Providence, Rhode Island

I. Love. Providence. New England has definitely taken some getting used to but it is slowly growing on me. We moved from Lincoln, RI to Providence, RI last month. While the move was a very unexpected disturbance-our land lady decided to sell the house to owners who didn't want tenants-everything has worked out for the best and I am happy we made the move. After all I always wanted to live in the city. Now I am closer to work and 2 minutes from my beloved Whole Foods.

Below is the house we are renting and our street. EVERYTHING is old in this part of the country. Both of the houses we have lived in were built in 1890. I was beyond weirded out at first, living in a house that so many others had been in before, but I have come to adore the history. The homes are large and beautiful, many with original floors, windows and cabinets. There is a certain charm that comes with things that old. Many of the homes, including ours are multi family: 2-3 independently functioning sections in the home. We have 2 other "families" living in ours.

This is the first time I will be experiencing a real fall. Back home in Texas the leaves just eventually turn brown and fall off the tree and it seems to stay warm through most of the season. Here the air is turning cool and crisp and the leaves are just starting to move to hues of orange and red. I'm so excited for a of the fall activities that will be happening in the next few weeks!!!!

On a side note, lil man had his teeth cleaned yesterday under general anesthesia. He did so well, didn't bite anyone and even gave kisses. This is much unlike most vet visits, or really any contact with anyone besides me, so I'm quite pleased.

New Recipes

I love to cook and have been really wanting to try some new recipes for a while. But because I lived alone for the last 6 months I always felt it was kind of a waste to buy and make so much food for just one person. That problem is solved now. I have my wonderful husband/taste tester who is very happy to help me eat all of the new things I have been cooking. Most dishes have turned out well. Others, like last night when I tried to bake broccoli, didn't really work out but it was definitely a good learning experience.

From left to right: Black-eyed pea stew with collards and potatoes Spinach and mushroom quesadilla Shrimp Pasta in foil bag French Dip Sandwiches Taco Soup Filet Roast with roasted asparagus and quinoa

I'm Back!!

Ahhh it feels good to be able to blog again. Things were crazy for a few months and I had a lot that needed to be focused on. I am now a MRS. and have been living in Rhode Island for two weeks. It is definitely different from my sweet Texas: the accents, the dress, the food, the WEATHER! But it's nothing I can't adapt too. I think it's a good experience to move away from home for a while. Especially as newly weds, we only have each other up here and I hope that it strengthens us and leads to a good foundation for our marriage.

Thankfully all of my CT scans have been fine and I will continue to go to Houston every 3 months for my routine check ups. It has been a little nerve racking being so far from my oncologist, I don't even have a primary care here yet. But I have my doctors blessing, so that made it a lot easier to do. Right now I feel as good, if not better than I ever have. When ever I get nervous I just focus on that.

I will be attempting to do a variation of project 365 this year but I will only be focusing on each month and using an online tool to help keep track of my pictures and documenting. So I guess it's more like project twelve. I will use 7 pictures from each month. Taking a picture every day makes me kind of crazy and I always feel bad if I forget so I feel like this method will work for me. I started the year on February 19, the day we were married. I think having a snapshot into our first year of marriage will be something that I and maybe future children can treasure.

Shellac

A review of Shellac:

I first heard about Shellac a few weeks ago. A friend of mine said that she went to get a manicure and was telling the manicurist that polish never stays more than a few days. She said they had a new product that would keep her manicure looking nice for two weeks. Well, the manicure ended up lasting her for 3 weeks an I was very impressed.

Shellac is actually a colored gel that is painted onto the nails just like nail polish. After each layer the hand is placed under the UV light to cure. No damage is done to the nail bed. Only a soft buffing is required before the Shellac is applied. The result is a nice, glossy finish that will last for at least two weeks WITHOUT CHIPPING!!! It's even dry as soon as the last UV cycle is completed, just wash and go. No more waiting for nails to dry and possibly nicking one.

