Friday Randoms

How cute does my nephew look in the little sunnies I bought him?!

They are baby sunglasses, but still look a little big for him.

My new Easter wreaths bought at 50% off after the big day.

I'm all about stocking up for next year's holidays when everything is on sale.

I love it when you order things and they come wrapped up all cute.

Supplies for Ty's graduation party from Shop Sweet Lulu. They have the cutest things!

I made Symphony Brownies for my student workers' last day in the office.

I'd say they were a hit.

Have y'all tried the Twix ice cream bars? I bought them at Target a few weeks ago. They are only 90 calories and oh so yummy!

This is the only picture I could find online, so excuse how tiny it is. I could eat the whole box in one sitting and probably would if Ty wasn't around to witness it. Why did I have to discover these things on his vacation month? haha.

TGIF!

recent reads

I can not travel without having a book with me. I don't understand how people can sit on airplanes with nothing to do, but twiddle their thumbs. I need something to pass the time. Some of the books below I read while traveling, others just at home.

My sister-in-law bought me this book for me for Christmas. It was a good bedtime read, meaning it was easy to put down and go to sleep, but not at all boring. I have a problem with reading books in bed and staying up way too late. This one was perfect for me!

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

This was such a good book! I know I mentioned going to see the movie already, but it really did the book justice. Of course, the book was better, but the movie was still good.
Definitely a must read!

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

My sister-in-law suggested this book to me and let me borrow it. I have wanted to read it for some time, but it is a thick book and for some reason that always stopped me.

Two sisters competing for the greatest prize: the love of a king. When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling tale of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her own heart.

Ty and I watched a season of The Tudors last year on netflix and it is about the same thing, just told in very different ways. The book gives you a better idea of what that time period was like for women.

My current book:

Ty recently read this book and suggested that I read it to get a better understanding of what residency would be like. Atul Gawande did a general surgery residency just like Ty will be starting in July. I would suggest this to other spouses whose husbands/wives are about to begin residnency, regardless of the specialty. Gawande does a great job of telling stories about patients to explain his points. I think I will probably touch more on this closer to graduation.

"Sometimes in medicine the only way to know what is truly going on in a patient is to operate, to look inside with one's own eyes. This book is exploratory surgery on medicine itself, laying bare a science not in its idealized form but as it actually is - complicated, perplexing, and profoundly human." Atul Gawande offers an unflinching view from the scalpel's edge, where science is ambiguous, information is limited, the stakes are high, yet decisions must be made. In dramatic and revealing stories of patients and doctors, he explores how deadly mistakes occur and why good surgeons go bad. He shows what happens when medicine comes up against the inexplicable: an architect with incapacitating back pain for which there is no physical cause; a young woman with nausea that won't go away; a television newscaster whose blushing is so severe that she cannot do her job. And in a richly detailed portrait of both the people and the science, Gawande also ponders the human factor that makes saving lives possible.

Have you read any good books lately?

Bark in the Park

My weekend started early Friday afternoon. I had lunch with Chesley and then decided not to go back to work. The weather was great and Ty was sitting at home doing nothing and I wanted to join him. My afternoon meeting had been canceled, so I figured why not.

Ty and I took Nuts to the park to enjoy the sunshine.




Jane and I went to see a late afternoon showing of Water for Elephants. We both thought the movie did the book justice. I hardly ever say that about books turned into movies. If you haven't read this book, you should.

Saturday night we went to Bark in the Park. Our minor league baseball team allows dogs to attend games on certain nights. I have been wanting to take Nuts and a coworker of mine had extra tickets. We were afraid that the game might get rained out, but the weather was perfect.




Nuts did a great job and sat on my lap through the whole game. However, we did have one minor problem. Nuts hated Hornsby, the mascot. He barked and barked at this blue cow. Nuts doesn't bark very often, so you know it is serious when he does. Poor guy just didn't want the blue cow in his line of vision. It was hilarious!

He had our whole section laughing at his pathetic, little bark. It was our first game in the new stadium and we can't wait to go back.

We enjoyed a very non-traditional Easter Sunday. We went to church, had Bueno for lunch, worked out, watched Despicable Me and lounged. We missed being with our families, especially all the little ones, who I'm sure had a great time hunting eggs. We've already been home a couple of times in the last month or so and we will see everyone in a couple of weeks for Ty's graduation, so it just didn't make sense to make the drive down there. There is always next year.

I hope everyone had a great Easter weekend!

Charm City

I had an all day meeting in Baltimore for work last week. I used my airline miles for Ty to tag along. It has been so much fun to travel with him this month. Our hotel was in the Inner Harbor area and had fantastic views of the water from our room.

Don't you just want to be on one of those sailboats?

We got into Baltimore on Thursday afternoon and the weather was absolutely gorgeous! We explored the Inner Harbor area and ate yummy seafood. We sat out on one of the docks on the harbor for the longest time. It was so relaxing. I could have laid down and taken a nap.

This pink dog was on display in the visitor's center to encourage people to visit one of the many art museums. It was made out of pink chiffon and tulle.

Thursday evening we attended a reception at the aquarium. It was one of the nicest aquariums I have been to and our group was the only one there! No bus loads of school children, no big crowds--it was the best way to visit an aquarium. :)

I was in meetings all day Friday, but Ty was able to do some exploring. He went all over the place and took water taxis to get everywhere.

One of the places he went to was Fort McHenry, the birthplace of the National Anthem.

Friday night we walked to Fell's Point, an old historic district. The weather had gotten chilly and windy, but we made the best of it.

I loved the cobblestone streets and the bricked sidewalk. I am obsessed with chevron and loved that it was used everywhere in Baltimore, including the sidewalks.

From Fell's Point we walked to Little Italy for dinner at Ammici's. It was pretty tasty and the portions were huge!


