Thanks for all the nice comments on my hair, y'all! *blush* I'm very happy with it. Let's hope I can straighten it as well as Diana did!

I've had two grrrreat days. Yesterday my pub quiz team came in second after I beat out two other teams in a sudden death match. I didn't want to go up to break the tie (I *hate* being in front of a crowd) but my whole team laughed out loud when they heard the question - "Where is the largest US embassy?" Could a question have been more tailored to me? I think not. ;) (The answer, btw, is Baghdad. It's in a freaking palace!)

Then today I got a really really important report off my desk. It has taken me months so I'm psyched that it's in to edit. Woop!

To finish it off, I've finally hit the point in C25K where nothing hurts and it's easy to run. I even decided to skip the walking sections and just run the entire 30min. Go me. Woo!

Oh, oh, AND we have Little Britain USA on Netflix for tonight. I LOVE Little Britain so I'm hoping they did HBO justice when they created a cast of American characters.

Kisses to all,
Elliott

Hair today...

Gone tomorrow...I loved my long hair but I have to remind myself: "Healthy hair is better than long hair. Healthy hair is better than long hair."

100 North American Foods

Similar to the book meme. Bold if you've tried it, italics if you would never eat it.

1. New York pizza
2. Hoppin' John
3. New Mexico green chile
4. Homemade buttermilk biscuits
5. Tasso
6. Whole Maine lobster
7. Calabash-style shrimp and hushpuppies
8. Kansas City barbecue ribs
9. Hot glazed Krispy Kreme (be still, my heart)
10. San Diego fish tacos
11. Cheese curds
12. Key lime pie
13. Philly cheese steak
14. Memphis pork barbeque sandwich (Holla Rendezvous!)
15. Lowcountry boil
16. Huckleberry pie
17. New England clam chowder
18. Boiled peanuts
19. Buffalo burger
20. Eggs Benedict
21. Pastrami on rye
22. Corned beef and cabbage
23. Pancakes with maple syrup
24. Everything bagel with cream cheese and tomato (add a little smoked salmon and that's my favorite breakfast/sandwich)
25. Thin Mints
26. Frito pie
27. Potato knish with mustard
28. Silver Queen corn on the cob
29. Soft pretzel from a street cart (I DO NOT trust street carts. I don't care if I'm missing the greatest food - they totally bug me out.)
30. Fresh-picked blueberries
31. Sourwood honey
32. State fair funnel cake
33. Chesapeake crab cakes
34. Candied yams
35. Oyster dressing
36. Snow cone or snowball
37. Wild Alaskan salmon
38. Sautéed more (?)
39. Persimmon pudding
40. General Tso's Chicken
41. Frozen custard
42. Italian sausage with peppers and onions on a hoagie bun
43. Chili dogs (Like Obama, I believe the best ones come from Ben's)
44. Buffalo wings with blue cheese
45. Spam musubi
46. Saltwater taffy (I *hate* taffy. It's a texture thing.)
47. Fluffernutter sandwich
48. Black and white cookie
49. Frybread (quite possibly the worst thing for you in the world)
50. BLT with thick-cut applewood bacon
51. Baked beans
52. Pumpkin pie
53. Collards with vinegar and Tabasco
54. Tex-Mex fajitas with skirt steak and sauteed peppers
55. Fried green tomatoes
56. Succotash
57. Shrimp and grits
58. Hot water cornbread
59. Barbecue chicken pizza with red onions
60. Chicken fried steak
61. Carnitas burrito
62. Apple butter
63. Geoduck
64. Soft-serve ice cream cone dipped in chocolate shell
65. Pecan pie
66. Catfish supper at a church or fire station
67. Oysters Rockefeller
68. Homemade cranberry sauce
69. Pimento cheese
70. MoonPie washed down with R.C. Cola
71. Pickled watermelon rind
72. Cracker Jacks at the ball game
73. Smithfield ham
74. Meatloaf and mashed potato blue plate special at a diner
75. Chicken and waffles
76. Po'Boy with many napkins
77. Green bean casserole with French's fried onions
78. Stuffed sopaipillas
79. Turducken
80. Shad roe on toast
81. Sweet potato casserole with or without marshmallows
82. Cioppino
83. New York cheesecake
84. Pan-fried river trout
85. Jambalaya
86. North Carolina pig pickin'
87. California rolls
88. Burgoo
89. Penuche fudge
90. Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
91. Scrapple
92. Elk medallions in red wine reduction
93. Muscadine grapes
94. Cheeseburger at backyard barbecue
95. Open-face turkey sandwich
96. Chicago deep dish pizza
97. Cobb salad
98. Peach pie a la mode
99. Macaroni and cheese
100. Root beer float (add Jack Daniels for an adult treat!)

TOTAL
Eaten: 68
Won't Try: 3
Left to try: 29

Peaceful coexistence or Giant Seamonster Attack?

$14.50 at Old Navy

Aww.

$29 at West Elm

There's an elephant too!

New Year's Resolution #1:

Replenish the bank account.

Moving cross country and then buying a place totally decimated the ol' savings. We (meaning: me) decided to save at least 6 months living expenses and then invest the rest. We have saved a TON in the last two months and I'm determined to get to XXXXX by June.

Which is why there are tons and tons of unbelievable sales at the moment.

Witness Kate Spade:

I swoon.

$395 now $198

I pine.

$325 now $163

I burn.

$295 now $224

Le sigh.

Hello from 2009 my lovelies!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful New Years. DH and I stayed in, mostly because we couldn't get our act together to do anything outside the house. Buuuut...we're taking a long weekend and heading to Big Bear to go snowboarding. Yes!! I'm very excited to head out on the slopes. Caveat: I'm also freaked out about the altitude. You see, I've only every skied on the East Coast, land of the tiny mountains. And I get wicked, wicked headaches when at altitude. Perhaps I'll take Friday to acclimate and then snowboard the rest of the weekend. We shall see.

Anywho, I never told y'all about my fabulous trip home for Christmas! Yes, DH and I flew home for three days to DH. Yes, three days. We practically spent longer in the air. Buuut...it was awesome to go home. My Dad had some surgery the Friday before so I was glad we were there to cook and help out. New Years Eve we had the following:

Roasted leg of lamb with mint sauce (so outrageous, I still can't believe how yummy it was)
Homemade tomato linguini alfredo with snowpeas
Roasted broccoli with chili and garlic
Pecan rum cake with caramel (O. M. G.)

Christmas dinner:
Walnut, goat cheese, and beetroot salad
Roasted turkey with red wine gravy
Roasted veg (parsnips, potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions)
Green beans with lemon and garlic
Trifle (My family was totally scared of trifle. Let's just say DH and I ate more than our fair share.)

We received lots and lots of fabulous presents. Wustof kitchen shears, cookbooks, the most amazing collapsible colanders for our teeeeny kitchen, lots of cds and books (the complete Sookie Stackhouse series!), piles of British chocolates, and clothes. My favorite present? Tie between the handtowels DH had embroidered with our pet names for each other and my Nike+.

Word on the Nike+: I FREAKING LOVE IT!!! It's a little sensor you put into your shoe that connects to your Ipod. It then keeps track of your running. I've got a neato chart now that plots speed, distance, calories burned, etc. Perfect for my resolution to keep up with my running!

Ok, DH is dragging me out the door. More later ladies, I feel like I've only brushed the surface of the last couple weeks!