fabulous friday #18

Posted on April 11, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

It’s Friiiiiiidaaaayyy!! Hope you’re having a great one!

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

1. My new part-time job teaching writing and public speaking classes for middle school kids! I taught my first classes on Wednesday afternoon and had an absolute blast. I feel so lucky to be able to spend time teaching and building confidence in these amazing young people! I’m already getting excited to teach my seventh annual Write On! Summer Writing Camp this July.

2. The informal “book club” that my mom and I have started. A couple years ago, my mom made it her New Year’s Resolution to read more, and she started reading every day at work during her lunch break. Now she reads dozens of novels a year and she always recommends the best books to me! I love reading and talking about books with her. It’s a great way to stay close and connected even though we live far away.

One of my favorites of the books she’s recommended is Me Before You by JoJo Moyes. This is a tear-jerker {you’ve been warned! grab the tissues!} It is such a beautiful, well-written story — and extremely hard to put down, especially once you get to know the characters! Mom recommended it to me and once I finished it I passed the book along to my Aunt Annie, who said she was reading it at her hair appointment and two other women came up to her and raved about how much they loved it. When Annie finished it she gave it to my grandma, who just finished it last night, so now she and I have been talking about it too. I think it’s safe to say that we would all highly recommend this book!

3. My cousin Arianna rocked her drama performance last night! I am so proud of her. She absolutely *shines* onstage! Here is a video I took of her singing “Seasons of Love” for the show’s finale.

4. Speaking of great singers: Sara Bareilles’ new single “I Choose You” has been bopping around on the radio {and in my head!} all week. Oh my goodness, you guys, I can’t get enough of this song! It’s so catchy. Love her.

5. Baseball season! I had such a great time at the A’s game last weekend with Allyn & his family. Sunshine + hot dog + A’s win = happiness!

Now I’m off to tackle my to-do list before the weekend! Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Questions of the morning:

What are you loving right now?
What are your plans for this weekend?
Have you read any good books lately?

fabulous friday #17

Posted on April 4, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy TGIF, friends! I hope you have fun plans in store for this spring weekend!

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

1. My incredibly supportive, thoughtful and generous friends and family. I’m still on Cloud Nine after my Steinbeck Fellows reading on Wednesday night! My mom and grandparents came, as did Dana and her sweet mom Lynn, and Allyn took time out of his busy schedule to be there.

2. My dad. Yeah, he gets his own number 🙂 Some of you might remember when I had my first Steinbeck Fellows reading back in December, and he drove up with me after Thanksgiving to be there {and we also went to a wonderful talk by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns the next night!} Well, the arrangement was that he would stay home this time to take care of Mr. Mur-dog, while my mom came to the reading to support me.

Looking back now, I probably should have expected him to do what he did. Here are two facts about my dad: 1) He loves surprises; and 2) He has never missed a single performance or big event of mine, not even back in second grade when I was the lead in our class play and he came to ALL four performances even though it meant he had to miss a big event for work.

So there I was on Wednesday night, chatting with people at the dinner in the Steinbeck Center before the reading, when I felt two familiar hands over my eyes… I turned, not able to believe it. My dad! That was one of the best hugs of my life.

My dad drove 5+ hours to surprise me and be there for my reading! And then after the reading he turned back around and drove the 5+ hours home so Mr. Mur-dog wouldn’t be left alone overnight. He said simply, “You know I couldn’t have missed your big night!” It was such an incredible surprise — a memory I will always look back on and cherish. I love you, Daddy!

3. These beautiful flowers that Dana and her mom gave me. They are brightening up the kitchen, making me smile every time I walk by!

4. This video made me cry in a good way: http://www.upworthy.com/a-pregnant-woman-learns-her-baby-has-down-syndrome-people-who-have-it-answer-her-one-big-question-2

5. And this new Ingrid Michaelson song always makes me smile & dance in the car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsvKT8vsgF4

Today is shaping up to be a “taking care of business” workday, which will balance out the all-play-and-hardly-any-work plans I have for the weekend. Looking forward to spending time with friends, putting in quality time on my yoga mat, and soaking up some sunshine at the A’s game on Sunday!

