life list: buy local.

This is more of an item on my right-now list rather than my life list. Over the past few days I've been starting to ponder holiday gift ideas for my near and dear. It's (unfortunately) so easy to get wrapped up (pun intended?) in the brand name, department store, commercialized side of the holiday. I've already bought a few things from big-name stores, but I was thinking about how wonderful it would be to buy presents exclusively from local boutiques, etsy shops, and the like. Promoting small businesses and gifted artisans. So I've been scouring etsy (not really a trying task...) and I've found some wonderful gift ideas that I've tucked away to purchase in the coming weeks.

Without giving any of my gift secrets away, here are some other noteworthy things I've found...

Quirky greeting cards.

Posters for little girls. Or boys.

Beautiful hand printed tea towels.

A mustache spoon.

To stash your whiskey during long walks through Parisian streets.

And my obsession love for infinity scarves continues. 

Will you be buying locally for your holiday gifts?

xo

alli

I'm beat, my friends.

Let's talk tomorrow :)

Sweet dreams!

xo

photo via wit + delight.

Recipe for a fabulous weekend:

• Start by buying a 12 pound fresh turkey at the grocery store downtown. Afterwards realizing that your only option transporting it home is the bus (a taxi would obviously be too easy). Clutch the turkey and cradle it all the way home like some odd-looking baby. More like an odd-looking mom.
• Buy new dishes for dinner guests Take that trip to Ikea you've been meaning to for months
•  Line the bottom of a pie crust with fresh hazelnuts (without tiny pieces of shells this year) and drizzle the so-sweet-it-makes-your-teeth-hurt maple sugarness over it. Make the kitchen smell heavenly while it bakes.
• Invite a friend over to help dress and stuff the turkey. Engage in the obligatory turkey dancing and fake turkey voices before finally setting it in the pan. 
• Mash the potatoes, sliver the almonds, sautee the green beans, and almost forget about the salad.
• Vacuum, with one hand over your eyes as you go near the fridge. Last time the vacuum was over there, a mouse jumped out. 
• Open all the windows in the apartment, because all the radiators are broken and at full blast, and the oven has been at 325 for most of the day.
• Have a moment of panic that everything you have to do won't possibly get done. Take a deep breath and go buy a bottle of wine. 
• Welcome friends with open arms. And open the bottles. 
• Listen to Christmas tunes for the fifth first time this season, the conversations overlapping each other in the best kind of way.
• Sit down to the table and only get up for dessert, hours later.
• Be thankful for the warmth of traditions, new and old. 
• Make room in the fridge for the tupperware.

My weekend was lovely friends, here's to hoping yours were too.

I don't have all the photos on my computer to put up here yet, but if you're as impatient as I usually am, you can see them already up at provincecanadienne.com. Happens to be an excellent photographer :)

See you soon.

xo

alli

maple hazelnut goodness.

Oh yea. On the menu, folks. Second go around for this guy. Delicious last time, hoping for the same. Although I'm semi-cheating and using a pre-made crust. Sssshhh.

Photo is actually from epicurious, but I'll supply a real-live action shot tomorrow.

TGIF, man. This week wiped me out. 

Looking forward to catching up on some sleep this weekend.

Hope your weekends are lovely!  

xo

alli

via wit + delight.

Hope your Thanksgiving celebrations State-side were wonderful!

Waiting to celebrate mine on Saturday :)

xo

alli

life list: treat a stranger to a meal.

Sometimes I have moments where I have the urge to help a person without them expecting or knowing about it. The other day I walked into an Thai restaurant during my lunch hour and placed a to-go order.  While I was waiting for my food, I sat and observed the people that were enjoying their meals. Business people, students, couples. I saw one elderly man eating alone and a thought popped into my head. How surprised would that man be if I told the cashier I would pay for his meal.  Walk out of the restaurant without him ever realizing it was me. How delighted would you be if asked for the bill, only to be told that a friendly stranger had already taken care of your lunch?

So I'm officially placing this on my life list. Random act of kindness in the form of a lunch. Have you ever thought of doing something like this?

xo

alli

image via wit + delight. 

non-morning people, unite.

laundry cat.

