tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-154577192011-12-03T00:29:06.953-08:00melanienoreply@blogger.comBlogger3031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-83802006880723524172011-03-01T18:27:00.000-08:002011-03-01T18:28:42.234-08:00

I've moved this blog here: http://substances.tumblr.com/I find the tumblr format easier to update on the fly.. hope you like it to!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-86845856116046830532011-01-09T14:17:00.000-08:002011-01-09T14:40:56.389-08:00

Surprise it's me! I've decided in 2011 among other things, I'm going to make more of an effort keeping up with this blog. Since lately I've been experimenting more and more in the kitchen, the content will be dedicated more to that subject. Sorry if you were looking for something else but hopefully I can keep it exciting. So let's start this off with something fun. The Cure! You love Robert

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-23670965383315645342010-07-05T10:51:00.000-07:002010-07-05T11:01:41.262-07:00

It seems the bees didn't waste much time raising a new queen. We opened them up today to see how things were going and low and behold there was a new gal in charge. Above is a photo of her. She's different from their others in her long torso which helps her lay the eggs down at the bottom of the cell. You can also see all the brood (larvae) around her... she's been busy.Speaking of busy, while we

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-924314740519381732010-06-19T21:03:00.001-07:002010-06-19T21:16:27.181-07:00

Apparently raising bees is not as easy as one thought...and by one, I mean we. As is turns out our bees have been very busy. Busy making honey and busy doing other things, like raising queens. We were told that bees make queen cells when they are feeling cramped or when the queen is past her prime. Since our bees were neither of these things we thought we had nothing to worry about. Our bees had

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-68427907254356724772010-04-27T23:41:00.001-07:002010-04-27T23:43:16.932-07:00

Tonight via skype..D: Did you watch Glee tonight?Me: David (exasperated).. there is no Glee in Canada.

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-82348570647110060092010-04-11T20:44:00.000-07:002010-04-11T21:52:03.052-07:00

It was last Saturday morning that I walked out onto the porch and heard a faint buzzing sound. There were at most 3 or 4 bees buzzing around the north column of our porch. I asked Dave if he'd noticed them to which he said no, so I moved on. We were working on filling our new raised bed that day and by noon the 3 or 4 bees had turned into more and they were clearing moving in and out of the

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-19085110768440110072010-03-29T13:38:00.000-07:002010-03-29T13:58:48.409-07:00

This weekend had its share of highs and lows. It started out high with another fine dinner joined by the swirlwsmellslurp crew at Lazy Ox Canteen, which is quickly becoming our favorite place in LA. Then we (or to be specific I) saw a few lows. First the kitchen aid mixer vibrated off the counter top and crashed onto the kitchen floor making a nice dent of course not before taking out a eames

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-16783615108664407582010-03-07T14:35:00.000-08:002010-03-07T14:59:00.398-08:00

I come from a family of serious bread makers. I'm not really talking rustic breads that are all the rage now but sweet breads that beg for butter and make your mouth water just at the site. These are my Grandma Mary Lou's dinner rolls, or cinnamon rolls or sugar bread or anything else that she puts out with a little yeast in it. In the past year I've taken up the calling and have been baking

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-18191028951884305202010-02-10T21:50:00.000-08:002010-02-10T22:03:20.511-08:00

I would say that Cash definitely has selective hearing (and sniffing). When he's tired from playing or in general doesn't want to be bothered he will barely lift his head when a neighbor walks by the house. Other times he's all out crazed. DID YOU JUST DARE TO WALK BY MY HOUSE! So when I awoke to his serious barking in the middle of the night this week, I thought perhaps one of the cats had

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-61382144754813791522010-01-29T14:50:00.000-08:002010-01-29T15:10:33.244-08:00

Now that my hair is a little longer, I regularly keep it out of my face by whatever means possible. I have a lot of hair plain and simple and so this usually means in a messy bun or ponytail, but sometimes I try to be fancy, emphasis on try. I have been known to attempt a braid or two and this is done with about a 20% success rate so when it does go well, I usually post a photo as record of

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-91798111785816621312010-01-03T15:07:00.000-08:002010-01-03T15:21:58.195-08:00

3 lizards!(if you are keeping track, yes we did at one time have a turtle but released him to a local pond where there was more room to swim and less cats to terrorize)So. Today I'm in the back yard tending to the garden and I move a pot that's full of water. Under it I see two little worms squirm. Only these worms appear to have a blunt edge on one side. Hmm. I think that perhaps I've just

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-35135827937202054112009-12-31T12:06:00.000-08:002009-12-31T13:04:11.537-08:00

From the very start of our relationship Dave and I have enjoyed sharing a table of good food. I do mean the start, our first date was in the Plaza Oak Room (thanks Uncle Allan!) where we both tried our first foie gras. You might say we were hooked, and not just on each other. With that said, here's a list of our more memorable tables from the decade.Oznots Dish - this jewel was a block from our

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-87698873410073871032009-12-29T12:51:00.000-08:002009-12-30T18:20:42.623-08:00

I've seen a few other lists floating around and thought it might be fun to do some here given that Dave and I have been together the majority of the decade. Hopefully you find it interesting... more to followA list of places we've been together (chronologically)NY, NJCanadaMA, CT, MOCosta RicaNC, SC, TXEnglandNetherlandsBelgiumSwitzerlandFranceItalyKS, AZ, CA, LA, IL, NMChinaOR, WA, CO, MI,

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-38076817352866194052009-12-19T13:50:00.000-08:002009-12-19T13:56:20.705-08:00

Finally got around to posting some of our photos to Barbados up to Flickr. First I want to say this.Go. To. Barbados. Seriously.It was amazing. The weather was perfect. The beaches were perfect. It was perfect. What else can I say? Check out the photos and then book your plane.

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-67120581519180493782009-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:002009-10-21T14:34:12.718-07:00

Remember when we were in London and I fell in love with scones. Well there is one thing better then a scone, and that is a scone with cheese baked inside. Trust me. Now go make some.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-91593006084780505882009-10-13T21:17:00.000-07:002009-10-13T22:16:52.536-07:00

As many of you know, we travelled to Utah last weekend so that Dave could compete in the St. George marathon. And many of know you know that Dave didn't just finish the marathon he ran it FAST. 3:26 fast! Given a time like that, you might think that we layed low for the rest of the weekend, but you'd be wrong. After the race (and a short nap), we decided to take in the local sites which

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-50954978730430403092009-09-01T22:17:00.000-07:002009-09-01T22:49:25.615-07:00

Apparently misery loves company because not only are Dave and I enduring triple digit heats, smoke from the "fire of the century', but we've also put our oven to some back breaking tests this week thus raising the temperature INSIDE the house to a balmy 98 degrees. oof. Now some of you know that we've started taking our eating habits seriously this year, but we've also taken our cooking to new

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-5989843134044271002009-08-17T22:03:00.000-07:002009-08-17T22:22:36.090-07:00

Last weekend Dave's parents were in town for a quick visit. We subjected them to the usually routine and took them to our new favorite destination near Los Angeles, Brophy Bros. in Santa Barbara. This place has the freshest fish for miles (my dad even agrees)...and the weekend lunch scene is not to be missed. But we didn't stop there...nope we pulled out all the stops and scheduled a nights

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-6808578873090091652009-06-20T12:54:00.000-07:002009-06-20T13:07:07.977-07:00

My dad is a Tarkio, Missouri farmer.I grow things in LA which is a bit warmer.Last year he grew corn, but this year has beansI must have inherited some of his genes.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-63376630239691058332009-05-28T20:13:00.000-07:002009-05-28T20:24:30.521-07:00

Lately, waiting for the garden to be edible is like watching paint dry. In fact, David said to me the other day that "staring at it will not make it grow faster" Really? Because I thought my stern glare was definitely forcing that corn higher. Specifically I've been waiting for the rhubarb because I have some dishes planned, like pies, cakes, and ice cream, but for the longest time its just

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-30331975191437193692009-04-20T21:57:00.000-07:002009-04-20T22:22:39.061-07:00

Since starting seeds over a month ago the garden has seen big progress.First Dave built a raised vegetable bed for the back yard.Then we waited,and waited.and then finally!Corn! 8 plants total + 10 more from thinning...Beets (and cilantro top left)...these are red ringed (i think) and we have a row of yellow as well.and the beans, seen here are french green, but we also have red (for chili and

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-84261351324884395822009-04-20T13:45:00.000-07:002009-04-20T13:50:03.749-07:00

^ two things that we baked yesterday. The pickles were not your average Claussen cucumber pickles, they were grapes! and they were delish. You may find the recipe here.The ice cream we have been doing for weeks but Dave was requesting a whiter vanilla than usually, which meant I needed to call my mom. After a few tweaks to the recipe, less yolk more milk, we were set and Dave was extremely happy.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-71240503540850315482009-04-16T23:45:00.000-07:002009-04-17T00:12:50.590-07:00

We really really loved this city, and we also loved that we got to see it with our friends George and Molly. Why did we find it so attractive? ...it was a combination of the architecture, the tightness of the old city and the food! Dave gets to go back this summer to teach for 3 weeks and I could not be more jealous.As promised, more pictures of us (here with George & Molly) in

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-1475100720479826422009-04-14T23:03:00.000-07:002009-04-14T23:31:04.505-07:00

Remember when we went to London and Barcelona for three weeks? Yeah me neither, but that's why we took photos! Oh you haven't seen them? Well now you can. I finally got around to picking through all the photos we took on the trip and posted them to flickr. Well not exactly all of them (just London pre and post Barcelona) but no worries, Barcelona is scheduled for tomorrow night. I know. You are

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-58142929158186365852009-03-19T17:04:00.000-07:002009-03-19T17:10:58.697-07:00

Tomorrow! the White House will officially begin work on a Victory Garden. I have to say that it is incredibly exciting and also a relief to see the white house taking action on healthy eating and living.Here is a link to the article in the New York Times detailing the garden and the role it will play.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-64561336156055498552009-03-17T09:28:00.000-07:002009-03-17T10:02:32.315-07:00

Molly reminded today me of an occurrence sometime ago that I had failed to share with the internets. Upon our return from London (which by the way I still plan to post photos and highlights of the trip, I, like you, had almost forgotten we had been there!), I was raving, ie whining about not having, the amazing cream teas of English culture. A proper cream tea really cannot be beat, and is

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-76693463745952425372009-03-17T08:42:00.000-07:002009-03-17T08:46:54.552-07:00

Just in case you were wondering, the red onions were the first out of the starting block of seedom. I know this because I have been staring at the wee piles of dirt since planting on Wednesday. Okay not continually... well maybe.

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-6393198707246433872009-03-11T21:39:00.000-07:002009-03-11T22:09:14.363-07:00

For my birthday, Dave got me a great book entitled The Urban Homestead. It's a helpful guide on how to make the most of your environment in an urban setting. I highly recommend giving it a read if you are at all inclined to grow, bake, or make something with your surroundings. We have since my birthday and the book steadily increased the amount of baking and cooking we do, such as giving up

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-6580817949725219882009-02-25T17:16:00.000-08:002009-02-25T17:48:12.108-08:00

Two posts in one day! Craziness! Here's the plan for this week.Sunday: Oscar party!Dave didn't join so I made up some white bean tomato saucy thing that vaguely resembled a dish from my Spain cookbook.Monday: Devil's chicken thighs and braised leeksThis recipe was entirely too complicated for a Monday night but I did it anyway and it was worth every ounce of effort. I didn't make the whole recipe

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-35008511301970487702009-02-25T13:18:00.000-08:002009-02-25T13:35:59.103-08:00

I'm addicted to knitting!My most recent project finally made it to its owner so I can finally share. The pattern for the bag came from a book I got at the library (the central branch is all too conveniently located across the street from my office) and is called the missing piece hobo bag. Its essentially 4 triangles knitted across with decreases. The knitting chart is actually really

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-19835126687893690432009-02-24T11:09:00.000-08:002009-02-24T13:43:28.977-08:00

He is also very good about not looking for presents. Can't wait to celebrate tonight!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-87449865988066302252009-02-13T15:58:00.001-08:002009-02-13T15:59:12.969-08:00

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-73626395228004820022009-02-02T12:18:00.000-08:002009-02-02T12:27:54.683-08:00

A few weeks ago Dave and I threw a Baby 'party' for our friends Mark & Rebecca. They are expecting a little boy in late February and we were excited to share in their excitement on the new addition to their family. Despite Dave's concern I wanted to go with a theme for the party and settled on letters! We created letter mobiles, sewed 'a', 'b', and 'c' table clothes for the food, drinks, and

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-38826458738754510532009-02-01T14:57:00.001-08:002009-02-01T15:35:54.984-08:00

I love to cook!  I can thank my Mom (Hi Mom!) and Grandma Mary Lou for my eagerness in the kitchen.  Growing up, some of my greatest times with them are in the kitchen learning their cherished recipes. Now I don't quite have the skills they do but practice makes perfect right?  I saw this done over here and thought it was an interesting idea, so i'll be making an effort to post our weekly menu

