My friend Janet's brother is a big developer in the Chicago area. Nice guy, bundle of energy. If you've ever experienced Mark, you know what I mean. Non-stop activity. But fun! He is currently in an AT&T commercial. Pretty cool! Also, if you are interested in a condo in Chicago for $400,000 I included a link to his website.

http://www.sutherlandpearsall.com/

And here is the link to the commercial:

https://stage.rodgerstownsend.com/onwardstories/windowsmedia/marksutherland.wmv

Martha Stewart struck again!

I re-vamped the Valentine's Day floral arrangments and made them into............. EASTER ARRANGEMENTS! I substituted the red, pink and white m&m's for jelly beans and I swapped out the ribbon for an Easter ribbon. The tulips haven't bloomed yet but I think it looks cute.

Way to go Bobby!

Knight hired as analyst for NCAA tournament
Associated Press
BRISTOL, Conn. — College basketball fans flipping channels back when Bob Knight was coaching couldn't resist stopping when they spied one of his interviews or news conferences. Nobody wanted to miss what he might say or do.
ESPN executives figure nothing will change with the Hall of Famer switching careers. The network announced Thursday that Knight will appear as a guest studio analyst leading up to and during the NCAA tournament.
Bob Knight will join ESPN for coverage of the NCAA tournament."The information, the entertainment, the sophistication, the knowledge he brings about basketball and issues surrounding basketball - add that to how compelling an individual he is, and it made perfect sense for us to put him on our platforms," said Norby Williamson, ESPN's executive vice president for production.
Even before Knight resigned from Texas Tech on Feb. 4, ESPN officials were intrigued by the possibility of someday hiring him, Williamson said. The winningest coach in Division I men's college basketball with 902 victories, Knight captured three national championships at Indiana.
He's just as well known for his fiery temper, which got him in trouble on and off the court. Knight blew up at many reporters over the years, including in a couple of ESPN interviews. Now he's a member of the media himself.
"I think ESPN has been real good for college basketball and I look forward to working with some of their people who I have known a long time," Knight said in a statement.
Williamson said Knight's relationships with ESPN commentators such as Dick Vitale and Digger Phelps helped make him comfortable with the idea of joining the network. This isn't just a few token appearances; Knight will work a packed schedule for ESPN. He's the type of person who wouldn't do it any other way, Williamson said.
Knight is scheduled to begin his new job March 12 during the conference tournaments. He'll provide commentary on Selection Sunday and through the early rounds of the NCAAs, then travel to San Antonio to offer analysis during the Final Four.
ESPN would love to keep Knight as an analyst beyond this season, Williamson said. He expected that Knight would make a decision based on how his initial experience goes.
Even for the most charismatic coaches and athletes, letting their personalities shine through as a TV commentator can be a challenge at first.
"It always comes back to ... how comfortable they are being themselves. One of the things Bob Knight has demonstrated is he'll be himself," Williamson said. "He's going to have an unbelievable, unmatched work ethic, do his homework and be surrounded by people he's comfortable with.
"We're in a very good position for him to succeed."

True confessions

I'm really not joking when I say Brian has come home from business or "guy" trips to find out that I have done something new to the house. We painted Tessa's room, a bathroom, our bedroom, basement and now the living room. Normally I just let him come home and see for himself. This time the guilt got me. He called and was talking about how much he was looking forward to getting home from Kentucky tomorrow and might even be back in time to take a nap on the sofa and pick up Caroline for me. He's telling me this as I sit here in paint fumes. And there is no way the paint smell will be gone by tomorrow. I was hoping maybe he wouldn't even notice the new color but I knew the smell would give me away. (Once, we were sitting at the dinner table and Brian was looking out the window trying to figure out why our neighborhood looked different. I had to break it to him that he was looking out of our new blinds that had been installed for a few days without him even noticing. Maybe that was what looked different?) So anyway, I just fessed up to him that he would be coming home to a different colored living room than the one he left yesterday. He handled it quite well. Especially when he asked me what color and I described it as the inside of a cucumber but better than it sounds. (The color reminds me a lot of the green color of my blog. Coincidence???)

Cool as a cucumber

Our living room has a new coat of paint. I was nervous about the color because I thought it was more of a sage (which I was going for) but it actually reminds me of the inside of a cucumber. I have to say I really, really like it!

What a weekend!

There seems to be a lot of luck at our house this weekend.

