a few holiday photos

Happy new year, friends! After a full week off, it's back to work for me tomorrow. I have New Year's Day off, so it will be nice to kind of ease back into the work thing.

I will miss you, extra sleep.

a recipe

Here is the chicken chili recipe I found that's been getting rave reviews from the Rockies to the Great Bear Ski Hill:

Chicken Chili

1 lb. chicken
Olive oil
2 cups chopped/roasted Anaheim peppers - canned or fresh
2 cups chopped tomatillos - canned or fresh (if you can't find tomatillos, you can sometimes find tomatillo salsa or can use a jar of any sort of green chili salsa)
4-5 cups water or chicken broth
1 large white onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: jalepenos

Cube chicken and cook in olive oil
Sautee garlic & onions together
In a large pan, add chicken, tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, chicken broth, garlic & onions
Let boil for 5 minutes, then simmer for an hour

Clark: Hey, Kids, I heard on the news that an airline pilot spotted Santa's sleigh on it's way in from New York City.

Eddie: [after a pause] You serious, Clark?

Merry, merry Christmas, all! It's really cold here in South Dakota, so we're sipping coffee, cozy in our PJ's, relaxing and trying to warm up.

Last night, we had a chili cook-off and made sugar cookies.

'Tis the season to be merry.

From my favorite holiday movie, Christmas Vacation:

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah.

Can they please leave these white lights on the trees on my street up all year long? They're sparkly and nice.

My sweet Koda is a most obliging model. I think I've taken at least 60 pictures of him over the past 24-hours.

Since taking photography 101 in college, I've loved experimenting with photography. It's fun taking my camera along with me on regular old days to see if anything in my day captures my attention. These random-day photos are often some of my favorites.

My point-and-click Kodak has been good to me these past 4 years, but I've been dying to upgrade to a digital SLR. It will be a learning process, but so far it's been fun trying to capture more detail, such as Koda's sweet eyelashes in the big photo above.

Going for a walk shortly with Koda and Brandon. It's snowing outside, but this makes me feel warm so I think I'll be okay.

How does one go about this whole financial aid thing? I think I'm going to use $3000 in '08, and was awarded around 4 times this much. In the old days, I'd sign on the dotted line and be happy with my newfound riches. It's no fun now that I know better! And online searches for the best prices for textbooks? Newfangled online-only classes? I am so behind-the-times.

I worked out tonight for the first time in a few weeks. Since the half-marathon, I've only run 3 times, up until tonight. At first, it felt good not having that obligation, so I took two weeks off. Next, I realized that a combination of running and wearing high heels messed up my right foot, so I got an x-ray and MRI done to make sure my bone isn't fractured. After clearance from the doctor last Monday, it's taken almost a week, but I finally found the motivation to get back to the gym. "Motivation" happens to be the pants I bought for upcoming holiday parties this year.

I started training for the half-marathon with Becki rather early. In July, as a matter of fact. Even though you can train for only 12 weeks, we trained for 18. Part of the reason I signed up for the thing in the first place is that I was hoping I'd drop 20 pounds (or at the very least 10) and be able to wear the same size jeans I wore in 8th grade. Kidding. But seriously, I thought I'd really lose weight. I know that I enjoy food and don't eat as healthy as I should sometimes, but I was drinking water, eating more fruits and vegetables than ever, and running 4 to 5 days per week, anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the day.

I may have dropped around 3 pounds, total. I was happy with my overall accomplishment, but was disappointed. So many hours invested, so much sacrificed... for a couple of pounds I probably could have lost giving up sugar for two weeks.

Since the half-marathon, I've gone shopping a few times for a much-needed wardrobe update. The first pair of pants I bought in a smaller size, I chalked up to flattery sizing. I just bought my second pair in that size at a different store, and I'm beginning to think that even though my body didn't change in drastic ways I'd hoped, I did make some sort of progress. All this to say I was inspired to head to the gym tonight, and it felt really great.

If you've got a bad back put your hands up... if you've got a pet cat put your hands up...

I've been busy creating this week! I've been gearing up making jewelry in preparation for the Christmas season. I just sent a big shipment to the hometown shop, and she sold 8 of those necklaces in one day, which was about a third of my entire shipment. So I've got to get busy.

The looming holiday deadlines combined with the routine nature of some of the classic styles I've been creating since 2001 often results in new happy accidents and experiments.

I kind of want to keep this one for myself, but I never keep my favorites for myself. It's like they must be shared with the world. Instead, I keep only B-list necklaces for my own accessories.




Here are a few old school bottlecap necklaces. An art fair friend from South Dakota gave these to me. Did you notice they're from bottling companies in Aberdeen, SD and Sioux City, IA? I have just 5 bottlecaps, all really charming- I think there's also a root beer cap and an Orange Crush cap somewhere in the mix. I have no idea how much to charge for this one-of-a-kind line of charms. Creating is fun, and pricing is always the hard part.



I love using French text in my necklaces. There's something so romantic about the French language, and I think there's a bit of intrigue because I took two years in high school so I recognize certain words. Who can tell me what coeur means? Without resorting to Babelfish, I think it means "heart."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday morning crepes = ♥

happy winoversary

Brandon and I celebrated years of dating bliss tonight by visiting the Vesta Dipping Grill. I had ginger chili seared tuna with jalepeno ponzu sauce and wasabi cream sauce and Brandon tried the grilled lamb tenderloin with pistachio mint sauce, and red pepper rica rouelle. As you can see, the restaurant was very dark which combined with great service and a few glasses of wine, translated into the perfect romantic evening.

♥ white zinfandel

cooking with alliteration

I made cupcakes and chili tonight, making for a cozy apartment tonight. The cupcakes were made for a work fundraiser tomorrow. Rather than a traditional holiday party, we raise money for a few different non-profits throughtout the holiday season through hosting various events. Tomorrow is the big kickoff- an afternoon of cookies, cakes, and other indulgences. And to think, I had just started training myself off the daily chocolate habit I had developed over the past few weeks.

♥ cupcakes

** :: Happy Halloween! :: **

katie, tracie & nicki, circa 1998

scott, becki, nicki & steve, circa 1980
(this was labor day, not halloween, by the way)

nicki, october 15 2007

brandon, october 20 2007



becki 2007

“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.” W. H. Murray

What will you start today?

my $3.50 world series experience

The World Series is in town! With Coors Field being just about a mile away from our place, we decided to take a walk downtown, taking off just about an hour before game time.

About 5 blocks from the stadium, the city set up a JumboTron in a park where fans could watch the game on a big-screen for free.



We watched them announce the starting lineup on the big screen, and indulged in a spicy hot dog with cream cheese. I added some saurkraut and 2 jalepenos, because 3 or more would have just been too much.



The JumboTron was right below the big clock tower on the 16th Street Mall.


After a while, we decided to walk to Coors Field. We found some brightly-colored cowboy-themed art to appreciate on the way.

Brandon and Koda just a few blocks from the stadium.

Koda taking in all the bright lights. Koda kept putting his paw up as to say, "Yo, I'm lookin' for one ticket- whooze got one ticket," in his Boston accent, until we finally reminded him that dogs aren't allowed inside the field.

Between ticket scalpers, potential scalp-ees, Halloween party-goers, and budding photographers like myself, there was quite a crowd gathered around the intersection in front of the stadium. Any time you go to a game, there are unofficial vendors outside selling food at a fraction of the price you'd pay once inside, so I bought some peanuts for $1. During a time when $10 parking is $40 and $5 Rockpile tickets are going for $500 on StubHub, it warmed my heart to note that they're still selling peanuts for just a buck.

Hot Dog: $2.50
Peanuts in a Ziplok bag: $1
Hearing the World Series announcer yell, "Play ball!" with the sound of the roaring crowd in the background: Priceless

It snowed in Denver yesterday! Brandon made a mini snowman, and I assisted with the accessories.