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-42192940401747334392009-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:002009-01-30T13:19:26.190-08:00

David and I, in an effort to conserve and save, are attempting to eat all local foods and nothing processed this year. This means baking our own breads, spending more time at the farmer's market and growing more food. All of which we are extremely excited about! This spring we're planning to turn much of the back yard into an edible landscape. The video above is from Eat the View which is a

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-2387833376054564962009-01-28T23:55:00.000-08:002009-01-29T00:00:17.227-08:00

I knitted this blanket as a Christmas gift for a certain someone who might need to keep his lap warm while eating ice cream. Perhaps now it will be a Valentine's gift instead.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-68331449022977279762009-01-25T21:52:00.000-08:002009-01-25T22:22:40.787-08:00

wake up, get dressed, let dog out, drive to the arroyo seco, walk cash, drive to petco: buy dog food, cat food, and 2 new toys for cash (one of which has been gutted and squeaker removed already), drive home, eat breakfast: oatmeal courtesy of dave with fresh fruit and decaf tea, plan menu for the week: thai black cod with beets and broccoli rabe, chicken biriyani, pizza with arugula and grape

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-81973097969725619352009-01-15T09:02:00.001-08:002009-01-15T09:09:58.913-08:00

While we were in London, Dave and I celebrated a milestone of our own, SEVEN amazing years together. We decided the night called for something special and made reservations at The Ledbury in Notting Hill. It did not disappoint. If you're ever in London and find a reason to celebrate this is the place to do it.(thanks to Jon for the photo!)

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-69178826643098790172009-01-13T13:42:00.000-08:002009-01-13T13:48:16.212-08:00

Well, Dave and I made it home. (Have you noticed I start a lot of my sentences with well? I have. If you want someone to blame, it's my grandmother Mary Lou's fault.) We were on vacation to London and Barcelona in case you were wondering. The vacation was lovely (that's me speaking brittish), and I promise to post lots of photos and interesting tidbits. So we're home, which is also lovely.

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-34263913730546706502009-01-07T02:41:00.000-08:002009-01-07T02:52:35.533-08:00

Although I made a lot of lists last year, none of them had to do with resolutions. So I thought I would start with the easiest change in 2009 and actually make resolutions.1. get licensed - the oral test is scheduled for july giving me no excuse to be prepared2. learn spanish - i want to be able to converse with the neighbors3. grow more - ideally enough that the grocery store visit becomes a

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-74538800495764902672009-01-05T01:37:00.001-08:002009-01-05T01:38:43.653-08:00

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-78969644967119293602008-12-27T11:44:00.000-08:002008-12-27T11:48:55.572-08:00

As you can see, Dave and I (and big ben in the background) are quickly warming up to the idea of being away from home. If you would like to view more photos from today and our lame attempt to keep warm please click on the flickr link over there >>>>>

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-70943685541308826972008-12-26T03:15:00.000-08:002008-12-26T08:05:52.361-08:00

Dave: Can we ride the double decker bus with the clam shell card?Me: It's called an oyster pass.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-45866536198947464102008-12-25T10:18:00.000-08:002008-12-25T10:23:10.472-08:00

I hope this post finds you and your family happy and healthy AND warmthis Christmas.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-40332675479072745842008-12-23T15:22:00.000-08:002008-12-23T15:23:42.042-08:00

because you can never have too many microwaves.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-19682412901653508992008-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:002008-12-19T10:34:15.711-08:00

This is the hat I knit for our trip to London. It's gray and bleak and will keep my head warm while trudging through the cold rainy streets. I also knit some fingerless mittens to match. You might think I have too much time on my hands but you would be wrong! If not for all this time knitting, this perfectly good apple would be without a cozy jacket.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-51081945987787488032008-12-12T12:33:00.000-08:002008-12-12T12:39:59.639-08:00

Photo via The Redundant MonkeyTonight is the Grand Opening for Cafe De Leche! The owners Matt and Anya, and David have put in countless hours towards making this Cafe happen and it truly shows. I couldn't be more proud of David and his first public project! I wish you all could join us tonight for the big celebration!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-76234079287328601692008-12-09T13:58:00.000-08:002008-12-09T14:06:13.146-08:00

WWD Fashion recently solicited sketches from major designers for the First Lady-to-be's first day. You can see all of them here.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-49116917918967365022008-12-08T17:23:00.001-08:002008-12-08T17:25:47.707-08:00

a discussion of where Dave and I will meet up after work.Me: I'll wait for you at the libraryDave: The Library Bar?Me: No, the libraryDave:(long pause) I don't know what that is.Me: The place where they have books.

