With all of these influences surrounding us, I don't know how anyone could ever be bored

I think movies, commercials, advertisements, songs, and books influence me more than I realized.

Sabrina (1995) has a scene where Sabrina and Linus are eating baked clams. He baked them right on the beach. I've always thought that going to a clam bake would be the epitome of cool. I love seafood, but unfortunately don't have an ocean nearby. Hence, there are clams steaming on my stove as I type this. I've never done this before, I have no idea how they will turn out. My love for cooking sends me down some very odd paths sometimes, I'm willing to try just about anything once. I haven't tasted shark yet,  but one day I will I think.

The recipe I used can be found here: http://www.food.com/recipe/fresh-baked-clams-131901

With the extreme heat that never quits in Texas, the summertime advertisements are obviously going to be geared towards anything that will cool one down. I don't have a strong desire to go to a waterpark, UNTIL they show a snowcone stand. All of a sudden I'm thinking, hey I love water slides. It's okay that there will be 400 small children there. I'm going. I want a snowcone. (Because I wouldn't want to just drive to one of the many snowcone stands around here, that's just boring. And without waterslides)

The 2011 Ford Explorer commercial comes on t.v., and every single time I'm wishing the commercial lasted longer than it does. So much so that, to the internet I go, to try and figure out what song this is, and who performs it.



Yeah, this had me at the first line.....

"If ever there's a reason to be swept up in the season........Of the fallen leaves"

You know Fall is my favorite season don't you?

Songs can take me to different places with just a few notes. I think when memories are attached to certain scents and sounds, the minute we encounter either one again, we are carried back to that initial place where we first heard it, or smelled it. Or maybe it's not the first time, but it's something specific to the memory regardless. The only thing that I think can carry one back to a certain memory quicker, is a photograph. There are days that I wish I had a fancy camera. Maybe one day. But I've taken some pretty awesome pictures with a simple digital camera, or from my cell phone even.

If I want to revisit the Eiffel, I just look at this....

If I want to walk Folly Beach, SC......







A book is a way for me to be in my favorite spot, but still travel to far off destinations, making friends with characters that I might not meet otherwise. I will always choose a book first, over a movie. I don't think that will ever change. I do love seeing the characters come to life on screen, but I feel the book lets you inside their thoughts in a way that a movie may not be able to convey. I love it when the movie does the book justice, I must admit.

With all of these influences surrounding us, I don't know how anyone could ever be bored.

Do you?

See you soon friend,
Tiffany

PS I have to share, the clams are DELICIOUS. If I can't be at a clam bake on a beach, at least I know I can make them here at home. But not for breakfast. Tomorrow Breakfast at Tiffanys shall be.......strawberry. Something strawberry. Maybe a smoothie!

Saturday is my favorite day of the week, but I can't get there without Friday.

What I learned this week:

1. The best time of day to be outside getting exercise in August in N. Texas is 6am.

2. Related: Never leave home without ice water.

3. People can actually cook cinnamon rolls on the dashboards of their car, on a cookie sheet.

4. Ducks swimming in a pond, with a fountain spraying here and there, at sunrise, is the most relaxing scene ever.

5. Friday is the day we sigh, exhale, let go of the week, and celebrate the beginning of two days of relaxation. Saturday is my favorite day of the week, but I can't get there without Friday.

6. If you don't know how to relax, take a note from Penny:

7. It's National Oyster Day, did you know? Aw Shucks, I will visit you in T-Minus 5 hours.....

8. I've been without transportation for five days. I've suddenly realized that it's not so bad working from home, not being able to go anywhere except with friends help. And for those friends, I am so grateful.

9. Eating broiled salmon and grilled vegetables for breakfast isn't weird. At.All.

10. I think Apes are underrated. They are so intelligent, and really, they're our friends.

Whatever you do this weekend, make it count, and go BIG.

See you soon,
Tiffany

PS For weekends I like the word "Brunch" rather than "Breakfast". Translation: I love to sleep in. Way in.

Where do you go? What do you like to do?

Oh these days.......just keep going by......

Today begins the 'typically' hottest month of the year in North Texas. I strategically chose this week to take my car in for the hood replacement (that could take 6 days to complete) and work from home, therefore not getting out in this heat for a whole week if I choose not to. The pool is the only thing I can tolerate doing outside, unless I want to take a vigorous walk around midnight......(I don't think so).

I had a recent conversation where the person asked me, so....what do you do, where do you go? I was thinking about that today. It was a general question, I didn't list out details from the time the alarm blares in the morning until bedtime falls, and it cools down, oh say, two degrees maybe.

Where do I go?

If this is a work related question, you will find me here:

I LOVE having the dual screen at work, it makes my life much easier when attempting to multi-task, going in several different directions. The hourglass on the left is one where I designed the message, given to a team of very hard-working people who implemented a system my company uses. The message: "Thank You For Your Timeless Efforts". I turn it over from time to time and watch the sand drift very slowly into the bottom globe. But not for long, I'm busy! The phone on the desk almost seems like a decoration now. It dawned on me that I rarely use it. With technology being what it is these days, most of my communication is online. Hence, saving money for the company that I work for.

Sometimes I work from home, and that is a definite YAY in my world. Saves gas, time, money, and sanity. I'm only sort of kidding on the latter.

I can make my own coffee:

And I see my family as I walk down the hall, to go make said coffee:

But of course, every time I do that I'm reminded that I really, really need bigger, or more, bookshelves:

The hodge podge used to be quaint, now it's getting rather annoying to be honest. I can't decide if I want to get rid of the two book shelves that I have and get a nicer, bigger one, or just another one the same size. I already have two, bursting with books, as you can see, and movies. My list of wants grows daily.

What do I like to do?

I love playing spades. I'm not a poker player, mostly because I don't know how. It seems complicated but maybe I just haven't had the patience to sit down and try. I'm not a gambler by nature, so any game that I play is strictly for fun.

I like to stare at a painting in my house and imagine being inside of it.

Doesn't it make you want to walk down that cobblestome street, through the arched doorway, and see what's inside? After I stop at the little cafe of course. And have tea. And read. Or blog! Or read a blog post. Or.....just.sit.there.

I live pretty quiet for the most part. I love music, but not all of the time. I don't need background noise. Sometimes adding music to the day helps it move along, especially when I'm in the office. At home it can, at times, get so quiet you hear nothing but the ceiling fan, and me typing. When I'm reading, I definitely want quiet. I have quite a few books just waiting on me to start, I love that.

Sharing a glimpse of the two; where do I go and what do I do. If I want to go get a fabulous taco and see a movie, you could find me here:

Or here:

The Magnolia Theatre in Dallas is awesome. And The Taco Diner? Delicious, and right across the street. They had me at Brisket Tacos.







Where do you go? What do you like to do?

I can't wait to see a glimpse of your world my friend.
See you soon,
Tiffany

PS Some day we will go to that cafe in the picture, and have breakfast. I know we will.