Questions of the morning:

What are you loving right now?
What are your plans for the weekend?

grandma’s birthday dinner

Posted on March 31, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Last night we celebrated my grandma’s 82nd birthday with a nice family dinner out at The Club. It was a lovely excuse to dress up and Mom and I had a fun time getting ready together side-by-side in front of my bathroom mirror. This beautiful lady is not just my mom, she is also one of my best friends, and I’m so grateful to have her here this week!

The evening flew by with excellent food and wonderful company. Whenever my family all gets together, there is plenty of hugging, talking, interrupting, laughter, storytelling, and picture-taking. Last night was no exception. 🙂

I absolutely love this photo of my grandparents:

We missed my dad and brother, but they sent Grandma flowers — sunflowers! yaaay! — that are brightening up the living room hearth.

Now Mom, Grandma, Grandpap and I are curling up on the couch with some popcorn to watch Saving Mr. Banks. I’ll be back tomorrow with this week’s year of Wooden post.

Question of the evening:

What was the highlight of your weekend?

goals + recipes for the week of 3/30

Posted on March 30, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Aaaaaand just like that, it’s Sunday again! And the end of March! Where does the time go?

My mom is here! My mom is here! 🙂 I’m so happy to see her. Yesterday evening we had a nice, low-key celebration of my grandma’s birthday with the fam. Tonight we are going out for a fancier dinner to celebrate.

The cake turned out wonderfully! It was a big hit! Confetti cake mix + white chocolate chips stirred into the batter + homemade cream cheese frosting + rainbow sprinkles expertly sprinkled by my cousin Bianca.

Before I head off for the day, it’s time for goals!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 12 pages~~
– send out newsletter
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~ {I made it to three! woooot!}
– ~~finish reading through three lit journals from my AWP stash~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~
– ~~bake an amazing cake for Grandma’s birthday! {perhaps this one?}~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 12 pages
– send out newsletter
– go to two yoga classes
– prepare for my Steinbeck Fellowship reading
– connect with three friends
– have a wonderful time with my mama in town!

And here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– these 3-ingredient recipes via Buzzfeed
– black bean pumpkin soup via Sarah @The Pajama Chef
– crock-pot salsa chicken via Danica @It’s Progression
– flourless pb & j snack cookies via Robyn @the real-life rd
– pumpkin toffee chocolate-chip muffins via Two Peas & Their Pod

Questions of the morning:

How has your weekend been so far?
What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What recipes are you drooling over lately?

fabulous friday #16

Posted on March 28, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Friday, friends! Hope you are having a delightful #TGIF. It’s been a little damp and drizzly up here in the Bay Area this week, which is wonderful because we need all the rain we can get! And even with the gray skies, I’m in a sunshine-y mood. Which brings me to…

5 things I’m loving right now:

1. My sweet mama is coming into town tomorrow!!! I haven’t seen her since Christmas and I’m sooooo excited to pick her up from the airport and give her a ginormous hug. It’s gonna be a great weekend!

2. Tonight Allyn and I are going to a play! I haven’t been to a play since September, and I’m really excited. There’s something about live performances that I just love so much. Plus, it’s opening night, which makes it all the more fun! We’re going to see this mystery play called “Sleuth” in Walnut Creek.

3. Look at this mini library in Allyn’s neighborhood! How amazing is this?? I want to start one of my own!

4. One of my favorite local cafes has lovely photos & quotes on the back of their order numbers. This was the one I received when I was there with Emy over the weekend. It warmed my heart. Such wise & true words! And the elderly couple dancing — swoon! “Love doesn’t make the world go round, but it makes the ride worthwhile.”

5. Baking time! I need to make my grandma a birthday cake {the current front-runner is funfetti! with cream-cheese frosting!} aaaand these bananas are just screaming to be made into banana muffins, don’t you think?

