Back on WW

Breakfast: 1 cup Dandy Blend with 1/3 cup Chocolate Hemp Milk (1 point)
Lunch: Apsaragus, Potatoe, 0% Fat Plain Greek Yoghurt (5 points)
Snack: Raspberries, Pear, Greek Yoghurt, Chocolate Shavings, Agave Nectar (3 points) +
1 cup Dandy Blend with 1/3 cup Chocolate Hemp Milk (1 point)
Dinner: lettuce w/ radishes & fennel & feta, with oil & vinegar, 1 cup brown rice (8.5 points)

My coffee substitution:

• tastes like coffee but has no caffeine


• no acidity or bitterness


• sweetened with its own built-In fructose


• contains all the goodness of dandelions


• delicious iced


• dissolves instantly in hot or cold water


• can be used in any recipe which calls for instant coffee

Dandy Blend instant dandelion beverage is the only herbal coffee substitute in the United States that features both the health benefits of dandelion and the rich, full-bodied flavor, smoothness and texture of real coffee. Many say that, because it lacks bitterness and acidity, it actually tastes better than coffee.


A Most Versatile Beverage

One level teaspoon in eight ounces of water makes a delightful dandelion tea. A rounded teaspoon makes a beverage very similar to a full-bodied cup of instant coffee, and a heaping teaspoon to a full tablespoon makes an exquisite espresso-style beverage. It is so versatile that any type of gourmet coffee beverage made from it is virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, and it can be used in any recipe requiring coffee as an ingredient. Dandy Blend tastes great served iced or hot, and dissolves instantly in both hot or cold liquids. This delicious herbal coffee is especially good made with milk or dairy alternatives and your favorite flavorings. Those using it to wean themselves from coffee report that the transition is seamless– no headaches, upset stomachs, jitters or other symptoms of withdrawal.


The Constituents

Dandy Blend is made from the totally water-soluble extracts of three roasted herb roots: dandelion, chicory and sugar beet- and two roasted grains – barley and rye. Nothing other than extracts of the three roasted roots and two roasted grains is in Dandy Blend. It is naturally sweetened by the fructose released from the breakdown of the storage starch inulin when the dandelion and chicory roots are roasted. Because all sweetening comes from substances in the roots, Dandy Blend is a low carbohydrate beverage, with only 1 gram of carbohydrate per cup. All ingredients have been chosen because of the health benefits historically associated with them. Every cup contains 630 mg. of dandelion and chicory extract.

In Dandy Blend, you are getting the best of all worlds! Nothing compares with it in flavor, ease of use, and health-promoting effectiveness. Try it, you'll like it!

http://www.dandyblend.com/

-----------------------------------

I drink this with a shot of Chocolate Hemp Milk and it is just delicious!

Update on my cleanse

I am without coffee and sugar now for a week and a half and so far I've hated every day of it. I've had migraines a good week into the cleanse and am still feeling tired and bitchy every afternoon. I'm happy that I kicked the coffee and sugar habit (mine was minimal, though!), but I am not feeling my best YET!

My Spring Cleanse 2009

Dietary Guidelines during the cleanse:

"Think light foods"

• No sugar (including artificial sweeteners)
• No coffee (not even decaf)
• No milk products
• No Alcohol
• No greasy, fried foods,
• Limit eating meats (4 ounces max per meal)
• Lots of green leafy vegetables (raw or cooked)
• Plenty of water (as much as you want)

Along with Gemmos, Undas and Blue Heron I have to drink 4 cups of a special Herbal Tea blend starting the second week... If I don't feel good after doing THIS for 21 days, then I just don't know...

Lambo-Babe

ToDoListWhileMelIsOutForPhilHerBeautifulHusbandWhoIsSoMuchLovedAndAdoredByAllAndWhoWillBeMissed!

ToDoListWhileMelIsOutForPhilHerBeautifulHusbandWho
IsSoMuchLovedAndAdoredByAllAndWhoWillBeMissed!