For all the other non-morning people out there.  Because when you find something that makes the morning better, it's polite to share.

xo

encounters of the rodent kind.

via lionbrand.com

And I had such good intentions.
After six months too long without a vacuum cleaner, I decided Sunday was The Day.  To Canadian Tire we went and proud owners of a ruby red Dirt Devil we became.  Not even ten minutes after we got home, Old Red was put together and ready to fly.  And fly she did, the rugs are immaculate now.  I had finished the living room, the bathroom, the entryway, and moved into the kitchen to finish up.  All was going to plan.  Until Old Red hit the fridge and scared everyone within a 20 kilometer radius of our apartment building.  When I hit the fridge I can only assume I scared the bejeezus out of the little mouse who for all intents and purposes, we have now dubbed Mr. Jingles.  Mr. J. scurried halfway out from behind the fridge, saw the vacuum gave it a considerable second thought, and scampered back to where he started.

And here is my confession.  I let out a high-pitched scream like a little 8 year old boy years away from puberty.  Scared that little mouse to death, and Stéphane, and I'm sure the rest of the apartment complex. I never, ever, anticipated being so scared of a little mouse!  I think it was just about the last thing I was expecting at that moment.  God knows I'll never forget it when I vacuum near the fridge the next time.

But our night with Mr. Jingles was far from over.  The only thing worse than knowing there's a mouse in your apartment... is not knowing where it is.  We had little more than a flashlight and the end of a broom to, ahem, take care of our furry friend.  I was terrified that once we got him out from behind the fridge he would bolt into the rest of the apartment.  I do not want a mouse near my food, but damned if I let him traipse about in my bedroom!  I promptly barricaded the kitchen with toilet paper rolls, kleenex boxes, and a can of paint a wall of steel and started inspecting where this guy could have gone.

While moving the fridge, the little guy eloped to behind the stove, but even with the flashlight shining behind, below, sideways, diagonally... we could not find him.  I finally, skeptically, suggested opening the bottom oven door.  Where the oil drippings and crumbs go.  Because who would be stupid enough to hide in the oven?  (Would I turn the stove on if my friend Bugsy was in there? Anyone?)  So I ever so slowly opened the oven door and two beady little eyes met my gaze.  In retrospect, I should have turned on the oven right there.  Ok, I kid.  Mostly.

A failed attempt with the end of the broom scared Mr. Jingles to who knows where, and there he stayed for several more hours.  I could not find him.  But he did make an encore appearance an hour later.  When he thought no one was looking.  But oh.  We were looking.  Found his refuge in the little mouse hole we have now located in the corner behind the bathroom door.  Because we had no mouse traps and every last thinkable mouse trap store was closed at 8pm on a Sunday, I did the next best thing.  Stuffed a plastic bag down into the hole and secured it with a heavy candle on top.  And had dreams about hundreds of mice all over the floor, chewing through plastic bags.  I woke up more than once, swearing I had just heard him tip over that candle, his little feet scampering across the wood floors to escape.

Still haven't seen him again yet, but we've put out a nice tasty snack for when he decides to pay us another visit >:)  Ug.  I've never thought of myself as someone cruel to animals, but honestly.  Not in my kitchen, Mr. Jingles.  You've messed with the wrong lady.

So here's to hoping that my mouse encounters will be limited to one per... well one ever.

xo

alli

le sigh.

via wit + delight.

Weekends are always too short, aren't they?

Semi-productive weekend.

Hung a poster.

Bought a vacuum cleaner.

Found a mouse in the kitchen.

Story tomorrow :)

Sleep tight.

xo

notice your daydreams.

via wit + delight.

Something that I read on a blog this week really stuck with me.  A woman was writing about daydreaming- why and when we slip into daydreams, what they represent for us, and the bad reputation they've earned at times, despite their amazing creative and meditative qualities.  We all engage in daydreaming; I'd venture to say it's a daily occurrence for most.  Bus rides, car rides, while cooking dinner, laying in bed before sleep.  Yet there seems to be this negative stigma attached, because daydreaming is replacing 'more productive' activities.

Putting the whole productivity discussion aside though, what resonated with me most is when this blogger wrote about giving yourself permission to notice your daydreams.  Look for patterns, reoccurring themes, highlights.  Where does your mind go when it wanders?

Does it travel somewhere, to a far off location you've once been to or dream of visiting?  The warm waters surrounding the Rock Islands in Palau.  Boating home from a day on the water, deliciously tired and content after a day spent in the sun.  Winding country road drives with friends, windows down, hair blowing every which way, singing along to the radio.  Imagining what Paris feels like right now.  The petite cobblestone streets, bustling metro stations, parisians reading le monde and drinking espresso.


