Tuesday, January 13, 2009
2009!
So in case y'all have forgotten me - or on the off chance anyone new is stopping by, I decided to do another "get to know me" quiz. ha Here we go:
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Actually I am. My paternal grandmother was Stacy, though I didn't get her middle name of Ann, which she went by. Doesn't it seem weird that someone born in 1900 was named Stacy? I wonder where it came from - seems odd surrounded by the Inge, Bertie Lee, Pearl, etc. names of her 10 siblings.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
OH gosh, maybe a better question is when was the last time you DIDN'T cry. I'm a crier, though I will admit its been a good week or so. Unless you count getting "teary". ha
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Hmmm - I used to think it was fine but lately it just looks messy. sigh
4. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope, just a cat.
5. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Absolutely!
6. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Me? Nooooo *scoffs* HA
7. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
You know what - I can't remember! I think no, but will have to check with my mom.
8. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Hell no!
9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kashi Heart to Heart Oatmeal Flakes with Blueberry Clusters. OH SO GOOD. and as an added plus the milk turns blue. YAY
10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
no, i usually pull my feet out. i know thats bad...
11. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
yes, i guess so physically. emotionally - absolutely, though you may not think it because I cry.
12. FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Absolute 100% favorite of all time? Baskin Robbins Chocolate Peanut Butter. But I like most ice cream/gelato. It's all good in my book.
13.WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Usually their smiles and the look in their eyes. You can tell when someone is being insincere by their eyes.
14. RED OR PINK?
Red. Though I do like pink now and then. but not Barbie pink. yuk
15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
My nose. I have my mother's cursed nose. thankfully in a smaller form but they say your nose continues to grow throughout life. That does not bode well for me.
16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
The Italian when he's in Italy.
17. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Light green - I have my plushy warm slippers on!
18. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
Pesto Tortellini in vegetable broth
19 WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The Italian reading to me off a website. his accent is so cute. hehe
20.IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
So many great colors to chose from! I'd love to be a different color every day! but since I have to choose - aqua. it's the first one that popped into my head.
21.FAVORITE SMELLS?
Vanilla, cinnamon, any kind of baking smells, coffee, gasoline (I know!) spicey and citrousy smells.
22. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My friend K.
23. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
College football and basketball.
24. HAIR COLOR?
Dark Brown.
25. EYE COLOR?
Green (sometimes blue but never brown).
26. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope. I do have glasses for distance vision, though.
27.FAVORITE FOOD?
It's a tie between real Italian and Mexican. but I also really like Mediterranean and good ole American.
28. SCARY MOVIES OR SAPPY ENDINGS?S
Totally love sappy endings. hey I don't care if they aren't realistic. I live in the real world I don't want to watch it all the time! I don't mind suspensive movies but bloody, gorey kind of movies I can do without.
29. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
huh I don't know - we've watched so many lately. Close Encounters of the Third Kind?
30. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
red and white striped turtleneck
31. SUMMER OR WINTER?
this is a hard one for me - i really like spring and fall best. Summer is too hot here but I like to swim so.... however, winter is a nice break. the cold invigorates me but then again, it's Texas - it doesn't get THAT cold for very long. hmmmm
32. HUGS OR KISSES?
Yes, please.
33. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate. Or Chocolate. Or Cake or cookies or... let's just say I like my sweets.
34.WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco
35. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
psychedelic flowers =)
36. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Tales from the Palaces (BBC awesomeness)
37.FAVORITE SOUND?
Rain, thunder and beautiful male singing voices
38. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles
39. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Italy. but I'm shooting for Australia one day
40.DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I used to sing extremely well but now.. not so much.
41.WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Texas.
More Later...
Monday, August 18, 2008
On looking for chocolate
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
MIA
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Following the crowd
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
1. What is your first name? (this is by an artist named Stacy Alexander - you have no idea how many "almost" naked "stacys" popped up on this search. evidently I am a slut.lol)
2. What is your favorite food? (it was really hard to decide which pic to use, all the chocolates looked so good but this pic just made me laugh)
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (honestly, i had the HARDEST time deciding who this would be. there are so many. but in the end - I had to go with JDM. I mean have you SEEN PS I Love you? if not, you are missing one gorgeous bottom. sigh)
6. Favorite drink? (how cute is that. I know, my drink is boring)
7. Dream vacation? (this thing is harder than I thought it'd be. so many places I want to see...)
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

1. Butterfly by Stacy Alexander, 2. Chocolate Bar, 3. The Lone Star State, 4. rojo sobre negro (mosaico) / red on black (mosaic), 5. jeffrey_dean_morgan_99, 6. Gilligan the sink pirate, 7. AUSTRALIA IS BEAUTIFUL, 8. belated happy birthday miss V!, 9. velon-fin, 10. Lovers, 11. to my friends, 12. Naked pour on Cyncra
cool. that was fun. let me know if you decide to do it too.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
How does your garden grow?
