Nikkilooch

New Year, New Site

2011-01-12T23:00:00.002+01:00

Hey friends!

I'm not going to do a Christmas, New Year, flew to the States recap or a 2010 recap.

Why not?

Frankly, because it's boring. That and I have more exciting news. My brother is hooking me up with a new website. My very own .com place on the internet super highway.

Update your readers and bookmarks. The future is here.

www.nikkilooch.com is here.

Now, please be patient with me because the site is still under construction. Whenever I update it, I'll let those with readers know.

The Ball

2010-12-13T09:23:00.000+01:00

Can I be real with you folks for a minute?

When am I ever not real with you? But that's besides the point.

I do not get excited about military functions. Usually there's a lot of ma'ams and sirs and stand, sit, stand, salute. I'm a down home kinda girl. I'd much rather have everyone over for dinner than worry about if my dress is fancy enough or if I waited to let my husband introduce me in a receiving line rather than introducing myself.

I'm an army wife. If I can take care of myself during deployments I can certainly introduce myself. Duh.

But readers, I promised I would keep it real. And the real truth of it is, I had a good time. A really good time.

Since we're keeping it real I feel obligated to tell you: I also had 4 glasses of wine.

xo, nikki

Italia vs Fiji

2010-12-07T16:42:00.000+01:00

Rugby is by far my favorite sport to watch. Mostly because of those short shorts they wear and how manly they are.

I don't know about any of you other lady readers out there but I like a manly man. The manlier the better. Shew, give me a moment whilst I fan myself.

If you remember I went to see Italy vs Argentina in Verona a few weeks ago. Last weekend we went to Modena (home of balsamic vinegar) to see team Italy vs Fiji. It was a pretty amazing match. Fiji does a haka dance before each match similar to the All Blacks.

We made a weekend of the match and stayed the night in Modena. We were lucky enough to be staying in the actual same hotel as team Italy. This monstrous fellow is Sergio Parisse, il capitano. He makes me and my husband look like smurfs.

This is the BARBARIAN. Castrogiovanni. That's a serious last name for a serious player. This guy was in a scrum one time and broke another person's collar bone. He BREAKS BONES. He was also really nice about posing for a picture with us.

Piles and Smiles

2010-11-19T09:13:00.000+01:00

There's something different around here.

There are man things around.

Piles of man things.

I'm really happy about it.

My Favorite Veterans

2010-11-11T10:13:00.000+01:00

I don't talk about being an Army wife or an Air Force brat a lot on this blog. I'm not sure why because the former certainly affects my life in a gargantuan way.

My father served as a pilot in the United States Air Force for 20 years. He retired when I was just a kid but you can tell he's a military man. On clear days with blue skies he still says to me, "Today would be such a good day to fly."

My grandfather, who unfortunately I don't have any digital pictures of, served in the United States Army during World War II. He fought in France along side his bother, my great uncle, who didn't make it home. My father is named after this uncle. My grandfather died when he was 87.

My husband is an officer in the United States Army. He's currently serving a 12 month deployment in Afghanistan.

Side note: He's coming home so soon! Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have the welcome home photos for you. Squeal!

I wish I was close enough to one of my favorite vets to give them a squeeze today and say thank you in person.

Happy Veterans Day.

Vicenza Sotto'Aqua

2010-11-02T09:04:00.001+01:00

It's been raining non-stop for 3 days straight. I'm starting to understand a little how Noah must have felt on that ark of his. I got off work yesterday because the post closed at 1200 due to flooding there. I haven't left my house since Saturday. It's a good thing I'm a homebody or I'd be going crazy.

As long as I have the internet I feel connected to the outside world. This morning my internet was down for a few hours (probably because of all the rain, since I have satellite internet out here in the boonies) and I started pacing and panting and panicking and doing other outrageous things that start with P. I'm plugged in now. Whew. If I wasn't I would have had to do something else like fold laundry or do schoolwork.

This post brought to you by the letter P!

**Update**
The flooding has gotten so bad they have closed the autostrada. Post is still closed and I just ran out of sour cream and salsa. How will I make my I'm-staying-home celebratory nachos?

Hello, November.

2010-11-01T09:41:00.000+01:00

November is for NaNoWriMo. It's for running as fast as I can for as long as I can. November is for eating pumpkin in my morning oatmeal. It's for studying hard. November is for planning and praying about the future. November is for husbands coming home. November is for making chili and cornbread. November is about doing things that are hard, but that are totally worth it.

Do I still journal? Why yes, I do.

2010-10-28T19:23:00.000+02:00

I just wanted to share a few of my recent art journal pages with y'all. I went through a dry spell for a while but have really found a lot of inspiration from flickr. I just found Anna Denise through flickr and think her work is AMAZING. I hope one day my pages can be as beautiful as hers.

This Sunday it poured down rain all day. Usually I love rainy days but I had my heart set on a run outdoors this day. I stayed in and sipped tea instead.

Lots of different lists of different things I love. This page was one inspired from Janel's iheartfall art journal class. I only did a few of her prompts and really need to catch up. I really love her pages too.

Another iheartfall class inspired page. I cut this picture of a tree out of my Joyce Meyer magazine (her magazines have such beautiful pages in addition to meaningful articles). The quote at the top of the page (also from the magazine) reads, "We all want to be able to look back at the previous year and say, 'I've improved. I'm more patient. I'm more giving. I'm less selfish.' If we have the Word in us, we can do that."

Advice please!

2010-10-25T21:42:00.001+02:00

Ok, so.

I think I might have found a new goal, but I don't know if I'm being over ambitious. There is a Verona marathon in February that I want to participate in. Now don't get too crazy, I'm going to run the marathon. They are offering a half marathon as well.

That's 13.1 miles. More than quadruple my huge goal I just accomplished last month.

It's going to take a lot of hard work. No one is disputing that. But, I do have more than 4 months to work toward this goal. That's something, right?

Please, if you know anything about running tell me now if I'm being an over anxious beginner or if I really have a shot at finishing this thing. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a 10k, which would have been my next race or preference. Maybe if I find one I can get rid of this crazy idea.

I was checking out Runner's World online and they had a training schedule for half marathons for beginners. It was an 8 week schedule. Surely I can stretch that over double the time for a slow increase to what I want to accomplish? This way there's no injuries or heartache over a missed run.

I'm not going to lie, when I saw that in week 1 I'd be running 19-21 miles instead of my usual 6-10 I had a little panic attack. But as soon as I calmed down and stopped hyperventilating I realized I had more time than the average bear.

Here I go, getting excited again.

Bloggers, either talk me off the ledge or encourage me to take the leap. I'd love your feedback.

The Fitness of Nikki to Date

2010-10-21T22:54:00.000+02:00

After completing my 5k (and the biggest athletic accomplishment of my adult life), I kinda went into a fitness funk. There wasn't really a need to get those 2 miles in before work in the morning. So in my mind there wasn't much of a need to get any miles in that day. It might have had something to do with going on this to see this:

But! There was a gym on the boat and I worked out twice. On vacation even! When did I become one of those people? One day I ran for 25 minutes on the treadmill. Another day the gym was full so I ran up and down the 10 flights of stairs on the ship for 20 minutes.

Which, by the way, if you ever get the chance to do that while you're on a cruise? Don't. Especially not on the first day of the cruise when you have days and days of sight seeing to do after. Your calves will hate you and be very vocal in letting you know their sudden want to be liberated from the rest of your silly legs.

Despite the 6 course meals every night and all-you-can-eat all-day-long buffets I managed not to gain any weight. I did not, however, manage to find a new goal to replace my 5k goal. Not yet anyway.

This new found strength in my body is so invigorating. I no longer find eating healthy a chore, but a way to get my body the best fuel possible to run in its most efficient state. I don't think of exercise as something to do to loose weight but to get stronger and faster.

Now I feel like I need to put a disclaimer here: I still eat lots of chocolate and burritos. I still talk myself out of going for runs sometimes. I still get disappointed when I can't quite button my skinny jeans and have to go for a size up that day. I am still my fantastically flawed self.

But I'm stronger too.

Greek Patriotism

2010-10-18T22:50:00.000+02:00

The flag in this picture is on the same hill as the Acropolis. It's on the other side of the plateau, sitting on a steep drop off. During World War II, the Nazi's took down the Greek flag that flew there and raised a Nazi flag. Every night, a Greek patriot would scale the steep side of the mountain where the flag flew and replace the Nazi flag with the Greek flag until the occupation was over.

Don't you just love Greece a little more now?

Greece in Pictures

2010-10-14T08:58:00.000+02:00

Back in a week

2010-10-02T20:00:00.000+02:00

I'm outta here for a week, but I'll be back next weekend with pictures and stories. I can't wait to share with you so please stick around to listen.

Ciao!

Vacationitis

2010-09-27T21:31:00.000+02:00

I'm having a hard time focusing on anything even though I have a list as long as my arm of things to finish before I go on vacation next week. All I can think about is the sea, feta cheese, fresh seafood, reading all day, sitting on the deck, all-you-can-eat buffets, journaling.

It's taking all my self-control not to start packing yet. I've allowed myself to get guide books from the library, go shopping for a new sweater for my trip, fill up all my travel sized bottles, start a packing list.

A week to collect my thoughts, after the hectic move at work and before my husband comes home from Afghanistan turning my all the single ladies existence upside down, is desperately needed. The fact that this week happens to be on a cruise of the Greek islands is fine by me.

Company Kindness

2010-09-24T08:27:00.000+02:00

On Monday I ordered over $75 dollars worth of sports bras from my favorite sports bra store, title nine. Yesterday I got an email about the $5 shipping. So I was a little upset about having a missed discount opportunity since I ordered promptly after I got the sale announcement.

Quick digression: It's a great sale. The bras are really much cheaper than normal and are excellent quality. All my running bras are from title nine. And since I'm not a girl with a "runners build" as my husband says (aka I have been asked by two different women if they could take a picture of my chest to show their plastic surgens what they want their implants to look like) a good bra is a must have. I have 3 bras from title nine. When they say no bounce, they MEAN no bounce. End digression.

So I wrote the folks there asking if I could take advantage of the discount after the fact. No harm in asking, right?

