Dateaversary number 8

 Every year on October 6 (or around it) we get a slice of pizza to commentate our first official date. The first year it was the local kids college hang out. Last year it was a fancy pie. This year it was Sbarro at the airport. Here's to keeping the tradition alive. Cheers to eight years together!

Embracing the fears, together

A cheers is in order. 

      We made it to South Beach, Miami on the bike, safely, in about 40 minutes. The best part? We were able to find street parking on 16th and Washington. Street Parking! It only took us a couple minutes to find motorcycle parking, and it was a total of about 5 bucks for the night. So we toasted at Nexxt Cafe in the glorious air conditioning, and I made sure I thanked my hubbs for taking me safely on this adventure. I swear, he got a little cuter as I sat next to him, and that's only half the prosecco talking.

      I was apprehensive about getting on that bike. I'm not one to stop him from living his dream, though. So, I got on it with him. If we have fears, we face them together. If we seek adventure, we experience them out together. If we want to embrace the unknown, we open our minds together.

 I was also apprehensive about shooting a 9mm for the first time. Lo and behold, I got over that. Watching the hubbs load it at the range left me with some doubt. Did he load it right? 

I trusted in him and myself and pulled the trigger. By the third round, I was getting the hang of it, and only shot a few strays.

 

   There is no one else in the earth right now that I'd rather share adventures with. And overcome fears with. I've still got so many fears about out future that I'm slowly dealing with. Lately, they don't feel as big as they used to. They're still there, though. I do know this, whatever our future holds, we're facing it together.

And I'll leave you with a selfie collage.

(please excuse the terrible iPhone pictures, still shopping for a camera.)

This happened: a Motorcycle

     Shawn brought this home the other day, and my feelings are mixed. I'm mostly frightened, a bit excited by the way he looks on it, and equally as excited at all the gas money he'll be saving. This BMW GS series has an eight gallon tank and gets almost 60 mpg. The miser in me is aroused.

   What scares me is the drivers in SOFLA. In fact, on his way to pick up the title, he got rear ended (in the Honda sedan). I am currently seeking full body armor.

  Please send your positive thoughts and prayers our way. I'd love for him to enjoy his rides without worry. As for me, I will always worry, but I am the kind of wife that asked him to wear a helmet on his beach cruiser, and wear a helmet in his car.

and I will always be.

Bar Cart Styling

I've been wanting a bar cart for a few months to make a decorative and purposeful statement with my bar ware.  I needed to free up space in my space in the breakfront for new glasses and dishes I got for Christmas dinner last year, also. I began on a search for bar carts, and of course, started pinning away on my Pinterest board. My dream  bar cart can be found here with it's faux gold bamboo glory and here with the big wheel, but they're not easy to find, and hundreds of $$. I decided hacking a Target cart means I have funds left to  serve up the good stuff. And you can thank me later.

    I found the Threshold for Target wood and metal cart above. It was $120 online, but I took a chance and went to the store and found one on clearance for $90. I figured this one is one of the cheapest carts I could find that wasn't a Craigslist disaster. When I check out, it rings up for $38! 

I ordered wine glass racks from Amazon for about $10. I spray them gold to co-ordinate with the cart:

To complete the look, I spray an old gifted shaker, but just the outside and the cap, for a two-toned look. Same thing with this old chair bottle opener:

Just got this Craft Cocktails book, and the pictures are amazing!

 
I'm dying to have a party, or happy hour here. Anyone free at 5 o'clock?


Need more bar cart  ideas? 

Click here to see the same cart upgraded, and here for inspiration.

Happy Easter from Rubi and the Bull.

    My little girl in her Sunday best spikes, along with her lamb and bunny, want to with you a Happy Easter! We are blessed to have her in our lives! Bully doesn't yet realize it, but he is, too. He's working on being the best big bro.

It's not easy getting these two to pose for a family portrait.

 They did their best.

 The pup has grown twice her size in a week! I believe she share's her mom's flair for accessories, hence the dachshund infinity scarf.

Rubi's first day

    Ruby has been part of our family for a full day now. We have gotten to know her more, mainly her pee habits (goes outside, can use a pee pad) and her poo habits (still working on those) and her likes and dislikes (likes human companionship, dislikes bright lights). I think we've got the hang of the new puppy thing.
   And, yes, we call her Rubi to the general public because I can't always make up my mind and because it's so much easier than explaining her overly dramatic name that was essentially an inside joke between my hubbs and me.
     How is Bully handling his new sister (or granddaughter, or new trophy wife, I've not yet decided)?
He avoids her and is waiting for her Florida vacation to end. I give him three weeks to come to terms with reality. 

