Oh noooooo.....

.....these are going to be dangerous.

Homemade peppermint patties

(Via Butterfly Food)

In my life....

Happy Monday! I should preface this post by asking for your forgiveness ahead of time for the mushiness :) With the fog creeping along the highway, winding in and out of the withered, leafless trees, Alan Jackson singing "Livin on Love" on the radio, and a weekend just passed filled with friends, food, and fun...I couldn't help it. Looking back on my first few posts, it amazes me how far the Lord has brought me in such a short time. Not that I think all my woes are gone and things will be peachy keen for the remainder of this life. Believe me, I know myself better than to think that the path of sanctification will not be ridden with potholes, berry bushes, and cliffs. However, He has restored in me a hope that I had lost, or nearly lost, after my last run in with Sh*thead. With that in mind, and a wonderful Sunday sermon still filling my thoughts (which subsequently added a new book to my reading list), I must share the 5 things that currently make me smile about B.

He....
1. Is frustratingly honest
2. Uses the word "manlaw" at least once a day
3. Won't eat pork because pigs "eat their own poo"
4. Has at least one hair chronically out of place
5. Can cross one eye and insists on calling me "sugar" when doing so

P.S. Don't you love the Beatles?!

Hello Gorgeous!

Is anyone else excited about this??? My friend Danielle shared this little tid bit with me last week while I was at work and definitely brightened up my drab, grey cubicle filled day. Forget Valentine's Day, Feb 14th has a whole new meaning!


P.S. check out Danielle's blog here. It's quite lovely...like her :)

Yikes!

My greatest reupholstering fears realized....with a happy ending though of course :) I hope my project is equal parts successful with perhaps a pinch less difficulty and nightmarish fabric beneath the seemingly mild mannered exterior.

http://thecutcloth.blogspot.com

Another woman's trash

I am so thrilled! I finally found my project chair! I was browsing through Craigslist the other day and there it was....a perfect little Queen Anne chair that might not even need to be reupholstered. The bf was kind enough to pick it up for me today so, depending on if he can fit it in the backseat of his Civic, tonight it will be all mine :) I have an idea of what I want the end result to look like but have been doing a bit of browsing on-line for additional information. Like most/all human, breathing females I am OBSESSED with Anthropologie (though I can hardly afford to buy much more than a tea light there). Apparently, they have a furniture line...who knew! After much ogling, oohing, and aahhhing, I stumbled upon this little beauty that will now serve as my inspiration piece for my chair. We shall see how it goes....

Anthropologie Conservatory Chair

Balanced Diet

Ahhh the end to another weekend...so sad haha. B and I had a fun weekend filled with plenty of vegging, cooking, a trip to the farmers market, and a little football watching on Sunday with the Pops....poor Jets :( I even made it to a few consignment stores, but alas I am yet to find my project chair. It felt so good to be out in the sunshine after all the fog. On Saturday, we picked up tons of fresh, organic veggies at the farmers market and used them in a super healthy and flavorful omelet on Sunday morning. Why is cooking with fresh ingredients so satisfying?

I forgot to pack my camera AGAIN, so the pics I snapped on my phone will have to suffice.


They have a peddle powered carousel at the farmers market...how cute is that!?

B planning his assault on an avocado and cheese burger at Burgers and Brew. He hates pictures so I have to sneak them :)

Me planning my assault on a sauteed mushroom and cheese veggie burger...mmmmm

Because it's ART!

Can I have these in my front yard please???? But irises....


(Via Cup of Joe)

The little things....

The older I get the more I appreciate the little things in life....homemade pumpkin spice lattes, warm pjs, and good books! I try as often as I can to read something Christian related since it's so hard to find time to really delve into the Bible (something I desperately need to improve on!). I am currently re-reading The Shack, a book about a man's meeting with God, literally, and recently finished reading The Hiding Place for the third time. I highly recommend both of those books but suggest you have a box of tissues or two near you when reading.

As much as I love these books however, nothing, I mean NOTHING compares to Sheldon Vanauken's A Severe Mercy. This is hands down my favorite book of all time. I've already read it twice and probably will read it many times again as soon as I get it back from the 23421423515 people I've promised to loan it to. I won't spoil it for you and give anything away but I will highly suggest you add it to your winter reading list...puts the Notebook to shame :) If you like C.S. Lewis you will love this book!

Dream job

Happy Monday-ish!

