When In Rome....

Take lots of pictures!!! Obviously I cannot load them all here, so I will choose some of my favorites to share. I ended up take a minimum of 150 pics at each port, and that was a slow day. Some ports it was upwards of 300.

Here was one of the huge fountains in a round about. I don't know what ended up being more impressive....the fountain or the fact that we walked across 3 lanes of this traffic trying to get where were headed.I was absolutely in love with the architechture of Rome. Especially all the old doors....I ended up with countless pictures of random doors and archways.

If you go to Rome you have to go to Trevi fountain and throw a coin in, as good luck in returning again someday. I just recenly found out that the city takes all the coins thrown in (hundreds of Euros a day) and uses it to feed the homeless. What a wonderful way to keep the city beautiful....make sure even the poorest citizens are taken care of!

After Trevi, we went and got the most amazing gelato, but I forgot to take a pic of that....sorry, I was devouring the richest chocolate and strawberry ever. And Nansi had their coconut which was to die for, I mean, literally, it was like eating the most creamy, freshest coconut in the world. But then after dessert we headed to a restaurant (which was a bit pricey, I think we ended up paying some crazy 80 euros and it wasn't any more impressive than my cooking...I even made better pasta carbonara when I got home) where we drank some decent house wine, ate a lot, and then walked it off around the city!

We were on top of the Spanish steps when I looked to my right and saw this view:

Looking down towards the Spanish steps I saw a gathering of artists. We didn't have time to get my picture drawn, maybe next time!

There were 2 matching bulidings that I ended up with several pics of, eventually getting this one through an arch.....I was just taking a pic of the arch and got a bonus!

I thought England was crazy parking nose to nose, but we have nothing on the Romans! Seriously..... I need to take lessons from them!

One of my favorite pics I took on the Angel Bridge. Hard to choose when there is statue after statue of these gorgeous things, but I thought the silouette was wonderful.

Here I am with the Swiss Guard....and don't they look pleasant? Who can guess who designed such beautiful uniforms? I think most people would be shocked to find out!

St. Peter's Cathedral was one place I really wanted to go in my lifetime. I cannot begin to explain how I felt sitting on a pew praying here. Calm and at home is as close as I come to describing it, and it isn't quite right. I also was able to kneel before the tomb of John Paul II.....which I know non-Catholics don't really understand, but even before I chose to finish up my catechism, he was a man I considered very holy, and as a human, a very good man. This was St. Peter's at Sunset.....it literally took my breath away. I wish I had time to do more close-up pics, but I was too busy literally running on cobblestone to try and catch the train back to port.

In the end, Rome was an adventure. Being the bad Catholic, I completely forgot the Epiphany, and the trains were on some screwy schedule. The computer screen would say one was coming, but it wasn't really, because they were running fewer trains. In the end, we barely made it back to Civitavecchia on time, and I ended up with my whole body being sore from running in non-cushiony flats trying to make the mile from the train station to the boat. I considered catching a flight from the next port, I was that upset with the way the cruise ran their bus shuttle, but as you will see with the pics to follow, I was very glad I decided to stay. That, and they didn't give us our passports (that they collected upon boarding) until Egypt, so really, I was screwed!

I Wasn't Gonna Eat It, I Was Just Gonna Taste It...

Well, until I can give you the whole pot of honey, here's a tasty smackeral of the beginning of my trip. My friend is supposed to be trying to remember to bring the photos to my husband at work tomorrow. We will wait and see.

First, here I am on the ship in Barcelona. We figured we would drop our things off and go out to sight see, but oh no. Several glasses of champagne later and all we wanted was food and a nap. Barcelona is in the background, we ended up with more pics later (when we got back) but I don't have them yet.

This is me during our safety info/drill thing. I was exhausted, and eventually laid my head down on the table (we were in one of the restaurants) and fell asleep. We woke up long enough to go back to the room, drop the life vests off, and then go to dinner.

This is what I saw when I looked outside on day 3. We were off the coast of Italy, and it was amazing.

This was the view from the window as we ate breakfast while we slid into port.

This was a fountain on our way to the train station in Civitavecchia. If we had known we would be waiting over an hour for the train we would have explored more.