1. Pick up all dog poop in backyard
2. Hang up glass message boards in kitchen
3. Replace broken light bulb in pantry
4. Install wall heaters (2 in Ls room, 1 in ours)
5. Install Wii Yoga
   

5 Bands/Singers I Can Do Without...

1. Mariah Carey (I wouldn't even call this singing!)
2. Nirvana (can't understand a word they are saying, and their music is messy)
3. Pearl Jam (same as 2.)
4. Enya (doesn't she publish the same album over and over again??)
5. Tori Amos (never got her, sorry!)

Mountains

We miss them already! Driving back from Golden into Calgary - frustrating! Leaving the se beauties behind gets harder every year... but we made it through and landed safely in the flat Midwest!

Kicking Horse - Day 2 through 5

We had a scary day on Tuesday, when L. fainted on the cat track and was unconscious for a couple of minutes. We are still not quite sure why she just lost it, but she seems to be fine and she was on the board again the next day. Maybe she didn't eat enough that morning - that's our guess! On Tuesday it was sunny and gorgeous, but still cold. I got to ski one round and then spent my day at the hospital, where they monitored L. In the evening we met with A. and Si. at Eleven22.

I got to spend my Wednesday with J. He is such a nice guy, but I think he pushed me a little too far. My legs hurt like crazy after he day was over (fear=leaning back=sore legs). so I was happy that I had St. all day Thursday, half day today and tomorrow morning I'll also meet up with him. I was very comfortable with St. and am thinking of skiing with him ONLY! I did moguls today - not perfect, but I wasn't scared shitless! Actually, although I fell a couple of times, it wasn't bad at all. So, St. is a safe bet for lessons! Plus, my legs are not killing me!

We are supposed to be at A.'s house in 3 minutes, but due to connection failures, I can neither get a hold of him, nor P. So I'm hoping he is not cooking up a big meal and we are a no-show... :(

I'll post some pics later, since there is something wrong with the USB drive of the laptop.

Kicking Horse - Day 1

So, we got to Golden, BC on Sunday evening and had a great dinner at the Corks with our friend A. Unfortunately Si. didn't make it ( he wasn't feeling so well... he had to celebrate a successful racing day ;). But we saw Si. last night, again at Corks.

It was -17*C on the bottom yesterday, and very foggy. On the top it was nice though, so I heard - I haven't made it all the way up yet. But today it is gorgeous and sunny down here. Am not sure how cold it is though. I'll go up with St. today and will see how it is myself!

Here is the view from my bedroom window (yesterday):

Traveling...

I just wrote a list with things to pack for my skiing vacation and noticed, that my toiletries outweigh all clothes and shoes I'm going to take with me (even ski gear!). This is what I wrote down so far:

1. Shampoo & Conditioner
2. Hair lotion + Oil
3. Comb + Rubber bands + Clips
4. Straightening Iron
5. Shower Gel
6. Deodorant
7. Moisturizer, Night Creme, Eye cream, Night Serum
8. Cleansing Lotion
9. Make-up (Eyeliner, Rouge, Lipstick)
10. Hand lotion
    
11. Energizing Skin Oil
12. Contact lenses (CL)
    
13. CL Saline Solution
14. CL container
15. Glasses
16. Nail clipper + file
17. Asthma meds
18. Skin ointment
19. Toothbrush + paste + floss

vs.

1. Ski clothes (pants, jacket, underwear, socks)
2. Underwear, Socks, Braws
3. Jeans
4. Sweaters + Shirts
5. Payamas
6. Running shoes
7. Dress shoes
8. Ski boots
   

List Of What You Would Do With A Million Dollars

• buy a piece of Jason Briggs
• rent a house at Kicking Horse Resort for a week in March
• get an Airstream
  
• return to Japan for the Cherry Blossom Festival
• eat at L2O
  
• get VIP tickets for Lollapalooza 2009
• finish my attic with glass

I would donate whatever is left to Greenpeace...

My Relaxing Morning...

... waiting for our doors to be delivered. My sweet Lili is relaxing in front of the (old) door, enjoying her morning without the boys (who are with hubby at the vet's). I am eating Muesli with Blueberries and Strawberry Yogurt and drinking a cup of Mate Tea. Yum!

Spring 'N Bling

Today, I opened my windows to let the mild air come in and fill my house and I found more Spring flowers and yellow pots. And I found sun flowers! They look really good in our "Bling" water bottles (we splurged on at Christmas dinner!). Spring 'N Bling, baby!

