Day 90 - March 31, 2010

When I was a kid, I remember going with my mom to K-Mart and begging her to buy me books. I was a big fan of Sweet Valley Twins and Nancy Drew back in the day, and I'd usually pick up a couple of books, come home, and read them all in one sitting. I would get yelled at for reading after I was supposed to be in bed, but I just loved it so much! As I've gotten older, I find that I read books far less than I used to. I just borrowed "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold from Heather to read, and I started a little bit of it today. She told me that it was kind of disturbing, so I didn't read too much before bed! Tomorrow, maybe I'll read a bit more...during the day!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 89 - March 30, 2010

So like almost every other person with a New Year's resolution, mine was to be much more healthy in 2010. In years past, I've been less than stellar about keeping my resolution, but this year has been very different. So much so that I've even taken to drinking these bland tasting low sodium V8 juices. I'm not a fan of V8 at all, so I figured if I'm gonna drink the stuff, I might as well drink the stuff not loaded with salt. Eric thinks the low sodium kind is gross, but loves the regular V8 (with all the salt). Either way, it's two servings of vegetables right off the bat. Not too shabby for something that takes less than 2 minutes to drink! I think I gotta head out to Sam's Club tomorrow to get more...

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 88 - March 29, 2010

So here in CT we are back to the rainy weather. There are parts of the state that have been hit hard. I think I did a double take this morning when the weather guy said that some parts were going to get around 3-6 inches of rain! Whoa Nellie! Anyways, tonight, my mom, sisters, and I went down to the outlets in Westbrook to do a little shopping together. Thankfully, most of the outlets had covered walkways, but every so often we had to walk through the little courtyard areas to get to the other side. At least it wasn't pouring rain while we were there - just a light drizzle. Hopefully this rain stops tomorrow! It can sure get depressing having every day be so gray!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 87 - March 28, 2010

So a while back, as part of my birthday present, I also got a copy of the new Aperture 3 - which is a great photo editing and organizing software made by Apple. Since I don't do too much post processing to the pictures I do take (I like to hope that I can take a picture and compose and shoot it right the first time!) actually taking the time to really tweak a picture is an interesting and fun experience. I've done a few for this blog in the past, and it's a great way to work different ideas that can take a picture to a different level! Using a few presets, as well as some of my own manual adjustments, I was able to come up with this picture. It's just a fake plant in our living room (I can't keep real plants alive to save my life) that I've given a little extra "attention" to here! Thoughts are always welcome - here, and of course anywhere else on my blog!!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 86 - March 27, 2010

Tonight I was proud to be part of the 2nd Annual Ciara's Butterfly Bash - a Gala event to support the Dravet Syndrome Foundation. A good friend of mine has a daughter who suffers from a close, yet undiscovered form of Dravet Syndrome. Dravet's is an epilepsy disorder that is severe in nature, and can be fatal at times. I was lucky enough to become involved with the Butterfly Bash last year, and was glad to be there again this evening, photographing the event. My feet are sore, and my legs are tired, but I am glad knowing that they hurt for a good cause! For more information, please visit www.dravetfoundation.org

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 85 - March 26, 2010

I don't know if I've ever mentioned this on here, but I really love Ikea! We've gotten quite a bunch of stuff from them, and we've been happy with every purchase. The furniture is solid, the accessories are fun and unique, and it's very reasonably priced! One of the cool things we got were these nifty window shades for the study. They are a bunch of thin sticks tied together to make a shade. And this particular shade is right near that nifty orange light I posted a picture of a few days back. While I was getting my stuff ready for a charity event tomorrow night, I noticed the cool orange reflection off of the shade made a really neat design. So with my trusty camera in hand, the final result is what you see (plus a little bit of enhancement to make that orange REALLY pop!)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 84 - March 25, 2010

I always remember when I was a kid, my mom would tell me that a sure sign of spring arriving was the crocuses that popped up everywhere. They were always the first flower to bloom and let us all know that winter was gone, and that the warm weather was on it's way. I noticed today right by my mailbox that a few little crocuses had sprung up letting me know that the snowboarding equipment needs to get stored away, and that soon I can break out the kayaks and head to the lakes and rivers to paddle around. As much as I love winter - there is something just so fun about spring! This year, we're going to take up hiking as well - which should be fun! So here's to spring!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 83 - March 24, 2010