1) I got a $50 gift card to Due Amici (love that place) for $25 from Fox 28's half off dining deals. They still have some pretty good ones left.

http://wtte.incentrev.com/

http://www.due-amici.com/

2) I asked Brian to get me a scratch off lottery ticket at the gas station this morning. I have no idea why, but I did and I won $10!

3) You can take a look at the pictures of our frogs and see what they have been doing all weekend. All weekend. It's been pretty funny.

Yummy-licious!

Traci gave me another good recipe. She is always a source for good recipes. This one is for orange bundt cake. I think it is amazingly good and so moist. I'm not known for my cooking and it usually takes me a few phone calls to get through one recipe with her. This one was no exception. (My questions are usually pretty dumb, and Traci knows not to give me recipes with more than a few ingredients and steps.) During my conversation with Traci she mentioned a pastry brush. Uh, what? I told her I have a hair brush and an eyeshadow brush. I wound up using our Coleman BBQ brush from our grill. It worked. Anyway, this cake is easy to make and even easier to eat!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Orange-Cake/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

Picture day

Today is picture day at Caroline's school. We picked out a pretty dress and she got new tights. For fun, we practiced the smile she would use for her picture. She absolutely insists that this is her pose:

Foiled! My plans are ruined!

I'm sure this comes as no big surprise but Brian and I are HORRIBLE communicators. We are also bad about consulting one another on things. (Brian, if you read this I'm sorry but we all know it's true and I said "We" not you or me) Anyway, Brian will think he told me something. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. Sometimes neither one of us has any clue what the other one has said. And sometimes I make decisions and cross my fingers that Brian won't care or would not have wanted to be consulted with such trivial things. I usually wait until Brian is out of town to make these decisions so it is too late for him to come up with an opinion or valid reason why something shouldn't be done. Like the time he went on a golf trip and came home and there was all new furniture in our bedroom. (I have that moment on our camcorder) Or the time(s) he has gone away for work and come home to a room(s) being painted a different color. Or the time we went to the lake and new living room furniture came. Or when I signed a contract for our new roof and realized I maybe should have asked his opinion on shingles and I had to hide the sign from the roofing company in the trunk of my car for a few days while I worked up the courage to tell him. That was especially fun when the roofer came by and thought someone stole the sign so he put a new one in the yard. Long story even longer- I guess I wasn't paying attention when Brian told me he would be out of town next week on Monday and Tuesday and here I made plans to paint the living room on Thursday/Friday while he was gone. Oh man! So long Sherwin Williams...

Things I read in Newsweek magazine

I don't ONLY read US and People Magazine. Here's what I found in our latest copy of Newsweek Magazine:

Coolio (the rapper) has his own cooking show. This is pretty funny. He is accompanied by the "Sauce Girls"

http://www.mydamnchannel.com/channels.aspx

Shoetube TV- Need I say more? A web channel for shoe addicts.

http://www.shoetube.tv/

Happy BW3 Day

On our 1st date Brian and I went to BW3 to watch his school play my school in basketball. That would be Ohio State VS Indiana. That was 6 years ago today. Every year we have BW3 night as part of the anniversary tradition. Tessa and Caroline help take our orders and we all wear one of Brian's BW3 softball t shirts. I still have the skirt I wore on our 1st date and I wore it today. I'm pleased it still fits! Anyway, Happy BW3 Day Brian! Who knew a basketball game and a couple of beers could lead to all this?

Brian's Valentine~Linkin Park

Brian had a reception after work tonight at the Renaissance Hotel. While he was there Linkin Park came and checked in. Pretty cool. They are playing at Nationwide Arena tomorrow. But if you want to hang out with them tonight head to the hotel bar of the Renaissance downtown.

NEW YORK (AP) - Good ol' Snoopy, a champion at last.
Best in Show
The Westminster dog show featured the best of the best. Check out all the hounds, including the show's top dog.
Barking and baying up a storm, Uno lived up to his name Tuesday night by becoming the first beagle to win best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club.
The nation's new top dog was clearly the fan favorite, and drew a roaring, standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden when he was picked.
Uno got right into the act, jumping up on handler Aaron Wilkerson and confirming his other title: noisiest in show. Years from now, he'll be known for the "ah-roo" heard 'round the ring.
"He's a people's dog, a merry little hound," Wilkerson said.