SPRING is here!!!

At least in my dining room ;-)

Waiting for Spring...

Haus am See

Hier bin ich gebor'n und laufe durch die Straßen!
Kenn die Gesichter, jedes Haus und jeden Laden!
Ich muss mal weg, kenn jede Taube hier beim Namen.
Daumen raus ich warte auf 'ne schicke Frau mit schnellem Wagen.
Die Sonne blendet alles fliegt vorbei.
Und die Welt hinter mir wird langsam klein.
Doch die Welt vor mir ist für mich gemacht!
Ich weiß sie wartet und ich hol sie ab!
Ich hab den Tag auf meiner Seite ich hab Rückenwind!
Ein Frauenchor am Straßenrand der für mich singt!
Ich lehne mich zurück und guck ins tiefe Blau,
schließ die Augen und lauf einfach gradeaus.

Und am Ende der Strasse steht ein Haus am See.
Orangenbaumblätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder meine Frau ist schön.
Alle kommen vorbei ich brauch nie rauszugehen.

Im Traum gesehen, das Haus am See

Ich suche neues Land
Mit unbekannten Strassen, fremden Gesichtern und keiner kennt meinen Namen!
Alles gewinnen beim Spiel mit gezinkten Karten.
Alles verlieren, Gott zeigt seinen harten linken Haken.
Ich grabe Schätze aus im Schnee und Sand.
Und Frauen rauben mir jeden Verstand!
Doch irgendwann werd ich vom Glück verfolgt.
Und komm zurück mit beiden Taschen voll Gold.
Ich lad' die alten Vögel und Verwandten ein.
Und alle fang'n vor Freude an zu weinen.
Wir grillen, die Mamas kochen und wir saufen Schnaps.
Und feiern eine Woche jede Nacht.

Und der Mond scheint hell auf mein Haus am See.
Organgenbaumblätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder meine Frau ist schön.
Alle kommen vorbei ich brauch nie rauszugehen.

Im Traum gesehen, das Haus am See

Und am Ende der Strasse steht ein Haus am See.
Organgenbaumblätter liegen auf dem Weg.
Ich hab 20 Kinder meine Frau ist schön.
Alle kommen vorbei ich brauch nie rauszugehen.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hier bin ich gebor'n, hier werd ich begraben.
Hab taube Ohr'n, nen weißen Bart und sitz im Garten.
Meine 100 Enkel spielen Cricket auf'm Rasen.
Wenn ich so daran denke kann ich's eigentlich kaum erwarten.

Today on Etsy.com

This morning I found this ring on Etsy.com. It's made by Adorn Jewely. Now, isn't that creative?! The description reads:

"A little clump of faux moss has been planted into this faux stone.
Easy to care for as this moss has no need for sunlight or water!"

Set in Stone, Moss Ring

Specifications:
The faux stone has been shaped out of polymer clay to resemble a basalt pebble and set into the silver plated ring. A tiny tuft of faux moss springs forth from a sterling bezel cup within the clay. The moss is made of latex sprouts backed with foam.

The ring itself is approximately 22mm in diameter and features a wide band of .25 in. Definitely not your typical adjustable ring; the sturdiness makes it feel like a standard ring with the added bonus of being able to customize it to a snug fit.

It's a modern cat!

Julius Augustus Bruno Banani in his new favorite spot: The Hepper Pod!

goLITE

am trying out light therapy (with the Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device), because I am always SO TIRED at around 4 pm and never make it to school at 7 pm. i used it on its lowest setting - and was still looking for the dimming button, it was SO bright! i just used it for 20 minutes and now feel a little dizzy.

Snuggle

It's snowing outside. I'm kind of glad, so the dogs come inside with clean paws. No mud puddles when the ground is frozen. I'm gonna snuggle up in bed with one of my very entertaining books: "Nichts als die Wahrheit" (Nothing but the truth) from Dieter Bolen; he is one half of Modern Talking and now a days the equivalent to Simon Cowell on American Idol. Very funny and highly entertaining - at least if you grew up in the 80s in Germany!