I got back the kindest response:

Normally we don't give refunds on shipping since it was a day after the sale, but since you ordered so much and was for the bra sale, I can adjust the shipping for you as a one-time courtesy. :)

Cheers,

Jackie

title nine / customer service

1-800-342-4448 9a -5p M-F PST

So nice!

If you are in the market for a new sports bra, or any of their beautiful apparel, you should really check them out.

Hello, Fall

2010-09-22T21:19:00.000+02:00

According to the American calendar (and maybe the Italian one for all I know) today is officially the first day of fall. Even though the mornings are starting to become crispy cool, it was 80F on my way to work at noon.

I wore sandals.

Come on, Fall. I need more legitimate crispiness for new boot buying.

I don't, however, need another great reason for art journaling. I'm taking Janel's I heart fall art journal class and loving it. So far though I've only been able to play catch up on the weekends. So hopefully I'll be playing catch up again this weekend and photograph my pages to be able to post them next week.

Transumanza: Part the Second

2010-09-21T09:27:00.001+02:00

Finally. After the bands and the history and the batons and the beer we get to the good stuff: the cows.

Almost all the cows are wearing these huge bells to announce their arrival. (As if the huge parade beforehand wasn't enough.) And for stampede control these men with sticks were walking in front and among the herd to keep them in line. I'm not even kidding. These poor babies endured a severe beating if they got out of line. No trampling of babies or doggies pulling carts full of babies were going to happen.

Then they just kept on coming until the road was covered in manure. The people rejoiced.

As for me, I hightailed it home. The sky turned from baby blue to threatening gray. After being soaked during my 5K the day before I wasn't ready to have a repeat.

Bressanvido Festival Part the First

2010-09-19T20:33:00.000+02:00

Every year about this time my town has a festival celebrating the cows trek from the top of the mountains, where they stay for the summer, down to our town for the winter.

There's a parade on the first Sunday of the 10 day festival. Old tractors start the fun.

Followed by baton twirling.

A marching band.

People dressed in period attire.

These guys were my favorite.

Especially the guy pretending to sell rosaries with the Italian flag strapped to his back.

The polizia stopped by to keep the party in check.

A new addition this year are the super adorable dogs pulling carts full of flowers. There was on dog pulling a cart carrying a little girl. Adorable.

Next were these guys. Pulling something a little heavier than flowers.

No, I don't live in Germany. Italians like beer, but it's way more expensive here.

Unless of course you're lucky enough to be on the other side of the street during the parade and the guys handing beer out of the back of this van stop by you. Then it's free.

Goal Achieved! I'm awesome!

2010-09-18T21:29:00.000+02:00

Today I did something I never thought possible. I ran my first 5K. The donut dash. A deployment goal. Something I've wanted to do ever since I saw the 1996 Olympics when I was a kid and I saw the American women's team kicking some butt. They were wearing the cutest track outfits and gold necklaces and had long manicured nails and I wanted to look just like that in body and style.

It was pouring and has been all day. So at least the weather was nice enough not to rub my face in it by stopping the rain after I was done running.

There were kids there from my center with their moms. This soaking wet cutie is Danielle. Please notice my Bondi Band I'm rocking. It's the one I got from Wannabe Athlete to support her aunt's fight against breast cancer.

I ran the whole race. Not one second of walking.

35 minutes and 27 seconds of running. Longest non-stop run time to date. My goal was to come in under 40 minutes and I totally beat that. I'm so amazing! I didn't stop smiling the whole way home. I also didn't stop cranking the heat.

When's the next race? I'm hooked.

So many things, so little pictures

2010-09-10T07:00:00.000+02:00

My internet at home is anti-picture. It takes forever to email or load pictures to any website. While I've been taking some beauties lately, only 4 have uploaded. Che no bene.

Upcoming posts and or topics or things I want you to know:

Romeo and Juliet ballet in Verona
I strapped on a harness and climbed things for Missy's birthday. We have proof.
Gelato in a brioche with whipped cream in Palermo
I've worked the split shift this week (545 AM to 945 AM then back in from 1300 to 1800). It has fried my brain.
We are moving centers at work. All day tomorrow. But our new center is awesome.
I agreed to co-teach a Bible study at the chapel this fall.
I'm freaking out about co-teaching a Bible study this fall.
MyCAA is pulling my finical aid for my school because they are poor planners.
I have to be an even better planner to get them to pay for as much of my schooling as possible.
Hello, long-weekends-of-schoolwork. Not nice to meet you.
Cecilia is leaving me soon. I don't want to talk about it.
My first 5k next weekend!
My first 5k next weekend. Pray for me.
Read Jill Mansell's Take a Chance on Me this weekend. Outstanding.
Book give-away coming soon!
If you've made it through all these bullet points are truly are a true friend.

SeaLife Aquarium

2010-08-26T23:12:00.000+02:00

It's not very often that I get to go on a field trip with work, since I'm usually at the front desk.

But every once in a while I get to go with these blue shirted beauties someplace spectacular.

There's magic about witnessing a child see something new and beautiful for the first time.

Being able to breathe while being underwater was pretty magical too.

What is not magical is being stuck in a 4 foot wide tube that's about 80 degrees fahrenheit with Italians with questionable personal hygiene and vastly different concepts on where personal space bubbles should start and stop. American personal space bubbles are about 3 feet from the person in front or behind you. Italian personal space bubbles are more like "just so long as you're in my back pocket and not down my pants" we're cool.

Believe it or not it's really easy to pick up these cultural differences in personal boundaries. The first time I went home to the States I was standing in line at Target to check out. I was an acceptable Italian distance from the person in front of me. You know, about 6 inches away from them. They threw me the dagger eyes over the shoulder and passive aggressively scootched closer to the check out. I blurted out in my typical socially awkward way, "Sorry, I'm just getting back from Italy." I now realize why that probably didn't help the dagger eyes I continued to receive from Americans respecting American cultural customs.

Oh, and by the way? This aquarium had one special display full of the full cast of Finding Nemo.

I am not Jackie Chan

2010-08-22T20:41:00.000+02:00

So I went this evening to see the new Karate Kid. Instead, I ended up seeing this:

Incase you weren't sure, this is not Jackie Chan. It did however have Jet Li. So I got some martial arts action.

How did this happen? We got the movie times wrong. On the small military installation where I live there is a one screen theater that shows 2 movies a day Wednesday through Sunday only. Karate Kid was at 3 and we got stuck with The Expendables at 6. It was a good movie and I don't feel like I wasted the $5.00 to see a first run movie.

That's right. It's only $5.00 over here to see a first run movie. A first run movie is a movie that comes out here the same time it does in the States. You see, the movie industry is nice enough to donate a few reals of movies to the military theaters overseas. We only get a certain number, though, so they have to rotate Europe military installations on a schedule so everyone gets a chance to see them. We're lucky enough to be a first run movie theater so we get a new release almost every weekend. I think they feel sorry for us because our guys deploy every other year so they give us new releases.

Did you know that in movie theaters on military bases they play the national anthem before every movie? They do. Everyone in the theater stands while a reel of footage from all the armed forces is played. There's one part that shows a man in uniform crying a single tear. It tugs at my heart every time. But then they play a preview or two to get you back in the mood for the movie. These theaters over here are professionals.

Codependancy

2010-08-17T08:45:00.000+02:00

Cecilia's been gone since Thursday to London to visit her cousin.

I'm having serious withdraws.

She's going to be moving back to the States with her husband a month before my husband gets home. I've already started planning how I'm going to keep my nights full while she's gone: local Italian classes, more running, more devotion to my schoolwork.

A few weeks ago I was talking to my husband about it on the phone and started to get choked up. He said, "Seriously, Nikki? I'll be home a month after that. That's nothing." I whimpered a pathetic I know type noise. "I feel like," he continued, "you're going to miss her more than you miss me."

"You're coming back! She's leaving for good!"

Little army wife tip: Don't tell your husband while he's in Afghanistan (Iraq, Germany, Kuwait, insert your chosen deployment place here) that you miss your friends more than you miss him. It tends not to go over so well.

She'll be home tonight. Hopefully she misses the shuttle from the airport to post so I can pick her up.

I don't talk very much on here about being an army wife. Even though it's a big part of my life (huge actually) it's not one of the things I use to define myself. Christian? yes. Student? yes. Southerner? yes. Reader? yes. Writer? most of the time. Army wife? not really.

I'm not sure if it's the bad connotations that are attached to the stero-typical army wife or if it's that I have enough of being identified as my husband's wife in my non-blog life. Either way, one thing that I do love about being an army wife are the deep friendships that are made. I don't have family within 4,000 miles of here and don't speak the language well enough yet to feel completely comfortable. Added by the fact that if I did have an emergency my family would have to use a passport to get to me. My husband is gone 80% of the time. I'm alone in the truest sense of the word.

Enter Cecilia.

Goals!

2010-08-10T14:33:00.000+02:00

I did it, bloggers. I signed up for my first ever 5k today. I've been training for the last few months for it and yesterday ran for 20 minutes without stopping. The front of my calves can tell you all about it today.

I'm feeling really good about it. I think it's an excellent sign that this particular 5k is donut related. Y'all, I feel so strongly about donuts. Everytime I go to Germany I find the Dunkin Donuts there and buy at least half a dozen. Then at least three more for the plane ride home. Everytime I visit my parents in the States one of the first stops is the Krispy Kreme. I don't even want to go unless the "Hot and Fresh" sign is on for donuts straight out of the fryer. Dirty. And I love it.

Wait, this post was supposed to be about running and fitness. Oops. No can do when donuts are involved.

Naw, mon. It's Swiss.

2010-08-04T20:18:00.000+02:00

Name that movie!

Lugano, Switzerland.

Even though I was there, taking these pictures, I still couldn't believe this place.

It's unfair that one small town can contain so much beauty, when other places could benefit from a fraction of what Lugano has.

Cecilia and I are in this one as proof that this isn't a digitally altered post card.

The nice thing about this corner of Switzerland is that they primarily speak Italian. I've found another place in the world where I can use my hard earned Italian. It's actually easier here for me to speak and understand because the Swiss speak Italian without a "dialecto" that's as strong as anywhere else in Italy.

Did you know that about Italy?

In the States when we say people speak in dialect, it's English with a certain region's accent. We can still understand each other and basically speak the same language. In Italy, the children learn the dialect at home (where I live it's the Veneto dialect) and don't learn proper Italian until they go to school. Each dialect from each region in Italy is so different that someone from Sicily can't understand someone from Venice unless they switch to proper Italian. The proper Italian is what they taught me in my classes. So Italians all over Italy can understand me when I speak to them, but I have no idea what they are saying to me most of the time because they answer in the dialect. When the Lugano people answered me, I understood.

*cue angel chorus*

I only got to visit for an afternoon, so I don't have many stories, but Lugano kept a little piece of my heart. How could it not? I bet it already has a little piece of your heart now too.

Sunday on the Q

2010-07-30T11:24:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday, my favorite girls and I met up for brunch at the DFAC (dining facility) on post. It was the first cool and sunny day we've had this year and I couldn't pass it up. So I invited them over for a BBQ. We all went to the commissary after brunch and decided on our menu. I knew I was going to be trying out smitten kitchen's hacked caprese salad because I had bought three rounds of fresh mozzerella the day before in anticipation of making it.

Cecilia bought a magazine (I forget now which one) that had pictures of 12 different ways to enjoy hotdogs this summer. One was with onion rings on top. I decided to try it. Because you know, trying one new recipe when entertaining company isn't enough. I like to live on the edge.

Plus the commissary had something like 1/2 a pound of pre-sliced onions for 60 cents. They looked at me from the shelf and asked me to please batter and fry them. I don't take the words of talking onions lightly, I obliged.

It was amazing. Please do this if you are going to have a hotdog again ever in your life.

To finish, Cecilia made brownie cupcakes.

With cream cheese frosting on top.

Cecilia loves brownies with cream cheese frosting.

Having the girls around makes things so much more fun and makes me feel a lot safer when my man is gone.

German one-stop-shop

2010-07-28T08:32:00.000+02:00

Bloggers, I've been someplace magical. A place where all the sights of Berlin are in one place and are delicious. A place that isn't pretentious by having a red carpet leading up to it. They deserve that carpet.

Fassbender & Rausch is on the corner of a beautiful square in Berlin. On the bottom floor is a chocolate shop and upstairs is a hot chocolate cafe. It's like a place from my dreams, Bloggers.

All of the great buildings of Berlin are here and made entirely out of chocolate.

I'm not usually one to watch a foreign film and shout out during the whole movie, "I've been there!" Because I know that if I did that none of the other people watching the movie would want to be my friends. The words were already half way out of my mouth before I realized I was saying them when I entered this shop. Maybe because I had just seen half of these sights that very same morning.

I need friends in my life. Reasons: I live 4,000 miles away from my closest family member. I don't readily speak the language in the country which I live. I am a military spouse and therefore living by myself 94% of the time. If I get a flat tire, I want to have someone to call. I want to be one of the cool kids.

Onwardly...

One of the coolest things about this shop is that the chocolate is really affordable. I got 5 truffles and 2 chocolate covered figs all for a smidgen over 3 euros.

I obviously didn't get the camera out fast enough to capture all five truffles on film. It's a danger to be aware of, disappearing truffles.

THE coolest thing about this shop? Two words: chocolate volcano.

This thing was ERUPTING. I tried desperately to get a picture while the chocolate was shooting out the top but I just wasn't fast enough. But don't take my word for it. Go to Germany. Go to Berlin. Go to Fassbender & Rausch. See the glory.

Berlin

2010-07-23T09:28:00.000+02:00

We only had one full day in Berlin. It wasn't enough. We were smart enough this time to buy a ticket to one of those hop-on hop-off buses because we knew we didn't have the getting lost time that we usually factor into our trips.

Digression: One of the best and worst things about being married to a soldier is their excellent map reading skills and ability to "land nav" as they call it. My husband can glance at the ricketiest looking map, look up at the sun then say, "If we just keep heading northeast on this street we should get there in 5 to 7 minutes." So while I'm following him eating [insert delicious native sweet here] and saying, "But I'm pretty sure the street down there looks familiar," we appear at our desired destination. As if by magic army witchcraftery.

It's excellent when we are together and I can just dote along behind my super husband, but when one starts traveling with one's friends who also are married to a super husband it makes for some lost ladies most of the time. End digression.

We went to the recently opened Jewish Museum in Berlin.

The Garden of Exile stood out to me the most. The description on this sign is accurate. The garden is on a tilt. Making the garden dweller very uneasy in the stomach region.

The columns in the garden are straight up and down, but they feel tilted since the ground is tilted.

Beautiful, but unsettling. This garden did an excellent job of getting its point across.

Inside the museum there's a tree full of paper pomegranates with wishes written on them.

I wished that I will be able to live the rest of my life as happy as I am now. Cecilia wished that she would never have to go through an experience like the holocaust.

The museum focused on Jewish culture through time. With the help of donations from community members, individual stories were told from as far back as the 1500's written in Yiddish. The personalization of the religion made it much more interesting. Hearing about how a Jewish merchant had to carry enough food for a business trip that could take months due to their kosher laws made the Jewish lives that were lived much more real than simply showing me a old kosher pot they took with them. It was the combination of the pot and the story and the audio that made it amazing. The museum had a ton of interactive parts to it.

Including this mustache mirror and the German girls behind me who wouldn't get out of the picture even though I kept throwing them the dagger eyes.

Berlin this weekend

2010-07-16T17:20:00.000+02:00

Hey bloggers, I'm headed to Berlin this weekend. Expect great posts when I get back.

Have a great weekend!

Journal for a Cause

2010-07-13T21:08:00.000+02:00

Janel at Run with Scissors is about to start the process of adopting a child. To help fund the process she's offering a 30 day journal class for only $10 a day. 10 bucks! Outrageously good price. You can sign up on her Etsy shop. I already have. Please head over there to check out the details and see the great sample pages she has pictured on her blog. The class starts July 26.

I've been falling behind on my art journaling after Rachel and Elsie's great class. I'm excited to have more prompts and to see another style of art journaling.

Luxembourg

2010-07-09T16:16:00.000+02:00

We paid 50 euros for a tour to Luxembourg. We figured after buying a train ticket and the amount of time it would take us to figure out where the heck we were going it wound up being cheaper than going there on our own. According to our tour guide, Gabi, there is no poverty or unemployment in Luxembourg and the average annual income of a Luxembourger is 47,000 euros.

I guess that means they have plenty of money to pay for ridiculous signs.

Lunch was the first order of business. Our waiters did NOT like us. I'm pretty sure it's because we drained our water the first minute after we sat down. When we asked for more, they brought us tap water. Then they brought our food out after everyone else's in our group.

Chicken a la King is a typical Luxembourg meal, we got ours with a side of salad and fries. I'm not sure I've ever had Chicken a la King before. This one was shredded chicken in a mushroom gravy, with a soft croissant type pastry on top.

We kept asking for more water even after we ate. We kept drinking it even though I'm pretty sure people in Luxembourg spit in your drink if you make trouble like they do in the States.

After lunch we went on a train tour. It covered 8 kilometers in 50 minutes. Lighting speed. Instead of a real live person telling us about our surroundings we had an audio recording. They play acted out the history of Luxembourg. Once the extensive history of the country was over, they spent 5-7 minutes telling us that Luxembourg is "Small but grand!" in about 8 different languages. Then the audio tour ended about 10 minutes before the actual tour did.

Small...

but grand!

We got back from the Bourg just in time for dinner. That's right:

Mussels in Brussels.

Jean Claude Van Damme may THINK he's the muscles from Brussels, but he ain't got nothing on this girl.

2010-07-07T20:58:00.003+02:00

Cecilia and I got off to a late start. I stopped by the Commissary to grab some sandwiches and she couldn't get away from her chatty dog sitter. Once Cecilia and I were driving to the airport we got caught in traffic. According to the electric signs over the autostrada there was "traffico intenso" ahead. We cursed the traffic and turned up Flight of the Conchords. It was a car accident. Cecilia said that she saw a body bag. Could you imagine if we had been just 15 or 10 minutes sooner?

After the inappropriate pat down and bag search through security it was just a flight, bus ride, and taxi away from our hotel. The next morning, after my makeshift sausage egg roll, we set out to see the sights. It took us an hour at the train station to buy a metro ticket. Then we got on the train going the wrong direction. Good thing I made that sandwich in the buffet line. It kept my stomach calm during our next unsettling incident: accidentally going to the red light district of Brussels. I saw more boobies than I've ever seen at one time. And I've been in an Italian woman's changing room at a water park, so that's saying a lot. There must have been tens of pairs of them. We just looked at our shoes and walked a really fast round-about way back to the train station.

Since we'd been lost for about 3 hours at this point we decided to try to find some traditional Belgian food for lunch near our hotel. Two hours later we decided on Thai. Chicken with rice noodles for this girl. It was there in a Thai restaurant in Brussels that we discovered the most fantastic beverage known to man: Sparkling iced tea.

One word: fantastical.
One action: fist pump.

Thank you Brussels for introducing us. My trip was worth it for this only. Thankfully this wasn't the only good thing.

Stay tuned...

Out of town

2010-07-02T17:46:00.002+02:00

I'm heading to Brussels and Luxumborg this weekend for the long weekend.

I'm going to eat so many waffles.

Happy fourth of July to all my American friends!

There is no extra extra

2010-06-28T23:04:00.002+02:00

Near Verona, Bonamnini sits surrounded by vineyards and orchards of olive trees.

They get a lot of visitors.

It's very easy to get a tour of the olive oil factory. First they show you the old way of crushing the olives with the large granite stones that would roll around and around to press the olives.

They explain to you the old way of spreading olive paste on these white circles then having them be pressed by that large machine. The machine would then spit out olive oil and water, which are separated. The oil left behind is extra virgin olive oil, the water they use to irrigate the trees and the pits of the olives they burn and use as fuel for heat and such.

Then she took us to the new olive press.

It's made out of stainless steel instead of granite. She explained that this is much better because the stainless steal doesn't contaminate the olives like the granite would have having been used for only one season.

After everything is pressed and separated the new way they store the olive oil in these large vats. Then they eventually bottle it and sell it.

Interesting fact: olive oil people are liars. The experation date on the bottle is not the date from which the oil was pressed, but the date from which it is bottled. This can make for not so fresh olive oil sometimes.

Another dirty lie: there is no such thing as extra extra virgin olive oil. Just like there is no such thing as olive oil light. There is only extra virgin (which is what our lady guide produces and is the very best) and olive oil. There is no spoon. Name that movie. Olive oil has had chemicals added to it to make it palatable. Extra virgin has not.

After explaining to use the process of bottling we got to the good part. The tasting.

Small amounts to start.

It's best if you warm the oil up in your hands first a little before tasting. It releases the flavors. Also, you know a good olive oil if when you swallow it burns your throat.

Did that sound official or like I just made that part up? I'll let you decide.

After the olive oil we got to taste a few of their olive pastes and some pesto made with their oil. Oh my holy smokes the pesto. A.MAZ.ING.

I came home with some olive shampoo, pesto and artichoke hearts stored in olive oil. I'm saving the pesto for the winter time since I can easily make it now with so much fresh basil around.

Can't wait to take my love here when he gets back.

Sinbad and I rock the purple

2010-06-24T21:14:00.003+02:00

Last night Sinbad the comedian came to post on his "Funny to the Corp" tour. And while this isn't really something I talk about a lot I'm a HUGE Sinbad fan. He came for a meet and greet at 1200 which I had to miss because of work. I tried to talk my co-worker into staying a little later so I could meet Sinbad.

"Can you cover for me?" I asked.

"Why? What's up?"

"I really want to go meet Sinbad," I said.

"Who?"

"Sinbad. The comedian. Have you ever seen First Kid?"

*blank stare*

I then proceeded to clock in.

We did get to go to his show that night though.

Cecilia and Melissa went with me. We had to wait in line for kind of a while outside. I didn't know there were so many other Sinbad fans. I'm not alone in my love.

Even though Cecilia only went because I told her a month ago to put it on her calendar and texted her about dreams I had about us not getting into this show and she felt like she couldn't let me down.

I'm pretty sure Melissa just went for something to do on a Wednesday night.

Unfortunately this is the only decent picture I have from the whole night. My camera broke a couple weeks ago in Copenhagen. All those beautiful pictures you see are Cecilia's. So I've been on the lookout for a new camera since the FRONT of my camera decided to fall off in front of that church in Copenhagen.

The other day I was walking through the PX and saw the majesty of purple wonder staring at me.

Y'all know how I feel about purple. It is currently charging and I'll give you an update as soon as I get a chance to use it.

Sinbad and camera pictures found via Google image search.

Tea on Tuesday

2010-06-22T15:06:00.002+02:00

The commissary stopped selling Lipton's peach tea. My mom has told me that she hasn't been able to find it around in the States either. Maybe they are cancelling it. Anyway I bought some from the Italian store.

On the side are the instructions. It's nice that they use pictures for us non-native Italian types. At first glance everything seems to make sense.

And then I saw this step...

A little fuzzy here but I think you can still make it out. Person equals peach tea? Man equals tea bag? Super heros are equal to the power of peach tea?

I can't make it out. What are your thoughts?

Papa's girl

2010-06-20T22:07:00.002+02:00

I'm a daddy's girl. I look just like him. I got my first gray hair at 16 from his side. My unwavering loyalty, popping joints, all or nothing attitude, strong faith, straight teeth, and bluntness? His fault.

I love him for it and couldn't have asked for a better father.

So Papa, thanks for teaching me everything good there is to know about love by showing me how you love God and Mama and Chris and Laura and me. And even though you think you missed out on a lot by being gone a lot for work when we were small I don't think you did. I never remember you leaving, I just remember you coming home. Thanks for holding it together long enough to marry me and my husband. Thanks for answering my tax questions. Thanks for not pushing me to be something I'm not. And for giving me gifts without strings attached. Thanks for acting cool when I cuss in front of you because sometimes I forget that we're not just bullshitting but that you're my dad. Thanks for fighting the good fight of fatherhood.

I love you.

Nikki

p.s. sorry for cussing.

Copenhagen eats

2010-06-06T09:51:00.002+02:00

We've already discussed the churros, which unfortunately aren't native Denmark (or Italy) fair. Denmark is more of a meat and potatoes (and lots and lots of herring) kinda place.

The first restaurant we went to was:

Another thing that I love about the nordic countries is the hard cider. It's like drinking feel-good apple juice. This isn't my first encounter with hard cider thanks to my brother introducing me to Woodchuck.

We saw a ton of commercials for this Temp Cider while we were there. We couldn't wait to try it. It lived up to the sexy commercial hype.

I ordered a "Wild Burger" with high hopes. Because as much as Italy does culinarily well, hamburgers are not one of them. I'd probably say I haven't had a good burger (that my husband hasn't made) since I've been in Europe. That all changed in Copenhagen. It was perfectly cooked (medium), juicy, bacony, cheesy, and on a fresh roll.

They said that this burger came with a salad on it and they weren't kidding. I couldn't wrap my mouth around this thing until I took all the lettuce, rocket, pickles, and wedges of tomatoes off.

My salad looked similar to Cecilia's on the side of her chicken and potato. I stole a bite of her chicken and it was really nicely tangy and not dry at all.

On our fiasco quest to find the Little Mermaid, we came across a nut vendor. She was selling praline almonds. I have an intense love for praline nuts.

Come with me for a moment down memory lane. When I was probably 12 or 13 my family took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, to see some military family friends that live there. They took us to an open air market where they were selling praline pecans. I ate almost the whole portion. I would have eaten the whole thing if my parents weren't still regulating what I ate. Sometimes I wish they still regulated what I ate. I wouldn't get as many tummy aches for sure.

Cecilia and I split this package because it was about 1 pm and we hadn't had lunch yet. That and they were warm and delicious in a cold, cold country.

Copenhagen and Malmo

2010-06-04T13:46:00.002+02:00

Sometimes I forget that there are places in Europe (in fact I think it's most places in Europe) that are caught up to 2010. Copenhagen is the best of old world beauty and new world conviences.

One of the main sights that we wanted to see was a statue of the Little Mermaid sitting in the harbor in honor of Hans Christian Andersen. At the train station buying tickets we asked the vendor the stop for her. He said, "I'm pretty sure she's in China." We laughed. So he went to check and came back to tell us that, indeed, she was in China.

Sure, ticket man. We'll find her on our own.

Once we got to the stop where the Little Mermaid is, we asked a local to point us in the right direction. Again she told us that she's "on tour" in China. When we got there we still got to "see" her though. Through a live feed of where she is in China.

Sad.

One of the other best sights we saw in Copenhagen was Tivoli Garden. It's an amusment park/awesome place that is full of restaurants and rides and flowers and most important: churros.

I wish that I had bought 8 things of these little wormies. I wanted to go back so bad the next day just to buy churros. But the park cost about 20 euros to get into and Cecilia said, "I'm not paying 20 bucks so you can eat churros." Harumph. Some people are so unreasonable.

On Sunday we went to Malmo, Sweden. It was so cute. Even though we didn't venture far from the train station and pretty much spent the whole time shopping, Sweden is a place I'd love to go back to soon. Maybe actually see more than these marching guys in the middle of a shopping street:

Out for the weekend

2010-05-27T22:44:00.003+02:00

image from Google image search

Copenhagen this weekend!!! Share pictures and fun stuff when I get back. Have a great Memorial day weekend to my American friends.

Swordfish Tacos

2010-05-26T15:41:00.002+02:00

Night before last Cecilia had some of us over for dinner. Usually dinner parties are at my house and hang out movie time is at Cecilia's. It's good to mix it up. Mix and match. Salsa dance.

The first time I ever had swordfish was last summer in Palermo. We had it the one time we went out to eat. It might be my most favorite fish ever and if it wasn't so expensive I'd probably eat it once a week.

This is what fried swordfish looks like. Looks kinda like strips of pork chop. I bet your tastebuds are watering. Do tastebuds even water? I know mine are.

We got to enjoy swordfish tacos because when Cecilia's husband was home for R&R he bought 60 euros worth of the stuff. At the time that was over 100 dollars worth. Sometimes Cecilia's husband goes a little over the top. It's a typical soldier trait. Above and beyond. Army of one. Hoo-ah.

Jocelyn (who's pregnant belly you can kinda see here) made tortillas from scratch. They were fantastic. Makes me want to try my own soon.

5/23 Check-In

2010-05-23T18:32:00.002+02:00

Hello! Did you think I was joking about getting fit? I did too! But it's really happening. Here are some stats from the past week:

5 workouts
4 days without sugar
0 pounds lost
1 new Polar heart rate monitor watch in the mail
1 blogger who realized that she needs more forreal stats

Here's hoping next week is full of some actual stats.

Margo

2010-05-20T14:05:00.002+02:00

I was going to prepare a celebratory post for being half-way through this deployment. Only 6 more months (give or take) to go.

But then Margo's husband died yesterday in Afghanistan. I know people die in this war every day and that is tragic. There's something different about it though when you go to that person's promotion ceremony from Major to Lt. Col. and when you saw that person dressed up for Halloween as a football coach (Margo was a football player) and when you cared for that person's child at the center where you work. You hurt pretty bad for someone when you were in thier Bible study class on marriage, which Margo was really qualified to teach since she and Tom have been married over 20 years.

Had been married.

That's hard to get used to.

Margo and Tom have two beautiful daughters. Please keep Margo and the girls in your prayers.

Personal Trainer

2010-05-14T08:52:00.003+02:00

I really like to workout. I know, I said it. It's true. I feel so good afterwards and accomplished. Can I tell you a secret, though? I had no idea what I was doing. I'd go to the gym, paddle on the elliptical maybe do a squat, touch my toes and call it a good workout.

But now, oh now! I'm sore. I realize I have a heart that beats at a certain rate and that rate needs to get in a certain range. So much knowledge.

"American's workout far too much," Chiara my Italian trainer said to me. "They do not exercise in the correct way." I believe her because based on my level of soreness I'm pretty sure I've been doing crunches/sit-ups incorrectly my entire life.

I'm so much more confident at the gym. I don't meander through the machines anymore. I don't bounce mindlessly on the elliptical anymore. Can I share another secret with you? Exercising with a purpose is a lot more interesting than just paddle, paddle, paddle. My 30 minute cardio flies by.

So, onward to goals:

currently my heart rate gets up to 180 to even 190 when working out. I want it to cap at 160 when I'm working out intensely.
I want to lose 10 pounds by the time my husband gets home (November or December) 15 in total by some unforeseen date. *digression* I think women are way to obsessed with the number on the scale. There are so many other healthy numbers that we should be concerned with. That said loosing that little bit of weight will help me be my healthiest which is my goal. *end digression*
Run a 5K before my husband gets home, ideally in September.

I'm excited to tackle these goals with my whole sweaty self and will be keeping updates here to track my progress.

France: the eats

2010-05-13T20:42:00.004+02:00

French food makes me weak at the knees.

Just look at this menu. It's exactly the kind I like: vague. Entree, plate of the day, dessert and coffee.

It started off with a small salad and the best deviled eggs I've ever had. Mamma mia the eggs! The yokes were mixed with mustard and something delicious. The salad also had a mustard dressing. Usually I don't care for mustard because it tends to overpower whatever it is on, but this flavor was muted.

Next came fish with rice and veggies. That sentence is so plain compared to the plate I received. The fish was covered in a cream sauce and had muscles on top as well. The veggies had a heavy, creamy mustard sauce.

Dessert was a small bowl of fruit. The perfect fresh end to a creamy meal.

After lunch we headed down the street to a candy shop. It was a fantastical land. They had a tower of macaroons. I got six and gobbled up before I remembered to take a picture.

They also had beautiful chocolates. We got some orange rinds covered in chocolate. Also gobbled before photo shoot.

Finally at the end of the trip we stopped for crepes. Mine was filled with strawberry jam. My friend's (which you can kinda see in the picture) came with cheese.

This was my third trip to France and the first time I was able to find macaroons. I had never had them before because I wasn't able to find a shop on my short trips there. I'm so glad I did this time.

Nice and Cannes in pictures

2010-05-11T10:10:00.004+02:00

Highlights:

beautiful beaches
rain held off until the last hour of the trip
seeing Cannes prepare for the film festival next weekend
moms with small babies on the 7 hour bus ride talking SO loud from 3 am until 7 am
the babies didn't make a peep
soldiers drinking in the back of the bus on the way home
soldiers throwing up on the bus on the way home because they were drinking
so much good food (upcoming post)
cute purchases
goldfish snacks
child fell down bus stairs and mom didn't seem too bothered about it

Road food.

2010-05-06T21:35:00.007+02:00

Photo cred

I'm going on a bus trip to Nice, France this weekend. We're leaving at 2 am on Saturday morning and getting back at 3 am Sunday morning. No hotel. Only bus. I'm not sure yet if this is a good idea, but I figure if I'm going to try it with any place Nice is a nice place to start. Nice is nice. I couldn't resist.

I need snacks. Serious snacks. I know for sure Puppy Chow (puppy food, monkey munch, muddy buddies, reindeer chow, etc). I want some kind of salty mix. And something healthy and/or hearty. Please post your suggestions!

Rally Day

2010-05-03T21:57:00.003+02:00

I serve as a board member on our Protestant Women of the Chapel board. I am the special events and retreats person until next month when the new board takes over. This past Saturday was my big event: Rally Day. Even though turn out was lower than I was hoping it was an excellent day. We had a speaker and workshops on the fruit of the Spirit. Lunch was provided and one of the highlights of the day. Our hospitality chairperson made mini-cheesecakes topped with mixed fruit and chocolate spelling out the words: love, peace, and joy.

All of the teachers and the speaker were women from my community. It's amazing how much untapped resources there are in women in our community. Jobs are hard to come by here. Any job, much less one in your chosen field. So ladies who love, support and move with their husbands are often left in a lurch for a few years. This can be good. It can push them into new avenues and have them doing things they love but would never have normally done. This can also be good for me when people like graphic designer, Jackie, is willing to design my fliers because she doesn't have any other designing to do at the moment.

My community is amazing. So are the gifts that God gave the people who live here.

Home

2010-04-30T16:57:00.003+02:00

This week's episode of Glee got me thinking about home. It was saying that your world can feel out of control when your home is tampered with or when home isn't well defined for you.

As an Air Force brat and now an Army wife home has always been about people, not place. When I was a kid as long as my brother and sister were with me I knew I was home. But now, living as a foreigner 4,000 miles away from my family and 3,000 miles away from my husband currently people no longer define home.

Image via weheartit

What I'm saying is that if home is where the heart is then I'm out of place.

But the thing is, I love my house. When I'm in the States all I can think about is going "home" to Italy. When I'm in Italy I miss "home" the US.

What does home mean for y'all?

A new season

2010-04-28T21:18:00.003+02:00

I'm taking Rachel and Elsie's art journal class online. It started on Monday and everyday I find myself refreshing my browser waiting for the new prompt and page update.

The first page prompt was "a new season" in a phrase. There was a lot more to it than that but that was the gist. Here is my page:

I used water colors, markers and pen. I'm really happy with how it came out. I can't wait to share more pages with y'all as the class continues.

Cheddar black pepper biscuits

2010-04-26T21:14:00.002+02:00

Joy the Baker is one of my favorite blogs. Every time her blog's name is in bold in my reader I click on her right away. I love how she talks about food. I love that she bakes in the morning. I loved the biscuits.

This weekend I was wanting some savory and breakfasty. I was in a weekend blues kinda place. These biscuits with some cheesy scrambled eggs were just what I needed. That and a hefty dose of the Gilmore Girls season 5.

The only thing I did different was I made them as drop biscuits. I didn't knead them. I think next time I make these I will take the extra effort. They were a little too crumbly for the sandwich I wanted to make this morning. I think the kneading would have not made that a problem.

There are good ones out there girls.

2010-04-22T19:43:00.004+02:00

My husband is an excellent gift giver. For our anniversary in March he gave me the food processor of my dreams. For Christmas a few years ago he got me a charm bracelet then bought me new charms in addition to other gifts for Christmases and birthdays to follow. Each charm had special significance that he explained when I opened them.

This year for my birthday he outdid himself.

He bought me a 6-month subscription from Persephone Books. This company publishes out of print books each with their own unique endpaper. The endpaper is carefully chosen to "fit" the book: theme, feel, etc. Each book also comes with a matching bookmark with a quote from the book written on it.

My first one, Greenery Street, came this week. I don't know which books he purchased. Every month I get to be surprised and reminded how much my husband loves me and loves to celebrate me. He said he picked this book first because in his words, "It's about a married couple that is happy and stays together. I thought that was quite nice and something we could appreciate."

Dinner Party Leftovers

2010-04-20T21:34:00.003+02:00

This weekend I had a few girls over for dinner. Two of the ladies had just returned from a week in Poland working with teenagers on refurbishing a building. They really needed a hot home cooked meal. I made stuffed artichokes and Nigella Lawson's lemon pasta.

Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures during dinner... again. I can't help it! When it comes to artichokes all logic falls by the wayside until I get those cheesy silky leaves scraping across my teeth. I get artichoke vision. It's dangerous.

Nigella's lemony pasta was a perfect compliment. I wanted something starchy to balance the artichoke but nothing too heavy. Perfect.

My twist on Nigella's lemony pasta: Combine 2/3 cup of heavy cream, zest and juice of one lemon, 2 egg yokes, 1/2 cup Granna cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside. Cook pasta al dente in salted water. Strain pasta and save a little of the pasta water. Put 1/2 butter in pasta and let it melt until all the noodles are just shining. Stir in combined ingredients. If pasta seems dry add a little pasta water. Serve with parmesan or granna. Enjoy your heart out.

When you live alone...

2010-04-20T21:30:00.002+02:00

You can eat what you want.

And last night I wanted eggplant.

Fried eggplant.

With a side of green, seedless grapes, spinach and artichoke dip with celery to dip.

Funny thing from the field trip

2010-04-13T16:35:00.002+02:00

I went on the field trip today with work to the zoo. I love rolling my sleeves up and really getting in there with the kids. Because then I get to hear stuff like this:

Leader: Dan, stay here with us. You are so good looking someone might come by and try to snatch you up if we can't see you.

Dan: I didn't hear anything after you said I was good looking.

No sugar update

2010-04-11T10:19:00.002+02:00

I gave up sugar for lent. I felt like I had become too dependent on it and when I gave it up I found out that was true. I went crazy craving sugar. I ate gobs of cheese, chips, peanut butter and other things I'm not proud of to try to replace eating sugar. That wasn't my original plan, but it's how it turned out at the beginning. I didn't eat any sweets or drink any soda for the first few weeks. Towards the end I had a gelato and made a new agreement with myself.

Twice a week. I can eat sweets twice a week.

Then Easter happened. I had the Edy's I love. A piece of Italian cake. Candy. And I'm sure some more sweets that I'm blocking out of my mind. I lost it. I had sugar brain. All week I caught myself dipping animal crackers in a tub of icing until the icing was half gone. I woke up to migraines and a canker sore. I smacked the alarm clock again and again unable to get up because I felt terrible. All from a little sugar.

I didn't realize how much sugar poorly effected me until it came back into my life with such force. I'm sticking with twice a week. It's going to be a life long challenge for me. Like a smoker who quit but still longs for that perfect drag, still hangs out durning co-workers smoking breaks just to breathe a little in. But they do it and so can I.

Winner!

2010-04-10T19:16:00.002+02:00

And the class goes to....

Maya! Who said:

What a great way to celebrate both your birthdays!! I hope your husband will be coming home soon...
I never win anything, but here's for trying anyway since it's such a cool giveaway...!

Here's my favorite bday memories...
When I was in 8th grade, I chose to spend my birthday only with my close friends and family at the waterpark (instead of the big parties with the neighborhood that my mother usually spoiled me with). So, my best friend Monic, my sister Mona, Monic's sister Dina, mom & I went to the waterpark for the day. Despite of mom's warning to get out of the sun and get more sunblock, us girls kept going back to the water without additional sunblock. We spent hours in the water before we finally went home. During dinner was when we finally realized that we got a really terrible sun-burn on our faces and our shoulders & backs. But regardless, it was a great fun day!, even though we paid the price with sun-burns lasting all week long. To this day, it is still my most favorite bday picture. Us 4 girls, dressed in Sunday's best, in front of my ballerina cake, with lobster red faces... :)

Congrats Maya! Please email me at nikki (dot) demarco (at) gmail.com so I can get your info and sign you up.

Thanks to everyone who entered. I can't wait to see your pages and get started with the class.

32?

2010-04-08T23:27:00.002+02:00

April is Month of the Military Child. To celebrate we're having a BBQ tomorrow at work. Tomorrow is also my birthday. Cecilia told all the kids that the BBQ is in honor of my birthday tomorrow, not month of the military child.

They took it and ran like wild fire. I've gotten pictures, cards, well wishes and questions. I'll scan some of the cute cards tomorrow.

So far best question from the kids: "Are you going to be 32 tomorrow?"

I'm turning 26.

Can I refuse?

2010-04-07T21:01:00.002+02:00

Cecilia and I have been wanting to go to Greece this deployment. Heck, I've been wanting to go to Greece since I got here. Last night she found a 6-night cruise for $300 in October.

Three. Hundred. Dollars.

Six nights!

You can't even fly to Greece from Italy for less than $350. I put in my leave slip today. I can't pass this up, right?

Bouna Pasqua!

2010-04-04T09:09:00.003+02:00

Happy Easter! Please don't forget that the real reason to celebrate is that Jesus is risen. If you have any questions about what this means feel free to email me or leave a comment.

I have a bowl of Edy's Loaded Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup with my name on it. Lent is over!

Wowza

2010-04-03T22:33:00.002+02:00

What a response! Thanks everyone who's entered so far and I can't wait to read more birthday memories as the week goes on.

Husband update:

Still in Afghanistan. But! Had a good birthday considering. They don't really have a lot of space where they are and I was concerned about sending him a big gift or a relevant gift. Because really? What do you get someone who's deployed to Afghanistan. I didn't want to find him a really nice gift then just take a picture of it and say, "Oh, hey. Check out this great gift I got you that you can't have for 8 more months."

That'd be awesome of me.

Anyway, I decided to make him a slide show of me acting out 27 things I love about him on his 27th birthday. He loved it. Said it was the best present to date.

Weekend update:

I had a meeting today with Francesca. She's an English lady who's been living in Italy since 1968 who agreed to help me with my Italian. She was so nice and it was fantastic.

Eggstravaganza tomorrow! I'll post pictures and an update with what that means. Until then I'll leave you with the word "eggstravaganza" to ponder.

Night, Bloggers!

Happy Birthdays!!!

2010-04-02T07:29:00.004+02:00

Today's a very special day for me. It's my husband's birthday. Probably my favorite day of the year. Without today happening my life as I'm living it now wouldn't be happening. I wouldn't be in Italy or an army wife or in love. The list goes on.

As it so happens (lots of happenings), my hubster's birthday is exactly one week before mine. So for a week I get to tease him for being an old man because he's a whole two years older than me. Hey, I know we're in our twenties... just go with it.

Anydangway, in honor of our birthdays I'm having a giveaway!!!

I'm giving away a spot in Elsie and Rachel's online art journaling class. To enter please leave your a comment telling me your favorite birthday memory and a way for me to contact you. The last day to enter is next Friday, April 9th on my birthday.

Good luck and happy birthday, Hubs!

Trento

2010-03-31T14:14:00.002+02:00

On Sunday Cecilia and I (plus some other friends) went on an ODR (Outdoor Recreation) trip to the Dolomites. First we stopped at a distillery that makes grappa. They showed us the barrels where the grappa is aged in different types of wooden barrels: cherry, oak or walnut.

After the tour we got a tasting. Then of course we got to browse the shop. I bought some grappa crema di nicciolo. It's a creamy grappa that's hazelnut flavored. I'm thinking a treat in coffee after dinner? Or a necessity in coffee before going to work with the kids?

This is a before picture. That's why I'm smiling. This stuff was no joke. It was 85% alcohol and my sinuses have been clear ever since I drank this glass. It's a good thing grappa is for sipping, not for shooting.

Next we went to Trento where they have a cute little castle.

More importantly (to me anyway) they had a cheese tasting and brewery. I bought some of this yummy cheese that is local to Trento. I asked the lady what it's called and have no recolection of the name. But trust me. It's tasty.

We ate lunch at the brewery and all got pasta typical of the area. Except for Brooke, who got french fries. I'm not sure that she knows we live in Italy.

This is spaetzle allo speck. The green pasta is made with flour, peas (I think), and melted butter. The white pasta is made with flour, potatoes and melted butter, much like gnocchi. The butter flavor was really strong in this dish and really tasty. It made the texture different from gnocchi in a good, buttery way.

After lunch at the brewery we stopped into a little gelateria called "la Delizia" and picked up fresh crepes. Cecilia got nutella and banana and I got cream of chestnut. It was the first time I ever had that spread before, or even heard of it, and man. Delizia for sure.

Tell Your Story

2010-03-24T16:02:00.004+01:00

Elsie and Rachel are going to have an art journaling class!

Sign-ups start April first for this 6-week class. I can't wait to sign up. I've taken craft classes in the past from these ladies and have been so inspired. The class has something posted on t he blog 7 days a week for 6-weeks. The cost is $60 which is a steal if you ask me.

Spaces for their classes always go fast. I'm signing up first thing April first. It's going to be one of the gifts I give myself for my birthday. And maybe one of you if you're lucky.

Wii throw down

2010-03-24T08:15:00.007+01:00

This man below is a pro at smack talk. I got emails at work in the middle of the day about how he runs a bowling club for kids and how he could beat me at Wii bowling no problem. Email after email, meeting in the hall one time after another basically saying to me, "Bring it."

It was brought.

the victor

I work for CYS. It's a big world wide, Army supporting company. I really like working for them. I'm pretty sure some of the reason is because of people like Tom. Tom is a 62 year old, tennis playing, fun loving, veteran and CYS employee.

waiting on the bench

Since Tom is a tennis champ, he thought it would be fun to challenge me and 2 other Army wives to a Wii Sports off. Oh, Tom. Wii isn't like real sports.

Bring it on.

defeat

He did get a knock out on Brooke in round one. But she came back to beat him in boxing 3 knock outs to one.

intense boxing

Cecilia beat him 2 out of three in tennis. Which I think really got him down, being a tennis champ and all.

she wins!

I bowled a 190 to his 122. He was such a good sport and agreed to another match soon. (I'll bring my camera for bigger pictures next time, too.)

Pictureless dinner party

2010-03-22T20:20:00.002+01:00

Bloggers, I had an amazing dinner party this weekend. I made artichokes stuffed with Italian cheeses, Nigella's chicken something with beans and strawberry shortcakes.

Oh, bloggers. I wish you call could have been there.

But! I have good news, this dinner party had 5 people at it. 5! I thought my little round table could only hold four, but no! I think maybe it could even hold six. And once I get more chairs do you know what that means? Forreal dinner parties!!!

I know this post is full of !!! but I can't help it. I'm overly excited at the thought of cooking for lots of people at my very own house.

Man, I wish I would have saved myself one of those artichokes.

Secondo volta di Cinque Terre

2010-03-19T20:51:00.003+01:00

This is my second time going to Cinque Terre. The last time was in 2007 with my brother and sister-in-law.

I went with Cecilia, of course. My BFF and travel buddy. This is the kinda picture you get when you're just trying to lean in and get your less than 5 foot tall friend in the background that is several steps down on the trail. She's trying to look tall. Doing a pretty good job.

We lucked out and got the first sunny day all winter it felt like. The views are amazing.

I want to go back again soon and take about 1300 more pictures.

I'd also like to eat 1300 more pieces of focaccia with pesto from the coast on it. This bruschetta rocked my world.

love walked in

2010-03-18T22:11:00.002+01:00

Oh, love walked in. So good. So, so good. This is the kind of book I want to write one day.

It has all the components I want: a coffee shop, several love stories in multiple forms, travel, death, abandonment, desperation, more love. *sigh*

I have such a crush on this book. I need to read it again and really study it this time. I know I haven't told you about the story at all but I really feel like I need to read it again to really get it and tell it and... I don't know.

Please read this book.

Committed

2010-03-17T15:50:00.002+01:00

I read Committed while my husband was home on R&R. So marriage was fresh in my brain, something I was physically living. Even though I live my marriage every day, I am a married person after all, I don’t live it physically as often as most. As a result, my perspective on marriage is drastically different than most. Certainly different than Elizabeth Gilbert’s.

I felt like this book was a history of marriage according to Gilbert with a few sprinklings of Gilbert’s “the audacity!” throughout. It wasn’t until the end of the book that her story came out full. Which is ok, it’s her non-fiction book and she can write it as she likes. I’m a story person. I want the dish and the relationship. I felt like Gilbert didn’t have a problem with marriage so much as relationships in general but in her mind and experience related all those bad things with marriage.
Gilbert did reconcile herself with institution of marriage. She got married again after all.

Anyway, back to the book. Not what I expected, but good. It really got me thinking about marriage through the ages and what marriage means to me. And maybe that’s what Gilbert wanted to do; make people think about what this whole marriage thing is all about.

Her writing, as always, was succinct and poetic. Good read.

Catch up

2010-03-16T07:41:00.003+01:00

Hello, Readers.

If you're still out there... Since my husband's R&R I have been MIA. But! Things have been happening. Exciting things even. I'm doing a much better job at making my life interesting and full (which it totally wasn't last deployment and thank you to my readers who stuck with me through that even though I know there's only 4 of you and my parents).

Here are things coming soon:

2 book reviews
R&R recap
2 trips to update you on
foodie posts (related to trips)
school stuff
art journaling classes I've been taking
spring cleaning
plans, lists, things to look forward to

Intrigue!

Weekend Out

2010-03-12T10:59:00.000+01:00

I'm heading to Gaeta this weekend for a retreat with PWOC. I went last year at this time and it was beautiful. I'm so excited.

Catch y'all Monday.

4 strong

2010-03-11T22:52:00.002+01:00

It's another great day for me today. My husband an I have been married for 4 years today.

He loves me and I him.

Papa Bear

2010-03-10T20:10:00.005+01:00

Today is a very special day in my world. It's my Papa's birthday.

I got my looks, my prematurely graying hair, my straight teeth, my bluntness, my big heart, my knowledge of what love is, my ability to curl my tongue, and my clear skin from him. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to do things well, my self worth, algebra, how to love by loving my mother and caring for his aging father, and how to do what I say I'm going to do all the time, every time.

The world is lucky to have him and so am I.

Happy birthday, Papa Bear.

Truth Next Exit

2010-02-24T12:00:00.000+01:00

by Michele M. Paiva came to my door via Pump Up Your Book and I'm very glad it did. As the title suggests, truth is the main focus of the book. But it also has elements of focusing on health and well being.

The thing I really liked about this devotional is that it didn't string you along for answers. I'm not sure if that's clear but what I mean is there weren't the stock questions with the stock answers. The questions are really thought provoking and caused me to explore them further in my journal and in prayer.

Now as a special treat Michele M. Paiva took the time to answer a few questions for me:

What does your writing space look like?

I had a room built into my large den. I had collected an old door from a lawyers office that looks to be at least from the 40's. I have old windows that were meant to be outside door/windows.. so when you go into the den, it looks like you are looking at an old store front! I have windows on the other wall, so I get a ton of light. I have an old kitchen table as my desk, book shelves and antique pieces surrounding me. I like to feel like I've stepped back in time. It also offers me seclusion which I so need when I write!

Is there anything you know now, as a published writer, that you wish that you knew when you were just starting?

That no one's opinion really matters but yours, the editor and publisher. No external editor, no book group critiques, not your great aunt or best friend. Write from the heart and let it go from there. It's a business not a self esteem pat on the back; treat it as such. Luckily I only toyed with other's opinions for a very short time, and had confidence not to concern myself about what others thought. I think once you learn to stop looking outside of yourself THEN you are ready to jump in with two feet.

Has writing a devotional always been on your heart or did you find yourself writing it more out of necessity? (Meaning you wanted a devotion like the one you wrote but couldn't find it anywhere.)

Hmmm that is hard. I think it is a bit of both. I couldn't find anything like it through the years and, I always had it in my heart to help people from a more spiritual place.

Who did you dedicate this book to and why?

To my friend Denise, because she is someone who puts emphasis on truth.

Thank you so much Michele!

Sugar Free Journey

2010-02-17T16:37:00.003+01:00

I'm giving up sugar for lent. No soda. No cake. No chocolate. No peanut butter M&M's.

I didn't have a fat Tuesday and I'm glad. I think it'd be harder to quit if I'd had an all out sugar coma the day before going cold turkey. In the past I never observed lent, but ever since marrying my catholic husband I've stopped eating meat certain Fridays. I love the concept of fasting. Praying when you feel a craving. A public declaration of faith. The world has too few of those now-a-days. This is a huge one for me.

I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to sugar. I know that's a big word, addiction. Everyday after lunch I get the itch. The sugar itch. Must. Have. Something. Sweet. Not no more. I'm not going to let a substance control me. It's going to be hard. I'm no fool. But that's why God gave us prayer. (Also, distractions. Thank you Google Reader.) So, I'll let you know how it's going. How I'm feeling (watch out for a few whining posts). The improvements in my health since giving it up. I'm looking forward to being a healthier, stronger Nikki.

Thanks for sharing this with me.

This guy...

2010-02-13T09:17:00.002+01:00

Posts had just gotten back to a regular rhythm, but they are about to be interrupted by this guy. My husband is coming home for R&R today!

Let me show you my level of excitement by the amount of things I couldn't focus on:

missed a meeting with housing
my boss had to repeat everything to me 3 times
I left the groceries in the car overnight
this is the end of my list

Have a wonderful Valentine's day. Mine is going to be my best Valentine's ever because my Valentine will actually be here for Valentine's day.

(For the record amount of times the word "Valentine" has been used in a sentence see above.)

True Color?

2010-02-12T17:55:00.003+01:00

Take the True Value Paint Color quiz to find out what color you are.

I'm yellow:

You are quite the powerful thinker. It’s this talent that allows you to overcome a plethora of great obstacles. Luckily, this doesn’t affect your ego and you give off a pretty easy-going appearance. You enjoy the finer things in life and also have an attraction to art. If you can help it, you try not to rock the boat. But you also can’t stop yourself from searching for new ideas, methods or styles.

A little fun for your long weekend (if you're American).

I have some big, big, BIG! news tomorrow. See ya then.

2010-02-11T21:59:00.002+01:00

Just a quick blog tonight. I wanted to send a thank you out to Corey Marie for giving me her "I LOVE YOU" printable mini album kit. I just downloaded it and it's super cute. I can't wait to print it out tomorrow.

Lately I've been trying to observe more textures and patterns in every day life. I took this picture when I went to Venice last weekend in a church. It's a section of the floor there. Maybe good inspiration for an art journal page? Goodnight my loves.

Corey Marie Give-away

2010-02-10T21:42:00.002+01:00

Corey Marie is having a snow day give-away on her blog! She's giving away 10 "I LOVE YOU" mini album kits. I'm pretty sure on this give-away, everyone's a winner.

Carnevale Dolce

2010-02-09T21:00:00.002+01:00

The nice thing about Carnevale is that it's a feste. With feste there comes, what I call, the "State Fair" food. Near the Accademia, at the end of a large bridge, there's a crepe stand.

I know crepes are french, but these Italian ones were just as good as the ones I've had in France. I got a cinnamon sugar one. I do not regret it.

A famous feste food in Italy is the frittella. It's fried dough coated in sugar. The same idea as the American funnel cake.

Usually at the small local festivals the dough is molded into a flat disk, fried and coated in sugar. The ones we found in Venice were spherical and filled with... just about whatever you like.

Naturally, I chose chocolate. Another decision I do not regret. It was moist, sweet but not too rich. The sugar coating was flavored with lemon to make a sharp tartness followed by sweet, chocolately goodness.

Il mio primo Carnevale

2010-02-08T21:19:00.004+01:00

Can you believe that this was my first Carnevale?

3.5 years in Italy and never ever been.

I caught this lady in the act of making a mask. I was just trying to take a picture of the mask she just made. She posed for me instead.

Cecilia loves Carnevale.

Check out this cool Elvis mask we found. Too bad it was like 200 euros. I would have bought it for the hubs.

2010-02-07T06:52:00.002+01:00

Over 3 years I've lived about 45 minutes from Venice. In all that time I've never been to Carnevale.

That changes today my friends. Today.

My camera battery is charging as we speak. My jeans are drying as we speak. My tummy is growling as we speak. My dreams are dreaming about coffee as we speak. My weather checker is weather checking... in just a minute when I'm done with this post.

Hope you have a magical Sunday

Water, water everywhere and not a drop for me

2010-02-05T16:07:00.002+01:00

My other landlord came today. My landlord, landlord. Not to be confused with his son, who came Monday to tell me about the ticket on my door which never came by the way. He told me they aren't able to connect my water today because it's raining. They did fiddle with my gas though.

While waiting for the fiddling to be done he told me that he has a chiwawa for me. He breeds dogs and about 2 years ago, the last time my husband deployed, we were going to get a Yorkie from him. It ending up falling through and we were pretty glad about it. But ever since, he's been trying to get us to buy a chiwawa. He said he's going to pick me up Monday to check them out. If only he was so adamate about getting my water hooked up.

Buona settimana fine!

Oh the jackhammers!

2010-02-01T20:47:00.002+01:00

Today is the day of jackhammer alarm clocks. And regular hammers. And these two in my yard. When I came home from Paris I found the hole this man is standing in in my yard. It just sat there, open for about 3 weeks. Why didn't I call and ask someone about it? Because I've lived in Italy over three years and adapted their come-what-may attitude. If fate or God or the virgin Mary wanted me to know what the hole was about, then I'd find out. Three short weeks after the hole these Italian work men came (yes, in the winter almost all workmen wear bright, orange, reflective jumpsuits) and started banging about.

Let me back up. We have well water here at the house. In the middle of December a notice was posted that the water in my town was no longer potable. It seems that some chemicals have leaked into the water supply. It is ok to wash in and is ok to drink if it has been boiled because the chemicals will boil off. So we had a town meeting a week after the notices were posted. The landlords of the Americans living here and the command decided that the best way to remedy this is to connect us to the city water supply. We Americans living in this town got an email from the housing office that said that we should have drinking water by the end of January. Normally it would take about two weeks for the water to be fixed, but because of the Christmas season it would take a month and a half.

Oh, Italy.

My landlords son stopped by this evening telling me that they were going to connect the water tomorrow morning. He's going to post to make sure that everything is ok with us being billed by the city and that housing knows what's up. He said that if I come home from work and there's a ticket on my door, everything is ok. Just have to run my water for 10 minutes from every faucet and I'm good to go.

It seems like everything is happening so fast now. Jackhammers. Landlord's son. Water connect. Maybe the hole will be filled tomorrow, too.

Let the mensturals rejoice!

2010-01-27T21:25:00.002+01:00

Apple has presented their new iPad. Most menstrual name ever? Yes. Do I want one? Also, yes. Maybe if I put my iTouch under my pillow tonight it will grow into a big iPad like in this picture. I'm a dreamer.

Flakes

2010-01-26T19:56:00.002+01:00

It was snowing today in my part of Italy. Beautiful, steady flakes for over three hours. None of it stuck and had stopped by the time I left work. But for those three hours I was a little kid from Virginia excited at the prospect of no school. I kept getting up from my desk to peek out the window, making sure the snow kept up its hard work of keeping me distracted. I checked the weather online and the internets said that it's supposed to snow on and off all night. Hope springs eternal.

Cecilia turns 25

2010-01-25T09:20:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was Cecilia's birthday. She turned 25, as you can see by the crown we made her.

We also made ourselves party hats and found some cute animal noses to add to the festivities. I was the elephant. Even though you can't see it in that picture, I was smiling. Maybe you can tell from my smiling eyes.

Missy (the wearer of the pig nose) brought the salad. I made the Pioneer Woman's stuffed mushrooms. The mushrooms are filled with cream cheese, onions, garlic, white wine and sausage.

The chicken is from the new cookbook I got in the mail last week: Nigella Express. It has four ingredients: chicken, garlic infused olive oil, bacon and white wine. It was moist, it was bacony, it made me do my happy dance. (I'm not kidding. I do a little happy dance in my seat when I eat good food.)

