Home Office

In September I was able to move into a work at home position for my company. I had been wanting that for so long. Since we had an extra spare room I decided to get to work on it immediately.

I knew I wanted a cool color scheme...greys with black accents.

First we had the task of tackling this pink and purple room. 

Next came the color. I was so happy with this grey. I actually really enjoy painting. Papa Bear and I painted our bedroom and I was more than ready to help paint my office. 

Almost finished. I didn't want just a white ceiling, so we continued the grey all the way up. 

And I absolutely love how it turned out. I want to change the lighting, but I do love the ceiling fan. This room is small and it gets hot really easily. Many morning I open the window and have the ceiling fan going. 

I also decided to redo Mom's desk/dresser that was always in her bedroom. It was so old and just collecting "things" in the living room. I wanted to put it to use. I want to sit at it and imagine her sitting there as well. She did a lot of drawing on this desk. I turned it into my make up desk. It's on the opposite side of the room from my work desk. 

I chose a color from the same palette as my wall color. The wall color was the third color on the swatch and the desk was the second to the darkest.

I knew I wanted blues incorporated in the room in very minor touches and I wanted glass knobs. A quick trip to World Market and I found exactly what I was looking for. 

I have my make up in the first two drawers on each side. The top holds my mirror, perfumes, a clock, all my make up brushes and a birdcage-candle holder. 

I absolutely love it.

I love that I have my own little corner that is really just mine. 

And here's my work set up on the other side. In the office I had an L-shaped desk and I knew for the layout of my books I needed an L-shaped at home. 

We looked online, in stores...I wasn't able to find anything that would work. I needed something that was deep enough and I just wasn't finding it.

Until we were referred to Desks Galore. I found exactly what I was looking for.

And they discounted it..And they delivered...

It was a double bonus for me!! 

And I'm never alone in my office. My boys stay with me constantly. 

Who really needs to use a mouse? I'm so sorry I was inconveniencing him. 

And that's me most of my day... 

Micah is usually the one who joins me. He waits for me to wake up and then follows me in the office and makes himself comfortable on my voice mail log. This is a daily fight with him when I try to write down my messages. He's biting and attacking the pen here. 

And sometimes I have all three... 

I saw this cute quote on Pinterest. It is soooo very true!

I need this on a t-shirt! 

I have become obsessed with Illy's Espresso.

I use it in my French Press. 

It is some of the best coffee I have ever tasted. 

I've even made affogato for the girls with it! 

And I tried to make my own Con Panna. 

I think I'll just let Starbucks handle that from now on! 

August 2015 - Beginning to Mid

It is unbelievably hard to think not only is August here...it's MID August. When did this happen? This year has gone by so fast and has brought about so many changes it is absolutely crazy.

After the meeting the first Sunday in August, Papa Bear and I went with the Meyers to Denman Estate Park to walk and talk. It was pretty darn hot, around 100, but all the trees provided shade and made the walk really pleasant. 

I wasn't prepared for how beautiful the park was.  

The Korean pavillion is set behind a beautiful pond and surrounded by huge towering canopy of trees.  

The pond is a half mile around and there you find the cutest,fluffy ducks, which are no doubt used to people by now.  

I was surprised how close they will let you get to them. I wished I had known, I would have brought some bread with me. 

Some of my favorite memories are going to Victoria to the duck pond to feed the ducks. Mom and I would stop at the little bread store and load up. She usually had a picnic packed and we would feed the ducks and then feed ourselves. 

There were also many turtles. I love turtles. 

I had to snap a quick picture of the baby turtle taking a ride on it's mommy's back. 

And as mentioned in my last post, Sierra has me hooked on the Doppio Con Panna. 

Lena and I went to the mall to purchase some makeup and we had to take a break to look at our goodies....

We took our break at Starbucks, of course. 

I am a sucker for matte eye shadows. Don't get me wrong, I love to have some shimmer and shine but NOTHING beats a good matte!!

Too Faced cosmetics came out with a Natural Matte palette and I HAD to have it! 

Lena chose Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette.

Oh my goodness... I am so in love. I have never felt eyeshadow so buttery and soft. There is literally NO fall out and when combined with Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer, these shadows stay on all day!!

My work days starts at 7:30 a.m. I apply my make up around 6 am. I usually do the gym around 8 pm and get home around 11 pm. 

When I apply the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer, my shadow stays put ALL. DAY. 

I realize that a decluttering and reorganization of my make up drawer is in order. I'm embarrassed to post this photo even! My monthly make up subscriptions like Birchbox and Ipsy have really created a monster in that I am full of samples, luxury size samples and full sized items that it will take me a while to get to.  

And as if I didn't have enough eye shadows, Papa Bear bought me another new palette...because I lost the bet. HA! That man must really love me!!!

I had a really hard time deciding earlier in the week if I wanted the Too Faced Natural Matte Palette or the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar. I selected the Natural Matte then but when I lost the bet and he offered to still buy me something from Sephora... I chose the Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar palette!! 

~~OH~~MY~~WORD~~

The BEST palette ever.  

Every single color in here is amazing.

And the smell.... oh my goodness, the smell...

Chocolate is actually infused in each of these shadows and when you open the palette you smell what I imagine Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory would smell like. 

It's heavenly, I tell you!!!

One evening Papa Bear and I decided to stop by a restaurant I used to frequent with my friend Lisa. They have delicious, authentic Mexican food.

The weather was nice, there was a slight breeze, the music was playing softly, the food being cooked outside smelled amazing... 

and the food itself did not disappoint!! It was just as good as I remembered it being. 

I have no idea why we stopped visiting Marioli's but I know without a doubt we will be stopping by regularly! 

Last weekend while cleaning Papa Bear opened Mom's doctors case of 45's and we listened to her favorites. 

She drew stars on some of her favorites. 

I loved that she had this one. It was one of my dad's favorite songs. He could definitely relate to it. So playing her 45's made me feel like she was here again, here with us.

There may have been a minor break down or two but I am so very, very happy I have her records.

Again, they bring back sooo many, many memories.

Last Saturday Papa Bear and I met Gloria for dinner at Smoke, The Restaurant.

This has got to be one of the very best restaurants in San Antonio. The flavors of the food are just unbelievable. If you want to eat inside, you will need a reservation. We enjoy eating outside and listening to the live music. The waiters are so nice and keep your glasses full.

The trees provide a soft, easy breeze and you are just in good company. 

I absolutely love this place!

This was my Urban Cowboy plate. It's brisket made into a ground patty, topped with crispy onions and served with french fries.

It is mouth...watering...good!!!! 

CC came over and brought Bella and Papa Bear made beignets for us when he got home.

Beignets were one of our favorite parts of NOLA, so imagine my surprise when I found you can find the mix at Wal-Mart. 

Too bad they don't sell the Cafe Du Monde coffee too! 

Papa sent me a text asking me what we were doing and this is the picture I sent him.... 

I don't let the cats on the table but this was a special day because.....

Bella was back in the house. 

When CC called that she was on her way and bringing Bella with her, I had her on speaker phone and my boys heard Bella meowing in the background. They got so nervous and started pacing and looking around. 

When Bella got here the got away from her as fast as they could. I guess they thought she couldn't get them up there. So I made the exception, then I cleaned the table like a mad woman!!!!

I got accepted for the work from home position. The start date has been pushed back a week. I am so excited to get started on fixing my home office. This will be one room in the house that will be all me!!! 

Copalli's Cafe, Cappuccinos & Cats

I used to HATE coffee. 

Hated the smell.

Hated the idea.

Hated the taste, even though I had never tasted it. 

All I knew, was that I would hear Mom every morning moving around in the kitchen making her morning pot of coffee.

I hated that she thought she needed it to get her day started.

...Now...

this is basically me.... 

So, after my injection last Thursday, CC found the cutest cafe for us to have lunch at....Copalli Cafe.

The cafe has the coziest, most relaxing atmosphere.

I love the warm colors throughout, the reclaimed hard wood floors...

And the food...oh my, the food....

is out of this world, knock your socks off, mouth watering good!!!

Everything is made from scratch, nothing store bought.

The cafe is run by a local professor, her son and his girlfriend.

After our lunch, I had to try a pumpkin cappuccino (which only made me yearn for fall)...

I watched him make my drink. He did so with skill and ease and it definitely was reflected in the taste.

I was/am hooked.... 

While we were eating this cute little squirrel came by and was peeping on us.

The staff gave him a mini muffin to munch it. 

It was the sweetest thing!

The staff at Copalli Cafe couldn't be sweeter. They make you feel at home. If I could see my dream job through, it would to own a cafe like Copalli Cafe. It is just THAT good!! 

And it was soooo good, that on Saturday, I woke Lena up and told her she had to go with me to have lunch at Copalli. I could have easily just picked lunch up, but I wanted her to have the whole experience.

Lena and I sat on the opposite size in a cozy little nook.

Everything about Copalli Cafe is just so perfect...right down to the jazzy art they have on the wall.

You can come it, sit down, relax and forget about what is weighing on your mind...have a great conversation with Khalehla and Chris..

and enjoy another pumpkin cappuccino.... 

and pair it with a homemade from scratch S'more Coffee Cake. 

Oh yes. It's THAT good!!

When it's my next turn to bring breakfast for work I know EXACTLY what I will be bringing.

Our Papa Bear was out of town this past weekend, so I snapped him this selfie (gosh, I HATE using that word) to send to him.

CC ordered the Caprese sanchwhich when she and I went.

I just had to buy some fresh basil and mozarella and make my own sandwich. I'll just say this...the girls LOVED it! 

With all this eating out, we've been trying to counteract it by hitting the gym. The gym is my stress release. I love to go at night when there are fewer people. It's just uncomfortable to work out next to these huge bulked up body builders. I feel like I'm being critiqued for doing something wrong. 

After working out I usually rest my muscles in the hot tub, hit the sauna, then shower and head home. I feel so fresh and rejuvenated the next day. There is NOTHING that feels as good as working out.

It not only does your body good, it does wonders for your mind as well! 

I'm not sure what is going on, but my boys have been so clingy lately. Some days they want nothing to do with me, aside from feeding them.... 

and other days I can't get them away from me. It's seriously reminds me of having a baby sometimes. I can't go to the restroom with out seeing little paws under the door and hear one or two of them crying and crying.... 

Even Toby decided to be nice to CC. 

On a weight loss note... my hair has been falling out like crazy. It worries me but I keep reading that it will grow back. It sure better or I need to start looking for wigs!!!

The weather is warming up and we've had no rain for a while...which is really kinda nice!

Meanwhile, I'm on the search for some high protein, low carb recipes that will be good for my Gastric Sleeve.

Pinterest has been most helpful so far!