The Green Teaist

The Green Teaist
647 Bank Lane
Lake Forest, IL 60045

My favorite salad in numbers...

A vegetarian salad (with guacamole) at Chipotle Mexican Grill ® has 24 Weight Watchers Points !!! What to do when you only have 19 points a day and your weekly extra points are long gone???

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 0	Cal from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0% Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 0mg	0%
Total Carbs 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 0% • Iron 0%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
INGREDIENTS:

My Chipotle Burrito:

Chipotle Fan.com

Richard Roeper's Movie Awards Party At Hub 51

Start time: Sunday February 22, 2009 at 6:00 PM

End time: Sunday February 22, 2009 at 11:00 PM
Where: Hub 51 , 51 W. Hubbard, Chicago, IL 60654

One of America's most popular movie critics, Richard Roeper, will host a special viewing party at Hub 51. There will be multiple projection screens, cocktails, lavish food stations, contests and raffle prizes. free valet parking is available. Dress is Chicago/LA Fashionista cool! A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Columbia College Chicago's Film School Scholarship Fund.

For Tickets, click HERE

Valentine's Day

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce...

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Lists

I love to write lists, so I just HAD to get all the Listography Books!

listography (life in lists)

listography is a personal tool for creating a database of lists, such as: things to remember, to-do's, wishlists, references, likes/dislikes, autobio lists, photo lists...

Thanks for boycotting Valentine's Day, bitches!

Diet

Okay, so here we go again; my asthma is getting worse and I have been using the cortisone cream frequently for my hands. So, it is time for my restrictive diet again... this time I WILL do 80% vs. 100% (because it is so hard to stay away from all the bad stuff!). Since I am a vegetarian, I already do not eat meat and eggs, plus I don't drink milk. This special diet requires a lot of commitment and disciplines, which I actually have, and it also is good for cleansing and loosing a few pounds :) So, no wheat (gluten), no dairy, no sugar, no citrus fruit; at least until March!

I have some substitutes that work really well:

• Agave Nectar instead of sugar
• Hemp Chocolate Milk (sweetened with Agave or Rice Syrup) instead of regular milk
• Blueberries instead of chocolate
• Gnocchi instead of pasta (watch out for added wheat flour!)
• Millet bread instead of regular bread

Vegetarian Valentine’s Day Party at the Enclave

This just in from the Chicago Traveler:

Are you a Vegetarian and feeling a little left out with all of the Valentine’s Day festivities? Depending on whether you are Vegan or Vegetarian, there may not be a lot of typical choices for you for the big day. Stop that thought right now. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day at the Enclave. Get your tickets now!
Friday February 13th from 8pm till 11pm, you can enjoy Vegetarian treats at the Enclave Nightclub on Chicago Avenue. There will be free Vegetarian grab bags with treats to bring home. In addition, you can sample Vegan Cupcakes from the Chicago Diner, Vegetarian Sandwiches from Veggie Bite, complimentary organic wine and other fun things such as best dressed in red contest and other fun prizes and giveaways.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the event. All proceeds will go to Mercy for Animals a non profit animal rights organization committed to promoting a vegetarian diet.

Enjoy an exciting night out with Mercy For Animals at the 4th Annual Vegetarian Valentine's Party. Held at Enclave, Chicago's premier nightclub, the fun-filled evening is your opportunity to celebrate this Valentine's with other animal sweethearts.

Date: Friday, February 13, 2009
Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Place: Enclave Nightclub, 220 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL
Tickets: $25 in advance or $30 at the door

Featuring:

* Complementary spirits
* Vegan treats & sweets
* Music and dancing
* Cruelty-free grab bags
* Best dressed in red contest

Note: This event is restricted to guests 21 years of age and older.

My wish for Valentine's Day:

Porn for Women Fantasy Coupons
Redeemable for the Love, Affection, and Housework You Deserve From The Cambridge Women

6-3/4 x 3 in; 30 pp ; 30 sheets (15 designs repeating twice)
Paperback
Published in August, 2008
ISBN 9780811864404
ISBN10 0811864405

$5.95

Porn for Women Fantasy Coupons -- Forget IOUs, what women really need are You Owe Me's. Now she can make it perfectly clear what she wants, when she wants it by dishing out these 30 vouchers for pampering, attention, and chores. A complimentary load of laundry, flowers for no reason, serious snuggle sessions—everything she desires . . .and deserves.

Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream

Walking on a Dream

Walking on a dream
How can I explain
Talking to myself
Will I see again

We are always running for the thrill of it, thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill
Searching for the thrill of it
On and on and on we are calling out and out again
Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me

Is it real now
When two people become one
I can feel it
When two people become one

Thought I’d never see
The love you found in me
Now it’s changing all the time
Living in a rhythm where the minutes working overtime

We are always running for the thrill of it, thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill
Searching for the thrill of it
On and on and on we are calling out and out again
Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me

Is it real now
When two people become one
I can feel it
When two people become one

Check out my Sea Kitten!

Create Your Own Sea Kitten at peta.org!

Hype?!

What's all the fuzz about Super Bowl's half time show with... UUUUHHHH --- AAAAAHHHHH.... Bruce Springsteen?? He still can't sing...

A first! Risotto with Pesto!

For the first time IN MY LIFE(!!) I made risotto tonight and it was SO easy! And good! Now I know what always gives it its "risotto" taste: the white wine!

Risotto with Pesto:

1. Cook 1 small onion in 2 TBSP of butter + 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil for a couple of minutes.
2. Add 2 cups risotto rice (i.e. Arborio), cook for about 2 minutes, then add 1 cup a dry white wine and cook until the liquid is soaked up by the rice.
   
3. In the meantime boil 4 cups of water, add some veggie broth (2 cubes) and over the next 30 minutes, keep on adding 1/2 cup of the broth at a time.
4. Take the risotto off the heat and add 1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese, Salt and Pepper to taste and 1/3 cup store bought Pesto.
   

I also made some garlic bread:

1. broil slices of bread under the broiler - any kind, if soft, brown on both sides to make it crispy,
   
2. then rub a clove of garlic over the entire slice and
   
3. sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Love at first sight...

... Valentine's Day is approaching, which reminds me of this "Love-at-first-sight" thingy - just SO American! "Oh my gosh, it's so romantic! I looked in his eyes and it was love at first sight." Or, "when I saw him, he blew me away - it was love at first sight!". Yeah, yeah! It's nothing but "blah" to us Germans - just another "Kommerzieller Feiertag"!

But how can it be? How can this "Love-at-first-sight" phenomenon happen in the US of A? Americans don't even LOOK at each other! They don't take a peak at each other while sitting in the train, they don't look at other people while eating or sitting at a restaurant/bar, nor do they look at anybody walking the streets. I did all of the above today and nobody looked! Neither at me nor anybody else! Everybody on the train was busy reading or looking out of the window or talking on the telephone (while trying REALLY hard NOT to look at anybody - but oh boy, did we HEAR the whole conversation! But that's another blog comment!). In the restaurant everybody looks on their own plate, or on their neighbor's plate, or maybe glances up at the waiter.

Germans do look all the time! Germans stare at other people all the time; they look what other people are wearing, they look what other people are doing, they even look if other people are staring back! Now, I'm not saying that staring is going to find you love at first sight, but which country has better chances to find somebody and fall in love at first sight??

--------------------------

To all romantics out there: it's been studied and it's a total myth! There is no love at first sight! This study shows that it is nothing else but selfishness and - shocking!! - SEX! Yes, it's nothing but a narcissistic reaction. We find ourselves attracted to people that find us attractive!

Get ready for the Red Carpet!

With Oscar night approaching on February 22nd I just went through the list of all the nominations and am a little sad to say, that I have only seen 4 movies on that list so far: Wall-E, The Dark Knight, Tropic Thunder and Iron Man - not the greatest movies of the season, but my excuse is that I have teenage kids *lol*! I'm hoping that our movie theatre will play all the nominated movies and I can go watch them in the weeks prior to this event!