And lastly, before we show off the beauty that was Rome, my friend Nansi begged me to take a photo of a fellow traveler. Nansi and I have very different taste in clothing (we each strongly dislike almost all of the other's taste in clothes) however we agreed: faux leopard fur boots, tight black leggings, and a bronze-ish purse just didn't work. And to top it all off, her hat was a mixture of those too I believe. Sorry for the crooked angle, but I didn't think, "Wow, I think your outfit it over the top hideous!" would work to get her to pose, so I snapped without looking. And strangely I like the shot, because it shows off the shoes (which were the main highlight to our shock) while hiding her identity.....just because I think you have crap taste in clothing does not mean I will humiliate you internationally. And I also like the lighting and the train tracks.

Hopefully I will get the new pics tomorrow.....let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we? I think I have all of Rome, so if I don't get the rest I will continue to persevere and post more. If through the photo display process you like one of the photos, please ask before copying. Thanks!

While I Continue To Wait For Pictures....

Garret and I are feeling quite lovey-dovey lately. In approximately 6 months time we will be moving back to the United States. We're both excited, not because we are moving back to the US (we love you, but the way of life in Europe suits us more), but because we are talking about buying our first home! It's really got us both excited being able to talk realistically about what we would do to this house, or what would need work on that house. It's exciting to think we will be in a place where we can paint and renovate and make a little house into a home. So, with our future in mind, here's a bit about us and the past:

1. Where did you and your husband meet? We like to joke that we met at Penguin Park in KC when we were 4 (both of our parents took us there) but realistically we met when we were 13 in Mr. Schindler's history class.

2. How long before you kissed? Our first "kiss" was when we were 18, but our real first kiss as a couple wasn't until we were 22.

3. Who kissed who first? Both times I was the initiator... the first time I had joked I would, he didn't believe me, and then sat there silently once I did. The second time he claimed he would kiss me first (we began our relationship while he was at tech school, so it was a much discussed event) but he's a chicken and I got to him first.

4. How long from the time you met until you were engaged? Well we met at 13 and got engaged at 22....so 9 years. But we were only together a few months when he proposed.

5. How did he propose? He was getting ready to fly to England the next day, we had just had dinner with both of our parents, and he drove me out under dusk in a field and as I was turned looking at the stars coming in, he dropped to a knee. It was exactly the type of thing I had always wanted.

6. Did he pick out the ring or did you? The first one was one I loved, but in the end it didn't work out because it was uniquely shaped and would have required spending major money to custom design a band for it. So when I went to visit him in London for Christmas he re-proposed with a new one that he picked out.

7. Do you still like the ring? I love it! It's sparkly and fits me (personality and taste wise) perfectly.

8. Where was your wedding and reception? We were married at a church from the 1800's, very simple and stunning. Our reception was in a large ballroom at a Hilton.

9. How many bridesmaids did you have and who was your maid of honor? We each had 2 people stand up with us. My maid of honor was my best friend Theresa, who did a fantastic job of helping me with wedding plans and helping me breathe over things while drinking gallons upon gallons of coffee.

10. What color were your bridesmaid dresses? a pale sage-y green

11. What was your bouquet made of? Peonies, English Garden Roses, and green Hydrangea. The peonies and roses were varying colors of pink.

12. Who gave you away? My Daddy

13.Did you cry during your wedding? Not really, I was just very anxious to see Garret.

14. What style was your dress? Similar to Belle's dress in Beauty and the Beast....it was gathered and then had very intricate beading along the bust of a corset.

16. Who caught your bouquet? My brother's girlfriend at the time Andreya caught a miniature version of mine.....and she is now married! (but not to my brother)

17. What flavor was your cake? The bottom layer was white and the second layer was strawberry, and I think the top was white as well.

18. Did you smash the cake onto each other's faces or feed it to each other nicely? The best picture of the day!!! Garret very quietly said, "And we're not shoving it in the face right?" (I had been very adamant about that) Suddenly a brilliant idea came to me.....I could do it to him and avoid getting any on me! So there is a simply delicious picture of me smirking with cake on my fingers and all over his mouth while I still look dainty.