Ok, so let me preface this with telling you that I don't work for Starbucks, I just happen to spend a lot of time there! As usual, I bring my camera and just snap pictures along the way, and I really liked the way this one came out. Plus, I want to tell you a bit about the (RED) program. (RED) helps support those living with AIDS in Africa. There are many companies who have (RED) products, including Starbucks. A portion of the proceeds of the purchase of (RED) items go to the Global Fund to help those in need. You can also get a Starbucks (RED) giftcard, which when used, a portion of the purchase made with that giftcard also goes towards the (RED) initiative. Kinda makes me feel better about spending so much time there I guess!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 82 - March 23, 2010

Daisy has a few favorite activities, and one of them is playing tug with her rope bone. Actually, the we bought the rope bone for Staley, but she really never had an interest in playing tug. Daisy, on the other hand, has a blast playing tug! She also loves her squeaky tennis balls! Most of all though, she loves being lazy, and curling up on the bed once Eric and I get up in the morning. Anyways, with the weather being icky - I like to use days like that to find uninteresting things in the house and photograph them in a (hopefully) interesting way! I love the textures and lines of the rope bone! Hopefully the rain goes away soon!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 81 - March 22, 2010

Well the rain is back again today. I guess we can't have beautiful sunny days every day! Today I was in the study, getting some work done, when I took a minute to really notice how cool the lamp in here really is. Ikea tends to make some really neat stuff! This particular lamp lets you put in a colored insert, so you can have either orange, or blue. We've only had the orange in since we brought it home years ago - it's Eric's favorite color. I decided to snap a few pictures, to see if I could come up with something cool and interesting, and lo and behold - the cool orange lamp from Ikea - in a fun new light (ha ha! pun intended!)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 80 - March 21, 2010

Today was our first official day of Ultimate Frisbee! We didn't really get out last year, which was too bad, because we have so much fun playing. Even though we're all not in the best of shape, we have a blast playing. We're not super competitive - we just like to get together and have a great time. Today there were 8 of us - just enough for four a side! We took quite a few water breaks, but it's all good. By the end of the season, I'm sure we'll be in awesome shape! Or maybe just awesome! Either way - it was a perfect (albeit a little toasty) day for frisbee! And to top it off - Ryan brought oranges!! Hooray for orange smiley faces! :)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 79 - March 20, 2010

So today, a bunch of us girls who all went to school together decided to go out and celebrate all of us turning 30 this year. Today actually happened to be Daisy's birthday too (not Daisy dog, Daisy Bates). We made reservations to go to the Melting Pot - a fondue restaurant. We all hopped in Amanda's minivan and we headed down to Darien to have ourselves a good ol' time - and we definitely did! It was such a fun and unique experience! It seemed like there were quite a few people celebrating birthdays there today too! We had cheese fondues, salads, entrees, and dessert fondues. It was a wonderful evening with some great, great friends! Here's to our thirties!!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 78 - March 19, 2010

One of my favorite things to do when I lived in Newport was to take a bike ride along Ocean Drive and just enjoy the scenery. There are mansions galore, and beautiful views of the ocean! I used to stop about halfway along on my ride - right about where this picture was taken - near Breton Point State Park. The road is right up against the coastline, and there are jagged rock outcroppings to climb on and sit on. Today, we went out there and there were a ton of waves! We were actually just out of reach of where the water was splashing, which was kind of fun! I would have gone closer, but I had my camera, and I didn't want it to get wet. Anyways, I loved sitting out here and just enjoying life. Things like this make me miss living in Newport! But now we're back home - and I love it here too :)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 77 - March 18, 2010

A while back, my parents booked a week in Newport, but were not going to be able to stay the last night at their resort, and so offered us the unit for the last night. Well, here we are, in Newport, and what a beautiful day it was! The view from our room is amazing - which is what this picture is of. The clouds were wispy and the sun setting made it look like a painting! We got to our room, changed, and headed out to dinner at the Red Parrot, one of my favorite restaurants in Newport! We're watching a bit of basketball before getting a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, we'll spend the morning here and then head back home. Sometimes, it's just nice to get away! I sure do miss Newport!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 76 - March 17, 2010

Second beautiful day in a row! Today, we decided to play tennis after going to Starbucks (and Zumba) and enjoy the warmth and the sunshine. We went to the tennis courts near the dog park in Wethersfield, so Daisy could go socialize with the doggies. She wasn't really up for being social, so we went back and played some tennis (after I took a few pictures, of course!) Ang is going to be trying out for the Berlin High team on Monday, so it was good to let her get some practice in with her serves. Me, I'm not much of a tennis player, but it was fun nonetheless. Then we let Daisy on the court once the rest of the people left, and she spent her time chasing tennis balls around! Glad that we've got nice weather headed our way!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 75 - March 16, 2010