My list of movies I'd like to see:

1. The Visitor (I liked Richard Jenkins in Six Feet Under and am happy to see him again!)
2. Milk (anything diverse is for me!)
3. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (alright, this one got a lot of buzz and I don't mind Bratt Pitt either :)
4. The Wrestler (just to see how fucked up Mickey Rourke looks now)
   
5. Doubt (Meryl Streep as a mean and bitchy nun - fantastic!)
6. Revolutionary Road (Kate any day!)
7. Rachel getting married (Anne Hathaway not in roll I would expect from her, maybe?!)
8. The Reader (exciting to see what they made out of this story line!)
9. Ricky Cristina Barcelona (come on, Woody Allen AND Penelope!! How exciting is THAT!)
10. Slumdog Millionaire (oh, the buzz it got... and then some hated it and some loved it)

Some German movies made it as well:

1. The Baader Meinhof Complex (Foreign Language Film: about the RAF, a German terrorist group in the 60s/70s)
2. Spielzeugland (Shortfilm: In 1942, a German boy believes that his Jewish neighbors are going to Toyland.)
3. Auf der Strecke (Shortfilm: A department store security guard who is drawn to one of his co-workers makes a fateful decision.)

If I could get a hold of the German movies, that would be SO awesome!

Sweet!

What's wrong with me? I could eat chocolate and chocolate related items, such as Milchschnitte, Soy Chocolate Pudding, Nutella, Küsschen, and Chocolate Yogurt, all day long, without stopping for a split second...

Resolutions - where are though?

Although I wrote my list a couple of weeks ago, of what I'm going to work on in the new year, I have to admit that my 2009 is not going according to plan!

There we have:

1. YOGA: Well, the positive is, that in this year I went to more Yoga classes than in the last year! And if you put that in weeks (let's say, once a week, as planned), I'm good for all of January! Alright, I'm so kidding myself, but the quota is up! So, it will look good on paper :)

2. Forgive and let go: Hmmmmmmm, well, that was a much more difficult task and considering, that I had a pretty shitty time over the holidays, there was NO way I could've worked on that. So I'll have to take a couple of steps back and admit my failure. But nevertheless, I'll keep trying! Maybe I can start with shallow waters, before I get thrown into the deep end, alright, Universe?!

3. Don't keep everything: Thank goodness, all the Chili Bowls are not going into my own cupboards, but are being donated for charity! Otherwise, I'll keep a few selected pieces, to see where my progress is leading me!

4. Organize!: ALRIGHT! I made some progress here! I re-arranged a big part of my kitchen after I built some shelfs with drawers. Now I have exactly as much storage in the new kitchen, as I had in my old one! AND I even have some EMPTY drawers!


Conclusion: I'm a great organizer, without any discipline...???

Today...

... is a GOOD day! Out with old, in with the new!

New Bathroom

We had our bathroom re-done... It went from a traditional American white and oak interior to a chic and modern black shiny tiles on the walls, a stainless steel toilet, and a blue lit sink. The floor tiles are heated and the bottom of the shower is extra special, as well, because you cannot see the water going down (uh, mysterious shower!).

My problem with this whole "new" situation is, that now the contractors working on our basement; all big guys, that PROBABLY eat nothing but PORK and BACON (!!!) - show up half an hour early to do their "big business" before they start working... yep, in our NEW F*CKING BATHROOM!!! That of course means I CAN and WILL NOT USE IT!!! How dare they...!!!

Adler Planetarium

At the Adler Planetarium in Chicago we learned, that on the night of Saturday the moon was at its biggest. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a clear and sharp photo of it, but the pictures still turned out nicely and very artsy :) Take a look:

THE MOON AT ITS FULLEST!

Deep! And hard to swallow!

“Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

By Nelson Mandela

Golden

We went into the Swatch Watch Shop downtown on Saturday and looked at their new line of watches (so cute!). They had 4 salespeople in the store and two of them were "talking movie stars"...

Salesman: "I just LOVE Leonardo DiCaprio! If you can imagine him being in Titanic... ugh, that makes me sick, but it was his, like, big break through!"
Saleswoman: "Yeah, him and Kate Winslet... SO amazing!"
Salesman: "Yeah, but LEO, he is such a great actor! He has played so many, like, cool characters, like, he was all buff for The Departed and he was SO great in Catch Me If You Can! What did Kate Winslet do? I cannot even remember... Can you name one movie she was in? I surely can't...!"