19. What was "your song" that you danced to at your wedding? As we tend to do things a bit over the top, we had 2 first dances, Rascal Flatts "God Bless the Broken Road" which fit our relationship perfectly (he was my friend that I was never ready for, I dated crap men while he stood by helplessly), and our second was a song called "Greatest Story Ever Told" That starts out with "Thank you for this moment. I've got to say how beautiful you are. Of all the hopes and dreams I could of prayed for, here you are."

20. What did you serve your guests to eat? Wonderful canapes, a coffee bar (with things like cinnamon sticks, chocolate chips, flavorings, real whipped cream...yum), an option of either sesame seed salmon with mustard-lemon grass sauce or macadamia nut chicken with a sweet brandy glaze (we had a special children's menu available as well), and then champagne of course!

21. Where's 21???

22. What was your favorite wedding gift? The recipe to a pecan pie I have been after for over a decade delivered with a large glass pie dish, the rolling pin I wanted, and a bag of pecan halves.

23. What was the worst wedding gift you got? Nothing was bad actually. We did get a lot of picture frames we have never used because they are all wedding ones that don't match.

24. Where did you go on your honeymoon? A week long cruise that stopped off at Cozumel, Costa Maya, Grand Cayman and Belize.

25. Looking back, is there anything you would have changed about your wedding? Hmmm, it was pretty dang fabulous. I loved the harpist we had play at the wedding, so I think the only thing I would have changed would have been a 4 string quartet to accompany her.

Garret and I have been best friends for all of my adult life (and part of my life as a teenager), so the wedding was the perfect culmination of who we are. Elegant but relaxed. When my dad stepped on my dress while walking to the church there are some humorous pics of me standing as still as possible while they sewed part of my dress. The cake was perfect (several people told me it looked like something from a Food Network deal) but when the mints turned out to be without any mint flavoring I just ignored it. And while I looked like the princess that most girls want to be on their wedding day, I tested each dress I tried on for my ability to shake my ass in it (anyone who knows me knows that the ability to dance was a must). The wedding cake was gorgeous and I was uber proud of picking something that fit the day wonderfully, but I was more proud of the Colorado Avalanche hockey puck I surprised Garret with as a groom's cake.

My recent cruise was the last solo adventure I plan on taking without Garret. Although I had a blast, I have learned it's always more fun with him around. And also.....two women who both suck at directions should not be let loose anywhere, especially in Egypt! Garret is great with directions and making sure we get where we want to get, so that would have come in handy!

I am waiting on several discs of pictures from the friend I cruised with (hopefully I will get them this weekend) and then the most choice ones will be posted for your enjoyment.

I Guess I Am Kind of Crunchy

For nearly a year now I have been having moments where I say to my husband, "I know, I'm a hippy, but you love me." I never felt the term was quite appropriate, but as was changing our lifestyle, it seemed to fit. Garret and I like nice things, but the consumerism was beginning to get to me. All the waste. All of the unneccessary things we are somehow convinced we need. We are frugal, and we don't buy a lot of large items that we don't need (our t.v. is the same one I have had since I was 19 living in a dorm room, and I turn 25 in 3 months) but we do accumulate a lot of little things that we could do without. So due to my new obsession with blogs----what an excellent way to find out about other people's experiences and share ideas!---I decided that in addition to my other blog about our life (www.uneviechic.blogspot.com) I would start this blog about how I have become crunchy and how much it has actually given back to our lives.

I am trying to stop our using paper towels (we bought quite a few flour sack towels, glass drying towels, and barcloths for cleanup) because it seemed like so much waste, and it's highly annoying when you run out and don't realize it until it's too late. All the white towels we bought to use instead are white and therefore easy to throw into the wash with a bit of bleach.

A big thing I am on the bandwagon about lately is how much food people waste. My husband and I shop for the food we need when we need it, but I will admit that there have been items that I have let go to waste (for example, neither of us is a huge fan of celery, so after I was done with a recipe I had the bad tendency to throw the rest in the compost bin). Now I take stock of what is in the refrigerator that needs to be used and I use it up or freeze it. I have been freezing vegetables to eventually make some homemade stock. But I have also been cleaning the freezer out. The other day we had chicken I defrosted that I baked in the oven. Then I sauteed up some onions and garlic with olive oil and added some balsamic vinegar to add some tanginess. I plated a bed of rocket, topped with a chicken breast sliced into strips and added the onions on top. The onion was from a bag I bought 2 weeks before, and so I used that up, with the freezer chicken and Garret and I both thought it was something we will have to make more often!