**BONUS! {Because it seems there’s just too much to love on this Friday!}: This adorable video documenting a woman’s growing baby bump and her husband’s sweet serenade to the new member of their family: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ7-v7xVm3I

Questions of the morning:

What are you loving right now?
What’s on your agenda for the weekend?

a year of Wooden: week 12

Posted on March 24, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Monday, everyone! Time for this week’s year of Wooden challenge! This month we are focusing on Coach Wooden’s creed to help others.

January: Drink deeply from good books.
February: Make friendship a fine art.
March: Help others.

Last week, the challenge was to help a family member. Sometimes, we are so focused on helping others outside our family that we forget about the people that mean the most to us, those who do so much for us every day. I helped my grandparents with chores around the house, gave my brother a shoulder rub after his long car ride up to see me, and had a long conversation with my cousin over mugs of peppermint tea.

This week, the final week of March, the challenge is to help someone less fortunate than you are. Some ideas: volunteer at a food pantry or soup kitchen; donate books, clothes or toiletries to a shelter; give blood or join the bone marrow registry; give a sandwich to a homeless person. What other ideas do you have?

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from my friend and mentor Wayne Bryan:

Have a marvelous Monday, friends!

Questions of the morning:

Have you ever had a meaningful experience volunteering to help someone less fortunate than you are?

goals + recipes for the week of 3/23

Posted on March 23, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Happy Sunday, friends, and welcome to new subscribers! So happy to have you here. I’m very grateful for everyone who takes time out of their day to visit my little corner of the blogosphere. Thank you all! ❤

I had a wonderful visit with my dad and Greg … my heart is filled with love for these amazing guys! And my cheeks hurt from laughing whenever we are together. They crack me up. Here are a few of my favorite pics from their visit:

They left yesterday morning, and I miss them so much! Fortunately I’m keeping busy today with good things: church this morning, then a long-overdue catch-up visit with my friend Emy {slash work-sesh at our favorite coffee shop}, then an afternoon walk with Dana, and finally dinner with my aunt Annie’s family.

But before I head off for the day, it’s time for goals!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 12 pages~~
– ~~submit essay to Chicken Soup for the Soul~~
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~
– ~~finish reading through three lit journals from my AWP stash~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~
– ~~have a wonderful visit with my dad and Greg!!~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 12 pages
– send out newsletter
– go to two yoga classes
– finish reading through three lit journals from my AWP stash
– connect with three friends
– bake an amazing cake for Grandma’s birthday! {perhaps this one?}

And here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– slow-cooker chicken chile verde nachos via Two Peas & Their Pod
– avocado chicken salad zucchini boats via Julie @PB Fingers
– peanut butter avocado chocolate chip cookies via Whitney @sometimes.always.never
– chocolatey freezer fudge via Robyn @the real-life rd

Questions of the morning:

How has your weekend been so far?
What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What recipes are you drooling over lately?

This post is linked up with Menu-Plan Monday.

a year of Wooden: week 11

Posted on March 18, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Good morning, friends! Hope you had a fun St. Patrick’s Day! As promised, I’m back with this week’s year of Wooden challenge! This month we are focusing on Coach Wooden’s creed to help others.

January: Drink deeply from good books.
February: Make friendship a fine art.
March: Help others.

Last week, the challenge was to help someone at work. I reached out to a few of my young writing mentees offering assistance and passing along information about writing contests I had heard about. I also wrote three notes to editors praising pieces by writers I admire in their latest issues.

This week, the challenge is to help a family member. Sometimes, we are so focused on helping others outside our family that we forget about the people that mean the most to us, those who do so much for us every day. This week, make a point to do acts of kindness for your family members, reaching out to help brighten their days or ease their stress levels. Do a chore without being asked, pick something up from the store they need, help with homework or help talk through a problem at work… I’d love to hear what other ideas you have!

I’d like to leave you with a lovely quote my friend Kelsey shared with me about Coach Wooden:

Question of the evening:

What is something kind a family member has done for you?

goals for the week of 3/16

Posted on March 16, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend so far! I’m heading out to drop off my friend Michelle at the airport {I’m going to miss her a LOT while she’s gone the next three weeks for a work training! boo!} and then I’m heading out for lunch with this lovely lady and our men to try a new-to-me burger place called The Counter. Apparently they give you a clipboard and you get to select from all different choices of meat, cheeses, and toppings to build your own perfect burger. Here’s predicting there will be guacamole involved in my order. {And, knowing me, there will probably be guac on my face as well.}

But before I take off … it’s goals time!

