Currently // 2

eating // homemade proscuitto. my dad visited new york and caught up with our old neighbor who hunts. they gave my dad a delicious treat and i've got some now to enjoy with all of our cheese.

drinking // white wine, chardonnay. i know - me, white wine? but it is florida summer and too hot for red wine. 

practicing //  how to be myself. normally, i am a people-pleaser. but  sometimes, all i want is to fully accept how i don't have to please everyone, just myself. 

mastering // how to think like a dog so that i can train my dog. he is such a good boy though, we only need to work on him chewing somethings that he shouldn't. he's a three year old puppy! 

learning // how to delegate. i have this mentality that i can do everything [at work] and it takes more effort for me to set things aside to delegate to my team, rather than doing it myself. however, i'm still learning, and i'm so happy to have this experience and learn these skills. 

finishing // decorating the house. everything is in place and we've had numerous friends and family over. the house feels so complete and whole-hearted with our loved ones here. even mordechai is playful and friendly when our dearest come over; i sense that he enjoys them too.

reading // the perfume collector. a story about a woman in england who inherits a large sum of money from a lady in paris that she has never met. her quest to learn about this lady introduces her to the world of perfume. i love reading about the scents of perfume more than i enjoy smelling them. i find the descriptions to be a sort of poetry that i can smell. it's incredible. 

enjoying // walking mordechai in the mornings while the grass is still dewy and the shaded sidewalks cool and the brick roads are quiet. sometimes we pass the neighborhood cats eating their breakfast, and sometimes we feel a cool breeze hinting at autumn ahead. 

listening // to relaxing mellow-fi music like tycho. it really puts my pup to sleep. 

walking // five to six times a day with mordechai! of course, not all are long due to this hot weather. but even getting outside for five minutes under the trees and among the flowers, it's refreshing. 

needing // mordechai was adopted from GPA GO and it was his home for nine months. their kennel is in need of a new roof and they've started a campaign to raise the funds. it was because of them that he's with us today and they nursed him back to health after he broke his leg. if you can donate, i'm sure all the pups would be so thankful! 

wearing // my laite jewelry necklace. kristyn's entire collection is minimalist and gorgeous,  and lays daintily on the skin. 

cooking // meat and produce from a local farm marketplace with incredible prices and a vast selection. i go there for our organic chicken and the fruits and veggies that are in season. the pineapple and watermelon have been a favorite of mine for breakfast these days. we sampled some sweet black figs and juicy rambutans. i also purchased romanesco for the first time! i put it in a quiche for a picnic and it was like broccoli, but prettier. 

wondering // will it ever be fall? i am so ready for fall traditions and winter holidays! i think mordechai will enjoy the weather and festivities when it comes time! 

working // and about to get so busy! event season is coming up and i am so excited to have a change of pace. 

travelling // to new york and new jersey in october for a wedding. wedding season is really upon us with five weddings in a span of three months.

smelling // black pepper buttermilk biscuits that s made over the weekend and warming up in the oven. can we make sunday biscuits a tradition?

thinking // that there is nothing cuter than when s comes home and mordechai gets up, stretches his long legs, all the while wagging his tail. these little moments of my two favorite boys make me smile every day.

I originally saw this currently feature on Joy Felicity Jane.

Currently // 2

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Links for Your Weekend

I've been inspired to cook up a  storm this weekend. We have ingredients for pizza tonight, homemade strawberry basil soda, and a breakfast quiche for tomorrow. Here are some links to keep you inspired this weekend. Many of them I've pinned on Pinterest, so definitely follow me for future inspiring links.

1 // When we interview people at work for open event positions, inspired by my dear friend and previous colleague, Steven, I always love to ask, "If  you could plan any event in the world, what would it be?" I find that the answer reveals a lot about the person without them saying many words. For me, that event would be one for Royal De Luxe, a mechanical marionette street theater company. Each host city shares a different story in their performance. The one in Nantes is by far my favorite, with a little giant girl talking a walk, showering by an elephant, licking a popsicle, and napping on a chair. And, there are rumors of Chicago planning to bring Royal De Luxe to the United States... could my dream-event come true?

2 // I've been looking into parks that are shaded and quiet to bring Mordechai and a picnic. So far, there are more parks in the area than I realized that are dog friendly and would be the perfect spot for a cool morning with Morty.

3 // While at work, I'll occasionally get an email from S with a link to an article. He sent me this one, The Perfect Way To Cut Cheese. As a cheese lover, this is pertinent information.