To start using up a jar of yeast I have had in the fridge I have decided to start making bread more often. So this morning I made 4 French baguettes. They were a yummy accompanient to dinner. However, they were more dense than I was wanting (I like my French bread crusty on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside, rather than like heavy soda bread) so any recipes people are willing to share will be welcome!

My main purpose of this blog is to be an extension of my other blog. I believe in living a chic life. I believe in still eating great tasteful food, but in a mindful way. Garret and I are starting to really notice where our food has come from (many grocers in Britain have highlights about local farmers they use on the outside of packages). I think you can lead a life that is both mindful and kind of crunchy, giving thought to how things harm ourselves and the environment, but still live decadently. For instance, Garret and I love hot cocoa on these cold nights in England. But instead of Nestle or Swiss Miss, we either make our own from scratch, or we use Godiva (who has limited ingredients) and I whip up some heavy cream with sugar for a delicious whipped cream topping, instead of using Cool Whip. I don't judge people who use those products, but I can tell you, my hot cocoa is better because I don't. It's taste is something you would expect to pay good money for (especially the version from scratch that is so rich you would swear it should be a meal unto itself) and it doesn't have all the unnecessary added ingredients.

I hope I meet some like minded people through their own blogs, so feel free to leave comments and ideas. We are always looking for ways to live more naturally.

As I Wait Until I Have Pictures

Here's a meme I found on bleedingespresso.com :

1. My uncle once: Paid the DJ at my wedding to play all the cheesy songs after I left, i.e. the electric slide.
2. Never in my life: did I imagine I would have traveled as much as I have at this age.
3. When I was five: I had a phrase coined after me because of something I said. I was asked how my day was by my principal (or teacher) and I responded I was having a pain in the butt day, so whenever they had a bad day they called it a "Kalee Day"
4. High school was: where I became friends with my husband.
5. I will never forget: the crazy things I did that got me where I am.
6. Once I met: Jeff Dunham, quite a nice guy.
7. There’s this girl I know: is the sister I never had and I don't get to talk to her enough.
8. Once, at a bar: My husband bought me a drink and asked to come up to my room (on my honeymoon, aren't we goofballs?)
9. By noon, I’m usually: just getting around to really waking up.
10. Last night: I got home from Barcelona!
11. If only I had:the crown jewels....but boy are they heavily guarded.
12. Next time I go to church: I'll be sad because it won't be St. Peter's in Rome.
13. What worries me most: is having to choose between myself and others, sometimes you have to put yourself first.
14. When I turn my head left I see: Garret writing a comedic diary of when I was gone.
15. When I turn my head right I see: the kitchen wall.
16. You know I’m lying when: I tell too many details.
17. What I miss most about the Eighties is: I don't really remember them, but I did love kindergarten (which I attended in 1989.
18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be: Juliet, because I really do believe that love is worth giving your all, no matter what others think.
19. By this time next year: I will be back in the States, recovering from Christmas with my family.
20. A better name for me would be: Josephine (like Jo in Little Women), it's a more serious sounding name, and I could have gone by Jo when I was younger.
21. I have a hard time understanding: why people try to choose how everyone else lives their life. If it doesn't affect you, stay out of it.
22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll: study art history and oil painting.
23. You know I like you if: I choose to talk to you.
24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be: My husband who takes me as I am, and loves me for everything, the good and the bad.
25. Take my advice, never: keep around people who make you feel bad about who you are.
26. My ideal breakfast is: Hmmm, I do love breakfast. I would say a croissant, great coffee, (and a poached egg my husband says......he taught himself how while I was gone and is now obsessed about making them for me) and salmon or fresh fruit. I really like light breakfasts (but I love fried eggs and bacon as dinner)
27. A song I love but do not have is: Amy Winehouse's Tears Dry On Their Own
28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest you: get excited, because Kansas City rocks!
29. Why won’t people: learn to love themselves without a constant need for outside approval? If you need someone to tell you that you're sexy to feel that way it just makes me sad.
30. If you spend a night at my house: I apologize, my dog loves company.
31. I’d stop my wedding for: my fiance dying, short of that, I might downsize it to accomadate something, but boy was I so excited nothing would have gotten me to change the date.
32. The world could do without: people thinking they're celebrities because they were on a reality t.v. show.
33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than: have the cockroach lick me.
34. My favourite blonde(s) is/are: my best friend Theresa.
35. Paper clips are more useful than: a popsicle stick if you are trying to pick a lock.
36. If I do anything well it’s: lie around the house reading.
37. And by the way: I'm fascinated by having readers from odd places around the world, so feel free to comment!

