After YouTube-ing “how to paint an ocean,” here is the finished version of my mom’s painting. I am much happier with it today after adding in the waves, rocks and sand then I was yesterday when it was just a blob of blue water.
Good thing she doesn’t read my blog or she would see her Mother’s Day present a few days early.
My mom asked for a painting of an ocean and sky with birds. I started it last week, but since I don’t have cable…I put a lot more time into it this afternoon. I like the sky, but the ocean is crooked and its too dark. It needs some more work before I can give it to her on Mother’s Day.
Right after I took this picture one of my cats decided to jump up on the desk. There were paw prints on the canvas and blue paw prints throughout my entire upstairs. Figures.
Saturday trip to the parents house.
All of my friends seem to be away or busy this weekend, so I made a trip to visit my parents, who I haven’t seen in a few weeks. It was a beautiful day and we sat outside on their deck, ate lunch and talked for a long time. I did a little shopping with my mom and got a new pair of shoes (I had a coupon for DSW!) and a couple of cilantro plants from the garden store. My dad made me a necklace holder, which is basically a wood frame with some tiny hooks on it, and I plan to decorate it up a little this weekend. We walked down the street to an estate sale one of their neighbors was having…I didn’t buy anything. My mom gave me a couple of bottles of wine from their wine rack (score!). I came home with a full belly from the fajitas and sangria my mom made for dinner.
It was a really great day. Sometimes I forget that it can be so enjoyable to spend the day with my parents.
Crossroads Diner.
This. place. was. awesome.
Being from NJ, the diner capital of the world, I have been seriously disappointed in Dallas’ diner offerings. Basically, there are a handful of places that call themselves diners, like Metro Diner, but none of them have ever lived up to my expectations. Until today, when my mom and I went to lunch at Crossroads Diner.
Now it wasn’t a traditional diner and the food was definitely more upscale, but it was delish. They serve breakfast all day, have traditional diner classics like meatloaf and tuna salad and the portions were huge. I had a BLT and chips and brought half of it home for dinner. My mom had a corned beef sandwich and she had leftovers too.
The location is a little out of the way (Walnut Hill, between 75 and Greenville), but it’s worth it. I will definitely be back and I recommend my Dallas friends try it too.
After a long day trying to distract my mom, hiding behind fences and circling parking lots (don’t ask!), decorating her friends’ house with 60’s-themed decorations and lots of stress, we totally surprised my mom. She had a wonderful 60th birthday and everyone had a great time.
Note: My parents friends party harder than I do! I called it a night at 12:30 and they all partied until 2:30-3:30am. I don’t know how they do it, but I hope I am that way when I am their age!
Embrace change. Take the journey back to yourself. Love with abandon. Speak of your gratitude. Wear yellow shoes*. Unleash your creative spirit. Dance in the moonlight. Be positive. Believe in healing. Share your inner light. Surprise yourself and do the thing you didn’t think you could do. Live as if you’ve only been given one chance.
My mom gave me this picture today. She always finds the most appropriate things, simple gifts that cheer me up and give me perspective. It’s amazing what just a few words on a picture can do and how they can change the way you feel.
*Note: I am now in search of yellow shoes.
Some thoughts from the weekend.
- - Coming home from NJ late on Friday night, I left 30 degree temps to step off the plane into 70 degree temps…in January! This weekend was unseasonably warm. I drove around on Saturday with the windows down, wearing a t-shirt. I opened the windows in my house. I sat on my patio and read a magazine. It was wonderful, short-lived, but wonderful.
- - tumblr friends are awesome. I had a great time playing videos games, trivia and bowling at Main Event on Saturday. Looking forward to the next meetup already!
- - I burned the Katy Perry CD from my mom. She surprises me sometimes with her music selections. I also played Wii bowling and Just Dance with my mom and her friends. They can actually be a lot of fun.
- - My hobby of making feather headbands, pins and barrettes, has turned into a little side business. I made a whole bunch of pins this weekend after some ladies my mom met at a luncheon last week asked where she got the pin she was wearing. I even designed some cards to display the pins and barrettes on. I sold two headbands to my moms’ friends’ daughter, who owns her own hair salon. She bought two for herself and took a few to sell in her store. My aunt bought a pin too.
- - I made my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow and even planned out my dinner for tomorrow night. Planning out meals and having them ready to go makes it much easier to stay on track with WW. I basically have the rest of the week’s meals planned out too.
- - One more day off would be nice, but oh well.
What a great weekend.
It’s too bad it is almost over, but I am happy to report that I did everything that I had planned to do (minus CB’s birthday), plus a few a extra things this weekend.
The Dallas Vigilantes game was…interesting. The key was to find a cute player and cheer him on and that made it fun. After the game, my friend Ashley and I went to see our fave bartender at Vickery Park.
The Dallas Flea was super cute, although I didn’t buy anything. Wicked was amazing (see earlier post) and dinner at Jorge’s at One Arts Plaza was delicious. It was good to spend the day with my mom.
I spent 4 hours at the pool today with Ashley. Ate at Rusty Taco on Greenville, which I have wanted to hit up ever since I saw it on Thrillist. Had some froyo at Yogurtland, which is by far the best froyo place in Dallas and worth the short drive up to Northwest Highway, across from Northpark. I ended the afternoon watching Transformers 2, which I had to see after watching Transformers on TV on Saturday night. That Shia LaBeouf is just so cute and the movie was good, despite hearing that it wasn’t.
This week is going to be super busy at work, but after this weekend, I feel good. Happy. Relaxed. For now. Tomorrow is another story.
Friday Eve…ready for the weekend.
This week has been pretty darn stressful. Things are not going as planned (as if they ever do). I have been exhausted every night. This whole online dating thing is not really what I expected and it is more like online dissing rather than dating. The weather has been humid as hell, which I think adds to being tired. And this season of Glee ended. Boo.
I am so ready for the weekend. Tomorrow night I am going to a Dallas Vigilantes game at the AAC. The box seats and parking pass were free. Bonus! I am spending Saturday with my mom - hitting up the Dallas Flea, seeing Wicked and going to dinner. Saturday night is my friend CB’s birthday. I plan to sit by the pool with a book and my iPod on Sunday.
This weekend is shaping up to be a good one and I am not going to let anything ruin it…at least that is my plan.
