LGRAB Summer Games 2011 - Exploring a New Bike Path

The Summer Games continue! If you haven't already joined in and want a chance to win great prizes, it's not too late!

Event #2 - Explore a New Bike Path

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I'm kind of a wuss on a bike. It all stems from crashing a golf cart as a teenage. Now being in anything open, sans seat belt, scares me. Especially on tight turns, steep hills (going down!), and being close to walkers/other cyclists. I have this momentary panic that I'm going to suddenly lose control and end up having a fiery crash. It hasn't happened. Yet. And I'm getting better. Every time I ride, I'm working to completely conquer my fear. Hopefully before too long, I'll be completely fearless!

Until now, the only trail I rode was Campion trail in Irving. It's a great trail. It has beautiful scenery and isn't very crowded. The downside is that it's far away. We have to load up the bikes and drive about 20 minutes to get there. That wouldn't be a problem if we only rode occasionally, but doing that numerous times during the week gets old really fast. Especially when it requires waking up at 5 to beat the 108º weather. Not fun.

For now, long rides on the street are not an option. When precious cargo is attached to the rear of a bike, riding on the street with careless drivers flying by is scary and too dangerous!

My mom's husband pulling my precious son.

The area of Dallas I live in isn't really bike-friendly. But thankfully, my neighborhood borders the city of Richardson, which seems to get more bike-friendly every day.

After studying some confusing trail maps, we decided to give some trails in Richardson a shot. After about a mile-long ride on a few peaceful streets, we reached the bike trails. There were a few street crossings I wasn't crazy about once we started out on the trails. But Richardson even tried to make those less scary. On most streets, there is a little protected place in the median to stop your bike after crossing the first three lanes of traffic. It's nice to be able to wait until it's clear to finish crossing, rather than trying to fly across all six lanes at once! 

The trails pass by lots of pretty little streams and creeks. Our favorite is Duck Creek. The geese can be mean though! They don't move and try to bite. My bell doesn't even phase them.

Landon loves these trails. Not only does he get to feed the ducks, but we pass by lots of playgrounds. He loves the chance to take a little break from the bike and play!

What I loved the most was that the trails were not crowded at all. We passed a few dog walkers, joggers, and cyclists, but not enough to scare me! 

I'm so glad we discovered this new path. Not only is it so much more convenient, but it's a fun ride. I can't wait to keep exploring and see what other trails are out there!

Got My Wheels Turning

It's official.

I'm addicted to Pinterest. (Follow me!) Really, it's a problem. But such a good one to have! Just the other day, I repinned this genius idea for turning a bike wheel into a bulletin board of sorts.

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I'm in love with this! Not only is it really cute (and bike-related!), but it looks really easy to do! Remove, wash, paint, hang, done! Even I can do that!

And what a perfect way to show my love of bikes without being over-the-top about it. 

Conveniently enough, I happen to have an abandoned bike in my garage. It was obviously stolen, painted over, and then left on the side of the bike trail after the thief completely mutilated the rear tire. I've been searching the lost/stolen bike forums and have listed it on craigslist with no luck so far in locating the owner. Should no one ever claim it, I'm popping off the front wheel and grabbing the spray paint! So excited!

For directions on how to make your own, visit here!

LGRAB Summer Games 2011 - Maintaining a Bike

I discovered one of my favorite reads shortly after learning to ride a bike a few months back. Let's Go Ride a Bike is a fun read, full of beautiful bikes and helpful information for both experienced and new cyclists. I blame credit it for my new love (bordering on obsession) of riding my bike. And when I saw Dottie and Trisha's post that the 2011 Summer Games were starting, I knew I had to enter!

The Summer Games consist of 10 events that will hopefully help push me out of my bicycle comfort zone. Once I complete at least 4 out of the 10 events, I'll be entered to win really amazing prizes. (I'm in love with the Classic Porter Crate and the panniers!)

This is the perfect challenge for me. As someone who hadn't been on a bike since I was a preteen, pretty much everything about bikes is new to me, from shifting gears to using hand brakes. And despite some fears I'm still trying to get over, I am hooked. I love everything about riding a bike and can't wait to learn more, so this challenge is the perfect place to start!

Event #1 - Perform a Maintenance Task on My Bike

Until this past weekend, the only "maintenance" I had even done on my bike was to wipe it off with a damp rag. My mom's husband is the bike expert in our family, and has taken care of any work any of our bikes required. I asked him to let me help him with any future task, and he happily agreed to teach me. But first, let me introduce you to my bike.

Meet Miss Dorothy. She's a Globe and incredibly comfortable for both long and short rides. I love her! The name Dorothy means gift from God, and this bike really is! But that's a story for another day. Now, onto bike maintenance!

Since my mom's husband keeps our bikes super maintained, the only thing that needed to be done was to air up the tires. But since that's something I've never done before, I figured it counts as bike maintenance for me.