4 // Every morning I've been drinking Earl Grey tea instead of coffee. Then I stumbled upon this Earl Grey Tea cocktail, with gin, honey, and lemon which sounds absolutely perfect for summer evenings. We sit outside on our porch, watching people walk by, Mordechai laying next to us, and this cocktail seems like the perfect addition.

5 // Lastly, I'm currently reading The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro. It takes place in Paris and London in the 1950's as well as flashbacks to Paris in the 1920's, how dreamy? I am about half way through it, and I came across this quote and had to find it on Pinterest. So let's end on this note:

“Most people assume that a muse is a creature of perfect beauty, poise and grace. They're wrong. In fact, there should be a marked absence of perfection in a muse―a gaping hole between what she is and what she might be. The ideal muse is a woman whose rough edges and contradictions drive you to fill in the blanks of her character. She is the irritant to your creativity. A remarkable possibility, waiting to be formed.” ― Kathleen Tessaro, The Perfume Collector

Links for Your Weekend

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Pupdate

Yes, I did that... "pupdate". I've been keeping a log of Mordechai's progress and I have to say, he settled in so much faster than I thought! One of my main concerns was that greyhounds have never been alone in their lives. When they aren't racing, or training, or being turned out of the kennel, they are surrounded by other greyhounds and are never alone. So I wanted to make sure he would be comfortable in our home, alone, when we go to work. We started "alone training" by leaving the house for 5 minutes, 15 minutes, and then 30 minutes on the second day. Within a few days we got up to 3 hours, which is perfect for our work schedules. One of us will come home for lunch break to walk him after 3 hours of being alone, and then I get home 4 hours later and he's been so good! I come home and he's sleeping to the sounds of NPR on the radio. He is such a sweet boy, and cute too, but I'm bias.

Alone training the first few days with him was harder on me than it was on him. All I wanted was to spend time with him, keep him company, make sure he was comfortable, but I had to leave and find something to do, sometimes for 2 hours at a time! That was a good excuse to go shopping...

He only has interest in one of all the neighborhood cats (yay - low prey drive!) and immediately wags his tail whenever a stranger walks by or a friend comes over. Even on the second day he started having interest in his toys, showing his playful side. He sleeps through the night and is curious about everything. Nothing seems to startle him while he is awake, only when he is sleeping.

Things have definitely changed. We can't keep our cheese and crackers on the coffee table without a curious sniff. Once he gives it a few sniffs, he usually is good and lays down without begging for food. And now, when we travel, we have to think about accommodations for him too! We have a wedding this October to attend in NYC and have made arrangements for him to stay with a woman who boards greyhounds. She came recommended by the organization we adopted him through. She volunteers with GPA GO and has actually met him before while he had a broken leg! I'm so glad he can stay with someone he is familiar with, and we even have a grey-play-date scheduled so that he can meet her own greyhounds.

Erin said that once we brought him home, that it would feel like he was always here. And it really does. Taking care of him fits in with our normal routine. Walking him is an excuse to get outside, even if just for a few minutes, to enjoy the neighborhood and be surrounded by greenery. We've already scouted out some small local parks that are dog friendly, so we can walk him there on cool weekend mornings for a change of scenery.

On walks he's met a few breeds of dogs that are totally new to him including a fluffy white dog, a boston terrier mix, and even my dad's chihuaha! Mordechai was so good, just a little curious with smelling. They even played with toys together and that was most definitely the smallest dog he's ever seen!

I apologize for the photo overload, but I am so excited to have him as part of the family! We are so excited for the weather to get cooler and to show him our little town. For now, he's getting used to his surrounding and every day it seems he feels more and more at home. 

Pupdate

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Sponsored: Firmoo Eye Glasses

Some update time! First off, I've updated my about me page since it's been the same since I adopted the name, Tender Roots. I had to add Mordechai to the introduction of course. I hope you like it!

These past few days have all about getting to know our boy, Mordechai. He makes me proud every day with how quickly he learns the routine and how sweet he is to strangers and other dog breeds. I'll have an update on him soon enough, and photos too because I can't help but photograph all of his "firsts".

In other news, I just received my third pair of Firmoo glasses and I am excited to share how fun they are! Firmoo reached out to me about sending me a pair of my choice to review and I thought it was time for a fun pair. I own many tortoise shell glasses these days, but these Firmoo ones also have a fun twist to them. I find that tortoiseshell is a chic pattern, complimentary color to my features, and versatile with my outfits.