Brandon and I went Halloween costume shopping on Saturday. It's the first time I've ever gone costume shopping more than 72 hours before the big day, so I keep thinking Halloween is this week instead of next.

Brandon got a great costume, which I'll wait until next week to reveal. In the meantime, we went to his work Halloween party on Saturday night, so here are a few photos of his costume. He actually won a prize for best costume! I think it was the realistic moustache-afro combination.



If I hear "Rox versus Sox" one more time today, I think I'm going to freak out. It was clever a week ago when I first heard it, and today it's already old- and the World Series hasn't even started yet!

My dear friend Sarah emailed me tonight to check in on me because I've been so quiet around here post-race. I'm going to post an excerpt of what I sent to her:

"I've been in total recovery mode this week- laying low and eating way too much. I suppose some of that is good for me as my body recovers, but seriously... must set down the Halloween candy already!

I had a blast with the race on Sunday. My only wish is that I could have carried a camera with me to document it all, because there are so many parts of the experience I don't want to forget. I've never pushed myself so hard at something that came as such a challenge, and as a result, have never felt so amazing about accomplishing something in my entire life. It was cold and rainy, but there was a distinct moment in the race that I remember where I was freezing cold and my muscles were tired, and I realized that in spite of it all, I definitely felt so vibrantly alive-- and how many times in our life does that feeling come along?"

I'm trying to take care of myself and start eating normally, trying to compile my to-do list since I put a number of things on hold while I was training those past few weeks, and trying to think about what I'll do with myself next. Make some new jewelry? Plan for a 5k? Take a dance class? It was such a rush doing something outside of the norm. Crossing that finish line felt great, but now I find myself missing having that big thing on the horizon, which I guess is probably normal.

P.S. Congrats to Tracie and Steve, who just moved into their new house this past weekend! We want pictures!

Also, congratulations to my sister, who ran faster than 80% of the people in her age group in her first-ever half-marathon. I am amazed!

P.S. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts, has offered words of encouragement this week, and who have been supportive in various ways throughout this 18 week process of training for a half-marathon. Collectively, Team Easter Seals Denver Marathon Team has raised over $6,000 toward the Stroke Day Program.

Thoughts of the big day tomorrow are all-consuming today! I'm icing my foot, drinking water, charging my Ipod, and reading various blogs and news articles for last-minute inspiration and advice. I've got to figure out what I'm going to wear- nothing new, they say, and something you won't mind throwing off in a nearby bush if you get too hot. I've already cried twice today- once explaining to Brandon what his volunteering at the Easter Seals-sponsored water booth means, and once watching a video of the kids Denver Marathon fun race that took place this morning. Okay, so I just realized I've cried THREE times- the last being after getting a good-luck phone call from my Aunt Lisa, who recently ran her first 5-k last month so had lots of great words of wisdom for me!

While configuring my Ipod, I've discovered a theme in my favorite running tunes, which has me somewhat embarassed yet slightly amused. My running alter ego likes any song that references a booty- Back That A## Up, Milk Shake, Money Maker. Those who know me well may not be surprised at these choices, but I think the majority of people who would meet me would be surprised by these selections. Besides my apparent obsession with gluteous maximus-themed tunes, I'm typically not into lyrics, but instead I appreciate songs with a good beat. There are many things I imagine or visualize while running to take my mind off the act of running. One is taking in all the beautiful visuals found outside, another is pretending like I'm this amazing hip-hop dancer who is not running, but instead doing some sort of dance routine. Although I can't say I've got a detailed coreographed routine in my head- but wouldn't it be funny if I did? - I do use this one a lot. In addition to my extensive rap collection, I've also got some Queen, 311, Sublime, and James Brown on the mix, in addition to some of my most humiliating selections by none other than Fergie, Hanson, and the Pussycat Dolls. Apparently I'm in the sharing mood today, because who really admits to listening to the Pussycat Dolls?