Once while filling up my car at a gas station, I watched a man attempt to air up the tires on his daughter's bike using an air pump intended for car tires. He hooked it up, then proceeded to let it go while talking on his phone inside of his car. It wasn't until the extremely loud pop of the tire exploding (that made me duck fearing gunfire), that he realized that using a pump for a car tire probably wasn't a good idea. Nor was not paying attention. The point of this seemingly random story is that these pictures were all taken after we actually pumped up the tires. I tend to get distracted while taking pictures, and I wanted to focus on actually learning. And I didn't want to literally blow up my tires.

The first step was to check what pressure the tire required. The recommended pressure is stamped right on the outside of the tire, so there's no guesswork.

We used this little blue pump, which is really convenient. Not only can it be plugged into a car or a regular outlet, but a pressure gauge is right on top.

After attaching the pump to the valve stem, it was so easy to watch the pressure slowly and steadily rise. Once it got to the pressure recommended on the tire, I turned it off, recapped the valve, and was ready to go. It was an easy and fast process, something that is not only necessary for safety, but for a smooth and comfortable ride.

It was great to learn how to do this! Now I don't have to rely on anyone else to air up my tires and I can finally say that I know something about maintaining my bike! I never thought I would enjoy doing work on my bike, but now, strange as it may seem, I kind of have my fingers crossed that a tube will need replacing or my chain will need work. I can't wait to keep learning!

Stay tuned for more of the LGRAB 2011 Summer Games!

When Life Gives You Green Coconut

You make strange-colored ranger cookies! Surely you've heard that expression before.

Last week, my son had his birthday. I was in denial for awhile, but I can finally admit now that he is five years old! When I first had him, I got a little tired of hearing everyone tell me how quickly time will fly. But now I know it's true! He's going to be driving in a week or something. Someone make him stop growing. But I digress.

The past three years, Landon has wanted some sort of truck themed party, with a 3D cake to match. So I've made a dump truck, fire engine, and ambulance. Every year on the night before the party, I'm frosting my butt off, muttering to myself "why the heck did I decide to do this again?!" So this year, when he told me he wanted a Dallas SWAT party with an A.P.C. cake, I almost cried. Why, you ask? Because this is an A.P.C.

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So, needless to say, I urged him to go in a different direction. A completely different direction. A direction that involved a cake in the shape of a rectangle. So a bug party it was! Chocolate frosting, green-tinted coconut "grass" and plastic bugs? Easy, and still super fun for him. 

I ended up buying a big bag of flaked coconut and dying it green, then only using a tiny amount on the cake. No one in my family is a big fan of coconut, but I didn't want to waste the majority of the bag, so I decided to make ranger cookies! I've seen then in grocery stores, and always thought they were just showing team spirit for the Texas Rangers, but apparently this cookie has been around for longer than I have. I'm just out of the cookie loop I guess. I decided to give them a try, and we ended up loving them. So give them a try (green coconut optional!).

This is not my picture - the green coconut made then really weird looking! So here's the normal-looking version!

Ranger Cookies

via Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (optional and not originally in the recipe, but so good!)

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the oats, cereal and coconut.
• Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 7-1/2 dozen.

Meat and Models

When I head to Central Market, I generally go for groceries, not people-watching. Yet that's what I spent about half of my time there today doing! From the front entrance all the way back to the meat counter, I kept staring (hopefully not obviously) at a tall, willowy girl, trying to figure out if she was indeed a contestant from America's Next Top Model.

I'm totally ashamed to admit that I watch that show! The immature drama and cat fights annoy me, but I adore watching the girls get styled and photographed, so every season, my DVR is set for each and every episode!

This past cycle, my favorite model was Hannah.

And not only because she's from Texas (although that's a definite plus!). She took beautiful pictures and seemed to be such a friendly person as well. So after spotting and studying this girl for awhile at the store, I finally bit the bullet and asked, and sure enough, it was her.

She is even more beautiful in real life. I don't think she had a stitch of makeup on, but she was flawless. And tall. Really tall. Or maybe I'm just short... But that's beside the point. The thing that surprised me the most was that she really was so friendly and sweet. Reality TV isn't always known for its honest portrayals of people, but in her case, it was spot on. She's in Dallas now, hoping to gain more experience before moving away to start her career. 

I really hope she succeeds. She takes amazing pictures, like the one above, and has an amazing personality to match. And I'm sick of the nice girl always finishing last. So hopefully, even though she didn't win the whole show, her talent and friendly spirit will take her to great places! 

And now, can someone please explain to me why meeting actors/singers/etc doesn't really phase me, but I get excited over a reality show contestant? It makes no sense to me...

Harassed on Craigslist

Some people are just weird. Weird, and a little mean. Especially thanks to the anonymity that craigslist provides.

You may remember this bike. Sadly it didn't work out. I'm still a newbie when it comes to riding, and that style of handlebars is too hard for me. I can't get the hang of it to save my life. I'm sure with enough time I could get it, but our tiny garage is super crowded. One bike had to go, and getting rid of the bike I actually can ride makes no sense. So it's time to say goodbye to the green Schwinn. That's where craigslist comes in.