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– write 15 pages {perhaps 15 was a bit too ambitious, but I did write a solid 10 pages, so I’m still counting it a win!}
– ~~submit three pieces to journals~~
– ~~go to two yoga classes~~ {I made it to three, hooray!}
– ~~finish reading The Empty House by Nathan Oates~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~
– ~~take Arianna out for a coffee date~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 12 pages
– submit essay to Chicken Soup for the Soul
– go to two yoga classes
– finish reading through three lit journals from my AWP stash
– connect with three friends
– have a wonderful visit with my dad and Greg!!

Aaaaand, bringing back the meal planning… here are some recipes I’m drooling over this week:
– black bean quinoa enchilada bake & spinach artichoke quinoa bake via Two Peas & Their Pod
– paleo peppermint doughnuts w/coconut frosting via Davida @The Healthy Maven
– strawberry chocolate-chip cookie bars via Sarah @The Pajama Chef
– pretty much all of these things rounded up by Robyn @the real-life rd

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What recipes are you drooling over lately?

goals for the week of 2/16

Posted on February 17, 2014 by dallaswoodburn

Hi everyone! How was your weekend? Mine was busy with lots of fun things … time with family, friends, church, shopping, reading and writing! On Saturday I had an amazing time in San Francisco participating in the Chinese New Year Treasure Hunt. Have any of you done an “urban sleuthing adventure” before? This one is an annual scavenger hunt that happens on the day of the Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco. The hunt takes you all around Chinatown and North Beach looking for clues, competing against the other teams to solve mental puzzles and test your observation skills. It was such a unique, fun way to explore the city and see the parade at the same time! And our team did great, solving 12 out of the 16 clues before we ran out of time. Woo hoo! Afterwards we went to a Mediterranean restaurant for dinner, enjoying excellent food and conversation. Definitely one of my favorite experiences since moving up here in August!

Today the long weekend fun continues: we are celebrating my beautiful aunt Mary’s birthday. She is such an amazing person, so full of laughter and love. She tells the best stories, always builds people up with encouragement and support, and inspires so many kids every day as a middle school English & History teacher. I’m so proud to be her niece.

My Mom, Aunt Annie, and Aunt Mary

Happy birthday Mary!! We love you!

Now, on to goals…

Here’s how I did on my goals from this past week:
– ~~write 10 pages~~
– finish new short story I’m working on {This goal seems to keep being put on the back-burner. Maybe my story needs to percolate more before I put the words down on paper…}
– go to two yoga classes {I did yoga on my own, but only made it to one class because I took a friend to her doctor’s appointment on Thursday, during the time I normally go to back-to-back yoga classes. I’ll have to make it up this week!}
– ~~complete two chapters of copyediting project~~
– ~~submit to the I Am: Twenty-Seven project~~
– ~~send in final fellowship application~~
– ~~finish reading Power Ballads by Will Boast~~
– ~~connect with three friends~~

And here are my goals for this upcoming week:
– write 10 pages
– prepare for new tutoring job
– go to two yoga classes
– finish copyediting project
– begin reading The Empty House by Nathan Oates
– connect with three friends

Questions of the morning:

What are your goals for this upcoming week?
What have been your highlights of this weekend?

Day-By-Day Masterpiece

Tag Archives: family

fabulous friday #18

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

Questions of the morning:

fabulous friday #17

Here are 5 things I’m loving right now:

Questions of the morning:

grandma’s birthday dinner

Question of the evening:

goals + recipes for the week of 3/30

Questions of the morning:

fabulous friday #16

5 things I’m loving right now:

Questions of the morning:

a year of Wooden: week 12

Questions of the morning:

goals + recipes for the week of 3/23

Questions of the morning:

a year of Wooden: week 11

Question of the evening:

goals for the week of 3/16

Questions of the morning:

goals for the week of 2/16

Questions of the morning: