly raced to my gate Home Alone style leaving a trail of trampled old women, children, and international travellers in my wake. As I approach my gate I hear "Final boarding call for Amanda Eisermann". THAT'S ME!!! I barely made it, sweating and breathing heavy. I don't know why everyone was staring...


1:30 PM(ish) - Arrive in Jacksonville and head to the rental car counter. Need a copy of my itinerary...oops. Go to the ticket office, get a copy (check). Find Brenda and squeal and hug and gab like I haven't seen her in years. Go back to rental counter. "Uh, miss. Do you have your new license?" "My what??" "Your license expired on the 30th" "S#!%" (that last one was just in my head) Thankfully, B was already there - let's roll!
Time is now irrelevant o'clock - We gabbed about how much we miss Mom and wish she could have come with me, news, and all kinds of mess. We had a light nosh, then a superb (and swanky) dinner. We strolled along the beach after wading through a festival full of drunken, brawling youth - I wanted to stay, but B wouldn't let me. After about 30 seconds I decided we need to move here, but trying to be a good Christian child, instead of instantly posting my resume and sending notice to my landlord, I prayed (repeatedly...aloud) that if God's will were for me to live near the ocean, I'm totally on board with that. :D

 ~xoxo Mandy

Welcome, spring

I'm so delighted spring is here. We've already been basking in 80+ degree days and 60's - 70's at night.

I think I have an extra special fondness for spring and autumn since we experience them in such short order (if at all) here in my, it's-basically-summer-nine-months-out-of-the-year, home state. Everything feels fresh, renewed, and reborn, don't you think? It's a chance to begin again, a glorious, bloom-laden, fragrant, colorful welcoming. As if to say, "Oh there you are! So lovely to see you. Won't you stay? Let's do wonderful things this year." I treasure these beautiful, fleeting days and can only presume those with short summers romanticize them the same way.

I'm cooped up with some nasty viral something-or-other; forced to spend the weekend indoors trying to convince my body to evict this foul adversary. I'm quite pouty about it, in case you couldn't tell. So, sweet friends, and new visitors (welcome!), my request is that you enjoy your weekend to the hilt on my behalf. Lay in the grass at the park smelling blooms and sipping peach ginger spritzers; visit the farmer's market and lose control, buying entirely too much - well, everything; visit your favorite restaurant or pub and sit on the patio with friends and cocktails drinking in the delicious air; go for a meandering bike ride...pick anything that sounds delightful and do it! Then tell me about it, won't you?

xoxo

Daylight Savings, friend or foe?

Someone at work brought up Daylight Savings yesterday, and a collective groan filled from the room. I don't know about you, but while I'm bummed about losing an hour of sleep - although I tend to waste many of those hours on things other than sleep - I love the longer days.

It's downright sad to drive home as the sun's going down. Where's my playtime, Old Man Winter? Huh?! Ok, ok, I'm calm. But I do adore the sunshine; my day just feels over when it gets dark.

What do you think?

Good morning, darling.

I absolutely love breakfast, especially on lazy mornings. There's something about the morning; it's quiet, the light is soft, the world is slowly waking, rubbing the sleep from its eyes.

My guilty pleasure? Eating my breakfast in bed. Yes, I know. Crumbs, stains, dribbles, the horror! But I do. It's my way of inviting the morning to stay; stretching the minutes as far as they'll go. Indulgently sipping my coffee and nibbling on fruit and eggs, or pancakes, or fig and almond oatmeal, or pan toast, or...oh, the possibilities. Have I mentioned I love me some breakfast? 

Sadly, this only occurs on weekends or holidays. I suppose if I actually woke up to my alarm instead of giving the snooze button far too much attention, it might be possible.

Speaking of breakfast, I tried out Deb's recipes for braided lemon bread, perfect blueberry muffins (I seriously considered eating the entire batch of batter and not telling anyone about them - seriously), and winter fruit salad for a Valentine's Day brunch I hosted.

They were all amazing and turned out perfect. AND I've never baked from scratch, ever - without my expert mother carefully watching and guiding me, that is. Can I just say, yum, yum, YUUUUUM. I'm definitely not one of those people who sneer at, well, just about any food. That list is shockingly small. So, moving on from my inappropriate love of all things edible, check out Deb's Smitten Kitchen blog immediately. You will be in foodie heaven.

Any recipes or morning habits to share with me? I'd love to hear.

Have a sweet week! xoxo