Do you daydream about your job, or perhaps what you wish to be doing instead?  I'm a painter in a quiet white room with a canvas in front of me.  I imagine sitting on a stool, hair tied up in a bun, looking out the window and imagining what to paint.  Or I'm a writer, a knit cowl scarf wrapped around my neck, sitting on a hard wooden bench by a window in a corner cafe.  Pencil in hand, scribbling playful words.  


Do you daydream about completely mundane things?
The mom and her daughter that I see on my morning walk to the metro, waiting at the corner for the school bus. The girls hair, when not covered up with a fleece hat, is braided close to her head like her mom's.  Sometimes they hold hands, sometimes she leans against her mom.  I daydream about what the little girl ate for breakfast.  Cereal with milk?  Toast with peanut butter and honey?  

On the other side of the street, there's always a guy standing waiting for a ride- he has long unruly blond hair and it always listening to something on his portable cd player through his headphones.  Some mornings he's even singing along, quite loudly.  I daydream about what he's listening to.  What his friends are like.  Where he's going every morning.  

What life was like.  What it could be like.  What it will be like.  What I have done.  What I should have done.  What's next.

Do you notice your daydreams?  What could they be saying to you?  Would you listen to them?

xo

ps.  the blog that sparked this thought process was dress with courage.

vendredi.

lovinglivingsmall

We made it!  Friday!  How are you celebrating it?

I'm celebrating with :

the December Real Simple issue

some red nail polish

a glass of wine from chile

and...

sleeping in tomorrow!

à demain friends!

xo

at the moment...

I'm thinking about...

Bikram yoga... or as I found out they call it here, Moshka yoga.  I've done this a few times in Utah and loved it.  It's an intense workout that I like because it challenged me, but was still a stress relief that was calming and centered.  There's a studio two blocks from my apartment and I think it's time I checked it out.

These fabulous, cozy-looking leggings:

free people.

The package I get to pick up tomorrow afternoon, sent from home :)  I was particularly amused that the UPS guy (or girl) drew a smiley face in the 'o' of my name.  It's been sitting on my dresser as a subtle reminder of how even the littlest things can give a positive oomph to a day.

What culinary treat I'm going to try out this weekend.  I'm feeling inspired, but still deciding if I'm going to go sweet or salty.  Have a bag of leftover Macintosh apples maybe some applesauce, but I'm looking for a new, quirky recipe...

Tomorrow is Friday!!  How are you going to celebrate?

xo

chestnuts roasting on an....

Electric fireplace?

Well they're a little blurry, but these photos are featuring the best part of my night!  Friends and family know how much I complain about how HOT our building always is.  It seems that whenever the heat is on in the building, it's on at full blast.  Try as I may, I can't control the heat coming out of 4 out of the 6 radiators in my apartment.  And I've TRIED twisting the knobs.  In both directions.  Doesn't work.  

Usually a fireplace (no matter how small or... fake) would be the last thing I'd want in this apartment.  But the heat has been off for the past two chilly days and so the inaugural fireplace session was tonight.  I'm in sweatpants and a sweatshirt with my hood on!  But I am NOT complaining.  I finally feel like the temperatures in my apartment are somewhat aligned with the calendar months.  

I supppppppose I could take this opportunity to say thank you to Mr. S. for buying that fireplace on sale at BRICK for $50 marked down from $450.  Because quite honestly, when he brought home an electric fireplace.  In July.  When we were saving up for apartment necessities like a kitchen table.  It's tough to recall exactly what explicatives words I used, but I'm 99% sure the words thank you were not among them.  So take this as a belated merci, mon cheri. 

xo

alli 

you should be reading: enJOY it.

Whether you're a home decor junkie/DIY...

Baker/Cook...

Or you're a sucker for cute paper shops and crafts...

You should be reading enJOY it, a blog written by Elise Blaha.  I happened upon it a couple weeks ago now, and the creativity that oozes from this blog is refreshing and inspiring.  She sets goals with vigor- she trained for more than one half marathon and she's baking 40 loaves of bread before the end of the year.  I'll be stealing about half of her bread recipes... and considering ordering one of those wonderful prints that she's made.  

She writes in an approachable way and has made me think about what goals I'm setting.  And how to be more creative.  And how I'll train for my next half marathon.  Ha.  Maybe not toute suite though.  

Go have a look!

xo

alli

from whence you came.

Don't they always say... you have to know where you come from to know where you're going? 

Alright I was curious and just googled it, turns out this is the real quote:

"Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go." - James Arthur Baldwin - Well the land from whence I came seems to be one of obscenely big poofy headbands, t-shirts under floral dresses, full bangs, and bobby socks.  And dark wood cabinets, carpet in the kitchen, and state magnets displayed on the fridge.  I say, when you're starting with that haircut, there are definitely no limitations as to where you can go.  All in the general direction of up :) Hope Monday was kind to you! xo alli

muscle memory.