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-70366173157264787972008-11-09T20:47:00.000-08:002008-11-09T20:55:50.286-08:00

After our 2nd place finish at Apartment Therapy, I was looking at old photographs of our house as it looked when we bought it. One part of me is like... whoa. WHAT were we thinking! And the other part of me is a little shocked at how far we've come. Yes it's been two long years of us living sometimes in saw dust and a lot of time with paint fumes but that last photo really makes it worth it.

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-69534558091241382012008-11-04T12:53:00.000-08:002008-11-04T13:01:58.771-08:00

Hope you do too!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-50812441392672669502008-10-31T16:40:00.000-07:002008-10-31T16:45:27.108-07:00

Found out today that I passed my final architectural licensing exam! Now in most states that would mean my stamp would be in the mail but California likes to do things a bit differently. I'm now in line to take the oral exam which the first available opening is not until May 09! But for now, I'll be celebrating getting over the first hurdle.

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-8910833024140747362008-10-30T12:28:00.000-07:002008-10-30T12:29:27.927-07:00

Yeah! We made it to the final four BUT its a very tight game so get on over there and VOTE!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-14081995336117341272008-10-29T00:28:00.000-07:002008-10-29T00:39:51.242-07:00

Some of you out there may be wondering why every time you open this site lately its just another pitch from me to vote for us again on Apartment Therapy. Well beyond the obvious (prize money), there is a larger motive at work here. Allow me to explain.You may or may not know that this summer Dave took the gigantic leap into the world of self employment. It was not a decision made quickly or

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-32971617873306190122008-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:002008-10-28T10:23:02.089-07:00

Having trouble logging into the apartment therapy site?  Well help is here courtesy of Jon! Just follow the simple steps below... and then breathe a sigh of relief.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-49970777181868139092008-10-28T07:38:00.000-07:002008-10-28T07:40:36.404-07:00

We've made it to the sweet sixteen! Help us make it to the elite 8!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-60101767613869843952008-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:002008-10-25T11:32:33.120-07:00

They just get bigger.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-9469062662266117302008-10-24T17:08:00.000-07:002008-10-24T17:17:24.263-07:00

Yep.  It's my birthday!   I share the wonderful date with such greats as Pablo Picasso, Bobby Knight, D Lee... and nearly a very cute nephew (born 1 day early).

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-74595247201912127702008-10-23T23:00:00.000-07:002008-10-24T00:10:09.817-07:00

We'd like to thank everyone for voting! (yeah!) We made it onto Round 2 and voting is TODAY. Sooooo get on over there already. (thank you!)

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-29555664563018301362008-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:002008-10-21T07:17:06.742-07:00

Okay everyone! It's time to get your fingers clicking and head on over to apartment therapy to vote for our fall colors entry. You will need to register at the website to vote for us. Yes, maybe a slight inconvenience, but they promise not the spam your email (or raise your taxes). So what are you waiting for? VOTE!

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-4170230537392903472008-10-15T10:33:00.001-07:002008-10-15T12:51:06.287-07:00

Our very good friends, Molly and George recently relocated from Pasadena to Cambridge! And no that's not in Massachusetts.  While we miss them greatly, it is quite enjoyable to catch up on their lives and how their adjusting to British culture at their new blog.  Go on over and check it out!  

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-47869531707994115482008-10-14T20:58:00.000-07:002008-10-14T21:01:57.402-07:00

Just some shameless self promotion going on here at substances. You can find photos of our home (finished or not) over at apartment therapy competing in the fall colors contest!!!...more info and directions to follow.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-21977337967391165952008-10-03T15:46:00.000-07:002008-10-03T15:55:20.674-07:00

Remember this? Well on November 15th, 2008 at 10am Eastern/Pacific (that's 9am for you mom), Dave and I will go from just being your average couple to HGTV television stars! Ok well maybe not stars, but we'll be on television! Please, please everyone out there remember there might be editing involved and we're not sure exactly how we will be 'portrayed' so keep your laughter to a light chuckle.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-88166496440817240192008-10-02T09:41:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:49:34.761-07:00

I'll have to thank the king for cluing me into the blog "1001 rules for my unborn son" . It's definitely worth a visit if you haven't been...some of my personal favorites listed below.140. Never sit down on a ball field. Take a knee.215. After lighting a firecracker, Stand back.220. Until you are a doctor, never answer your phone at the table.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-29150002528818358762008-09-18T13:20:00.001-07:002008-09-18T13:22:53.853-07:00

Some gals like shoes... I have a soft spot for bags.  Do I need another one, probably not, but do I love this one. Yes!

