Cool building

I went to a birthday party on the top floor of this building Saturday night. It's one of the tallest buildings in Wichita, which I guess isn't saying much. I've driven by it several times and wondered what it looked like inside. You have to ring a doorbell to get in, and the person at the front desk will take you up in an old-time elevator with a gate. I think it was built in the 1920s. It is apparently very exclusive. You have to go before two boards before you can by a condo in it.

This is the only place online, I've been able to find pictures. The condo is amazing!!!!

http://www.wichitahouse.com/tourpics/115/115phototour.html

TV addiction

My cable company has been teasing the past couple weeks with tons of channels. I've spent way too much time watching shows on Bravo and the Food network. One of my new favorites is Ace of Cakes. Check it out add this address:
http://www.charmcitycakes.com/

Cupcake adventure

My niece likes to help cook, so I thought we could make cupcakes when I babysat. I did most of the work, but she enjoyed being a little helper. Her duty was to put the liners into the pans while I mixed. She attempted to frost, but she wanted to eat the frosting off of the knife and snack on the sprinkles. I tried telling her it was yucky to lick the knife then dip it back in the container, but she didn't understand that. :-)

Trying to be healthy

The key word is trying. One of my old co-workers from the Trib has a Mt. Dew counter on his blog. He adds a can for every day he doesn't drink it. I know I need to stop drinking it so much, because it's bad for me. The longest I went without it was three weeks, and I allowed myself to still drink Sprite or Sierra Mist. My friend Lindsey made a pact with her friend to give up pop and to exercise. I'm not joining in on the reward system they created for themselves, but I'm enjoying some accountability. I'm not sure that I want to go cold turkey on all pop. So far this week I've had FUZE, Crystal Light and lemonade. The Dew tends to be my stress drink. When I'm really struggling with a page, I drink some of 'Nectar of the Gods' (that's for you Melissa ;-) ) and I get a boost of brain power. I read somewhere recently that caffeine speeds of your metabolism, but I'm not feelin' it.

I've exercised twice this week. I walked on the treadmill on Monday, and I did a dance aerobics video yesterday. I feel better about myself. I'm hoping to hit the Y tomorrow before work. I'm baby sitting my niece on Monday, so that should be exercise in itself!

Cool photo

Go to this address to see a neat pic.
http://www.deviantart.com/print/227539/

Fun stuff and life

My new favorite magazine is Blueprint. I bought my first one in the Atlanta airport on the way back from Indiana. As a print designer, I don't always agree with the font combinations used, but overall the design is clean and fun. It's a step up from Real Simple, which is nice but a tad boring. Blueprint has little handbook inside each month. This month it's on buying a home, which is great for me. This afternoon I drove around the neighborhood I'd like to live in. Unfortunately, only a few houses are for sale, and they're all out of my price range. I don't think my finances will be in order when my lease is up in March, but I figure it doesn't hurt me to start looking. Those who know me well know that I analyze everything when making a major decision. It took me a year to decide on my first computer, and I had to take a friend with me to make me buy a new couch. My current boss can tell you I tested his patience when deciding to move here. I don't like making rush decisions. Buying a house freaks me out a bit. I don't think I'd have a problem getting approved for the money I'd want. In fact, they'd probably give me more than I need. The thought of taking on 30 years of payments is SCARY!! Unless God puts the man of my dreams in my life soon, it will be something I do on my own. Sometimes I wish He'd stop thinking I'm so strong and can handle life by myself. Then again...I do like having control of the remote. :-)

New Year's Eve

It was pretty mellow this year. I didn't work, and I wasn't in Indiana for the usual Tarwacki blast. I drove up to Lenexa to babysit my niece for a few hours. Her daddy was off to play with his band, and mommy was still at work. My sister brought home Chipotle, and the three of us goofed around until it was bedtime. They have a ritual of reading two books in mommy and daddy's bed then playing tent. Abby decided I could be on reading duty, so we learned about curious George in the aquarium. :-) After she went to bed, my sister and I watched a movie and reminisced about our childhood (that provided some good laughs). Tuesday morning, Abby grabbed my leg when I went to leave. I thought I'd have to detach her, but she quickly decided it was okay if I left. I told her I had to go home and take a shower before work. She proceeded to tell her dad, "Auny nenny has to go home and take a shower cuz she's yucky." Ahh....I love the little cutie. :-)


Abby on her new Dora the Explorer bike


I was teaching Abby how to use the camera. I'm not sure how I fit on the seat of that bike.


My sister Brenda


Abby modeling her new apple jammies