Me thinking: "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, with Jim Carey (awesome movie!), Little Children, The Reader,...

Saleswoman: "Nah, I can't think of anything she did..."

We left without buying anything... I wonder why there are four clueless salespeople in that little tiny swatch shop anyway and hope they all watched the Golden Globes that night, where Kate Winslet got two awards!!! Oh, and Leo lost to Mikey Rourke...

Weird!

When traveling, I always tend to forget to bring one thing... On my trip to Seattle I forgot to bring shoes. New Hampshire: I didn't pack my sleeping suit. California: I left my hair brush at home. Portland: I ended up without socks. This weekend, Chicago: no underwear!

Theater

We saw "The Seafarer" last night at the Steppenwolf Theater and I highly recommend that you see it if you can! It's all about the Irish, alcohol, christmas and how one struggles with his own demons. What you see is hardly what you get in this play and that makes for a very deep, entertaining and funny Christmas eve in Ireland!

One more thing that makes me happy:

Shopping is usually not on my favorites' list - especially when shopping for clothes I need to be in a special mood. Usually I run through all the stores and find absolutely NOTHING . My luck changes when I go shopping with my husband... Oh, and every woman envies me for my clothes-shopping-loving husband; he doesn't just sit there or even worse, spends most of his time in the electronic store and the food court, but he actually sits near the dressing room, ready to hand me clothes he would like to see on me, look for different sizes and tell me how cute this shirt is and how sexy that skirt is on me. I know, I know, your eyes are watering, your lips are twitching, but don't ask me if you can borrow him for a day or a week or so...

Today I went to Oilily downtown and my heart almost skipped a beat: 40% off everything! The stupid thing was that my hubby had decided to take a nap... and believe me, I called him TWICE to see if he was available, but no answer, to my total dismay... Oilily is just a Gods' sent to me and I remember driving all the way to Luxembourg city, an hour away from my home, when I was 10 or 11 to shop at the only Oilily store in a 100km radius!

I did good without him... I'm not saying how much I spent, but every girl should have 2 purses, 2 winter coats, 2 jeans dresses and of course assessories en masse, right?! RIGHT, hubby?!

10 things that make me happy:

(not in this order, but however it comes to mind)

#1: empty studio early in the morning
(a little creepy being in that basement of a studio so early, all by myself, but how great is it to spread out, work without having to talk to somebody - or listen, for that matter - and hum to yourself!)

#2: my kids
(there were times when they were like siamese twins, but lately they were like an old married couple, nagging, bitching, and swearing at each other. thank goodness their seperate boarding schools have tought them how much they actually like one another :)

#3: skiing in the canadian rockies
(i always thought beach vacations with tons of sun, sand, and ocean are the non plus ultra - until my husband took me to canada 3 years ago. i skied for the first time and from this time on, no more boring beach vacations but skiing, skiing, skiing ANY day!!)

#4: my hubby
(i know he doesn't like the movie theater and would rather watch a DVD at home, but he goes because he knows i love it and that makes me happy - even though we do not watch the movies i would REALLY like to see...)

#5: downtown
(it's such a cool city and there is so much to see; Chicago to me is culture, art, diverse, classy, calm, rich, clean, friendly, cute, beautiful, hot, full of life, entertaining)

#6: muesli in the morning
(lots of fresh berries, top with a spoonful or two of muesli - with chocolate! - and mix with your favorite joghurt)

#7: omega 3
(my favorite foods: raw or smoked salmon, avocado, strawberries, and peanut butter)

#8: my bed
(since we travel a lot it always feels good to come back home! and our tempurpedic mattress is awesome!)

#9: massages
(i have the best massage therapist out there - and the best cure against stress. i tell him that he is better than a whole week of yoga and i mean it!)

#10: my living room
(we built an addition to our old living room and now our kitchen/dining/living room are covered in glass, with huge glass doors. this summer was such an awesome one, simply because outside was inside pretty much - except for the mosquitoes!)

Expenses

$16 for Sushi (lunch with my friend)
$ 5 for coffee (I brought my own cup!)

I'll be going downtown tomorrow until Sunday, and then up to WI until Monday night, so spending stop will be on hold (but I'll still try my best!).