It's all starting to come together this week. The Denver Half-Marathon is this Sunday at 8:00 a.m. I designed the team Easter Seals t-shirt, which we had made in addition to the official Denver Marathon t-shirts. I never would have truly appreciated this saying prior to this race, but once we started training, I came across "May the Course Be With You" and it made me laugh out loud. Runner-nerd humor.



I'm runner 3498! We picked up our runners packets tonight, complete with our race number and a plastic race-time tracker with a microchip that we attach to our shoelaces. I can't believe all the little details that go into a race- wow. As someone who has planned holiday parties as part of my role at work several times, I can appreciate all the time that goes into the small details.


Here's the Denver Marathon t-shirt! We worked 18 weeks for this thing.

As part of our Easter Seals fundraising, we received two tickets to a reception tonight. It was fun to spend a night in a cocktail dress with my sister, sipping white zinfandel and eating sushi and mystery appetizers.

In honor of Brandon's 30th birthday this weekend, we planned a mountain getaway. Here's a photo of Longs Peak, the only fourteener in Rocky Mountain National Park.


There's a charming little Catholic church made of stone out in the middle of the mountains. Photos don't do this church justice!



Here's a photo from inside the charming little church.



Here's a photo of the beautiful changing leaves.

Koda loved running around the woods. He and his golden retriever buddy, Memphis, played chase-the-pinecones on Saturday.

Here's a picture of a happy Koda with Brandon relaxing in the background.

We're heading up to Estes Park this weekend to celebrate Brandon's 30th birthday. Earlier this week, he was feeling that same feeling I think we all get in some form when this milestone hits. I jokingly said, "Oh, Brandon- that's so 2006 to be worried about your looming 30th birthday" since me and most of my friends all had our 30th birthdays what feels like years ago. What's he feeling bad about, anyway- he's a toddler compared to us!

It's supposed to be cold in Denver this weekend, so I've pulled out all my sweaters, and I'll finally get to wear my new red vest. You know if it's cold in Denver, it's going to be really cool up in the mountains. The first time I went camping in the mountains, I forgot about the temperature difference, and just brought a few blankets along. Having learned a lesson the hard way, I immediately invested in a sleeping bag the following week, and haven't been camping since. Go figure.

Have a great weekend, all. I'm looking forward to being away and will hopefully drink in the beauty of the Rockies for some pre-race inspiration. Only 9 days to the half-marathon!

(a friend recently pointed out that I used to talk about my dog 24/7 on my blog, but now it's shifted to my dog AND running, so thought I'd shake things up by talking about mountains and birthdays this time) :)

Am I dreaming?

If you ever get a chance to train for a race, whether it's a marathon, half-marathon, or 5k, I highly recommend it. It has done wonders for shaking up my normal routine, and for helping to refresh my sense of self. I feel like a new and improved version of myself. I have a new appreciation for my body- both it's abilities and limitations. I'm listening to my knees and feet and hips. Trust me- they've been talkin' to me. I feel like if I can survive this, there are a lot of other things out there I can accomplish if I set aside the time and make the effort. I still have the 13.1 mile mark to hit, but if I can do this type of thing, trust me- you can, too. We signed up in January, and I couldn't even run a full mile without stopping.

I ran 10 miles yesterday and know what Body Glide and Clif shots are. I'm cheering out loud for the Rockies as they enter the bottom of the 12th inning. I have to keep my hands busy making some new necklace charms to remind myself that I'm still Nicki- just version 2.0.

Even though a lot of the scenery in downtown seems so very gray with the graffitti and concrete that surrounds us, I can't help but appreciate the odd things that I find visually stunning. For example, there's a big parking lot we often walk by with with red, white, and a blue metal fence surrounding one edge. In the first photo, you can see the blue metal on the left and the red metal on the right. I notice this every time we walk, and today wondered to myself, "Does anyone else take the time to appreciate the way the red, white, and blue repeat themselves in the midst of the neutral grays and tans in the background?

There's also a parking lot we walk by with a stunning vintage neon sign that reads "Parking," along with a red arrow that points you in the right direction. Immediately inside the parking garage, the white and royal blue section of the wall with these sort of fanciful swirls caught my attention today.