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-82596064666752186072008-09-16T21:44:00.000-07:002008-09-16T21:47:33.975-07:00

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-51258135219613762702008-09-14T16:07:00.000-07:002008-09-14T16:22:26.723-07:00

Ok. Not really....but apparently Nevadan's are particular about the pronunciation of their state name. It's Ne-va-da. Not Ne-vay-da, nor Ne-vaah-da. I had a dad in Nevada. How do I know this you ask? Well let me tell you. I spent all day Saturday registering and canvassing voters in the great state of Nevada for the Obama Campaign, Drive for Change. Nevada is a battleground state in the '08

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-60470228202445269192008-09-11T17:32:00.001-07:002008-09-11T21:12:24.300-07:00

No, it's not quite diamonds on the soles of your shoes....its the next best thing. Cash! You too can own your very own pair of Cash memorabilia (he is a rockstar after all)....Just click here.p.s. I love the internet.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-5155683489805783892008-08-28T13:01:00.000-07:002008-08-28T13:34:25.929-07:00

As I was saying.... We are in the process of renovating the basement and part of that process includes adding a bathroom. After a little debate David and I decided we wanted a wet room of sorts that would serve double duty as a guest bathroom and a place to hose down the dog. This being an important aspect in our lives as of late. The white tile is a theme throughout because its no fuss and

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-49413669784323844912008-08-26T12:02:00.000-07:002008-08-26T12:52:23.223-07:00

Recently Dave and I (well mostly Dave) have been in 'talks' with the building department to get our partial basement included in the total square footage of our house. In doing this we're hoping to obviously add value to the home but also do some renovations by adding a bath to make it a nice spot for the parents and guests who sleep over. Alas the building department has been putting up a

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-17854418992420647842008-08-25T10:20:00.001-07:002008-08-25T10:25:52.828-07:00

The Smith in me being a firm competitor couldn't resist the opportunity to prove her skills at a local street fair game on Sunday. The fruits of my labor. 1 turtle. He looks similar to the one pictured above only he has long red flames down the side of his head which mean he's too fast to photograph. I named him Ping. Ping Phelps...and he's hoping to break some records in 2012.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-24815997866815017232008-08-21T09:37:00.000-07:002008-08-21T09:58:38.330-07:00

I have decided that a gold medal would look lovely hanging around my neck. I would settle for just 1 too, no need to have a Freelandian feat. But lets face it, I currently don't have the skills to be an olympic champion in any of the events offered in the Summer Games. So..... I did some searching to see what other 'event' possibilities were out there. Below is a list of 'sports' which I

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-39715266013089058072008-08-15T11:08:00.000-07:002008-08-15T20:13:45.723-07:00

Dear Michael Phelps,I would like to congratulate you on your 6 gold medals. Your Olympic performance has been truly amazing, perhaps even memorable although it will be hard to eclipse Jason Lezak's last 50m of the relay. That was memorable! And I commend you on all the world records (some of them yours in the first place) broken.But.... America and I have a question. Can't you do anything else

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-1177930423488389882008-07-14T12:43:00.000-07:002008-07-14T13:21:13.278-07:00

I finally heard that I passed PreDesign. Fist Pump! That brings me to:5 passed1 unknown3 to take+ 1 very painful oral exam

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-43526275262251946792008-07-08T20:45:00.001-07:002008-07-08T20:59:55.364-07:00

What you are seeing here is the top of our new Palo Verde tree, also the state tree of Arizona. We have been looking for a palo verde for quite some time and finally settled on this particular one because it had pretty blooms and was more importantly on sale. The nursery came on Saturday after the 4th with it in a big 24" box and planted it. (They also tripped our gas earthquake valve but thats

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-8889817537969794642008-06-23T20:06:00.001-07:002008-06-23T20:10:11.723-07:00

