be true to yourself.

Sunday Justin and I took the train from San Diego up to Orange County to see one of my favorite people - Erin May Shedarowich.  I was dying to see her, her husband Patrick, and meet their little baby boy, Rowan. We loved relaxing at their beautiful home in Newport Beach.  Sunday night Patrick and Erin cooked dinner.  We had a great time sitting around the table talking for hours. Monday before our flight, Erin drove us down the coast to Laguna and then we headed to Fashion Island to eat lunch at True Food.

I can't stop talking about this place.  The food is truly Ah-maz-ing. So fresh and so clean :).  Not only do they pack in the nutrition but they add in the flavor as well.  You leave feeling satisfied, not stuffed. It is just perfect in every way. 

Their entire menu is centered on the principals of Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Diet & Food Pyramid. Check it out here.

{photo credits: www.truefoodkitchen.com and www.drweil.com}

Nutritious yet delicious!

avocado tacos.

It's been over a week since my last post.  Justin and I left for Southern California last Thursday and arrived back in Nashville Monday night at 11:50 PM.  Needless to say, yesterday was a long day at work and then we spent the evening unpacking, doing laundry and going to the grocery store.  Being in San Diego and Newport Beach made us want to eat more fresh and clean foods. (thanks Erin and Pat - my next blog will be about True Food).  


On the plane ride back home Justin and I made our weekly menu.  I found this delicious recipe on the iphone app - 5 A Day.  It gives several healthy options and gives you the five fruits and vegetables you need each day.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded
1 medium onion, diced
2 large green peppers, diced
2 large red peppers, diced
1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1-1/2 cups fresh tomato salsa (see below)
Flour tortillas
Olive oil

Fresh tomato salsa ingredients:
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/3 cup diced onions
1/2 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp cilantro
1/3 tsp jalapeno peppers, chopped
1/2 tsp lime juice

Mix all the the salsa ingredients together and refrigerate in advance.  Top the taco with this yummy salsa.

Directions:
Coat skillet with olive oil.  Lightly saute onion and green and red peppers.  Cut avocado into slices. Warm tortillas in oven and fill with peppers, onions, avocado slices and salsa.  Fold tortillas and serve.

I added garlic to the onion and peppers.  Also they were out of red peppers so I used yellow. This was a nice addition for flavor.  A perfect side to serve with the tacos for fiber and protein are black beans.  Justin and I both agreed this is one of our new favorite "quick and easy" meals.

Enjoy!

mission bell.

Last night Justin played Amos Lee's new Album - Mission Bell.  Loving it!  Amos is special to us  because it was the playlist we listened to when we first met.  He has the folk, soul and jazz all rolled up in one sound.

Among the guests on the new set are Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, and Calexico. Singing with icons, mixing in Latin flavors – these are bold, brash steps for the soul-rock artist singer.

Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995. He began to play guitar and write songs seriously while he studied English. After graduating with an English degree, Lee moved back to Philadelphia to teach elementary school. He later made the tough decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in music. So glad he did!  

Amos will roll down to Nashvegas on April 8th to play at the Ryman.  He'll also hit up Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston and Knoxville. Then will go further south to Birmingham en route to play at the New Orleans Jazz Fest at the end of April.  


Feel the music!

{copy credits: www.clickitticket.com and www.torrentspath.com}

(photo credits: www.popwreckoning.com and www.musicmp3ru.com} 

our neighborhood theatre.

Last night Justin surprised me with tickets to see Casablanca in black and white at The Belcourt Theatre. What a beautiful love story from the 1940's.  
Ahhh..."Here's lookin' at you kid."

The Belcourt is one of my favorite places in Nashville.  For over 75 years, The Belcourt Theatre has provided a space for premiere entertainment in the heart of Nashville's Hillsboro Village. 

Opening in 1925 as the Hillsboro Theatre, The Belcourt originally operated as a silent movie house, boasting the most modern projection equipment and the largest stage in the city. As the community grew, The Belcourt adapted to the new needs of the neighborhood by providing a regular home for two highly successful performance groups. The Children's Theatre of Nashville, the longest running children's theatre of its kind, and the venerable Grand Ole Opry both shared The Belcourt stage during the 30's.

The Belcourt is now the last of the neighborhood theatres to remain operational, and is recognized as a unique cultural icon and as Nashville’s choice for the best foreign, independent, and classic film, great musical performances, cutting-edge live theatre, and unique programming for kids and their families. 


{photo and copy credits: www.belcourt.org and www.hollywood.com}


Meet me at the Belcourt!

darlin' i love you.

As a tribute to Valentine's Day...this one is for my husband, Justin Daniel Moses.  He now follows my blog and let me know he wasn't listed as "my favorite things".  So for the record, Justin, you are my favorite everything!

Happy Valentine's Day!

{photo credits: www.awwsnapphotography.com}

just lovely.