West Desert Airpark, June 2010.

I'm a pilot.  I don't talk about it too often, even though It's something I'm very passionate about.  Are you ever hesitant to talk about the things you're proud of?  I've been around aviation all my life.  My dad is a pilot.  Oshkosh is the aviation Mecca that is (almost) always at the end of my summers.  In our family we tell stories about my sister and I walking around in the cabin in a Cessna 170, flying above Indiana when we were hardly old enough to remember.  I recall flying in the backseat on the way to Chardon, Ohio, mesmerized (and a bit skeptical) that I could talk with my mom and dad from the backseat without everyone on the radio and in the control towers hearing me.  

The first time I ever went to France was in June/July 2003.  After a late afternoon drive by an airstrip surrounded by tall grass and radiant sunflowers that only seem to exist in Southern France, I came home and told my dad I wanted to take flying lessons.  September through May I drove up to Heber on weekend mornings, frost lining trees along I-40, snow blowing slowly across the road on windier mornings.  Come Spring, I would anxiously anticipate the first view of Heber Valley to see if it was socked in with fog on the early mornings.  The last months before my checkride I convinced my school advisor and my theatre teacher to let me leave early on Monday afternoons.  Playing hooky to go fly up in the sky a while.  

Five days after my 18th birthday I earned my private pilot's license.  A Sunday morning if I remember correctly, after waiting hours for the checkride instructor to show up.  Show up he did, and we went over every possible question for the oral part of my exam.  And then we flew, going over every ground reference maneuver, stall, emergency procedure, and landing situation.  Only going back to practice my right side steep turns until I perfected them without losing 100 feet of altitude.  

Since then I've flown in two other countries.  I earned my tailwheel endorsement in a little Jodel outside of Paris, France, accompanied by Claude the retired French Air Force pilot and a little British terrier named Yessie.  Well, Yessie followed me on the ground.  Airport dog but scared to death of the planes, go figure.  And then a new friend let me fly in the left seat of the Piper Arrow as he accompanied us back to Sens and we hitched a ride back into la centre ville.  My friend and I were talking about that amazing afternoon for awhile.

And just two weeks ago, I piloted a plane for the first time in over a year at an airport outside of Montreal.  A Diamond Katana, the plane I trained in.  After the flight as I flipped through my logbook, I saw that the last time I flew a Katana was in July 2006.  Five and a half years ago.  So much was different back then.  So much is different now.  Yet as I walked around the plane on the chilly Sunday morning, I was struck by how similar the whole thing was.  Two words popped into my head. 

Muscle memory.  

My fingers traced the smooth tapering surface of the wing.  Eight years later (wiser?) on another continent, but for a moment I believed myself 17 once again, addicted to the first feelings of flight in the left seat.


Right tire.  Pressure. Strut. Right wing. Pitot tube. Position light. Strobes.

17 and smiling since the moment my hands directed us into the sky.  45 knots and a gentle pitch up, excited to see what the sky was hiding beyond the mountains.

Fuselage.  Fuel drains.  Vertical stabilizer.  Horizontal stabilizer.  Cables.  Left tire.  Left aileron.  Aileron cable.  A click to the left and the right.  


Though I carried a list with me, my hands took over and my brain was quiet.  Remembering the moves to a choreographed dance.  It made me smile in a way I hadn't for awhile.  Preflight finished my quebecois copilot and I closed the canopy and taxied to the runway.  Before long we were soaring above St Hubert airport, and we would land at Saint Matthieu de Beloeil and Saint Hyacinthe before the morning was over.

Any out of practice pilot gets anxious on their first landing back from a break.  I always adjust myself in my seat, pull my seatbelt tight, and fidget my feet on the pedals.  Landing is the most complicated part of flight, but also in a way the most rewarding.  An eloquent dance between friends.  A chain of intuitive maneuvers.  Yet a challenge.

Eyes on the center line.  Hand on the throttle.  Pressure on the stick.  Throttle in.  Speed check.  Nose down.  Throttle out.  Last set of flaps.


A gentle ebb and flow.  Front step, back step, creeping slowly to the ground.  I knew it had been years since I had been in that plane, but I couldn't believe how normal it felt.  How instinctive it was.

Nose up trim.  Flare.  The persistent stall warning horn.  Hold it a bit farther.  The screech of the tires.  Back pressure to keep the nose up.  Flaps up.  Steering us to the taxiway at the end of the runway.  