Time: Arrived later in the morning than planned. DANG HOT and humid
Purpose of visit: Gathering delicious home-grown produce, of which it has just been learned that potatoes are the only things ready to be "picked" and all onions have been pulled. *sigh*
And scene...
City girl, hands on hips and already sweating, surveys the alternating rows of leafy green and ugly dirt brown. picks up the phone and dials...
Sister J. picks up the phone - "hello"
Me - "uhm, which ones are the potatoes?"
J. - explosion of laughter which lasts a good 5 minutes.
end scene.
My Cherokee and farming ancestors would be appalled.lol But hey, I've never had a garden. I had NO IDEA what potato plants looked like. I can identify tomato and squash but other than that - I am hopeless. My father just shakes his head and says "city girl."
hehe however, now I know. AND I know how to harvest potatoes. Can I just say - OUCH! gardening sure does remind you of muscles you did not even know you had. I have found I'm more of a "sit in the dirt and dig" gardener rather than a "bend over and make your legs scream in pain" kind of gardener. lol
I am already combing the internet for the perfect recipe. I'll let you know how they turn out.
So sorry the posts have been far and few between of late. Life is at it's normal mundane pace and pretty boring in Tx Espresso land. I will try to do better for those of you still checking in. hehe you never know, things could get more interesting soon! =)
More later...
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Fun with Mail
Have you heard of Moo cards? My friend Sara, who is in fact a networking guru and always seems to be ahead of the curve with great ideas (I'm a little jealous), has talked about these cards for ages. I finally got around to checking the site out and it is so cool!
Basically, you can send them any pictures you've taken or created, crop it and make postcards, note cards, stamps, greeting cards and minicards. They print the order and zip them to you. It was the minicards that caught my attention. I decided I need to have just some "networking" cards with my info on them to pass out to people I meet along the way. If in fact I meet new people - lol.
However, I was too impatient to actually send them any of my photos. Well, to be honest, since my mac crashed I don't have too many on the computer and was too lazy to go thru my backups. (I will one day though) so, I used some pre-made designs available and came out with some REALLY CUTE cards!
Aren't they cute? So bright and fun! They are smaller than regular business cards, so of course I had to buy a holder too.
Anyway, I thought I'd share because I think it is a really cool idea. They take about a week to print and another week to receive them as they are shipped from the UK. But so worth it. They are reasonably priced too.
You should see the creative ideas people have with these cards. My favorite are the framed vacation pics that are actually minicards - you know like in one of those multi-pic frames? So creative!
Ok - this is my hip and trendy tip of the week. I'm not sure how many of these I can do as I am not as hip and trendy as I'd like to be. hehe Be cool with me - order some moo-cards!
More later...
Friday, April 18, 2008
Birthday Aftermath
Thank ya'll for the birthday wishes! I had a nice day. I got several phone calls, emails and e-cards - it made me happy. My Italian in-laws sang me happy birthday in English no less =) I also got the lovely flowers from my sweet husband. Aren't they bright and happy? Tulips are my favorite (as is the color red) - they are always so beautiful and vibrant. ::sigh:: One day, I want to go Holland and walk amongst all the colorful Tulips, happily snapping pictures. ::sigh::
So I had a day of well wishes which is EXACTLY what I like (along with a few presents.hehe) and then my friend and I went to dinner. and YU-UM it was good. We had tex-mex and margaritas at a restaurant that just opened up "near" my house. They have delicious chips and salsa plus a yummy queso mixed with spinach dip. my favorite! I realized last nite that I like salsas that are not hot immediately when you eat them but have the kind of heat that comes afterwards. mmm it was good.
All in all it was a nice birthday. I missed my Italian A LOT and wish so much he could've been here. But I know he was with me in spirit and he was the first one to wish me a happy birthday. However, it was a birthday full of love and well wishes - not to mention great gift cards, good food and gorgeous flowers. In my book, that's a pretty good day.
More later...
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Conversations with S. - Birthday Edition
Well, enough of that - now on to my conversation with S. First let's go back in time a couple of weeks.
Scene:
S. and I were talking on Skype. I was reminding S. that my birthday was coming up (HA - forgetting birthdays will NEVER be a problem in our house) so he asked me what I wanted as a present. hmm what do I want? I didn't really know! There are a lot of things I "want" per se, but nothing I really need or want him to spend money on. So I settled on a department store gift card and some flowers. I know - it is not much of a surprise nor terribly romantic but boh.
End scene.
Flash forward to today. Again, on Skype with S. just having a normal chat. Abruptly S. interrupts the conversation:
S. - I have to make a phone call, I'll call you back.
Me - taken aback a little but say - Ok.
about 5 minutes passes. then skype starts ringing. it's S. - he's back.
S. "giggling like a school boy and using a teasing lilty voice" - hey. I made my phone call.
Me - ok.
S. - "still giggling and using the teasy voice" - I called someone in Texas. hehehehe
Me- "getting suspicious" - ok. who was it? was it J(my sister)?
S. - no. "STILL giggling like a school boy" it wasn't anyone in the family...
Me - hmmm. was it a flower shop? (am laughing now)
S. - it's called the flower box and I think these flowers are going to be better than the other places.... etc etc. (here he really warms to the subject and starts going on about the various shops he could use and how he thinks this one is the best)
S. - are you going to be home tomorrow?
Me - well most of the day, but not early afternoon. have an appt. @ 1:30pm.
S. - "sounding defeated" oh... I told them after 12. "giggling ceases"
Me - don't worry, they always deliver to me late. you know, on their way back to the store.
S. - "perks up and is back to being excited" - OK good!
So I am getting birthday flowers! YAY!
My husband is not the most thoughtful man but he is SO CUTE when he buys a present or does something for me. He gets so excited he can hardly stand it. giggling like a little boy, I can almost see him dancing around with the secret (maybe not literally), always wanting to give it to me early - it just melts my heart. At Christmas, I make him wait and WRAP the presents - as well as stocking gifts, hello - Santa still comes - so for birthdays or anniversaries, I give him a break.
LOL. he can sure make me laugh. I just love that Italian.
More later...
Friday, February 29, 2008
have you tried this?
112
Let me know how you do!
More later...
Monday, February 18, 2008
I need some help
Of course, I always told him if he wanted to plan a trip to let me know - I would be happy to supply him with info. They will be spending a whole month (!!) there and I was trying to think of suggestions as to where to go. I have been blessed with traveling frequently to Italy, but unfortunately, I've never had a whole month at a time and there are alot of places I haven't seen. He sent me an email the other day requesting info so now I need some help! I know many of you live and travel in Italy extensively, so I thought you might give me a few suggestions or links to pass along to him. (and those of you who have travel-related businesses, don't think for one second I will forget about you!)
They have never been abroad so of course they should do some main tourist cities. But since they will be there for a month, they also have time to hit the countryside and see charming villages or other, less popular regions. What do you think?
First on my list is Venice. I heard some quote the other day that most people only spend 1 day in Venice. CRAZY! It is such a romantic city and deserves so much more time than just a day. Yes, it can be ridiculously touristy, but once you hit St. Marc's square and ride the gondola, run the opposite way from all the crowds. There is such an interesting vibe that can be found if you really look. Where locals are happy to share their city's history with you. where prices are not so outrageous and you can see the local inhabitants making their traditional crafts and foods. I was telling my husband the other day, that we really need to explore the islands (there are SO MANY) - even he, an almost local, hasn't visited many of those.
Also, in the Veneto - I really like Verona. It is a lovely city with an awesome Roman arena and Juliet's balcony (which isn't really real.. come on you knew that, and that's not it, I just like that window). The castle is cool to visit and I found the atmosphere low-key with really pretty buildings. The Euganean Hills around my husband's hometown are also beautiful with so many little towns and a ton of Venetian villas. Or you can venture up north and hit the Alps - I mean come on - romance in the mountains!Then you certainly can't miss out on Tuscany. Florence, Sienna, San Gimignano, Volterra (I loved Volterra), the Chianti region, etc. Romance is always in the air in Toscana. Rome. Bologna. Ferrara (a town which the Italian says is very sexy. don't know if that is true or not). the Cinque Terre. Positano. areas of Sicily, Calabria, and Le Marche - ugh, I have to stop. There are so many wonderful things to see and do in Italy. How do you condense it down to one month of romantic traveling? I have asked him some basic questions about what they'd like to do but I don't think they know much about Italy and what it has to offer.
So, I need your help. Can you share any general Italian links you refer to from time to time? What about places you have visited that might be a bit off the beaten track but are so beautiful and romantic no one should miss them? I would love to help him surprise his bride with the trip of a lifetime. Wouldn't you?
Aww... young love. bridging the miles and language barriers and making it work. so sweet.

More later...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
On new loves and misc things...
Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen? Check out his website here (I love the music) and his myspace here. I really can't get enough of that Tyson =)
Would you like to see another cool video? LOVE IT! How do those people do that! Do you think you would freak out if you witnessed that in person? I totally would!
In other news, I usually forget about the various statistic tools I have downloaded for my blog. So the other day, I came across one of them and decided to check out what words and phrases bring people to my lil ole blog. Here are a few of my favorites:
- "slutty names/slutty stacey painter" (are they looking for this post?)
- "glory hole locations in dallas" (ACCKK! uhm yeah. I don't even want to know. for clarification on why I might pop up on that search - click here. TOTALLY different subject)
- "chia seed houston texas" (have I ever even typed the word "chia?')
- "are french mothers mean?" (I don't really know as mine is Italian. but check comments here and here to see if others' are!)
- "mother-in-law buy underwear" (embarrassing and funny all at the same time. and hey, at least I am not the only one!)
- "green-eyed monster activities" (random, right? are there really activities for that? hmm.. I'm thinking I don't want to know. this is my green-eyed moment)
I think I should keep an eye on those keyword activities. I didn't realize what a wide variety of subjects I have covered. hehe
Hope you're having a great weekend.
More later...