Vegetarian December

So I don't think I have even mentioned this, it's sorta slipped my mind. After reading a crazy book that basically tries to convince its readers to become vegetarian/vegan for many reasons a few of which include the way our meat is processed (quite disgusting I must say), all the crap that is in our meat, and the effects it has on our bodies. After reading this book, and talking with a co-worker who is a vegetarian who swears she feels way better and lost about 10 lbs, I decided, what the heck...I'll give it a try. So all month I have avoided meat, tried new recipes, and gotten my fill on veggies. I must say there are plenty of great recipes...but it just seems to take a little more work/thought to quickly throw together a lunch or dinner. I can't claim I feel way better (I never really felt bad) nor have I lost any significant amount of weight. I do however think I maybe slightly anemic. I have noticed bruises that show up with the slightest bump. So is this for me? Probably not. I will stick it out for the rest of the month, and I will probably eat less meat in general (there are some great recipes out there) but I don't think I could give it up for good. I won't lie...meat taste good! Next challenge living on a $1 for food a day...I just saw a online news clip...hmmm I may just try it...I'll keep you posted.=)

The Ugly Sweater Party

Dustin, Me, Rochelle and Tina

Jordan and Rochelle

The always exciting ugly sweater party took place last weekend. I hosted my first party in my new place. We managed to squeeze around15-18 people in to my living room. There were some great sweaters found as well as accessories. I borrowed some festive reindeer earrings from a gal at work. We had a blast playing Catch Phrase and Buzz Word (boys against girls) and a new game called Mafia.

Christmas is Just Around the Corner

Welcome! The Christmas decorations are finally up!

Its a little rough your first Christmas away from home. I miss all of you, but am trying to make this Christmas season just as joyous with all of you in my heart and mind! So I picked up a tree, my mom sent me my star decorations (that I got in Cambodia), I picked up some cheap decorations from Target, strung up some popcorn garland with friends, and topped it off with the best topper ever...a hand crochet star found at the Salvation Army for $1.50!

A little tree, and my first real stocking, also from the Salvation Army

Sweet Christmas smells, one of pines and the other cookies (thanks Chels!)

Mistletoe.

And finally I got up all my pictures!

Missing you all! Merry Early Christmas!

Jim Brickman and the Denver Symphony

Last Tuesday night was Krysta's (another girl from my church) birthday and she really wanted to see the Jim Brickman concert this year, so for her birthday we all got invited to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory and then a wonderful show in downtown Denver! We had a great time! Sorry about the fuzzy photos...no one remembered their cameras so Dustin's camera phone had to do.

Brennan and Krysta (WI natives!)

Karyn and Jeremiah

Pat and Larisa

Me and Dustin...of course

Jim and the Symphony

6th Ave Lights

There is this house on the 6th Ave Blvd, right near my home...I cant quite figure out how they got these wreaths to stay up with out tearing down the roof! The wreaths seem as big as the trampoline at my parents house! It is beautiful!

Christmas Tea

Rochelle, Tina (2 girls I met at my church) and I attended the New Life womens Christmas tea last weekend. Its was a wonderful night. Women from the church host a table which they deck out with their beautiful Christmas dishes. We enjoyed tea, sweet and savory appetizers, and a blast from the past! The theme this year was set around the 1940's. There was music, stories and delicious food!

Wendy was the host of my table, she did a great job with the table settings!

Some 1940's memorabilia

Christmas Carols

First day out on the slopes

It is about time we got a little snow! Dustin and I made the trip up to Winter Park to check out the slopes. It was an empty day, partly because it was a Sunday and partly because there weren't to many runs open quite yet. Many of the runs still have little trees or grass poking through. It was perfect however for the first run of the season.

A great way to spend a Saturday night...

Who wouldn't like to get flowers? The fact of the matter is I have been getting them sporadically for myself for the last 3 months just to cheer up my dining room. But to be surprised by them...well I have to admit its a little nicer.



So you might be wondering who's the sweet guy? Well I introduced you to him about a month or so ago...he the one I went hiking with...Dustin. Well it would be safe to say we have hit it off ever since that hike, and now were dating! So last Saturday I was treated to dinner and then to some Jazzy tunes at a club called Dazzle that is located in downtown Denver. The man on trumpet was Bryan Lynch who is a Grammy winning jazz artist. The rest of his crew was spectacular as well. These photos are compliments of another patron named Al Hood, who's camera was to die for and his eye for these shot is something else!



Bryan Lynch



Romaine



Jenkins

Bijou

Living "Out West"

Can you live "Out West" without owning a pair of boots?

It just didn't seem like it. So I had to buy em!

I found these beauties at a little store in the old CO district that my dad and I were in last week. My size on sale and already broken in...couldn't pass that up. And really the main reason that I've had boot envy is my friend Becca and her new boots that she just got a few weeks ago. I'm loving the knee high socks and warm tights(gotta be one of the best parts of winter!)

A Visit from Dad

I am so happy that I got to spend my first holiday out here with family. My dad got here last Monday and spent the whole week out here with me. All the tech savvy stuff that needed to be done had been saved for this very visitor. It was kind of funny that by the end of that first night we already had a TV and DVD player for my place. It only took about an hour or 2 with his help to mount it on the wall and hook up all the necessary cables. Now I can invite people over for a movie night and not expect them to snuggle up with me to watch it on my laptop. I have recently joined the 24hr Fitness here in town and thought it would be rude of me to go and workout in the mornings without him...so I snagged him a free week pass so he could suffer and sweat with me! Great bonding strategy right? I drove him around town, showed him around my lovely neighborhood, and took him to my new church. The week was off to a great start and the rest is as follows.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving day without all the cooking and the work? Can it be any fun? My dad and I learned that it may simply be the best way to do it! On Wed morning my dad went for his morning coffee and was asking around for a good place to eat out for Thanksgiving dinner. The waitress suggested we try a place called The Fresh Fish Market. They were having a Thanksgiving buffet with all the Thanksgiving fixins and then some. So we book are reservations and spent the day(the one that would normally be filled with cleaning the house and cooking) getting our workout in, returning previously purchased items to Walmart, seeing the movie Four Christmas', and just chillin.

We were a little worried when we showed up to the place and they had us sitting in a warming tent until our table was ready. Especially since this was no cheap meal!

But we soon found ourselves in awe of all the delicious food they had to offer!

Not to mention the drinks and desserts.

Belt loops did need to be loosened and naps taken...but hey that's part of Thanksgiving right?

Avoiding Black Friday!

Once the fog and haze lifted and the sun came out, we had one of the most beautiful days down in Colorado Springs. I was 1. determined to get my dad out hiking, and 2. show him one of the most beautiful places ever. After walking some of the trails we decided to follow a very red dirt road up. And up. By the time we got to the top I think my dads knuckles were white...or was it on the way down? We worked up an appetite and headed on in to the "Old CO Town" just a few blocks away for lunch...and dessert

This is one way to get my dad to eat a piece of fruit.

Table Complete

So I decided I needed a bigger kitchen table, and I just happened to stumble upon one at a thrift store half off of course. It kept getting put off and put off but finally it is sitting complete in my dining room! Now...I need to find 2 more chairs!

Before...

After...