I looked at my flight instructor with a smile on my face.  Not too bad for the first time in a year!  It was excellent, he said.  I believe that was the perfect way to describe it.

xo.

pumpkin n pedi

I know, I missed yesterday!  To make up for it I took some pictures of parts of my day and I'll even include the recipe for the pumpkin oatmeal bread that I just pulled out of the oven :)

This is what I call the all-the-veggies-we-have-in-the-fridge dish.

Pumpkin oatmeal bread!

Warmed up with vanilla ice cream for dessert?  

Mani-pedi silver & gold.

Today was a very lazy Saturday.  I seem to be having a lot of those lately.  Caught up on my Grey's Anatomy, read half of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (one of those depressing but yet can't put it down books), cooked some pumpkin oatmeal bread, painted my nails, and somehow found the motivation to get on my running gear and go out for a run right before it got dark.  At 4:45.  That's another thing that depressing around here.  Oh well.  Positive side is.... only a month until the shortest day of the year and then the days will start getting longer again.  

Tonight I think we'll continue the laid back trend that has been Saturday so far, and watch a movie.  And not worry about the overflowing laundry basket in the corner.  That can wait until tomorrow.

Here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread that I stole from Carrots n Cake.  I found her blog through pinterest when I was searching for recipes and after browsing awhile saw that she's an avid runner too.  And I think I've officially added a Garmin Forerunner to my Christmas list after reading about how much she loves hers that she uses on her runs.  Maybe sometime soon I'll do a longer post on running... but for now, the recipe!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour (I substituted whole wheat flour instead)
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup soy milk (I used 1% instead)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease loaf pan.
2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well.
3. Pour batter into loaf pan.
4. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until top is firm, and a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow loaf to cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

I'm convinced this would be good with other little add-ins like roasted walnuts, dates, or some vanilla.  Perhaps I'll try other versions of it!  Have a wonderful Saturday night!

xo

alli

smile hunter.

I am not a morning person.  In comparison to some (I know some really anti-morning people!) maybe.  But in comparison to most, hardly.  The world just feels better after a pot cup of coffee.  I like the principle of being up early.  It's the getting up part that I always seem to get stuck on. 

Most mornings, by the time I get to the metro I'm engrossed in whatever song is on my ipod, making a mental (stressful?) list of things I have to remember to do that day, flipping through the newspaper while frustrated that the next train hasn't arrived yet, and calculating how fast i'm going to have to run walk to get to work on time.  But in the spare moment that is not spent worrying about my day before it has even begun, there's one thing that will pretty consistently make my morning a bit brighter.  

I'm a smile hunter. 

I love witnessing people smile at unexpected moments.  Times when they think no one else notices, wonderfully distracted by their own thoughts or memories.  Who knows what that smile could be about.  Sometimes it's big, breaking into a laugh.  Sometimes it's barely perceptible.  

Those are the best.  

It's a small reminder that we're all human.  We all have stressful days, bad days, horrible days.  But we also all have good days, wonderful, amazing days.  

That we smile about later on a Monday morning metro ride.  

So watch for those smiles.  They'll surprise you.

xo

alli

mossière.

both images are of items for sale in mossiere.

For those of you who follow me on pinterest, you've already seen these :)  

Adding them to the Christmas wishlist!

xo

alli

DIY.

It all started...

With a 69 cent old Christmas ornament from Salvation Army, a free book from the lobby of my apartment building, some scissors, and a can of tomato paste.

And a pencil, to draw some circles.

Then came the modge podge.  The crux of any artsy project.

I wanted to take some in progress pictures, but my photographer wasn't home and my hands were all modge-podgey.  So here is the semi finished project.  The only thing left, is a cutout of a Christmas tree or reindeer or snowman or something Christmas-y enough to glue on as well.  A very inexpensive alternative to store-bought, mass-produced ornaments!  

And this one just because I liked the effect of the spinning :)

Also, I baked salmon and zucchini in the oven tonight as opposed to in the pan like I always do, and the facilité of it all kinda rocked my world.  Scrumptious and so easy, never looking back.

xo

alli

monday blues.

Someone asked me today if I was suffering a case of the Monday blues.  Today was just one of those monotonous, things-go-wrong kind of day.  But that is ok because it is almost over.  Focus on the positive.

