Apple Pie

I had been itching to bake something for a while, as there have been no parties lately to bake for, so at the grocery store I had the forethought to get some apples to make a nice pie later in the week. (I generally don't plan ahead that well, but I'm trying to keep some basic ingredients in the house at all times so I can try out some different dinner recipes) I finally used my "Bird's Beak" paring knife for the first time to peel the apples, did a bit of a combo recipe of my Great Aunt Sarah's recipe and Jason's family recipe and got the pie in the oven. The delicious smell of apple pie is drifting down the hallway to my office and it should be nearly done. I told my mom I was going to make one for Jason this evening and after hanging up with her, my dad called me back to ask me to save a piece for him :)

Welcome Home, Claire!

I have a new pup! Her name is Claire, and I adopted her at a Farmers Market I was participating in at Cambria Winery in Santa Maria. Sara and I said "let's go check out the dogs," and here little Claire was, just adorable as can be, barking until you put your hand into her pen - she instantly got quiet and latched on to your hand in a hug. She just wanted some love! She's getting plenty of it now, and she's giving a lot back. She follows me everywhere, sits next to me on the couch, lays in our laps, sleeps at the foot of our bed and is so playful. She's like a mini-Ronan, and even howls like the wolfhounds used to :)

We went and got her a Harley-Davidson collar, and though I think Jason would have liked the "Bad to the Bone" leash, we didn't go crazy with branding our dog. Jason likes her too, but she's definitely my dog and is content to just being in the same room as me in her little doggie bed:

Oops

So I've dropped the ball on this blog. I enjoy writing, so I just need to remember this is here. I've been good about posting on the Hummingbird Cake blog, so hopefully I can get into a routine here again as well.

I'm taking a cardio kickboxing class at the local community college twice a week with a girlfriend from high school with whom I have reconnected. It's awesome being able to spend time with a friend in town, AND the class is kicking my butt into gear to get (back?) into shape. I've just got to stick with it and try and be good about eating right and supplementing the class with some bike riding and stuff. It's a lot of fun, and though I was sore the entire weekend after the first class, it's getting easier and I'm not sore for days after anymore!

Though I know the rest of the country is buried under snow, the January and February weather here has been surprisingly wonderful. I was telling a friend in England that it's been chilly and he reminded me that when he visited in January two years ago he was wearing short-sleeved shirts and the weather was not what anyone else in the world would call chilly :)

Unfortunately I am not thinking of anything else neat to report. No cool trips or events to talk about...just half looking forward to my birthday and half not. I think about college and my time in Lithuania and it seems like just last week, but in reality it was 6 years ago! I was 21 when I first went to LT and now I'm turning 27?! Sigh. Still working on making my media empire, but I suppose I have 3 more years until my self-imposed deadline to have a successful self-made business. I check out blogs and other wedding/invitation professionals and I yearn to be on their level, but then I see that they've been in business 10+ years or something and I have to remember that I can't rush things - it's all a learning process and I feel that my business can only get better.

I've joined a group on etsy (a site for selling handmade goods) for crafters in the Santa Barbara area and have been pleased with the networking and group events happening so far. I look forward to getting to know them better and learning from each others' experiences. My etsy shop has single cards and button magnet sets, just as an alternative outlet from my website. I'm also on the board for the Lompoc Business Women's Network, so I look forward to getting to know those ladies better and getting more involved with the group.

Okay, signing off - I hope to be better about writing here, so hopefully we will meet again soon!