My Review of Zebra Dining Chair

Originally submitted at Cost Plus World Market

If your dining set is ready to change its stripes, bring home our exotic Zebra Dining Chair for a unique look that never goes out of style. A brown and beige Zebra-inspired pattern adorns the length of the seat, creating a safari sensibility that works well with your existing dining table. Pair wit...

Zebra Dining Chair

Looks Great!

By Mari from Tallahassee, FL on 2/26/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Attractive, Good Value, Comfortable, Durable, Good Support

Describe Yourself: Midrange Shopper

I bought this to pair with the Chase 6 drawer dresser. We don't have a ton of space in our bedroom and I wanted something to jazz things up just a bit. Voila! I loved pairing it with a throw pillow and some DIY wall art. I've sat in in as well and it's very comfy. The only thing that I didn't realize (be sure to enlarge the product photo) is the texture of the chair. I'm not the biggest fan but it worked out fine.

(legalese)

My Review of Chase 6-Drawer Dresser, Dark Mahogany

Originally submitted at Cost Plus World Market

Our great-looking Chase Collection is designed to be a crowd-pleasing blend of traditional craftsmanship mixed with modern appeal. Crafted with a solid wood frame and drawer front accented with wood handle, and finished in a rich mahogany tone, this 6-drawer dresser looks beautuful in any bedroom ...

Chase 6-Drawer Dresser, Dark Mahogany

Love it!!

By Mari from Tallahassee, FL on 2/26/2011

 

4out of 5

Pros: Attractive Design, Sturdy, Great Quality, Ample Storage, Easy Assembly, Durable

Describe Yourself: Midrange Shopper

Our room is rather odd shaped and with a king size bed, we needed furniture that could compliment the space and still offer plenty of walking room. BINGO! I paired it with the zebra print chair and love the look. The dresser is incredibly sturdy and has plenty of room inside the drawers. I would have given it 5, but there were a few small scratches already on it when we received it. Other than that, it's perfect!

(legalese)

The meaning of Veteran's Day...

Last night was Ashton's turn to spend with us. This morning I awoke to a little boy in cute, sports themed winter pajamas crawling in bed with us and patting my arm as he clung to me. (Those are the moments that make everything else in the world seem so unimportant.) After snuggling for a moment, I asked him if he was ready for banana pancakes- his favorite! Those little eyes popped open and I was quickly led to the kitchen to prepare one plate-size monster cake. I only had to call him to the table once and I sat with him while he ate. He announced that Wednesday was a holiday and I asked him if he knew what holiday we were observing. Nope. He just knew there was no school which required an explanation of why we honor all the men and women who have served and are serving in our military and how brave they are and how some gave their lives so we could have the freedoms we have today. I asked him how that made him feel and with a mouth half-ful of pancake he replied, "Well... there's no school so it's probably a great day to play video games."
I think I got through to him.

I'm Doing It!!

So, thanks to my dear friend Heidi, I joined Weight Watchers 3 weeks ago and have had success each week in my journey to shed the pounds. I absolutely LOVE the idea that I can still eat what I want! I'm also venturing out and trying new foods that I would never have put in my shopping cart normally. We've never been big on red meats, but I wanted to incorporate more fish into our diets. Problem? I'm not big on fish.

That being said, I've come up with new recipes to help disguise the taste or aid my palette in being more cooperative. I picked up some frozen Mahi-mahi fillets at Costco (Yes, I do love the Costco!) and decided to get creative. The first meal I prepared I had marinated the fillets, broiled them and topped them off with a mango salsa. I had three bites and realized I needed to get more creative although Fernando devoured his plate. He loves me.

I needed to come up with something that would have fish lovers and not-so-fish-lovers alike loving the same dish. Enter curry. Curry! It's strong, bold and would be the perfect disguise. I had a ton of veggies waiting to get on our dinner plate so I thought a vegetable curry would be appropriate. I also made steamed rice and sugar snap peas for our sides. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. I guessed the amounts for certain things so just eyeball it and feel free to use whatever veggies you prefer- the more the merrier!

(click on photo to enlarge)

Weekend at the Twisted Pine- 2009

We had the opportunity once again to enjoy a weekend at the heavenly Twisted Pine,
all thanks to my very gracious boss. My friend Cathi, her husband and two children were also able to join us which made for lots of fun. We brought our doggies and let them do a little exploring, but not too much because of all the recent bear activity in the area. To sum it all up, it was a weekend of laughter, food and fun for humans and dogs alike.

Low tide on Sunday morning offered lots of unexplored territory for me and Chewy!

This was delicious! Cathi brought chicken salad and these little crusty
garlic and herb slices that were amazing in your mouth. Mmm!


This is "Butters", Chewy's new friend!


Well Hello, Ladies.... my little Chewy Papa.

The fog was still a bit thick at 8am, but the exposed sandbars were too inviting to ignore.


Somebody found the mud- it was hilarious!

I found this cannonball jellyfish ( at least 15 inches across) in the middle of the sandbar.
Look at the top of the photo and you'll see a trail. Did he crawl??


This looked like a Dr. Suess factory to me. I don't even like Dr. Suess.


Chewy wasn't the only one to find the mud.


Horseshoe Crabs eating a baby.


A lonely, little piece of coral.


After frolicking in the mud and giving the dogs a bath,
Cathi treated us to Belgian waffles topped with fresh fruit. Seriously yum.


Fernando found his twin!


The kids went beach combing.


Chewy hot-wired the car and dipped out.

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Pathetic!

I'm speechless. Enjoy.

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it!

As if I'm not feeling old enough lately- looking back and realizing that the years will continue to pass whether I'm opposed to it or not, I got a phone call from my 7 year old niece Hannah to confirm that I'm indeed old as dirt:

Hannah: HI AUNT MARIKO!!!!

Mariko: Well hey sweetie! What's going on?

Hannah: I wanted to tell you something!

Mariko: Go right ahead baby- what is it?

Hannah: Um, I don't know what they're called but they used them like, you know, like a thoooouuuusand years ago!

Mariko: Used them for what?

Hannah: For music! You know, they're like a cd but they're not. It was like a thousand years ago, Aunt Mariko!

Mariko: *gulp* Are you talking about a record?

Hannah: YEAH! How'd you know?

Mariko: ................