P.S.: Can you believe I pay $5 for a medium Soy Latte at Caribou? Not that Starbucks is cheaper, but 5 BUCKS is ridiculous!

Money, money, money....

I just had a brilliant thought come to my mind! Since it is always SO stressful to buy new things (unpack, give it a new designated place, recycle the package, throw out the old, etc.) I'll just try to NOT buy anything new for as long as I really do not need it! How smart is that? That'll also go for my coffee (which I'm almost out of, BUT I've been wanting to switch to Green Tea for the longest time!), groceries (my fridge is packed and my pantry overstuffed!), toiletries (thanks Aveda, for making 2 liter bottles of cream cleanser :)), and I'll only have Starbuck's if I bring my own cup! This will exclude dog food (I have three large(r) breed dogs, who are aweful when hungry!). Let's see how far I'll get with this!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Only in America...

Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation's largest and oldest provider of pet health insurance, scoured its database of more than 466,000 insured pets to find the most popular dog and cat names of 2008. (Animals not insured by VPI were not included in the survey.)

Top dog names:
1. Max
2. Bailey
3. Bella
4. Molly
5. Lucy
6. Buddy
7. Maggie
8. Daisy
9. Sophie
10. Chloe

Most unusual dog names:
1. Rush Limbark
2. Sirius Lee Handsome
3. Rafikikadiki
4. Low Jack
5. Meatwad
6. Peanut Wigglebutt
7. Scuddles Unterfuss
8. Sophie Touch & Pee
9. Admiral Toot
10. Spatula

Top cat names:
1. Max
2. Chloe
3. Tigger
4. Tiger
5. Lucy
6. Smokey
7. Oliver
8. Bella
9. Shadow
10. Charlie

Most unusual cat names:
1. Edward Scissorpaws
2. Sir Lix-a-lot
3. Optimus Prrrime
4. Buddah Pest
5. Snoop Kitty Kitty
6. Miss Fuzzbutt
7. 80 Bucks
8. Sparklemonkey
9. Rosie Posie Prozac
10. Toot Uncommon

I guess my dogs have just plain boring names:

• Lili (aka Amelie "Lili" von Kiva Cove),

• Floecki (aka Ahnold "Floecki" von Schwarzenberger),

and

• Sebastian (aka Herr Schmitt)

My Facebook Status:

Melanie is reborn - my new year starts tomorrow!

Everybody is finally G.O.N.E.... Back to my normal relaxed and happy life!!!

added 01/08/2009

P.S.: for some reason I sang "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead." all day long...

Macbeth II

We saw William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" last night and although I didn't understand that much (old British English) and I actually had no idea what the play was all about, I was amazed, how they still brought the storyline across. The stage set-up was very plain in the beginning, but throughout the play they used light, stage props and video to kick it up. It was a very modern play. Maybe you would think that doesn't work out with the Shakespearean language, it all worked out very nicely - for as much as I understood! It wasn't what I expected, but I liked it anyway!

Church II

Oh, and yeah, I totally forgot to go to my first meeting last Sunday at The Chapel...

Macbeth

I'll be seeing Macbeth at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater on Navy Pier today!

The Next Food Network Star

I am a little bit of a Food Network Junkie. It would be on 24/7 if my husband wouldn't turn off the TV once in a while... I love Giada! I love Ina! I love Ellie Krieger! I love Alton, Mario and Tyler! And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Michael Chiarello!

The other day I was watching the marathon of "The Next Food Network Star" - a show I had yet to see! But, to my surprise, after the first commercial break, I already knew who the winner was... Very disappointing! What sense does it make to roll a full marathon afternoon and during the first commercial break introduce "The Next Food Network Star" to an audience that was too impatient to wait through weeks of competition and is now trying to get it all in on one afternoon???

I'm not sure what to make of Aaron McCargo, Jr., who won the competition yet - his new show "Big Daddy's House" looks just like any other show - a (n ugly, I might add!) kitchen, a funny chef, good food... BUT I saw previews for the other Next Food Network Star Adam Gertler's new show "Will Work For Food" and that will probably be a cool show! Tune in on January 19th at 7:30 central time!