National Pancake Day

I was unaware that this is a real thing, but this is a real thing. Traci invited me to a breakfast she is having for National Pancake Day. (Of course I accepted) Anyway, IHOP and other places celebrate it and raise money for Children's Miracle Network. Pretty neat.

http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/

Also, if you need the perfect e-greeting to send someone special for National Pancake Day click here: http://www.123greetings.com/events/pancake_day/

Waffles

Caroline is currently hooked on pancakes and waffles. I found Eggo Waffles with Barbie on them at the grocery store. Hurry! According to the box they are a Limited Edition! Anyway, here is her reaction to them...

Looking for the perfect little gift?

You know how sometimes it's hard to find something for the person who is hard to buy for? Or you need a little gift but don't want to spend a fortune? Or sometimes you just want to make someone smile? I found the cutest website. (Go figure) Anyway, check these out!

http://www.bentoboxgifts.com/shopbytheme/wintertimecheer/tabid/61/Default.aspx

Martha Stewart dropped by

OK, maybe not. But I made these anyway. There is a very cute blog with all sorts of hostessing ideas and cute stuff to make for the home. I saw these there and decided to give it a try. On the blog they used red hots. I know it sounds dopey but I could not find red hots to save my life. So I used Valentine M&M's. I think they look cute! Also, the artwork behind the flowers is by an artist named Chris Plummer. I found him at the UA Art Festival in 2005. I spent a year debating about spending the money on this piece. At the 2006 show I broke down and bought it. (And one more) Brian and I are adding another chair to our living room and decided we needed somehing new for above our television. So as of today we are the proud owners of another piece of Chris Plummers artwork!

http://www.cplummerart.com/

http://www.hostessblog.com/labels/valentines%20day.html

Cuddle time

Oh, that Barry Manilow!

OK, so I love concerts. My first concert was David Lee Roth, and then INXS. Then the Rolling Stones. That covers the late 80's. (As a side note I wore blue and yellow striped leggings with an oversized yellow sweatshirt to David Lee Roth.) So I know I'm dating myself here. But as an effort to redeem myself I have also seen LL Cool J and my current favorite song is Low by Flo Rida. Anyway... for all the concerts I have seen (and I think I've seen some great ones) Barry Manilow was THE BEST. No joke. He is AMAZING. Even Brian thought it was great. I felt like a kid I had so much fun! (Again thank you to Holly for the tickets. She also got us Maroon 5 tickets, and a parking pass!) Barry Manilow was beyond great. I have gone to see Barenaked Ladies 4 times because I think they are so great in concert but if I could I would go see Barry Manilow just as many. I was so sad though because my camera battery died so I only have one photo to share. Bummer. I wish I could have taken a picture of all the middle aged women with their exact same teased and combed out hairstyles. And shiny, rhine-stone-y tops. Do you know the look I mean? How come all women get the exact same hairstyle after a certain age? Do they give you a teasing comb and a big can of Aqua Net after a certain age? Barry would do this little butt shake thing and all the women would giggle and poke each other. It really was a great time.

Tonight's the night

I've been waiting for. Barry Manilow. I am so excited. Here is a little tidbit about Barry: He used to write advertising jingles. He did spots for KFC, State Farm Insurance and McDonalds. And you thought he only sang Copacabana and Mandy!

More King Cake!

We made a King Cake for Caroline to take to school to share with her friends. It was so big and heavy it took both Brian and I to drive it to school!

Wear your heart on your sleeve (Or around your neck)

Check out these cool necklaces I found:

http://www.isabelsrose.com/

I may be my OWN Valentine!

It's a sad, sad day

Normally, I would be in bed by now but tonight I'm not. Why, you might ask? (Or actually don't care but I'll tell you anyway) Tomorrow begins Lent. Ash Wednesday. Each and every year I give up Pepsi for Lent. And as many people know I love my Pepsi. LOVE PEPSI. I give it up every year and on Easter Sunday I always celebrate with a Pepsi. I don't make it to lunch time, or even mid-morning. I have my Easter Sunday Pepsi as soon as I can. So anyway, I am still awake because right now I am drinking my last 20 ounces of joy until Lent is over. I'll miss you Pepsi. I have also decided to give up Starbucks Chai Tea Latte. (Brian is giving up all things chip-related. Tessa is still not 100% sure on what she is giving up.)