Today is my first day back to work after a relaxing 3 day weekend and I must admit it's mildly painful. I shouldn't complain though....I have a good paying, stable, and fairly low stress job. However, sitting in a cubical all day doesn't bode well to keeping the creative juices flowing. Working for the State wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I graduated with a degree in Art History. But I refuse to let my lack luster job get me down and plan on taking full advantage of all creative opportunities that come my way. I'm dying to get my hands on a rickety old chair with nice lines and peeling paint I can redo! Stay tuned...

Below are pics from my best friends bridal shower (aka. creative outlet this last Spring)! I don't know if I had more fun planning and making DIY decorations or sipping sangria with 20 of my favorite ladies :)

I haunted the local hospice thrift store and Goodwill for funky bottles and vases. I was able to pick up most for less than $.50 each. Aren't peonies delightful!?

Homemade ice cream sandwiches....mmmmmm

I took a hint from Martha Stewart and made pom poms at varying heights to add whimsy. I also scattered different sized cake and pastry plates to add height to the table. Instead of renting expensive china I headed over to the local Party City and picked up these awesome faux china plates and plastic cutlery that looked silverware! Really saved time doing dishes :)

Speaking of stinky....

......there's nothing like walking into an empty elevator that smells like B.O.


Except this :) That's all.

Live and learn

So I have a confession to make.....I live in my parents garage. There I said it! Phew! Haha but no really I do. I moved back home about 6 months ago from my tiny little one bedroom in Midtown to a tiny little garage studio at my parents to save up for a house. Well I've now chickened out about buying (I just cannot commit to living in one place for 5+ years at this moment in my life) so I am now in flux. With school now in session for the next few years I am not sure if I should do the sensible thing and stay at home or do the fun thing and get my own place in Midtown again. In the meantime, and in the spirit of being in the fish belly, I am determined to embrace my current living situation and make my parentally supervised studio as homey and Lou-esque as possible, while sticking to a strict budget of course. Below is my first piece of inspiration....

I have a TON of fun and unique bottles left over from my best friends bridal shower (pictures to come)! I can't wait to make them into functional candle holders!

(Via Cupcakes and Cashmere)

Silence....and the lamb

Is there anything more awkward than eating dinner mid fight? B and I had a little spat the other night right before we sat down for dinner and I must say it was one of the more painful moments in our relationship thus far. I couldn't even tell you what the tiff was about now it was so silly but staring down at my plate, the fork, the butter, anything to avoid eye contact wth B was less than enjoyable. I don't know what was worse, silent dinner or angry dish washing haha. What are some of your more awkward fight moments?

Btw...how cool is this chandelier?!

Yes please!

How cute is this tumbr! I'm quite content with B but I'd at least like to shake this guy's hand.

My fav.....



(via A Cup of Joe)

International Delights

Good morning and Happy Friday!

Today marks the beginning of the end to my last week of house sitting and I am none too happy about it! B and I have been taking care of our friends house while they romp around New Zealand on their honeymoon (jealous!). We've had a blast playing house; cooking, playing Wii (yes we're huge dorks), watching movies, and making homemade lemon drops from the overproducing lemon tree in the backyard. B's mother is Norwegian so I've been test driving all her yummy recipes and trying to recreate some of his childhood favorites. I even brought some of my new creations into work yesterday morning for my coworkers to enjoy. Below are a few photo's from our Norwegian waffle breakfast last weekend :)


Our feast! Unfortunately, we didn't have a true Norwegian waffle maker so we had to make due with a Belgian. The waffles come out thicker than they are supposed to but they were yummy none the less. We traded off smearing them with butter and brown cheese (made with part goat, part cow milk that neither B or I can pronounce) and sour cream with lingonberry or strawberry jam.

1. 

My new obsession...Lingonberry jam! It has the tartness of Cranberries with the sweetness of strawberry jam. Sooooo tasty! B and I found some (after much hunting) at Whole Foods but I've heard Ikea carries this as well.

Slacker!

Good morning!

I so have not been keeping up on this blog like I intended! It takes more energy and self reflection than I had initially thought to daily post on one's mental state :) So, I'll just give a brief run through of the past few months.

1. Met a wonderful man on "the site." We'll call him B :)
2. Developed a new love and respect for backpacking
3. Finished my first class for the nursing program!

Below are pictures from our recent hike.....



B taking in the sceneryFun little mushroom. I feel like there should be a caterpillar on top blowing smoke rings...

Very Lord of the Rings-esque don't you think?