It was actually sunny out today! I almost thought I had forgotten what a nice day looked like. Today, we were able to sit outside at Starbucks, which Daisy really likes because it means she can come with me when I go. Heather met me there, and she had saved the bench for us to use. Daisy usually just sits on the ground or lies on the brick patio, but today, she hopped up on the bench and got comfy. Since Heather and I both got cold drinks with ice, Daisy even got a few ice cubes - her favorite warm weather treat!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 74 - March 15, 2010

Rain rain, go away! Come again some other day! Like never! It's been raining here for 3 or 4 days straight now, and I'm ready for the rain to just be done. Granted, we haven't received the brunt of the rain, like some other folks, but it's still getting a bit annoying. I don't mind rain, just not this much. I am definitely ready to see the sun again! The rest of this week is supposed to be nice, which is good. The really crummy thing about rain is that our driveway has a divot where the rain water collects right near where the passenger side door of the car is when we park it in the driveway. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten out and "sploosh!" Nothing like wet squishy shoes to make your day...

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 73 - March 14, 2010

For a day in which we decided to just chill and relax and watch a movie or two, it sure started off on a very hectic note! This morning I woke up and headed to Eric's church for bell choir rehearsal. When I got home, I changed for our run, went to the store to buy food for our brunch today. When I got back we went for our run, and then I made breakfast. We had cheese grits, scrambled eggs, potato pancakes, beer bread, toast, and turkey sausage. It was yummy! We watched two movies - New Moon (blah) and The Hurt Locker (intense!) Definitely was a lazy day after all the craziness this morning! Since I didn't snag a picture of all the yummy food this morning - here's the beer Heather used to make the beer bread! It was awesome :)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 72 - March 13, 2010

So on a St. Patrick's themed day, we end up getting dinner at a local Greek restaurant! Nothing like souvlaki to say Erin Go Braugh! There's a new(ish) restaurant in Newington on the Berlin Turnpike called Cavos - and they specialize in Greek food. Now, being Greek, that's nothing too special for me. But if you are looking for a good place that has authentic Greek cuisine, and can't make it over to my parents house - try Cavos! Everything that we had there tonight was very good! And if you're in the company of folks who may not like Greek food - they do have classic favorites like Chicken Parm and Pizza! Just looking to plug a local business who definitely impressed me this evening!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 71 - March 12, 2010

Many people think that bunnies aren't very smart - they eat food, they poop, they chew on things. Well Mac and Cheese (and Pickles to some extent) have learned that the crinkly sound of a potato chip bag means chippies! The bunnies could be out and about, doing their thing, when someone breaks out a bag of chips, and they're off to the races! They come running from everywhere to get some of the good stuff! There are times where I'll be sitting on the couch, and something crinkles, and all of a sudden I've got Mac launching himself at me for a chance to get some chips! They're pretty smart buggers, these bunnies!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 70 - March 11, 2010

It's amazing the things you can do with a computer these days. I remember growing up when my mom got to bring home a computer from work. It was exciting to me to just change the colors and themes in Windows. I had it set up once with bright red, yellow and blue. It was rather clownish - but fun! I remember when we first got the internet - one of those "10 hours FREE" cds from AOL. By the time a single webpage loaded, your 10 hours was half gone! I thought it was the coolest thing to see the yahoo.com logo load on the screen. How far we've come since those dark ages of the computer. Now you can listen to a music station that you've just created, catch up with friends from high school, post your pictures in real time, doctor up photos you took 10 minutes ago, play games, and chat with your cousins overseas. And to think I was excited about changing the theme on my mom's computer! We've come a long way...

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 69 - March 10, 2010

Today was my first Zumba class - if you've never been to one, go find one and try it out! Loads of fun! Afterwards, Heather and I went to our favorite coffee place in Newington, Starbucks, and ordered some refreshing passion tea. I ordered a big one because I was thirsty. I had it in mind to post a different picture today - but as we were sitting at the table outside enjoying the weather, the sun setting in the distance cast a neat light through the liquid. I know I've done a few Starbucks photos before, but hey - I spent a few days a week there! Anyways, I enjoyed the drink, and thought that you might enjoy seeing the color and light through the tea like I did this afternoon :)

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 68 - March 9, 2010

Tonight was the Women's Big East Basketball Championship Final in Hartford at the XL Center (or the Civic Center as it SHOULD be called!) We have gone every year for the last 5 or so years now - and tonight was no exception. I was nervous about bringing in my big zoom lens to the game to get some pictures, so none of them are really blog worthy. I will post them on facebook though, for those who would like to see. One picture I did like though was of the twilight sky reflecting off of the Hartford21 apartment building. It made a pretty neat design! Anyways, UConn won! I don't know that there is anyone who can stop them this year! GO HUSKIES!!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 67 - March 8, 2010