Leaving on A Jet Plane

I head to the airport in about an hour!

I set up sitemeter to see if anyone even reads this, and apparantly quite a few people do. So for those of you I know (at least on here) and those I don't know yet, please leave some comments for me while I am gone (perhaps links to your own blogs?). Perhaps share how you found my little blog.

In fact to help anyone along, let me ask: Does anyone know of any good home remedies or beauty treatments? Here in England the air is so dry it literally makes my skin crack, and I have tried many things. So if you have any suggestions....please, any help would be thoroughly appreciated!

I'll write more in 2 weeks, with hopefully a whole ton of great photos!

Bikini And A Sweater?

I leave for the cruise on Sunday, and while I am excited to be going I am having a minor problem. I have no real ideas on what to pack! Barcelona would seemingly be warm, as well as everywhere else we are headed......but I know it won't be hot. I'm planning on spending some days just relaxing by the pool reading in the bikini. But I also want to bring a sweater or two in case I get cold. And my biggest problem with any type of travel I do is I always, ALWAYS over-pack. I take the largest suitcase possible, and even if it's just a long weekend away I pack minimally 4-5 pairs of shoes (this trips shoes count has already surpassed that) and since shoes generally weigh more than clothes I panic about weight limits.

I am planning on wearing some nice jeans, a shirt and a cardigan or shrug on the plane (along with my peacoat) and a pair of black flats, and packing a skirt and a couple of shirts in my carry on in case my luggage gets lost, which is mildly helpful to my suitcase packing. And I need to leave plenty of room in my suitcase for things I buy (heaviest item being wine). Garret is letting me use his toiletry case I bought him for Christmas, and that should keep most of those type things all nice and together.

I am looking forward to relaxing, just letting myself breathe and not overthink things. But packing has always been the hardest thing for me to do. I mean, a woman can never have too many options!

New Life Resolutions

In January, most people will be making New Year's resolutions. Well, to hell with that, I say! I want to make lifestyle resolutions, not just quick new year ones that will fade long before it reaches spring. I want to begin to make more changes that will continue throughout my life.

This past year has been an amazing oppurtunity to grow. I was able to walk away from my hold on an old love, to tell him how happy I am, and that I wanted him to be happy too. It was an ending to a chapter in my life, and by writing the final words of it, my marriage truly began to grow. I was able to finally quit the comparisons of my different lives and appreciate what I had.

I was also able to accept myself and gain strength in that. I said goodbye to a friend when our lives were no longer going down the same path. I have stood up for myself to my family (something I had never been very brave about before.) I began to really treat my body better, to learn to listen to when I am hungry and actually eat something rather than hope it passed.

This next year I hope will be even better than the last. I know so many people say that, but it is a sincere goal of mine to actively make this year better than 2008. In 2 days I leave to go on a wonderful cruise. It will be hard to be away from Garret, since we haven't spent a 24 hour period apart since I moved to England, but he is being cute as always and planning on teaching himself to cook a meal to make for me when I get back. And 2009 will mean time to move, something I am both dreading (because I hate packing 2 months in advance) and looking forward to as it will highlight the beginning of a new adventure. We have a few others things planned for this year that will hopefully mean many more chapters in our life.

I hope everyone is enjoying the clean slate that a new year represents. A time to sit down in front of a mirror and accept the person you see. A time to celebrate with champagne. Happy New Year!