2012 Week 44: This week did not LAK adventure…

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Leigh

It’s go time, folks! LAK lacquer is alive! Skipped one more day at the gym and worked on the launch of all that is LAK lacquer today. Boy, it takes a long time to build a website and social media presence from nothing. My next step is to look for someone great with social media to swatch my polishes for me. Fingers crossed, y’all.

At work this week: the tradeshow and the Halloween party both went great! Also of note this week, went to Cindy’s show opening at Inkling. Had to restrain myself from buying more prints. Her work is *so* lovely. However, the stack of prints I need to buy frames for is probably .5 inches thick. Cindy’s work is a huge inspiration to me. Seriously: look at this stuff. I ate out three times this week [Bite, Yummy Yummy, Fat Willy’s]. Need to take it easy. At least I have all of my craft fairs coming up to prep for, so I think I’ll be able to keep myself busy to not go out too much. Famous last words?

Very exciting news: Z and I have a wedding venue! It’s one that friends used and we had really liked. We went to see it on Friday and wrote in requesting dates on Saturday. We dropped off a check today. The price was the opposite of jaw-dropping; jaw-lifting even. Don’t want to jinx anything until we hear back that we are 100% confirmed on the date, but we are nearly there. I also bought the domain and put a placeholder up on our wedding website.

Films watched 44th week of the year:

Frankenweenie
Rumba
Cloud Atlas
Punching the Clown
Hit So Hard*
Fados*

*documentary

This was a stellar week for movies. I enjoyed all of them to some degree, but my winner this week was Frankenweenie tied with Rumba. I cried more than I thought I would at Frankenweenie. When I first saw the preview for it, it was when Tilda was being an absolute terror and had bitten Zachary and we thought we would have to give her back to the rescue who might then, in turn, have to put her down since she had a bite record. I could not stop crying during that preview thinking about our tiny dog dying. So glad that our patience paid off because Tilda is an excellent dog 98% of the time now. The doggie drugs have really turned things around and set her brain straight. She is totally worth it. Frankenweenie broke my heart into millions of pieces in the first 15 minutes. I am one of those people who hadn’t heard of the short Tim Burton had done of this first thing in his career. The film delivered. Loved it, but I don’t know that I can see it again anytime soon. Have to build my tears back up!

2012 Week 26: When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go – to Downton.

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Leigh

Tofu Chimichurri

This week mostly revolved around eating. I started making protein shakes with vegan Life’s Basics (Pea, Hemp, Rice, Chia Seed) protein powder. I felt way more energy than I usually do in the mornings the 4 days I did it. I cooked tofu chimichurri. Somehow I clicked on something that let me know that Still Flyin’ were playing on Friday night at the Burlington and I Miss Alison went with me. I had been feeling so blah and it was one of those nights that was so desperately needed. They RULED. It was so weird and great to see two of my favorite band dudes, Mark from the Lucksmiths and Phil from Maserati, on stage next to each other. Mind explosion! Also, I got to experience Mark’s first Malort shot. Priceless! I went to see Ham Siobam @ Cordinated and it’s probably the last time they’ll play together in ages since Juli and Dan are moving to San Fran. I got to try two newish places: Phil’s Last Stand and Bullhead Cantina. The veggie dog at Phil’s is pretty darn good. The tacos at Bullhead were really creative, cheap, and best of all – TASTY! This week, I also am nearly caught up with my Flickr uploading: see here.

I’ve been vegetarian for almost 3 weeks now and I will admit that I have almost caved a few times, but I have not given in. That’s part of why I bought the protein powder because my body was screaming out for chicken, I’m guessing because I need that protein. Happy news is that I am still losing weight even though this week I did not work out or ride my bike once. I have been taking long walks, but it’s just so hot I don’t want to sweat both while I’m outside and inside. I abhor sweating.

On Saturday, I was feeling lousy so I laid on the couch and finished Downton Abbey: Season 2 and then I talked to my parents for a total of an hour about that show. I can’t stop thinking about it. It is such a wonderful show. If you have yet to watch it, give it a whirl. I am still trying to figure out a card design in ode to Downtown. We’ll see! I just looked a few weeks ago and I swear all this was not up there then: THIS, THIS, and THIS.

Also of importance: next week on Friday, we are taking Tilda in to see a behaviorist, Dr. Ballentyne, at Furnetic. Tilda had been so good, but this week she ended up biting my hand when I reached in to pull a napkin out of her crate that she was eating. My guard was down and it didn’t even cross my mind that I was reaching into her safe place. We have to get to the root of what is making her aggressive and see if we can nip it in the bud. Fingers crossed.