It looks like spring is nearly upon us! Today was just a beautiful day! Temperature was around 60 degrees, there was a light breeze, and the sun was shining. Nothing better than to grill up some dinner on a nice spring evening. Sure, Eric and I are known to grill year round - especially during football season. Sometimes we'll be out there in snow or sleet getting food ready for our guests! But today was a different story. It was still mild tonight when we set out to make dinner. I love winter - but there's something wonderful about inter fading away and the prospect of nicer, warmer weather! By the way - the kielbasa was super yummy!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 66 - March 7, 2010

Today was my first solo gallery showing I've ever had! It was rather exciting to be able to show my work in a venue, but even more exciting to be the only artist there! Granted, the Hall Memorial Library is not a real gallery, but it's still a very busy place where lots of people go - giving my art a decent amount of exposure! My photographs will be up throughout the month of March just to the right of the main entrance. I sure hope that those of you who attended had a great time! It was great to see so many friends and family attend!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 65 - March 6, 2010

It's always sad the day after an event that you had been looking forward to for quite a while. This morning was one of those days. I'm not much of a concert goer, but I had been looking forward to this one for quite a long time. I had a wonderful time last night, but today, we left New York to head back to Connecticut to what is turning out to be a very busy day! It was really a great experience to go see a fantastic live band with friends and family - and maybe soon, Muse will be back and I can feel all giddy and excited about going to see them again! But for now, I have the memories of last night - and some pretty silly video in which you can totally hear my (awful) singing! I think I may just be keeping those to myself!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 64 - March 5, 2010

Best. Concert. Ever. And this hotel has the slowest internet ever! I stood the whole time cheering and singing and having a blast. I think the seats we had were the furthest possible seats (except for the row right behind us) in the whole darn place - but this concert was so worth it. I wanted to bring my zoom lens, but I was worried that they wouldn't let me bring my camera in, so this will have to do. The lighting and the stage were awesome - I wish I had tickets to see the show again tomorrow night in Boston! Definitely worth the money and time we spent to get here! Anyways, sleep time!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 63 - March 4, 2010

I am so excited! Tomorrow, I will be heading down to New York City with Eric, Amy, Ryan, Ang and Dee to see my favorite band in the whole world - Muse! I love music - but usually I like specific songs, and not artists in general. I find many artists have one or two good songs, and the rest don't appeal that much to me. It's rare for me to find a band that has a lot of songs that I like. Well Muse is one of the very few - and tomorrow I get to see them live. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about their live shows, so I have been waiting a long time to get to go to one! I know they are not as big here are they are in Europe - but that's ok! I'm glad they are at least coming to the States so I can experience it! Tomorrow night may be hard to post a picture - but I'll do what I can to get it up somewhat timely!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 62 - March 3, 2010

Daisy loves to ride in the car. No matter where I go - she is always excited to come along! She loves it in the morning when we go drop off Eric at work, and when we pick him up at night. When I drive to the grocery store or to run some other errands. It doesn't matter to her that she might have to sit in the car for 10 minutes or 45 minutes - she is content to do so! It will be nice though when it gets a little warmer, and I can leave the back window open longer for her to sniff all the interesting smells I'm sure she smells when she sticks her nose out the window. But for now - just looking to see what's out there will have to do - Mom needs to stay warm!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 61 - March 2, 2010

Within the last few months or so, I've been going to Starbucks a lot more with Heather. It's a nice chance to catch up, chat about things, and relax. I never was much of a coffee drinker, but it's just the ability to have somewhere to go every couple of days and relax with a good friend. Today we chatted about our goals for getting in shape, her crazy hectic work schedule, and me getting some business stuff done to get my business on track and moving forward. It's nice to be able to do that over a cup of coffee (or a Cafe Misto in my case!) I still have to contact the manager at that store about showing a few of my pieces! And on a side note - today I found out that one of my images was named in the top ten Honorable Mention for the Midwest Exchange Photo Black and White contest - I think there were something like 300+ entries nationwide on facebook. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy about what I do!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina

Day 60 - March 1, 2010

If there was one thing in my life that I kinda regret so far, it would have to be not keeping up with piano lessons. At the time, growing up - I was far more interested in going outside to play with my friends, or play sports, than practice my music. I never (nor do I still) aspire to be any sort of professional musician, but there's something about being able to play the piano that really makes me wish I had stuck it out a little longer. I bought this keyboard a few years back with the intent to pick it up again, but I haven't yet. I'll fool around on it here and there, but nothing serious. Perhaps this year I'll really give it a try - we'll see!

Until Tomorrow,

Athina