It looks like there will be blueberry pancakes in our future soon... even if we have to ration 1 berry per pancake I will make it happen!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-40180874158120589662008-06-20T15:51:00.000-07:002008-06-20T16:04:22.470-07:00

After a rather long hiatus from the political ring, Dave and I have decided to get back in the action (while the action is good). This Saturday, TOMORROW!, we are hosting a bake sale, Highland Park is Hungry for Change (I'm also a little hungry for tacos but that's another blog). We'll be out on the corner of York Blvd. and 50th Ave. hawking yummy baked goods for Moveon.org's campaign to put

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-44633425078019358662008-06-19T08:25:00.000-07:002008-06-19T08:32:08.728-07:00

Despite my efforts to avoid the situation, yesterday at the vet Cash decided to unload his breakfast and quite possibly his dinner from the day before in the lobby of the building. Good times. Especially so when the receptionist got on the loud speaker and said:"We have a CODE BROWN in the front lobby, CODE BROWN!"

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-61320471768630374752008-06-15T16:16:00.001-07:002008-06-15T16:17:15.230-07:00

Cash got big! Soon he'll be wanting to borrow the keys to our car....

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-16591094740837374242008-06-15T15:41:00.000-07:002008-06-15T15:55:40.583-07:00

Day 4!also known as the day we go home or the day we saw as much architecture as humanly possible courtesy of Micky. Some interesting facts to go along with the visual imagery:1. UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) is the largest university in latin american at roughly 300, ooo students!2. UNAM tuition is a donation only.3. The Sculpture Space located in the UNAM ecoological

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-18142816272615955492008-06-05T23:06:00.000-07:002008-06-05T23:30:12.835-07:00

Day 3!Is everyone still with me? After Day 2, I'll keep this one short.The important factor of this day is we changed hotels and scenery to the Condesa Hotel. It was with great delight that we discovered the hotel had free bikes for its guests! We decided to tackle day 3 via peddling and experience a few of the city parks. We had a late afternoon reservation at Casa Barragan which we thought

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-81888680878053525812008-06-04T22:21:00.000-07:002008-06-04T23:51:47.016-07:00

Day 2!We had decided on Sunday that we would venture out of the city on Monday to Teotihuacan (which I still can't pronounce) aka the Temple of the sun and moon. After some debate, we decided to get a driver from the hotel to take us there as we were hoping to do a bit more exploring than the typical tour bus allowed. Mickey, as he wished to be called, was quite the tour guide and we were

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-10918111612405719582008-06-03T21:16:00.000-07:002008-06-03T21:55:57.619-07:00

Day 1!Dave and I arrived in Mexico late Saturday night and after eating an amazing dinner at Izote (I had lamb cooked in not 1 BUT 2! different kinds of banana leaves) we turned in for the night prepared to take on the city in the morning....so Sunday is where the photos start.We started the day in the historic city center, specifically the Zocolo as it is commonly known. We wondered around a bit

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-34214487669867269922008-06-03T21:01:00.000-07:002008-06-03T21:16:03.475-07:00

I'm going to follow this post with some delightful details about our Mexico city trip, but I had to share my experience from this past Saturday. Whoa was it a doozie.Sooo.o Saturday my uncle Allan and cousin John came down from Fresno to attend the California State High School Track Meet and I happily tagged along. To quote the Los Angeles times "In what likely will be remembered for years to

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-29464939992864084612008-05-19T21:41:00.000-07:002008-05-19T21:57:34.398-07:00

Dave and I battled it out Saturday on our local mini golf course. Dave proved to be quite the big spender spending a whopping 2$ per person on the round. Needless to say, he got his money worth averaging a little over 4 cents a shot.A quick review of the scorecard:I was feeling very well after the wishing well...perhaps too well because that ant hill came out of nowhere. Luckily I was able to

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-61551046140145572132008-05-17T15:02:00.001-07:002008-05-17T15:06:44.324-07:00

Prior to getting a dog, you probably would have found Dave and I on Saturday morning either enjoying a large glutenous brunch or still in bed. With the introduction of Cash (the pointer not the paper) to our lives, we've come to enjoy Saturday mornings in a new light... quite literally. This Saturday found us walking along the nearby Arroyo Seco, enjoying the sun, vegetation and a inquisitive

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-66477720036304204582008-05-07T17:48:00.001-07:002008-05-07T17:55:48.576-07:00

