as promised

before . . . after. . .

which do you like better?

by the time you read this . . .

i will no longer be blonde. i've been blonde most of my life - for the first half of my life it was natural, and then, not-so-natural. i've been wondering how i would look with my natural brunette hair color, but have been too nervous to try it out. but today, i am taking the plunge-i will post a photo of the results.

thanks, heisschic, for the inspiration.

photo via ffffound.

mr. pink arrived!

and i could not be more excited to get out and play with my new toy. i think its going to be a match made in heaven. because i am in love.

image via ffffound.

new math

have you seen this site? i think it is, in one simple word, rad.

letter to nie

dear stephanie,

thank you for your moving post on monday. my heart wrenched deeply as i read your post - not only because i feel so horrible that you have to endure so much physical and emotional pain, but also because i empathize. i really do.

i have never suffered something as catastrophic as an airplane crash, but i have been in life-altering amounts of physical pain for the past year and a half that i am no longer to be the rikki i used to be. nor am i able to be the rikki i want to be, and that is actually harder for me to deal with than the pain itself. the doctors have inaccurately diagnosed me with about six different autoimmune disorders, put me through a million tests, mris, scans, etc. and they still don't have an answer. they all agree - i have something, but what that something is, they just aren't sure. the latest suspected culprit is mastocytosis. we'll see. can't say i'm optimistic at this point about them ever finding out what is wrong.

but enough about me. back to you. thank you for being an inspiration to us all. your faith, strength, and love shine through every word you write. when you said "i get to change the way i look at life and how i can help someone else in need," just know this: you have already helped at least one person. you've helped me change the way i look at my life.

much love and admiration,
rikki

image via ffffound

i envy you if . . .

i'm always on the hunt for new blogs to follow (if you have any suggestions, please let me have them!!), and recently found this blog. i loved the "i envy you if . . ." post so much that i decided to write my own.


i envy you if . . .

- you are skinny. you skinny bitch, you.

- you never get sick.

- you run marathons.

- you live within walking distance to a fab cucpake joint.

- your dogs don't bark at every moving object in the universe.

- you don't have to wash your hair every day.

- you have naturally beautiful fingernails which you never bite.

- you have no trouble sleeping.

i know, i know. envy is a sin. but i can't help it. so join me and tell me what you envy.

my first crush

i remember the first time i saw him. i was in fifth grade, and was starting a new elementary school. he wasn't in my class, but i saw him in the lunch line and *swooned.* he had the bluest eyes i'd ever seen - years later, my girlfriend and i would refer to him as "obe" for ocean blue eyes.

the crush lasted five years. you read that right. five long years. he was a jock, and a i was a nerd of the nerdliest kind, so there was never a chance that my affections would be returned. it didn't keep this girl from pining, though.

then i met nick, who became my first boyfriend, and it was obe? obe who?? in retrospect, i am pretty embarrassed that i crushed on ocean blue eyes for so long: we had nothing in common. zip. zero. zilch. he was the quarterback, i was the president of national honor society. he was a party boy. i was a good girl. his future was college football. my future was the world.

i don't know what obe is doing with his life. after finding this picture, i know he went on an LDS mission (he's on the left), but i can tell you that if our paths crossed now, i don't know that i'd even look twice (and not just because i'm married). but because i'm not the same person i was in junior high, and although its presumptuous of me to say this - i suspect he is.

what a saint

saint cupcake is simply amazing. i have never had more delicious cream cheese frosting in my entire life. and the coconut cupcake is to die for. i still need to try their red velvet, but i'm sold. deeeeeelish.

btw - have you seen cuter packaging?

an evening on the water

i must preface by saying how bummed i am that our camera battery died before we could take any pictures of our friday night adventure . . . thanks for the photos, david b. at yelp.

the hubs arranged an amazing friday night date. we drove out to sauvie island, hopped on a friend's boat, and cruised down the multnomah channel to mark's on the channel. we parked the boat right at the dining pier, and watched the sun set over the water, while dining on amazing saganaki, pasta, and carrot cake. i can't imagine a better way to spend a friday evening. thanks, hubs!!

slate

i'm pretty sure i NEED this dress. daaaah-ling.