Lex and Learn

On my business trip to Albuquerque last week, I had just enough time to quickly shop and treat myself to a new pair of cowboy boots in the Old Town area. I’ve been looking for a pair since last year but haven’t been able to part with the amount of cash many brands demand. So I was thrilled when I spotted these for about $150. Score!

But now the West coast girl in me asks, what the heck do I pair them with this fall and winter…aside from jeans of course!? I did some research into “cowboy boot fashion” and am inspired but some of the outfits I see. Now I just need to get the guts to rock them.

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How do you rock your cowboy boots?

 
“Purple heaven” is the best phrase to describe acai bowls at the Big Squeeze in San Diego. I used to frequent this spot at least once a week and a trip to San Diego is now not complete with at least one huge bowl to satisfy my acai cravings.

One bowl contains a base of acai, blended with a banana and your choice of apple juice or soy milk. Then it is topped with granola, fresh peaches and strawberries, and honey. When I am really hungry I like to add extra granola and fresh blueberries too.

We need a stellar acai bowl shop in Denver or Boulder. Who is with me?

Palms are sweaty. There’s vomit on her sweater already.

Well, the second line (stolen from the great Eminem song) is an overstatement as my sweater is still perfectly clean. However, it is pretty much exactly how I felt when I found my gate at Denver International Airport this morning and quickly realized that I would be boarding my first prop plane.

I am a nervous flier. Like, a really nervous flier. “Bumps,” as pilots casually refer to them, scare the living crap out of me, and I sometimes curse myself for choosing to live in a city that is almost always a roller coaster to land at. A glass of wine takes the edge off, but when there is real weather to fly through I am not even sure a Xanax would do the trick.

[Note. I began typing this post on my flight to Albuquerque for work yesterday, but had to finish tonight because we hit turbulence over the San Juan mountain range and I was too scared to focus on anything other than deep breathing.]

Ok, where were we? Well, I am attempting to type this while back on another prop plane headed home—only this time we had the pleasure of taking off in Albuquerque during a rainstorm and flew through clouds and weather the entire way home. Thankfully, my very thoughtful colleague Ramonna bought me a wooden token at the airport gift store that depicts the Franciscan patron saint of flight. I’ll also be buying wine if they let the flight attendants up out of their seats.

I know I am not alone in this fear. Not by a long shot. But it is a hard one to explain, and people just aren’t sure how to help. I am not even sure a “cure” beyond wine or other adult beverages exists. If there is one, I need to know about it ASAP.

Are you, or is someone you know, a nervous/terrified flier? What gets you through those white-knuckle flights?

EEK! Big bumps. Gotta go.

The snooze button is my very best friend in the morning. Every time I hit it, I cut out something in my “get ready” routine. From shaving my legs to doing my hair to eating breakfast, those nine extra minutes are worth the insanity that ensues to get me out the door on time.

But ever since my friend Paige got us the most amazing Kitchenaid blender as a wedding present, I’ve cut at least one snooze round of out my routine to prepare a fruit smoothie as the perfect start to the day. Following a few tips from my mom, I keep frozen fruit on hand and have also started to add one half scoop of protein powder to keep me full longer.The result? A yummy, portable and extremely filling breakfast smoothie that usually keeps me fueled until lunch.

Personal Smoothie Recipe:

• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• Half of a fresh (or fresh frozen) banana
• 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (sub for ice if desired)
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 1/2 scoop protein or whey protein powder

Blend, pour in a cute portable cup, and enjoy!

What gets you out of the front door in the morning?

Our wedding reception was wild. Forget the drinks, the band had people of all ages on their feet all night long. We based our entire budget around having Funkiphino play at our reception, and in our opinion they were worth every single penny.

Funkiphino is a 13 piece funk band that plays everything from Justin Timberlake to the Beastie Boys to Earth Wind and Fire and Journey, and then some.

Unlike the other wedding photo blog posts I’ve done lately, I love each of these shots too much to edit them down into a collage. So, sit back and enjoy the crazy evening that was our wedding reception!

To provide some extra context, our wedding party was introduced to “Hey Ya” by Outkast and the 12 of us (plus Mike and I) went absolutely nuts. The rehearsed “entrance routines” and loud singing/screaming certainly set the stage for the evening.

Our friends also LOVE to form dance floor circles and show off ridiculous dancing antics in the middle, including sliding on their stomachs from one side to another. Finally, at about 10:15 p.m., we brought our “party accelerators,” which consisted of plastic gangster hats, feather boas, blowup microphones, colored glasses and more. Needless to say, they were a hit.

What picture is your favorite?

Yesterday I addressed how oddly difficult it can be to answer the question, “how’s married life?”

Next up is the mother of all questions…“Do you want kids?” However, this is actually a much easier question to answer in my opinion.

Our short answer is “yes, very much so.” The longer answer is “yes, very much so, but we have a lot to do before we’re ready.”

Mike and I are lucky in that we are able to spend quite a bit of time around his sister, brother in law and our twin nieces. The girls are precious, but we also get to learn about just how much goes in to having a little one. Money, time, a complete willingness to give up all selfish habits from your “single” days—everything. To be the type of parents we want to be, we need to be 100% ready to give 200% (and then some) to the little person we bring into this world.

And we’re not there yet. We need to save more money, primarily so we can put a down payment on a house. We want to travel to a few more dream destinations, like Greece, Peru and Argentina. I don’t own a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes yet, and there is no way I can justify those with a baby. Note to self…must save for ridiculous pair of shoes. And most importantly, we need to enjoy the elusive “just us” stage until we can even think about expanding our family.

But we definitely want kids. No doubt about it. (Mom and Gail, don’t panic!)

Until then…we’re available for babysitting!

Note: Mike was consulted before posting and has approved this message

Apparently, when you are a shiny, wide-grinning newlywed, people can usually only think of two questions to ask you.

#1 – How is married life?
#2 – Are you going to have kids?

May I preface this post by saying that I am in absolutely no way offended or bothered by either question in the least. They are perfectly natural questions and I know that I’ve posed them to many of my friends after their weddings. But now that I am on the receiving end of such inquiries, I’ve been surprised at how the answers don’t always flow naturally.

Answering #1…
I assume that many couples could go on and on about the changes getting married brings. Maybe it’s moving in together—that’s a big one. Perhaps they have learned a few new “surprising” habits about their mate. Or often it’s the shock of merging finances and learning that she buys more at the mall than previously thought.

Times have changed though, and more couples are waiting longer to get hitched and enjoying some of the big steps in the journey before the bling goes on the finger. We’re one of those couples.

Mike and I celebrated eight years of being together (with no break-ups) the morning after we said our vows. We have also been living together for around three years, so I already knew that he cannot close a kitchen cabinet to save his life, and he was well aware that I leave shoes everywhere. We opened a joint checking and savings account while engaged while also keeping our own accounts for when we want “our own money.” We have a child, albeit a furry one, and all the costs, responsibilities and worries that come along with him. We still rent, and are quite a ways away from being able to buy a home. He loved me through adult full-mouth (silver) braces and a bout of alopecia. I loved him through a hellacious home renovation and the overgrown sideburns he lovingly called “chops.”

I guess what I am getting at is, life post-wedding weekend really hasn’t changed that much.

Of course there have been some subtle shifts—moments that I honestly never expected. For example, when Mike first said to a stranger, “it will be my wife and I coming,” my heart skipped a beat. I smile when people overhear me say Alexis Anzalone and correct me that I’m now an Anderson (well not on paper, but I haven’t been in the mood to brave the DMV). I miss Mike more when we’re apart, and consciously work harder to soak in each other when we’re together. I sometimes giggle when saying, “my husband,” and feel an intangible sense of security that I swore was there before, but apparently not in the same way. Finally, I love his ring…and I love him wearing it. It is sexy, special and surreal all at once.

But no one wants to hear that long of an answer. My apologies for making you read through it!

So from now on when people ask, “how’s married life,” I am just going to smile and respond, “it is really wonderful.”

I’ll address #2 tomorrow!