Breakfast and my favorite place with my mom, Cameron, Ben and Cassidy. Eggs Alexandria and Los Gatos Cafe.

My new Emeril copper bottom cookware from Cassidy and Ben. Even more special than the fact that I’ve wanted these FOREVER, is that Cassidy was so proud to give them to me after chipping in her own money.

My big present from Ben. YOU GUYS, I have wanted an over the range microwave FOREVER. We have a countertop microwave and it takes up so much room and I hate that something we use MAYBE once a week takes up so much room. It gets installed next Saturday. WOOHOO! Thanks so much, honey!

Cake NOMS!

Got all dressed up for a fancy pants dinner with my mom, Cameron, Ben and Cassidy at Shoadowbrook. It’s one of my top five meals of all time. FOR SERIOUS.

My extraordinarily handsome husband got dressed up too. <3

It was a beautiful day. Good food, my awesome family and some pretty amazing gifts.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

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Ben: I’m pretty sure I’m right about this.
Me: I AM THE MINI GOLF WINNER!

End scene.

He’s blogged three times this week. THREE DAYS IN A ROW. Ben is #WINNING at blogging. (Although I’d just like to point out that I attempted the August 30 Day Photo Challenge last month and blogged 15 days in a row so I still have the #WINNING streak. Yes, I realize I didn’t finish the challenge. I even win at losing).

Did you know that I have a birthday coming up? I DO! It’s Saturday. I like lilies, chocolate and cash deposited into my Paypal account. And pie. Lots and lots of pie. Just in case you were wondering.

So about a month ago I got a notice in the mail that I’d need to take the written driving test to renew my license this year by my birthday when it would expire. A month ago. I took the test today.

And let me tell you why. So far, I have always been able to use my driving test SIXTEEN YEARS AGO as the #WINNING. See, I scored a 98% on my test and Ben scored a 92%. So even though TECHNICALLY he can drive circles around me in his sleep while blind folded with one hand tied behind is back, I am still #WINNING. ON PAPER. Just because he can make me hurl in less than 5 laps on the race track and has made me pee myself a little on back roads drives, ON PAPER I am a better driver. There is actual PROOF.

So now I have to take this test and the #WINNING is on the line an I am nervous. Guys, I can not lose this. I NEED this. If I lose this I lose EVERYTHING. This is the ultimate #WINNING. I might as well just tattoo a big fat L on my forehead and resign myself forever to the fact that I no longer have this high ground with which to cast judgement.

I NEED MY HIGH GROUND.

So today is the day. I can’t put this off any longer. I have to take this test. And I have to pass. And not only do I need to pass, I need to pass with a #WINNING score. It’s go big or go home.

So I spend about two hours today taking practice tests and reading through the handbook and retaking the practice test and grilling my little brother who just had to take the test three times before he passed the other day and the whole way home I’m reminding myself 100 feet, 15MPH, right-of-way hierarchy, max BAC levels, I’VE GOT THIS!

So I get to the DMV and I pay my $31 (RIPOFF!), I get my thumbprint, I get my test, I walk to the table, I pick up my pen and…

BLANK! MY MIND IS BLANK! DO YOU STOP ON GREEN AND GO ON RED? RED IS THE PRETTIER COLOR! LETS GO ON RED! YEAH!

And I can see my high ground start to quake and flatten and I AM GOING TO BE #LOSING!

And then I remembered Ben’s recent calm. Told myself to snap the fuck out of it and… did.

So I take the test to the desk, hand it to the lady, she walks over and checks it, walks back and starts typing on her computer without a word.

Me: So…
Her: *typing*
Me: Did… I pass?
Her: Yeah.
Me: YES! *fist pump*
Her: *blank stare*
Me: How many did I miss?
Her: None.
Me: YES! BAM!
Her: *blank stare*
Me: Sorry, I just totally needed this. I have to beat my husband at the driving test scores.
Guy behind me: *snicker*
Her: *blink*
Me: We’re just, we’re competitive. Well, I’m more competitive than he his. Really he’s not competitive, it’s just me. I just need to beat him. Because of the high ground.
Her: Can you please stand behind the red line and smile?
Me: SURE! BECAUSE I’M #WINNING!
Her: Now, please?
Me: Okay.

*take picture*

Me: So, I get to keep the test right?
Her: *sigh* Yes.
Me: YES!
Her: You can go now. You’re done.

She must not be married. Or slightly insane.

#WINNING

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Some random blooms creeping over our arbor in the back yard. I’m pretty sure they are from the neighbor’s yard but I don’t mind.

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We are surrounded by mountains. These are to the East of us. The mountains to the West always have a blanket of marine layer just about to pour over them after heading off the Pacific Ocean.

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Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

They turned out REALLY well. I think you all need to go make them RIGHT NOW.

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The blue paint… It haunts me!

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These are a small sampling of the many photo albums that my grandma would make for us (my cousin Stefanie and I) at the end of every summer.

I just spent some time with Cassidy looking through them and while they are awesome memories that I am so happy to have and be able to share with my daughter, it’s still incredibly painful for me to look through them and see pictures of my grandma, her handwriting, her humor… the amount of time and love she put into these makes me feel so very, very special.

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This man. <3

I could write 1000 words and it wouldn't do him justice.

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This was an intersting dilemma for me because my favorite color really depends on what you’re asking me about.

Clothes? I love black and gray, then accessorizing with bright pops of color. I want either muted, or LOUD. So I either have a on a black top or HOT PINK or NEON YELLOW.

For the home? I love green or yellow walls because they are neutral and easy to accessorize. But my dream house would have neutral walls with LOUD, BRIGHT, OBNOXIOUS accent walls. Ben and I have COMPLETELY conflicting opinions on this though.

Cars? White. I never thought I liked white cars but when we started shopping for an M3 for me, I fell in love with my Alpine white M3 and now I really love white cars.

But, if you ask my husband or daughter, the clear winner in the favorite color category for me is: PINK!

I remember getting REALLY EXCITED when electronics manufactures realized that there were actually GIRL GEEKS out there and started catering to our wants too. I still remember seeing my first pink digital camera and laptop. SMITTEN.

This is the stuff I carry around on a daily basis.

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