It is more expensive than a regular manicure. I paid $30 for my first one and $35 for my second. I have heard of some places that are as little as $15 and some that are as expensive as $75, so ask first. And make sure the salon is experienced in applying Shellac. It took four different applications the first time I had it because the salon I went to had not used it much and they kept applying it incorrectly. My only other complaint is that if you get a color, in about a weeks time there will be a line of regrowth at the bottom. I could have lasted until 14 days but the separation of color was driving me nuts. That's why I opted for a shellac french manicure the second time.

Day 1

Day 5

Day 10

Shellac french. I couldn't take the new growth so I went back to get French. I had a much more enjoyable experience the second time because I went to a more experinced salon. It is encouraged to have the polish removed in the salon and not at home because a short soaking is required to get the gel off without damaging the nail.

Green Juice

I have enjoyed juicing since 2009, but until the last few months I always steered clear of vegetable juice. I thought that it would taste bad, and even though I knew the health benefits I refused to try it. After doing some research a months ago, I found that I could mask the taste of the vegetables by adding one or two pieces of fruit. I tried it and have been juicing almost every day since. I prefer a juice blend using leafy greens also known as "green juice". My typical juice includes one bunch of kale, one bunch of spinach, one bunch of kale, one small carrot, one apple and one peeled lemon. I sometimes spice it up by adding rainbow chard or dandelion leaves.

Why juice you may ask? Juicing allows you to get tons of nutrients from plants without having to weigh down your GI tract with the bulk of that amount of fiber. There is no way that for breakfast everyday I could eat all of that produce, but by juicing, I get all of those nutrients in before I even get to work. I still enjoy raw vegetables and salads but it's nice to not have to try to eat a certain amount. I know that in one glass of green juice I've gotten a nice start on my daily intake of fruit and vegetables.

If you google 'green juice recipe' several recipes will pop up. Adjust to your taste and experiment. If it taste a little too "green" add some more fruit. There is a green juice for everyone!

Step 1: Gather fruit and vegetables. (This amount will make a little over 32 ounces. I split it up and drink it all day. Fresh juice is best immediately after juicing but if it's kept in an air tight container it's fine to drink throughout the day. I split the greens in half if I just want one serving).

Step 2: Tear up greens into smaller pieces (I just rip mine in half) and wash.

Step 3: Bag (I prepare my produce at night so that it is ready for me when I wake up in the morning).

Step 4: Cut and peel.

Step 5: Begin to juice. I use a Jack LaLanne juicer.

Step 5: You can rejuice the pulp to get a little more juice out. I only use organic produce for juicing and it can get expensive so getting every last bit of juice is important.

Step 6: Enjoy

Step 7: Store in an airtight container if you have any leftover.

Thanksgiving

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I had to work through Wednesday. This turned out well because my scans were scheduled for Tuesday with my follow up appointment on Wednesday. The start of my great holiday came when I found out that not only am I still stable but one of the nodules has continued to shrink!!! I'm so relieved. I was very relaxed for this re staging. I'm normally very nervous, anxious and can't sleep. But this time I was so calm. I even had trouble getting up Wednesday morning, I just wanted to stay in bed because I was sleeping so well. Maybe because it's been almost two years since anything really serious has shown up. I also think it is because I have increased my Bikram yoga practice to (I try) every other day. It just helps me stay calm. My life is so much more balanced when I practice like I'm supposed to.



Melvinn and I met in North Carolina to visit his mother for Thanksgiving. It was really nice to meet her, his step dad and his little sister. I'm so happy that I got a chance to meet with them before the wedding. We had a feast for dinner....chicken, turkey, fried chicken wings, greens, green beans, macaroni and cheese, rolls, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, several cakes and pies. I'm sure I'm forgetting something, there was just so much great food.



Before dinner we held hands, his little sister blessed the food and then his mom suggested that we each go around and say what we are thankful for. It was so touching. I often think to myself what I am thankful for but it's so powerful to say it out loud. I hope to continue this tradition with Melvinn each year, even if it's just the two of us and the chihuahua.



I really enjoyed my time there. It was 4 days of much needed rest and relaxation. It was also the longest I have seen my fiance since he moved. While I loved being there and eating all kinds of crazy delicious foods I don't normally indulge in, it was very nice to get back to Houston to my green juice, salads, and yoga.

Engagement Pictures

A few of our engagement pictures from our session in October. Photos by Sharon Nicole Photography.