Dog Olympics

One item on my neglected list of 28 for 28 was to donate my time. You might remember this post a few months ago about volunteering through photography. I contacted my favorite animal rescue organization, ARPO, and volunteered to take pictures at different events. Here are my favorites from their annual Dog Olympics fundraiser a few weekend ago.

Anticipation building before the Pie Eating Contest.

(The people ate regular pies and the pups ate cupcakes from a dog bakery.)

One of a litter of adoptable puppies and one of the youngest volunteers.

The winner for the Bark Contest, by a landslide.

(A surprising amount of stage freight going around that day!)

To see the whole set, click here.

Breakfast @ the Uptown Cafe (#19)

A little update on the 28 for 28 list, and yes, I'm a bit behind on posting. Is it me or 09' flying by?!

So for February's new place (#19) it was off to Noblesville for Breakfast at the Uptown Cafe on the southwest corner of the courthouse square. 

The building won't blow you away, kinda looks like someone gave up in the middle of a paint job...

But the inside is super cute!

The menu is pretty basic, but tasty, and the cook is right behind the counter making all those yummy breakfast delights.

Bottom line:

A great place to grab a quick bite and cup of coffee before hitting the Saturday morning auction.

Sewing Bag Zen Moment - #23

Ever had a project that you started, but never finished, and then it loomed over your head for what seems to be FOREVER??  My project is #23 on my list of 28 for 28 and here's the story:

About 4 eons ago, my creative buddy, Amy, and I started these sewing bags. Like most projects, these bags started as a quick project to carrying our sewing stuff between homes. Of course, after some major brainstorming we came up with this not-so-simple sketch with piping and the works.

Fast forward to today, I finally finished the bag! It did turn out large enough to put my whole sewing machine in (if I ever want to take it one the road I'll be good to go), but it will also be great to carry fabric and all my little sewing tools. Mostly I'm just blissfully happy to have it DONE.

Check out these other list items:

#19 (January) - Vistit a new place at least once a month

#11 (January) - Take (at least one) portrait a month

A Winter Wonderland (and now I'm done with it!) and #11 (Jan)

When Mother Nature gives you snow, go sledding! This evening we hit the slopes of Forest Park, I use slopes loosely, but seriously, for Indiana, not too bad.

Wipe out by Scott: click on the pic to see it bigger

Wipe out by Steph (and the tailgating tuber): 

Other shots from the outing:

Including a quick portrait (#11) for the 28 for 28 list!

Okay, snow, nice to see you, now go away, and we'll see you next winter!

Late Lunch @ Zing - #19 for JAN

With the end of the month rapidly approaching, time was running out for me to visit a new place in Indy for the month, #19 on the 28 for 28 list.  So today, I finally pulled myself out of my winter hibernation and went out for a late lunch at Zing, and double-bonus, Scott was in Indy today for work!

Contrary to the historic exterior, the interior at Zing is floor to ceiling contemporary. Check out the sweet ball-chain bead curtain!

Zing describes itself as "a small plate dining experience.  Rather than offering individual starters and main courses, ZING serves dishes that are designed for sharing among friends and are brought to the table steadily and continuously throughout the meal."

The lunch menu is a little more typical: sandwiches, pizzas, and the like. (but all with a slight twist.) 

Out of shear curiosity, we tried the Stuffed Medjool Dates with Chorizo Sausage and Bacon, an interesting twist of sweet and savory... and bedded on a spicy tomato sauce. A lot going on there.

Scott had the Prime Rib Burger with Blue Cheese. Anything red meat and he's happy!

I had the Eggplant Parmigiana. Could have used more eggplant and less deep fried goodness...

The bottom line: 

A menu full of interesting flavor combinations, which are fun to try and a small commitment, since the non-lunch items come in small portions meant to share. (It's kind of like having a bunch of appetizers for dinner.)

The lunch items are pretty average, but the fries are amazing!

I'd visit again with some friends to explore the dinner menu and some cocktails.

28 while 28

In a mere 28 days, I will be 28 years old. Inspired by those who've created birthday lists before me and for the fun of making lists, below is 28 to-do's while being 28. Some of these are simple, some are much larger commitments, but all I've wanted to do and haven't got to, YET!  

Without further ado and in no particular order:

1. Find ways to reduce the number of paper towels we use in our home

2. Adopt a signature cocktail, by trial and error method   

3. Find the perfect frame for my PE license   

4. Paint a diptych style work 

5. Take a European vacation with good friends  

6. Attend a new local festival   

7. Begin an on-going album of my favorite photos  

8. Teach Lex to not jump on guests   

9. Create a mobile    

10. Perfect a coffee cake recipe  

11. Take (at least) one portrait a month   

12. Get an Etsy shop up and running 

13. Improve my mini-triathlon time by 8 minutes   

14. Successfully get up on the wake board   

15. Create a series of miniatures pictures  

16. Sew a quilt   

17. Attempt to make pepper jelly   

18. Read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

19. Visit at least one new place, shop, restaurant, event in Indy each month   

20. Plant (and maintain) an herb garden for the summer 

21. Find a way to volunteer my time and do it! 

22. Complete the mini-marathon 

23. Finish my sewing bag   

24. Adopt another family for Christmas through the United Way  

25. Take a vacation with just Scott 

26. Clean out my closet, donate what I don't wear, and organize it in a maintainable way   

27. Visit the IMA and picnic in the gardens

28. Send out greeting cards for a random holiday  

And now I'm off to get started.  Update posts coming soon!

Wanna check out those inspiring birthday lists?! Here ya go:

Amy

Jen

Sara

Sue