I have yet to sell the bike, but have had some very friendly people email and express interest. They were so nice, so polite, and are hopefully coming to check out the bike soon. Today I checked my email and saw another message about the bike. I was initially excited, thinking another potential buyer. But nooo. Instead, I get this charming message from a Mr. Superfly Jones:

For someone that just learned to ride you sure have a lot of bikes in the background 

of your picture. What else are you hiding and lying about? Do you remember its a 

1974 model because that was the year you stole it from the original owner, 

or perhaps that was the year you committed your first homicide and that was 

the bike you rode to do so? My friend this world is full of craziness and 

you can hardly find homemade Bacon anywhere. This countries deficit is 

on the verge of an emotional break down and just last week I left my garage 

open and someone stole a tennis racket and a full scale model of a metronome. 

Jesus shall walk this earth again one day and that will be the day our lord and father 

call home his flock of sheep to take the out of the fields of the prairie and into the clouds of heaven.

Seriously? Simply because there are other bikes in the background of the picture, I must be a liar? A thief? A murderer? I'm sorry someone stole things out of his garage, but that's no reason to accuse me of the same lowly act. And how on earth does knowing the year a bike was manufactured connect with committing a homicide? I didn't know that was the method to find out the bike's year. Silly old me just checked the serial number at an online Schwinn database...

I don't know why receiving this upset me so much. I know I should just shrug it off, because there's obviously something not right in this person's mind. But it did bother me. I've never been accused of being a homicidal thief before. 

So for now, all I can do is delete Mr. Superfly Jones' email, and pray that I never hear from him again. 

Obsession

Not the Calvin Klein scent. Although I do feel the urge to whisper the word "obsession" every time instead of saying it out loud. Maybe that's just me...

But I know I'm not alone in this: I love to mentally decorate the home I don't yet have. I'm constantly spotting pieces of furniture, artwork, fabrics, etc. and putting them together in my mind, decorating all the rooms of my future house. A home of my own is nowhere in my near future, but better safe than sorry when it comes to decorating!

My current obsession is with Capsule Furniture by Dan Faires. You probably recognize him from last season on Design Star. His rustic style made him one of my favorites, and I was sad to see him go. Thankfully the winner Emily featured him on a past episode of her show. That's how I discovered (and fell in love with) the furniture that he makes.

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Dan makes reclaimed furniture. And not just your average, run-of-the-mill "reclaimed" pieces that claim to have a story, but no one knows it. Dan knows exactly where each piece of wood that he uses came from. He includes the history of the wood and the neighborhood it was located in on a scroll tucked into a capsule, hidden in each piece of his furniture (hence the name, but you probably figured that out by now).

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I think that is so amazing. Imagine how cool it would be to have a reclaimed table and be able to tell people exactly where it came from and the story behind it.

A coffee table (to the left) Dan made for a lucky guest on 

Emily's show, Secret from a Stylist

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Sadly, his furniture isn't in my budget right now. But since I don't have a house to decorate yet, I guess that's ok. For now, I'll just obsess over the pieces! And maybe someday, I'll be able to actually own one!

For more information, visit Dan's store or his blog.

It's Too Hot to Think of a Creative Title...

Seriously, 10 day forecast?

I'm a wuss when it comes to the heat. Maybe Texas isn't the best place for me. At least in the summer! It even felt hot and humid outside at 6:30 this morning. We got home from our bike ride all sticky and gross-feeling. I think I'll move to Portland. It's apparently 64º right now. My thermometer says it's 104º here. I hope it's wrong.

Can I just hibernate until October? 

Lack of Inspiration

It's been over two weeks since I last posted anything on here.

The majority of those two weeks, I felt pretty blah. I spent every day just going through the motions, never really feeling up to trying anything new. Every morning was one of those mornings where I tried on what seemed like a dozen outfits, hating all of them, before finally sucking it up and settling for jeans and flip flops. I wasn't baking or cooking for most of the time. I'd make meals for my son and then just graze myself. I don't know what was wrong with me - I just didn't feel like me.

But over the last couple of days, I've started feeling back to normal. I even wore a skirt. Twice. (Which is big for this tomboy-dressing girl.) And I've been back in the kitchen, drawing inspiration from a couple of great sites I found.

A few months ago, I attempted to make black bean brownies. The mere thought of them still haunts me. It was almost enough to make me never want to put beans in any baked sweet again. But then... I saw this.

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And I'm pretty sure I drooled a little on my keyboard. I recently discovered Chocolate Covered Katie, who promises that her recipes are healthy, but taste naughty. And she promised that no one would be able to tell that this deep dish cookie pie contained beans. Now I'm not vegan, and I'm not going gluten-free, but I'm all for reducing white flour. And after seeing that picture and discovering that it contained no flour at all, I decided to give it a go. But only a half recipe. The black bean brownie incident still scares me.

It. Was. Amazing.

I couldn't even tell it contained beans. It was just warm and gooey and delicious. It's indulgent and rich, and so much healthier than a normal cookie pie. I didn't tell my family what was in it, since I knew they wouldn't try it if they knew the secret ingredient. They loved it and didn't believe me when I told them about the beans. So it's definitely a keeper. Go try it for yourself!

Now I want to go make another batch. Unfortunately, it's 5:30 in the morning, and I don't think waking up before dawn to the smell of cookies would make everyone here happy. So I guess I'll wait until sunrise...