This week at the prompt of Cash's breeder we signed him up for his first official dog show. WHOA. Dave and I of course believe Cash to be of outstanding genes and unbelievable stature and most importantly an obvious choice for best in show. It was therefore news to us that Cash would be the underdog (no pun intended). The breeder informed us that yes there was in fact an import competing in

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-6842305660191121262008-05-04T11:45:00.000-07:002008-05-04T11:48:40.371-07:00

Cash loves chasing David around the backyard and with his new bionic leg he's been getting some serious air. I'm thinking the next athletic shoe is not far off.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-27091209710197540012008-04-28T02:29:00.000-07:002008-04-28T02:36:54.847-07:00

It was incredibly hot this weekend in LA and Dave was incredibly sick BUT we still managed to make the best of it. Sunday we replaced our stolen camera and WOW what a difference the new one makes. Now all of the internets can enjoy Crazy Cash!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-17991613214687533852008-04-17T10:26:00.000-07:002008-04-17T10:32:31.057-07:00

9 weeks and 1 day later, Cash has been given a clean bill of health from his Doctors at ASG. It has been a very long 9 weeks, but Cash has been trouper and we are so excited to take him out and let him run!side note: If you live in Los Angeles and have the unlucky fortune of having an injured pet TAKE THEM TO ASG.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-91621664071181039072008-04-04T16:40:00.000-07:002008-04-04T16:55:14.952-07:00

David and I have had a nasty couple of weeks. It all started with Dave falling asleep at the wheel and we said good buy to our trusty toyota matrix. Then I had a near miss with a erratic motorcycle driver. Then my brother who can not let his little sister out perform him in anything added his own drama. And THEN Sunday we wuz robbed! Oh and did I mention my in-laws were in town and they were

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-54784119427276754962008-02-27T20:52:00.000-08:002008-02-27T21:01:40.254-08:00

Having a puppy is one thing.BUT having a puppy that isn't supposed to walk, run, jump or play will sap all the energy out of even the youngest of adults...

melanienoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-15693861186480808712008-02-22T13:11:00.000-08:002008-02-22T13:45:04.738-08:00

The new BCAM (Broad Contemporary Art Museum) opened in Los Angeles recently. Funded by Eli Broad who made his fortune in KB Homes, the museum is an addition to LACMA (Los Angeles County Art Museum) and houses his large collection, in size and quantity. I was more than a little excited to find out that the museum would be open to the public FOR FREE last week. It's not often you that you find

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-15582088080318534572008-02-15T13:08:00.000-08:002008-02-15T13:15:46.103-08:00

Yesterday I was excited to find a package in the mail containing the 5 year journal I ordered last week from the Shopsin's General Store. It's the perfect sized little book with one page for each day and each page broken down into 5 years. Today, Feb. 15th 2008, I marked the first entry, wondering what Feb. 15th 2009 will hold and recalling Feb. 15th, 2001 and the proposal Dave made.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-33879209888088059182008-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:002008-02-14T09:19:20.127-08:00

Have you hugged your architect today?Thanks to Eric S. for the link.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-56627275916725550532008-02-05T11:07:00.001-08:002008-02-05T11:09:23.536-08:00

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-30989700203979422372008-02-04T15:04:00.000-08:002008-02-04T18:02:17.569-08:00

Over the weekend I added a few letters after my name...6 to be exact. You may now refer to me as:Melanie Freeland, LEED ap.(In case you were wondering, I'll also answer to Toad, Melnel, or The Favorite Child) LEED, for all you none industry folk, stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a green building rating system for design and construction which encourages the use of

melanienoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-14962686484780933612008-01-27T20:24:00.000-08:002008-01-27T20:42:26.450-08:00

I'm very excited to share that there isknot tying in the Freeland family future.Congratulations Jon and Diana! We wish you all the best and couldn't be happier for you both!

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-91551286454091846762008-01-27T14:58:00.000-08:002008-01-27T15:01:12.448-08:00

Surprisingly enough we have found its a little difficult to get much done with the nut around.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15457719.post-79529785289668168842008-01-22T23:28:00.000-08:002008-01-22T23:37:27.943-08:00

Don't let the innocent photo fool you. Cash has wee bit of crazy in him. The item on the floor which looks like a rolled up washcloth is actually a rawhide bone and clearly it's something that must be taken seriously. Also note this video is at full speed.

melanienoreply@blogger.com0