welcome to elaney!

One of the most glorious things about spring is waking up in the morning with a smile on your face and a skip in your step.  This morning, despite being Day 4 sans Diet Coke, the day felt so full of potential.  It’s Friday!  The weekend is here!  Can’t get enough of Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” and life is good.   So elaney ladies…whether it’s Vandy beating UGA or the most beautiful day outside your window…what has you you smiling today?  And what music is on your “Happy Day Playlist?”

The Random Assortment of Music That Has Become…the Happy Day Playlist (of the moment):

“Us” – Regina Specktor
“Hey Soul Sister” – Train
“Evacuate the Dance Floor” – Cascada
“How Will I Know?” – Whitney Houston
“Imma Be” – Black Eyed Peas
“Motown Philly” – Boys II Men
“Arise My Soul Arise” – Indelible Grace
“The World Spins Madly On” – The Weepies
“If You Could Read My Mind” – 54 Soundtrack
“Baby Baby” – Amy Grant
“Let My Love Open the Door” – Pete Townschend
“The Right Kind of Wrong” – LeAnn Rimes
“Bad Romance” – Lady Gaga
“Haven’t Met You Yet” – Michael Buble (yes we realize how lame this is, but just TRY running to it.  guarantee your ponytail will be swinging before the chorus)
“Must’ve Been Love” – Roxette

We love recipes that aren’t that hard and make us look legit.  Try homemade ravioli!

Sweet Potato Ravioli

• 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
• 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 48 square wonton wrappers
• 2 large egg whites, beaten until foamy

Brown Butter Sauce

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Dear Diet Coke,

Thank you for many years of making 3:00 pm a little brighter.  You are very missed.  But please understand, it’s not you.  It’s us.

Love,
elaney (and interns)

After vacillating on what to give up for Lent this year and ultimately ruling out wine and all things that are really diets, we ultimately settled on DC (yes, a few days behind).  Why you ask?  The idea was to give up something that would really be a sacrifice and to give up something that did not have some subtle side benefit.  Of course, life without DC does have some benefits in that the chemicals in it probably cause some horrible kind of disease (which are usually rationalized away with a hope that the preservatives slow the aging process), but there is no shame in admiting, life is just a little less bright without Diet Coke.  Blogging is a little less funny.  Working is a little more tiring.  An afternoon Diet Coke is like a special little moment.  Like a little Christmas everyday.  Like a love note in your purse.  And let us just tell you something you may not know, it takes the afternoon edge off.  Water from the faucet is no subsitute for our soda with sugar subsitute.   So this post is to say, Diet Coke, we love you.  You and all of your caffeine and chemicals that are bad.  We miss you, and we’ll be back.

However, if you want to know what we think, ask the nice man on the treadmill who watched the tears falling this morning while elaney was running and watching the news.

Ring, ring, ring

ebrother: “hey, I can’t talk right now.  Mom’s at the office and all four of us are having a family meeting.”
elaney:  ”Since when do you have family meetings without me?”
ebrother (chuckling, and calling out to the others):  ”hey, it’s that girl that lives out of town.  Anyone want to talk to her?  No, not Aunt Margaret (who lives in Seattle and we’ve meet twice), the other one.”
ebrother (turning back to the phone): “Yeah, sorry, we gotta go.”

Click.

SCENE.

eMum:  ”Sweetie, I’m just not sure about the black nail polish.  It looks too edgy.”
elaney (pointing at her cream and gold ensemble from tibi, banana, and j.crew):  ”Look at this.  What about this says edgy?”
eMum:  ”I’m just trying to tell you, guys don’t really like edgy girls.  They don’t understand it.”
elaney (making an annoyed, yet resigned expression, turns to her father):  ”Dad, do you think I look too ‘edgy’ to attract a man?”
eDad:  ”Of course not elaney, you’re perfect.  But…it might be a Democrat.”

The weather this weekend was like a spoon full of sugar for the soul.  Walking outside and smelling the smells of spring reminded me of another of life’s great debates.  Which is better: summer to fall or winter to spring?  During the Fall of ’09, we decided to give the win to fall and call it a day (keep in mind, Georgia summer is H-O-T).  However, this weekend, with a longing for cook outs, Alumni Lawn, listening to Deana Carter’s “We Danced Anyway” (for more on this one, look forward to the upcoming post on Teenage Angst), Sea Island bachelorette weekends (featured here), a boxer puppy, white shorts, and day drinking outside we realized…it might have to go to spring.  So, dearest soul sisters, if Train’s new song has won you over and makes you feel like frolicking in the green grass, please do share…what are your favorite things about spring?