Coach Knight Retires

Bob Knight retires effective immediately
Rivals.com Staff Reports
Bob Knight, the winningest NCAA men's division I basketball coach in history, has retired as Texas Tech's coach effective immediately.
Knight, 67, won his 902nd game Saturday when the Red Raiders downed Oklahoma State. He will be replaced by his son, Pat. Knight informed athletic director Gerald Myers of his decision Monday morning.
Knight won three national titles at Indiana, in 1976, '81 and '87. In all, he took the Hoosiers to 24 NCAA tournament appearances and reached the Final Four two other times.
During his tenure at Texas Tech, Knight was 138-82, and he led the Red Raiders to the NCAA Tournament in four of his six seasons, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2005. The Red Raiders are 11-8 this season and 3-3 in the Big 12, tied for sixth in the conference with Oklahoma.
Knight is one of six men who have played and coached in the Final Four. He played for Ohio State when the Buckeyes reached the Final Four in 1960, '61 and '62. He and Dean Smith are the only mean who have played and coached for a national champion.
Knight's three national titles are tied for third-most, behind John Wooden's 10 and Adolph Rupp's four. Mike Krzyzewski, who played for Knight at Army, also has three titles. Krzyzewski began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Indiana under Knight in 1974.
Knight's five Final Four appearances are tied for sixth all-time.
He also coached U.S. teams to gold medals in the 1979 Pan American Games and the 1984 Olympics.
Knight perhaps is as well-known for his temper and behavior as he is for his win total. He was fired at Indiana on Sept. 10, 2000, by then-IU president Myles Brand for what Brand termed a continuing pattern of "defiant and hostile" behavior.
Knight always has taken great pride in the academic achievement of his players, and during his coaching career, which began in 1965 at Army, all but four of his four-year players completed degrees, a ratio of nearly 98 percent.

King Cake

Today Caroline, Tessa and I had our friend Katerina come over and make Mardi Gras King Cakes with us. We had so much fun, and according to the kids it was the best cake ever! Tradition states that the person who gets the baby out of the cake gets good luck, AND is in charge of bringing the cake the next year. We made individual cakes so each girl could win.

Punxsutawney Phil

Saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter. Here is a picture of Caroline's groundhog project they made at school. It was VERY accurate at predicting more winter.

A week in review...

1) Spent the week trying to get the guy who "fixed" out stove two weeks ago to come back to finish the job so hopefully, just hopefully I could use the oven this weekend. No luck. Resorted to plan "B" and have another company coming tomorrow.

2) As the ongoing saga of "This Old House" continues, flipped on the remaining working lights in our basement and no joke, they burned out. And guess what... That contractor hasn't called us back either.

3) But it gets better- As of this week our kitchen sink, dishwasher and garbage disposal are backing up into the downstairs bathtub. If you could only see what I came home to tonight. Have a plumber coming tomorrow. Like a ding dong I'm debating driving into work just so I can print a $25.00 off coupon for the plumber. It will most likely cost me $10 in gas.

4) Had my 4th Burrito Bol of the week for dinner tonight. (Maybe the no oven thing isn't so bad after all. And who am I kidding- I wasn't going to cook anyway.)

5) Hired someone new at work this week. I am pretty excited, except for when I was filling out her new employee paperwork I saw that she was born in 1989. Gee, I graduated from HIGH SCHOOL that year.

6) Traci had planned an "Ugly Sweater" party for tonight but had to cancel. Since I already had my ugly sweater I went ahead and wore it to work anyway just for fun. I told Traci and Jordan that when they came in today to pay rent they HAD to wear their ugly sweaters or pay late fees as I would not accept the rent without the ugly sweaters being worn. Both of them were good enough sports to actually humor me. And those were some ugly sweaters! Brian actually complimented my sweater and was being sincere, not sarcastic.

7) On a nicer note- Tessa auditioned for the choir at school and made it. Caroline taught herself how to write the letter "D" on her Etch A Sketch by copying it from her alphabet book.

I love those kids!

8) Worked out 2x with the trainer. Am I done now?

9) Only one week until we get to go see Barry Manilow. As Brian reminded me tonight, "Who treats me right?" Caroline got invited to a birthday party for the same night as Barry Manilow. When I called to RSVP (or not RSVP I guess) and told them Sorry, we would be at Barry Manilow that night I was met with silence. I had to clarify that I am actually excited about this and it was my choice to go. Because I am a Fanilow.

Such cute kids' clothes

http://www.crazy8.com/index.jsp

Use code SAVE20 at checkout for 20% off your order. Free shipping right now and the prices are pretty great on certain items. This is a division of Gymboree. (We've got Sara to thank for this one!)

The new drink in my life

Tava. It could replace Pepsi in my life. Except it has no caffeine. But it also has no sugar, no calories. I got the Black Cherry Citrus flavor. (The product is also made by Pepsi, so I don't feel so disloyal after all these years of loving Pepsi)

http://www.tava.com/