the best weekend ever: part 2

so what's the best snack for the most colorful race ever? the most colorful cupcakes ever, of course!

i was so happy that my friend, leah, over at the sweet treat, who i have known FOREVER spent the weekend with us in ct!  

we always enjoyed the same things growing up, like going to the beach, making up dances to embarrassing co-ed bands [s club 7... any 90s kids remember them?], and performing our version of grease every morning for probably 5 months in 4th grade.  so it makes perfect sense that we both love baking and anything sweet!

she made the most rad cupcakes ever - they were TIE DYED! 

ingredients:

yellow or white box cake prepared as instructed

cupcake wrappers

food coloring

4 or 5 separate bowls

toothpicks

white frosting

sprinkles

directions:

- separate the prepared batter into 4 or 5 bowls [depending on how many colors you want to make]

- put a couple drops of food coloring into each bowl and stir to combine - add more food coloring if you want to make them more vibrant

- line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners

- pour a little of each color into each cupcake liner

- swirl the colors together with a toothpick

- bake as directed on cake box

- cool and decorate!

i think we were just about as colorful as our cupcakes!

memorial day weekend 2012 [the best weekend ever]: part 1

seriously, this past weekend was epic. just epic. so epic that it will need at least a 4 part post.

part 1: color me rad.  if my last post on the subject didn't urge you to participate in one of these colorful 5ks, then i hope this one will!

here is the complete list of color me rad's across the country this summer.  

seriously, do i not look so stupidly happy to be running?!?!

it was just that awesome.  

all of my roommates, a few of our friends, one of my friends from ri, and i ran as a team.  we had a blast!

i obviously didn't want to bring my phone or camera with me, in fear of covering either in corn starch color, so i used a good-old-fashioned disposable, so bear with me for the photos!

roommate pic before

running through color 

we did it!

awesome color throw 

roomie pic after

our team minus one

staying for a second color throw, why not right??

and now back to the car and a real camera phone!

us awesome kids who stuck around for a second color throw

SO RAD 

don't you wish your laundry looked like this everyday?

all in all, awesome memorial day weekend saturday - and that wasn't even the whole day!  stayed tuned for the rest of our sweet weekend :)

lately in connecticut: golf edition

work has been fabulous... our spring group golf lessons are close to done, so we are almost ready for our travelers championship break.  when the pga tour comes to town, we let the pros use our space.  it's a really fun couple of weeks.  but for now, i'm just concentrating on teaching and getting ready for summer camp.

here are a few photos from a huge girls golf event we helped with that took place on our learning links last weekend.  suzy whaley, an amazing ct professional and inspiration for women and girls in the game, put on a golf fair for over 350 girls.  below are a few of my favorite photos from the day.

in other golf news, i'm playing in my first competitive golf tournament tomorrow and wednesday for the first time in over a year - i'm very excited!

hitting golf balls at godzilla

going down the awesome inflatable slide

dennis walters put on a show for the girls

 the following photos are not mine but are those of david newman.  you can see the rest of his photos of the day here.

 

awesome snag golf like i got to wear last fall

everyone there - i'm somewhere on the left

some of the ladies from the day (i'm far right) 

i led the putting station all day - how cute are those girls? 

aaaaand finally, our learning center is getting closer and closer to completion!

lately in connecticut...

a lot, a lot has been going on in connecticut.  i absolutely love the springtime, so i have spent a lot of time outside [both for work and at our house].  let's start with our house, and more about work later...

we have been working hard to make the yard beautiful this year.  we added a few gardens, got a bunch of flowers [for free - yay!], and are still trying to clean up from last fall's crazy snow storm.  

on top of all of that, one of our roommates is moving out.  we all have grown apart from him, so this is definitely best for our house.  however, we are upset that he decided to give away what became, in his constant absence, our house pet.  grizzly adams, the bearded dragon, was roxy's best friend, and she definitely misses him!  once our roommate is out, i'm excited because i have a new room to paint.  mike wants to paint it a neutral color before the next roommate so he won't have to quickly paint it when he decides to sell.  any suggestions?

so... crazy springtime.

grizzy looks sad to leave us - we will miss him!

kitchen updates:

new spice racks and utensil holders 

new ikea grundtal kitchen accessories

front yard updates:

view out the dining room window to front walk garden and new front corner garden

front walk flowers

new gardens!

new shed and grasses on the side of the house

backyard updates:

mike and jeff chainsawing and putting in a new wood rack

coolest tool ever: post-hole digger

almost done, just needs the tarp on top

planted like 3 bags of wild flowers here... let's see what happens 3 weeks from now

all the wood for the wood rack so jeff can plant his veggie garden here

and the next project:

gotta clean the sunroom for summer fun!

and finish the basement bar!

i love our house :)

weird stuff my cat does

i was looking back through some old blog posts and found the last update on my kitten.  it was from three months ago, and she had just discovered my fishies.  


i know people say cats can be weird, but mine takes the cake [and any other food she can steal off my plate at dinner].

started out as just observing

then every time i fed them, she would try and get a better look 

getting closer, lady!

she eats off forks now. i think this was chicken.

and she's found a new sleeping spot - right next to her best friend, grizzly adams.

in addition to my fish, she has also realized the existence of some other animals on the roof.  if you listen to the end, you can hear her version of a bark.  the last one is the funniest.

she's so cute, but look at her compared to a year and a half ago... at least she doesn't look like an alien anymore!

new patio!

a week ago i had an outing at work.  everyone at my office worked a full day, then we went out and played 6 holes of golf, and then we spent a couple hours having dinner and drinks.  i got home around 9:30 to the guys pulling apart the end patio bricks to begin extending our patio.

cut to three hours later: a patio was finished!  magic? no.  4 people working their faces off? yes.  

it is so worth it, it looks beautiful!

mike got a ton and a half of sand the weekend before for the patio

yay and i got to play in it

we had a fire going, and by 10:00 the patio work had begun

pink work gloves? don't mind if i do.

and now the finished product compared to 2 years ago when the boys moved in! [top photos are before and bottom photos are after... hopefully you can tell the improvement!]

before it could only fit a grill, now it can fit the entire length of a picnic table, and i am trying really hard to grow some grass in that back yard!