Here's the recipe I used for my cookies yesterday: Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies.  And there aren't too many left!  I used whole wheat flour, and I'm wondering how the texture would have been different with white flour as the recipe called for.  They're quite soft, even a bit crumbly.  But delicious!  Also think they would be good with chocolate chips instead of raisins.  That makes anything better :)

I promise a longer post tomorrow, these late nights of trying to put together papers are killing me.

But before I go, happy birthday to my cousin who also happens to be one of my closest friends :)  Whenever you're lacking inspiration in the kitchen head over to her blog.  You'll feel the veggie love!  I've already tried tons of her recipes and I haven't found one I didn't like.  Adult chicken fingers and zucchini boats are among my favorites, and I'm particularly anticipating the red wine chocolate cake recipe.... yum.

And just like that, Monday is over.  Thank goodness.  Here's to Tuesday, my friends.

xo

alli

sundays.

I, my friends, am exhausted.  And although this Sunday night post merits more than a few sentences I'm afraid that's all I have at the moment.  Tomorrow let's discuss:

pumpkin oatmeal raison walnut cookies
the death of my faithful mixer/beater.  RIP
a most wonderful and sunny afternoon experiencing the 'tam tams' of mont royal park

until then!

xo

alli

10k Saturday.

En route to Oka National Park

Clear and frosty morning.

Getting our race packets.

Warming up by the lake.

Ready to go!

Excited at our results!

A bit chilly afterwards.

Part of the course.  Definitely going to be hard to find a course as beautiful as this one. Look at that clear blue sky.

Back at home with our bibs and medals. 

And those cardboard boxes are free pine tree starters that they were giving to participants!  I think they'll be our mini christmas trees this year :)

The run was great but FREEZING at the beginning.  The first four kilometers were on a dirt trail through the woods and then we opened up onto the park road.  Running through national forest was great.  Very calming in comparison to running through Montreal city streets for the half-marathon.  Although there weren't nearly as many supporters as there were in Montreal, it was a different dynamic being alone with my thoughts and the windy cool morning air.  There was what seemed like a huge hill at kilometer 6 which I was SO relieved to be done with once we climbed it.  It was a hard one!  I began dreading the gatorade stations, because they always handed them out right before a hill.  There were three :)

Stéphane and I were together for about the first 3 kilometers and the last 3, and he was quite a bit ahead of me in the middle.  We finished strong, I was so surprised to see 48 minutes on the clock as we came up to the finish line, I was aiming for under 55.  Final time was 48:57 with a sprint to the end.  That was definitely a big difference with the half marathon- I had close to nothing left when I was nearing the finish line in September, whereas this morning I was able to dig deep and finish fast.  The last time I ran a 10k in 2004, I finished it in 58 minutes!  9 minutes off my personal record!!  Don't know if I'll be able to replicate that one again :)

I would definitely run that race again, it was gorgeous and calm and refreshing.  Off to the movies tonight and drinks with friends.  How was your Saturday?

xo 

alli

at the moment...

My kitchen smells delicious with the garlic sautéing on the stove.  I'm making lemony tuna and olive oil pasta with red pepper flakes from this recipe.

I'm laying out what to wear tomorrow for the 10K.  Gloves, hat, two layers of underarmour, new amazing underarmour running pants, long socks.  sunglasses?

I'm still laughing about the montage of clips sent in to jimmy kimmel when he asked parents to film themselves telling their kids they ate all their halloween candy.  My favorite was the little boy randomly doing (bad) math at the end and calling his mom sneaky :)

I'm thinking this dress would be a lovely addition to my winter wardrobe.

Looking forward to an extra hour of sleep on Sunday!! Not so much the getting dark at 4:30pm part though :(

Happy Friday friends!  What's in store for you this weekend?

xo

alli

stories.

'without a story, we perish. stories define our lives: they teach us what is possible and good, help set our goals and limits, offer us role models and explain mysteries. without stories- myths and legends, folktales and sacred texts, romances and comedies and tragedies- our lives would be formless'

- marilyn farwell -

this morning brought...

a bit of research and attempts at writing

a new curiosity with joan didion and a search for her book, the year of magical thinking 

goosebumps from this video (and many others watched, which explains the attempts at writing part...)

Oh! Last night I made the mexican version of the chicken and pesto stuffed pasta shells that I made awhile ago, Mexican Stuffed Pasta Shells and I am happy to report they are just as delicious.  I didn't have any taco sauce, but used the rest of the sauce from marinating the meat... and the salsa I used was white bean and corn, which I think added a great extra flavor and texture that I would have missed if I'd used regular salsa.  Just finished the leftovers for lunch! 

happy thursday!

xo