Films watched 26th week of the year:

Happiness
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
Life During Wartime
Loot*
The Devil’s Double

*documentary

2012 Week 22: Oh, Tilderp.

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Leigh

View from our new patio set.

Unfortunately, it was too cold early in the week to use the new set. Otherwise, it was a mostly good week. At my lowest weight again, 2.4 lbs. away from losing 20 lbs. since I started working out/using MyFitnessPal. Got to try Antique Taco, which totally rules. Craft Bar @ Migonette Bridal. Spent a little time at Do Division Friday night, but stayed away for the rest of it. Bday party for LCB at the Clipper. Picnic with the Swanbergs. Saw my first movie at Facets, finally. However, in the land of Tilda…

We took Tilda in Wednesday night to the ER vet. She was super lethargic and had been dry heaving and producing spittle. It turns out she likely has bordetella (kennel cough), which burns my butter because we told our vet when we were in less than a month ago that we received notice that she was due for her bordetella vaccine, but she said we did not need it since we don’t board her. Well, it’s an airborne bacteria and every other house on our street has a dog, so that’s how she got it. SO ticked. To top it all off, as of Friday she started limping and trying to bite us when we pick her up. We don’t know if it’s her back or feet or what because it comes and goes. Whatever it is, it is disheartening to see her like this. Tomorrow morning we will be making our third appointment (for three different things) in a month for her. Yarg.

Finished Bitter is the New Black. Z’s mom gave me all the Jen Lancaster books for my bday and that was the first one I’ve ever read. Really funny read, but I find myself really shocked that she’s a Republican.

Films watched 22nd week of the year:

Collapse*
Abduction
Everything is Terrible! The Movie
The Enchanted Cottage
Small, Beautifully Moving Parts
Wet Hot American Summer

*documentary

2012 Week 7: a duck a day keeps the quacking away.

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Leigh

Since I started working out with Wii Fit Plus, I’ve been craving protein like crazy. I usually would eat poultry a few times a week, but this week I had duck three times. That may sound like I’m the 1%, but in only one instance was it “fancy” duck. For V-day, Z and I went out the night before to (k)new restaurant and I had the roasted duck with porcini risotto. We attended Amanda’s birthday outing on Thursday, where I had to order the new duck and lentil dish they plopped on the menu. Saturday because Z and I were already downtown for movies at River East, we decided to try the wait at Xoco. The line was nowhere as long as it was last time, so we waited and it was completely worth the approximately half an hour wait for a table. I got the “winter market” caldos and the server/host type person who brought it to the counter we were sat at said it was his favorite thing. By golly, it was the best duck soup imaginable. The Marx Brothers would approve. Rick Bayless, you rule.

My duck eating has been balancing out some bad and sad things going on. Maude, beloved store pug of Stacy at Paper Doll, passed away this week. Tilda lost her only friend. I found this news out immediately after experiencing the worst pain I have ever experienced in my entire life, after having the beginning of a root canal done on an infected tooth. Really, Wednesday was one of the worst days imaginable. Losing a longtime friend like Maude and having such an exquisite pain in my mouth. Z said he has never heard anyone outside of a movie scream like I was over the phone. My wonderful boo met me at CVS to drive me home after I picked up the pain med I was prescribed and an antibiotic for the infection. I just could not fathom driving that last few blocks in that pain. The second part of the root canal will be done on Wednesday. Reminder: STOP EATING CANDY! Additionally, this morning Tilda somehow slipped out of her Easy Walk harness and jumped on a shih tzu. I was able to wrestle her away after about 10 seconds of biting and yelping. Thankfully, the dog was alright, but it left me terrified of this ever happening again. I carried my squirming pup home where Z put the harness back on her and we tried to figure out how she escaped and were left dumbfounded. Tilda’s middle name is Houdini. Stacy of Paper Doll recommended another brand, which we are going to buy ASAP as soon as she reminds me of the brand again.

Rhymes with Twee - print gocco inks

Isn’t organizing pretty? This also allows me to see what colors I am running low on, so I can scour the internetz for them. Today I got brackets for my shelves at Home Depot so the craft room organization will continue this week. I sent in my paperwork to reactivate my IBT number, so fingers crossed they get all that done. Now comes the fun part of doing my IL sales taxes for 2009-2011. I’ve got most of it sorted out. Now I just need to sit down and do the dirty work. Yuck.

Films watched 7th week of the year:

The Bodyguard
Soldier’s Girl
Pina (3-D)*
The Artist
Drive
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

*documentary

I implore anyone reading this to go see Pina in a theatre. It is a work of art that you will never see anything remotely close to in your lifetime. The rest of the films I saw this week were good, but none lived up to the hype that preceded them, except, let’s be real here: The Bodyguard.