My second pair of Firmoo glasses were actually my wedding day glasses which you can see here. Those too were a great pair of tortoiseshell frames. Whether the glasses are trendy or timeless, I find that Firmoo always has great prices for prescription glasses. This helps a girl like me who is always interested in widening her variety of [tortoiseshell] frames.

I currently wear a pair of dark, tortoiseshell frames from a local shop in Winter Park, FL which are great for everyday use in the office. However, these Firmoo glasses came just in time for me to sport something a little quirkier than my every day office ones. I'm finding that the aesthetic of these new frames compliment my clothes wonderfully. I normally go for something neutral on my face because 90% of the time, I'm wearing black or grey clothes. A neutral pair of glasses compliments everything I wear and I love tortoise shell because it's a little fun and refined at the same time. This pair of glasses are extremely light weight, but a little too wide. However, Firmoo's website lists the measurements of each frame and allows you to upload a photo of yourself to virtually try them on. This new pair is even more fun with the half beige bottoms, which create this lovely illusion of bottomless frames. It opens up my face a little, while adding a strong frame under my brows.

Firmoo also offers a first-pair-free program, here, you just pay shipping. If you're interested in even just trying their brand out, that is a fantastic way to start. I took advantage of that deal for my first pair of Firmoo glasses which I bring with me when I travel as a great back-up option in case something should happen to my glasses.

Firmoo is offering the first 5 readers $30 off of their Classic Series. You are welcome to use the code TENDERROOTSBLOGS4 which expires September 10th, 2014, all you have to do is cover shipping.

This post is a sponsored review for Firmoo.com. However, all of my opinions are my own and I absolutely stand by this brand. You can see more about my disclosure policy here. 

Sponsored: Firmoo Eye Glasses

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Retired Racing Greyhound Adoption Process

If you haven't seen my Instagram (1 + 2), meet Mordechai! He is a retired racing greyhound and is 3 years old. His racing name is Flying Doors but we decided to name him Mordechai, just a name that we love (and also the name of the pet falcon in The Royal Tenenbaums). He began his racing career in Palm Beach, FL and ended up racing in Sanford, FL, close to where we adopted him.

We chose to work with Greyhound Pets of America/Greater Orlando (GPA GO). They told us that he came to them with a broken leg and that was how he became retired. GPA GO nursed him back to good health with healing his leg, vet visits, and now vitamins. We're excited to have this sweet boy become part of the family!

The organization and I were chatting through emails back and forth for several weeks. When we went in to pick our greyhound, they asked us various questions about our lifestyle (leash walking, neighborhood, hobbies, future children, etc). We'll be leashing walking, and our neighborhood has the farmers market, many restaurants and bars, so he will be around a lot of activity. We also plan to have children eventually so with all of that information, they chose a few non-shy and non-possessive greyhounds for us to meet.

We met five available for adoption and they all had different personalities! One was not interested in us, one was visibly nervous around S, and then this one, Flying Doors, was excited and outgoing and within a few minutes calmed down into the perfect companion. We pet him, sat with him, walked with him, and he even came when we called him. He was so pleasant to be around.

After we decided that he was the greyhound for us, we sat down with them to schedule a home visit, his vet visit (to get neutered, micro-chipped, shots, and a check-up), and they set adoption date! They even told us we could visit him a few days after his surgery.

We visited him on Saturday, two days after the vet neutered him, micro-chipped him, and gave him all of his shots. While he was having his check up, they found an ear infection as well as a urinary infection. GPA GO is treating him for both while we wait a week to take him home. We spent an hour or two with him, and even brought some of our shirts to go into his kennel with him. There was a family with young children that came in, and he was so good with them - he is incredibly friendly! As we were leaving, he followed us to the door; I think he's ready to come home.

At the home visit, our contact at the organization brought one of her own greyhounds, a beautiful and gentle black dog named Jack. He went straight to the new dog bed that we bought and fluffed it up for himself. The whole time we talked, he laid there peacefully. He let us practice putting on and taking off the martingale collar that greyhounds require, and we even practiced checking for fleas. He was such a good sport and it was so nice to see a dog in our home. We went over important things at the home visit like where he will be gated off in our house as we ease him into all the stimulation of a new environment, especially since his whole life he's lived in a kennel. We also discussed medication, sicknesses, and emergency animal hospitals.

This Saturday we get to take him home! It has been a long two weeks since meeting him and waiting for his adoption day, but it gets closer and closer. Going to the store and buying him food, treats, and toys has definitely help make the time go by faster, but still, is it Saturday yet?

Retired Racing Greyhound Adoption Process

Tuesday, August 05, 2014