View of the skyline from our hotel


Saturday morning we woke up to rain and it didn't stop until after we had gone to bed that night. I'm so glad we got to enjoy the beautiful weather on Thursday. We rented a car Saturday morning and drove about an hour to a small town north of Baltimore to visit a friend from high school. You may remember Ginger from my trips to DC and Philadelphia. She and her parents moved to the Northeast a couple of years ago. We grew up together and went to the same church. It was so much fun to hang out with her and her parents.

Ginger took us to on a scenic (rainy) drive to visit a little Amish store where we got whoopie pies and I bought some peach jam to take home.


We had a crab feast for lunch in her town--crab legs and crab cakes. Yummy! She drove us across the border to Delaware to go shopping. It was about 15 minutes from their house and they do all their shopping in Delaware, because it is tax free. We came home had the best delivery pizza ever and played monopoly on the iPad. {Playing monopoly on the iPad is the best way to play. No set up, no counting money, no clean up--so easy! I think I need an iPad just to play board games on.}

We left early the next morning to return home. It was such a nice trip. Ty and I love visiting the Northeastern part of the country and want to visit so many other cities in that area. There is so much to do and see and the history is just amazing.

pretty paper

Or in this case maybe it should be handsome paper, but I like alliteration. I was contacted by Tiny Prints to try out their products. Tiny Prints provides simple, modern and unique stationery from Easter cards and Mother’s Day cards to personalized greeting cards, thank you cards, business cards, and even custom wedding invitations. Offering exclusive designs from the nation’s top designers, easy card personalization, a powerful preview engine and top-notch customer service and paper quality, their designs have been lauded by numerous television networks, publications and celebrities. With Tiny Prints by your side commemorating every holiday and momentous occasion is a cinch! They offer perfect party invitations for every occasion and memorable personalized photo-gifts like notebooks, photo books and calendars.

I loved all their stationery options, but I currently have a huge pile of stationery just waiting to be used. I loved all their address labels, address stamps, and moving cards, but alas, our house hasn't sold and I don't know what our address will be in the coming months. Then, I saw their masculine line of stationery and I was sold. It was perfect for Ty, who will need thank you cards for graduation. I fell in love with this monogram and chevron pattern.

I took a picture of Ty's stationery, but by the time I had blurred everything out it looked silly. The cardstock is a really nice quality--very thick. The paper is textured and I wish I would have paid more attention to that when I placed the order. I would rather it be smooth. Either way it still looks really nice.

I also ordered these fun stickers to place on food at potlucks, gifts, and taking meals to friends.

They have great customer service and really allow you to personalize items, by choosing your font and being able to preview it as you go. They also send you a proof to approve before they make your order. In the future, when we have children I would love to use them for birth announcement and birthday party invitations. Until then, I will be checking them out for personal stationery and if we ever sell our house, new address labels! :)

Greetings from Nashville

Ty and I went on a recruitment trip/conference together this past week. I love that he is able to travel with me as an ambassador. He always does such a good job talking with prospective students and pre-med advisors.

Laura told me about Design Sponge's travel reviews and I will never go on a trip again without looking at her site. The post had so many great suggestions.

I wish we would have had more time to explore the city. We spent a lot of time around Vanderbilt and Ty shadowed one of our alumni, who now works at the Vanderbilt medical school. It is such a great campus and the surrounding neighborhoods are very fun.

The Parthenon

Took a walk on the pedestrian bridge to get a good view of downtown


Dinner one night at the Tin Angel; Lobster & shrimp risotto with red & yellow tomatoes.


Dinner downtown at Jack's BBQ






Belmont University campus

We tried to go to lunch in East Nashville at I Dream of Weenie, a hot dog stand, but they had closed up early. Very cute set-up though!

Instead we ate at Marche Artisan Foods and enjoyed homemade ice cream at the Pied Piper Creamery. The strawberry was oh so good!

Nashville is a very friendly city. And those accents. Oh, those accents. I wish I had a southern accent. I just loved it.

It happened. Again.

Some of you may remember this post about Nuts and his squirrel. Nuts tore up his favorite toy and Ty re-stuffed it and sutured it up good as new. He has had this toy for about 3.5 years. I think Nuts gets stressed when one of us is away for the night. He likes his little family to be all together. Ty was on ICU nights and Nuts demolished his squirrel, his best friend in the whole world. It was sad. I sent Ty these pictures and he said to book him for surgery in the morning. ha! The squirrel is good as new and Nuts is one happy pooch!

Can you tell how exciting our lives are right now? Great blog material over here.

need some recs & home

I attended a career fair for work at a university near my parents' house. Ty and I went down the night before and we celebrated my Dad's birthday. I made cake balls for the occasion!


My nephew, Mason, came to visit me at the career fair. Such a cutie!


Ty and I are going on a couple of trips in the coming months. Does anyone have any good recommendations for Nashville or Baltimore?

the weekend

Saturday morning I participated in the American Heart Association, Heart Walk with Team Cohen. We all wore matching shirts, which were so cute. It was such an honor to be there to support such a great cause and on a more personal note, Megan and Brent. Ty, Nuts, and I spent Sunday afternoon at the park while we had an open house. C'mon someone buy our house! :)

My poor husband has to put up with all kinds of weird conversations from me, but today might have been one of the oddest. Me: If I died and you had to come identify me and my face was unrecognizable, what identifiers would you use? Ty: They would use your teeth. (What a smarty! I didn't count on that response.) Me: All of my teeth are missing, now what? I then proceed to point out all of my identifiers. I also have a conversation with him quite frequently about how he needs to watch me do my make-up, in case I'm ever unable to do so. It will be important for him to do it for me and know how to do it right. I'm a (morbid) weirdo, what can I say?