Finally to top it off we had cornbread. When I asked Cecilia what she wanted for her birthday dinner the only answer I got from her was, "Umm.... Oh! cornbread." Cornbread it was.

The girls

2010-01-23T22:54:00.002+01:00

Cecilia turns 25 tomorrow. We girls know how to throw a wild party. Will post the menu and details tomorrow.

Happy Saturday!

Turkey Chili

2010-01-21T20:41:00.002+01:00

I made turkey chili last week. I made it and froze some and fridged some. All of the internets say that PLANNING and making AHEAD is the way to succeed at... everything. Weight loss, saving money, curing what ails you, and the secret to life.

So I tried it and I think the internets are on to something. Planning really might be the secret to life. The jury's still out on whether it's a secret that really wants to be found out or not, but the internets do know something.

Now, about the bowling turkey. I have every intention of coming home tonight and taking a picture of my final portion of turkey chili. I was going to grate some cheddar cheese on top and take a beautiful photograph. But when I got home I was hungry and I ate the chili. Because it was delicious. So instead of a picture of an empty bowl, you get a bowling turkey. Fair trade.

This is a very rough recipe because I mostly just threw in stuff that I had in my fridge, which is really something wonderful about chili. It can be made differently every time and still come out delicious.

Turkey Chili of Last Week

3/4 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms,

1 medium onion

2 cloves garlic

32 oz can crushed tomatoes

16 oz can kidney beans

1 Tablespoon chili powder

3 shakes red pepper

2 Teaspoons Oregano

In a large pot saute onion, mushrooms and garlic while browning the ground turkey. Once the turkey is cooked through and the onions are transparent, add the crushed tomatoes, drained kidney beans, chili powder, red pepper and oregano. Stir together and let cook 30-45 minutes until flavors are nicely combined.

Shakespeare and Company

2010-01-20T16:18:00.002+01:00

This to date is my favorite spot in Paris. It's a little book shop a stone's throw from Notre Dame.

Shakespeare and Company was established by an American woman at the turn of the 19th century.

Hoards of American writers flocked here during prohibition time so they could find their muse.

AKA, get drunkity drunk drunk.

The likes of Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and Oscar Wilde are said to have hung out here.

I bought Elizabeth Gilbert's new book Committed while I was here and a canvas book bag with a picture of the store front on it. I wish I could have spent the rest of the afternoon here. But it was raining (how poetic!) and there was Chinese food to be eaten.

Paris in pictures

2010-01-19T16:50:00.004+01:00

Trip stats:
Times locked in or out of the metro due to faulty all day ticket: 7
Croissants eaten: 12
Books bought: 1
Monets seen: 3 floors worth
Nights of Chinese: 1
Late night fights over heard: 1
Beds per person: .5
Smelly Europeans next to me on flight: 1
Crepes: 1.5

Bon weekend!

2010-01-15T15:59:00.003+01:00

I'm going to Paris this weekend. I've never been. Can you believe that I've lived in Europe for 3 1/2 years and I've never been to Paris? C'est la vie.

source

One of the dreams I have is eating my way through France. When I went to Lyon last year I couldn't get over how good everything was. And I live in Italy. I'm taking my camera and plan to take lots of pictures and remember how everything tasted.

I can't wait. Have a great (3-day for my American friends) weekend!

Help Haiti

2010-01-13T23:14:00.002+01:00

Looking for some ways to help the people in Haiti? Here's a few I've found:

CNN listed a number of charities that are helping out in Haiti. Please visit their websites for further information.

The Red Cross is donating $10 for every "Haiti" text they get to 90999.

Yoko Ono is telling people about helpful charities too.

Joyce Meyer Ministires already had missions set up in Haiti and are there as first responders. Here's how you can help them help Haiti.

My good friend Jocelyn was in Haiti doing missions when the earthquake hurt. She's safe, and the people she is staying with are ok, but their building is in shambles. Please keep them, and all of Haiti, in your prayers.

French Milk

2010-01-11T13:17:00.002+01:00

French Milk by Lucy Knisley is my first graphic novel. I am so inspired by this book. I am starting to get into art journaling. French Milk is Lucy's journal of her trip to Paris with her mother for 5 weeks. It includes pictures and drawings and explinations. Plus Lucy is kind of a foodie like myself and documents what they eat the whole time, which I love. Some of the reason this book really hit home with me is because I love hearing people's stories. What they did, what it looks like, what they were feeling. Knisley encompassed all of that.

I borrowed this book from the library, but am seriously thinking about buying this book so I can study her sketches and be inspired over and over.

This weekend over President's day I'm going to Paris with Cecilia. After reading French Milk I'm even more excited for my trip. We plan on hitting all of the major tourist attractions one day and the Palace of Versailles the next. I'm not sure if this is true, but I heard that you can rent golf carts to drive around the grounds of Versailles. I hope it's so. I hope it in my heart of hearts.

New shoes for school

2010-01-10T19:30:00.004+01:00

This past week was pretty intense for me because I was working the split shift (which means 0545-0945 then again 1300-1800, rough). So yesterday I woke up at 6 am and felt like I had slept until 11. On my break in the middle of the day I worked on school work, so by the time I got home at 7 my brain was pudding. I was just functioning enough to pour cereal in a bowl then pour myself into bed at 815. I'm not kidding. Last week I was in bed by 815 every night. Wild, I know.

It's given me a lot perspective on the American lifestyle. Work, work, work isn't healthy. I'm going to be very glad to have my quiet mornings again to work on school work and exercise and sip tea. All good productive things. I like to take a little time at the end of everyday to sit and think about my day. What was good. What was wasted. How to change tomorrow. Quiet tea in the morning? Good. Exercise? Good. Watching E! in the morning for 2 hours before work? Waste.

The school work went great, so to reward myself I went shopping:

Please notice the cute head band and adorable Italian sneaks.

That silver stripe is full of sparkles, didn't really come out in the picture. I've been looking for black sneaks for MONTHS. Plus these are velcro, I LOVE velcro. You don't have to waste all that time with tying and re-tying and double knots.

Maybe I'll post some pictures on adventures my new shoes are going to take. I'm so glad to be back to the land of the living.

Pasta con pepperoni

2010-01-05T15:34:00.005+01:00

I'm not usually a pepper girl. Black pepper? Yes, please! Some heat I can handle, but the taste of peppers themselves? I'll pass. That was until last Sunday when I went to Giovanna's house and she made a peppery cream sauce. It was outstanding.

Even though I watched as Giovanna prepared the simple dish, I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to create it myself. Since I was preparing it for some friends, I thought something would go wrong. It's just like me to make a dish I've never made to bring to a potluck or serve at a party. Preparing something you KNOW is going to taste good is boring, especially for me since my guinea pig is currently MIA.

The girls loved it.

Pasta con pepperoni

1 small onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 pint light cream

2 Tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 pound pasta

parmesean cheese (added at table to taste)

Chop onion and peppers. Coat pan with olive oil and add chopped onions and peppers. Let simmer until soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile set a pot of water to boil then cook pasta to taste (11 minutes for al dente). Add the salt and pepper and cream while the pasta is cooking and let reduce into a sauce. Once the pasta is finished strain it and add to the sauce. Serve with parmesean cheese and watch the people at the table light up.

Ciao 2010!

2010-01-02T12:19:00.002+01:00

I spent the first half of yesterday relaxing and journaling and welcoming 2010. The second part of the day I spent rumping through Venice. I hope that yesterday is representative of how 2010 treats me. Quiet, reflective and adventurous, observing.

Venice is still bearing a fair amount of their Christmas lights.

A lot of the stores were closed because they were observing the new year holiday (as you can see of this picture taken on the Rialto bridge.

Welcome 2010. I can't wait to start our adventure together.

Ciao, 2009!

2009-12-31T11:50:00.005+01:00

Today I find myself, as I'm sure most of the world is, reflecting on 2009. Without a doubt 2009 is the year I've spent the most consecutive time with my husband. That alone makes it the best year to date. While it hasn't been as world shaking as 2006 (I graduated college, got married, moved to Italy and started my first job), I've had so many more adventures and experienced more things than I ever thought that a little girl born in Wichita, Kansas, would ever live to see.

Some 2009 highlights:

I got high-speed, wireless internet (lived without for 3 years)
5th visit to Rome
My first visit to France
I fell in love with Dusseldorf
I became a commander's wife
Saw my first rugby match
Went to Oktoberfest
Said goodbye to my husband for the second time

And resolutions? I don't think I really have any this year. I do think I'm going to try to spend a little less time on Twitter and a little more time creating. Creating in all ways: cooking, writing, crafting, learning, stretching, conversing, creating more balance.

Now that I type it out that acutally looks like one of the biggest resolutions I've ever made.

Goodbye, 2009, you've been so good to me. Arrivederci!

After Christmas shopping

2009-12-29T17:30:00.004+01:00

One thing I miss the most about the States is the clearance, especially after Christmas sales. At least I have the miracle of the internets and the internets have spread their world wide web tendrils to my Macbook. And my Visa.

50% off at Barnes and Noble.

A list, yes?

The Shaper the Knife the less You Cry
Nigella Express
How to Eat
The Wilde Women
The Prince of Tides
Love Walked In

There are two Nigella Lawson books on there. She writes her cookbooks like books to be read, not directions to be followed. Her love for simple, well made food is something that I admire and share.

Plus she's gorgeous.

And my 3 year old nephew saw a picture of her once and said, "It's Nikki!" My aspirations of secretly taking over Nigella's life and making it my own started then.

I've been thinking about new year's resolutions. I just made my deployment goals so new years resolutions for me seem like they'd just be echoing what I've already set out to do. That doesn't mean I'm not making some. I'll keep you posted.

Resolutions for y'all?

Merry Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T11:30:00.003+01:00

I don't know how many of you know about life at an APO. But the government tries to provide the people here with basic comforts of home. One of those comforts is publishing a newspaper in English that can even be delivered to your house. (or you can check it out online) This is today's front page. The small print under the picture says:

With sleigh bells attached to his rucksack, Mike Lord waits for a helicopter at Camp Liberty in Baghdad on Tuesday. Lord, a civilian contractor at the base, said he'd grown out his hair and beard for the season and planned to visit as many U.S. bases as he could in his up-armored sleigh.

People like Mike Lord make me smile.