Today was just lovely.  All the Moses girls - Lara, Laurel, Andrea and I treated ourselves to a Spa Day at Athena in Brentwood. I am so thankful for these amazing ladies.

We arrived at 8 AM and were greeted with mimosa's.  Then we each got a locker and changed into our swimming suits.  They also provided slippers and the comfiest robes.  It was fabulous, being able to sit in the hot tub and sauna and just talk.

After lounging for two hours, it was time for our massages.  I started to fall asleep right as it ended.  Then onto our manicures - Laurel and I picked out colors from the new OPI Texas line. Last, but not least was the facial.  This was by far my favorite part of the day.  My skin felt so soft and renewed.

I will definitely go back to Athena more often for a quarterly facial.  We finished the day with a catered lunch from Puffy Muffin.  The poppy seed bread and chicken salad are always a treat.

Make sure you take the time to treat yourself and body - you deserve it.

Relax and Unwind!


{photo credits: http://www.arcosgardens.com/site/health.html}

4 - running in place.

The snow started coming down today around 3:00 PM.  It started falling and accumlating very quickly.
By the time I left work at 3:52 PM the roads were already slippery. The speed limit on 65N was more like 35 mph instead of 70 mph.  What normally is a 20 minute drive from Cool Springs to Green Hills took 2 hours, yep that's right...I was fine until I got to Hillsboro Pike.  The slight incline after St. Paul's caused a major backup.  Folks were literally getting out of their cars and walking five miles home.  Luckily I made it home with no problems.  Justin on the other hand...

Left work at 5:30 PM and got home around 8:00 PM.  He was about 10 feet from turning in our condo complex when he got stuck.  The 4 Runner is not 4-wheel drive.  I couldn't help but laugh when me and three of our neighbors were pushing and pushing, snow and ice being slung upon us.  They were all like, "This thing isn't four wheel drive?"  Justin laughed too - he was like, "I felt like such a tool having to have my 4-Runner pushed!" We got him pushed off and parked safely.  Next we helped the Mazda Miata get over the hump and into the complex as well.  It was really cool to see everyone helping.  There were so many cars parked b/c they were stuck!

We were thankful to be home, safe, eating yummy spaghetti and warming up.  I had to share this picture of our shoes piled up by the back door.

Tomorrow morning will be interesting when everyone comes back for their cars.

Stay warm and safe!

career coach.

So for those of you who know me - I am a recruiter.  I truly love what I do - getting to help people find the right job as well as give them career counseling.  The Nest had a great article this month that really hit home.  It gives great advice as to how to climb the corporate ladder.

1) Work your butt off.  It might mean coming home late (yes I am all about work/life balance), but nothing pays off more than good ole fashioned hard work. Go above and beyond and life will get easier at the top.

2) Stay away from office gossip.  This is huge!  Remember this quote: "Small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events and great minds discuss ideas.  Stay clear of the drama.  Really, who has time to sit around and talk about others. Spend your time becoming better at your career and raising your character.

3) Dress for the job you want.  I work in a pretty casual environment, but even still, each day I try to dress for success.  It sounds cliche but it does pay off.  People notice the little things - how you carry yourself, how you dress, your over all confidence.  This goes a long way in an office environment.

4) Leave your personal business at home.  Think about it - no one cares that your husband hurt your feelings last night or that your son has a runny nose.  Keep it business personal - meaning, share enough, but focus on work at work.  Let your coworkers stay focused as well.  Again...it goes back to staying clear of drama.

5) Be flexible.  With the wonderful state of our economy you probably have noticed we are being asked to do more with less.  If you can survive the storm, you will move up the ladder faster when the the dust settles and the storm blows over.

6) Toot your own horn.  Arrange biweekly meetings with your boss to discuss your goals.  Have an outline ready to present.  If you don't promote yourself, no one else will.  Don't hold back your great ideas!

7) Grab a mentor.  Yes, this means putting time on the Outlook calender to meet once a month.  Think of someone you want to be one day.  Take them to lunch or coffee and ask them how they got to where they are.  Be sure to do your homework so you are armed with solid questions.

For more check out these Interview Tips.

Happy Promo! 


{copy credit: The Nest - Winter 2011}
{photo credit: The Office}

shoe heaven.

My parents came to visit this weekend.  My mom was dying to go to Marty and Liz.  It is the best shoe store ever!  They have all brands from Tory Burch, Coach, Jessica Simpson, Steve Madden and Nine West.  The average price per pair is $24.99.  You really can't beat it.  My mom bought four pairs of shoes (never been worn) for under $100.  Make sure you look each pair over carefully.  Sometimes a size 7 will be paired with a 7.5, etc.  The only thing wrong with them is that they have been tried on a dozen times or been worn by models.  

I highly suggest checking out Marty and Liz your next visit to Nashville or the next time you make it out to Cool Springs.  


2000 Mallory Ln # 210 
Franklin, TN 37067 
(615) 435-8125

Open Mon-Sat 9 AM til 9 PM


Happy Shopping!