 He won't even look at her.  He makes no effort to hide it in this body language. It's pretty rude.

He tried to hide in a house plant. 

 I had to force this paw bump.

 and take this photo at and angle that looked like he cared:

So far, they co-exist, and that is pretty good in our book.

It's a girl

Look out world, we added another Whit' !

Meet Erubiella Whitmire, or Rubi if you prefer.

She is an eight week old Maltese and Daschund mix that we adopted just hours ago! Shawn and I have been looking for a puppy since last September and finally found 'lil Rubi. She came from Saving Grace and Her Furry Friends Rescue and I am so glad we waited to find the right pup.

I mean, she and Bully are tail twins!

Shawn is very, very set on spoiling her. He is treating very much like a human baby and has stated we will purchase a babybjorn so she can accompany him while he tends the yard.

Please, please,  consider adopting!  The rescues are full of animal people are always looking for the best homes for their animals. They want you have the right match and are often sacrificing so much.   Saving Grace, Warm Hearts Rescue, and Justin Bartlett are great Florida organizations that I've personally worked with, but there are countless others out there.

and now, the out takes!

 

Happy Birthday to my Hubs, 2014 edition

There aren't many other people with whom I can spend every day. This guy keeps me laughing, keeps me rational, and with a full heart. If on a Friday night you find us at Home Depot, doing Conan's puppet dance in the plumbing aisle, with a to go margarita, you'll find us pretty happy. That, friends, is what we married folks call date night. And that is fine by me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUBBY!

Florida fresh

 

          It's harvest time year round here and that always amazes me. The sun and sea are the best parts of living in Florida, and little else matters. Not the stuff we aqcuire, not the restaurants we frequent, or the celebrities at drop thousands at clubs. South Florida's best feature is in its basic natural state, where things flourish or diminish in the hot sun, or get soothed or swept away by ocean waves.

Ok, enough about that, here are some plants growing around here:

The heirloom tomatoes above took me a year to grow from seed and finally they are vine ripe. I'm gonna eat the hell out of you, little fella.

I've managed to harvest a few garden veggies, such as okra and mustard greens. It's the tropical fruits that always amaze me like the coconuts, avocados, and mangoes. It makes me appreciate Florida and forget about the nightmares of my daily work commute. Nature, thank you.

Tata, off to enjoy this beautiful day!

Post Christmas blues

 Last week's walk revealed that Christmas is OVER.  Sadly, this was the sight all over the neighborhood. Post Christmas in south Florida means you stuff your WHOLE tree in the yard waste can. The one that is normally reserved for palm fronds. Come on, people! If you can't chop it up, could you at least remove the tinsel?

//I decided to write America a note on behaf of the Sunshine State //

Dear Rest of Country, 

Your mulch will contain silver specks this year.

With love, 

Florida

Holiday family time... in collages

      We went from a 2 person and a dog household to a 6 person, two dog household this holiday season.   I wanted to make sure they got the most out of their experience here, so instead of naps, I planned activities.  I even went to a few places myself for the first time. South Florida isn't that big after all. I may have had a slight thing in the past about crossing certain streets, as if I were going too far and needed to turn around. I love exploring and learning new things daily, but I have a cap. And when I reach that cap, I just go back home. Perfectly logical?

     While it was a blast, Shawn and I were exhausted because we still worked full time. We vowed to do nothing after they left but rest with out toes in the sand. And did just that. In fact, he had to stop me from throwing a fondue party. Glad he did, folks.

Glad he did. 

(And now the collages...!) 

Collage 1:

from Top Left and clockwise

Holliday Everglades Park (home of the Gator Boys)

Water Taxi Galleria Stop

Mai Kai Restaurant

Coconuts

Collage 2:

Hosreback riding at  Bar-B-Ranch

Collage 3:

Scoring a free taxi ride

Collage 4:

Playing with my new fondue pot!

Picture 2: Conch fritters and Gator Ribs at Coconuts

Collage 5:

Fire show and dancers at Mai Kai

The North Pole 100,000 Christmas lights display house

and Gatorpoop ads in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea